No Party Like a Brooklyn Party!: Big Daddy Kane at Prospect Park

There's no party like a Brooklyn party people, and I've been witnessing that all summer long! I was in hip hop heaven last night, at Big Daddy Kane's concert at Prospect Park sponsored by Celebrate Brooklyn. One of our biggest hip hop icons, Big Daddy Kane, featured in a FREE concert! Yes, free! There is NO PARTY like a BROOKLYN Party for sure! There are few places where you can get this type of live entertainment and inspiration for FREE! Presented by The Lyricist Lounge, the event featured a film screening of the short documentary BDK: The Big Daddy Kane Story (directed by Anthony Marshall), Retro Kidz, Emilio Rojas, Blitz the Ambassador, Rahzel and Ralph McDaniels’ Video Music Box. Ralph "Uncle Ralph" McDaniels video mix was on fire. The mix featured such hip hop classics as: MC Lyte "Paper Thin" , Special Ed "I Got It Made", X Clan "Funkin Lesson", Black Moon "I Got Cha Open", Mos Def Feat. Talib Kweli "Definitition", Dead Prez "It's Bigger Than Hip Hop", and more.

Big Daddy Kane, wearing a crisp white suit, came out to a roaring crowd. He performed the classics we all love such as "Raw", "Set it Off", "Smooth Operator" , "Young, Gifted and Black" , "Ain't No Half Steppin" and others. Kane was warm to the crowd, giving periodic shout outs to people he knew and at one point he even said "Happy Birthday" to a woman in the front row who shouted that it was her birthday. One of the highlights was when Kane performed with his dancers, choreography that included some smooth and daring jumps and turns. Kane's performance was as fresh as his high top fade from back in the day. Check out this video clip from the BDK documentary.

WRITING: Children's Book Insider

The Children's Book Insider has valuable information for writers of children's books.

WRITING: Sarah Lawrence College Writing Institute

I'm on SLC's mailing list, so I thought I would post the information:

The Writing Institute
Non-Credit Courses for Adults
The Writing Institute offers adults the opportunity to improve their skills and become part of a community of writers. Classes are small (14 or fewer students) and employ the workshop method. Through interaction with a skilled and sensitive faculty and with other adults for whom the art of writing well is important, participants become more proficient at thinking precisely, hearing language clearly and expressing themselves effectively.

The Writing Institute offers classes in two 11-week terms, one in the fall and one in the spring. Workshops meet weekly in two-hour sessions, which are held during day and evening hours and on Saturdays. Occasionally, readings and special programs related to publishing or other topics of interest to writers are offered.

Every term at the Writing Institute includes workshops in poetry, fiction, nonfiction, memoir writing, and children's literature. In addition to these, the Writing Institute offers, on a less regular basis, workshops on topics like screenwriting, magazine writing, editing and the personal essay.

Writing Institute Open House
Monday, September 14, 2009
11:00 am - 1:00 pm
Living Room, 45 Wrexham
Meet our faculty, choose the workshop that is right for you, enjoy a light lunch, and converse with other writers. RSVP by phone (914) 395-2205 or email cce@sarahlawrence.edu.

REVIEW: He's Gone...You're Back

NEWS FLASH! Attention all single ladies, and women in relationships - He’s Gone…You’re Back by Kerika Fields is truth telling, inspirational guide for women on the path toward healing from unsatisfying, painful, and toxic relationships. Fields, a writer and photojournalist, reveals her personal experience with healing from break-ups. She advises women to release the habit of being a “Queen of Denial” in an unhealthy relationship. Instead, Fields asks women to turn inward and pamper themselves mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually.

Fields tells women how to recognize when you have had enough in a bad relationship. She also advises women to seek support from friends and loved ones during a break up period. Fields recommends putting as much energy as you can into yourself, your goals and dreams once a relationship is over. He’s Gone…You’re Back also features an inspirational recommended play list of songs, natural foods recipes and a reading list.

NEW ARTICLE: Beatiful Summer Nails with Non-Toxic Nail Color

Check out my new article:

"Beautiful Summer Nails with Non-Toxic Nail Color"


Published at MahoganyButterfly.com

READ ON!!!

Creative Genius: My New T-Shirts/Accessories!!

Well I am having a ball generating new ideas to put color and vibrant energy out into the world! Here are my new T-shirts, called CREATIVE GENIUS. They come in beautiful colors, with words that make simple yet ENERGIZING statements! Some of the items are organic (eco-friendly). For the ladies who are dancers you will love the "Dancing Diva" and "Bellydance" T-shirts! They come in ALL sizes, and they are all for you!

"Angela's Mixtape" is a must see hip hop play!

Eisa Davis has become one of my Supersheros! She's now in the same category of high genius art and inspiration for us emerging women artists, as Suzan Lori Parks, another creative sista I deeply admire. Eisa is an accomplished playwright, actress, poet and singer/songwriter. Her latest play "Angela's Mixtape" is a memoir, which in its genius, blends her perspective of life growing up as a post-civil rights/hip hop music loving/braniac girl, her thoughts on the meaning of her aunt's life (Angela Davis), and all that young Eisa aspires to be despite her family's criticism. I loved the play, which I saw this past Saturday night. It is running at the Ohio Theater until early May, featuring Eisa Davis and a full cast of actresses playing Eisa's family members (including Angela Davis).

"Angela's Mixtape" is produced by the Hip Hop Theater Festival. You'll love the music featured in the play - a mix of 70's soul, 80's pop/rock and 90's hip hop. Eisa and her castmates are energetic, powerful and present the range of emotions many of us women in arts and letters have gone through to develop into the women we want to be in life!

I won't try to write a play review here, but I must tell you: GO SEE IT RIGHT AWAY!