Danii Gold, also known to many as Bri is an established writer on multiple digital platforms. Danii enjoys writing about entertainment and lifestyle stories.
Today marks the 21 years that the Notorious BIG was murdered in Los Angeles. His music continues to live on and murder case is still unsolved.
Lately, there has been a lot of Biggie unsolved murder series showing on television; from Biggie: The Life of Notorious, to Unsolved: The Murders of Tupac and Notorious BIG to Oxygen network shows and plenty more, PLUS the movie that came out in 2009, which was a good film; but it’s a bit overwhelming. It’s like the network are blatantly trying to make money off the unsolved murder (including Tupac) and to me, reopening the wounds of his loved ones, like his mother, ex-wife and more importantly his children. I feel like the case could be handled out of the public without creating television shows about it. I appreciate the perspective but it’s becoming a bit too much. Overall, I hope the murder does get solved.
Some of Biggie’s hits are “Juicy”, “Hypnotize”, “Big Poppa”, “Party & Bullshit”, “Who Shot Ya”, “Mo Money Mo Problems” and several more. Use this day to play all your Biggie hits if you’re a hip hop fan.
The first Women’s Month appreciation fact goes to the late Maya Angelou. She was most known for being a poet, writing her New York Best Seller memoir I Know Why The Caged Bird Sing. That book stayed on the Best Seller’s list for two years, and which is the longest run in history. She became the first Black Woman to write a nonfiction book that stayed on the list that long!
Before Maya was an author, she was the first black woman to drive a cable car conductor, also known as a modern day trolley, in San Francisco ,California. During the 1950’s she starred in Broadway and off-Broadway productions, perfecting her craft in acting. She won a Tony for one of her roles in 1973 and an Emmy for a role she played in the self-proclaimed series Roots in 1977.
Maya spent some time in Africa, specifically Egypt and Ghana. While on her journey there, she got involved with pan-African-ism and when she came back to America, she teamed up with human rights activist Malcolm X and helped him an organization. She also became close friends with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr up until his death in 1968, which took a toll on since he was killed on her birthday.
Maya read a poem at Clinton’s Inauguration in 1993 titled On The Pulse of Morning, which she won a Grammy for, for best spoken word album. Other famous work by her are Woman Work, Still I Rise, Touched By An Angel and many more.
She will forever be recognized for her poetic words , being a author, actress, activist and a PHENOMENAL Woman.
TODAY is Women’s Day and what that means is — tis the month to celebrate the achievements of women worldwide. Women, “the power to create, nurture and transform.” We, women, show selfless love, care, affection, and ignite the spirit of power and hope.
Women are still struggling with getting respect and equality; from sexual harassment in the entertainment business, to fighting to get equal pay in everyday life. Over the past century, women have overcame so much such as the right to work, the right to vote, BLACK women eventually having the chance to vote and work a job that doesn’t involve cleaning, getting a fair education NOT at a predominantly black school and many other trials and tribulations.
I will be recognizing women who’ve made history and had astonishing accomplishments over time, sooooooo stay tuned!!!
I want to dedicate this post to the lovely Black Women who came and slayed the 2018 Oscars this year.
Oh, the men looked fine too!!
credit: nytimes.comcredit: nytimes.com
credit: nytimes.com
I loved these looks from the stars and SHOUT OUT TO Tiffany Haddish honoring her father by showing homage to her roots of Eirtrean gown on the red carpet…
credit: nytimes.com
AND for wearing her dress for the white Alexander McQueen gown a third time at the Oscars lol. She had originally said she paid $4k for the dress so she’s going to keep wearing it lol.
I just got back from my trip to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico and let me tell you…I needed it! Between going to work, being in school and working an internship, I never have time to focus on me.
I was gone from Friday until Monday night (yesterday) and I didn’t even think about work or school. It’s like it never existed lol. I think this is part of that self care that everyone is talking about; take care of you!
Even though I didn’t sleep much and relax long, I had fun just kicking it; drinking, eating, and exploring, just living my best life!
I realized that taking vacations, short or long, far or close, are sometimes needed just to take your mind off of the stresses in your life and not being in close proximity of them. Sometimes taking a vacation can mean just sleeping your day away, stuffing your face and getting drunk and going back to sleep. Yes, you can do that at home BUUUUUT sometimes you don’t want to be in city limits of what you’re trying to temporarily get away from.
I’m already planning my next trip and it’ll simply be a celebration for me graduating and of course A TURN UP. But a short synopsis of my Cabo trip:
I went with a group of 50 or more people.
No special occasion, just a quick, semi-cheap trip to take
Day 1: meet & greet (it was about 60 of us) anddd a lot of drinking lol.
Day 2: ATV riding and Cabo nightlife. The Cabo club definitely love St.Louis folks!!
Day 3: Regrouping from the nightlife lol and Boat Party And Chill day, OH and we saw a whale!!
Day 4: Leaving Cabo, blahhhhhhhhhhh!
I enjoyed myself but I would’ve loved to site see Cabo San Lucas a lil more but overall, it was a fun trip. Shout out to our travel agent Miki Jones—AMJ Getaways , for putting together a lit trip!
I know this is a random post since I don’t blog about art but I’m currently in school and I’m taking digital art design classes and I’m doing a project on Andy Warhol. Ironically enough, today is his death anniversary!
Today marks 31 years(1987) that Andy Warhol passed away from complications of from surgery to remove his gallbladder. He was famously known for Pop Art but early in his career, after he graduated from art school, he went straight into commercial art working with Glamour magazine. He illustrated shoes for them and then branched off into Esquire magazine, which tailored to men shoes.
It wasn’t until 1962 when he created the concept of Pop Art, which was the mass production of commercial good, creating his first BIG piece, The Campbell’s Soup Can: 32 canvas. He DID NOT create the original label instead reinvented it as a piece of art.
credit: arrestedmotion.com
Another famous painting by him was the painting of the Coca Cola bottle:
credit: crystalbridges.org (1962)
And a famous Marilyn Monroe painting, but it was created after she died.
credit: art.comcredit: learnodo-newtonic.com
Along with other paintings such as 8 Elvises, Big Electric Chair and many others. In the 1970’s, Andy went on to publish books and went into film, producing 60 films, including some being silent. He was a band manager for the group Velvet Underground,
He has painted and photographed celebrities such as Sylvester Stallone, Michael Jackson, Bette Midler, Elizabeth Taylor, Grace Jones, AND Jean Michel Basquiat. He collaborated with Basquiat on a photoshoot of the two called Paintings. Even though the art piece did not become successful, the two had developed a close friendship and can be scene in countless photos together.
Talk about GREATNESS! Did you know that Black Panther made $218 MILLION over the weekend all over the country? Andddd it’s Black History Month! That some Black Excellence. I’m so proud of the movie’s debut success!
I went to see Black Panther on Friday, just like every other black person did this weekend and I enjoyed it of course. I will be the first to say that I’m not a Marvel fan….at all!! I’m not into superhero movies like that but I just HAD to see this film because:
Spoiler Alert: I LOVED the story line and it made me think—maybe there is a whole different galaxy or planet or even a different country that has the advancements of technology that Wakanda had. The movie seemed more present day, especially with the settings of being in South Korea and London. I LOVED that there was a family tie between T’Challa (Boseman) and Killmonger (M.B. Jordan) and fighting for the throw because of a bad grudge being held.
credit: collider.com
Also, I loved that Black Women played a significant part in the movie, from his sister being helpful with her technology knowledge by helping him drive a car while she was still stationed in Wakanda, to T’Challa being in South Korea. Also, Okoye being his right hand (wo)-man by helping him fight and using her sword power (like she did in Walking Dead). Also, Nakia was his eye candy but also a great spy working along to save others lives before T’Challa walked back into her life.
You hear a lot of one-man band superheroes but never a lot of black women superheros. There are Black Women Superheroes from the Marvel series like Storm from X-Men, Misty Knight, and Monica Rambeau, and maybe this movie will be the start of trying to make movies about them.
I’m just sooooo excited that black people mainly, but all races in general came out to A) support a Black Film, B) a Black director, C) a Marvel film that brings people from all races out…to support a black film–Black Panther.
credit: entertainmentweekly.com
Fun Facts about the director: Ryan Coogler:
He directed his first film at age 27, which was Fruitvale Station
He directed his second film at age 29, which was Creed
Third film he directed was Black Panther, at age 31.
If you haven’t seen the movie….see it! If you have seen it…see it just ONE MORE TIME lol–for the culture–for the young directors like Ryan Coogler making a come up!!
Danii Gold 