Into The Mind: Mustard Yellow

Hey Peeps!

How was your weekend! My weekend was rad, went to Afropunk Saturday and my cousin's anniversary party.  Check out my IG for pics!

This week marks the last week of summer, then it's back to school and work for many.  For a lot of us it also means the start of Fall 15 shopping (woo hoo).  Like I said a few weeks ago, I'm excited to wear my scarves, leather jackets and knee high boots real soon!

I have been seeing a ton of mustard yellow, I'm digging it. Years ago, this color made people cringe haha. Now with 70s fashion coming back, the color is becoming that pop of color staple. Mustard Yellow doesn't scream out Spongebob, it's actually more understated. I am trying to incorporate more color into my wardrobe and will give mustard yellow a try in the months to come. Combining this color with my grey's and blacks will be a blast! I love how the color is included in the Zimmermann Blouse below (yes that will be mine this fall) isn't it lovely? 

New season also means start a new book! My friend Jeannine recommended "Girl on the Train" by Paula Hawkins. I was looking for a psychological thriller that makes me escape reality when I'm at the gym haha.  Girl on the Train is a NY Times best seller, Dreamworks brought the rights to the movie last year so we will be seeing it on the big screen!   

How is everyone else spending their last week of summer? Excited for fall?

xo
Kosi

WCW-Chanese Elifé: vocal powerhouse

Hey peeps!

It’s Wednesday! That means a new WCW post!  This week I am happy to feature Harlem born musician, Chanese Elifé.  I met Chanese at my friend's video release party and we hit it off right away. Isn’t it rad to make connections like that!? Positive vibes, late night jams, and great times were had that night! Chanese is a very talented musician, who started teaching herself the keyboard at age 5, the guitar at age 9 and has been performing and songwriting ever since. But being raised in a strict home, her parents forbade her to play anything outside of Christian based music. At the age of 17 Chanese exploded onto the NY gospel scene and rapidly soared to popularity, while touring hundred of venues and being featured on several albums (many of which she coproduced). For years as a successful minister of music she thrived on connecting with her audience, but eventually grew frustrated by the constraints of organized religion. In 2010 finding herself at a personal and professional crossroads, Chanese went on hiatus and moved to Sydney, Australia to pursue a degree in sacred music and find herself spiritually, absent from familial pressure. 

Chanese Robin Elife'

Red Rooster Harlem with Rakiem Walker Project last nite... If you in Harlem on a Monday why on earth go anywhere else...

Posted by Maurice Bolden on Tuesday, December 23, 2014

A rebel by nature, in her first year of bible college, Chanese began to question theology and the repression often associated with it. Deciding she'd seen and had enough, she dropped out at the end of the semester and left organized religion all together. Pending the loss of support from family, friends and followers back in the U.S., she stayed in Australia and taught herself how to survive as a solo musician, without the comfort of communal support.


Excited, but not really knowing where or how to start life over as a mainstream artist, she began by arranging soulful acoustic covers of top 40 songs and busking in the train stations of Sydney city which lead to many pub and house party gigs. It was through those often rowdy and culturally shocking experiences that Chanese began to feel alive again and reconnect with what she had loved about sharing music in the first place; the excitement of having an entire room united, dancing and singing to the same as one. After three inspiring years abroad she began to long for the raw creative energy that only NYC could offer and returned home in 2013. Since then Chanese has been performing live at various venues around the city, loving her new life and writing about it all. She is currently in the studio recording her first studio project, which is due to drop fall 2015.

Between my cray week and her recording schedule, we manage to do an amazing Q & A:

 O.C.O: What was the first tune(s) you learned?

C.E: First song I taught myself by ear was "Go Tell It On The Mountain" on the keyboard at age 5. We couldn't afford lessons so my favorite game at that age was trying to recall songs I had heard at church and figuring out how to play them on the keys. I started teaching myself guitar at age 9, but the first song I learned on paper from another person with standard tuning and chord shapes was "Basket Case" by Green Day at age 11 by the school band teacher, Mr. Richard Cohen.

 O.C.O: Describe your personal style

C.E: It's like a finely aged hobo stew really. A little bit of this and a little bit of that I've picked up from here and there. Little messy and spicy with lots of different textures that traditionally haven't been thought to go together but somehow wind up working. I think it comes with being a native New Yorker and musician. I've been (artistically) hustling since I was a kid so I'm a product of that environment. I daily find myself in the most random situations, hearing all kinds of music, chatting with the most fascinating and interestingly dressed people from all over the globe, so I pick little things up along the way, toss them in my trolley and keep moving. Life is too big for boxes. If I like something I rock with it. If I don't like it I toss it. That goes for my music, my fashion and my life.

O.C.O: Imagine you’re watching a concert and one of the band members/musicians spontaneously combusts. You get called to the stage to replace them. Who’s the band/musician?

C.E: That sounds so painful! Oh my. Well,  while I hope she'll live forever(or at least never spontaneously combust during a performance I happen to be attending), I would quickly bum-rush Beyoncé's stage, grab a guitar and rock with her 10-piece all-women band, the Sugar Mammas. And it's not just cause they're women. It's because they're all masterful musicians who happen to be women. As a band, they're really versatile and can play virtually any style and do it with an energy that supports their front woman. That's all I've ever wanted in a backing band because my music fuses several genres and I love to see everybody moving with me. *strokes imaginary beard*  Hmmm suddenly spontaneous combustion doesn't really sound THAT painful after all. JK cause everyone knows Queen Bey (and all of her pieces) would just magically regenerate, kick my ass of the stage and slay the most epic finale ever! 

O.C.O: Do you think that online presence is important for fans to find you and critics to find your music to write about?

C.E: This is such an exciting time to be a an artist of any sort. Our ability to connect through technology is amazing and beautiful when done responsibly.  There is an entire planet of people craving music that doesn't exist where they are geographically. But through online presence they can access the art that truly speaks to them. I'm really looking forward to releasing my first studio project in the fall because I'll finally have something of my own to share with the world that I truly believe people everywhere are going to want groove to (stank face and all). I honestly don't know who my streaming audience will be and that thought alone ignites me. I cannot wait for them to say hello and connect with me online. I can't wait to jump on a plane and go any and everywhere people will want to rock with me. I can't wait to put on epic shows to express my gratitude for their support. And when I get there, I will try my hardest not to spontaneously combust on stage ;)

O.C.O: Is there a particular song or musical passage that never fails to move you emotionally?

C.E: Man like just 2 weeks ago I got amped AF like an angst teen all over again when the beat dropped on "Violet" by Hole! And, I may or may not have air-guitared and fake-moshed in the privacy of my own room. 

O.C.O: Rock on, love Hole! Since everyone was a startup once, can you give any smaller or local bands looking to get gigs and airplay some tips?

C.E: Practice daily. Nail every first impression. Never allow yourself an "off" public performance, regardless of the size of the audience or venue and you'll always be sought after. Word of mouth is always going to hold its own weight (social media sharing is just an extension of that principle when you really think about it) because our reputations precede us.

O.C.O: What is your most valued material possession?

C.E: Definitely my signature Ovation guitar; The Big Lady. She was a gift from the musical director at the college I attended in Sydney, Australia because I couldn't afford to bring mine on the plane when I moved there. When I got back home to NYC I met my good friend, the incredible artist Sarah Coffman who burned the mind-blowingly beautiful designs into The Big Lady. She was the first guitar that Sarah ever burned. I suspect that her beauty will always move me emotionally. 

O.C.O: Any upcoming shows/tours or songs/albums?

C.E: I can be seen semi regularly at Grill On the Hill in Harlem, check my social media pages, I perform all over the city and following me would be the best way to keep up!

 I need to head up to Grill On the Hill in Harlem! Follow Chanese on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

 xo

Kosi

WCW: Nubia Mejia of Nubiasnonsense.com

Happy Wednesday Peeps! You know what time it is WCW! Every Wednesday I will highlight an awesome chick that has been inspiring to me and many! This WCW is my fashion/geek twin: Nubia Mejia, of the popular blog Nubia's Nonsense. Nubia’s Nonsense is a very unique blog from the over-saturation of fashion blogs out there. Her content goes beyond fashion; Nubia also posts about geekery, self-help and beauty.   She also is a brilliant social media strategist, who witnessed the profession evolve into the necessity for brands today.  Originally from NYC, Nubia took a major gamble and moved to Las Vegas (more on that below).   Check out my interview with Nubia, which is anything but nonsense.

O.C.O: How old is your blog, what do you think of the blog invasion over the past 3 years? What do you do to stand out?

N.M: The Ups: My blog is a few years old now... 5 or 6 maybe? There have been a lot of ups and downs in the blogging industry. So much that I can probably write a short novel on the topic. I recently wrote a post on my blog Nubia's Nonsense about how I lost passion for blogging for a long time and just recently started regaining it again.  I think the blog invasion has been great in a sense that it has created an urge for young people to become entrepreneurs and start their own business ventures. That's amazing! It's also a creative outlet and a way to influence a worldwide readership in many ways, positive ways hopefully.

The Downs: I think the down side of blogging is that not everyone does it genuinely. Now that there are so many blogs, too many of them are way too alike. Carbon copies you know what I mean? Some people are using it solely as a way to make a quick buck and don't care about their readership or review products honestly which is sad. I would like to see more people challenge themselves and push creative boundaries. For example: 10 girls can wear the same pair of jeans, but probably only one of them is going to make me want to buy it. Maybe it's the things she said, the photo she took, the way she styled it stood out, maybe she wrote a damn poem about the jeans I loved... It could be so many different things. When things are too alike or people are doing things for the wrong reasons, everything loses value. The youth today has a crazy short attention span, it's bad. No one is paying attention to detail and it's the details that make things beautiful. A lot of sites I visit barely even write. Like, what? 2 sentences? What's up with that?

To Stand Out: I just try to be myself, I'm pretty kooky. Right now, I'm in the transition of implementing a lot of new stuff on my site so that's going to be exciting. For years on my style site I did things such as cover New York Comic Con where I would shoot cosplay outfits and compare the looks to fashion trends and such (I even attended the very first NYCC in 2006). I would write post about things such as "How To Bring Out Your Inner Wonder Woman". I would cover Lolita fashion, Harajuku trends and even dressed myself up for the Japanese festivals. These were things my peers weren't really doing much I guess you can say. I very much incorporate comics, pop culture, and my urban roots into my site. This week I have a post coming up called "Pretty Things To Wipe Your Butt With" It's about pretty toilet paper ha ha. I try to think out the box, be silly and have fun with it. I do what feels right. I've had cool sponsorship opportunities along the years and I hope to have more. Maybe I'm not getting as much as a lot of other bloggers sometimes but I'm not like them. I'm being me and I like me! I refuse to change who I am for a sponsorship opportunity. 

 

O.C.O: Describe your personal style.

N.M: I wake up and dress how I feel in the morning. It could be a pinup, grunge, 80s, or flower child. That's the best way to describe my style. I don't really stick to one look. One thing I have always loved though is bright colors. I would wear neon’s all day if I could. I guess if I had to label myself I would say funky/fresh/urban.  

 O.C.O: What are you looking forward to seeing at this years NY Comic Con?

N.M: I'm always looking forward to seeing the cosplayers and what new craziness they come up with. Discovering new artist, attending panels. I've very much enjoyed the Women of Marvel panel the last few years. I remember going to the first one and it being nearly empty, now it's packed! So amazing. Meeting new people. I look forward to the full on experience of it all. It's always different.

O.C.O: What has been your favorite cosplay you have done from all the Cons you have attended?

N.M: I think my favorite Cosplay has been Emma Frost. I was inspired by art I've seen from Jim Lee in some of the older comic books. I'm planning a pretty mean gambit this year though. That Cajun might just top it ha.  

 O.C.O:  The female nerd is having a presence from Cosplay articles on Elle and Refinery 29 to Instagrams like Style By Marvel. The female nerd is now cool, do you think social media had a hand in that?

N.M: I have to start by saying the female nerd has always been cool! Maybe now she's just "trendy”. I think social media has had a hand in that because of all of the traffic these conventions generate online. People want to cover what's popular and trending naturally. Was Elle covering Comic Con Cosplay before social media got crazy popular? I'm not sure but I doubt it. Also, I think all the Marvel and DC films being released play a big role. Now we have tons of X-Men, Spiderman, Batman fans who've never even picked up a comic. They see girls dressing up and they're like "Whoa, she's hot. That's cool". I hope the films and all the social media movement have inspired a few people to pick up a comic more often. Style By Marvel is interesting. I hope they keep doing what they're doing and reach out to the right people to work with in terms of fitting their aesthetic.

O.C.O: What made you move from NY to Las Vegas?

N.M: Show me the money!!!! No, I'm kidding. I'm not a crazy gambler... even though thanks to my boyfriend I do enjoy making some $$$ during Football season (so excited it's starting). I moved because I'm young and because I could. I am a born and raised New Yorker and though I've traveled a fair amount, I never moved out of Queens. I thought it would be enthralling and inspire me to do new things.

O.C.O: You have seen social media take on a life of its own the past 4-5 years? What advice would you give aspiring social media professionals starting out?

N.M: I have absolutely seen social media take an insanely crazy and hectic life of its own. It's like the "it" girl in high school full of drama who's unpredictable. My advice would definitely be to make sure this is the correct path for you first and foremost because it's only getting wilder. When I first started my social media career, the main social sites were Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. You would also use sites such as YouTube and LinkedIn too but for daily purposes it was FB, Tw, and Insta. Now there's something new coming out every day! You have to be like a tech trend forecaster and predict what you think is going to stick. This goes back to me talking about short attention spans... so many of these apps are so similar, where's the value?

Anyway, on the bright side it is a cool career. I think if you work for a company you actually respect and are passionate about you'll be good and you could have so much fun. I used to do fashion week every season and do live coverage of the runways where I got to see and touch all the clothing, meet designers and celebrities, it was tons of fun! My main tips are try to work for something you love and stay on top of trends. Oh and also, everyday is a #National_______ day.

O.C.O: What inspires you?

N.M: I get inspired by the streets mainly and art. I like to watch people and how they dress especially in other countries. It gives me a fresh perspective. Lately I've been inspired I think by the 90s a lot. Kind of starting to love the baggy attire again. We'll see where that goes.

O.C.O: Do you think the power of the blogger/influencer will die or only evolve in the next 5-10 years?

N.M: I don't think it will die, it's always evolving. We rarely see fashion/style bloggers anymore, now everyone is a "Lifestyle Blogger" covering more than just fashion and incorporating fitness and home decor etc. I feel like any day now a blogger is going to make some sort of show that lives online about something and it's going to be so popular that Netflix will pick it up. I see things moving in that sort of direction. I think if people push their creativity more and keep attempting to be unique, the names and the deals are only going to get bigger.

O.C.O: Team Marvel or Team DC?

N.M: This is a very difficult question for me ha, you have no idea. I initially started my passion for the comic book realm through watching the X-Men animated series on Fox Saturday mornings that aired 1992-97. It made me want to get up early on Saturday morning! Almost no kid wants to do that lol. I will be forever grateful for that series.  Then again, it didn't take me long to gain an immense love and admiration for DC's Batman shortly after. This hurts but... considering all characters, story lines, comic books and movies... I'm going to have to side with Marvel. Sorry Batman!!

Photos taken from www.nubiasnonsense.com

Photos taken from www.nubiasnonsense.com

Ha! I am team Marvel as well, yet my favorite cosplays have been DC characters very ironic! Follow Nubia on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram.  And there will be an impromptu photoshoot with me and her at NY Comic Con in October!

Xo

Kosi