Thursday, February 28, 2008

Music Scholar, Music Holla!

When I'm not reading my new fave site, I'm busily thinking about, talking about, listening to, and making music. I've recently had a flurry of scholarly-related music/popular culture gigs. Tabs, Gelsey Bell and I are trying to get some money to make an album over the next year. That's the hotness.

Here's a little pic of us messing around, even though Chris made fun of my lack of gee-tar skills by saying I was playing "More Than Words." God helps us all.

Today, it was a PS Panel of Plenty! It was organized by MA students, Eric Miles Glover and Ellen Cleghorne and featured stellar thinkers and practitioners, Marti Newland, Frank Leon Roberts and Tavia Nyong'o as well as yours truly. It was a great panel with incredible range (music, lit, politics, theatre, TV).

Next Tuesday, Tavia and I are doing a great talk for the Colloqium for Unpopular Culture at NYU's SCSA on two obscure films, Deadly Art of Survival and 80 Blocks from Tiffanys. Come watch the bizarre unfold with us!

Ok, just downloaded the new Erykah, so gotta rock that. Even though some Educated Black Folks think she's too popular.

Monday, February 11, 2008

Jean Grae, Talib Kweli, and MC Colt 45???

Sooooo, I'm writing about Jean Grae in-depth for my Doctoral dissertation. I have no title as of yet, but the topic is: The Performance of Gender and Sexuality in New York City Hip Hop from 1985-Present. Whew!

And one day, I will break it down, but for now, I want to talk a little about Jeanie. Jean is a fascinating lyricist, vocalist,producer. She was formerly known as Wha? Wha? and has had a strange, brilliant and somewhat frustrating career as a preeminent underground emcee. Of course, she is a particular breed of emcee, being female, South African-born, fiercely and poetically honest in her subject matter, tone and delivery.

But she's also one hell of a comedian. My homeboy, B Prof (you got a webpage, boo?) sent me this AMAZING video, featuring Talib Kweli and Jean Grae. It's an episode of the MTV web series MADE.

In this one, MC Colt 45 wants to...oh just watch it, it's GLORIOUS!!!

Selling My Djembe



It's beautiful, it's large, it's from Af-Ri-Kaaaaaa (read "authentic.").

Seriously, it's a beautiful drum. I got it in 2001 when I was Dakar, Senegal.

It's in lovely condition, sounds wonderfully and is gorgeous to look at as well as play.

Hit me up with an offer or send your friends to me.

Holllllaaaaaaa.

Shante

Sunday, February 03, 2008

Voices of Queer Black Women: A Panel Discussion

Hi All:

Just a reminder about this panel.

Hope to see some of you there, now that I am getting over this flu!



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Don't miss this exciting panel event, which is part of African Heritage Month!


Voices of Queer Black Women: A Panel Discussion




THIS MONDAY, February 4th



6:00-8:00pm, Kimmel Center (60 Washington Square South), Room 908



Come hear the voices of Ash (an international undergrad from Zimbabwe and leader of Shades), Shante Paradigm (ABD Doctoral Student, Performance Studies (Tisch)/Artist)., e. Frances White, PhD (NYU’s Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs), and Hanifah Walidah (Brooklyn-based filmmaker, co-producer of “U People”), as they speak about their experiences as queer black women. This event is brought to you as part of NYU’s African Heritage Month and V-Day/Voices for Choice, and is co-sponsored by Shades and CampGrrl.



Tom Bourdon
Program Administrator
NYU LGBT Office
www.nyu.edu/lgbt (212) 998-4699