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14 Oct

Sam Gendel: Blueblue Album Review

Sam Gendel: Blueblue Album Review
Years before Sam Gendel was one among the principal fixtures of Los Angeles’ bubbling ambient jazz scene, he was the frontman of a quiet little outfit called Inga. Though the group barely had any releases to its name, Inga’s performances were twisting and spontaneous, as Gendel wove his way through lopsided bossa-nova patterns together with his understated, fluttering guitar technique. To observe them play was like watching a hunched caterpillar sneaking its way through the grass, each modal jump as oddly angled because it was delicately naturalistic. Since then, Gendel has primarily focused on his solo output, constructing his kooky sound world around mellowed out hip-hop beats and his psychedelic, Jon Hassell-indebted approach to saxophone. But on Blueblue, Gendel returns...
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14 Oct

Redemption Song: These Celebs Share The Moments In Their

Redemption Song: These Celebs Share The Moments In Their
Oprah Winfrey, arguably probably the most notable self-made people on the planet, has spoken publicly about her early skilled failures. Before striking gold along with her beloved self-titled talk show, she’s publicly shared how she handled being doubted by higher-ups. “I got fired …well I got demoted,” the powerhouse mogul shared in a 2017 Bloomberg interview, where spoke about her time at a Baltimore news station working as a primetime news co-anchor. This was an incredible accomplishment considering inclusive representation was nearly non-existent in TV journalism and she or he was a young, Black woman. When the show failed, she was solely blamed and never her more seasoned, white male co-host and was even discouraged by her bosses to proceed...
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14 Oct

Mielle Organics Founder Monique Rodriguez Dishes About Latest Mango

Mielle Organics Founder Monique Rodriguez Dishes About Latest Mango
It began with a little bit of at-home experimentation from founder Monique Rodriguez and a few informative IG tutorials teaching Black women tips on how to look after their hair. Now eight years later, Mielle Organics is one in all the market’s most sought-after Black hair care brands—carrying upwards of 11 curated collections for all curly hair types and being shelved at over 100,000 retailers. Mielle Organics continues to exceed its customers’ expectations while staying true to the brand’s ethos of innovation and education. Rodriguez makes it a degree to take heed to her customers, whether keeping a detailed eye on the ever-changing trends on social media or catching up with consumers within the hair care aisle.  Monique Rodriguez says her...
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14 Oct

’90s Music, ‘Golden Girls’ And Disneyland: Lauren London On

’90s Music, ‘Golden Girls’ And Disneyland: Lauren London On
Danny Williams After overcoming great obstacles in the previous couple of years, Lauren London is admittedly a modified person. You will have noticed. Since Nipsey Hussle’s passing in 2019, conversations together with her, about her, have been subdued and reflective — about loss, healing. But as ESSENCE learned in recent conversation together with her, she’s also been incredibly inspired — by her own strength and that of her two sons. That resilience has inspired her Ceaselessly Stronger collection with Puma, which originally was released in 2021 and quickly sold out. On June 9, a reimagined extension of the unique launch was made available. This one, still with the signature LA penmanship on the chest, was inspired by her boys and offers...
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