Category: Audio + Visual
Conversations on what matters.
Porteñas, a Yerba Mate shop in Brooklyn, has officially opened its doors to the public! This local shop is owned and operated by three Argentinean women. Yerba Mate is a huge part of Uruguayan, Paraguayan, and Argentinean culture.
Pop music is infectious. Don’t get bogged down by anyone who says it’s too generic for their taste. The sounds are constantly evolving, though most pop songs these days still manage to have those catchy choruses you seem to hum at random moments (looking at you, K-Pop!) Right now, I’m enjoying the added twists that European artists are adding to the mainstream. If you’re feeling bored with the American pop scene or just need some fresh sounds to your playlist, here’s five artists from across the pond you absolutely need to know better.
1. Charli XCX
Check out: Focus, Roll With Me, Femmebot (ft. Dorian Electra and Mykki Blanco)
2. MNEK
It’s pronounced exactly how you see it and is a play on his surname, Emenike. Along with his chart-topping duet with Zara Larsson, “Never Forget You,” MNEK has written for some of the most buzzed about names in pop including Dua Lipa, Kylie Minogue and the queen herself, Beyoncé! His debut solo album just dropped full of infectious dancehall R&B that includes his own writing and production credits. Try not to pull a muscle dancing from song after song!
Check out: Colour (ft. Hailee Steinfeld), Tongue, Paradise
3. Christine and the Queens
Check out: Girlfriend (ft. Dâm-Funk), iT, Half Ladies
4. SOPHIE
Scotland-born but Los Angeles-based producer Sophie has crafted experimental pop collaborations with Charli XCX, Vince Staples and Madonna. Her small presence on social media and rare interviews may seem mysterious, but she doesn’t consider herself to be anonymous. In an interview with Teen Vogue, she stated she’s always been honest in the work she puts out. That honesty shone through last October in her video for “It’s Okay To Cry” when for the first time, she performed her own vocals and showed her face on-camera. For many viewers, it also helped us realize Sophie’s identity as a transgender pop star.
Check out: Ponyboy, LEMONADE, VYZEE
5. Raye
If you’re a fan of the hot house-pop and Afrobeats sound today, you’ll love Raye. Atop these sizzling beats lie her air light vocals crooning lyrics that have been described as confident yet vulnerable. Raye’s success has shown through in reaching No. 3 in the U.K. charts last year and features on two Top 20 charting songs in 2016. Plus, she’s collaborated with Charli XCX twice, so that should give you an idea of how fun her music is!
Check out: Decline (ft. Mr. Eazi), Friends, Crew (ft. Kojo Funds and RAY BLK)
So you’re going to college and you still haven’t figured out what you want to do for the rest of your life. Or maybe you’re returning and still find yourself aimlessly navigating through campus without a clue of what or who you want to be. It’s OK. Contrary to belief, no one has it figured out in college or beyond those four plus years. And while we don’t have the answer to how to find meaning or passion in a future career, we do have some of the best podcasts to listen to in these formative years.
1. Crooked Media’s – Pod Save
The Pod Save network from Crooked Media, is arguably the most valuable college essential podcast company. It consists of Pod Save America, Pod Save the People, and Pod Save the World. If you’re tired of being ignorant to what’s going on in the US and the rest of the world, I suggest you tune in. The podcasts present a weekly roundup of all the events and issues taken from the headlines and Trump’s Twitter feed and dives into them in a no bullshit or frills conversational format. Crooked Media founders and co-hosts of Pod Save America Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett, and Tommy Vietor were also President Barack Obama’s former top staffers. Pod Saves the People is hosted by activist, organizer, and blue vest wearer DeRay Mckesson and his cohorts, where they discuss the topics that don’t make it to the forefront of the 24-hour news cycle. Pod Save the World is a foreign policy section hosted by former White House National Security Council spokesman Tommy Vietor who takes you behind the scenes of the top-secret discussions and negotiations across the world with the people who were there. Amongst these three Crooked Media podcasts, it would be hard not to stay informed in the daily interworkings of our country.
2. Reply All Podcast
Yeah, you grew up with the Internet but can you confidently say you understand the Internet? Created in 2014 by host PJ Vogt and Alex Goldman on the Gimlet Media, Reply All explores the Internet and technology from the lives of the people who are affected by it. Past episodes covered the origins of the INVCEL community, which was created by a queer woman from Canada or the story on Zardulu, the artist credited for the possibly staged videos like the famous Selfie Rat. The show also has segments where they explain complicated memes in their, Yes, Yes, No segment. In their Super Tech Support episodes, they attempt to solve listeners problems like a lost tortoise or a person’s home being wrongly listed as the destination of the “locate my phone” tracking feature. The show is perfect for those who are tired of answering their parent’s tech and Internet questions, even though they too are puzzled by topics like Pizzagate.
3. The Read
The Read is a weekly podcast where host Kid Fury and Crissle give a pop culture rundown of the foolishness of celebrity shenanigans. The show acts as an “on-air therapy session for two friends trying to adjust to life and rats in the big city”, while also being an outlet for the two to incessantly stan over Blue Ivy and her mama Beyonce. The show has a listener letters section where they answer questions and the read where they give a “fuck you” to the person(s) or things that pissed them off most. The show is currently expanding to cover mental health tips since both hosts suffer from their own bouts of mental health issues. The Read is a black culture staple that I wished I had around when I was in college in the Midwest. If you’re black and find yourself in a sea of whiteness while away for college, this podcast will soon become your safe space.
4. Freakonomics Radio
Freakonomics Radio takes all the questions you most likely asked your search engine and explores them through the lens of economics and statistics. Yes, we know that doesn’t sound interesting but it’s wildly fascinating in that introspective, yet playful sense of understanding yourself and the world. Stemming from the book that shares the same name, journalist and author Stephen J. Dubner hosts the weekly podcast. Each week he speaks with entrepreneurs, social scientists, and sometimes his co-author and economist Steven D. Levitt on topics ranging from the obligation adult children have in paying back their parents to who has ownership over the words you speak.
5. LeVar Burton Reads
Entering a new phase in your life, like college, can be daunting. So any connection to your roots can be comforting and help ease the transition. LeVar Burton Reads has been dubbed the Reading Rainbow for grownups, which at its surface follows the same formula. However, Burton handpicks and narrates a favorite short fiction piece, mostly verging on the science fiction genre from his times on Star Trek. This isn’t some Audible style narration, but rather a fully animated narration filled with soundscapes and sometimes computerized and robotic dialogue, if needed, to help bring the stories alive.
https://soundcloud.com/theexposeshow/episode-41-guess-whos-back-back-again-1
This week we’re catching up on everything – all the crazy news that happened over the break, what’s new in our hosts’ lives, and meeting our brand new host, Donya. From Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria, to Laila’s exciting announcement, no subject is off limits in this episode.
MUSIC LIST:
Alessia Cara – How Far I’ll Go
Beyoncé – I Was Here
If you’re loving our episodes and would like to get updates from us, follow us on Twitter @theexposeshow. Sign up for our newsletter at thetempest.co/the-wave. Support our show at patreon.com/thetempest.
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Hip-hop is a movement of resistance, so it’s no surprise that feminism has found its rightful place within the art form. But too often are conversations surrounding hip-hop dominated by men and focused on masculinity. People often hold the perception that hip-hop is inherently misogynistic, but contrary to popular belief, there are women in the game that are shaking up the status quo and embracing the idea that hip-hop is a space for powerful female artists.
The U.N.I.T.Y. Feminist Hip-hop Mix is taking inspiration from the notorious and unapologetic feminist Queen Latifah anthem and is asserting that women are multifaceted and powerful. These tracks are embracing femininity, body positivity, heritage, sexuality and self-love, and are reminding us that women are dynamic in all layers of their identities.
Check out these hip-hop anthems that challenge the idea that hip-hop can’t be inherently feminist and empowering:
1. Brujas || Princess Nokia
‘Bruja’ is Spanish for witch, and Princess Nokia is unapologetically letting you know that she’s proud of her Afro-Latina roots in brujería and the feminine power she derives from it.
2. Werkin’ Girls || Angel Haze
Angel Haze is proud of her work, and this rapid-fire track is a declaration to make sure no one stands in the way of her success. To anyone that’s fighting to do what you love, this song is for you.
3. Lose Control || Missy Elliott
Missy Elliott loves her “cute face, chubby waist,” and she wants the world to know. This song is the ultimate anthem for unabashed body positivity.
4. Shoop || Salt-N-Pepa
This classic Salt-N-Pepa track is the ultimate anthem for positive female sexuality. If you need a reminder that there’s nothing shameful about sexual pleasure, then put this song on blast.
5. Girl Gang || Leikeli47
This track is all about reclaiming “girl power” and is reminding folks that women keep persevering and coming out as champions at the end. Leikeli47 is giving the world a not-so-gentle reminder “that we run the atmosphere.”
6. Doo-Wop (That Thing) || Lauryn Hill
This song is the ultimate reminder that you are valuable, enough, and don’t deserve to be undercut by anyone. Just remember to respect yourself and take nothing less from others. As Lauryn Hill puts it: “Don’t be a hard rock when you really are a gem. Baby girl, respect is just a minimum.”
7. U.N.I.T.Y. || Queen Latifah
This Queen Latifah track is the ultimate feminist hip-hop anthem, notoriously calling out street harassment, domestic violence, and being called a “bitch” or a “ho.” U.N.I.T.Y. is all about empowerment, solidarity and respect, because we know we’re not standing one second for misogyny.
8. Big Bad Mamma || Foxy Brown
This song is all about self-love and being your bad-ass self. Foxy Brown puts it best: “Love yourself, put no one above thee. Cause ain’t nobody gon’ f*** me like me.”
9. Reality Check || Noname
This low-key track from up-and-comer Noname is a reminder that you’re more powerful and grounded than you think you are, so don’t be afraid to seize opportunity.
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