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J Events: Concert Review of Nicki Minaj’s Pinkprint Tour

August 10, 2015February 2, 2024ayminor

The-Pink-Print-Tour-Nicki-Minaj-Meek-Mill-Review — Courtesy of @nickiminaj.

When The New York Times published their review of The Pinkprint Tour, I was surprised by what appeared to be the article’s general sentiment:

Review: @NICKIMINAJ is at the helm of the best hip-hop tour lineup of the year http://t.co/d6Hqhze9T9 pic.twitter.com/m24VUqTfKB

— The New York Times (@nytimes) July 28, 2015

I’m glad I took the time to read the article, however, because it was a bit more nuanced than the headline would let on. I’ve pulled a few pieces of “subtle shade” from the article that really get at the truth of the matter:

What the NY Times said: In total, the lineup reflected Ms. Minaj’s many parts — tough, sultry, exuberant, colorful, exaggerated. In her own herky-jerky set, though, she was toggling among approaches: street-wise songs, saccharine pop hits, collaborations, collisions of all these. Ms. Minaj’s catalog is so varied, she has colonized so much turf in so many spaces, that unifying it under one umbrella is a challenge. (nytimes.com)

What they meant: Her set was all over the place. There was no real storyline or theme, which is ok I guess, but there was also no real flow. She would jumped from slow to fast, pop to mixtape content, old material to new. It didn’t feel spontaneous, it was just confusing.

What the NY Times said: Often she’s rapping through a grin, striking a pose for the camera, but when she lets the facade down and focuses on the shape and pace of her words, she’s a bulldozer. (nytimes.com)

What they meant: She spent too much time “being cute” and not enough time really diving into the material of her songs. Nicki is know for her many personalities and characters, but she never gave you the full scope on any record she performed, only a taste. I don’t want to see you smiling and giggling during “Lookin’ ***.” Sorry, but no.

What the NY Times said:Meek Mill sped through several of his blustery hits — a minute of one, then another, like a one-sided mixed-martial-arts bout. (nytimes.com)

What they meant: I had no idea Meek was going to perform in between Nicki’s sets, an interesting choice. They took far too much time transitioning between their sets and his first appearance was rather short.

When Meek finally came out he definitely brought the energy up, but he choose to speed through his hits and spent more time on songs that only hardcore fans would know, a mistake in my opinion.

I know it seems I am being super critical of Nicki, but it’s only because I know she can come 10x harder than she did with this tour and the production and overall flow can definitely improve. [For example, I would estimate she spends at least 15-20% of the show trying to make it up and down her set stairs. Either she needs to put on some flats, or take some lessons from Bey, but girl, get it together.] She has the catalog, her stage presence continues to improved, and as a more established artist she has the budget to pull together a great performance, not just mediocre. I guess we shall see what the future holds, until next time.

J Eats: Asian Barbecue Chicken Marinade

July 24, 2015February 1, 2024ayminor

Asian-Barbecued-Chicken — Photo by recipegirl.com.

Let me be clear: ayminor.com is not, nor will it ever be, a food blog HOWEVER this marinade is too good not to share.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon curry powder
3 cloves garlic, minced
lime wedges (as garnish)
~~chopped green onions (as garnish)~~

recipegirl.com
*This amount is for around 6-ounces of chicken.

What I love: Not only is it super easy, but it doesn’t take as long as the instructions say to marinate. I had the chicken and marindae in a freezer bag for an hour and my chicken was SO flavorful.

What not to forget: Pour any excess marinade over the chicken as it cooks on the grill!

What you can forget: I am not into onions so I left them out of the equation. Still amazing.

Check out recipegirl.com for the full recipe!

J Events: American Black Film Festival 2015

June 15, 2015February 1, 2024ayminor

Black-American-Film-Festival-Taraji — ABFF attendees wait for the 2015 Ambassador Taraji P. Henson and moderator Gayle King.

What is ABFF you ask?

The American Black Film Festival (ABFF) is a four-day event dedicated to showcasing narrative feature films, documentaries, shorts and Web originals by and about people of African descent. It is a star-studded event that goes beyond the cinema to include master classes, networking events, and panels featuring the biggest and brightest in Hollywood. In its nineteenth year, the festival is considered the nation’s largest gathering of Black film and TV enthusiasts. This year’s festival was held June 11-14 in New York City.

Why you need to attend next year:

Wether you are simply a film enthusiast, or an aspiring actor/blogger/director/etc., ABFF is the place to be. Not only do you have access to the latest and greatest in film and television — this year’s festival included the New York premiere of DOPE — but you also have access to up-and-coming and A-list on-screen and off-screen talent.

Price is no excuse not to attend — though the festival weekend passes start at around $300+, it is possible to purchase individual tickets for many of the events and screenings for as little as $12.

ABFF 2015 films and web series to look out for:

I was blown away by this film. A must see! I was originally a little thrown by the serious tone of the film (my heart was set on seeing a romcom!), but with limited selections available on Friday, my Mom and I thought we would give it a chance. Divine intervention! This movie will touch the heart, and enrich the mind while also giving you a look at the highs and lows of the music industry. Following the screening Che “Rhymefest” Smith surprised the audience with a performance of a song from the movie and, along with the film’s co-director and producer Ricki Stern, answered questions about its conception as well as his relationship with his father. After the brief Q&A, my Mom and I still had several questions; luckily as things wrapped up my Mom was able to talk with Che for a few minutes in the company of The Fashion Bomb Editor-In-Chief Claire Sulmers.

American-Black-Film-Festival — Photo credit ayminor.com.

I was drawn to the web originals showcase on Friday because of the description for Black Actress, a web series created and starring Degrassi alum Andrea Lewis. To no surprise, it was my favorite series of the night.

The series follows struggling actress Kori Bailey (Andrea Lewis) as she navigates life and the ups and downs of the business in the big city. What I loved about the series is although she is trying to making it in the acting world, Kori’s struggle speaks to one many 20-somethings go through in trying to make it in their chosen field. Check out the first episode below!

They have announced that ABFF will take place in Miami next year (a disappointment for those of us above the Mason-Dixon line), but you have a year to save! Please make sure you attend and support!

american-black-film-festival-twitter-account-miami

J Travels: Chicago, A Toast to the Unexpected

June 8, 2015February 1, 2024ayminor

For every good thing I’ve heard about Chicago, I’ve heard 5 bad things. To put it simply, Chicago gets a bad rap. I’m glad I didn’t let its perception keep me away, because I would’ve missed out on one of the most beautiful cities I’ve visited thus far.

Over Memorial Day weekend I had the opportunity to visit one of my closest friends from college before she heads back to the East Coast. With only ~~three days,~~ or rather, two days and one night (thanks to a last-minute work emergency), we had a jammed pack itinerary of sightseeing, food and #summertimechi nightlife.

Here are a few tips for folks headed to Chicago:

Best Time to Visit

Now! (June-August) It was still at little brisk as times while I was there at the end of May, but overall still gorgeous weather, no fog in sight.

Sightseeing

One of the perks of great weather — we were able to do a Chicago Architecture (boat) Tour. We chose Wendella, but there are several different options to choose from. Whether a holiday weekend or not, get there early for a seat on the top deck! The tours take you along the Chicago River and out onto Lake Michigan — absolutely breathtaking.

The view of Chicago from Signature Room at the 95th — Gorgeous view of the Chicago skyline. You would never know I was in the bathroom!

There are 2 main options for an amazing view of the Chicago skyline — the Willis Tower Skydeck (formerly known as the Sears Tower), and the John Hancock Building. With about 45-60 minutes to spare, we thought we would have enough time to grab a quick drink at the Signature Room at the 95th (the highest floor of the John Hancock Building), and head back down — wrong! So how did I capture this amazing view? A quick trip to the ladies room! My friend remembered just before we left that it allows for a great, free sneak peak of the skyline. Not exactly ideal, but the same great view!
Unfortunately we missed the fireworks at Navy Pier by just a few minutes, but I imagine they’re absolutely beautiful on a clear night. Definitely check them out during the summer!

Nightlife

Near North Side Bars. The great thing about Near North Side was that there were so many bars right next to each other — it made it easy to bar hop. On the first night alone we checked out 4 bars that each brought something different to the table: El Hefe, Rockit, Social Twenty Five and Three Dots and a Dash.

Eats

Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria. I had to get deep dish pizza!
Harold’s Chicken Shack. My first stop of the day, an institution in Chicago.
Beatrix. Brunch, brunch, brunch. We chose Beatrix and it did not disappoint. LOVE, the brown sugar bacon.
Glazed and Infused. Spoiled by their red velvet donut.
Garrett Popcorn. Gourmet popcorn anyone? Great snack on the go.

More pictures from my trip:

J Events: Enter Today to Win Free Tickets to the Landmark Music Festival

May 26, 2015February 1, 2024ayminor

Back from the Chi! Good thing I finally got around to checking my emails from last week.

The hosts of the inaugural Landmark Music Festival will be giving away 500 pairs of free festival tickets in a lottery to be held on Thursday, May 28. You have one day to apply — the lottery closes at 5:00p tomorrow! Find more information about the Landmark Music Festival here and full details about the lottery below.

Feeling lucky? Today, the Trust for the National Mall kicks off a public lottery for 500 pairs of free GA tickets to the fest!

You have from 9:00 a.m. EDT on May 21 until 5:00 p.m. EDT on May 27 to be entered to win a spot at the inaugural Landmark! That evening, 500 winning names will be randomly drawn and all entrants will be notified of the results by email the following day.

In partnership with the Trust for the National Mall, Landmark Music Festival will be the first event held to support the Trust’s Landmark Campaign for the National Mall, which will establish various events and promotions to raise awareness, participation and fundraising to restore the most visited national park in America, the National Mall. The grounds, which were built to honor America’s brightest leaders and bravest heroes, is suffering from a growing amount of deferred maintenance and needed upgrades to the infrastructure of the park, which has not seen a major renovation in 40 years. (landmarkfestival.org)

Three Things I Learned About the White House

April 27, 2015February 1, 2024ayminor

What’s the D.C. experience without a tour of the White House? Since I began packing my bags to move to the District I have been trying to snag a tour of the First Family’s residence. Though I am still working on inside access, on Saturday I was able to do a tour of the White House grounds during the annual White House Garden Tour.

Here a few things that took me by surprise (that I should probably already know):

1. The front porch is actually the back porch.

Has anyone ever watched Scandal and imagined Mellie and Fitz to be overlooking the grounds on their front balcony? I know I did, but alas we are wrong — the “front porch” is actually the back. It is easy to mistake the back of the residence as the front because of its vast views — from the porch you can see the Washington Monument, the Tidal Basin and the Jefferson Memorial. It’s also the place where the president officially greets foreign Heads of State. Nonetheless, it’s called 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue for a reason.

WH-garden-tour — All of the White House maps also show the backyard in the foreground, which adds to the confusion.

2. The Oval Office is on the ground floor.

Every time I look at the majestic images of the Oval Office, I’ve always imagined that it was located on the second floor of the White House overlooking the front grounds — never in a million years would I think it to be such a small structure, in a corner of the backyard. I mean really, don’t those look like the tops of large trees through the windows?

I did learn that my thoughts weren’t completely off base: during the 19th century, a number of presidents used the White House’s second-floor Yellow Oval Room as a private office or library – it wasn’t until Theodore Roosevelt became president that the West Wing was built (to separate the White House domestic space from the office space), and finally the Oval Office as we know it was established during President Taft’s tenure.

3. Sasha and Malia’s playset lives on.

The cutest part — in 2009, President Obama had a playground installed for Sasha and Malia Obama — a sign of normalcy in contrast to their growing notoriety. Though I’m sure it hasn’t been used in a while, it’s still cute to see a piece of their childhood.

Here are a few more images from our outing!