Saturday, August 25, 2007

Bow Down to the Suburban Rap Queen, K. Flay

K. Flay needed to be interviewed ASAP because she has stormed the internet and gained major respect of unlikely hip hop peers. As an emcee her flow is flawless and she's got a message that makes you want to put down the pipe, learn how to dance, and hit the books to be cool like her.

L and F: So, you've been on the URB Next list a couple times in a row and you're the only female in that genre. How does that feel?
K: It definitely feels good to represent the ladies, and I owe a lot to URB for recognizing and supporting my music. That being said, I do wish there were more x chromosomes in the hip hop mix, especially since misogyny oozes out of mainstream rap and there aren't many female voices to counteract that negativity. Right now I'm just trying to do my own thing and eradicate all forms of lyrical skeet skeet skeeting in the process.

L and F: You go to Stanford, you're white and you are anti-drug and anti-thug. This defies everything we know about why people like rap. What made you jump into it?
K: I actually got started rapping on a whim. One day, at the end of my freshman year in college, my friend and I were lamenting the formulaic nature of popular rap music, and he challenged me to write a song. So, I wrote a parody track (title: blingity blang blang), had waaaay too much fun doing it, penned a couple more parodies, and then started writing my own beats and lyrics the following summer. Over the course of that summer, I figured out that rapping was the perfect way for me to unleash my crazy self, so i kept on spitting the rhymes.

L and F: We're diggin' the beats and we hear you're a wiz with the home studios. Which studio do you use and what's up with you and DJ? Is it all business (if you know what we mean...yes, we're nosy)?
K: I'm not sure I'd call myself a 'wiz', but I certainly do have some fun rocking out on my edirol keyboard. I lay down most of my tracks at Stanford's on-campus studio, although I do have a modest recording rig set up in my apartment. DJ is my sound engineer, good friend, and fellow MC (keep your ears peeled for Team FreshFish, the side project that we're working on), but definitely nothing more. He and I are like brother and sister, and neither of us support incest, if you know what I'm saying.

L and F: We love females that do not take themselves seriously because that is just lame. Do you think there are people in the hip hop community getting bent out of shape because they think you're poking fun?
K: To quote one of my earliest songs, haters be everywhere. Of course some folks are going to act like denatured proteins and dislike my silly ways, but what keeps me going is that lots of people do appreciate my music and my message. For the most part, the response I get from people is very positive, which I think stems from the fact that I'm being true to myself, and not trying to conform to some overplayed stereotype.

L and F: Most of our readers are from the East Coast (NYC, The Dirty South). When can we expect the album and US tour over our way?
K: East coasters can expect some live k.flay action this fall, sometime in october/november. And in terms of the album, right now I'm planning to release it in the winter, so that my hott tracks will melt the bitter cold. haha.

And now for the question we almost always ask:
L and F: When you blow up real big, are you gonna become a media whore, driving around all drunk and showing your privates like some celebrities we know?
K: Well, flashing my nether regions does happen to be a top hobby of mine... but seriously, I am a very chilled out lady, not at all into celebrity, partying, or vaginal exhibitionism. And I think it sucks that many americans know more about Lindsay Lohan's coke habits than U.S. politics. so, don't plan on seeing me in the tabloids, unless you're reading a story about alien abductions.

You can check out K Flay in a few places directly after reading the rest of this week's blog of course at:

K FLay's Myspace
K FLay's Web page
Vote for her on URB!!!!!!

Trend and Anti-trend of the Week

"Do the Wrong Thing"- love it

Trend of the Week- Flourescent Man Shirts

Neon Creepin'
*******************

This week we must address the boys who are wearing bright, neon tees and kicks. We love it and we think that if a man wears pink, he is obviously very secure with his sexuality and most likely good in bed. If he wears HOT pink he deserves an immediate dry humping by fashion-savvy bloggers. We're not usually into dudes who coordinate too much because this leans toward metrosexual medioctrity but if your baggy t-shirt and 3 toned sneaks are subliminally screaming, "We're open 24 hours and we have hourly rates", then it's on.

Get your next 80's inspired, flambouyant T from our fellow bloggers and entrepreneurs at www.madcreepy.com


Girls, they've got the goods for you too and its scary hot...



Anti-Trend-The Resurrection of the Whale Tail



Amy Winehouse has been holding this look down from coast to coast recently and we're still seeing the occasional thong at the local grocery store, belt or not. News Flash: Everybody wears thongs, ok? It's not like the early 90's when chicks were still sportin' granny panties for lack of any better option. Girls ever since have shoved fabric up their ass cracks and gotten used to it. So, there is no need to show them off anymore like you're special. Amy we're gonna let you slide because if you didn't have the whale tail pulled up so far, the crack bag would fall out and you just don't need that right now.

Lady Chavez

Crafts We Love #3


Woodland critters are so darn cute! Wouldn’t it be fun to carry them around with you everywhere you go? Now you can! These furry felt babies show us all how easy it is to protest and save the trees (which is what the creator says they are doing). We just thought maybe they were having a big furry orgy in the woods…..


Craig’s List is a farce….unless you’ve got plans to drive a tractor in Iowa.


I hate Craig’s List. It has a smarmy way of making you think you can do anything you set your mind to – ya know, just like your 3rd grade teacher used to tell you. And you believed her. Just like you believe that Craig’s List will magically make your problems disappear. Need a date? Post on Craigs List. Looking for an acting gig? Search on Craig’s List. Selling your car? Craig’s List. Want to farm sweet corn in Iowa? Post your resume on Craig’s List. I did, and that’s what I got. Ok, so maybe using the word “adventurous” in the title of your want-ad opens up the floor for weirdos to attack. But really, people- I described no such inclination for the desire to work on a farm in Iowa and tend to this man’s three children while “farming sweet corn.” Yet, he thought that would be right up my alley. He was serious, too. I responded, letting him know that I couldn’t wait to quit my current job and head out to Iowa and asking him please OH PLEASE could my responsibilities include pig-sloppin’, butter churnin’, boot stompin’, and manure shovelin’. I could even wear my $300 Frye boots, since they’re really made for horse farmers. My theory is, if I’m gonna shovel shit, I should at least look extremely hot while doing so.

Even better was the email I got from some dude asking me to marry his cousin so that he could obtain US Citizenship. What the fuck do I look like- a mail order bride? Maybe this guy thought that since I liked to cook and knit scarfs that I would be game for his little house-wife show (I admit, I did put that in the ad). He even said I wouldn’t have to act like a traditional wife to this guy- we could just be roommates. Oooo, really?!?! WHERE DO I SIGN UP? I could only imagine the excitement that awaited me – would my future husband be from a middle eastern country and wear a turban and have back hair? Would I get to wait hand and foot on this dude while he beat me and made me his slave? Maybe he would even agree to throw in a little genital mutilation to sweeten the deal! Gee. Whiz. I was dizzy with anticipation. I mean, can you believe this guy actually thought I would be interested? He didn’t even offer me any money…..cuz then it would have been something worth considering.

But seriously, I had so many hopes for Craig’s List. Its like supposed to be THE networking site for underdogs. Like me. And yes, you could argue that these two guys were doing just that – networking. But I think its pretty safe to assume that I reserve the right to make the ultimate decision about my house-wife status.

I guess it would be unfair for me to leave out the part where I tell you that I actually did get a reasonable job offer from a respectable company that found me on Craig’s List. And I accepted. Much to the dismay of the corn farmer- I have to admit I was starting to like the idea of wearing bib-alls and boots to work everyday (but don’t tell him that).

-Fluffgirl

No James Dean


I was speaking with someone the other day and I don't remember what prompted it but his response was, "You shouldn't be afraid of death". Excuse me?! Maybe you don't care about yo'self but my life is precious and I am not too cool to admit I'm not trying to die anytime soon. Jesus Christ, I am not even in my botox years yet! Why are people so set on saying "I'm not afraid of death". Last time I checked, death really hurts 99% of the time and chances are your underwear will not be clean. I wear my seat belt, do not do hard drugs and use rubbers (I just like saying that word) in order to ensure I am not doing anything to increase my chances of
croaking. Billy Graham's got me going to hell anyway, so what's the rush? And for future reference, no, I do not want to go skydiving with you or do a line before we get on your crotch rocket and do wheelies on the interstate. That is just lame and if you're not afraid to die, you must be a loser with some self-hate issues. For the cutters, unsuccessful overdosers, and bitches starving themselves to "death", you're not fooling anyone because you'd probably shit your Baby Phats if you were actually about to die and that is so not cute.

Love,
Lady Chavez

In Defense of Vegetarianism #3


I can think of a million reasons to defend vegetarianism, obviously because I am writing about it every week. But, I'm thinking the number one reason is that you can get naked and stand in the middle of Times Square and no one calls you a slut, you're just militant or "looking for something to believe in" (that one's my favorite). I was never full-on naked but did protest numerous times in a chicken bikini (sorry I couldn't find any pics of a scantily clad Lady Chavez). Sometimes reporters would ask if it was demeaning but we would just say no and have them drop it to get to the topic at hand. No one really thought we were promiscuous or called us ho's for doing it. Well actually, one time, a car was leaving the KFC drive-thru and had cued up that song "Big Booty Ho's" to play when they passed us but that was about it...

Adventures of a Girl in La-la Land (Part One)

A little over a year ago, I left my east-coast confines, everything and everyone I knew, and moved to Los Angeles. When I landed in Burbank, CA and stepped out into the street, I knew. This was the place, this was where I belonged. It felt like home from the get go. I was renting a room in a condo in downtown Burbank. It's what most people would call a suburb of LA, but with a small town feel. Streets are shut down for farmer's markets, classic car shows, and block parties during the summer. Commerce is dominated by little mom and pop restaurants and stores. But, most importantly, it has a Target. :)

Like most people who arrive in La-la land, I came with dreams of career and wild successes. Unlike most people, I did not come with delusions of grandeur. I didn't move to LA to become the next big star. I came to work, to do what I love and pay my bills doing so. I'm still working on that one. I've learned to love shopping at the 99 cent store, which has name brand food and good produce rather than the junk most people think of. I've learned that savings is an incredibly valuable thing to have, but you've got to protect it with your life. And I've learned that to be happy and pursue what you love is more important than anything else.

Most people who move to LA to pursue "the dream" bail after they aren't discovered in a month. That's the average and it's astounding the people can be so naive to think that in a month they will be the next big thing. But I came with a plan. Get headshots, get an agent, get a "survival job," keep going...and never give up. Within a month, I had headshots and a survival job. I was making big bucks working as a personal assistant for an executive recruiter. The woman was a bitch and treated me like crap, but I put up with it. In a few months, I'd already booked my first gig in a short film, destined for festivals. We shot it up in Malibu and it was a fun time.
Eventually, I couldn't take the emotional abuse from my bitchy boss anymore, so I quit my job and acquired a new one working from home. Working from home doesn't really pay all the bills and can get isolating, but it gives me the flexibility to go on auditions, which is what I desperately need. I moved into my own one-bedroom apartment a hop, skip, and a jump from Hollywood, but I'm still in "the valley." (Where the term valley-girl originated :) I got a gig in a play in Hollywood called Eavesdropper and I've been performing on stage for the last 7 months. It doesn't pay, but it will soon. It's a way for my work to be seen. And it's paid off in a big way. A casting director came to see the show and casted me in a film. It's a small supporting role, but the proposed budget is about $65M. Of course funding isn't in place yet, so I can't bank on it. Mostly it just gave me confidence to know that I am good enough at my craft to get parts in films. Little successes keep me going in the fight that most people lose.

-Jess Raskins


Jess Raskin was born and raised in Virginia. She made her feature film debut at age 7 in John Water's Cry-Baby as Susie-Q opposite Ricki Lake and Johnny Depp. From there she worked in commercials and theater in the DC area. She attended the College of William & Mary, graduating in 2005 with a double major in Classics and Marketing. After doing the "smart" thing by getting a college degree, it was time to be risky! She packed up her stuff and moved to the City of Angels, 3000 miles away from everyone and everything she'd ever known. She currently lives in NoHo, a few minutes outside Hollywood with her three bunnies. Jess currently is performing in Hollywood in a play called Eavesdropper, which is destined to open in NYC in early 2008!!

Jess's Myspace and Homepage

Sunday, August 19, 2007

Kid Sister Runs Thangs

This week we got Kid Sister to speak with us about blowin' up in the music industry. If you don't know who she is yet, you will. She's been collabin' with Kanye, A-Trak (her man) and Flosstradamus (her brother's dj duo) just for starters. She's comin' straight outta Chi-town to a venue near you. Just make sure you come with your nails lookin' right.

L and F: So, it seems like your career has really taken off since landing the cover of URB magazine? Do you think that was your big break? And, what's the biggest change in your life so far?
KS: I would say my career has taken off thanks to a LOT of help from a LOT of different sources, URB being one of the most recognizable and prominent. The biggest change is that I can buy a little bit more when I go to the grocery store... and organic stuff too. YAY!


L and F: "Bitches betta Hibernate", we have a general idea of what you mean when you say this but can you explain what this means to our readers? (PS. We love this phrase by the way!)
KS: Just fall back, you know... CUZ I RUN THINGS!? Hahahaha... JK, but for real women can be so gosh darn competitive with each other, I'm just saying chill out and let's do a shot! hahaha


L and F: We see that you are heavily influenced by girl groups from the 90's. What other influences have been vital to formulating your style?
KS: Its not just girl groups, i just love mid-90's Rn'B. Being from a predominantly Black neighborhood, that's what I was raised up on.


L and F: You and your brother perform together often. We know he has groupies, so do you ever find yourself cock blockin' as a big sis?
KS: Hahahaha, yes in the past as a protective measure... but now he has a girlfriend so its not all crazy anymore! :)


L and F: For any femcee or lady artist in general, are there any words of advice you can give? KS: My advice is: never use the word femcee, or any label for that matter. Don't box yourself in... just be yourself


L and F: Finally, we had a poll up a couple weeks ago. Maybe you can help us out: Who do you think is the biggest mess right now? Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan, Pete Doherty or Lauren Hill?
KS: Oooh as much as I read Us Weekly in the airport, I must regrettably reply NO COMMENT! Sowwy... :) I ain't tryna fight nobody!!!!

L and F: We knew she was gonna say that...

Check her out at www.myspace.com/kidsister