untitled

[signmeuppodcast-blog]

Do You Want Some More Boonk?

bottomless mimosas, the fear of boonk, and the gangsta lean.. TV antenna in the back

Join hosts Cydney and Shanna, as they bring in Aries season with mimosas and a little boonk! Leave a comment or email any questions to [email protected]

[signmeuppodcast-blog]

Love Cup Overflow

Is the skin on the ball sac the same as the skin on your eyelids?? tweet us haha #BallLids @signmeuppodcast

It’s Aries season! Join us as we discuss what turns them on! Share your thoughts, ask questions and share the conversation with your friends!

Join us every Wednesday for more comedic insight about astrology, the dating game and celebrity gossip!

[signmeuppodcast-blog]

(Sign Me Up Podcast)

[afrikawithak]

My first podcast feature!! LOL

[afrikawithak]

Check out @bobiez3 on SoundCloud. Follow, comment (wisely), and share... it's becoming official. #NewArtist #NewMusic #BOBiEz3 #MOW3 #OnlyTheBegining

[afrikawithak]

Hey Atlanta! On August 29th, please come support a positive hip hop movement, The Westside Cypher! The spotlight will be on the ladies as they showcase their talent on the mic! This is a free event. All are welcome to attend. All we ask is that you being an open mind a positive vibes! This is a child friendly event. Contact @westside_kris for further details and questions. #Atlanta #hotlanta #westsideisthebestside #georgia #independentartists #undergroundatlanta #westsidecypher #hiphop #rapbattle #cypher #barsoverbullshit #slayuniversity #noplaceforhate #represent

[afrikawithak]

Fashion Show. This weekend. Atlanta. Come check out this group of young talented models and designers!!

[afrikawithak]

Rich Kidz: Straight Like That 3 To Release on November 16th

RKaelub and Skateboard Skooly, better known as the Rich Kidz are scheduled to release their fourth full length mixtape entitled "Straight Like That 3" this Friday, November 16th.

Anticipation for the SLT3 mixtape has been building on Twitter and Instagram for quite some time now. The growing momentum is partially due to the success of their last compilation, "Everybody Eat Bread" which was released earlier this year and featured artists like Wacka Flocka, Juicy J and Slim Dunkin. The mixtape received over 900,000 free digital downloads on livemixtapes.com, created several trending topics on Twitter and may have singlehandedly led to the record deal offer from Columbia Records which they humbly accepted this past July.

So far, the Rich Kidz have released two tracks from SLT3. The first track, "Kool On The Low" brings a sound that is quite different from the duo's usual cheerful upbeat energy, but is still sure to be a fans' favorite.

The second track, "Back It Up," features fellow Atlanta rapper, Future who too has developed a popular nationwide buzz in the past year. "Back It Up", produced by FKi, incorporates popular chopped and screwed styles known to Texas area artists and is more in line with the Rich Kid sound that fans will recognize instantly.

As usual, the Straight Like That 3 mixtape, hosted by DJ Scream and DJ Spinz will be available for purchase at rk4l.com  and for free membership download on livemixtapes.com. 

Also, an official album as well as a Rich Kid Music Group mixtape--a collaboration with RK Sabo, RK Kash and more-- are both in the making so be on the lookout for those projects in the near future as well.

[afrikawithak]

Nike Signs Supply Deal With IOC

This week, Nike Inc. announced the signing of a supply agreement with the International Olympic Committee that will expand the industry leading Nike brand's global presence even further and substantially change the face of Olympic events for the next four years.

The supply agreement scheduled to commence in January 2013, will make Nike the official designated supplier of all uniforms, apparel and products used by the International Olympic Committee employees and staff members. IOC members will be required to wear Nike attire in all appearances and events in which they represent the International Olympic Committee. Currently, the contract is set to expire at the end of 2016, but both parties are hopeful for a more long-term partnership.

"We’re honored to be working with the IOC,” said Charlie Denson, brand president of Nike. “And we look forward to this being the start of a long and successful relationship."

Nike brand uniforms and products will be provided to the International Olympic Committee for the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi, the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, the 2014 Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing and Lillehammer in 2016, as well as for IOC Sessions, Evaluation Commissions and other special events.

“We are delighted that we have reached this agreement with Nike, the world’s leading sports and fitness company,” said Timo Lumme, managing director of IOC Television Marketing. “We feel that this relationship will be a great fit for the IOC.”

This past summer, during the 2012 Olympic Games in London, Nike was the official apparel brand for over 100 international federations. Thousands of individual athletes across the world chose Nike apparel and footwear for their competition events, including those individual athletes who competed under the IOC flag in London. In addition to that, Nike also stood as the official National Olympic Committee sponsor for the USA, Brazil, Kenya and Estonia teams

[afrikawithak]

Singer Brandy Releases 6th Studio Album

In the years following her 2008 album, "Human" which was a disappointment to fans and critics alike, Brandy exited the R&B scene to return to acting and to test the waters as a reality TV star on Dancing With the Stars and A Family Business. Brandy even tested her talents as a rapper under the stage name Bran'Nu.

Yesterday, R&B singer Brandy released her 6th studio album entitled, "Two Eleven," which is her first LP since she left Epic Records to sign a recording deal with RCA. 

"Put It Down," the album's leading single which features label mate Chris Brown has already spent 19 weeks on the Billboard charts, peaking at #3 on the R&B/Hip Hop charts. 

“Two Eleven’s” second single, “Wildest Dreams” is a step away from the contemporary, hip-hop vibe found in “Put It Down”. This track will definitely remind fans of what the 90’s Brandy was capable of. Mixing an up-tempo beat with classic R&B ballads, the track is sure to be another fan favorite.

I must admit, I was initially skeptical about the album’s quality after hearing “It All Belongs To Me,” the single featuring Monica which was scheduled to be the first single off “Two Eleven” until it failed on the charts and was pulled from Brandy’s album altogether.

However, after listening to the album I believe “Two Eleven” has what it takes to redeem Brandy from the under-performance of her previous album. I am truly impressed.

The album incorporates the old-school R&B sounds of Brandy that we love so much with a more modern feel that is likely to attract younger listeners. What I appreciate most is that Brandy isn't following trends or trying to compete with the Rihannas of today’s young and raunchy music industry. Instead, she’s remaining committed to the more elegant and classy images that we've always known her for.

While the album doesn't feature any artist aside from Chris Brown, Brandy definitely worked hard with a lot of people to bring this compilation to life. Many of the songs on the album were co-written by contemporary songwriters including Chris Brown, Sean garret, Rico Love, Mario Winans, Harmony Samuels and recent chart topper, Frank Ocean—who also wrote numerous songs on Brandy’s “Human” album. Brandy also teamed up with some major producer like Mike WiLL Made It and incorporated samples from Swedish pop group Coldplay.

My personal favorites include:

·         Wildest Dreams

·         Slower

·         Put It Down

·         Do You Know What You Have?

·         Music (Deluxe Track)

Altogether, I would recommend this album to all my readers who love R&B like I do.

Thanks for reading!!

[afrikawithak]

NETFLIX, Inc. Gets NetflixED

This week in Fortune 500 News, contributor Dan Mitchell shed light on the criticisms that Netflix's co-founder and CEO, Reed Hastings has received over the past year for his lack of communication skills.

Apparently, Hastings humiliated himself and confused customers tremendously in his public announcement of price increases and a company split last year. So much that he became the center of media scrutiny and a top parody hit.

While Hastings is no doubt a business genius with rooted concern for his customers, critics like Rocco Pendola have harshly labeled him an "enigma" to the corporation, arguing that, "[he] makes cats like Zynga CEO Mark Pincus look like dynamic rhetoricians."

Aside from the business versus ethical concerns that Hastings currently faces, it is important that he adapts to a much better communication plan for the future. Pendola's recommendation is that the company hires a personable spokesperson to deliver all future announcements that are sure to enrage Netflix customers.

In my opinion, as a customer, I would rather have someone like Hastings himself to sincerely announce inevitable price increases, than to have such messages sugarcoated by someone who is being paid to exude charm in hopes that I’ll overlook price changes just because they're a celebrity.

As a communications scholar, I would bypass the celebrity spokesperson idea and instead make use of my communications staff members. Although celebrity endorsers have proven to be effective to many brands, I feel as though taking that route at this point would be opting for the easy way out on Netflix's behalf.

What Netflix needs at this point is a serious, strategic relationship building plan of action. There are plenty of PR agencies out there that can create a campaign to rebuild the relationship between Netflix and its subscribers in a much more favorable light than a basic celebrity spokesperson. And if there isn't anyone currently on Netflix's staff that can paraphrase business lingo and sufficiently disseminate information to the public while maintaining the company's sociability, then that only means that there is hope for job opportunities upon my graduation.

I agree with the critics in that Hastings should refrain from public speaking. We all know from experience that even the most useful information can get lost or misconstrued because of poor communication techniques. However, if he insists on being a part of the communication process, it is highly important that he plans ahead and seeks out professional training.

This isn't rocket science here and Hastings is neither the first nor the only numbers nerd who can't explain himself to the average person to save his life. That is simply why public relations practitioners exist to bridge the gap.

NOTE: Tweet comments to @AfrikaWithaK ... Thanks for reading !!

[afrikawithak]

Nike, Inc. Makes Strides Towards International Patent Protection

This past Monday, Nike, Inc. was eager to announce that their motion for an interim [temporary] injunction against Adidas was successfully passed in Nuremberg, Germany where the patent infringement occurred. 

In February of this year, Nike, being the pioneering brand that we know it to be, introduced its latest sneaker technology, FlyKnit. The design is strategically engineered to be more lightweight than any other running sneaker, while also providing a remarkably precise fit. In addition to comfort, the Nike Flyknit shoe uses environmentally sustainable material, which makes it that much more stylish and innovative than all other athletic shoes on the market.

Clearly Nike has spent years engineering to combine these essential runners' concepts of support, flexibility and breath-ability with their own essential style and sustainability.  

"The result is precision engineering in its purest form, performance on display. Every element has a purpose: resulting in one of the lightest, best fitting running shoes NIKE has ever made."

So its no wonder why Nike would take legal steps to protect such a cutting-edge advancement. 

This summer, just as Nike was preparing to showcase the Flyknit sneakers at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Adidas launched the distribution of its "Adizero Primeknit" shoe in Germany.

Not only does the Adizero Primeknit shoe physically resemble Nike's Flyknit sneaker, but it is also made to have the exact same style and performance enhancements. While Adidas representatives claim that the Adizero sneaker has been underway for three years, it's likely that Nike will be the company to ultimately succeed in obtaining the patent for the innovative shoe technology.

For now, Nike is content with the temporary injunction which has forced Adidas to cease its manufacturing and distribution of the Adizero Primeknit. A permanent injunction of the Adidas sneaker is now pending while the lawsuit is being heard in court.

"Nike has a strong heritage of innovation and leadership in footwear design and development. Our patents are the foundation of that leadership and we protect them vigorously," Nike said in a prepared statement. "In this case, the injunction helps protect the innovative Nike Flyknit footwear technology Nike introduced in February, 2012. We look forward to presenting our case for a permanent injunction to the court." 

NOTE: Tweet all comments to @AfrikaWithaK ... Thanks for reading!!

[afrikawithak]

[afrikawithak]

Me and Isabel Wilkerson, first Black Woman Pulitzer Prize Winner and author of The Warmth of Other Suns (Taken with Instagram)

[afrikawithak]

Mitt Romney Insults American Voters

I'm not big on politics the least bit, but I, like many others who are usually oblivious to what's happening on a day-to-day basis have heard or read enough about this year's presidential campaign to know that there have been a lot of questionable acts performed by the candidates-- namely Mitt Romney.

If you didn't read about it in the news or on Twitter as it occurred, you may have heard about Romney's tax return scandals if you bought G.O.O.D. Music's Cruel Summer album. If you didn't catch on by now to what exactly Kanye West was referring to on the track entitled "To The World," then you've basically been living under a rock.

                                                       The point that I'm trying to make is that EVERYONE has been talking about Romney's refusal to release his previous tax returns. So much that you would think that with all the pressure coming at him from various angles, he would give in to his stubbornness and simply give the people what they want.

Unless, of course, Romney has something terribly ugly to hide.

It doesn't take an educated public relations practitioner to see the value in transparency. As children, we learn not to talk to strangers because our lack of knowledge about who they really could potentially harm us. Basic human interaction teaches you that people build trust through transparency.

For Mitt Romney to ask America to place him at such an high authoritative level and give him such great control over our lives, then turn around and not be open with us about his past is such an insult.

Then, to add fuel to the fire, Romney goes even further as to refer to 62% of American voters as "small-minded" for making a customary request for him to release his tax returns just as every presidential candidate before him has done willingly.

As a good ethical public relations practitioner, you should always encourage your clients to be honest and transparent in order to yield support and loyalty from their public. Clearly, that is not happening here. Those who value their own personal gain over the trust and support of their publics will eventually suffer dire consequences. 

For Romney, this could mean receiving less votes than he may have had he simply given the people what they asked for instead of making them feel as if he has something to hide and then insulting them.

This has to be one of the worst PR cases in recent politics.

Just for fun: Huffington Post's - 19 Things We Know More About Than Romney's Tax Returns http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/07/mitt-romney-taxes_n_1736813.html#slide=1324124 

Note: Tweet all comments to @AfrikaWithaK ... Thanks for reading !!

[afrikawithak]

Tell Him x Lauryn Hill x Miseducation of Lauryn Hill #Classic (Taken with Instagram)

[afrikawithak]

The Prince of R&B is Back Again!!

Since the release of It’s Just a Mixtape in 2010, I’ve been following Sammie closely; always anxious to see what’s next for him and wondering when he’ll make his next breakthrough. After two years of silence, he’s back again with a high quality compilation that should have been an album.

Some may think of him as just another child star who has not been able to reach that mainstream level of success as an adult. But in my opinion, Sammie is one of the most underrated R&B singers and songwriters in the industry and his latest mixtape, Insomnia proves it all.

The sixteen track mixtape provides everything that today’s mainstream R&B is missing. From melodic love songs to more up-tempo, club tracks, Sammie stays true to the R&B essence. Whether you’re in a heart-broken state of mind or you’re feeling madly in love, there’re tracks for you to connect with.

The boy’s vocals are absolutely amazing to say the least! He can truly blow, and unfortunately that isn’t the case for a lot of popular singers these days. Aside from that, all of the music is very heart-felt, illuminating and honest. He’s not trying to top the pop charts, instead he’s keeping R&B alive as he should.

If anyone has had any doubts about his maturity, this mixtape illustrates Sammie’s growth as both an artist and as a grown man. Track after track, the ballads become more intimate to set the mood.

I give this mixtape two thumbs up and I highly recommend that you check it out! You will not be disappointed.

In an exclusive interview with ThisIsRnB, Sammie had this to say:

“This project is the deepest countenance of myself,” said Sammie. “I’ve learned that when I’m being true to my core, which is R&B, I’m most inspired, creative and vocally ambitious. It’s time for me to shine and I plan to reach new fans and please my dedicated ones with this project.”

Note: Tweet any comment to @AfrikaWithaK ... Thanks for reading!!

[afrikawithak]

Nicki Minaj's "Political" Lyrics Upsets Fans

Pop artist, Nicki Minaj has stirred up controversy yet again, adding to the increasing divide between Minaj and her original fan base.

On September 3rd, rap artists Lil Wayne released his highly anticipated mixtape entitled, Dedication 4, which featured popular hip hop artists like 2 Chainz, Young Jeezy, J. Cole, Drake and Nicki Minaj.

In her featured verse on Kanye West’s “Mercy” track, Minaj raps the following lyrics:

“I’m a Republican voting for Mitt Romney/ You lazy bitches is fucking up the economy.”

While some listeners brushed the lyrics off as meaningless and playful, more conscious listeners and critics like myself were unable to see the humor in what seemed to be a clear endorsement for the presidential candidate.

On Twitter, after hearing President Obama’s response to her lyrics, Minaj candidly tweeted,

“@NickiMinaj: Ha! Thank you for understanding my creative humor & sarcasm Mr. President, the smart ones always do… *sends love & support* @BarackObama,”

Repeatedly, we hear rappers and athletes defending themselves in situations like this by claiming that they did not sign on to be role models or anything else of the sort. However, the age of the irresponsible entertainer who believes that his/her actions will have no realistic consequences must end.

Hundreds of fans have taken to Twitter and Facebook to express their disapproval of Minaj’s political lyrics. While some users’ tweets conveyed subtle disappointment, others ranged into death threat territory. At this point, some serious crisis management needs to be implemented in order to clarify the entire situation.

From a public relations standpoint, these lyrics that Minaj sees as mere “creative humor & sarcasm,” will in fact hurt the her image and reputation in more ways than one. When you’re in the public eye and admired by fans of all different backgrounds, you have to be careful what you say so that you don’t offend the very publics that have allowed you to reach a great level of fame and fortune.

In my opinion, it seems as though Nicki Minaj either doesn’t have a publicist (at least not one who is concerned with social responsibility or crisis control) or she completely disregards that person’s methods because this isn’t the first time this year that Minaj has gotten herself in trouble over something she’s said in a song or on Twitter.

In this case, it took Minaj an entire week and a statement from President Obama for her to shed an ounce of light on the situation. Then, to add fuel to the fire, instead of apologizing or showing any type of remorse towards the misunderstanding, Minaj simply insinuated that the people who understandingly took her lyrics out of context lack intelligence. Being that a large majority of the people who found her lyrics inappropriate were actually her fans, I’m pretty sure that wasn’t the best thing to do.

I, as well as most other Twitter users, enjoy and appreciate it when celebrities utilize Twitter themselves rather than assigning that duty to a publicist or intern. However, it is clear from this incident and others—namely, the Minaj vs. Syracuse University Twitter beef—that Nicki Minaj needs the help of a public relations practitioner who understands the value of social media, crisis management and most importantly, knows the value of one’s supporting publics.

Note: Tweet all comments to @AfrikaWithaK ... Thanks for reading!!