I've got things to share.

I've got things to share. www.ashleyblakeney.com www.beatsframesandlife.com ashley. 24. photographer. addictedtomusic.

[krispyklean-deactivated20220530]

I'm here for the black kids with social anxiety.

[kreativegeenius]

Dancing in the Garden 1

[dorisbizetic]

[tobwaylan]

[television-gifs]

[ladyblake]

that’s my boy Tommy! this is powerful. proud of you

[midniwithmaddy]

Dave Chappelle & Yasiin Bey (Mos Def) at Spike Lee’s ‘Do The Right Thing’ 25th  Anniversary Block Party

[creamynut]

✊🏽🙌🏾

[ladyblake]

Today marks the 3rd anniversary of my father’s death. I’ve been saying that i’ve been in the “midst” of honoring his death anniversary because for the past two years, I was unsure as to what day to honor. According to his obituary, death certificate, etc, my father died on April 12, 2012 but was not found until April 20, 2012. The idea of knowing that my father was lonesome enough to not have been missed for a week has never quite sat well with me. I have decided that from this year forward, I want to honor that week time period. I’m not sure how, but I want to let him know that he was not completely forgotten by everyone. Every year, I think a lot about what I was doing during that time period. How I had just completed putting a poetry performance together inspired by my relationship with him--or lack there of. How I challenged myself everyday from start of April until the day I found out about his death to build up the courage and call him but I was too afraid. At that point, I hadn’t see him for 12 years. I think about all the things I could have done but know that they may or may not have made a difference. 

I also think about who I am today (and who I’ve grown to be just within the last three years alone) and know that there are at 1 key thing about me that would make my father proud:

1) My big heart and how I never give up or never stop loving. Period. This doesn’t need much explanation, but I have loved some pretty challenging people (friends and romantic relationships alike) and have never once doubted or given up. If I’ve ever loved or believed in you then know that I always will. I attribute a lot of that to how I never gave up on my father. Regardless on where he stood with the rest of my family, there was never a moment that I did not like or love him. Even still. 

Within the past couple months, I found myself making up thousands of scenarios of what I thought my fathers life was like in his last few years. When I moved back home to CT in the fall, my grandmother would point out mannerisms I had or sayings that I would say that were similar to my father. I always enjoyed hearing those. When my grandmother passed in March, we spent a lot of time going through family photo albums and I was always interested and at times heartbroken by the photos I saw of my father. He either was never looking at the camera, barely smiling or always wrapped in his thoughts being somewhere else. His energy felt reclusive and modest. 

I’ve been hoping that since my grandmother passed, she’s sent my love to my father. I hope she tells him funny stories about my big hair and love for oversized clothing. I hope my father and cousin Eric have been able to take care of each other. But most of all, I hope my father knows that he was never forgotten. It breaks my heart what happened to him, but I hope he knows I never forgot about him and never stopped loving him. 

[heavygyroscope]

[marzgotsoul]

The Roots deserve a hip hop award that only one crew can have. like 4real, the consistency, the love for music, even if the whole original crew isnt still rockin’, the name alone still holds weight… damn 

Imagine if this song/video dropped yesterday, like fresh out the oven shit.. it’ll be a great confident boost in a lot of us. Im not saying the music of today isn’t providing that, but idk. i had a few beers and classics like this always makes me feel like I should be on the roof with a boombox sitting indian style with some incense disturbing my neighbors with this funk for the soul.ya dig. 

[ladyblake]

under the spell of the handout. cody chesnutt.

(warning: raw and imperfect)

[hueyfreemanonlyspeaksthetruth]

[stankyleg-deactivated2918973]

Bloop

[blacktinabelcher]

[keeeeeeeeeem-blog1]

the radiant child (2010)

[marzgotsoul]

New!

Just a quick mix of songs I was vibin’ with today. enjoi!

[ladyblake]

yup

[thelazynatural]

Zenned out. 

[jessehimself]

Sept. 4, 2014 traffic stop by Trooper Sean Groubert of a motorist for a seat belt violation. 

TELL ME MORE ABOUT HOW WE’RE EXAGGERATING AND IT’S OUR FAULT AND WE SHOULD BLINDLY LOVE OUR ABUSERS, PLEASE.

http://www.thestate.com/2014/09/24/3702695_sc-trooper-charged-with-felony.html?sp=/99/205/&rh=1

[okayafrica-blog]

VIDEO:Introducing French Afro-Cuban Twin Sisters Ibeyi & Their Yoruba Doom Soul

Ibeyi, made up of Cuban-born, Paris-based twin sisters Naomi and Lisa-Kaindé Díaz, is an electronic doom soul duo who are forging a new spiritual sound with their debut EP Oya. The 19-year-old musicians are XL Recordings‘ newest signees, and their introductory singles “Oya” and “River” possess a hypnotic blend of hip-hop, electronica, and blues infused with Yoruba prayers and folk songs that will transport you to a higher realm upon first listen.

Singing in French, English, Spanish and Yoruba, Ibeyi count among their primary influences Nina Simone, Meshell Ndegeocello, James Blake and their late father, the celebrated Cuban jazz percussionist Miguel “Anga” Diaz. Ibeyi’s vocal range, which wavers from the raspy and wraith-like to the sonorous and divine, is ideal for their sonic palette which revels in the phantasmagorical groove of liturgical Yoruba songs. Besides singing in Yoruba–which was brought to Cuba by West African slaves–Ibeyi honor their father’s legacy and Afro-Cuban heritage through their percussive production and use of live instruments. Beatsmith Naomi plays both the cajón and the batá while Lisa-Kaindé remains more in tune with the musical mythos of Ibeyi’s sound by weaving Yoruba lore deeply into their lyrics. “River” is dedicated to the goddess Oshun (the mother of the Ibeyi, and their first single and EP are both named for  Oya (the benevolent orisha who took the Ibeyi in after Oshun was accused of witchcraft for birthing twins and kicked them out).

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[phoukanamedpookie]

If you’re a Black artist, you could paint a wall of smiley faces, and someone will still ask you, ‘Why are you so angry?’

Kara Walker. (via theblacksophisticate)