#slow up

[eclecticnemesis]

Jacob Banks - Slow Up

[sharloola]

slow up

mum used to worry you’d be short,

as though our dna was something you could dodge.

as if all that acholi and munyarwanda blood would somehow skip you

the same way you do chores.

she’d stand you next to us and judge, 

your growing bones called to the stand by joint enterprise.

i think she thought your desire to be like us

would somehow will them to grow.

so you’d stand up taller, puff out your 9-year-old chest,

and will them to grow, too.



if i could speak to your bones, i would pray them small.

because two summers ago you fell through a kaleidoscope

and overtook me.

rounded cheeks were replaced by a sharp jaw and sharper words.

the prism warped you into an almost-man who stopped liking hugs,

and switched your after-school routine from watching ben 10

to being stopped and searched on the high street.

but isn’t it funny how similar the omnitrix and handcuffs can be?

both devices born to turn you into something you’re not,

to transform your body into a beast that whole planets could fear.

both put on people like us when they are child, unknowing and fragile.



if your bones had known what they were growing toward,

maybe they would have folded themselves back in time.

pushed the braces out of your mouth to rebirth crooked milk teeth

and cowered from the rim of the basket,

the origami of a body aching for kindness.

but maybe i’m just being melodramatic because

i still remember teaching you how to read and write.

i’d spend my school breaks mapping out letters for you to trace

and secretly pray that you’d only mirror

the parts of me i showed outside of my bedroom,

my fortress of solitude that you stopped believing in

around the time you started hating church.

i’m sorry there’s no charm to what i was always hiding in there,

it’s simply easier to fall apart behind a locked door.



if the bones of you could speak now,

they’d sound a bit like me and i’d love them anyway.

i’d take them to a pillow fort and

do the witchcraft we were warned of.

i’d gut the july where we taught you to ride your bike

and grind it to paste.

add that to the melted wax of your old smile

and the tears you cried when you were still scared of the dark,

and i’m sure that elixir could unravel time.

run it all back like your small feet cycling the wrong way

and leave it in black reams at our feet,

an ode to the vhs tape your toddler self once destroyed.

but the last of the magic in our house left when you scoffed at santa,

so i’ll write this instead.



i’ll hope that only your bones stay playful as

i watch you outgrow me,

so that your name forgets games.

for i fear it will become the lego from mama’s house,

discarded pieces we will have to assemble into a protest chant.

only know that you should never shrink yourself

for this life or these people,

it is the world who should consume itself to make room for you.

or maybe i’ll get there first,

swallow mountains and skyscrapers

to make room for my not-so-baby brother

whom i love,

bones and all.



s.o.

[raccocoo]

Let the sun have its moment, the moon will come

[aphr0dite-mirage]

What I've learnt from the ocean

Hard to dance and rejoice in the motion

Let the sun have its moment

The moon will come

[filmsandbicycles]

[nina-rosa]

Bike day!!

[onestowatch]

Ginette Claudette Is On To Something with Alluring “Slow Up” Video [PREMIERE]

Ginette Claudette dropped jaws with her project On To Something in Nov. 2018, grinding deep into her ‘90s R&B influences to produce a hard-hitting collection of songs. Hot on the tails of On To Something, Claudette is back with a sultry music video for her song “Slow Up,” further establishing herself as one to watch in the R&B realm. Hailing from Washington Heights, New York, Claudette gets her passion for music from her mother, a singer from the Dominican Republic. 

Claudette draws influence from the classics in the genre, think Aaliyah and Mary J. Blige, penning effortless vocal layers and emotional lyrics over jazz chords. She has worked with iconic producers, from Rico Love to Babyface, not to mention touring with the global sensation Far East Movement. Her latest video is a sensory explosion, pushing her artistry to a whole new level.

“Slow Up” has all the classic elements of a buzzy music video, yet still manages to feel fresh. It starts off with sultry shots backlit by green neon lights, soon to be met by footage of a party, expensive cars, a warehouse dance scene—the works. Claudette’s dancing combined with her unwavering stage presence is magnetic. She’s the girl at a party who is too cool to talk to but impossible to ignore. 

Claudette commented on the vibe of the video,

“It’s no secret a lot of my influence comes from ‘90s R&B. It’s an era I love. I wanted to bring that vibe and aesthetic to this video by drawing from some of my favorite R&B and hip hop artists. ‘Slow Up’ has such a gritty vibe. Ugly face all day when you hear it! It’s got a future/past thing going on, so there’s something for everyone.”

Ginette Claudette maintains strong ties to her inspirations in music, which allows her to build on the classic R&B sound to create something completely her own. Enjoy the video for “Slow Up” and stay tuned for more from the young songstress; we think she might be on to something.

[pocahonteas]

What I've learnt from a mirror;

Look too hard and you’ll find you a stranger.

Jacob Banks - ‚Slow Up‘