SHOPPE BLACK, Author at SHOPPE BLACK

The Cardi B Comeup: Her Publishing Deal, Celeb Engagement & 8-Carat Engagement Ring

October 29, 2017November 8, 2017

5 mins read

“Bodak Yellow” superstar Cardi B is officially having her “…and she lived Happily Ever After” moment, but it’s not because of her recent engagement to Offset of The Migos. By the looks of the chatter across social media, it’s debatable whether the proposal, which took place at Power 99’s Powerhouse concert, was staged or not.

Maybe Offset randomly squatting for the proposal rather than dropping to one knee, and maybe their friendship-zone-hug instead of a passionate kiss after he put the 8-carat engagement ring on her finger were telling.

But what is not debatable is Cardi B’s bonafide rags-to-riches story and how strategically she’s controlled her destiny, redirecting it from poverty and abuse towards fame and fortune.

At 19, the Bronx native was fired from a job at a market while enrolled in college when her boss suggested she try stripping to make ends meet.

It was a physically abusive boyfriend however, with whom she lived, that would give her the motivation and courage to use the stripper pole as her plan of action and ultimate lifeline.

Earning more in one night than a week’s pay at the market, she used her stripper tips to implement an exit strategy out of the abusive relationship and into her own apartment, signaling her path to stardom.

Becoming a local celebrity among NYC gentlemen’s clubs, and gaining millions of followers on social media, she gave herself until 25 to make the most out of the stripper setup. But opportunity came knocking at 23, and Cardi joined the cast of Love & Hip Hop: NY before she made her music debut in 2015.

Cardi B

Now having an estimated worth of between $4 – $5 million before even dropping a studio album, and signing a worldwide publishing deal with Sony/ATV, it’s safe to say that Cardi B’s business acumen and upward mobility deserve recognition, even if you can’t get past her hood fabulous image.

But back to this proposal and engagement to Offset. From a strictly numbers perspective, the “Lick” and “MotorSport” couple stand to earn several more millions by starring in a televised wedding reality series. This is likely to happen since BET, who just aired Gucci Mane and Keyshia Ka’oir’s wedding, has already tweeted that they are willing to air the Cardi B/Offset nuptials, which the Twittersphere has hilariously dubbed “Never Let Migo.”

Reportedly, BET funded the entire $1 million ceremony, in addition to paying Gucci $400,000 and Ka’oir $250,000 for the right to broadcast an 8-episode series leading up to their October wedding, and 2 million viewers tuned in to watch The Mane Event. This is why BET tried it by tweeting early dibs to air the Cardi B/Offset wedding, but the former Love & Hip Hop star will likely get another check from Mona Scott on VH1

Let me add to the plot: a week ago Cardi B’s long term love, street hustler and independent label owner Tommy Geez, who refers to Cardi B as his “wife”, was just released from a 4-year prison sentence.

I can see the makings of a high drama series with the “gimme schmoney” rapper at the center of a hood love triangle! But however producers approach the show, it’s clear that Cardi is, in fact, making money moves!

– Contributed by Mai Perkins

Mai Perkins, aka FlyMai, is Cali girl in a Bed Stuy world with global bon vivant flair and the passport stamps to prove it. She currently works in Edtech, and is the author of several blogs including Uberlicious.nyc and MaiOnTheMove.com and is a columnist for the music publication Pop-Mag.com. With an MFA in Creative Writing from Sarah Lawrence College and an MA in International Affairs from The New School Milano, she reps her beloved alma mater Howard University every chance she gets. As a poet and a creative non-fiction writer, she looks forward to soon publishing her first manuscript, The Walking Nerve-Ending.

Insta: @flymai16

Twitter: @flymai on Twitter

Halloween Special: The 10 Top Scariest Black Movies of All Time

October 28, 2017November 8, 2017

10 mins read

Halloween is one of my favorite seasons of the year. I like dressing up. What can I say? I’m a sucka for nostalgia and a great costume. But to be honest, I stopped doing horror films years ago.

Given my overactive imagination coupled with the vivid dreams I have nightly, in addition to living in a house that’s at least 1oo years old, super scary movies just aren’t for me. However, every now and then, I enjoy my dose of spooky, as long as it does not involve dreams (Freddie), the devil, haunted houses, ghosts or spirit possession (just about everything horror films are made of).

If I do decide to indulge in horror, I prefer, like most other things in my life, all things Black. So here’s my list of top ten Black scary movies of all time.

I must preface this by saying that all of them aren’t scary. Some of these films are funny as hell. Also a few of them contribute to the problematic stereotyping of African based spiritual systems, namely Vodou/Voodoo and Hoodoo. But for those of us in the know, we can watch with amusement because we know this stuff was made for TV.

Happy witching, I mean watching and Happy Hollow’s Eve!

– Shantrelle P. Lewis

10. Blade (1998-2004)
The Blade enterprise wasn’t scary per se, but it was full of blood-sucking vampires. More action than horror, Blade kicked ass and looked good doing so.

We all appreciated Wesley Snipes’ leather wearing, macho persona, and enjoyed the humor that his side kicks, particularly those in Blade Trinity, provided. The story line of Sanaa Lathan’s character as his vampire-turned-mama, was also a nice touch.

9. Fallen (1998)
“Timeeee, is on our side, yes it is.” Starring Denzel Washington, the film follows a police officer who investigates a series of homicides, only to find out that the serial killer is a medieval demon that hops from body to body, committing murders and crimes. Each new victim hums the chorus of the 70s song.

8. Scream Blacula Scream (1973)
So randomly, I happened upon Scream Blacula Scream one day. And I was in LOVE! I have of course, seen the original Blacula, but that had nothing on this sequel which featured in all star Blaxploitation cast including Pam Grier. The plot was based around a voodoo priest who dies and names a mentee (Grier) as her successor which prompts her egomaniacal son to go on a rampage. He does so by buying the bones of and resurrecting Mamuwalde, Blacula, to do his bidding. The references to Voodoo, Haitian/New Orleanian culture, Blaxploitation antics make this a real treat, especially for real life brujas.

7. Vampire in Brooklyn (1995)
I barely remember a Vampire in Brooklyn. Starring Eddie Murphy, Angela Bassett, Kadeem Hardison and Charlie Murphy, the spooky comedy isn’t as funny as Coming to America, but is definitely good for a couple of laughs because let’s face it, Eddie is a fool. Especially during his hey day in the 90s. His pimped out perm and attempts at being a sexy blood sucker, are well worth a watch.

6. The Skeleton Key (2005)
Skeleton Key was scary. To be honest, I haven’t seen it in years. But anything involving Louisiana, slavery, hoodoo, haints, plantations and attics is enough to make me cover my eyes and not watch a film in over a decade. Even though the cast is mostly white, the back story line and ultimate culprits Papa Justify and Mama Cecile (revenge seeking ghosts) are Black, like us.

5. Tales from the Hood (1995)
I don’t think people give Tales from the Hood enough credit. A play on the very popular 90s Tales from the Crypt, the Black cinematic adaptation was comprised of several vignettes of spooky experiences. Each tale had a moral that would be beneficial to the Black community – basically avoid crooked cops, domestic abusers, white supremacists and Black on Black violence. Despite its cheesiness, it was actually pretty brilliant and those little “niglins” were scary as hell. Truth be told, I’m actually not mad at little Black dolls coming alive to take down some unsuspecting white supremacist. Not one bit.

4. Queen of the Damned (2002)
I’m partial to vampire movie. Queen of the Damned is probably one of my favorite vampire flicks of all time. Anytime Black people are on screen and portray Egyptians as they really were – Black – I’m happy. Even if they were ancient Black vampires. An adaptation of one of Anne Rice’s novevls, Aaliyah was pretty amazing on screen, despite her sappy French love saga with Stuart Townsend (Le Stat), the film is a treat.

3. Serpent and the Rainbow (1988)
In terms of movies that scared the hell out of me, Serpent in the Rainbow was definitely at the top of the list. The film is based on an account written by a Harvard anthropologist who ventures to Haiti to study zombieism in Voodoo. [Note: I use the spelling Voodoo and not Vodou to distinguish between the two sets of practices, the latter not formally engaging in such activities]. White people’s imaginations ran wild, of course, and Vodou was demonized. But in general, if taken as face value as a film created to scare the shyt out of people, it did its job.

2. Get Out (2017)
Don’t believe the hype! Just kidding. Admittedly, a couple of months had passed before Tony and I finally made it to the theater to watch Get Out. And we were underwhelmed. Maybe because all of y’all hyped it up sooooooooo much, by the time we went to the theater, we were trying to figure out what all the hoopla was about. Grant it, all white towns, anywhere, are scary. Terrifying, actually. In fact, I stay away from them. So, I may have missed the point. Is it that Black dudes need to stop hollering at Becky? That in the end, it’s always Becky’s fault? Not sure but since I did yell out loud at least few times in the theater, I had to list it as #2.

1. Candyman (1992)
I dare you to tell me that Candyman didn’t scare the living deadlights out of you. To this day, you will never, ever catch me saying that man’s name in the mirror three times. Again, if you noticed the trend in this list, whoever decided to throw in plots that involved haunting Black people who were wronged by white people in slavery, coming back to life and wreaking havoc, were genius. Candyman had all of the right elements. An urban legend in the now defunct Cabrini-Green projects, a white lady doing something she had no business doing, and the angry spirit of a Black dude coming back to get revenge for white people killing him – check, check, check. Candyman was and still is scary af and may be the scariest Black film of all time.

Honorable Mention: Thriller
Though not a movie, Thriller was and always will be, the greatest Black scary cinematic project in history. The music. The costumes. The dancing. Michael. Full stop. We’ve got thriller on repeat during this holiday season. Our beloved MJ will forever be our favorite monster of all time.

10 Lagos Fashion & Design Week Designers To Watch Out For

October 26, 2017November 8, 2017

1 min read

Lagos Fashion and Design Week (October 25th- 28th) is a leading fashion event on the African fashion calendar.

The multi-day fashion event aims to bring together buyers, consumers and the media to view the current collections of African designers in the fashion capital of Lagos, Nigeria.

We’ve listed a few of the designers you should get into.

Lagos Fashion and Design Week

Lagos Fashion

-Tony Oluwatoyin Lawson / IG: @thebusyafrican

Couples Inc. : Brian and Autumn Own One of Chi-Town’s Dopest Boutiques

October 25, 2017April 5, 2020

5 mins read

Sir & Madame is a men’s & women’s clothing brand and luxury lifestyle boutique, based in Chicago. The brand is the lovechild of the creative husband and wife team, Brian and Autumn Merritt. We reached out to find out more about their journey as partners in life and in business.

SB: How did you both meet?

Autumn: We met in Grammar School, or as non-chicagoans say: Elementary School. I was in the 7th grade and Brian was in the 8th grade, but we didn’t get together until my senior year of college.

Sir & Madame

SB: What inspired the creation of Sir and Madam?

Autumn & Brian: Sir and Madame was birthed from our previous business, Solemates, but with Sir & Madame we wanted to create our own lifestyle collection.

We both wanted something timeless so we came up with Sir & Madame, which has really been a perfect fit considering we’re husband and wife.

SB: You have been in business for about a decade. What would you attribute your longevity to?

Brian: Probably authenticity to the brand and the store by not following trends or not doing anything that we wouldn’t wear ourselves. I think people respect authenticity.

SB: Describe your individual personalities and explain how they come together to make the business work.

Autumn: I’m definitely the more outgoing person in the relationship, which works because sometimes I just need Brian’s energy because it helps me to slow down.

My personality fits with my role since I’m the Director of Retail And Marketing. I have to engage with a lot of different people everyday. Brian is the one managing our manufacturers and dealing with product development, so he’s more behind the scenes.

Brian: Yeah, I’m definitely more of a low-key, quiet thinker kind of guy. I’m not really excited about running a retail operation, but rather the behind the scenes aspect of it like meeting with manufacturers and doing the dirty work many people don’t really get to see.

I think it works well because it’s a totally different contrast between our two personalities. I actually call Autumn my Pit Bull because she’s sweet, but she’s very smart and knows how to protect her own.

SB: What has been the most challenging part of your entrepreneurial journey so far? What is the most gratifying?

Autumn: I think the most challenging thing is just finding the means to make your dreams come true at the end of the day.

We are still a small business so there are times where funding is an issue, but we push through it, and our business comes out stronger because of that.

The most gratifying is being able to see something come to fruition that we’ve worked so hard on building together as a family, with very limited resources, that our kids could ultimately take over as adults.

SB: What is the most important thing your partner has taught you?

Autumn: I think to be fully present because it’s easy to lean on your spouse at times, which is great, but you still need to be able to give 100% in order to really be successful. Rather than you both just giving 50/50, you need to give 100/100.

Brian: She taught me communication is key with the business, and in life as well, making sure we’re both on the same page at all times. It’s easy to forget that when you’re used to doing behind the scene stuff, but it’s always the bigger picture you have to remember.

For us the bigger picture is our business and our family, and a key part in the success of that bigger picture is communication.”

SB: What advice do you have for couples that are also business partners?

Autumn & Brian: “The more quickly you can identify each other’s strengths and weaknesses, the easier it is to orchestrate specific roles, and the better off you’ll be when it comes to operating a business with your spouse. It really does make your at home relationship so much better too because it makes the communication more streamline.”

Find out more about Sir & Madame at their website.

– Tony Oluwatoyin Lawson

Black Owned Businesses in The Boston Area

October 24, 2017May 31, 2020

3 mins read

Boston, aka Beantown, is home to some amazing Black owned businesses. Check these out and let us know which ones we missed!

Black Owned Businesses in The Boston Area

Frugal Bookstore (Roxbury) is a community bookstore with a passion for promoting literacy within our children, teens, and adults.

black owned

Bred Gourmet (Boston) is a small burger bar that serves gourmet patties & toppings, plus kale drinks, smoothies, salads & more.

Black owned boston

The F.I.T.T. PIT (Hyde Park) is training facility that focuses on functional interval training that helps clients transform their bodies and reach their fitness goals.

The Urban Grape (Boston) is the first wine, craft beer, and spirits store to organize wines by their body, rather than varietal or region.

Black owned boston

Simply Erin’s (Cambridge) is a unisex hair salon that caters to a clientele with all hair textures.

Liz’s Hair Care (Roxbury Crossing) is a full service hair salon located in a historic neighborhood of Boston.

Addis Red Sea (Boston) is an Ethiopian Restaurant offers authentic Ethiopian cuisine coupled in a warm and friendly environment.

Black owned boston

The Beehive (Boston) is a hip spot for creative New American fare, cocktails, daily live music, jazz brunch & patio dining.

The Coast Cafe (Cambridge) offers counter-serve fried chicken & other soul-food classics.

M&M Ribs’s (Boston) is a food truck that offers the “Best BBQ in Town.”

Savvor Restaurant and Lounge (Boston) is a contemporary space with Caribbean & Southern cuisine & craft cocktails, plus live music on weekends.

Slades Bar & Grill (Roxbury), once owned by Celtic great Bill Russell, serves soul food to an R&B & soul soundtrack.

Shearer Cottage (Martha’s Vineyard) is a family-owned and operated with pride since 1903. Shearer Cottage is nestled in a quiet, woodsy area in the Highlands of East Chop in Oak Bluffs on the Island of Martha’s Vineyard.

Cousen Rose Gallery (Martha’s Vineyard) offers paintings, prints, photography, pottery, books, wearable art and unique jewelry.

Oak Bluffs Inn (Martha’s Vineyard) is a highly rated 9-bedroom B&B located minutes away from the beach and features scenic gardens on the grounds. This inn is located just a 2-minute drive from Martha’s Vineyard Ferry in Oak Bluffs.

Black owned boston

Darryl’s Corner Bar & Kitchen (Boston) serves up great southern comfort food and signature cocktails with a side of some of the best jazz.

Black owned boston

-Tony O. Lawson

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Couples Inc. : Natural Beauty Products Made in NY, Courtesy of Talima and Allison

October 16, 2017April 5, 2020

3 mins read

Limegreen is a Multi-Use Skincare company that produces natural products using vegan ingredients. Since Dove is cancelled and we’re here for non GMO everything, we had a chat with Talima Davis, one half of the dynamic duo behind the brand. This is what she had to say:

SB:What inspired the creation of Limegreen?

TD: My best friend Tamara was diagnosed with liver cancer at the age of 27. It was extremely aggressive, and her doctor told her it was due to environmental conditions.

I could have just gone to the store and bought products for her, but I decided to try making them so that I knew the ingredients.

Making products turned into something I was passionate about. The same friend inspired the name for Limegreen, I combined the nickname given to me by her and the theme of natural products – Lima + Green.

SB:How did you both meet?

TD: Allison and I met through mutual artist friends. We grew up literally five minutes away from each other, in the same neighborhood, our entire lives.

SB: Describe your individual personalities and explain how they come together to make the business work.

TD: Our personalities contribute to the success of the business in so many ways. I have such a social media and project manager brain (I was a production manager for 11 years before Limegreen) and Allison has the business and design brain (She was a creative director before Limegreen).

SB: What has been the most challenging part of your entrepreneurial journey so far? What is the most gratifying?

TD: The most challenging part is the constantly second guessing of our decisions. Figuring out what to focus on is also a big challenge.

The most gratifying part is meeting with customers who sincerely love our products and hearing from them how our values motivate them to look at their choices more closely with regard to sustainability, natural ingredients, etc.

SB: What is the most important thing your partner has taught you?

TD: The most important things that Allison has taught me are to hustle and take chances – she literally would eat through a wall.

SB: Where do you see your business in 5 years?

TD: I see Limegreen in your favorites boutiques, the hotel bathrooms your stay in and big box stores like Target and Wholefoods.

SB: What advice do you have for aspiring entrepreneurs?

TD: My advice is not to plan every little detail of starting a business, the best thing to do is just to do it. See if people like your concept, because numbers on a paper cannot tell you if people really want what you’re trying to sell.

To learn more about Brooklyn Limegreen visit www.brooklynlimegreen.com.

IG: @thebusyafrican

10 Of Our Favorite Fela Kuti Quotes

October 15, 2017March 11, 2019

2 mins read

Music legend and activist Fela Anikulapo Kuti would have been 79 years also today. In honor of his life and his mission to use his music to liberate his people, we have compiled a few of our favorite Fela quotes. Happy Birthday Fela!

Fela Kuti at the Senator Hotel, London, UK on 11 November 1983

To be spiritual is not by praying and going to church. Spiritualism is the understanding of the universe so that it can be a better place to live in.

My people are scared of the air around them, they always have an excuse not to fight for freedom.

I don’t treat women as objects to be used. I just don’t agree to possess a woman.

The music of Africa is big sound: it’s the sound of a community.

To think how many Africans suffer in oblivion. That makes me sad… Despite my sadness, I create joyful rhythms… I am an artist… I want people to be happy and I can do it by playing happy music. And through happy music I tell them about the sadness of others… So really I am using my music as a weapon.

I want peace. Happiness. Not only for myself. For everybody.

99.9% of the information you get about Africa is wrong.

Music is a weapon of the future / music is the weapon of the progressives / music is the weapon of the givers of life.

I don’t mind criticism, I can handle it, but most people can’t.

Yellow Fever, you dey bleach o, you dey bleach, ugly thing. Who say you fine? Na lie.

My people dey ‘shuffering’ and ‘smiling’, everyday na the same thing. Suffer, suffer for world, enjoy for heaven.

RIP FELA!

Amy Sherald to paint Michelle Obama’s Official Portrait

October 13, 2017December 23, 2017

1 min read

Baltimore artist Amy Sherald, who graduated from the Maryland Institute College of Art in 2004 and just joined the faculty there, has been commissioned by the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery to paint the official portrait of former first lady Michelle Obama.

New York-based Kehinde Wiley will paint the official portrait of President Barack Obama.

The paintings are scheduled to be unveiled next year and added to the National Portrait Gallery’s popular collection of presidential and first lady portraits.

Sherald’s portraits of African-American models are known for her use of gray skin tones.

Last year, she became the first African-American and first woman to win the National Portrait Gallery’s Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition; she was chosen for the $25,000 award from among 2,500 entrants.

Work by the Baltimore-based Sherald, 44, is in collections of the National Museum of Women in the Arts and the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington.

She will give a free talk at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 26 in Room 101 of the F. Ross Jones Building, Mattin Center, on the Homewood campus of Johns Hopkins University.

Source: The Baltimore Sun

Expedition Subsahara: Empowering Girls To Rise From Poverty

October 12, 2017June 19, 2020

6 mins read

Expedition Subsahara is on a mission to translate beautiful home décor and jewelry into education for girls in poverty. They are doing this by working with artisans in Senegal and Uganda to produce amazing handcrafted goods. We spoke with Rosebell Komugisha, one of the two founders. This is what she had to say:

SB: What inspired the creation of your Expedition Subsahara?

ES: We know some of the obstacles to development in the rural areas in Sub-saharan Africa, having always been action oriented, we wanted to take responsibility by doing something for the women in the underdeveloped communities back home.

We focused on women specifically because United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) studies have shown that women will invest their income in the development of their families and communities, but men tend to use their income to indulge in selfish vices. Literally, when you educate a girl, you educate a village.

On the U.S. side, we were sensing a need for people to connect, embrace, and understand cultures beyond their own. By introducing African goods into the American market, we would be able to share our rich Sub-Saharan culture with people in the United States while elevating women back home.

SB: What makes Expedition Subsahara a “conscious” business?

ES: Our goal is to add value to our societies and not to exploit the environment or consumers and producers for the sake of profit. The intention is to foster social change through education, to provide economic emancipation to women with few opportunities in the case of Sub-Saharan Africa.

In the U.S., our purpose is to expose Americans to unique forms of home decor and link African and American cultures.

All of our goods are handmade by local Sub-saharan artisans. We have noticed that handmade African baskets and clothing are now being mass-produced in China and have been solicited by those wholesalers.

Our response is always no, we are not here to maximize profit, but to elevate each stakeholder, the producer, consumer, environment, and the communities where we intend to build the trade schools.

SB: Why is conscious economics or conscious consumerism important to you?

ES: It is important that we move away from the market model that pushes profit for the sake of profit without trying to build people or the environment. It dehumanizes producers and consumers, keeps people trapped in cycles of poverty and encourages the over consumption.

But it doesn’t just end there for us, we are very much aware that African markets are saturated with western goods that are mass-produced in China.

Through conscious consumerism, we have an avenue to hand some selling power back to African artisans by creating a space in the western market.

SB: What have been the most interesting and challenging parts of running your business?

ES: The most interesting part about running our business is witnessing African products being wholeheartedly embraced in the western world.

The challenge is remembering to keep the vision of our company woven in all of work even with the demand of the smaller daily task.

SB: What are some pros and some cons of using artisans to produce your products?

ES: Sub-sahran artisans are very dedicated, patient, and take great pride in their work. They also want to maintain business partnership, so they make sure to always deliver well made products. The only disadvantage is the very high cost of shipping from Africa to the united States.

SB: Where do you see your company in 5 years?

ES: We’ll be running or first trade school in Senegal and equipping women with the skills necessary for them to be economically independent and build their communities.

We will also have systems in place to track the impact of our graduates on their local communities. Lastly, in addition to our online store, we have a brick and mortar location.

SB: What advice do you have for those who want to work with artisans that reside abroad?

ES: Be fair to the artists that you are purchasing your products from and keep in mind that for many of them, this is their main source of income.

Find a great shipping company, international shipping costs can be obnoxious. Partner with local organizations whose goal is to develop the community. Any time they are already working with local artisans, this give you a reliable and fair source for your goods.

Find out more about Expedition Subsahara by visiting their website here.

-Tony O. Lawson

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Black Owned Candle Companies You Should Get Into

October 12, 2017January 26, 2024

1 min read

Do you appreciate a good candle? We do. We’ve personally tried products from a few of these Black owned candle companies and literally have some of them scattered around the house right now.

Needless to say, our place smells great. Treat yo self!