[Childish Gambino | The Switch | New Mixtape Tracks]

[Esperanza Spalding]

Maybe I should start by saying that two nights ago I was extremely privileged to have been able to attend an Esperanza Spalding concert at the University of Buffalo Center for the Arts, kicking off her Radio Music Society Tour. It was an exhilarating performance and I loved every moment of it. There were moments during her performance where I realized I had slipped into a trance of emotion evoked by the music.

Nevertheless, Esperanza is universally a true goddess in her own right, based on her talent, beauty and character. Even though I was unable to find anyone to take with me (as hard as that might be to believe) I really enjoyed myself. I was able to take a couple snapshots as well as some video footage of some her song performances (thanks to my new 32gb memory card). And to top the night off I was able to briefly meet and talk to Esperanza after the show as well as get her to autograph my copy of her Radio Music Society Album. as cheesy at it may sound, that experience filled my spirit with enough joy to last a couple weeks and help me to finish off my last stressful semester of college.

The only other female artist that I truly adore to an extremely high extent would be Sade, so being able to add another female artist to my short list of musical icons feels really good. I now place this experience into my Top 3 of Best Concerts that I have ever been to along side a Childish Gambino Concert and a Lauryn Hill concert that I attended (which obviously brings to light that I was never able to attend a Michael Jackson Concert *sad face*).

I read tons of reviews saying that Esperanza’s live performances were an extraordinary experience and watched dozens of videos online, but being able to truly get a first hand taste of her art was breath taking. At the concerts closing I felt completely satisfied with what had transpired and left that concert hall a little better of a person. Whilst waiting behind the venue after the concert was over, I had the chance to chat with other fans of Esperanza and share stories, experiences and opinions. The entire thing was overall a very pleasant, soulful, and enlightening experiences from the show opening to me making my way back home carefully holding my autographed album copy.

[Men's Fashion: Bags]

Maybe I should start by saying that I am very pleased with my two new bag purchases. Not only were they super affordable but they were also right up the ally of things that fit my sense of style. I picked up a Canvas Back-pack from 21 Men (Forever 21‘s Men’s Section) online and a Gretzinger Messenger bag from ALDO online as well.

I really appreciate that stores like this provide fashionable clothing and accessories for men at affordable prices (since all of us can’t afford to shop at places like J.Crew and FOSSIL on a regular basis). I just wish that they offered more of an in-store selection since it’s always a plus to be able to see clothing and other items first hand and try them on. However, I don’t mind shopping online since a lot of their ‘online only’ items are great steals. (And if H&M ever starts selling clothes online, I’m going to be all over that in a heartbeat)

One of the things that really got me were the colorful woven patterns inside each bag. Accents like this give so much more character and life to clothing and accessories and make them stand out amongst similar items. Aspects like this tend to really catch my eye, especially since I tend to prefer a mix of modern and vintage themes within men’s fashion items. I would highly recommend that men with similar tastes check out 21 Men (Forever 21′s Men’s Section) and ALDO for a good selection of affordable and trendy clothing and accessories.

[The Alchemist]

“When someone sees the same people everyday……they wind up becoming a part of that person’s life. And then they want the person to change. If someone isn’t what others want them to be, the others become angry. Everyone seems to have a clear idea of how other people should lead their lives, but none about his or her own.” – The Alchemist – Paulo Coelho.

[We Need to Talk About an Injustice]

[Bryan Stevenson: We need to talk about an injustice]

Maybe I should start by saying that it was very interesting to come across this video of Bryan Stevenson discussing some of the hard truths about the United States justice system, and the extensive imbalances along racial lines: “a third of the country’s black male population has been incarcerated at some point in their lives. These issues, which are wrapped up in America’s unexamined history, are rarely talked about with this level of candor, insight and persuasiveness.”- TED

Bryan Stevenson is the founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative, fighting poverty and challenging racial discrimination in the criminal justice system.

For this unfamiliar, TED is a nonprofit devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. It started out (in 1984) as a conference bringing together people from three worlds: Technology, Entertainment, Design. More info and inspirational and intriguing videos can be found at 
http://www.ted.com/

[Life is Art]

“I think everything in life is art. What you do. How you dress. The way you love someone, and how you talk. Your smile and your personality. What you believe in and, all your dreams. The way you drink your tea. how you decorate your home. Or party. Your grocery list. The food you make. How your writing looks. And the way you feel……..Life is art.” – T.U.G.

[Will Smith - Tavis Smiley Interview]

Maybe I should start by saying that Will Smith is one of the (very few) celebrities that I actually look up to in a sense. A lot of what he explains in this video interview really hits home and sparks a motivational light within myself to always keep working hard in every aspect of life deemed important.