All Hail Serena Williams, Drake Scorpion and Podcasts
We've made it through the first week of July, and now I have a story to tell. One day, back home I went to an Oddisee concert in San Francisco at The Chapel. After circling around for parking for a few minutes, I got out the car in front of a Chinese Restaurant and who did I see? Serena Williams! For years, I met different celebrities during my hustle as a music journalist so I never got starstruck, but seeing Serena I literally lost my mind.
I stared at her and never said anything. I know she saw me because I could NOT stop staring. I literally even resorted to walking backwards to continue staring at her. Perhaps one of the most embarrassing encounters ever but who can honestly say they saw Serena pre-her Chinese restaurant cell phone chase and Oddisee on the same night?
Now that story time is finished, I would like to leave these beautiful images here from Serena's InStyle cover.
Currently Listening: Drake - Scorpion
This week, since last week was the release of Drake's fifth album, Scorpion, it's only fitting that I would give you my thoughts here.
If we’ve been friends for awhile, you’d know I used to be a huge Drake fan. I used to watch him on Degrassi and thought he was cute even when we tried to pressure his then girlfriend, Ashley, into having sex with him. I felt sad when he got shot in the hallway--I think I even wept. Then, when he became a rapper, I was fascinated and in love. Not to mention, when he came out with Comeback Season, he did collaborations with my favorite rap group of all time Little Brother, in the form of "Don't You Have a Man" and "Think Good Thoughts." Even though my mom seems to think he sounds depressed all the time, I still do enjoy a good chunk of his music even though I feel a lot of his songs sound the same.
That being said, here are a few of my thoughts on the album--some of the songs DO sound like repeats of another song possibly from this album, or another album--Erin doesn’t know. The song “Ratchet Happy Birthday” is a disappointment because it's not ratchet. It sounds more melancholy than the twerk session I was expecting. Although I’m a Degrassi kid, the “I’m Upset” song is annoying and the video really made no sense to me. I would’ve preferred a bigger Liberty cameo instead of all those Emma appearances although she clearly experienced a Glow Up.
“In My Feelings” though is the money maker. It gives me the same vibe as “Nice For What” and it’s really just a hands on the knees, back arched type of song. Also, the production on “8 Out of 10” is love. I literally listen to this song with my eyes closed, bopping my head with my hands up in the air. This is the Drake I like. The rapping Drake. Also, I would imagine “Nonstop” would be a fun song to flex too, or dance offbeat in a club--although I don’t do clubs.
This Week's Playlist:
Going with the Drake theme, I thought why not be extra and list my ten favorite Drake songs of all time--since some of them are from early projects, I’ve included the YouTube links and etc. What are your favorite Drake songs? Let me know.
Drake Slaps - A Mood: Think Good Thoughts ft. Phonte and Elzhi // Don’t You Have A Man ft. Little Brother and Dwele // Do What You Do // Come Winter // Sooner Than Later // Ransom ft. Lil Wayne // Get It Together // Karaoke // Up All Night ft. Nicki Minaj // Find Your Love
Listen to all the songs in one place here
Also, in case you missed it, here's last week's Sampled Summer playlist in honor of the Teyana Taylor album, and here are two more ongoing playlists that I will be adding to Spotify and SoundCloud.
Other Listens: Podcast Edition
In addition to music, I'm always listening to Podcasts. They make me laugh, keep me informed, help me with my finances and more. I've put up a round up of some of my favorite podcasts, or my favorite episode of a podcast. What are your favorites? Let me know!
Episode: Goop x Oprah Winfrey
Let me start this by saying, no I'm not a Gooper. I know there's people who absolutely love it, and others who hate it. I sit calmly on the sidelines as I don't fit on any side. That being said, the first ever episode of the podcast features an interview with Oprah that had so many gems.
Listen to the episode here.
Episode: Girl Code with Gabrielle Union and Lisa Ling
One of my favorite podcast episodes ever is the live interview taping of Angela Rye's podcast with Gabrielle Union and Lisa Ling. The conversations were so good and explored topics of race, being a woman and more. Such a good conversation, I even had a few snapping moments in the conversation.
Listen to the episode here.
Podcast: Lady Lovin'
I'm a Valley Girl kind of, so it's only fitting that I would love Lady Lovin. The podcast, is made up of three ladies I love--The Hills alum Lo Bosworth and her two best friend's Greta and Jill. They have new episodes every Monday and my bestie and I are always texting about the quirky things they said during the episode.
Listen to the podcast here.
Podcast: Paychecks & Balances
With my flirty thirty vastly approaching, one of the things I am always trying to work on is my finances. I wrote an article about it here, and my dear friend Joanne also put me on to this podcast. They always have great tips about things like how to improve your credit, or the purpose of updating your LinkedIn frequently.
Listen to the podcast here.
Podcast: The Call with Erica Simon
I love this Podcast. I'm always getting inspired after listening to an episode whether it's the conversation with Melody Ehsani or Lena Waithe or Dream Hampton. The show has been on hiatus but it's coming back July 10th and I'm so excited. Listen to all the episodes before the new season next week.
Listen to the podcast here
Episodes: Janet Mock interviews with Tina Knowles and Kris Jenner
Two different episodes and both are interviews with the mothers of two of the biggest celebrities in the world. What I really liked about both of these interviews is the questions that Janet asked, but had a sense of curiosity and fandom which I liked. I also walked away from the Kris interview with a sense of respect for her hustle.
Listen to both episodes here.
Currently Rereading:
I'm currently rereading my favorite, favorite book of all time, I'm down by Mishna Wolff always a great read and literally everytime I read this book, I laugh harder than the time before.
Additional Reads:
I grew up a huge Whitney Houston fan, which is why I'm partially on the fence about seeing the documentary about her life Whitney. The documentary features 70 interviews, and unearths things like Whitney being molested and more. Read this article about the movie and why Scottish filmmaker Kevin Macdonald wanted to create the documentary.
More on Millennials and Marriage: "Young adults are not only marrying and having children later in life than previous generations but taking more time to get to know each other before they tie the knot. Indeed, some spend the better part of a decade as friends or romantic partners before marrying, according to new research by eHarmony, another online dating site."
Loving all the Forbes' Self Made articles. Here's another one that I'm loving featuring Rapsody: "Additionally, everything has a 20-year turnaround, and it's good to recognize that. Studying the game is also important for the knowledge you gain. That's how you figure out the smartest ways to maneuver in this business."
A serious question is it taboo to drink canned wine orrrrrrrrrr
I planned to go hear poet Cleo Wade speak a few weeks ago during her tour date in DC, however, I had too much coffee and not enough water and was slightly dehydrated or something dramatic. That being said, here's a great profile of her during her visit to the city.
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