J COLE 

Jermaine Lamarr Cole is a hip hop icon in the making, gifted songwriter, and talented record producer. He was born January 28, 1985 with a southern soul from Fayetteville, North Carolina, a place he represents for 'til this day although he was originally born in Frankfurt, Germany. Cole has been in the rap scene since 2007 after he put out his firs official mixtape "The Come Up". His wildest dreams came true when hip hop icon Jay-Z showed interest in him, eventually signing him to one of the most sought out record labels Roc Nation in 2009. Since signing to Roc Nation Cole has put out two follow up mixtapes The Warm Up and Friday Night Lights and debuted his first charts hitting album Cole World: The Sideline Story which was followed by his even more successful album Born Sinner. Cole has been nominated fro many awards for his singles and has won a few awards so far which he is proud of being as new as he is to the music scene. 

As soon as J Cole dropped his first mixtape for teh world to hear I fell in love with the vibe of his music and the reality that he brings into the hip hop world that many other artist don't bring. J Cole's music for me is thereapuetic in the sense that it touches on some of the original hip hop which seems to have been lost overtime. His newest album Born Sinner definitely hold my favorite pieces from him and have guided me through times in my life that other avenues weren't able to. Last summer I went to my country Eritrea where I was grieving the loss of my father along with my family. There isn't much American music there and luckily J Coles album dropped the day before I left and I was able to download it onto my iPod. I played his album over and not only never got tired but found something new to enjoy every time I listened. His lyrics aren't the typical hip hop/rap lyrics heard today talking about women, money, and crime in misogynistic ways but it does touch on the reality of urban life tastefully and respectfully. What I also respect about him is that he uplifts his fans with positive music that tells a story of his life as well. For example, he created a song with a legendary group TLC called Crooked Smile and speak through his music about how appearance isn't everything and if there is something that's not perfect about ones appearance that they feel insecure about then they should embrace it and tell the world so what! Cole is a great performer live and stays true to himself and allows his fans to enter his world in order for them to get a more personal connection with him. He is extremely humble and has always payed what he has forward which makes me respect him more as a role model for young African Americans. One of my favorite lines that helps me remind myself that I am a human being that makes mistakes but that God is always by my side is, "I was born sinning but I'll die better then that, swear. You were always where I needed you t be whether you were there or not there". 

Crooked Smile (J Cole has been known for his uneven smiles but embraces it while leading his fans to embrace their imperfections as well.)

Official J Cole Music Page: http://www.jcolemusic.com/us/home 
This is J Cole's main music page. his is where people can go to see his latest music, all music from his past, read his lyrics, find out what he has been nominated and awarded for, where his next performance is and much more. This website is meant for his fans to be able to come and appreciate his music solely without having to go through all the opinions from blogs about what other people think. I chose this website because J Cole is first and foremost an artist and this page highlights just that.

J Cole and More: http://jcolenation.com/
This webpage is a one stop shop to find out everything that is going on with J Cole. It has information abotu his foundation, what he is doing in his music career, what is currently going on with his album, and much more. This page is meant for his fans to go if they want to kind of be nosy about what J Cole is saying in his interviews and who he is talking to. Also, this website includes some of the inside scoop of whats coming up that other media forums might not be privy to. 

J Cole Fan Tumblr: http://teamcole.tumblr.com/
This is J Cole's fan tumblr blog where his fans can interact and talk everything J Cole. I chose this site because what makes J Cole more than any other artist are his loyal fans. He may not be as large in the music industry as some of the big named artists today but his fans have always stayed loyal to him as he has to them. I think this website is a great place for people to remind J Cole that he is an amazing lyricist and that his music does touch them and change their lives in ways he doesn't know which may keep him going. 




Created by: Selina Simon

Frida Kahlo--20th Century Painter

My interest in Frida Kahlo and her work started in Spanish class in high school when we learned about her. She was a painter in Mexico at the beginning of the 20^th century and painted mostly self portraits. She stated, “I paint myself because I am so often alone and because I am the subject I know best”, which gives insight into her personality.  She had an interesting, and quite depressing life, getting in an accident as a child and having a roller coaster of a relationship with another Mexican artist, Diego Rivera. She also had a massive internal conflict with staying with her Mexican roots versus becoming more mainstream, shown in her work “The Two Fridas”. Her paintings are interesting to me because they align so perfectly with her real life struggles. It was obvious she was an intense person, driven by her mind, and it shows in her artwork. 

http://www.fridakahlo.com/

This is a general site about the artist Frida. It shows her biography as well as some of her most recognized paintings, with the years she made them. It gets into some of her political affiliations, which was very important in her life.

http://www.biography.com/people/frida-kahlo-9359496

This is an extremely specific biography of Frida Kahlo, and would be helpful if you wanted to analyze her paintings so you could see what was happening in her life at the time the painting was created.

http://www.pbs.org/weta/fridakahlo/

This is a very helpful website that showcases her most famous paintings. It’s awesome because if you roll over the paintings in different spots it will show you the significance of that detail in the painting that you are rolling over.

Shakira: The One and Only

Shakira is a highly gifted and moving human being. I chose the words "human being" with intent and not by coincidence, as she is tremendously skilled in several disciplines. My reverence for her began when I entered into my major at Western, which is Spanish. Shakira is fluent in Portuguese, Italian, English, Spanish and Arabic. This is honestly an art in itself. It is incredibly challenging to learn a second language. I have the utmost respect for Shakira due to this fact alone.

Shakira is undeniably a strong, female icon of the world. She was born and raised in Barranquilla, Colombia. Shakira has a rich heritage, as not only is she Colombian but also has Arabic roots. In fact, her name is of Arabic origin, which means "grateful" and "thankful."

Currently, Shakira continues to entertain her public eye all over the world (quite literally) and also is a judge of the popular show "The Voice." Soccer was truly the thing that "changed her life." This is a direct quote from Shakira and it could not be more true. Soccer was her door to success and it was also how she met her sweetheart, Girard Pique (who is an all star soccer player). In the years 2010 and 2014, Shakira performed for the FIFA World Cup. 

Most importantly, Shakira is a true at heart, philanthropist.  Although her "hips don't lie," she is way more than her renowned belly dancing and exterior. She is an advocate for children and their right to formal education. In 2011, she was appointed and recognized by President Obama to the President's Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics. Shakira is one of Unicef's Goodwill Ambassadors. There are over 120 million children in the world without any formal education . As an ambassador, she works to increase access and resources for children. In addition, she is the head honcho of the "Pies Descalzos Foundation." This foundation works to improve the quality of life, health, nutrition, and education of children and their families. She created this foundation at the age of eighteen. Last but not least, Shakira is a member of the ALAS non- profit organization. This organization focuses on early education public policies in Latin America. 

http://www.shakira.com/home
This is perhaps the most useful and compelling web page on Shakira. After all, it is her personal  homepage. There are photos, videos, current news, and additional links to view; the sky is truly the limit. This web page connects the viewer to Shakira's pinterest, twitter, and instagram accounts. 


http://www.biography.com/people/shakira-189151
 This is a phenomenal web page because not only does it shed light on the specifics of who Shakira is, (where she was born and her involvement in education advocacy in Latin America for example)  but it also features a interview where she speaks personally about her ladder to success. While I was navigating around on this web page I stumbled upon a quote that was said by Shakira: "Of course I am trying to make my accent not bother anybody but I am not going to drive myself crazy to pretend I am an American girl when I am from Colombia." I think that this quote sums Shakira up in a nutshell. She isn't going to pretend like she is someone she clearly is not and what you see is what you get. I love that about her.


http://www.boomsbeat.com/articles/721/20140226/50-things-you-probably-didn-t-know-about-shakira.htm
This is another web page that is equally significant. This web page has a more informal tone but is informative in nature because it is a "fun- fact" page about Shakira. In fact, there are fifty facts in all. From Shakira's favorite color to her journey to becoming fluent in English, this website is enlightening. 

DON'T BE FOOLED BY YOUR EMPTINESS, THERE IS SO MUCH MORE ROOM FOR HAPPINESS...

Kaskade, or Ryan Raddon, is a DJ and producer from Chicago that I first started listening to last summer. I saw him at a music festival and had not listened to him before that. Although I knew none of his songs, he automatically pulled me in and it felt like I had heard all of his songs before. That set gave me feelings of nostalgia in ways that I had never felt from listening to any other artist. I feel that he is worth sharing because his music resonates deeply with many people that I know. He uses a variety of styles that can capture the attention of any listener, and can create thousands of emotions with just a few simple lyrics. Even without the lyrics, his music can put you in a trance and make you feel safe and at peace. When I go through hard times, I listen to him and his music reminds me that I am in control of my own happiness. His song “Room for Happiness” is one of my favorites. This one simple line “don’t be fooled by your emptiness, there is so much more room for happiness,” has genuinely helped me find peace in different situations. I know that house music is not for everyone, but I am sure that everyone can find at least one song that resonates with them and strikes emotions in ways they have never felt.

Get to know Kaskade...

Here are some links:

http://www.kaskademusic.com/bio/

This link provides all of the information needed to know about Kaskade. It features a lengthy biography that explains his music, career path, background, and so on. This is where you can buy his music or download free tracks. You can also find all of the latest news, his tour dates, merchandise, photos, and videos.

https://www.youtube.com/user/kaskade

Youtube is a great informative link for getting to know Kaskade because aside from listening to his music, you can see and experience his live shows. He does a variety of different shows, from festivals, to small shows, to “Redux” where he plays only his older music. You can also watch interviews and get to know his personality.

https://soundcloud.com/kaskade

Soundcloud is the ultimate place to find Kaskade’s music. You can listen to his original songs, remixes by other artists, his own remixes, festival music, live sets, and more! You can also buy music from this site, as well as download free songs. 

I chose to feature Izumo Kato on my blog posting because I am very interested in the way he combines sculptures and paintings together as one, but also separately.  Izumo Kato in the past few years has started to gain more and more attention in the art world.  He uses interesting and unique methods of creating his art pieces so I thought it would be a learning experience to examine him for this blog posting.

http://wsimag.com/art/9929-izumi-kato

This is an article about Izumi Kato from the "Wall Street International" but I thought it was very informative.  They described Kato's way of using interesting tools like spatulas and his fingers to create his pieces.  They also expressed that painting is like an extra-natural experience for Kato.

http://www.artnet.com/artists/izumi-kato/

This website is interesting because like most others it includes Kato's works of art and his biography, but unlike other websites this one includes his auction results and events featuring Kato.

https://www.perrotin.com/artiste-Izumi_Kato-177.html

This was a pretty general website centered around Kato, but it features all of the important elements that are needed to understand his artwork like a biography, images, text, exhibitions and news.

Dark Was the Night - Cold Was the Ground

Blind Willie Johnson was born in born in Brenham, Texas in 1897. He wasn't born blind, some say his stepmother threw lye in his face after he told his father of her affair.

With simple slide guitar melodies matched to his solemn tenor or striking false bass voice, Johnson grips every bone and trembles them. The profoundly smooth blues riffs shudder the spine while Willie's voice conveys a longing beyond this world. Apt then that the Voyager spacecraft's Golden Record has Blind Willie's classic lyric-less Dark Was the Night - Cold Was the Ground on the first side.

This site contains information about Johnson's life as a musician including his upbringing, influences, and recording career.
http://www.musicianguide.com/biographies/1608002400/Blind-Willie-Johnson.html

Here is a website that provides information on Voyager 1, including the song list of 'Music from Earth' on the Golden Record.
http://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/spacecraft/music.html

This is an excellent example of Willie's  powerful voice, classic blues melodies, lasting lyrics, and beautiful harmonies.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jI3htUL82kw

Willie's music resonates with me because it is so naturally infused with and driven by his raw emotions. His eagerness for a better world, sadness at its state, and ecstasy at its beauty construct his music's core. Blind Willie conveys  the obvious but taken for granted truths in the universe, and he does it poetically and harmoniously with seemingly no effort.

VIXX

Over the pass years I was unexpectedly introduced to a different type of music generally called "K-Pop". Which is weird to think about listening to songs that is in a different language and has a different style than the majority of the songs in America. Vixx is one of those bands that are unique and creative. Each song has their own story and style with dance moves that coordinates with the lyrics. So even if someone isn't able to understand Korean just watching their body movements is a way to translate the meaning of the song. When watching Vixx their dance moves are very sharp and precise, and along with their facial expression can leave one in awe after watching one video.

Vixx is a six member band with the leader being N, rapper Ravi, vocals Leo, Ken, Hyuk, and Hongbin. At the beginning of their debut in 2012 the leader N mention on a music talk show that he really didn't want to become an idol which shocked all the viewers. Soon later  his mind was changed when Vixx quickly became famous over the past 2 years, they were able to win 2 awards in South Korea and had performances on famous shows such as Music Bank and Show Champion. They also have concerts around the world including an upcoming one at K-con which is in California. ( I shall be attending the concert to see them! ). Their songs are able to captive their audiences, and their voices and looks seem to fit perfectly together. This group was selected to be together through the company so the members didn't know each other until training days before their first debut. After years past the group is now close friends with each other as seen on their show Vixx T.V, at the beginning there was a sense the awkwardness of the band, but if you were to watch the videos now you can see how close they are to each other.

The songs that Vixx performs have deeper meanings in their lyrics and have theme to each video. One of the recent songs that came out is called "Eternity" which is about how they wish that there dream about the one they love will last forever. In the music video they dance moves resembles a clock and their facial expression is able to convey the loneliness and sadness they feel as their dream is slipping away. Another music video is "Voodoo Doll" that sounds creepy but I think it is one of the most interesting ideas for a song. The lyrics are expressing that they love the person to such as extent that they are willing to act like a voodoo doll. Other words the girl they love treats them any way she wants and they are just accepting and going along with whatever she wants.

Vixx Voodoo Doll music video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmrNMf_jzkE
As I mention above this is a link to the live version of "Voodoo Doll". The reason why I chose to the live version and not the music video is because in the video is the whole dance and close ups to show their intense facial expressions. Also, you will notice that all their movements are sharp to resmemble a voodoo doll being controlled, and when one of the members are pinned they all react in the same way. When you are done watching the video maybe search the same video with English sub-titles to have a deeper understanding.

Vixx Wikipedia : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VIXX
The wikipedia page has information on how the band was created and each reward that Vixx has won. There is a list of music videos and T.V programs where they were guest stars. Also, some of the members have side jobs as actors and has a list of dramas and shows of their performances.

Vixx Fan page : http://kpopcolorcodedlyrics.wordpress.com/vixx-members-profiles/
The fan page has information on each member which include their whole name and what position they have in the band. For each member there are interesting facts about them and you can get to know their personalities more.