Salient/TGIF

Happy Friday everyone, ... Let's Talk about It!!!

Rejection is just a form of redirection. Know your truth and testimony, half the battle is getting to a place of solace and gratitude.  Your understanding crafts out character, no short orders allowed.  Why are you sitting idle for your greatness; make something happen, today will never come again.  I live to reach for the sky, without boundaries, reaching for the stars and clouds are all blessings from the Father.   Desire and need unfolds stagnant tools, that exist, but aren't being utilized.  Disappointment is a word we come to understand, very early in life, it teaches patience coping and pursuit.

It seems that honesty has become the endangered species.  Excuses pacify complacency, a desire for want is to seek, if you train hard enough, the manifestation eventually is granted, its about gallant efforts.

Calm waters eventually helps in the changing of the tide, to be at Peace with God, helps in the passage to all understanding.  Greater is he ...

What Are You Doing With a Your Life?

http://youtu.be/nUbM7zbvpHw

Best'

Kevin Knighton

https://www.facebook.com/KevinKnighton360

www.Instagram.com/KevinKnighton_Callins

Flashback Who's That ...

Can you imagine being nominated for seven Grammys and not winning one, and losing five of those Awards to Alicia Keys, one being Best New Artist, but wait, Keys wasn't a 'new' artist.  You just have to love the politics of NARAS!   

Singer, songwriter and producer  India Arie was born in Denver, Colorado.  Her mother was a singer who was signed to Motown and her Father was a famous pro basketball player (Ralph Simpson). Arie seemed to struggle with self image, which explains her songs 'Brown Skin, Video' etc.., Despite losing in five of seven categories to Alicia Keys. She closed the Grammy ceremony with a performance of her song "Video".  I felt that her debut 'Acoustic Soul' was a MUCH stronger project than Keys 'Songs In A Minor' unfortunately Arie didnt have the 'machine' behind her.  'Soul' sold over two million copies.  Her followup  album 'Voyage To Indiia' went platinum.  At the 2003 Grammy Awards, it won "Best R&B Album", and the single "Little Things" won "Best Urban/Alternative Performance".  Still bittersweet, it was like NARAS had to compensate for overlooking her incredible debut album, but now she was reduced to 'just' an urban artist.   Never one to be held down, Arie continued to plug away with songs about, her struggle with image, love and heartbreak, something that resonated with her fans.  Her third CD 

Testimony: Vol. 1, Life & Relationship, was released in  2006. It gave Arie her first number-one spot on the Billboard 200 it was her second chart-topper on the R&B charts. The song "I Am Not My Hair" was Arie's continued testimony and struggle with self image, it garnered little airplay.   Arie left Motown in 2008 and signed with Universal Republic.  She has released two albums since leaving Motown, her 'Songversation' album (which received more attention from the bleaching of her skin, than its musical content) it was released last year.  

(http://youtu.be/LzUTZUONyms)

(http://youtu.be/0Zbn7Khv8zM)

(http://youtu.be/L-5M1_DKvb0)

(http://youtu.be/3F8R-vBB4O4)

(http://youtu.be/4xZPMlCkDY8)

Best New Artist .... 1985

Sade - Besr New Artist 1985.  Sade came out the same year as Whitney Houston.  NARAS deemed Houston ineligible because of a previous recording (Hold Me) with Teddy Pendergrass.  Bare in mind artist like Sheryl Crow (with Kenny Loggins), Cyndi Lauper (Blue Angel) Jody Watley (Shalamar) Shelby Lynne (recorded FIVE albums) before winning her 1999 Best Bew Artist win for her I Am Shelby Lynne "debut" album, Amy Winehouse (Frank cd) Lauryn Hill (The Fugees) Alicia Keys (signed to Columbia records, appearing on a Christmas compilation and soundtracks, before getting dropped by Columbia records) John Legend (Magnetic Man, Kanye West, Slum Villiage) ALL have The Best Bew Artist Award... also other mentions of singers nominated for Best New Artist, that had prior recordings but did not win Luther Vandross (Change), Larry Graham (Sly Stone).  The Grammys (NARAS) rules change according to whatever political purpose suits their need. Ugh

Sade and Houston both artists went on to super stardom, the latter having the last laugh, as she became a Global super star with sales over 170 million, winning 6 Grammys and has the privilege of being the most awarded female of ALL time (422). Sade still records and surfaces every five or six years, everything she touches turns Platinum.  

(http://youtu.be/8bBLgvKjWUU)

HBO green lights 'Bro's' ...

Green Light - HBO has put in development Bros, a comedy from director Anthony Hemingway (Red Tails) and TV production executive-turned-producer Mark Taylor’s Hemingway | Taylor shingle and Dear White People producer Lena Waithe.

Written by Ben Cory Jones (Hand Of God) loosely based on his real life as a gay black man with his non-gay brothers,Bros centers on three African-American brothers, two straight and one gay, who are each dealing with love and dating. Hemingway and Taylor executive produce, Jones and Waithe co-executive produce.

Jones originally wrote the project on spec and gave the script to Hemingway. Then titled Bros Before Hos, the comedy shot a presentation this year that starred Dijon Talton (Glee), Kevin Phillips (Red Tails), Tuffy Questell (How To Make It In America), Dana Sorman (Harry’s Law), Nia Jervier (Dear White People) and Kristofer Gordon.

“Bros Before Hos isn’t a black story or a gay story — it’s a family story about three brothers, who happen to be black, and one who happens to be gay,” Jones said in an online interview during the filming of the presentation. “There seem to be more stories that deal with the interior lives of black women, but it’s hard to find stories that deal with the interior lives of black men. We’re either thugs or athletes, but there’s so much more to who we are that falls in between that spectrum. It’s ironic that in 2014, and even with a black president, one of the hardest things to be in this country right now is a young black man.”

Hmph ...

Nia Long is an American actress. She is best known for her roles in the television series The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Third Watch, and the films In Too Deep, Boyz n the Hood, Friday, Boiler Room, Soul Food, Love Jones, Alfie,The Best Man, Big Momma's House, and the sequels to the latter two films.

Why are the rules different for black actresses?  She started acting in movies and television, one year prior to actress Julia Roberts.  Long possesses everything that Roberts offers.  Both have siblings who are in the business (Sommore and Eric Roberts)Hollywood is a hard nut to crack.  Roberts has an Oscar and Long has three NAACP awards.  Both actresses continue to make movies into their forties.   The machine is blatant with the obvious stab in the face that Caucasian's and Jews run the production houses.  Understandably ratchett reality television makes the chances for legitimate African American and women of color even harder to have vehicles in which to star and portray.  Another hard pill to swallow are the roles that are given to Jessica Alba(Honey), Eva Mendes(Hitch,Out Of Time) and Zoe Saldana(Drumline,Nina Simone) roles that were written or presumed for African American actresses.  It so convenient to get butt and lip injections, or tan, blend into the hip hop culture (Iggy Azalea, Justin Bieber, KKKardashian,Eminem) culture or the African American plight, until a Mike  Brown, Trayvon Martin or Rodney King situation comes along, they retreat, because they can't face the dirty truth.   When do we take a stand?