Award winning South African Rapper Nasty C has been signed to American based record company Def Jam Recordings via a joint venture with Universal Music Africa, Billboard confirms.
According to Billboard, The 23 year old will be releasing his new album ‘Zulu Man With Some Power’ under his new label. His latest single was premiered on Thursday on Apple Music Beats 1 with Ebro Darden. A video was also released.
Confirming the new deal, Def Jam Recordings interim chairman/CEO Jeff Harleston stated, “Nasty C is a unique and forward-thinking artist who is at the forefront of a new generation of rappers emerging from Africa. Def Jam is a globally recognised brand synonymous with excellence in hip-hop, and we are excited to welcome Nasty C : an international star with real vision and talent into the family.”
“It’s powerful to be a part of the Def Jam family,” added Nasty C. “It’s an iconic record label and has made the careers of many of the artists I look up to.”
The video was shot at a location in Nasty C’s hometown of Durban. The video was directed by Andrew Sandler, who has worked with artists such as lil Wayne, and Chris brown.
Every day we wake up to the news that there’s significantly more cases of coronavirus around the world than the night before. This news can obviously be triggering and make you feel a bit paranoid.
“Is it just allergies, or is it the ‘rona?” is a question a lot of us are asking ourselves these days.
The most common symptoms of the virus are fever, dry cough and shortness of breath.
As coronavirus spreads and the number of reported cases increases, countries around the world are taking drastic measures, including shutting down airports, imposing travel bans and completely sealing their borders.
The outbreak of the Corona Virus has been labelled a pandemic by the World Health Organisation( WHO).
Below are the African Countries that have taken such measures in recent days
Regardless of where you are at in your Natural hair journey, there are a few natural hair essentials that will help to keep your strands healthy and flourishing. With the wide range and ever-growing selection of natural hair products stocking shelves, it is easy to become a self proclaimed product junkie.
Here are a few natural hair essentials that can help you to take better care of your hair
If you can stay home during the coronavirus crisis, you should. But what should you watch while you’re stuck inside? If you’re looking for a distraction from the world or just something to put on in the background while you keep checking the news, we’ve got suggestions for TV comfort food. Here are shows that we’re watching ourselves right now.
It’s time to grab a snack, call Bae and get cozy for a mandatory binge-watching TV sesh. (Note: A break from the news is bueno for your mental health.
Queen Sono (Netflix)
Queen Sono is the reckless-out-the-neckless spy show that we didn’t even know that we needed. This African Netflix original series gifts us Queen (Pearl Thusi), a bad-ass (some might say defiant) field agent in South Africa’s Special Operations Group (SOG). But is the SOG all that it’s cracked up to be? We’ll need more than six episodes to unpack things as Queen uncovers details about her revolutionary mother’s assassination.
Black Monday (Showtime)
Four words: Mo is back baby! And it’s just when you thought he would stay on the run forever, ever. In season one, Don Cheadle’s Maurice “Mo” Monroe took on Wall Street’s old boys club, which led to Black Monday, the largest stock market crash in history. This season is all about the aftermath of what happened when the Dow plunged 508 points on October 19, 1987 and the brown funky stuff hit the fan. This time around Dawn (Regina Hall) and Blair (Andrew Rannells ) are in boss mode and Mo returns—looking all weird and shit. Two questions remain: Who’s catching a case for the murders? And who’s going down for the crash? Check it out Sunday.
Who’s the biggest boss that you’ve seen thus far? Answer: Black women. An estimated 1.9 million Black-owned firms whip up $51.4 billion in total revenue in the U.S., reports say. Executive producer Renae Bluitt explores the entrepreneurial journeys of The Lip Bar founder Melissa Butler, Carol’s Daughter creator Lisa Price, digital strategist and speaker Luvvie Ajayi and My Fab Finance founder Tonya Rapley—women who are building businesses and creating legacies. This is a must-watch documentary
Hair Love (YouTube)
YouTube hair tutorials aside, watching Matthew A. Cherry’s Hair Love, the Oscar winner for the Best Animated Short Film, ranks as some of the best time (6:47 minutes to be exact) you’ll spend on the video-sharing platform. Seven-year-old Zuri’s dad attempts to style his daughter’s natural hair for the first time and realizes creating a kinky faux hawk is harder than it looks. But he will not be defeated by elastic hair ties, leave-in conditioner and bobby pins
Twenties (BET)
We finally see a queer AF woman be the lead character in a TV show. Creator Lena Waithe brings us the semi-autobiographical story of Hattie (Jonica Gibbs), an aspiring screenwriter eager to make it in Hollywood. Hattie’s ride-or-die friends Marie (Christina Elmore) and Nia (Gabrielle Graham) help keep their bestie employed (even when shady tweets from her past resurface during a job interview), while juggling love and career challenges.
Cuba has some of the best food in the world. A unique blend of African, Spanish, and Caribbean influences. The cuisine of Cuba reflects the island’s rich and dynamic history.
French colonists over from Haiti and enslaved Africans brought their own culinary influences. On an island offering ultra-fresh seafood and sweet fruits straight from the vine, the diverse people of Cuba created flavors all their own.
Let’s dive into Cuban cuisine! Here are the dishes you MUST eat in Cuba.
Arroz con pollo
Chicken and rice is the most common staple in a Cuban household. This one pot dish is similar to Spanish paella. There are many variations of arroz con pollo, but the basics include rice, quartered chicken leg or thighs cooked with sofrito, Bijol seasoning, chicken broth, and beer. Peas and roasted red peppers are also traditionally mixed in.
Ropa vieja
Considered the national dish of Cuba, ropa vieja literally translates to “old clothes” and comes from Spain. The dish is made with shredded beef that’s slow cooked in a tomato-based sauce with onions, bell peppers, garlic, and cooking wine. It is always served over white rice and accompanied by maduros (sweet plantains) or tostones (fried pressed plantains). A similar dish with a twist is vaca frita, or fried cow, which is a flank steak marinated in mojo and then fried with garlic and salt.
This simple dish is another Cuban classic that’s a perfect weekday meal. It’s ground beef that’s browned with garlic, onions, bell peppers, oregano, bay leaf, and salt. Then, the beef is simmered over low heat with tomato sauce, cooking wine, olives, and raisins. White rice is mixed in once all the flavors combine. The dish comes from Spain, and the name comes from the word picar, which means to chop or mince.
Ajiaco
A stew that’s made with a little bit of everything, ajiaco is a recognizable and well-loved Cuban dish. Cooks often throw together what they have on hand to make ajiaco, but common ingredients include corn, sweet potato, malanga, plantains, beef or pork, tomato paste, garlic, onion, and lemon juice
Pastelitos
A pastelito is a baked puff pastry filled with something sweet or savory or both. Traditional Cuban fillings include guava and cream cheese, sweet cheese, or ground meat. Like croquetas, pastelitos are usually eaten for breakfast, but can also be a snack
Arroz con lech
Rice pudding, or “rice with milk” is another popular Latin American dessert. But in Cuba, again, evaporated and condensed milk is used, making it a sweeter and richer dish. Lime peel and other traditional ingredients like rice, vanilla, and cinnamon complete a proper Cuban arroz con leche.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, John Boyega and his UpperRoom Productions have signed a deal with Netflix to develop non- English films focusing on West and East Africa.
Netflix says that UpperRoom “will develop film projects based on stories, cast, characters, crew, literary properties, mythology, screenplays and or other elements in or around African Countries.
Boyega, whose family is from Nigeria, Said in a statement that he’s thrilled to be working with Netflix on this, especially with the idea of making non-English films that adapt African stories and original material.
Recently, Netflix has made an effort to prioritise original content from Africa. Netflix shared its plans to offer more African shows back in 2018. Its latest African original, Queen Sono, dropped worldwide at the end of February, while another as-yet unnamed series set in Nigeria was announced at the same time. Meanwhile, two further originals, South African teen drama Blood & Water and animated series Mama K’s Team 4 are set to land later this year.
Speaking to Variety, vice president of international film at Netflix, David Kosse, said, “Africa has a rich history in storytelling, and for Netflix, this partnership with John and UpperRoom presents an opportunity to further our investment in the continent while bringing unique African stories to our members both in Africa and around the world.” Estimates suggest that subscriber figures for Africa are currently low, but Nollywood is a multi-billion dollar industry, so the potential for Netflix’s growth in Africa as a whole is huge.
The continent of Africa is bursting with festivals and music celebrations preserving our heritage and culture. Throughout the whole continent, colourful and vibrant festivals range through musical, religious, cultural and harvest to name just a few. Some of these festivals are popular and attract crowds from around the world, but all offer a distinctive form of celebration that highlights the wide array of African cultures and customs.
If you plan on journeying to the Motherland this year, Here are festivals from various countries around the continent you shouldn’t miss when you visit this magical place.
Bouake Carnival – Ivory Coast
Each year in March, natives and tourists join together to enjoy music and eat traditional foods during The Bouake Carnival. The celebration, held at St. Michael’s Cathedral, is known as a celebration of life and friendship. Tourists and natives join together to enjoy great music, eat traditional foods, explore the cultural markets and join in the well- known street parties and parades. So if you are looking for a hot spot, or maybe even a little culture shock, you should definitely go and check one of West Africa’s largest Carnivals, Bouake Carnival.
The Festival Of Roses – Morocco
If you plan to be in Morocco in May, then head to theFestival of Roses held in the small town of Kalaat M’Gounna. The city is known for its beautiful landscape of pink Persian roses, which is why locals celebrate the flowers. The three-day celebration filled with food, dancing, and singing attracts more than 20,000 people every year! The streets are then covered with a blanket of roses for shows and concerts of Berber groups. You can of course also shop in the souks or even learn how rose water is made. On the last day of the festival, one of the most beautiful women in town will be elected as the Miss Roses of that particular year.
Nyege Nyege – Uganda
Nyege Nyege stands for peace, love, and abundant joy, for underground music and musicians in Africa, according to event organizers.
The four-day international music festival aims to showcase “The Pearl of Africa” through music and art.
Zanzibar International Film Festival – Tanzania
Established in 1997, the Zanzibar International Film Festival is East Africa’s largest film and arts festival, exhibiting the latest and best films and promoting films, music, art, and design.
In addition to nine straight days of music and film screenings, attendees have the chance to attend discussion panels and workshops.
Cape Town International Jazz Festival– South Africa
Affectionately referred to as “Africa’s Grandest Gathering”, the Cape Town International Jazz Festival is the largest music event in sub-Saharan Africa. The festival is famous for its star-studded line up of local and international artists.
#InspiredByHer: Annie Jean-Baptiste is the Head Of Product Inclusion, Research and Activation at Google. She is passionate about making the web and Google’s products work for underrepresented communities while ensuring that Google is a place where everyone shines for their differences.
Can you please tell us a bit about Yourself, Background, Role and what inspired You to be in tech landscape?
I am a 31 year old first generation Haitian-American. My brother inspired me to apply to Google after he interned there. It’s been my only full time job- I’ve been there for over 9
years!
Product inclusion is about bringing an inclusive lens to the product design process. We are building products for users all over the world, and so we want to ensure we have diverse
perspectives at the table throughout the process, especially at critical points.
You have a huge mandate and responsibilities at Google. Can you walk me through what a typical day looks like for you?
I meet with product teams and help consult on new and existing products and features. I help them understand what underrepresented users they need to bring into the fold at
critical moments in the product design process. I also work with senior leaders to make sure we have buy-in and accountability for product inclusion.
Another big part of my work is research- we are looking at what practices lead to positive and inclusive outcomes in product design, and will be launching a white paper on our findings this
year
Technology is a male-dominated field and Breaking into the tech industry can seem challenging for women of color, who usually don’t see people who look like them in the industry. What steps should be taken to attract more women to tech and rectify the imbalance?
We need perspectives of women of color and many other underrepresented groups to truly build global products. By understanding that diverse teams lead to increased innovation and better products for everyone, we will see more underrepresented people in tech. There are so many rich perspectives that come from women of color and so we are committed to inclusion in culture and product
What is your go-to work look?
I love supporting underrepresented designers. Google doesn’t necessarily have a dress code, so my look varies. I love leather and vegan leather, metallic colors, and fun heels,
but could also be wearing combat boots. Some of my favorite designers: Aminah Abdul Jilil, AndreaIyamah, Cushnie. I make an effort to support underrepresented designers whenever I can!
What professional accomplishment has given you the most satisfaction?
Hearing from users that they feel seen. When a user talks about using a product and knowing they were thought of in the process, it validates the work and pushes me to work
harder!
What does it mean for you to have a commitment to diversity/Inclusion? How have you demonstrated that commitment?
It means treating it like any part of your strategy. Having metrics that matter, accountability frameworks, sponsorship and a clear theory of change or hypothesis around what needs to change or how you can change to see structural shifts that bring equitable outcomes.
What would be your message to women trying to get into technology? What do you wish you had known?
Find your voice and use it, but use it in a way that’s authentic to you. I’m an introvert, so for me, that can mean writing something down, or letting my team know id like an agenda
beforehand so I can collect my thoughts before a meeting. I’d also say to push yourself. My former manager, Karen always told me to lead with yes, and I think even if that was scary,
it’s helped me grow and be able to find my passion.
How important is it for women to lift each other up and what does that mean to you?
There is an amazing group of women inside and outside of Google that have my back, that advise me and lift me up. It means celebrating each other, being honest with each other,
providing opportunities to one another, and truly feeling like when your squad wins, you win. I win. I’m super blessed to have support like that and try to be intentional about reciprocating
and paying it forward!
Your team’s guide ‘building for everyone’ will be released in summer 2020. Tell us more about it?
It’s about best practices and our research. It also gives a behind the scenes look at the Googlers who have powered the work. There are also concrete examples across
industries, from medicine, to fashion, sports and more. If you have a product or a service, or you serve customers, thinking about inclusivity in your process is important so that you solve core user needs.
African Women hold an incredible legacy on their back, a vibrant history of queen, pharaohs, leaders and thinkers that, still today manifest their feminine energy into our current society through those who are bold enough to lift their voices in a patriarchal society, always diminishing their power and make them seek refuge in fear and forced empathy, accepting every form of violence from this system.
Today, we are not only highlighting those great figures that we all know and we all respect but it’s a short path that we’ll draw on the sand with a small piece of wood that will lead to understand many aspect and roles African women played or faced to be who they are today.
Hatshepsut – fifth pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt
Hatshepsut: The pharaoh is a woman
Actually she wasn’t the first woman to reign on men, but she was the most iconic to do so. Hatshepsut came on the throne with knowledge on economy, international diplomacy and for 20 years she managed to enhance Egypt and build wealth over her kingdom. She was a visionary and participated in major technical advanced and discovery, by financing and leading the first expedition to the Land of Punt (Region of Somalia) who was believed to be an ancient kingdom, where the first Egyptians are coming from. As a matter of fact she paved the way for strong, magnificent buildings that many pharaohs claim as theirs, transplanted foreign trees into her royal yard that a generation benefited from.
Original Beauty
When we talk about beauty, African women have a strong resume. From Nefertiti that overshadowed every women in history for her beauty that was registered so many times through time to Makeda: Queen of Sheba that brang another sense to it with her internal beauty (wisdom, compassion, respect, boldness, fearlessness and self-esteem) a strong value in Africa.
The black of their skin was described as gold, their hair were crown, worn to express their creativity and versatility, and they knew many secrets of beauty that they passed down from mother to daughter. African woman are naturally beautiful and smart, praised for their strong curves holding themselves and others on their back. Beauty wasn’t something to seek for when they already knew they were, accepting every aspect of their bodies, African women were their own standard.
Furthermore, some accessories like fragrance, wigs, cowries, and make up were already used in the past in a sense of beauty enhancer. External beauty may seem false and give a wrong impression of someone’s true nature for instance many distinctive signs of beauty were established in different tribes like necklaces and jewelries by Zulu people, stripes on faces by the Maasai in Kenya, and face scarification by Yoruba people in Nigeria.
Abla Pokou TO
FREEDOM, Glorified.
Women held an important power in many chieftaincies and tribes in Africa. Matriarchy was a system that gave African women power positions in politics, social privilege and control. One of the most common tribe that is known for this societal organization is the Akan people. Their society is matrilineal, meaning that all inheritance matters are based on the mother. Female were leaders, they weren’t only this stereotypical etiquette on their reproductive capacity, they allowed greatness on their entire lineage.
Ablah Pokou was an Akan queen that sacrificed her baby to save her kingdom and allowed them to reach another land for safety. Her people were named Baoulé, word coming from (Baouli: The child has died) a homage to her lost child. On top of that she is venerated and represents courage, woman leadership, determination, spreading the message of this legend that survived every ages to inspire more women.
Art was very important in African societies, it described our culture, stories, deities through paintings, sculptures and more. African women were making potteries, baskets, sewing, designing textiles etc.…
Although they were participating in creating art pieces, most of the time the artworks, masks and sculpted figures represented their bodies, their nudity and were even used for rituals, fertility purpose. Women were both creators and subject, and female beauty was portrayed and glorified by both men and women.
Between lust and a cursed heritage
This huge legacy was coveted and African women will never be the same. The colonial era brought violence, gender discrimination, women were losing their power in African societies becoming only objects. African women are now highly disrespected, the one that were painted as goddess are now playing not a second but third role. Marriage was important but now that’s the only title that they can pretend to in this new one hundred percent patriarchal society.The black of their skin was described as dirty, ugly and their hair were cut, burned, hidden to make them believe something they were not. Broken families, burned traditions, lost empathy, bashed blood, bleached skin, hair cut, tragedy.
Saartje Baartman was one of the many victims, this curvy african woman was sexualized, abused, raped, and lived a depressed life before dying sadly at a young age. This marked not the start but years of humiliation over african women that started losing their yesteryear strong aspect. However, they were still perceived as strong but in a negative way. For this reason, they are not allowed to cry, to be vulnerable, they have to compromise no matter what happen to their dignity and self-worth.
After centuries of oppression, trying to step back, the world was always an enemy to their fulfillment like a curse, casted by history that generations will face until they find a counter spell.
We should all be Feminist!
Nowadays, we see another era of women claiming for equity and equality. They are tired of male supremacy and male privilege, the “a woman is supposed to stay at home” narrative is for the past, education for young African girls, redefine our culture and the aspect that doesn’t allow them to evolve, tell women to not accept everything formed against them in this world. LETS ALL BE FEMINIST.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche, a Nigerian writer is now a feminist icon in Africa and beyond. She wants equality, she wants dignity and respect for every women in this world. After sending powerful messages in her TED talk, she exhorts women and men to join this fight for generations to uncast the curse. She is a great example of leadership, greatness, elegance and intelligence, that’s an African Women.
Now we have Ellen Johnson Sirleaf the first woman elected president in Africa in 2005, who maintained Liberia and imposed herself in this so called man dominated field, that’s an African Woman, which created controversy because of her gender.
She was certainly guided by Hatshepsut’s spirit her great ancestor aura who proved years ago, she was more than her gender, don’t limit myself when I can run this world too. Black women will always find a way to reach their final form, our first mothers coming from the so called motherland, breaking codes as they will set their reign to another era allowing a future generation of African women to first breathe in this world without holding one nostril.
