Love Waves.

Love Waves is the title of London based singer, Jordan James' most recent release. His music is as smooth as his title and caresses the ears as how an alliteration would caress the tongue.

The EP embodies a sound not channeled by many in the UK. A rhythmic alternative R&B sound, inspired by Prince, Frank Ocean and Pharell to name a few.

Having been a producer for several years Mr Jordan James aimed to create a sound that is both unique to himself and diverse. I feel as though he has achieved this and established himself with quite a distinct sound.

Love Waves was influenced by a lot of R&B, including fragments of Justin Timberlake's 'Justified' album. He says "I liked the way his vocals were sung over gritty instrumentals. I wanted to bring that element into my music". It just goes to show. This EP seems to be the perfect balance between earthy and smooth. That beautiful homicide I spoke about before. It's like a soft friction between the sound waves and your ears.

My favourite track on this EP has to be 'Cruisin'. Whenever I listen to it my shoulders are inclined to sway in synchrony with the consistent bopping of my head and the feel good beat. My mind creates a visualization of several suave men in monochrome long lined suits topped off with bow tie's, two stepping to the attractive beat. Literally cruising through the dance floor.

The overall concept for Love Waves is based on the singer's history with women. From 'Cruisin' to 'Regina's Interlude' we are told a story. The initial breezy, easy going stage of love (Cruisin') to the complications that can come with unrequited love/uncertainty (Loving In Sin/Fill Me In) and lastly the journey that mutual feelings can take you on (Regina's Interlude).

You can follow Jordan James on Twitter @ImJordanJames to keep up to date with his music etc.
Tweet me your thoughts! @CharisseeC

October '13 Wishlist

Autumn and Winter are my favourite seasons in terms of fashion and the festive connotations of the seasons. The cool weather allows me to experiment more with layering and textures, of which I wouldn't necessarily be able to do in Summer.

I've put together a wishlist of a few items that I've been eyeing this month.

Lastly, can you believe that there are only two months left until 2013 is officially over?!

Bomber Jacket - E Bay

I've wanted a plain, slightly oversized Bomber Jacket for quite a while now and I came across some on my local market for £25. I think that's a pretty good price. There are also so many of them on E-Bay, ranging from £15-£30. However, I'm unsure of their quality and so I've decided to steer away from them. I really like the way the look on and I would style them with high-waisted jeans, cropped jumpers, plaid shirts, distressed denim and chunky boots.

Cropped Turtle Neck - New Look // Long Sleeved Turtle Neck - New Look

Turtle Necks are great for keeping warm without compromising style. They also have a reminiscent feel that leans towards the 90's era (again with the 90's). I would pair these with denim of any sort (high-waisted, washed out, distressed, mom jeans or a denim midi skirt), chunky boots, doc martens, boyfriend coats. The list is endless, they are such a versatile and timeless piece.

Black Jeans - Topshop // Mom Jeans - Topshop

Black skinny jeans are a wardrobe essential for me, not only during the winter months but all year round. Having said this, I've never found the perfect pair. I'm quite tall (5'8) and so Jeans/trousers are usually too short for me and/or they don't fit properly around my derrière. This one of the most annoying problems I have with shopping for jeans. To solve my dilemma, I've decided to make an investment and try out these Topshop Leigh Jeans. 

Secondly, My wardrobe yearns for a pair of mom jeans and if you read my blog you'll probably be able to guess why.

Velvet Military Boots - H&M // Platform Boots - H&M 

Boots are a Winter staple. As the temperatures drop, they will become an essential. H&M have a great selection of boots this year and these are two of my favourites. This velvet pair, purely for the fact that they are velvet and the second pair, of which are a dupe of the Vagabond Dioon Boots.

Sunday Morning (Cover) - Shama Joseph

Music has become a serious love of mine. I remember when I was younger, I knew almost every Top 40 chart song before most people did and I thought that was it. I thought I knew there was to know about music. (Psshhhhh).

Looking back, I knew nothing. All I knew of was what was popular and what my peers deemed as good music. I didn't understand the art, the passion or the concept of diversity. I thought most of the music my parents listened to was old and had nothing over the mainstream acts of my time.

Although this is true, I was Joe, R.Kelly, TLC, Ashanti & Ja Rule and a few other's biggest fan in my younger days. I still am.

Me and my Dad often used to have debates on how music was better in his time. He would tell me about how most of the music I hear now, stems from music he grew up listening to. That it was nothing new. Me being my stubborn self, I couldn't receive it.

Nowadays I find my self sifting through old mixtapes and albums by artists I always heard my elders talk about. The music I used to groan at every time my Dad would switch off the radio to play his CD's. The likes of Barrington Levi and Oliver Mtukudzi (if you know, you know). 

My music taste has matured and it inspires me, broadens my mind and more than anything else, I enjoy listening. This is due to the wide range of genres I am now able to appreciate.

A friend of mine, Shama, recently uploaded some of her music on to Sound Cloud and she inspired me to write this post. Why? Because it is a perfect example of what music is. Art. 

Intricately simple, imperfectly perfect and impersonally personal.

I am literally in love with her cover of 'Sunday Morning'. Her tone is pure and delicate, yet passionate.
 In terms of listening experience, this cover left more of an imprint on me than the original by Maroon 5. I say this because, I felt it a lot more, the lyrics sunk in and embedded themselves within me.

Have a listen and let me know or even, let her know (@Shamshake) what you thought, based on a love for music. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did.

Joey Bada$$.

4:04 am. Summer (K)nights.

If you follow me on Twitter, you've probably seen me chirp a lot about Joey Bada$$, and a lot of his music. That's because he is currently my favorite rapper. He has compelling style and a distinctive tone that I struggle to get enough of.

As well as his music, I love Joey's nonchalant style and the way in which he carries himself. The bucket hats, loosely fitted attire, vintage sportswear and the uncombed Afro (with a comb in it). His walk and his persona. He IS effortlessly cool.

On to the music.

Although '1999' is my favorite body of work from him with 'Waves' and 'Snakes' (feat. T'nah). That wasn't where I began taking in the sound waves of the lyrical talent with the dope beats. 

The first I heard of Joey Bad, was his most recent release 'Summer Knights'. My favorite tracks on that being 'Death of YOLO', '95 Til Infinity' and 'Long Live Steelo'.
I enjoyed the versatility presented in 'Summer Knights' and Joey's growth lyrically and as an individual is evident in this mixtape.

If I was to dissect the components of his music and start off with the beats. Reminiscent and instinctively bop in correspondence beats. There isn't one that I cannot revel in and completely vibe to.

Secondly, the lyrics. When it comes to rap, I prefer lyricism. I'd be lying if I said I don't appreciate the songs created for the sole purpose of heightening your excitement & raising your blood pressure each and every time they get 'turnt up'.

However, I prefer lyricism and Joey Bada$$ executes that bracket perfectly. He is a definite spritz of Febreze for the current gold chains and designer things Hip Hop phase. Not to say he's the only one, Kendrick Lamar's 'Control' verse for example, served the same purpose.

"I know nigga's be trash rappin'. Worried 'bout the trending fashions rather than acending passion". - Joey Bada$$ (Waves).

I am intrigued by his world play and his outlook on life. Additionally, I am excited by the way in which his flow compliments each and every beat that he rhymes over.

I know I seem to always speak of the 90's, at times I have to remind myself that "it's not by force". Regardless, I believe Joey Bada$$ has mastered the feel/style of East Coast Hip Hop back in the  1990's, in his music. Hence I classed his beats as reminiscent. For a relatively young individual he seems to have captured the era, as though his idols reserved it in a time capsule ready for his arrival. A well-established arrival, that is.

Twitter. Instagram. Tumblr.

Perspective.

Experiments.

Perspective: the state of one's ideas, the facts known to one.

I'm back with more food for thought and it's the idea of perspective. Which is basically the way in which you see and understand things as an individual. We're all individuals and so we all have different and also similar perspectives on different things. So in a way there are no solid facts or right and wrong, in a sense that everything we know and understand was developed by our own or someone else's perspective.

Let me explain using an allegory I once heard from wise man.

I just chuckled. "A wise man".
Well he is wise and he is a male, so yeah. A wise man said...

If a boy grew up being told that the colour Yellow was called Blue. He grows up knowing and believing this, until he's is challenged by someone. This person tells him that he is wrong and that colour he calls Blue is in fact Yellow. 

Would you say the boy is wrong?

Of course. It's not Blue it's Yellow. However, he's technically not incorrect. 

We all believe that it's the colour Yellow because that's what we've been told. That's our perspective, just the same as he who believes it's Blue. So why is he wrong and we're right, when we're all (including him) basing our knowledge on what we've been told. 

It's difficult to challenge someone on what they have grown up understanding, because that is what has been embedded in them. It even trickles down to trivial things like whether bread should be kept in the fridge or not, whether to eat rice with a spoon or a fork (FORK), how to season your chicken. It's all about perspective.

E v e r y t h i n g we know, we have been taught or we have observed from others and accepted it as the norm. If a a child grows up around a family who pee in the toaster, they will strongly believe that peeing in the toaster is acceptable. How do you argue that? 

This is why our environment/surroundings play a huge part in shaping who we are. It's from what we see that we develop our own perspective on things. Which determines how we react to certain situations and to a certain extent the things that we like and don't like.

Linking back to a previous post of mine titled "Thoughts, Motives and Intentions". In this post I spoke about how your thought processes, determine the way you behave. Your thought processes are influenced by everything and everyone around you. The way you think (your perspective) and then as a result behave, is controlled/determined by your peers, family and friends and the media.

Ahhh the media. That's a whole other topic...

New In: Chunky Loafers

Haiii Guise. 

I've been slightly MIA recently. I know. Apologies. 

However, I'm back.

I recently picked up these segzy loafers from New Look (one of my favourite places for shoes). I adore their chunky sole and that they aren't your conventional pair of loafers.
I'll be styling these with thick socks and loads of layers for the up and coming winter. 

My decision to purchase them was also driven by the fact that they are very 'me', but are still smart enough for sixth form.

The dress code for my sixth form is smart-casual (more on the smart side). I'm not an overly formal dresser and so I've been trying to find clothing items that comply with the sixth form dress code but don't compromise my style. These shoes included, I think I've been successful.

During this smart-shopping period I've moved out a lot of clothes that I either don't like or don't fit, from my wardrobe in a bid to start afresh. I'm trying to steer away from random impulse buys and instead shop for garments I can imagine myself wearing and that are compatible with my wardrobe.

I'm trying to imagine my wardrobe as a gallery of pieces that all relate and present a reflection of myself.

Thoughts, Motives and Intentions.

This picture isn't necessarily relevant to the post, but I thought I'd give you something to look at. This was a result of me playing around with my camera.
I guess you could say it's thought provoking. Yes? No? 

Thoughts, motives and intentions. These three words have been playing a game of volleyball in my mind recently. They are the basis of who we are and everything we do. The root of all our actions.

Supposedly, "actions speak louder than words". I have to disagree with this statement. Actions aren't everything. What you hope to achieve from your actions is the part that needs focus. Your intentions. That's what tells you who you are.

If I give you an example. Someone who regularly gives gifts to others on birthdays and other special occasions. On the surface this person appears to be generous, giving and kind hearted. That's what their actions tell you.

However, their thoughts could prove the opposite. What isn't obvious to the eye is maybe this person gives to create a name for themselves or solely for the purpose of giving their recipients an obligation to return the favour. These are the characteristics of a selfish person, brought to light by their intentions. So in this case, the person's actions would've have deceived all those who judge by actions alone.

All actions begin in the mind, before they are performed by the body. You have to think about doing something first before you do it. Your incentives being the thoughts that trigger your actions, they then must be more substantial than the actions themselves.

Due to this realisation, I try not to judge other people's actions before I understand, first and foremost why they behave they way do.

Another example would be someone who attends Church every Sunday and is seen running around doing God's work and contributing towards the church (not just financially). On the surface this person is a good Christian. However, underneath the white cloth, they only attend Church for social status or to be envied. So everyone will know them as that individual that did ABC. In addition they don't do any of this in places where nobody's looking.

Then take another person who doesn't attend Church services but believes. They would go out of their way for anyone expecting nothing in return and worship regularly behind closed doors. Who is the better person?

Actions would say the first because they are physically seen behaving in a certain way, where as intentions would say the second because they are genuinely kind hearted.

My point is that you can behave a certain way but for a reason that doesn't correlate with your actions. To me this makes your actions void, they're meaningless. I'd rather you (not directly) did something for me because you genuinely wanted to, rather than because you expect something back. In that case don't bother. It's waste of time. Anyone agree?

When you really think about it we don't really KNOW anyone. We believe we do from what they've told us or from observation, but what if their mind is saying something else? Now this I threw in there to aggravate your brain cells a little. Just a little.

In a nutshell, "it's the thought that counts".

Disclaimer: I'm not advocating this "Trust no one" lifestyle that many seem to have chosen. It's just food for thought. Use it to evaluate your own character, check your thoughts, motives and intentions.