I was building with Jabriel Nassir Allah a few years back when he first brought the Wanderingeyes Blog into existence. He discussed having a type of feminine beauty page that highlighted women from a revolutionary perspective. Sort of like the Jet Beauty of the Week. He brought it into fruition, but once up, he received some blow-back from the ladies for quasi-propagating women.
With the #MeToo Movement in full-steam, it kind of further polarized the women’s sentiments, and Jabriel cut back making them ‘more tasteful’. I understood the position the ladies took, and I had a convo with him a few weeks ago. I asked him could I try something for 30 days and see how it goes. He was like bet. So, I decided to gone ahead and do this, and here it is.
For some reason, Hip Hop culture, specifically its imagery, has been taken over by the industry, which has stratified and shaped it into something that it’s not. By this I mean, we used to go to the shows and events with our neighborhood homegirl-the local...and now she’s feeling a bit bad about her ‘body image’ because she’s made to feel that she should try to look like Beyonce, but Beyonce doesn’t live next door...
…Not to me at least…neither does Cardi B, or Nikki Minaj…not to mention, these women look less like they ‘used’ to when they got in the game. Just saying…
Thus, we’ve allowed the industry tell us what beauty is, what true beauty is, is in no way their image. To me, in all honesty, beauty is stretch marks, one breast slightly bigger than the other, a little muffin top-but she still pulls it off in that outfit. To go further, beauty is a mother, sister, daughter, lover, or stranger in passing at the store, gas station, or workout environment that is doing an everyday activity, and killing it!
Pulling it off with grace and beauty. Be it she’s doing the classic domestic thing (cleaning, taking care of the kids, cooking, working in the garden), or something that’s deemed unconventional (going out to kick it, having a tea/coffee while surfing the net, handling her daily business, or working in the male dominated workplace). These women are the ones that are doing it with grace and beauty.
I’m tired of seeing synthetic everything as the norm. I’m not against plastic surgery or anything of the sort. I just prefer an all-natural woman. I think this is true beauty. All-natural in a sense of mentality over physicality. Plastic surgery is needed for those afflicted with amputations and ailments that disfigure our original physical forms.
However, the Kardashian ass isn’t the business. It’s not real y’all. Hip Hop Culture is all realness, so I thought at least…and I want to be clear that I do not enjoy looking at synthetic breasts and butts, no matter how big. Give me a real B-Girl, or as LL Emceed & [email protected] put it, ‘an around the way girl’.
Women have always been an intricate part of Hip Hop culture. Historically, they have been participants and observers of all the elements of Hip Hop Culture, along with being dedicated fans and defenders of it. Lady Pink the writer, was doing it with Fab 5 Freddy & Lee in Wildstyle. Sha-Rock was doing it in Wildstyle, Beat Street with the Us-Girls & on Enjoy Records with Funky 4 + 1.
Without Kool Herc’s sister, Cindy Campbell, wouldn’t have been no Jam at Sedgwick to birth Hip Hop. The Jam was for her birthday. The Dynamic Rockers had the Dynamic Dolls, an all B-Girl crew. The New York City Breakers had Ana ‘Rokafella’ Garica, & Kool Lady Blue managed the Rock Steady Crew. DJ Jazzy Joyce was rockin’ the tables with Sweet Tee in the late 70’s early 80’s, which is way before Salt ‘N’ Pepa hit the streets.
I could go on and on, but the essential point is, the industry has coerced Men in Hip Hop Culture to aspire to embrace synthetic beauty, to hire sexy synthetic actors for their videos, and as a result, men have neglected to see the true inner and outer beauty of the real ladies around them that hold it down 24/7.
The main chick, the one that knew you, and held you down when you didn’t have shit. Ya homey! The one that supported your aspirations without hesitation. On behalf of myself and my team, I am making this page as a homage to y’all, the everyday, around the way lady that does it with grace and beauty!
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The Return of the B-Girl post is weekend re-occurring column. If you’d like to be highlighted in the Return of B-Girl post, add yourself to the Wanderingeyes Blog group on Facebook, and post your interest using #RBG. If you’re a bit shy, then you can email me directly at [email protected]. I only want to use pictures from your social networks or that are uploaded and public images. I am saying this nicely, please do not send me pictures to my email, I will not post those, just link your social network to the email. Tastefully clothed pictures only. Refer to Today, On Vinyl posts to see examples of what I deem as ‘tasteful’. Preciate y’all.
Peace!
Peace!