VENUS Vibes
Sounds of a sensory shopping experience...
Sunday was an intimate vibe decorated with a beautiful array of black queens. Guests got an exclusive sneak peek at the full range of VENUS skincare, intimate wellness, and hygiene products prior to today’s official Cyber Monday launch in addition to wine, aromatherapy, and massage & aesthetics services.
A very special thanks to @vavavoom for trusting me with the sounds for the evening. I catered to women of all ages with this playlist. The approach - “thrift shopping”. You will find a touch of nostalgia, songs you forgot about, songs you may have never heard before, as well as some signature #DreaVibes 💖🎶
My Kinda Kickback
People that get me. People with open minds and ears. People I consider friends and creative partners. #MyKindaKickback
In lieu of the re-launch I brought a few special people together. People that get me. People with open minds and ears. People I consider friends and creative partners . I created this safe space for me to personally open up about why I started #DreaVibes 💖🎶, talk about what music means to me, and have others do the same. The vibes and energy we created together opened up the flood gates of expression and conversation around so many hot topics in music culture today. The biggest takeaway from My Kinda Kickback was that everyone wants to feel safe revealing and relating their passions and experiences with others. If you put enough people in the right room that momentum can tear down creative barriers and inspire new ideas and perspectives.
Check out the snippets on Instagram! Full video coming soon to IGTV 🎥
Drea's Take: Atlanta FX
Insights behind the music and my predictions on what we may hear from Season 2..
Without a doubt, Atlanta is one of THE best shows of my generation and has rightfully racked up countless nominations and wins.
I LOVE how it journeys each character through relevant and relatable experiences, its full of black culture all while embodying the multicultural landscape of present day Atlanta, it's infused with unique, satirical, and witty ass humor, and it makes ME feel like i'm in the middle of the moment, each and every scene. There are several aspects that go into creating that type of sensory experience in TV, but music is by far one of Atlanta’s most arousing features.
Like Issa Rae’s Insecure, the music of Atlanta is as anticipated as the show itself. I hope my insights and commentary encourage you to consider the small and organically intentional details even more than before because you never know how you might relate to them. Beyond music, the nuances from this show can shift the culture, inspire creativity, or carry on as life long lessons but hey, Im just Drea Jackson, and thats just my take.
MY 2018 Watchlist
New faves..
I remember running into Bryson Tiller's "Don't" on Soundcloud shortly after it was uploaded and only had a few thousand plays back in late 2014. I let it play and as soon as the beat dropped my "this bouta be a hit" meter went off. I loved how low and sensual it sounded because at the time there was nothing like it on MY radar. Fast forward to May 2015, he releases it as his first single and y'all know how the story went from there. Here is a list of artists, in no particular order, who are entering 2018 with a lot of momentum and potential to breakthrough as a household name in my opinion. Accompanying playlist below!
Jorja Smith
She has been buzzing in the UK but her feature on Drake's "Get it Together" is when I started paying attention. I'm still getting into her music but I noticed she has several gems. I feel like she's could end up like SZA with hella buzz-worthy deep cuts leading up to her breakthrough project.
Brent Faiyaz
I'm slick a Brent Faiyaz hypebeast because I love Sonder. I knew he was different but after listening to an interview he had on Soulection Radio, he was stamped in my book. He may not have Daniel Caesar vocals yet but he isn't afraid to be vulnerable. I found a mashup of his song "Talk 2 U" and Usher's "You Make Me Wanna" on Soundcloud and it's close to seamless. I miss that old RnB vibe.
Billie Eilish
I found her on Vevo's DSCVR and fell or her pop-punk sound. For a 15yo her demeanor is bold and rebellious af. She definitely has a lot of buzz around her already but I'm rooting for her to do some multi-cultural collabs in 2018.
Masego
Navajo was a fave off the first listen so I started following him immediately. He writes, sings, and produces and TBH he is an extremely strong musician with heavy Jazz influence. I witnessed him live when he opened up for Goldlink and he produced a song live on stage with his Sax and keyboard. I will forever remember that experience because I could tell he used all the energy in the room to curate the sound. Very raw process right before my eyes and ears.
Smino
BLKSWN was the first song I heard from him over a year ago and ironically for a whole year thats the only song I would listen to of his. I saw him perform live recently and got to vibe with him a little... come to find out he's super humble and soulful. Initially I figured he was a "typical" "Black hippy" Soundcloud rapper but my encounter with him shook that. "Black Irish Roses" is a go-to off his latest project.
Ravyn Lenae
Red Bull Sound Select's "30 Days in Chicago" exposed so many underrated artists on that scene. I took note of Ravyn early spring but I think she has finally gotten the exposure she needs to cross over. "Free Room" was the song that introduced me to her talent.
Brockhampton
I became a fan immediately after I heard "Gummy", then I saw the video for it and now I'm a hypebest lol. There is so much creativity throughout all of their music and visuals. I can't even explain it right now because I need to spend more time with it myself but do not sleep on this new age boy band. For the sake of comparison I will throw OFWGKTA out there. Still very different but you get the point. They also dropped 3 albums this year alone, announced the 4th for 2018, and released a 22min trailer for their movie so yea.
Childish Major
Homie been in the game and has mad producer creds including J. Cole, Future, and Rick Ross. However, he recently released his solo debut album "WOO$AH" with features from 6lack, SZA, Isaiah Rashad and more. These are all artists who have had breakthroughs this year so I project that energy to carry over into 2018 for him on the solo artist side. "Supply Luh" is my favorite of his thus far.
Ashe
All her songs sound like they could hit mainstream any day now. I am particularly fond of her beach boy/girl sound and demeanor. Check out "Girl Who Cried Wolf".
Kyle Dion
This one may be a little premature but his song Baby Esther is definitely a gem, gives me Prince feels.
J.I.D.
Humble rappers are my favorite. "Never" is the reason why he is on this list. He is also signed to Dreamville and I have automatic respect for any of J. Cole's artists so I'm excited for what's to come of him.
Sabrina Claudio
She had me at "Too Much Too Late". She is just as talented and beautiful as all the other women I have on my list but I have't found anything extremely unique about her. I can just tell she is gaining noteriety fast and I will not be surprised when I see her name pop up more frequently in 2018.
Buddy
I found Buddy on Insecure which led me to a few other gems of his. I haven't quite tapped into why I like him so much I just know he has something to offer and the buzz is coming.
Ella Mai
Her song "Naked" is the reason why she is on this list for me because the lyrics hit deeeeeepppp. She also has a banger with Ty Dolla but beyond that I admire how natural she looks and sounds. I sense a lot more coming from her very soon.
Snoh Aalegra
Something about her is intriguing to me. Her beauty and voice are dramatically unique and it is working for her. I've read comparisons of Amy Winehouse and, while I won't harp on that, I will say she is sitting in a similar lane with no one else making music that sounds like hers. She toured with Daniel Caesar this year and Drake sampled her song "Time" for "Do Not Disturb".