Philly's Own: MPRYNT

www.mprynt.com

Remember when Motown Philly was back again? Or when you were asking people “where da party at?”  Or even when someone was saying “baby won’t you just stay for a little while”; or telling you how cupid doesn’t lie?  I definitely remember listening to all the popular boy bands while growing up.  A few weeks ago, I attended the Marsha Ambrosius:  Friends and Lover tour at the TLA and one of the opening acts were a male group called MPrynt. The group consists of 4 very talented young men from Philadelphia who have not only style but talent, swag, and some amazing voices.

Social Media Diaries

There has been access to Social Media for many years; however, I believe that now we are in a time where people have begun to overload on sharing via social media. When did sharing every little detail of our day and for some, even the personal moments (emoji shocked face) become the norm? What has happened to using discretion?

Does Racism Still Exist?

I remember it like it was yesterday. It was my sophomore year at Temple University. When my English professor asked the question, "does racism still exist?" Earlier that week for an assignment, I discussed how Geno's (a well-known cheesesteak place in Philly) had posted in their window, 'if you can't speak English, don't order from us'. It made the local news too. This happened at a time when Hispanics were starting to open businesses in the Italian Market area also known as 9th Street in South Philly. In this same area my family and I visited a restaurant to have dinner and were completely ignored. The staff acted as if we were invisible and refused to acknowledge us or seat us. So my classmates already knew my answer to that question and I was curious to hear their responses. As my professor waited for someone to answer, there was an awkward silence. I'm not sure if nobody wanted to answer because the topic may get heated. Or no one chose to speak up because the answer was simply 'yes’. Racism does exist and it's still alive and well.

BIG MONEY in Small Business: Taking Your Business to the Next Level

Looking to make some extra cash, or increase profits in your business? According to the Forbes article “16 Surprising Facts About Small Businesses” 25% of all small businesses grossed between $10k and $25k in revenue in 2011. It would be difficult to find somewhere in the US where you could live off of that as your sole income, but as a supplement to a primary income you could be living it up! No wonder so many people are making the decision to take control of their financial situations and create their own opportunities for building wealth. Last week, I mentioned that there were 23 million small businesses in the United States in 2010. I’ve learned that number has grown significantly, spiking to 28 million in 2013. This then raises the question of who is figured into this number. SBA (Small Business Association) defines a small business to simply be any organization with 500 or fewer employees. Keep in mind that small businesses not registered with the government are not reflected in the figures above. If we were to take this into consideration, I wouldn’t be surprised if that number doubled! Of the 28 million, 22 million of these businesses are made up of self-employed individuals, with no additional payroll, and over half of the 22 million are set up at home.

One Piece or Two Piece? Which one are you ready for??

  Left: Kenya Bikini Set- Josephine Swim Mid-Left: "Sao Paulo" High-Waist Bikini Set-Neon Yellow-Monif C. Mid-Right: GabiFresh Nala Midkini- Swimsuits for All Right: Andrea Bikini Set-Neon Orange- RUE107

Summer is creeping up and its right around the corner. The weather is warming up and trips are being planned. So what does that mean BATHING SUITS! So I ask again are you going for the one-piece or the two piece??

Bathing suits are the most dreaded pieces of attire for some to purchase. Especially for those who aren't of a slim model build. Those that have a little extra hips and curves. Before we would be forced to wear granny like bathing suits that look like dresses. Blah! But that's a thing of the past! Fear no more! Bathing suits have become so extremely trendy for the plus size! Last year we were introduced to the fatkini/midkini and it was an extreme hit! And this season its in full throttle, plenty of designers have jumped on the bandwagon with the midkini bathing suits.

A STIcky Situation

  http://www.sjffcc.org/about-foothill.html

STIs (Sexually Transmitted Infections), formally known as STDs, are plagues in our communities. These infections, at times, are untreated and unspoken of because people are sexually unprotected and uneducated. The truth of the situation is these infections have STIgmas without symptoms which allow the perfect opportunity for it to grow and spread to others, unknowingly.
​
We easily tell the next person they are sick with a cold or have allergies. We also make doctor’s appointments for pap smears, immunizations, and sick visits. People wash their hands and use hand sanitizer to protect against germs all the time, in some cases, excessively. The same attitude we have with these examples has to be deposited into our communities in order to break the epidemic of STIs. We should program our thoughts about these infections as being real and preventable, and not just another STIcky Situation that can’t be resolved.

Impressive, Eclectic, and Soulful Sound: Ms. Elli Ingram

lacanvas.com

A few months ago I was browsing YouTube and went to type in "Poetic Justice". I had intentions on listening to Kendrick Lamar’s version but instead I came across one by Elli Ingram and decided to give it a listen. After a minute into the song, I was blown away by her impressive vocals, sweet soulful sound and depth, as well as creativity. Her voice and style instantly gave me Amy Winehouse mixed with Adele. Following my first listen, I kept the song on repeat for the remainder of the hour and was interested in listening to more music from this talented upcoming artist…

Violence in Philly

 
GunCrisis.org/ Joseph Kaczmarek

The violence in Philly is getting out of hand. There has been a rise in violence with the youth in our communities; they are being hurt or the ones doing the hurting. The youth are also attacking people in large groups, known as flash mobs. Last month a mob of teen girls between the ages of 14 and 17 were charged with attacking Temple University students; one of the victims was hit in the face with a brick.

A lot of times the killings or attacks we hear about or see on TV don’t really affect us until it hits home. Unfortunately, I am one of those many people who had to bury family members and friends way before their time. I can’t even imagine the pain of a person who has lost countless people they love, due to violence in our communities. But all too often, we choose to get over it and move on. I hear people say, they want to move away. I am guilty of it too. One time I wanted to leave my house and everything in it. That was during a time where violence in my neighborhood was out of hand; it felt like every other day someone was getting killed.

Sense for ¢ents: Setting Realistic Income Goals

In 2012, the Bureau of Business & Economic Research reported that the average American grossed $42,639 a year. Furthermore, the average starting salary for 2013 college graduates is $45,327 (a 2.4% increase from that of the previous year). As a graduate of the class of 2010, the figures are less in our favor, with an average annual income of only $39,791. Yet, there are few who are fortunate enough to say that their income meets or exceeds that amount.

In addition to incomes, some of us may find difficulty in assessing where we should be financially at certain stages of our lives. Societal standards and projections through media flood our Instagram and Twitter timelines constantly. Often, this influences many to feel the need to create comparisons between their personal situations and the situations of others. Due to these standards and projections, we compose a mental timeline which tells us when we should have accomplished certain goals.

Where The Ladies At?

You often hear people saying that they are proud to be 80’s babies ; however, I absolutely loved growing up in the 90’s for many different reasons. Television shows, the games, and fashion trends to name a few; but my favorite was THE MUSIC. The 1990’s era of music is one that I enjoyed listening to the most. Hip Hop and R&B dominated music’s culture at that time with so many different artists, groups, styles, and diversity. Furthermore, it was a time where female artists were heavily in existence and on the music scene.

Wealth

 

Why is it that we as African Americans struggle to understand the importance of building long term wealth? The first thing that comes to mind is our spending habits. A study conducted by NewMediaMetrics revealed that “African Americans have stronger emotional ties than whites to specific Japanese and German luxury cars, Google, the iPhone, Nike sports apparel and Microsoft.” There are a lot of theories as to why we tend to gravitate toward these more expensive brands. Most of which are based on African Americans having some sort of inferiority complex, but that’s a different topic for a different article. Primarily, the issue stems from our inability to grasp some key concepts. Not only do we struggle to understand the importance but many of us don’t even know where to start if we wanted to work to attain wealth. Many of us have adopted a mindset that more so focuses on the here and the now, rather than tomorrow.

The D Word

There are so many tips, fad diets and false information to lose weight. It makes it almost impossible to receive the right information through all of the junk that’s out there. I am here to tell you the one word to lose weight…. Dedication!

You need to be dedicated to lose your desired weight. The truth is that it’s the hardest but most essential obstacle to reach your goal weight. I have fell victim to the D-word as well. Losing weight is the same as any other goal you would like to accomplish such as learning to drive, achieving a degree, learning a trade, building a business, etc. You have to deposit losing/maintaining weight into your everyday life.

Prints, Prints and More Prints

 

[caption id="attachment_312" align="alignright" width="205"] Solange in tribal print by Just Cavali at a HBO premiere for the show GIRLS[/caption]

New trends I'm excited for are PRINTS PRINTS and more PRINTS. Prints were slowly incorporated in fashion last year but now they are IN and in full-force. They are boldly being mixed, combining stripes and floral prints. We saw prints a lot in bathing suits last year and with color blocking. However, now there are pieces with bold prints in every line. Fashionistas such as Solange Knowles is known for wearing bright colors and vibrant prints.

Choose Your Words Wisely

When the use of the words Kings and Queens first came on the scene, it was certainly something new that we weren‘t use too. At first I thought it was something a smooth guy came up with so he could get the girls.lol But this new trend has and is becoming a major movement. Have you found yourself using these words in your daily vocabulary or are you still a skeptic and refuse to say them because it doesn’t sound cool?