(1) My car is muerto, kaput, donzo and useless. Did I mention I live in THE suburbs? Yeah.
(2) My job might have assisted in my involuntary eating disorder.
(3) Editors don’t crave my words lately.
(4) My life might have assisted in an involuntary drinking problem. I’m just basing this off the frat house-esque fridge in my apartment that now consists of frozen veggies, leftover pizza, two bottles of wine and Johnny Walker Black Label. Bon appétit.
(5) See, there’s this guy and stuff. Oh, must I even touch on a subject of irrelevance? No.
(6) The failed attempts at steering into a fair life have all occurred within the past three months. Perhaps a personal misconception, but S.O.S.

(7) I am currently not benefiting spiritually or financially. I have neither the joy of doing what I love in a foreign language or the thrill of donning a new Birkin bag. I am long overdue.

(8) Being rationally cute while being irrationally bipolar makes life colorful. It’s hard to balance the two at times.
(9) The Devil loves to pick on people who have well-meaning goals, such as yours truly.
(10) I feel how Kelis felt that one time (see below).

Click here to view the embedded video.

Now that I have officially proven to myself that I clearly view the glass half empty, I am taking “such great heights” to prove that I still have somewhat of a drive and rad factor left in my 24.8 year old body. Granted, no one has died or been diagnosed with anything other than the multifaceted, acute and creative depression that Edgar Allen Poe possessed (see first column). Yet, I still feel exhausted and slightly defeated. I can always count on one infallible defect of mine to move me to accomplish the goals I set before myself: perfectionism. My potent pop of zeal to attain my goals in life tends to serve as the life boat to my sunken ship, the salt to my bland chili and the Spanx to my Hervé Léger dress. Although, I am bummed about the aforementioned battles, I know I will eventually win the war. As a matter of fact, now that I review the ten “blows” to my self-esteem, savings account and mental faculties, they all seem just pretty insignificant and a bit comical. In five years or even five hours, will any of this even matter? xo.

my sector 9 is my baby.

The MMC founders, Joe and Gavin Maloof are again hosting this year’s competition in Queens, New York at the Maloof Skate Park Saturday, June 4th and Sunday, June 5th, 2011. The grand prize winner from the pro competition takes home $300,000 and lands a spot in the finals at the MMC South (September 30th-October 2nd, 2011). The winner for the amateur competition receives $1,000, a one year supply of vitaminwater and a trip to MMC South Africa. I need to brush up on my boarding skills for next year’s competition.

In honor of the power of repetition, check out the MauvaisLangue.com MMC lowdown below:

Who to especially check out: Adam Dyet, Ryan Decenzo, Theotis Beasley, Greg Lutzka, Eli Reed, Brandon Westgate, Andrew Reynolds, Rodrigo Teixeira, Tony Trujillo and Alex Olson. There are many more that are insanely gifted, but are not on the roster, such as the freshly- crowned-pro, Ron Deily, who is recovering from an injury.
Booths ML.com particularly looks forward to checking out: Skullcandy, Vans, Neff and Girls Riders Organization (GRO).
Why you should attend: Skateboarding competitions are intense when viewing them on-air, but are even more amazing when you’re basking in the sun with fellow skateboarders and enthusiasts.

Tickets are still on sale, but will sell out! Don’t fret if you live outside of the NYC tri-state area, the competition will air on FUEL TV. Get ticket and TV broadcasting info at www.maloofmoneycup.com. ◊

UK’s gift to the music world, DJ and producer, Paul Oakenfold, has dazzled the audiences of many venues and music festivals worldwide. I was a glitter speckled; butterfly hair accessory-wearing teenager that danced around to “Starry Eyed Surprise” as if my bedroom was a stage. Every review I have ever read regarding Oakenfold’s albums or live performances has been nothing less than positive. Even the firsthand stories expressed by Oakenfold concertgoers of the past state that they experienced “eargasms” and euphoria from start to finish.

Oakenfold’s set at Webster Hall made me feel as though I was at a European dance party. There were people from just about every country there to witness the validity of the aforementioned comments. The rainbow rays of lights, floor rattling bass accompanied with hypnotizing “work-ups” contributed to a delightful evening. A “work-up” is comparable to the calm before a storm. Each work-up was followed up with a stimulating blend of house, electro, breakbeat or dance music. More baffling than the constant energy Oakenfold exuded from the stage was his ability to show off his DJ skills…without headphones! His sporadic use of the headphones only lead me to believe that he literally thinks in music notes and patterns.

Check him out at Ultra Music Fest 2011 in Miami next March. Oakenfold will share the stage with Tiesto, Deadmau5, The Crystal Method and every DJ mastermind you can think of on March 26-27th, 2011. Get your tickets at http://www.ultramusicfestival.com/tickets.  Cheers!
xoxo – gabbynikki

maybe one day...

On a Friday afternoon, I briefly checked out the Flavorpill website to see what shenanigans were taking place in the city for the weekend. Among the listed events was a description of an installation of skate deck art and surf photography that was being featured at an art gallery in SoHo the following day. I proceeded to scroll further down the list and noticed Kandinsky was one of the featured artists at the Guggenheim Museum. I immediately was hooked and dedicated to going to both the art installation and the Kandinsky exhibit despite knowing I would have to embark on the arty adventure on my own.

I should of bought myself some flowers.

As cheesy and slightly pathetic (debatable), yet empowering this whole self-date concept was in my mind, I was genuinely thrilled to dress sharper than a pencil thin stiletto for no one but myself. I went to Urban Outfitters and found a strappy new top to pair with my favorite tap shorts. I added my crimson red lipstick and skipped down the yellow brick road into the city. No day in the city would be complete without me becoming disoriented, lost and terrified of the oversized gangsta pigeons. I held a sunny disposition despite the disappointing amount of Kandinsky murals that were actually on display…a whopping seven murals! After my brief and expensive date with Kandinsky, I headed over to the art gallery that was showing the various skate and surf lifestyle art and photographs. I was in complete awe of everything shown and had the sudden urge to join some of the local skateboarders that were thrashing along the SoHo streets. I was exhausted at the end of it all, but felt great. At the end of it all I realized that I now have three reasons to dance especially hard to Beyonce’s “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It):
1. I am slightly fresh…sometimes overtly fresh, but awkward which contributes to an entertaining fail to both myself and the unfortunate soul who had to fall victim to my cheesy freshness.
2. It will take time for me to get used to attending events and shows solo, but I had such a grand ole time that I don’t think it will take too much time to adjust.
3. I’m certainly not Kerry Washington, but I accept that I’m Gabrielle Pharms.
When I returned home that evening, I noticed a very attractive man in a white Volkswagen hatchback at the top of my street. He brought me beautiful lilacs and made me brownies. He even knew how to make his own wine, skateboards and guitars. As if the aforementioned skills weren’t impressive, he also knew how to bind books as thick as the Bible together. I was smitten! Suddenly, a thunderous symphony of chimes paralyzed my attention and to my dismay it was 7:45 AM and time to awaken for another day in the wonderful world (not debatable) of secular work. I can’t wait for the Prince Charming that Disney promised I would have! Dirty liars…

xoxo -gabbynikki for black girl interrupted (bgi). Check out the adventures of bgi at www.theverbalrevolution.com.

…And So It Begins
I was beyond nervous because this was my first non-fashion event to cover. I covered the Maloof Cup this past spring, but this was completely different. I love music just about as much as I do fashion, so one would wonder why I would feel uneasy. As soon as I entered through the gates, I felt like I was reliving my Coachella Music Festival experience. I saw toddlers, Europeans, ravers in Jnco pants circa 1998, hippies, hip-hop heads, my parents (not literally, just in regards to age) and even my grandparents. One of the highlights of seeing Boys Noize live was watching an older gent use his cane as a prop for dancing. He will forever be my inspiration when I become old and gray-headed. I suppose you are never too old to love any genre of music. Who gave music an age limit anyway? The “Living Objects” art installation by Jason Krugman was amazing. In the center of the festival grounds were lit human-form sculptures. The sculptures were interactive in that they were created to exude a feeling of emotional warmth through sight. I studied the set times and could not help but feel an electric charge go through my body as I eagerly anticipated what I would listen to. I felt like I was at an all-you-can-eat buffet that was chock full of delectable foods. There were so many acts to taste that I became a music glutton and hopped from stage to stage just to nibble a piece of each act to write home about. No pun intended. Everything goes back to food…

What I Ate at the Zoo:

The Glitch Mob:

The Glitch Mob

This LA-based mob of three hot and talented guys kicked my afternoon off to a pleasurable start. The sick combination of MIDI controllers and laptops made for an extremely tasty treat for both my eyes and ears.  They are the quintessence of electronica. I should have known this would be a great set considering the guys’ debut album, Drink The Sea, debuted at number five on the iTunes Electronic Chart.  I highly recommend that everyone should download the song, “Drive It Like You Stole It” to take an impactful bite of what these guys have to offer. The aforesaid song was one of several songs that served as a crowd-pleaser during the Mob’s performance.

DJ Medhi:

DJ Medhi

It was at this set that I got over my jitters of covering a music festival solo. I’ve seen Medhi live almost two years ago in Brooklyn. I remember being mesmerized at the aforementioned set and had that same feeling during his performance on Sunday. The French electro and hip-hop producer/DJ even took brief breaks to dance on stage to his own creations. He started the set with a clever twist on the Yeah Yeah Yeahs song, “Rich.” Midway through the show, I began to dance insanely in my black dress and combat boots out of excitement. Medhi’s unique blend of house, dance and electronica spins truly made for an amazing set that held the rapt attention of the audience and their hips.

Diplo: 

Diplo

I have always heard and read reviews about how ridiculous (in a good way) Diplo’s shows are. The praise was confirmed in my musical mental notes when I was standing in the front row for the show’s entirety. There was never a mellow moment. His choices of music mixes were as unpredictable as the economy. Diplo’s music stratagem consisted of electronica, house, trip-hop and rap. The highlight of his set was his carefully masterminded mix on “Bucky Done Gun” by M.I.A. which resulted in crazier dance moves and Red Bull-induced screaming from the crowds.

DJ A-Trak: 

DJ A-Trak

Thank you Canada for providing DJ A-Trak to the music world. This was my third time to see A-Trak live and he never fails to put on anything less than an excellent show. He’s an effortless trendsetter that has true turntable skills which makes him one of the best DJs to witness live. Anyone that manages to win the World DJ Championship at the ripe age of fifteen obviously bleeds talent. The crowd went especially bonkers when he “A-Traked” Daft Punk’s “Robot Rock.” “A-Traked” can best be defined as a verb or even an adjective and occurs when a song is remixed on a turntable to the point of creating awe to the listeners. Oh, Canada.

Armin Van Buuren: 

Armin Van Buuren

I felt like I teleported to Europe. The partygoers were waving flags from an assortment of countries from all over the globe. There was not one person who wasn’t dancing. Even the individuals that are “too cool” to dance were at least nodding their head to the beat. Buuren’s set consisted of a colorful light show and contagious lively energy transference from the audience to Buuren and vice versa. Buuren is one of the primary pioneers of dance music. His production of tunes that consist of tantalizing trance combined with techno and progressive music has kept him busy for over ten years. I can’t wait to see him live again!

Bassnectar: 

Bassnectar

The question is: What didn’t California-bred Lorin Ashton (also known as Bassnectar) play? This set made me think of a hippie from the Woodstock 1969 befriending Lil’ Jon to collaborate on music that consists of bumping bass, electronic undertones and catchy turntable scratches. Salsa? Check. Dance? Check. Ska? Check. Hip-hop? Check. Random gypsy music via Eastern Europe? Check. The backdrop of the stage consisted of a projection of streamed film of random images from the lifespan of a plant in fast-forward mode to an African tribe ritual dance. I found myself going from spectator to dancer within the brief period of time that I arrived to the stage. I couldn’t wait to get home just so I could download his latest album, Timestretch.

The Final Feeling:

I walked away from the festival with renewed confidence, new DJs to research and a musically “full” feeling.
I eagerly look forward to seeing what next year holds for the Electric Zoo lineup. Until next year’s festival lineup, I will just have to be satisfied with my eclectic mix of iTunes and dance crazily at DJ sets in the city.

In my childhood and teenage years, I lived in a coastal area outside of Houston, Texas in which majority of my friends surfed and skateboarded. I gave both hobbies a whirl and decided I was better at and loved skateboarding more than surfing. Cowardly, I just stuck to admiring the skate lifestyle and not participate in any of the action. The aforementioned mentality changed when I turned eighteen and became reacquainted with New York City. What started out as a mere fascination of skateboarding in my Barbie world of fashion took a new twist when I was doing an internship in New York at the Dolce and Gabbana headquarters. While interning, I stayed with a kind family in East Bronx and was surrounded by a brigade of devout skaters. The allure got the best of me and I decided to start skating. My “adopted” family surprised me with a skateboard and I immediately began to teach myself to skate. I’ll never forget the outfit I wore on the plane ride back to Texas from New York because it represented my inner androgyny in the fullest degree: a rainforest green tiered triple layer peasant skirt, a white cinched seam tee, three inch cork wedged sandals, white oversized sunglasses, a huge hobo handbag…and a skateboard! As I made my way through Newark Liberty Airport in my ridiculous get-up, I realized I no longer cared about what people thought in terms of my fashion background and love of skateboarding. Now that I live just outside of New York and still absolutely love skating, I am behooved to attend and cover my first skate competition, The Maloof Money Cup.

I love the Zoo York Skate Team!

Some may view me as a poser simply based on the fact that I do work in the fashion industry and I’m a black girl. I just scoff and laugh in a very obnoxious tone at the small-minded critique and the ignorance. I love that Chanel Iman is one of my favorite high fashion models and Brandon Biebel is one of my favorite skateboarders.  Some may view me as a groupie. Does it make a guy a groupie if he follows the updates and happenings of the Lakers? Absolutely not, it makes him a fan. Hence, I am a fan that follows the latest on my favorite skate teams. I am a stereotypical girl when it comes to skater boys. Most of them are supremely attractive. I also choose skate decks based on if they are cute and not necessarily high quality. I mean, why not? Guys choose a girl based on whether she’s cute, not necessarily by her character. Is that just a stereotype for guys? Nevertheless, I love knowing that the word “truck” does not just apply to a Ford F150, but indeed makes a skateboard, a skateboard.

Chanel Iman is a doll!

Joe Maloof, owner of the NBA’s Sacramento Kings and Palms Casino Resort, created the Maloof Money Cup, the world’s best skateboard competition. A sweet $100,000 reward will go to one of the 48 hottest pro skaters from across the United States. If you can’t make it to the live event in Queens this weekend, check it out on Fuel TV and FOX as they will show live broadcasts. The street courses for the competition were designed by experts at California Skateparks, owner of 5Boro, Steve Rodriguez and Pro Skater, Geoff Rowley. The course features replicas of popular skate spots from the five boroughs of New York. After the MMC is completed, the course will be donated to the City as a permanent skatepark.

 As I eagerly anticipate the thrills and amazing people that I am sure to meet this weekend, the fashion industry side of me proceeds to wonder: What will I wear this weekend?

Brandon Biebel is one of the SICKEST skaters...and my favorite.

Cut to today: people are piling in, one by one. In the middle of a room full of perfectly-spaced seats, before the previews begin (when they’re still playing those monotonous advertisements for dentists, realtors, and in-theater birthday parties) I come to this conclusion: you’re more likely to try and sit far away from other people in a crowded theater, while in an empty theater, it’s different – you tend to sit nearer to strangers, possibly as close as you can get without seeming like a creep. It’s a hard balance to strike. I don’t believe it’s a conscious effort either, which is part of what makes it so interesting to watch. It’s a human circus.

It’s not even noon and the guy two rows in front of me is chowing down on an eight-dollar bag of popcorn. The elderly woman to his left, just one row in front of me, spends so long adjusting her glasses that I begin to wonder if she can even see the screen. I paint this picture where he’s just been dumped and her grandchildren have just gone back home after a long visit. I’m about to assess the man three rows in front of us, middle-aged and fairly good-looking, when a woman comes in late to join him. I start wondering if they’re a couple – though it’s clear that they are – simply because on a scale of 1 to 10, she’s a 5 and he’s an 8. It’s a cruel thought, but it’s the kind of thing we all notice without really considering. But I consider it. There is something about the complete picture that gets my brain working overtime to concoct these sordid little stories.

Okay, so I’ve never been to a movie alone. I suspect that there might even be a science to it. Maybe it depends on the time of day, what the weather is like outside, and certainly whether or not you chose to go it alone. This morning, in cold, sleepy Manhattan, it’s apparent that everyone in the theater is looking to be alone, albeit in public. Cinema has changed; watching a film has gone from being a communal event to something more personal. It’s a way to be on your own without having to sacrifice human contact.

So what’s the real upside to being alone at a movie? Consider these points: no more fighting for the armrest (“But I want it”), no more spoiling the plot (“I hate this part”), and definitely none of that laughing/crying past an acceptable point (two minutes after the funny/sad scene has passed). But here’s where it gets dicey (spoiler alert): Tobey Maguire brutally murders his fellow soldier at one point. I don’t know about you, but that’s the kind of cinematic gold that requires at least one hand to hold. The entire movie is one big, aesthetically pleasing, slow motion car crash. The story itself will turn your stomach, break your spirit, and leave you hoping against hope. Keeping that in mind, think twice before going alone to this particular family reunion.

Ethan Hawke and Emilie Ohana

Each vignette was shot in roughly two days, and some of the various directors include: Faith Akin, Joshua Marston, Mira Nair, Natalie Portman (her directorial debut), and Randall Balsmeyer. While Joshua Marston is the only one to branch outside of Manhattan, the scenes mesh together almost flawlessly, giving this big city a flavor, a face, and a life of its own. However, you can’t have everything; there are no homosexual pairings in the entirety of the film and most couples are comprised of white, straight heterosexual men and women. It’s a romantic vision of New York, sure, but it’s a bit less realistic and a bit more eccentric than even we New Yorkers would admit to. There is a clear distinction in real life between actively picking up a beautiful woman on a street corner (who turns out to be a hooker – no surprises there) and bumping into a very handsome man getting out of a cab and introducing yourself. With that being said, there are likely more misses than hits in both worlds, but the film does do a good job of exploring every interaction with great zeal.

Cloris Leachman and Eli Wallach (AP Photo/Vivendi Entertainment)

New York, like most major cities, is often made intangible and achingly beautiful; as such, it’s typically left underdeveloped in movies. Of all the stories in New York, I Love You only a few really last after the credits have rolled: Natalie Portman’s moment of tenderness in her exchange with Irrfan Khan, and the domino effect of an impossibly perfect one-night stand, featuring Drea de Matteo and Bradley Cooper. Every laugh, every look, every touch is felt by these six degrees of separation. Even when it’s silly and overplayed (i.e. the scene in which Anton Yelchin has sex with his seemingly handicapped prom date, played by Olivia Thirlby) there’s a connection that makes these otherwise outlandish characters come to life. It’s real enough most of the time, and that’s what makes both the movie and New York so darn lovable.

This week L.A. Gay activists finally managed to get AEG and Live Nation to pull the plug on the Buju Banton concerts. Now for those of you living under a rock, the whole Buju Banton uproar began with Gay Rights activists started protesting the lyrical content of his songs, some of which called for violence against Gays. In particular go look up the lyrics for “Boom Bye Bye”. Now while Buju Banton is not the only Jamaican Dancehall performer, or let’s just say performer in general, to have such lyrics ( and will not be the last), it certainly at times does seem that he’s the poster boy for gay bashing lyrics.
Now as anyone, who has been listening or following the Dancehall music world, would know, Buju has changed his lyrical style and is now more into the Rastafarian/Spiritual or “Conscious” (as they call it) type of music. So why then are the Gay activists still trying to block him? Are the organizations for Violence against women going to call for the cancellation of Chris Brown concerts? Or why did people not totally boycott Amy Whinehouse?
Please, do not for one second think that I condone violence against Gays or anyone as a matter of fact, but I do think that that people take stances that they support when it suits them.
For example, why is it acceptable for a black comic to make jokes about a white person in the audience, yet it’s extremely racist if a white person singles out a black audience member?
Why is it that a fuss is made about scenes with Ken Jeong’s character in both “The Hangover” and “The Goods”, Yet the depiction of blacks in some Asian cartoons/Anime(look at Dragonball z) with big lips other stereotypical features does not make the same group complaining bat an eye?
So after drifting let’s get back on track. What does freedom of speech mean to you? Why is it that we say it’s freedom of speech to protest against something that someone says (point in case Buju), yet Buju should not have the right to also have Freedom of speech to his “opinion” of the gay lifestyle.
Again, I am in no way condoning his lyrics, nor am i saying the scene from “The Goods” should not be protested, but it does at time seem hypocritical that Freedom of Speech is ok when it supports your views but not others. I think that before you start protesting, that you look back at yourself and see what you yourself condone. Maybe you should also start marching and protesting against more than just your personal interest.

Now let me stop writing before i start on Al Sharpton!