MUSIC MONDAY: Interlude Game Crazy

     I know I've said this to myself and to my friends a few times but never to my BQC family. Welp until today. Seeing how it's #MusicMonday and all. Now check me if I'm wrong but isn't it true? "Interludes are some of the best songs on an album." You know an album... the full bodies of work artists used to put out where most of the songs on the project are actually good. Yeah those things. Anyway, few albums have them but the interludes used to be everything and part of what makes an album special. A good interlude leaves you wanting to hear more. A good interlude will make you say, "This should have been a full song." A great interlude helps the flow of an album easing you into and setting you up for the next song. It can be the perfect transition into another theme or guided feeling. I don't want to get too technical but interludes are pretty necessary in some cases. Maybe it's just me. No? Well I'm going to share some of my favorite interludes with you and I'd like to hear some of yours too. So please...do share.

Listen. Below of my favorite interludes are...
Interlude x Jamie Foxx
Superstar Interlude x Usher
Cameras/Good Ones Go x Drake
Loving Intro- India Arie
I Think It's Better x Jill(She never disappoints)

 Enjoy.
 -Na'Shun

 

 

 

 

RELATIONS WEDNESDAY: It is Women's History Month Right?

Welp we've ended our nationally allotted time to celebrate people of color (shade) but guess what Queens? Women's history month is here. You know The BQC is all for a celebration especially a celebration of women. It's what we're here for. All day. Every day.

Many years ago (like 4) I wrote a little poem and it became the official grand preamble for The Brown Queens' Constitution. These are words to live by for all women and even more, brown queens.  I know it is relations Wednesday and you might be a little confused. But this poem is about the woman in relation to fellow women and the rest of the world. Women please go forward recognizing and owning your queendom. You so deserve it. You are absolutely magnificent. Happy Women's History month.

 The original font is a bit fancy so here it is plain, clear, and bold as ever.

Wisdom. Pride. Courage. Grace. Power. Generosity.
 To be a Brown Queen
 it is not required that I posses all of these things in their entirety.
 It is the gradual effort I put forth,
 the appreciation of the process, and being a constant source
 of love and inspiration reflective upon me.
 It's to be a magnet of knowledge, growth, and positivity.
 This is how I rule,
 the majesty I bestow
 Even without a crown or a throne, I am rightfully so
 a Brown Queen and I am beautiful.

And since everything's better with music, I've included a few songs that really make me feel good about being a woman. Enjoy.

TRESSES TUESDAY: I am not to be tamed

Don’t try to tame me.            

Tame:
: Not wild: trained to obey people.

:  Not excited or interesting

All queens, no matter the pigment, have felt pressure to tame themselves in one area of life or another. From sexuality, to the boardroom, society tells us who, what, and how we should be. Because we all know how a woman should speak, groom, and behave, right? TGIQ. Thank God I’m A Queen. I make my own rules and I create the plays. I create my image and forge my own path. This one is for my Brown Queens, the melanated royalty. If nobody shares your pressures, sister, I do.

While we face many pressures, for the sake of time and attention spans, let’s focus on one: hair. Has this topic been beaten to death already? Does thinking about it cause your shafts to split and single-strands to knot? Hair has been a hot topic in recent years as Brown Queens have battled with the decision to QP or let it kink. Brown Queens have chosen one path or the other for various reasons. Let’s make this clear now, I honor them all. I also understand that a large influence in the decision to return to our uninhibited state is society, pressure, and the world at large trying to tame us. To that, I say, “I can’t be tamed.” Seriously, I can’t be tamed. You can’t either. Think about it. Have you ever done a bomb twist-out, and then stepped outside on a humid day? Have you ever gone for a jog after a fresh press? Have you ever taken down your twists before they were fully dry? Lord have mercy. Come on, somebody! Touch your neighbor and say, “Neighbor, I’ve traveled that road and wrote the book.” I know you can relate. If not, I have traveled the road and back enough for us all. The point I’m making is that no matter how many “taming” processes we put our hair through, at the end of the day she and nature have the final say. And while I may be able to tame her temporarily, there’s nothing that I can do to keep her from being who she is, and I don’t want to. There was a point in time where my curls had to be defined to the gods. *inserts snap* I would wash, protein treatment, deep condition, ACV rinse, leave-in condition, coconut oil, fully detangle, carefully rake that good old eco styler gel through (You know, the olive oil kind), twist, and let dry. And the next day? You know you have to coat those finger tips with oil before taking your twists down. You don’t want frizz, do you? After unraveling, separate your twists once, twice max! This is how you get ‘dem curls poppin’ like Orville Redenbacher. It wasn’t long into my hair journey that definition became something I put on the back burner. Actually, it wasn’t even on the stove. I cared not about a curl. If you “hair type,” my hair is a big mixture of 3c in the very front and straight down the center, and the rest 4a/b. Lots of kinks and curls to love. Before I knew it, I fell in love with big fluffy fros, and I would pick my hair until every curl was unrecognized. I realized my desire for curls that were “on fleek” stemmed from a less than desirable place. It was all society induced. Once I freed my mind from the ridiculous notion that my natural hair had to be full of cylindrical curls in order to be beautiful, I could fully embrace Erica. All of her. Not just the eight 3c curls in the front.

This is why I will never fix my lips to ask a Brown Queen why she won’t flat iron her hair, bantu knot, or retwist her locs.  Outside of the fact that it’s none of my business, I’ve entered a space where I can see the beauty in a Brown Queen for who she is and where she finds herself in her journey. Be it under the dryer with a roller set, or free-forming it. Sister, whatever your choice may be, know and own the underlying reasoning. This is why you may see me with a fresh retwist, or locs that have been untouched for three months. Because it’s my choice, I own it, and rock the hell out of it if I do say so myself. (Jay Z voice) *drops mic* *flips locs*

-Erica

MUSIC MONDAY: Lost In The Movement

 "An artist's duty, as far as I'm concerned, is to reflect the times."- Nina Simone


Our girl Nina was a true talent forever etched in history and her music and spirit remain in our hearts.

I'm sure many of you have seen "What happened Miss Simone?" via Netflix. If you haven't, you're in for a treat and a greater understanding of the magnificence that is Nina.

I found Nina's dedication to the Civil Rights movement commendable and thought Nina's involvement is one that should be constantly recognized and discussed.

The music of the civil rights movement was instrumental providing the soundtrack, inspiring the people and simply enough... promoting the cause. The music got out the message. In Nina's case, her music expressed what I imagine was the consensus of the people.

In the Netflix documentary we learned about Nina's mental illness and we are left with the assumption that her illness explains her total consumption in the movement. Not only was she dedicating her time and and art but her mind and spirit were very much so invested. Whenever your total mind, body, and spirit is involved in something or someone, it's a dangerous space to be in. Her mental illness seemed to only swell her passions to the point where it was almost impossible to live a healthy and socially functional life. Can you imagine empathizing too much? What if you felt every single blow of all your peers and you carried your own burdens in addition to every one else's.

It's just too much for one woman, even a queen.

Like Nina, there have been several other artists dedicated and maybe even lost in the movement.

I immediately think of Fela. If you don't know him, he's a great idol to read up on. *BHM fact check time*
Fela Kuti was a Nigerian musician and artist(an amazing one) who decided his music would always represent the people and the fight for equality in his home and abroad. He let the rest of the world know what was going on in Africa. Fela was a no nonsense man. He called out the corrupt leaders and often literally went to war with the oppressors. Fela was a natural born leader and the amount of people that followed him is outstanding honestly. Was he "lost" in the movement? I don't know about all that but his lifestyle was one that paralleled the civil rights movement and it was evident in the music. There were things that happened during his life that changed him forever. *Sidenote: Speaking of Fela's lifestyle, he was a no-nonsense man but what he was not was a one woman man. Fela did die from HIV/AIDS. Whether you want to charge that up to the movement or the lifestyle is subjective. What can not be denied is the music. You must listen for yourselves.

Being "lost" in the movement also brings on eerie thoughts of the 23- year- old Black Lives Matter activist, Marshawn McCarrel who committed suicide last week. There's some speculation that McCarrel was depressed. Before his death, McCarrel posted, "My demons won today, I'm sorry." on his Facebook page. He was not known as an artist but as an activist. His work in the community speaks for itself and his legacy outlives him.

These individuals are not here to see their impact on the world but the fact that I'm discussing them speaks to their heavy influence and their honorable dedication.

When you think music to the movement, you must mention...
from back in the day...
James Brown
Bob Marley
Billie Holiday
Miles Davis
Today's artists
Beyonce' (Umm Formation hello!)
Kendrick Lamar
J. Cole
Who else?

-Na'Shun

The BQC is back

Hey good people!

 Its been a while, I know. However, It is Fe-bru-a-ry and February means black history month. If you haven't been getting your dose of #bhm facts everyday on social media (esp Facebook) then where have you been? Not only is it black history month but get ready for it... The BQC is back with a new look and so much in store for the future.We ain't done yet!! And just f.y.i. it's definitely not a coincidence that the blog was started in February  So it's only right we welcome you back to The BQC during black history month. A new #MusicMonday awaits you...

- Na'Shun

The BQC returns soon.

Eureka Takeover

 

We are a part of the Girls Inc. of Memphis Eureka! Program

#ClassOf2k17 #SQUAD!!!!

                                                                        

 

  We Are

 

 

 

  

Design Team   

 

 

 

Strong

                                  

                Photography Team             

                       

Smart 

 

Writing Team

 Bold

 

                                                                               

Videography Team

 

 

 

 

#Eureka!TakesOverTheBrownQueensConstitution

#QueensInTraining

Eureka Takeover

Girls Inc. Eureka takes over the BQC tomorrow. Stay tuned.

RELATIONS WEDNESDAY: Are You In A Dead-end Relationship?

     "Why am I here?" If that's a question you ask yourself more often than not about your mate, you may need to ask yourself another question. Am I in a dead-end relationship?

       Technically a dead-end relationship is one that doesn't last for one reason or another. Well I see it simple. Either it ends or it doesn't. Either it's a dead-end relationship or not.

     4 tell-tale signs that you're in a..

   1. You've lowered your standards

How low is too low?

    The characteristics you once deemed completely unacceptable, you now tolerate. 

How much and for how long can you tolerate? We're all human so we're flawed. But have you both made sacrifices for the better of the relationship? Loving and accepting someone for who they are and tolerating who they are not are not the same. 

    

    2. You're embarrassed by him

You're afraid others may find out about your relationship.

      Oh this one is a dead give-away. If you are ashamed of your man then maybe you're more concerned about what other people think than you should. Or maybe it's proof that you're dealing with someone you know you shouldn't.

    3. You want two different things

"We're just in two different places" 

        It may sound cliche' but it is not to be taken lightly. You're ready to take your relationship to the next level and he's not or vice-versa. This can affect your relationship more than you think. If how you envision your future together looks drastically different from his, a dead-end could be in the near future.

   4. There's no chemistry
     

The spark is gone.

        Cringing at the sight of him or the slightest touch of him is just not a good sign. It's going to take a lot more than a spark to have a lasting relationship and if you don't at least have that then someone's bound to get hurt. Take caution you may be headed towards a dead-end.

By Na'Shun, Founder and Contributor

The Brown Queens' Constitution

TRESSES TUESDAY: Work Is Cramping My Hairstyle

         Does your job dictate how you wear your hair? Mine certainly does. But that's no news at all. Many jobs will tell you how you can't wear your hair or what to do to constrain it in the work place. In order to remain "professional" and keep my job I comply with the rules. But these rules are really cramping my style. And natural hair is a whole other issue to be dealt with. I've wanted to color my hair for the longest and I am afraid that my job will not approve. Although there's nothing in the guidelines that say I can't wear my hair a certain color, I have a feeling that the color I'm going for may be a bit too edgy for their constrictions. I'm thinking I may give them a teaser and go with highlights first just to see their reaction. Or I could just ask them but that's no fun. Queens are not to be stifled. Don't they know that?!

What are the rules about hair at your job?

Do you comply with the rules?

Do you challenge the rules?

Has your boss ever made a comment about your hair?

Let us know your thoughts…

By Na'Shun, Founder and Contributor

The Brown Queens' Constitution

Photo from Pinterest

MUSIC MONDAY: Queen of The Dancehall

     
       Hi, Queens! Na'Shun here. The last 2 months have been quite eventful for myself and the Brown Queens' Constitution. We celebrated 2 years at the end of February and have made some additions to the team. You'll find out more about that soon enough. I'm extremely excited! We've broken from our routine of BQC weeks BUT we are back. Now back to your regular scheduled programming; It's MUSIC MONDAY!




         An island girl has taken over my body. I don't know if it's because the weather is getting warmer or if it's this faint desire I've had to be on a Caribbean island with a bright colored beverage garnished with an umbrella at hand that has me in a reggae mood.

       I traveled to Atlanta for a friend's birthday a few weeks ago. We went out for a night on the town and were bombarded with the many options that crowd Atlanta's nightlife. We ended up going to a reggae club which in hindsight, I'm so glad we did. It was probably one of the best times I've had at a club in a while.

       The atmosphere was much different than the other spots I've attended. It looked like a scene out of a Beenie Man video.(Remember him?) It was hot but if you were dancing you didn't mind it. It was pretty sexy and not to mention FUN. But the music... the music is the reason for this post.




   Reggae tunes filled my ears and I was consumed. The DJ played the greatest reggae hits and even reggaton renditions of r&b/hip hop songs I'd never heard before. I pulled all the moves that I ever learned from the Sean Paul videos as if I were at a dancehall in the middle of St. Thomas. It was quite liberating... and so I've been inspired. I won't keep this party to myself. "Dutty wind gul" Enjoy. Happy MUSIC MONDAY!

***The BQC playlist includes 

One love x Bob Marley

Is This Love x Corrine Bailey Ray

Need You Bad x Jazmine Sullivan

Three Little Birds x Bob Marley

Girls Them Sugar x Beenie Man

Baby Boy x Beyonce’

No Letting Go x Wayne Wonder

Gimme The Light x Sean Paul

It Wasn’t Me x Shaggy***

By Na'Shun, Founder and Contributor

The Brown Queens' Constituion

Interest Meeting for The Brown Queens' Constitution

Hear about the vision for The Brown Queens' Constitution next Friday from 5:30 - 7 pm at The University of Memphis FedEx Institute of Technology. Come out and learn how you can be apart of  building one of the newest most refreshing and forward moving brands, The BQC!

The BQC turns 2 today! Thank you!

      On behalf of myself and The Brown Queens' Constitution team, we would like to thank every one who has visited the blog, liked a Facebook post, or even gave our posts a glance. We're more than thankful for you. The Brown Queens' Constitution is an ongoing celebration of women of African Heritage and our culture. It's a celebration that every gender creed and color is invited to join every day of the BQC week. The BQC is for all tints shades and dynamics of the brown girl. It's the extraordinary things you do on a daily basis the make you Queen worthy. We celebrate your majesty, Brown Queens, because you are everyday royalty. If you haven't already; please join the blog and like our Facebook page. We're preparing a greater BQC experience for our viewers. Thank you again for hanging with us so far and get ready as we kick things up a notch because (In our best Kevin Hart impersonation) "It's. About. To go. Down."

- Na'Shun Wright, Founder of The Brown Queens' Constitution

SOUL SEARCH SUNDAY: Most Viewed

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Soul Search Sunday: In Good Company

Tragedies of life are always hard to get through. They are even harder to get through alone. Being in good company always makes the difficult times that much easier to cope with. Surround yourself with loved ones and tackle life's challenges together.

SERVICE SATURDAY: Most Viewed

Saturday, March 17, 2012

SERVICE SATURDAY: In Honor of Jared Thomas - Donate to The American Heart Association

Today I made a donation to The American Heart Association in honor of my friend, Jared Thomas, who passed last week as a result of his heart condition. This is close to me because my younger brother was born with a small heart murmur as well. He was a dear friend to so many and he will be missed forever. I would like to help gain awareness for heart diseases in his honor by way of the American Heart Association. Go to http://www.heart.org/ to make a donation of any amount and find out how you can help save someone else's dear friend from heart disease. There is also a video below about The American Heart Association. Thank you for taking the time out to read this post. Rest peacefully, Jared. I love you!

FASHION FRENZY FRIDAY: Most Viewed

Friday, March 16, 2012

Fashion Frenzy Friday: I Love My Tiger Blue!!

Tiger Blue by brownqueensconstitution featuring beaded sandals

THOUGHTFUL THURSDAY: Most Viewed

Thursday, June 7, 2012

Thoughtful Thursday: Advice, Anyone??

You know what to do. If you need advice about anything, post below under comments or shoot me an e-mail. The e-mail address is thebqc@yahoo.com. Be sure to type "advice" in the subject line and I'll respond right here on The BQC!!

RELATIONS WEDNESDAY: Most Viewed

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

RELATIONS WEDNESDAY: Meet The Family

How soon is too soon to meet the family?? I am an advocate for not bringing every guy to meet your parents especially if they're not going to be around long. If you know it will be short winded from beginning, I wouldn't bother. After the third date sounds like a good time to introduce the guy you're dating to your parents. By then you know if you'll be embarrassed by him or if he can impress your parents the way he impressed you. (Tip) If you know your parent's would not approve of your guy in any way, should you really be dating him? A family dinner at your parent's is the traditional "meet the family" setting. Try something fun like going bowling with your parents and your guy. The setting takes some of the pressure off of your guy. Holidays are great for meeting the extended family. If your family is the type to grill a guy, be sure not to leave your guy alone for too long. That can be intimidating for him. If he can hold his own throughout the interrogation, that's a good sign for you. Meeting the family is something that has to be timed just right. Too soon can make him feel like you're getting too serious too fast. Waiting too long can be offensive. But the good thing is once it's over it's a relief to have your family meet someone who is beginning to mean a lot to you. Now you can concentrate on other things like impressing his parents.

TRESSES TUESDAY: Most Viewed

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Tresses Tuesday: Beautiful New Eurasian Hair

OK so Brown Queens you know we love our hair. Sometimes we add personality pieces to give us that full and long fabulous celebrity look. If you're looking for quality hair extensions then Brown Queen, Jasmine Anderson, is your girl! She's selling brand new beautiful Eurasian Hair by Ovation. The types and prices are listed below. The weaves are good investments if you plan on keeping them for a while. Judging from the fabulous pics Jasmine sent me of the hair, I would recommend it to all you weave wearing Brown Queens. Looks like a great investment, Ladies. You know I'm always in support of a Brown Queen putting her entrepreneurial foot forward.

Contact Jasmine Anderson at her email address: demjassychicks@gmail.com or visit her site: https://sites.google.com/site/demjassychicks/

Jasmine Anderson- I recommend this hair to the true weave wearers who are looking for a natural and celeb hairstyle and are looking for an investment. You can reuse the virgin hair up to a year +. You can color it , perm it, and swim in it; whatever you like. It comes in bodywave, medium wave, tight curl, and straight 12-24 in.

12in- $125

15in- $150

18in-$180

21in-$210

24in-$240

4 OZ BUNDLES

The remi hair lasts up to 6 months and better than any beauty supply brands.

10"- $89/4oz bundle

12"- $99/4oz bundle

14"- $109/4oz bundle

16"- $129/4oz bundle

18"- $161/4oz bundle

Available Colors -- #1 #1B #2 #4 #27 #30 #33 P1B/30 P1B/33 P4/30

Contact Jasmine Anderson at her email address: demjassychicks@gmail.com or visit her site: https://sites.google.com/site/demjassychicks/

*Advertise on The BQC while all services(advertisement + promotion) are free!!!

MUSIC MONDAY: Most Viewed

Monday, March 26, 2012

Music Monday: We love the 90's- The Super List

Welcome back, Brown Queens. It's MUSIC MONDAY!!! I'm so excited about this post not only because it's about music, but it's also about one of the best decades to produce so much great music. I'm talking about the 90's. Today on MUSIC MONDAY we're going to travel back in time, not too far back, but just far enough. If you were around in the 90's then you remember the baggy jeans we wore (women and men), the dark lipstick, midriffs, jean ensembles, leather pants, big stereos, and two-sided cassette tapes. The music of the 90's was filled with feel good music, r&b love ballads, socially conscious hip hop, gangster rap, etc. Some of the best girl groups also came out in the 90's too. Brown Queens thrived in the 90's along with so many other artists. Here are some of the artists that kept us " jammin' " in the 90's! The music is so good that there are 15 90's songs added to the playlist this week! What are some of your favorite 90's artists? Share them with us! Join, comment, and tell ALL of your friends.

• Brandy
• TLC
• Aaliyah
• Destiny's Child
• R. Kelly
• Michael Jackson
• Janet Jackson
• Whitney Houston
• Montell Jordan
• Missy Elliot
• Dru Hill
• 112
• SWV
• Monica
• En Vogue
• X- Scape
• Babyface
• Total
• 702
• Blaque
• Mary J. Blige
• Usher
• Ma$e
• Boys II Men
• Kelly Price
• Joe
• Case
• Ginuwine
• Donell Jones
• Mariah Carey
• Bill Biv Devoe
• Notorious B.I.G
• Tupac
• Dr. Dre
• Ice Cube
• Toni Braxton
• Jon B
• Tyrese
• Next
• Nas
• Jay-Z
• Common
• Outkast
• Naughty by Nature
• The Roots
• Goodie Mob
• Lil' Kim
• Foxy Brown
• Snoop Dogg
• Lauryn Hill
• Coolio
• LL Cool J
• The Fresh Prince
• DMX
• Bone Thugs n Harmony
• The Fugees
• Mya
• Queen Latifah
• Deborah Cox
• Puff Daddy (That was his name in the 90's)
• Faith Evans
• Erykah Badu
• Common

***Playlist includes Tell Me What you Want x Mase ft. Total, The Rain x Missy Elliott, Creep x TLC, I Wanna Be Down (Remix) x Brandy, No No No Pt. 1 x Destiny's Child, You're Making Me High x Toni Braxton, Where My Girls At? x 702, Rosa Parks x OutKast, 808 x Blaque, Are You That Somebody x Aaliyah, Kissing You x Faith Evans, We Can't Be Friends x Deborah Cox & R.L., Friend of Mine x Kelly Price, Secret x XSCAPE, Remember The Time x Michael Jackson***