Spoken Word Series: 'New Song'

Another installment of the Spoken Word Series with the poem entitled 'New Song.'

Enjoy! 

Related: The M Report presents: Spoken Word - A Visual Series

5 Key Takeaways from Spotify's Panel on Health Care

A night dedicated to art and discussion regarding the state of health care.

Streaming music service provider Spotify designated Houston as one of the locations for its touring exhibition called 'Clarify' that aimed at exploring the connection between music, art and a variety of relevant topics.

The topic for this stop in the tour was health care, a significant conversation for the city.  That's because Houston's health care industry could eclipse the energy industry by possibly becoming the largest employment sector in the coming years, according to the Houston Chronicle. 

Click 'Read More' below for the full article!

"The Day After": A Personal Essay on Election Day 2016

The Day After

By Michele Trizzino

I woke up this morning praying for a miracle. Oddly enough, it was the new Snapchat filter that broke the news.

I laid in bed staring at the ceiling, paralyzed. Suddenly, my unaffectionate cat came over and cuddled next to me. How do animals ... just know?

Click "Read More" for the full article

#StylePost: Jazz Up Your Button-Ups for Fall

Vintage Polo Ralph Lauren button-up styled with a Zara multi-colored tribal necklace

Click "Read More" for more style photos

The Struggle Is Real: Why Marriages Are Hard But Why Society Depends On Them

By Missy Enaje

"When a husband and wife struggle to live up to their marriage vows, they do more for world peace than a dozen Nobel Prize winners. They do more for the economy than any gathering of the titans of industry. They do more for society than any programs the federal government will ever offer." - Cardinal Wuerl of Washington D.C. 

We live in a throwaway culture. You don't want something? It's replaceable by a click of a button. You want to try something new? It's accessible by the swipe on a screen. Unfortunately, the idea of marriage is also getting the same treatment. 

New Music Fri-yays: Aryay's new video "Never Gonna Leave"

Journey through Chicago through sights and production sounds provided by Aryay.

OWSLA signee and Chicago native Aryay focuses on the gun violence epidemic in his hometown with his creative video titled "Never Gonna Leave."

Click "Read More" for the full article

#StylePost: Nudes

Style inspiration courtesy of the fine folks at Rocksbox with the Slate necklace. It was absolute slayage! 

Click "Read More" for more style photos

New Music Fri-yays: Meet TIDES

 "In an alternate universe where Phil Collins has a soulful voice, chooses to use a TR-808 and performs with a key synth, the result would no doubt resemble TIDES' latest track, "Take My Hand." - NEST HQ

Click "Read More" below for the full article

Sunday's Soul Session: A Personal Essay on Life, Loss and its Lesson

"No Crowns Without the Cross" 

By Missy Enaje

No victory comes easy. Decide what you want to be and go be it.

We all experience when life's inevitable highs and lows come crashing on us like waves in the ocean. For me, the tide was high when I got another glimpse of my what my dreams could look like.

Click "Read More" for the full essay

Spoken Word: "In the Clouds: A Poem for Arshell"

I am having a really hard time trying to find the words to complete this post.

August has been deemed the 'most violent month in Chicago in 20 years with 84 homicides,' according to the Chicago Tribune. The headline didn't include 84 homicides...and counting. 

Click "Read More" for the full article

#StylePost: Spanish Villa Chic

Kendra Scott earrings with off-the-shoulder lace

Loren Hope bracelet with patterns on patterns

Treat yo' self with a free month on rocksbox.com - customized jewelry sets when you want it, how you want, delivered to you every month! Use my code 'melissamissyexoxo' at checkout!

#FlashbackToLove: A 90s Themed Worship Night

Click 'Read More' below to check out art pieces being showcased that night!

ART/FASHION INSPO: KOZO x Feminine minimalism

KOZO flawlessly combines minimalism and structure

Singaporean designer KOZO infuses minimalism with her latest collection entitled 'Conquer From Within' which was inspired by women who are able to find strength and confidence within themselves.

You already knew we were going to be all the way for this collection, right?

Click 'Read More' below for more of KOZO's pieces

Sunday's Soul Session: Reflecting on second chances

Is it possible to have two birthdays in one year?

Henna is applied for luck as well as joy and beauty. I know it's more than luck as to why I was given a second chance on life six years to the day during one hot, summer afternoon in New York City.

Click 'Read More' Below for the full essay!

Monday Affirmation: Authenticity

How do we share the most authentic versions of ourselves?

That's a great question!

Let's start with one idea, written by @melissamissye:

"Getting off the grid and unplugging does wonders and is highly undervalued"

Click 'Read More' below for the full article!

POETRY: 'You Fill My Heart'

Tenderness I cannot find.

Warm hands I cannot seek.

Despair. Despair.

A whirlwind of days breezing my mind.

Where are you?

Simple reminders and wishes from above.

Ancestry angelic ancestry.

Hear my prayers.

Guiding me to You.

So long so far gone.

Except now I return to You.

My Guide, my Counselor, Consoler.

Spirit so Holy speaks to Me.

Washes my weakness.

Covers my pain.

Heals the hate.

Takes not my hand but my heart.

Fills the drops of day.

Night no longer dark.

Just illumined by stars.

My God loves.

Hears how those heavenly angels sing.

My bloodline.

Thank you for finding me.

National Ice Cream Day Jewels

Happy National Ice Cream Day!

Celebrating America's favorite pastime with you because,well, ice cream is the best part of summer.

How fitting to sport the 'ice cream cone studs' by Gorjana thanks to Rocksbox.com.

Get all the best flavors of jewelry with a free month by clicking on the photo! Don't forget to use this code on checkout: 'melissamissyexoxo'

ART/FASHION INSPO: Syomirizwa Gupta x Frida Kahlo

How do you conquer whatever obstacle lies ahead of you?

At the M Report, we're inspired by the beauty transfixed through art and culture.

Malaysian fashion designer Syomirizwa Gupta hits the idea right on the nail with his 2016 collection. 

The Frida Kahlo look gives us chills. That's because the color pallets used in his collection are as sweet as lemonade on a hot summer day. Gupta's pieces are his way of revitalizing the traditional Malaysian costumes with an upbeat, modern feel.

It has inspired us to create the slogan as fierce as Frida herself, 'How Great is Thy Slay.'

Dare to dream boldly and courgeously. Take risks. Keep going for what is good.

Be sure to check out more looks from Gupta's collection as well as pieces Missy decided to rock for Rocksbox.com . Click 'Read More' Below!

Beyoncé's Rap Protégé Ingrid 'Trill Feels' EP Release Party

Ingrid performs her hard-hitting Houston anthem entitled 'Flex'

It was a night of pure Houston magic when rapper Ingrid celebrated the release of her latest EP 'Trill Feels.'

Saint Heron, Solange Knowles's entertainment/fashion brand, hosted the festivities which included a crawfish boil and a trill music dedication hour.

Ingrid, the Houston-bred turned Brooklynite rapper, hit the stage at 10 p.m. and covered a few songs off her debut album, including the cover song 'Flex' which features R&B artist Sevyn Streeter on the hook.


She's paving her own lane as an artist with her unconventional style and delivery. But don't be fooled by her demeanor because she is the sweetest and trillest at the same d*** time! The EP is a full-fledged Houston anthem with artists like Kirko Bangz and Devin The Dude on the tracks. Not shy to represent her roots when she calls out Third Ward on 'Flex' which is a familiar roll-call as her record label/mentor/friend Beyoncé does on most occasions.

Be sure to check out the full EP below.  (Disclaimer: explicit language)

Click 'Read More' below for more pictures from the event 

Gathered in Unity

Crowds gathered around City Hall
while names of the victims were read out loud.

Houston city leaders attended the vigil for the Orlando shooting victims at downtown's City Hall calling for peace and gun control.

Former Houston Mayor Parker quoted words of encouragement during her speech.

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good people do nothing," Parker said.

Forty-nine club-goers in Orlando were gunned down in what was considered a hate crime against the LGBT community. At one point during the vigil, every victim's name was read while pausing for a moment of silence.

Religious leaders from the Christian, Jewish and Catholic community also spoke about the importance of unity and overcoming hate.

For one attendee, the reason she gathered among strangers tonight was for something bigger than her belief.

"I am not gay but I have a ton of gay friends, so I came to support them," Annie said as she carried a candle in her hand.

Click "Read More" below to see pictures from the vigil

Words for Philippines Independence Day on June 12th

by Missy Enaje


I have been reading a book entitled "The Latinos of Asia" about how Filipino Americans break the rules of race. In trying to understand a concept that is sometimes blinding, sometimes quite blurry, I flipped through the pages and finally someone explained as clear as day how our 'history' painted the pages of our 'today.'

I learned that an old Filipino saying tried to summarize our history when it stated that "the Filipinos have spent 300 years in the convent and 50 years in Hollywood." Being colonized by the Spanish Empire, I now understand how our words are shared with theirs - from last names of Hidalgo to Fernandez, or the names of our food, from empanada to chicken adobo.

I see why our people know English so much more than our Asian counterparts due to the American colonization. You know I always wondered why my Lola (grandmother) didn't drill in me our native tongue, Tagalog, enough that I could say I'm trilingual today. Lola made sure my English was grammatically correct and proper, that I crossed my 'T's and dotted my 'I's (thanks Lola, I love writing because of you and because memories of Lolo speaking in the Philippines as a public speaker).

In all its complexity, truly understanding what it means to be Filipino and what it means to be an American is a story many of us live out everyday in our own type of way.

For me, right now it means that thanks to my father's patience, I am starting off at the very bottom so that maybe I can reach a certain peak that would make my ancestors proud. Yep, I'm learning the alphabet and boy oh boy is it challenging (I'm stuck on the letter N - 'na' versus 'nga' and 'ng').

I admit that we sometimes take for granted what growing up in America means. Land of opportunity at the cost of millions of immigrants and their hope for a better life. Ask me do I love being an American? Yes. Then ask me do I love being a Filipina? The answer is also a resounding yes.

The M Report Presents: Spoken Word - A Visual Series

Words are powerful.

Welcome to the first installation of a new project at The M Report called 'Spoken Word: A Visual Series.'

We decided to use it as a tool to share favorite written pieces that were self-authored or borrowed from other artists.



Be sure to check out future installations here on the site or on Soundcloud: The M Report x Soundcloud, and our YouTube channel: The M Report x YouTube.

Click 'Read More' Below to hear the full audio!

Remembering the life of Michael Mesa #forMike

Houston - Family and friends from Stafford High School's class of 2008, fraternity brothers from Sigma Lambda Beta and sorority sisters from Sigma Lambda Gamma gathered to share positive memories about their beloved friend Michael Mesa.

Click 'Read More' below to see more pictures from the event.

Getting Drunk off 'Lemonade' - an editorial on Beyonce's new visual album

"Lemonade" is a visual album by Beyoncé leaving a variety of flavors on those willing to take a sip of her intoxicating music, taking them on a journey through art and spoken narrative intertwined with drops of jarring lyrics.

By Missy Enaje

Do you remember your high school english literature class where you had to dissect portions of classic novels? When your teacher would wait patiently for someone to break down the symbolism behind Charles Dickens' 'it was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness...". Well my friend, breaking down the narrative within "Lemonade" is along the same lines: the meaning lies in the eye of the beholder.

First and foremost, let me tell you what this article is not: an over extensive gossip-infused 'he said, she said,' so if you're looking for that, please search #jayz on social media and have fun.

That being said, let's start with peeling the outside layer. 

Click 'Read More' below for the full story 

Kobe Bryant Tribute Video - 4.13.16

Arguably one of the greatest to ever step foot on a basketball court, Kobe Bryant will hang up his jersey for good as his retirement day has finally arrived.

Thus, my farewell tribute video is below.

Five takeaways from The Social Networking Experiment

 New York - What kind of impact could social 'influencers' make by spreading an idea without the help of social media?

The M Report wanted to find out if word-of-mouth event marketing still holds true in a tech and social media savage culture.

The results were in.

Click 'Read More' below for the full story and event recap photos

Every goal starts with one step: Missy's reflection on her latest 5K run

Houston- In late February, I completed my latest race, a 5K or 3.5 mile run, for catholic school education tuition assistance.

While it was a memorable experience because of the record amount of money fundraised by the students, parents and school administrators, I had a miracle happen to me at the end as well.

Click 'Read More' for the rest of the story

Celebrating Women's History Month #MreportsWomenHistoryMonth

Filipino women in Spanish-influenced attire

In celebration of women's history month, we will be sharing the stories of women of color and their many contributions to their communities.

The women who will be featured in the project will be chronicled on different social media platforms, including on here. Be sure to follow along and read their stories by searching #MreportsWomenHistoryMonth. 

If you or someone you know would like to be featured, check out the 'Contact' tab and let us know!

[RELATED: Philippines Haiyan Relief Event x Art]

PODCAST: The M Report Presents: "Fear in Society" featuring Radio Maria Host Reyna Anderson

The M Report sat down with Radio Maria's Reyna Anderson to talk about the prevalence of fear in society and how it affects our everyday lives.

You don't want to miss Reyna's insight, tune in!

[RELATED: Rivet Radio x Missy x Sirius XM's Animal Status "Is hip-hop the most influential music form?"]

VIDEO: Young Chicago Poets

Chicago - Poets, lyricists, singers, musicians and even fashion designers came together to showcase their talents to the public for one night. Except most of these artists would probably have trouble getting into a 21-and-up venue, merely small problems in the lives of the young and talented.

[RELATED: "Do the Write Thing" national competition ]

By the end of the night, collaborations between different avenues of creativity mashed together forming a brotherhood and sisterhood of artists.

The M Report caught the sights and sounds of what they had to say.

Dear Justice:

courtesy of latintrends.com

Where do we as a society draw the fine line between transparency and civil rights for the sake of the community? I understand change has occurred because of the release of the Laquan McDonald video (i.e. certain police leaders stepped down from their positions). But dare I ask, what benefit does it do to the community? Help me understand.

I imagine it's because of the years and years of sweeping the shootings under the bed of politics that the uncivilized use of force broke the camel's back a long time ago and so the time has come for the public's right to know.


[RELATED: The controversial #BlackLivesMatter gallery ]


It was jarring just to watch the shooting of the Virginia reporter and her cameraman that was aired on live TV last year. Remember how many times it was on auto-replay on Twitter? I do.

But if that is the same cause-and-effect mentality as if to produce shocking revelations for change, I understand to a point.

Rehashing the pain of those lives lost almost seems like it re-buries that person and in many cases multiple peoples' lost dignity over and over again each time it plays.

I get it and at the same time, I don't.

Dear Justice, Please return from pause.We rewind our mistakes hoping one day to press forward.