#ThrowbackThursday Interview with Kei-Landa

As appeared in the special summer issue of The Tablet Newspaper. 

The voice behind this year's "Put Him On Your List" Christmas campaign is back! Kei-Landa is still using her voice for a good cause. Money raised from downloads of this song will go to helping hurricane victims in Puerto Rico. To download the song visit Kei-Landa's Bandcamp Page.

Get to know more about her and her full interview by clicking "Read More" below

#StylePost: Thinking about the modern-day Lois Lane

By Missy E.

Lois Lane. The DC Comics' fictional character reigned as the Pulitzer-prize winning investigative newspaper journalist at the Daily Planet. Lane, alongside fellow reporter Clark Kent, better known as Superman - was the superhero's chief romantic interest.

Thinking about how much of a boss she was, I decided to dive into the style category with modern-day female reporters. But I had to start from the inspiration from the past - from Ida B. Wells to foreign correspondents, the women who paved the way for the grit of a story did it in style.

The most important part is that they did it with their own personal style, which is the best style, making ones own unique mark. 

In case inspiration was needed, here is the latest #StylePost, click "Read More" below!

Community Empowerment x Rising Leaders Inc.

New mentors at the St. Hope Leadership Academy.
Photos Courtesy of Rising Leaders Inc.

 "Hope is Here"

At St. Hope Leadership Academy in Harlem, a group of seventh-grade students will undergo two years of personal and professional development with the assistance of their Rising Leaders mentor. 

Rising Leaders Inc. will empower underserved middle school students through mentorship and leadership development.

Be sure to follow them on social for more updates via risingleadersinc.org
Instagram: @risingleadersinc 

For photos from their event launch, be sure to click "Read More" below!

Walking Through San Gennaro Feast 2017

For 11 days in September,  a snippet of Manhattan transforms into the streets of an Italian villa,  packed with the sights and scents of what is known as the Feast of San Gennaro. Take a walk through San Gennaro Feast 2017.

To check out more photos, click "Read More" below!

Brunch Vibes for #NYC4HTX - Hurricane Harvey Relief

The M Report x #NYC4HTX | Sons of Essex | Saturday, Sept. 16.
NYC4HTX (New York City for Houston Texas), seeks to help rebuild and support those affected by the hurricanes. 

Attendees were able to participate in raffle prizes, offer donations and receive all the good vibes with Houston's own DJ's including J. Nicholson and others!




Be sure to check out photos from the event! Click "Read More" Below!

#NYC4HTX x The M Report

The M Report x #NYC4HTX: The Kickoff event at The Vig Bar || Thursday, Sept. 14.
NYC4HTX (New York City for Houston Texas), seeks to help rebuild and support those affected by the hurricanes. The Kickoff had 20% of the bar proceeds going towards the JJ Watt Fund. #HoustonStrong

Click "Read More" below to see more photos from the event!

Podcast: How loud is too loud on your headphones?

More people are using headphones as must-have accessories in this high-tech, plugged-in kind of environment where media and music are easily accessible at the tap of a screen or the click of a mouse. But a study by the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders says that more than ten percent of people above the age of 12 have a hearing loss in both ears.

For the full interview with Missy Enaje's interview with Assistant Professor Stephen M. at Appalachian University, check it out here: "How loud is too loud on your headphones?"

Our partners at 2kreviews were able to review some of the best earbuds of 2017. The best part? They're all under $100 and the sound quality doesn't lose its quality.

Read the 2kreviews blog post here:   "7 Best Earbuds [In Ear Headphones] in 2017 under $100"

#HoustonStrong

With floodwater as high as 20 feet from swelling bayous and waterways, the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey has ravaged the city of Houston and surrounding counties.

The M Report Correspondent Iris Lacsamana takes us through some of the relief efforts going on as well as how people are coping.

Introducing M Report Contributor: Iris Lacsamana

Iris

The M Report has added a wonderful new voice to the conversation!

As an aspiring artist, she'll be sharing her insight, videos and talents. Get to know the M Report's latest contributor, Iris Lacsamana, after the jump.

Click "Read More" for the interview, including Iris's video cover of SZA's 'Love Galore'

New Music Friyay: Alina Baraz "Electric" feat. Khalid Remix EP

Baraz

At the top of 2017, Alina Baraz released hit single "Electric" featuring phenom Khalid, and delighted fans across the country on the sold out Lets Get Lost 2017 Tour. The track quickly shot to the top of playlists across the globe and went on to stream over 40.8M times worldwide across all platforms, propelling both young stars into superstar status.  

"Electric" will see release on transparent blue vinyl this summer, alongside a digital release bundle of new remixes and the original track on the Electric Remix EP, out August 25th on Mom + Pop. 

Today, Baraz shares the R3hab remix, the first of 4 new surprise remixes coming in addition to the previously released Marian Hill remix- listen below. 

Read more and stream 'Electric' after the jump!

Monday Motivation: Tauren Wells x "I am Undefeated"

"I was lost, but now I'm crowned"

Enjoy.

Photos from 'Love & Responsibility': The Annual Summer Series Hits Stuyvesant Town

The annual summer series discussing love and relationships in society is well underway!

The Archdiocese of New York invites young adults from the greater New York City area to discuss concerns plaguing the culture.

We're sharing stand-out quotes and photos from the event. Join the discussion.

Event dates are right after the jump!

Long Live R&B: Tone Stith x 'Can We Talk'

"Can We Talk" will set the mood with tracks like "Birthday at Midnight" all the while keeping it fresh with "Get It Right".  Finish the 11 song album with "Miss California" and press replay.

While this is the second project from the 21-year-old artist, producer and song writer, Tone Stith isn't new to the game. Stith has already been credited with song writing and producing credits on Chris Brown's 'Royalty' using his talents for "Liquor" and "Make Love."

Produced by Houston-based PRBLM SLVRS, "Can We Talk" revives a lifeline that has been missing from the R&B sound waves.

Signed to Young Empire Music Group (YEMG) for more than a year, Stith packs a punch with his multi-faceted voice that is inspired by soul greats from the past. But it doesn't stop with his singing, Stith also exudes major confidence on the dance floor with his choreography, marking his place as an entertainment powerhouse.

But don't take our word for it, here's his 2016 ballad "Ooh Ahh (Thru The Door)" from his 'California 70' project and while the video takes place in California, his moves gravitate towards his audience smoother than the New Jersey shores where Tith grew up.

Be sure to hear more from the album after the jump below! "Can We Talk" drops at midnight on July 13. Preview the album and songs below.

New Music Friyay: Sudan Archives

Sudan Archives writes, sings and produces music inspired by R&B, Sudanese fiddlers, experimental electronic music and West African rhythms.  She's 23, self-taught on the violin and originally from Ohio - now the newest signee of stalwart indie label Stones Throw.

Click "Read More" below to hear her music on soundcloud and check out her video!

What the eyes can see on Father's Day

By Missy Enaje

She was just a little girl holding her daddy’s hands and looking into his eyes. It was a special day. What did she see?

Shadows from London Attacks 2017: Reflections by an American in its midst

By Special Contributor Danny Para

The night of the London attack I just happened to be at home, getting ready to shut down when the texts started coming through. My friend Junior had sent me multiple texts to ensure I was fine so I immediately Googled ‘London’ and the news started to come through. Instantly, I started to hear the sirens and it all started to be surreal.

Once I turned on the news and realized that the attacks happened at Borough Market and London Bridge, I was just kind of shocked that it was so close. I watched the news for about two hours just trying to decipher what happened and felt a bit relieved when I found out the suspects were apprehended.

The Day Culture Collided With People of Color

A reflection video can hardly contain what it was like to experience a special tour of the National Museum of African-American History and Culture with students from St. Joseph's High School. 

Therefore I invite you to read not only my experience but more importantly, I invite you to read what the students had to say! My column where I let the youth speak their mind is entitled "Let Them Speak" (click here for their story).

Click on the photo for the full story!

Washington’s newest attraction – the National Museum of African American History and Culture – welcomed its millionth visitor in February, not even six months after its official opening. For some of the young women from St. Joseph H.S., Downtown Brooklyn, the museum visit was their first experience outside of New York City and into a cultural exhibition of their African heritage. (Photo: Missy Enaje)

Click 'Read More' below for behind-the-scene photos 

Seek and You Shall Find: A Reflection on Faith and Relationships

By Anne Carey

Carey

I attended the SEEK conference in 2015 and it was one of the most profound experiences I have ever had. It was there that I truly understood for the first time what it meant to have a relationship with Jesus, and I was blown away. I thought that maybe my experience at SEEK 2017 would be less profound since it was my second time at the conference, but that wasn’t the case.

The most powerful moment in my life thus far was praying during Adoration at SEEK with 13,000 of my peers. We kneeled on the ground for three hours in front of the Blessed Sacrament, talking to Jesus, and I think most of us could have stayed there all night. It didn't matter where you were in your faith, the only thing that mattered was being there together thanking God for this moment.

So many of us were brought to tears, myself included, and I remember thinking how much I wanted everyone I had ever met, everyone on earth, to feel what I felt at that moment. I have never felt so much peace, love and joy than in those three hours. This complete feeling of joy, of being loved by Jesus and loving Jesus, causes your soul to overflow and you want every single person to experience it.
Time and time again I have found myself kneeling at the foot of the cross when I needed Jesus the most. I realized that I had been withdrawing from Jesus for the past year and He had fallen very far down on my list of priorities. Too many things had taken His place and I didn’t realize it until I closed my mind to the distractions and opened my heart again at SEEK this year.

One of the most profound statements I heard from one of the speakers at SEEK was that “People are more afraid of the light than the dark.” It is so easy to ignore the light because a lot of the time it means changing parts of our lives. We don’t want to admit that some of the ways in which we are living are not reflecting Jesus’ love for us or for others. It isn’t easy to let the light shine onto your life, but once you do, it allows you to examine yourself and how to love more like Jesus and leads you to experience more happiness than ever before.

Another reminder from SEEK was that if your identity is not in Jesus, it is in something else. As soon as I heard that it immediately resonated with me. If you place your identity in other things, you will be disappointed and crushed when the guy stops liking you or when you get bad grades or when you get turned down from countless jobs. There will always be someone "better.” Once you realize your identity does not lie in those things, but in Jesus, you view yourself and others differently. You find peace within yourself and who you are. You don't see others as people to compete with or as something that will fulfill you, but you look at their souls and how you can love them better. Too often we use others for how they can benefit us. When you have Jesus at the center of your life, your relationships with others stop being based on use, and start being based on love. It is truly freeing.

A lot of people think that loving and following Jesus is restrictive but it’s the most beautiful, fulfilling and freeing relationship I have ever had. 

"Everyone is craving quality relationships and everyone desires true love and happiness because that is what we were made for. However, most of our time is unfortunately spent filling our hearts and lives with things that we think will bring this to us (money, power, romantic relationships to name a few). However, a relationship with Jesus is the only way we will find what we desperately search for. No grade in school, athletic achievement, or compliment from a man has ever made me feel the joy and peace I feel before Jesus, and it never will."

I have not always felt this way. I have felt far from Jesus and not in tune with the feelings I feel now, and to those people that feel that way I encourage you to keep your mind open and keep seeking. Don't live your life in complacency when deep down you know you were made for more. Keep seeking Him because unfailing love awaits you.

                                                      🙏🙏

Anne Carey is a first-year law student at Brooklyn Law School. She was a four-year Division 1 Track and Field athlete at Columbia University and graduated in 2015 with a B.A. in Sustainable Development.    

Made in '87: A Night Supporting The Community Cloth

Thursday Jan.26 was a night to celebrate the life of founder Missy Enaje and to support Houston-based non-profit The Community Cloth, an organization that empowers refugee women through micro-enterprise based initiatives.

Here's more information from their mission statement:

The Community Cloth is a microenterprise initiative empowering refugee women in Houston. It targets economic, educational and social goals through the provision of seed grants, training, and peer support, and by expanding market opportunities for refugee women artisans. It supports them in creating and selling handmade, indigenous arts and crafts such as woven scarves, knitted scarves, household items, children's hats, and more. Through producing and selling their wares, the women have an opportunity to express their culture and heritage, learn new skills that will assist them in transitioning to life in the US, and obtain much-needed supplemental income. All of the proceeds go directly to the artisans and the program.  Most of the women involved to date are mothers; some are widows or are the only working member of their families.
 

Click "Read More" below for pictures from "Made in '87"