Jhene Aiko's New Album Makes Waves

     

Attention music lovers: there’s some new underground tunes that are sure to have you sit back, close your eyes and drift off to a world far away from your own reality. Treat yourself to a trip to a musical paradise by sailing out with recording artist, Jhene Aiko. The former T.U.G. artist has come a long way from kicking it with R&B group B2K to establishing herself as an artist to look out for.
       Last Tuesday, Aiko released her highly anticipated EP titled Sail Out. Since releasing her first musical project in years, Sailing Souls, fans have been eagerly waiting to hear some fresh sounds from the singer, myself included. Since then, many labels have been dying to sign the brand new face on the music scene, but in the end, Def Jam won the prize. Aiko’s decision was found to be the right one. Upon signing, she has been on tour with the likes of two powerhouse names, multi-platinum Hip Hop artists Nas and Drake. We can assume that because of all the performances there were to tend to, studio time just wasn't a priority. However, the wait has finally come to an end with not just one, but two presents (YAAY!).
       Aiko has called the EP "a bridge between Sailing Souls and her first solo album Souled Out". The album is set for release in early January of 2014, so it looks like Aiko’s fans should be sitting tight until the next album. I know that I (a fan since the T.U.G. days) am more than satisfied and cannot wait to hear more. If you know Aiko, then you know her style: smooth, sultry and easy on the ears. Her voice and melodic rhythm are captivating and her lyrics cut deep into the soul. She has said that the album will be a little different than what we’re used to, but hey, I’m up for the challenge. Any artist that can step out of their comfort zone musically and succeed at it is a go in my book.
       If you’re looking for something new for your iPod, definitely give Jhene Aiko a listen. Sail Out  is only six dollars on iTunes and is in this week’s top 10 new album releases. Collaborations on the EP include Kendrick Lamar, Childish Gambino, and Ab-Soul. Aiko touches on issues ranging from deep conversations about her personal life to lighter expression about her love of hibiscus and just being a bum for the day with your significant other. This is definitely an EP that will be on repeat for me until further notice.

- Ashley Germain

Jhene Aiko's video "Bed Peace" from Sail Out

Kanye West "Takes Back" Confederate Flag

   Kanye West is known to do outlandish things that never cease to shock the public. It works like a charm, every time, and we are always entertained. His actions, his words and his mannerisms are very hard to predict but when will we stop acting so surprised? Kanye has made it clear to his audience that if he has a statement to make, it will be made, and last week’s events were no different from the rest.

                Last Tuesday, Kanye was seen sporting a jacket with the Confederate flag shining in all its glory on his right sleeve. Ironically enough, this happened at about the same time that Kanye slandered Barney’s for racially profiling in its stores. Now, before I get to how I feel about the charade, let’s get to the general public point of view. From all the articles I have read and all the newscasts I have seen, public opinion is split between two sides: publicity stunt and “cultural hero”. On the one hand, you might cry publicity stunt because Kanye is known for his antics; he needs to stay in the public eye to, (say it with me) make money. As long as Kanye remains a household name, he is getting called for photo shoots, commercials, advertisements, sponsorships and the list goes on. Not that we don’t talk about him enough as it is but it would make sense for him to pull a stunt like this.

West takes it even further by placing the Confederate flag on his tour merchandise. We’re talking t-shirts, sweaters, snapbacks, etc. which leads us to believe that this could be a marketing technique as well. On the other hand, some people see Kanye as the one person who looks out for the Black community. As an African-American, once you dig deeper, I can see how this could be a positive action that most people could take as a negative at face value. For example, take the N-word. People outside of our culture don’t understand why some of us use it. African-Americans sought to take that word that has such a negative connotation in our history, and turn it into something more endearing. Then we face the problem of “Well if you can use the word, why can’t I?” from non-African-American people. There’s a whole lot of controversy that comes with this, but you should understand the point I’m trying to get across. Kanye may be trying to abolish an ugly symbol that has lasted too long in our history.

            As for my thoughts, I believe Kanye has every opportunity to carry out the latter. Whether or not he is aware of this opportunity remains unknown. And even if he is, his statements in previous interviews give me the impression that he doesn’t really care. But that could be a bluff as well. I want to believe that Kanye has every intention to set the bar for African-Americans to succeed, however I need to see the fruits of that labor. If you are going to call yourself God, if you are going to flaunt the Confederate flag, have an end purpose to it all. Otherwise, the amount of ruckus that was made on your behalf was in vain, and these actions will just be thrown into the same pile as the Miley Cyrus’s or Lindsay Lohans. There will be no accomplishments made. I don’t want Kanye to be a walking oxymoron, exploiting those who he claims to support just for the sake of self-gain. What happens when Caucasians start wearing the flag as a fashion statement? Will not history repeat itself (as irony would have it)? Who knows, maybe I set my sights too high for someone who has no filter… ever. Only time will tell. What do you think? Is this a stunt, stirring up controversy for some publicity or taking back a negative symbol that has been in the African-American culture for years?

     

- Ashley Germain 

Here's What You Missed at The Jumpoff!

Haraya's annual Jump-off is always an event that deserves to be covered, and the Torch newspaper was right on the scene! Torch staff writer Christina Dogas gives you a play-by-play of the livest party of the fall semester. Here's what you missed!

To conclude the first full week of classes, Haraya held its semester kickoff known as “Jump Off” in Taffner Field House on Friday evening. 

When I arrived, the entrance to the party was exceedingly packed. As I stood outside waiting to get in, I could feel the anticipation from everyone around me. Some people were dancing to the music that they could hear from outside. 

Many students brought guests from other colleges, giving them a chance to see a St. John’s party. It took at least 20 minutes to get into the event. Upon arriving, the music was thunderous and people were dancing to the rhythmic beats.  DJ Zeke did an outstanding job DJing at the event with his upbeat mixes. 

“It was one of the best parties in a very long time,” DJ Zeke said. “The organization did a great job at promotion.” 

There didn’t seem to be a single individual who looked uninterested. Everyone was dancing together. Whether people were with their friends or meeting new people, everyone seemed to be having a good time. At one point I forgot I was at a school event, but rather at a club. 

Nechelle Jean, a new transfer, didn’t know what to expect at the event. 

“I am so glad that I went, it was so much fun,” she said. “It made up for all of the stress that the first week of classes brought. I cannot wait to attend the Jump Off next year.” 

Jump Off was a great chance to catch up with old friends and also a possibility to meet new ones. This was a great end to the first full week of classes. 

- Christina Dogas

Stay tuned to see what exciting events Haraya has in store. It's going to be great 2013-2014 school year!

So Much To Do in a New York Minute

 Let the countdown begin!  With just a week before finals, it’s time to get bountiful doses of New York City before voyaging home or heading on vacation! So what have you been missing out on?  Let’s see.  Scrumptious delights at food trucks. Spectacular deals on the latest in entertainment. Lively festivities at BAM.  New York City’s opportunities are literally endless.  Now is the time to embark on New York City adventures before it’s too late!  Let’s unveil a few happenings this week!

            Truck + Food = Happiness.  Food trucks have been the latest rave over the past year and its demand only continues to expan. It’s nifty. It’s cool. It’s innovative. Food trucks no longer sell hot dogs and pretzels. No no. They sell gourmet delights guaranteed to blow your mind.  Known for their portable wood-burning pizza oven, PizzaMoto has managed to produce a traveling pizzeria. Though the menu is quite typical, the taste is out of this world. PizzaMoto sells personal pizzas drizzled with olive oil and garnished with melted globs of mozzarella.  Normally parked at flea markets and popular destinations throughout Brooklyn, it’s best to track this sucker down via twitter.  

https://twitter.com/pizzamotobklyn. On the other hand, if you have a sweet tooth that needs to be soothed, wait no longer—the cupcake truck is here. That’s right.  CupcakeStop is a one-stop truck for hungry New Yorkers in search for a tasty treat. Cupcake sizes come in regular and mini, so you don’t feel guilty indulging in these heavenly sweets.  Cupcake flavors range from chocolate all the way to French vanilla garnished with caramelized bacon.  And it gets better.  Customers are encouraged to submit funky cupcake ideas. If chosen, the customer will receive 100 complimentary cupcakes of their unique design. Like PizzaMoto, CupcakeStop can best be tracked via twitter. Visit https://twitter.com/cupcakestop.

            At ScoreBig.com, you do just that—score BIG! ScoreBig slashes prices for the most desirable venues not only in New York City, but throughout the United States. Mark my words.  With ScoreBig you have the opportunity to score the best seats for killer prices. Personally, I brought 2 Brooklyn Nets tickets for approximately $185 in total.  My seats were about 6 to 8 rows away from the floor seats!  While prices are always discounted, the earlier you buy tickets the greater the availability.  ScoreBig is currently featuring tickets for Mets games, Yankees games, Spiderman and The Lion King, just to name a few.  Whether you’re interested in buying tickets now, or scoring tickets in another state, this is a great and affordable resource to lock in your memory bank. 

            If you haven’t been down to the Brooklyn Museum on the first Saturday of the month, you’re truly missing out!  But I have good news.  It’s not too late!  This Saturday marks the 5^th first Saturday event of the year.  From 5 pm to 11 pm, you can revel in the cultural activities happening throughout the museum.  You will be given an opportunity to compose watercolor postcards of a destination from your imagination, which is inspired by the latest exhibit, watch a film that “chronicles the adventures of two young women traveling through multiple realities” and flaunt your latest spring threads at a garden party accompanied by musical group Les Chauds Lapins.  

- Brittany Spell

'13 Spring Concert!

So there you have it, the 2013 Haraya Music Fest!  Hopefully you guys came out and enjoyed the show! With the sweet sounds of Jhene Aiko, her calm and smooth band playing in her background as she sang songs like “Higher” and “What a Life,” Jhene had the crowd infatuated.  She did a dedication to Tupac Shakur cover of “Keep Your Head Up,” in her own Jhene-like style.  With Ab-Soul, came the TDE Black Hippies movement to the stage.  Peter Rosenberg came on stage to get the energy hype, with a few smart comments made towards Rick Ross “Dying over Reeboks.”  Pusha T lit the stage with a couple songs from Wrath of Caine, as well as his famous earlier hits.  Pusha also performed “I Don’t Like,” and “New God Flow,” from Cruel Summer, and closed the show with “Blocka.”  Trinidad James did have his gold on, the rapper actually jumped off the stage to sing with the audience while performing a couple of his songs from off of his album titled Don’t Be S.A.F.E. 

If you’re a movie person like me, then you know that The Great Gatsby is coming out next month.  I might have mention this many times, mainly because I’ve been excited for the release of the soundtrack, along with the score done by Jay Z himself.  The movie alone looks like its going to be big, and the music that has recently been surfacing, is amazing.  The full song of “Back to Black,” covered by André 3000 and Beyoncé, has come out and it's seductive with it's jazzy cover.  Lana Del Rey’s “Young and Beautiful,” mirrors the singers style of dark, sad-core indie songs, and I keep the song on repeat.  While Emeli Sandé and the Bryan Ferry Orchestra did a smooth jazz cover to Beyoncé’s Crazy in Love; the album does nothing more but impress. 

Kanye’s new album is reportedly completed and is rumored to be named Rich Black American.  According to Paul Rosenberg, everyone who listened to Ye’s album at the label said they loved it, but it was dark.  I can only imagine something deep and creative from Kanye, and I’m excited to see what ‘dark’ means in the line up for his work. Don’t forget to check out Kanye perform some of his new music on SNL on May 18^th!

What’s on my replay?

Cole Summer – J. Cole

Over the Love – Florence and the Machine

Young and Beautiful – Lana Del Rey

Back to Black – Beyoncé & André 3000

I Can’t Win – Chris Brown

- Alyssa Jones 

Fun in the Sun

Spring semester is swiftly reaching its finale and New York City is just heating up. The streets of New York are blazing this week with events roping in renowned film directors, actors and actress, as well as future NFL stars and earth lovers just in time for Earth Day. 

            Earth Day began in 1970 to raise awareness of critical environmental issues, such as pollution and wildlife extinction.  Over 40 years later and these issues are more important than ever.  In celebration of Earth Day, April 22^nd, numerous Earth Day activities are brewing inside Grand Central’s Vanderbilt Hall.  ALL events are free!  Granted the weather is sunny or stormy, Earth Day celebration will continue!  Activities include, live performances, sustainability talks, interactive displays and light refreshments.  Events begin at 10 am and end at 6 pm.  For more information and updates, visit Earthdayny.org

            New York City is going to be on lock Thursday through Saturday as the NFL launches their NFL draft picks for 2013!  This is the top event happening this week!  Whether you want to potentially rub elbows with a star, put on for your team or be a part of something enterprising and lively, you should be at the draft pick.  The event is FREE, but seats are limited.  Basically, tickets will be distributed on a first come, first serve basis.  Each day brings new exciting plans, but let’s just say that there will be special guests, interactive exhibits, and prizes.  Fans will have the opportunity to see the Lombardi Trophy and a collection of Super Bowl rings on display.  For specific instruction on what time and where to be to get your seat, visit Nfl.com

            The Tribeca Film Festival is an additional buzz on the streets.  Celebrities, like Robert De Niro, Whoppie and Sienna Miller, have joined in on the celebration of the festival this year.  The films being featured this year are phenomenal!  Seriously.  They range from serious, heartfelt topics to light, stomaching aching comedies bound to warm your heart.  Some film events are free, while others are simply a few bucks.  Head over to. 

http://tribecafilm.com/filmguide to scope out and determine what films are you want to check out.  Look now, so you can get your tickets ASAP!  

- Alyssa Jones 

New Albums Coming Your Way

First and foremost, Haraya’s Spring Concert is this Friday and the headliners are announced!  Pusha T and Ab-Soul will be there, so you must go out and get your tickets at Campus Concierge as soon as possible! Also, I know you’ve heard a couple names about who the surprise guest artist could be, but be sure to keep stopping by Haraya’s homepage for conformations later this week!  Trust me, this year's concert is sure not to disappoint. 

This weekend, Wiz Khalifa and Curren$y released a collaborative EP called Lie in Concert.  The two have such style and swag that sounds so good together, almost effortlessly.  The EP is available on iTunes and is a mixture of Curren$y Spitta’s smooth jazz-like beats and Wiz' classic style to give some great tracks.  The EP was released on the infamous 4/20, so you can expect the rappers ode to the day.  A definite for when you're looking for something chill to vibe to. 

"The Great Gatsby" will be out next month and it's sure to be a huge success, with names like Jay Z to do the score for the film, you can expect something fresh and unusual.  This weekend, a snippet from the movie was released and the track sounds pretty dope, "$100 Bill,” is one of those timeless cocky tracks where Jay is going to prove to you just how much money he really has on the track, and you can’t help but respect it.  I’m pretty excited for the movie and more music to come from this track alone. 

As the weeks wind down to a close, and as summer is right around the corner, I thought I'd note a few predictions for this summer in music.  Drake is sure to drop some heat and blaze up the summer with some anthems that will have you happy for life, friends, and parties.  Yeezy is expected to bring a new album which is sure to have you excited, especially for his collaborations with Daft Punk.  I hope to see more underground rappers get light, like Ab-Soul and Troy Avenue, and most importantly just good music all summer long.

Whats on my Replay?

Live In Concert – Wiz Khalifa & Curren$y

Get Lucky – Daft Punk, Pharell & Nile Rodgers

Money Team- Mac Miller ft Ab-Soul, Smoke Dza & Da$h

Girls Love Beyonce- Drake

No New Friends – Drake ft. Lil Wayne & Rick Ross

- Alyssa Jones