Dearest Black Ladies,

Dearest Black Ladies,

I am writing this Love Note to you specifically because there are 2 major issues going on in our culture that needs to be addressed.

Last night, while on twitter, there were 2 tweets that popped up on my timeline that expressed exactly how I felt regarding a lot of my sistas.. The first one was posted by @JamapellaNesha:

"Why is it we have a hard time being nice & to our own?

We forever give each other the nastiest looks and attitude for no reason..."

As a bartender I have the opportunity to interact with a diverse group of individuals. People from all over the world have come, sat down & had a conversation of some sort with me & I must say, out of all the different cultures & ethnicities ...you tend to have the nastiest attitude. It starts with me & a smile, "Hi. How are you?" your response, [silence]. Thats usually how our sessions begins. I go into Wal-Mart, we end up two-stepping in the cereal aisle & I'm the only one who's parents taught her to say "Excuse Me".  I know you all were raised with the basics of common courtesy & manners please display them. There's no reason to walk around with a nasty attitude & hard look on your face. Smile. =)

The second tweet came from @PinkPoodle86. She posted:

"See Im no hater! I salute a flly bish when I see one! We need to stick together and stop hating!..."

While looking for a picture for this love note, I googled African American women so many images of beautiful black women popped up. Different colors, hair, nose, lips, body...everything...but GORGEOUS!

Why must it be a "Better than You" competition when we have the baddest females of all the races anyway...? =)

Dearest Usher,

Dearest Usher,

Finally. A COMPLETE video for my favorite song right now...

..."Hey Daddy [Daddy's Home]".

The video is straight. Beautiful young lady.

However, I was waiting for a complete dance scene... you know like in "In Da Club"?... wtf?

&& I just saw the cover for this single...w/ the baby. Was/Is "Daddy's Home" dedicated to your sons?

If so, the scene I had in my head about Daddy coming home & "...its time to play..." has now been replaced with pacifiars & lego blocks...smh...

Dearest Mariah Carey,

Dearest Mariah Carey,

Memiors of an Angel...

...one of the best R&B albums I have heard in a LOOONNNGGG time. I put it right up there with Emancipation of Mimi [Classic]. I have played this album nonstop since it dropped & I play it from top to bottom everytime. Song for song. Word for word.

These past few days though, "Up Out My Face" has been my shit! & now that a visual has been provided I figured it'd make me love this song even more...buuuuttttt, not so much.

[I LOVE that butterfly necklace...AHHH!]

Question: is N. Minaj neccessary? I understand she's "hot" right now, but she says nothing worth listening to && you look more like a damn Barbie in the video than she does. Ha!

But, with every negative, theres a postive... & you both look Gorgeous. :)

Yesterday, we were also blessed with a video for another of my favorite tracks, "Angels Cry" [ft Ne-Yo].

This song has blasted through the speakers a few times...

...& this is why you are my Bish.

Dearest Lauryn Hill,

Dearest Lauryn Hill,

You have no idea how excited I am...

...to see your recent live performance in New Zealand.
I must say, you seemed to be rapping a little fast & seemed out of breathe, but I don't know what you were doing before this video started rolling so I will not judge.
However, "Doo Woop [That Thing]" = CLASSIC. I still love this joint.
My favorite line,

"How you gon' win when you aint right within?"

When I came across the this video the caption read, "Does she still got it?"

I think you still got it... I'm just not too sure about what you had on...

That hat & skirt looked like something Blossom would wear...but, if you like it, I LOVE it. :)

We miss you Ms. Hill...even more now than ever.

Dearest LiL Wayne,

Dearest LiL Wayne,

Now THIS is the Weezy F. Baby I use to love...

...The one who made it mandatory for these hoes to "say the muthafuQin baby".

I swear to you not, Carter II...CLASSIC! I had  to purchase at least 2 RETAIL copies of that album b/c I played the first one OUT!

"Money on my Mind" was one of my favorite joints off the Carter II LP & to see a video now, kinda makes me hella excited. During this time, you were one of my favorite rappers, but after the sizzurp, being an alien & whatnot...not so much.

"...Money is on my mind/so Money is all I think of..."

Anywho, shout out to WSHH & JTFManagement for the exclusive throwback.

Dearest Martin Luther King, Jr.,

Dearest Martin Luther King, Jr.,

Today is the day we honor/celebrate your legacy.

When I was younger, I remember learning a part of your infamous, "I Have A Dream" speech. "I have a dream...that one day, my children will not by judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.." & adhering to that dream since. I have never judged anyone by the color of their skin...but I have judged everyone by their character & values.

Now that I am older [& w/ modern day technology] I have been able to read the transcript of your speech. As I did so, the paragraph below stood out to me.

"We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force. The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny and their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone.

In tribute of you, I have a video that I saw on MTVJams today.

[Shout out to Whitney Houston, El Debarge, Fat Boys, LisaLisa, Menudo, Kurtis Blow, Run DMC]

Dearest Mo'Nique,

Dearest Mo'Nique,

"Baaaaabbbbbyyyyyyyyyy... " [in my mo'nique voice]

I was at work when the Golden Globes was aired, but was SOOOO happy & proud to hear that you won Best Supporting Actress for one of the best movies of 2009, "Precious".

I have been a fan of yours for a looonnnngggggg time. & I'm just makes me so proud of you. I remember falling in love with Nicki Parker, "Woomp Woomp'ing" with you on "Showtime at the Apollo", laughing my ass off when you guest starred on "Thank God You're Here", High-5ing you on "Charm School" & despising you in "Precious".

I loved how Mary sang you all the way to the stage.

"Thank You God, for this amazing ride you are allowing me to go on..."

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Dearest Aaliyah,

Dearest Aaliyah,

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

"Like the sun, you gave us substance & warmth.

Like the moon, you will remain the light the shines down upon us."

-Aaliyah

We miss you. A lot.

Dearest Haiti,

Dearest Haiti,

My Prayers are with everyone one associated with this horrible catastrophe.

[before & after of Haiti's Presidental Dome]

 A major earthquake struck southern Haiti on Tuesday, knocking down buildings and power lines and inflicting what its ambassador to the United States called a catastrophe for the Western Hemisphere's poorest nation.

The magnitude 7.0 quake -- the most powerful to hit Haiti in a century -- struck shortly before 5 p.m. and was centered about 10 miles (15 kilometers) southwest of Port-au-Prince, the U.S. Geological Survey reported. It could be felt strongly in eastern Cuba, more than 200 miles away, witnesses said. -CNN.com

You can donate to these groups:

• Text Yele. -- Wyclef Jean is urging donors to text 'Yele' to 501501 and make a $5 contribution to the relief effort over cell phone.
• Save the Children. -- Donate at savethechildren.org
• UNICEF. -- Go online to unicefusa.org/haitiquake or call (800) 4UNICEF.
• Red Cross. -- Go online to redcross.org and click Donate, or call (800) REDCROSS.
• Direct Relief International. -- Donate online at directrelief.org.

To find information about friends and family in Haiti: The U.S. State Department set up a toll-free number to call for information about family members in Haiti: 1-888-407-4747. [source: nydailynews.com]

Dearest Friends,

Dearest Friends,

Do you have a picture of you & your favorite celeb?

[For example, Ginwine & I - He was sooOoo sweet]

I would love to post it on my blogspot.

Hit me on twitter or via email ==> andrinaandrews@gmail.com subject: I Love ______.
Also, have a blogspot, webpress...whatever? hit me up & I will add you to my blogroll..

'Preciate the love.

PS: Don't forget to tell a friend to tell a friend.

Dearest Christina Milian,

Dearest Christina Milian,

"...I'm forever yours...Welcome to Vegas..."

I have listened to this song maybe 10 times already & I really love it!

I must admit, you haven't had that much music for me to be a hardcore "fan" of, but you have had a couple of joints I've checked for & now, "Welcome to Vegas" is another song I can add to my list of favorite C. Milian songs ["Dip it Low". Classic.].

I am, however, a HUGE fan of The Dream's. Homeboy can write his ass off. If you see him anytime soon please tell him that Mariah Carey's Memior of an Imperfect Angel album is the greatest R&B album I've heard in a minute. From the beginning to the end...great work.

PS: Congratulations on the wedding & on becoming a mommy!! =)

Dearest Boondocks,

Dearest Boondocks,

...& creator Aaron McGruder...

I am so damn excited to hear that Boondocks will be returning to our HD-TVs [mine, anyway] sometime this year.
I thought I heard March 2010, but I'm not exactly sure so don't quote me.
Anywho, I remember hearing this good news a few days after Christmas via twitter, but the other day on my way to work, I heard Regina King on the radio, [V-103's Ryan Cameron show] & remembered how much I missed Riley, Huey, Uncle Ruckus, Grandpa...shoot, everydamnbody.

[Shout out to FreddyO.com for the video-- FF to :28 to hear Regina do Huey & Riley's voices]

SoOoo, in honor of Boondocks returning [after a 2 yr hiatus], I will post a Boondocks Comic strip everyday until...

click picture to enlarge

LmaO at "...I hate my life." [01-10-2010]

Dearest Bryan J.,

Dearest Bryan J.,

"...You can trust me like I'm Obama LiL Mama..."

[shout out to governedbyloyalty.com for the flick]

Hi Homie!

I was just writing this little love note to show my love for the

"Like Im Obama" lyric video. I think its quite creative. Shout out to director, Prowlaman.

For a lot of people who don't know, you are signed to producer/songwriter, Tricky Stewart's RedZone Entertainment. According to Vibe.com;

"RedZone was founded by Tricky and his brother Mark E. Stewart in 1995. The production company has been responsible for more than 20 million records sold by artists ranging from Mary J. Blige to Sting. Stewart, whose songwriting partner is R&B star The-Dream, was previously responsible for producing records and then shopping them to major labels. The new deal frees him up to see projects all the way through.

RedZone's current focus is the 20-year-old singer Bryan J., whose heavy-bass, slow-droll dance song "Like I'm Obama" made rounds around the Internet in August.

"I'm going to spend this time getting his face out there, I'm going to give him a little bit of my experience breaking an artist in this industry," Stewart says of Bryan. "His stuff is all about being young and youthful. So we're trying to get in that whole 'heartthrob' lane where he can drive the girls crazy. Right now, we're just working the Internet."

In the midst of all this, I ran across a live performance of "Like I'm Obama" which I really enjoyed.I loved the live band. The dancers did they thing & you sounded just like the song...

Dearest Usher,

Dearest Usher,

... A teaser? REALLY?

I heard "Hey Daddy" a few days ago on the radio & of course, I fell in love with the song immediately. Saying that, you can only imagine how excited I was to find the vid... I mean snippet of the video.

"... & I wont knock. Wont ring no bells. You just put that bottom up in the air....."

But thanks to someone out in the world...I am able to share the complete 1st single from Raymond vs. Raymond, written by Rico Love with production by The Runners.

PS: I love this Raymond vs Raymond promo video. One Word: Steamy.

Dearest Trina,

Dearest Trina,

I will admit, you are a Bad Bitch...

But, what the hell happened to Trina aka "the BADDEST Bitch"?
You know, the Trina "Nann Hoe" was fuQing with.
I feel in love with the Trina that contained explicit content & parental advisory.
For example, one of my favorite songs EVER:
"The Baddest Bitch". CLASSIC...!

"Don't be scared, if you curious just ask me hoes & yes dick sucking comes quite natural..."

See!?! That went so hard! I swear I blasted that in my Acura speakers manyatimes.
I do understand people have to grow up/evolve, but that era was when music was THEE shit.

Anywho, 2010 just arrived & you've dropped a video for the new single,
"That's My Attitude". We'll see how it plays out.

I do, however, love your make up in this video. Beautiful. & The necklace with the crown....I would like IMMEDIATELY!!  Please & Thanks. ;)

 PS: What's a love note without a throwback? Shout out to Trick Daddy. "Nann Nigga"

Dearest Joe's Crab Shack,

Dearest Joe's Crab Shack,

..."Oh Shit!"

The commerical is hiliarious.

I can't remember what channel I was watching,
but I saw this and was cracking up.
I can't believe The Discovery Channel, Turner Network & of all stations, FOX, banned this.
Its cute ;) & realistic.

Dearest Friends,

Dearest Friends,

...I got that "New New...for You You"

A struggling producer dreams of winning a national beat battle contest to gain respect and possibly start a career as a producer. This is a Hip-Hop film in the vein of “8 Mile”, “Hustle & Flow” and even harkening back to the likes of “Beat Street”.  [BattleTheMovie]

Coming to a theater near you...soon.

Dearest Jay Sean,

Dearest Jay Sean,

Baby, are you downdowndowndowndown...?

 

 I just don't get it. Has my ass been living in a bubble?

Apparently this song/video dropped sometime during the middle of 09.

Its now the beginning of 2010 & I'm still learning all the words to the 3x Platinum single, "Down" [ft. Wayne].

 

 Like Jason Derulo, I have no idea who you are or where you came from.

SooOo, I stopped by Wikipedia again to see what all I could learn about you.

Couple of interesting facts:

• Real Name: Kamaljeet Singh Jhooti [In Punjabi: ਕਮਲਜੀਤ ਸਿੰਘ ਝੁੱਟੀ ]
• You've been signed to Cash Money Records since the end of 2008
• You're the 1st solo artist of Asian origin and 1st UK urban act to top the Hot 100 [ Billboard]
• You're the most successful British/European male urban artist in US chart history
• You were ranked #35 in Billboard's Hot 100 Artists of 2009
• You're the 1st male act [since Chingy in 03] to "simultaneously appear in the Hot 100 top 10 with his first two charting singles

 Congratulations of your worldwide success.

 

Dearest Jason Derulo,

Dearest Jason Derulo,

...Who are you & where the hell did you come from?

My Boyfriend & I were listening to the radio one day & "Whatcha Say" came through the airwaves. He reached over to turn the volume up.

Me: Who the hell is this?

Him: I don't know.

Me: Turn it down. Its wack.

Him: I like it. I think its a hit. I know a hit when I hear one.

I didn't pay attention then but eventually I did.

Now, I absolutely LOVE this song!

"...mmm whatcha saaayyyy. mmm that you only meant weeeelll. Wellofcourseyoudid...."

Before I wrote this love note, I had to to do a little research on you & according to Wikipedia;

Jason Derülo (born September 21, 1989) is an American singer and actor.

After doing some production work for several artists, and some songwriting for Cash Money Records co-founder Birdman, Young Money Entertainment owner Lil Wayne and rapper Diddy, he signed to minor recording label Beluga Heights. After Beluga Heights became part of the Warner Music Group, Derülo released his debut single, "Whatcha Say". The song became a huge digital hit, selling over 2 million records, gaining an RIAA certification of 2x Platinum, and reaching #1 in the US and several other countries. Derülo followed up with the single "In My Head", and has stated that both are tracks from his eponymous upcoming album, titled Jason Derülo.

Wow. 2x platinum already?! Theres people who have been in the game forever & still havent touched gold status. Congratulations, Homie.

PS: The Lady Gaga tour. Good Look.