October 2011 ~ The HooD

GOD BLESS TANZANIA

GOD BLESS TANZANIA

History of the Flag of Tanzania => The current flag of Tanzania was adopted on June 30, 1964. Prior to this flag, the region had been two separate political entities, Tanganyika and Zanzibar. When they merged, forming Tanzania, on April 26, 1964, they merged not only their names and their lands, but also their flag. The blue of the Zanzibar flag and the yellow stripes of the Tanganyika flag were combined with the common elements. They were placed diagonally on the flag to show their equal status.

Kanye West's Worn, Signed Yeezy 2s Up For Auction

Kanye West's Worn, Signed Yeezy 2s Up For Auction

Pardon us while we freak out for a second: Aslkdjasdsakd. OK, whew, sorry we just had to get that out of our system after finding out that Kanye West's very own, personally-worn-by-his-size-10.5-feet Air Yeezy 2 sneakers will be put up for auction starting January 24. In case you forgot, the madness surrounding the release of this Nike x Kanye West collab was absolutely BONKERS (see: people got robbed while waiting in line/paid more than $80,000 for a pair on eBay), so, basically, even if you could get your hands on these bad boys, we highly suggest storing them in a very, VERY secure place a.k.a not on your feet. (Sorry!) The sneakers are part of RE/CREATE New York's Hurricane Sandy auction, which will donate all the proceeds to New York Cares for the ongoing rebuilding and relief efforts. They have tons of "personal, one-of-a-kind items donated by prominent members of their creative community," which include everyone from Selena Gomez to Marc Jacobs to Emma Roberts.

Manicurist Madeline Poole To Release DIY Nail Art Book

Manicurist Madeline Poole To Release DIY Nail Art Book

You may think you don't know nail artist Madeline Poole, but we can guarantee you've seen the LA-based manicurist's handiwork within the past year—whether you meant to or not. She was the mastermind behind Kelly Osbourne's killer digits for FAULT's fall cover shoot (among many, many others!), the gal who created all those dope American Apparel nail tutorials, the genius behind Nasty Gal's campaigns, and has done so many celebs' nails we can barely even keep track (our faves? Ke$ha and Kreayshawn). Even if you don't follow fashion mags, you might've also spotted her name in Sephora thanks to The New Black x Madeline Poole nail art kits. (Psst: We've even showcased her work right here on the blog!) Believe it or not, Madeline has even more amazingness up her sleeve—she's releasing a book which gives step-by-step instructions on how to complete all her signature designs this spring. YASSS.

Peep The New Lupe Fiasco x Vans OTW Sneakers!

Peep The New Lupe Fiasco x Vans OTW Sneakers!

If there's one thing we love here at MTV Style, it's when musicians and fashion come together in the most epic of ways. The latest collaboration that we're spazzing over combines our fave rapper/singer Lupe Fiasco and Vans OTW. The result is a balls-out, killer sneaker that we're totally going to swipe up this holiday season. But, before we get ahead of ourselves, let's peep all the deets on these bad boys, shall we? The mostly-black leather Stovepipes, which Lupe called "Native Tongues," feature a throwback Aztec pattern down the center of the shoe with a contrasting yellow-orange outsole. In Lupe's design notes about the sneaks, he said, "It references immediately a '90s hip-hop aesthetic by appropriating the name of the retro-afro, conscious music collective and emulating some style cues they exhibited specifically in the use of traditional African patterns and color schemes in their mode of dress." He continued, "The tongue and the inner sole of the shoe are the only places where the pattern is applied. [...] It creates visually and structurally—a sort of pure bridge or connection between what is possessed on the inside and what is expressed to the outside." Whew, Lupe is really gettin' deep behind the design of his sneakers! Would he kill us if we said we liked them just because, um, they look really awesome? *ducks* These shoes also come with a "Native Tongue" print canvas bag and custom Lupe Fiasco branded deluxe shoe box artwork. These kicks are available at select Vans OTW Collection retailers, which you can find here. Tell us—will you be swiping up a set of Lupe Fiaso? Let us know in the comments below!

Justin Bieber Is The New Face Of NEO Adidas!

Justin Bieber Is The New Face Of NEO Adidas!

Justin Bieber knows his sneakers. Whether he's wearing studded Supras, gold Skytop IIs or swanky suede YSL, he has enough sneaker swag to convince even the MOST high heel-obsessed girls that they need a pair of identical kicks. Let's face it: the Bieber effect is in overdrive, and it's not going anywhere anytime soon. So in a totally genius move, Justin's just signed on with the adidas NEO brand as its newest "Global Style Icon." This means that the singer will rep the sneaker and lifestyle brand starting in 2013, including fronting ad campaigns, making personal appearances, AND a top-secret project that Biebs hints at below. What do you think it is?! Although we can't get all the details quite yet, we've found something to tide us over until then— Justin's giving away several pairs of the EXACT SAME GOLD NEO SNEAKERS he's been wearing on the Believe World Tour. All you have to do is get the clues on Facebook for the chance to score them AND meet Justin in person. Minds = blown. Get the scoop from Justin himself in the video, and let us know what you think of his newest project!

Vans And Iron Maiden Collab For 'Number Of The Beast' Sneakers

Vans And Iron Maiden Collab For 'Number Of The Beast' Sneakers

We couldn't think of a better music and fashion collab if we tried—Vans and Iron Maiden (yes, as in the heavy metal band) have teamed up once again to create some badass sneakers based off their The Number of the Beast album from 1982. Whoaaa. This is the fifth collab between Iron Maiden and Vans—the other projects included the albums Killers in 2007, Piece of Mind in 2007, Powerslave in 2008, and Trooper in 2008. The kicks, which come in the classic Vans slip-on style and Sk8-Hi (seen above), are totally decked out in art straight from the album cover. The iconic Iron Maiden mascot (Eddie) is depicted using satan like puppet along the side of the sneaks. On the sole, you can see the name of the album etched into the side in red ink, and there's also an embroidered Iron Maiden logo on the heel. AWESOME.

Alicia Keys Releases Second Reebok Collection

Alicia Keys Releases Second Reebok Collection

Alright, Alicia Keys, we're singing your own song about you now. GIRL IS ON FIRE. The R&B queen has been performing non-stop to promote her upcoming album (did you catch her super hot set at the European Music Awards last weekend?), globe-trotting with her whole team - and documenting all the goods on her Instagram for us. But somehow, she's still found the time to gift us with two brand new killer collections for Reebok Classics. Just in time for Christmas? Uh, sorry Santa, but we want Alicia to bring us our pressies this year. Check out these sweet shoes, and we have a feeling you'll want her coming down your chimney, too.

A few months ago, Alicia confessed to us that she's been a certified sneaker freak since childhood. Lucky for us, her hubby Swizz Beatz - who is serving as Reebok Classics' creative director - helped make her dreams of designing come true. When her first collection launched back in September, we were floored by the creativity. (Piano keys and NYC skylines... on our shoes? Um, yes please.) Her second collection includes two new sets of sneaks that we're already planning outfits around. The Reptile kicks are a sophisticated black and purple blend. Are those suede accents we see? We hope so. And the Cargo collection? Perfection. Army green and neon pink are a match made in heaven. The Classic Nylon Slim is pretty much our dream sneak. *Hint hint, gift givers!* But what we love most about the shoes is that Alicia really loves them, too. Knowing that Alicia will actually be rocking the exact same shoes as us makes our hearts flutter a little. What about you? Are you diggin' the Reptiles or the Cargos? Tell us in the comments!

17 October 2011

T.I. Working on Power & Beauty Sequel, Relationship Book With His Wife

4:23 AM No comments

With his first novel hitting shelves next week, T.I. tells XXLMag.com that he has plans to release several more books in the near future…

T.I. is already on to the next one. Before his very first fiction novel, Power & Beauty: A Love Story of Life on the Streets, even hits stands, the ATLien tells XXLMag.com that he is already finishing penning its sequel and has plans to drop a third book in the series, along with co-author David Ritz.
“We’re right at the end of [Power & Beauty II] right now,” Tip told XXL over the phone yesterday (October 13). “We’re trying to figure out how to end two and begin three.”
The first book in the series is set to hit stands this coming Tuesday, October 18 via William Morrow/Harper Collins Publishers.
The tome follows the lives of two hard luck lovers Paul “Power” Clay and Tanya “Beauty” Long in the journey to make it in the Big Apple.
The Power & Beauty series isn’t the only literary project that Tip is working on. The recently freed rap superstar is also prepping a joint book with his wife and the mother of two of his sons, Tameka “Tiny” Cottle-Harris.
The couple have endured T.I.’s rise to fame, brushes with the law and current road to redemption and hope to share what they’ve learned.
“Tameka and I, we looking to do [a] his and her relationship book, how to get right and keep it tight,” he said.
Fans can pre-order Power & Beauty: A Love Story of Life on the Streets on amazon.com now. —kelvin nkya

Tone-Loc Collapses Onstage

4:19 AM No comments

Tone-Loc’s manager is blaming the incident on exhaustion…

Tone-Loc continues to make headlines, just two weeks after settling a domestic violence case with the mother of his child. According to TMZ, the “Funky Cold Medina” rapper collapsed onstage during a concert in Atlanta on Saturday night (October 15). The gossip site reports that the West Coast hip-hop veteran was rushed to the hospital following the incident and given an IV. His manager assures fans that Loc has since been released and is doing fine.
Although TMZ was notified by several sources on the scene that TL suffered from a seizure, those reports have yet to be confirmed. His manager says the incident was caused by exhaustion.
On Friday, Rick Ross experienced two seizures while taking off on an airplane. Like the old school MC, Rozay is currently recovering. —kelvin nkya

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Broken City

Jessica Biel Looks Adorable With Beyonce And Justin Timberlake At The 2013 Grammys

Amber Rose Grammys 2013: Singer Shows Major Baby Bump On Red

Amber Rose Grammys 2013: Singer Shows Major Baby Bump On Red

Amber Rose is really pregnant. The model and singer showed off her major baby bump Sunday night at the 55th annual Grammy Awards. Rose -- who's known for showing some serious skin on a night out -- covered her bump in a tasteful black dress. "Only a couple more weeks, then he'll be here," Rose told E! of her baby boy on the red carpet. Soon-to-be daddy recently Wiz Khalifa recently over-shared about the couple's forthcoming big day: “We gonna have a midwife and a doula at the crib and she’s gonna be in a pool and it’s gonna be like a relaxing environment and when she’s ready she’s gonna tell me when to stick my hands down there and I’m gonna pull the baby out," he said.