Just When You Thought She Couldn't Get Any Better...

...Announced via her Facebook page, Beyonce Giselle Knowles-Carter hits us with a visual album!!!!

Post by Beyoncé.

Who in the music industry has ever done this, E-VER? (In my Kanye voice) Nothing more needs to be written. Prepare for greatness people; there truly are levels to this artful entertainment thang. Go Bey!

The self-titled full visual album is available on iTune right now. Songs can be purchased individually on December 20th.

Waddy Weekend Wrap - Mon 12/9

Nelson Mandela - My condolences go out to the family and friends of Nelson Mandela as well as the people of South Africa and those who passed away fighting alongside him to end apartheid. Although he was the former President of South Africa, his lifelong dedication to the freedom rights of his people transcends across a global spectrum as well as an intergenerational lifeline. After news of his passing began to spread through social media wildfire, I saw several posts from friends disgusted by their child's lack of knowledge. Their child had no idea who Mandela was, let alone what he fought for and continues to stand for. I thought, there is no way our younger generation does not know of Nelson Mandela. To my surprise, when I told my little sister that Nelson Mandela passed away, she asked me, "Who's that!?" All I could do was shake my head in shock. So of course I had to tell her all of what I knew about him. Since the school's aren't teaching it, it's up to us. I don't even know why I was even surprised. My high school didn't even offer African American history until the end of my sophomore year. Forget about the history of any "minority" group who contributed to American history. It's as if no "minorities" are a part of American history unless they're the enemy. RIP Nelson Mandela (1918-2013). I pray for a world where my future children and grandchildren will know all there is to know about their history. "What we need is not a history of selected races or nations, but the history of the world void of national bias, race hate, and religious prejudice." - Carter Woodson

Soul of Her Shoe - Frankie Darcell of WDAS-FM has implemented a book club as part of her radio presence here in Philadelphia. For the first Book Club Meetup, 3 books were spotlighted including Sunny Anderson's Sunny Kitchen: Real Food for Real Life, Massi J. Smith's Mischievemakers, and Soul of Her Shoe by Okitchy Robertson. Check out the footage from that night.

I read Soul of Her Shoe this past Saturday night. Yup, that's how a 23 year old single young woman spent her Saturday night and it was fabulous! Soul of Her Shoe introduces 8 women all described as different types of shoes based on their personalities. There's the stiletto (diva), slipper (lazy), sneaker (hood rat), pump (mysterious), clog (bitter), and the boot (b**ch), along with the flip flop and sandal. Aside from some of the repetitiveness in the presentation of each shoe, it was a very good read, a real page-turner. Robertson is planning to continue the book into a 3-part trilogy series. I'm interested to see if she'll transform it into a play. As I was reading, I could see the book in visual form. I will say though, I didn't find myself relating to any of the characters; I'd describe myself more as a wedge, a mix between a flat and a heel, a combination of sporty and girly. LOL! Loved the book!

Call Me Crazy, But... - Sevyn Streeter's new EP album Call Me Crazy, But... was released last week. I had the chance to listen to it in whole over the weekend and absolutely loved it! Seven tracks from Sevyn! She reminds me of a mix between Kelly Rowland and Aaliyah, but still her own unique self. I predict a successful musical career from Sevyn. Check out these pics from her release party.

Thanks Drake - In other news, Drake announced his plans to build a recording studio inside Philly's Strawberry Mansion High School. The critics came out quick, asking why Drake didn't decide to contribute something a little more "universal" like books, a library, or even computers to reach more students. Well Drake is in the music industry and he's giving back to the students interested in a field that's often forgotten in conventional schooling, the arts. Some students learn best through music and other art forms. I hope the teachers are able to use it for educational purposes as well as extracurricular fun. Kudos to you Drake, please see this through.