All posts filed under: Sound Off

Bronx Rising: No Commission and the Politics of Ownership

Published by Khadijat Oseni

Sway may not have had the answers for Kanye when it came to finding a Medici family to support his dreams of creating art freely outside of the confines of rhymes, beats and breaks. However, hip hop artist & producer Swizz Beatz and his Dean Collection are fulfilling this patronage act in an unexpected arena- the high-brow world of art dealing. Through his No Commission: Art Performs series, Kasseem “Swizz Beatz” Dean is helping both established and emerging artists like Swoon and Delphine Diallo bypass “the man” in the form of sales & gallery representation by empowering artists to display and sell their work directly to the highest stakeholders with no frills attached. The radical factor which some view as naive is that zero costs are associated with being included in his tightly curated shows along with having 100% of proceeds go straight to the artists’ pockets. Swizz’s philosophy behind this experimental model, “If you free the artist, you free the world,” stems from the idea of allowing living, working artists to enjoy the fruits …

An Introvert’s Guide to Travel

Published by Khadijat Oseni

Fun Fact: I’m an extroverted introvert…the worst kind possible because no one begs to think we exist. I’m equally fueled by human interaction as much as I am easily drained by said social interactions. A little part of me dies whenever I have to commit to plans, peel myself off the couch, say bye to my #bae, Netflix to head outside and interact with people…especially lots of random people! Once I get out of my own way and dart into the world, I of course couldn’t imagine a life without exploring but the steps getting there can be quite treacherous depending on my mood. I’ve found that one of the best remedies comes from building in mini breaks between commutes to fully recharge before immersing in social situations. Here are some fun ways that I’ve found helpful with hanging onto “me-time” while navigating through various points of my journey… OVERSIZED HEADPHONES Not only made for blocking out the wails of screaming babies, oversized headphones are also a stylish way of placing a visual do-not-disturb sign …

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How to Recover from Rose-Colored Glasses

Published by Khadijat Oseni

We’ve all had this fantasy at some point in our lives. You meet a dashing stranger in passing and spark an instant, soul-searing connection. On this fateful day, you chat for hours and imagine how you’ve never encountered each other before but are certain you’ve met in a past life. Dopamine and euphoria cloud your better judgment and your instincts become heavily reliant on emotions and the “feels” of falling fast and hard in love – though often times it’s a whole lotta lust! Like the hopeless romantic you are, you decide to be spontaneous despite what logic tells you and agree to hit the road together on a quest to turn this fairy tale into a reality of sweet nothings. This all sounds beautiful in theory but can realistically turn into the biggest nightmare of a first date if you ignore certain cautionary signs along the way. I’ve been down this road before hopping on a plane and traveling out west for a weekend with a guy I only met just shy of a …

The Curious Case of Beauty

Published by Khadijat Oseni

When it comes to the concept of beauty, I was raised from the neck up as a “smart symbol” and as a result, have always had a disjointed connection to my psychically as a point of entry to celebrate. Growing up, I found beauty in all forms of art including paintings, literature and music as well as through genuinely connecting with people and ideas outside of my general perspective. Beauty was always an experience, never quite a destination. I almost always found beauty particularly striking in two extremes – belly-aching laughter and painstaking vulnerability – expressions and emotions that could never be concealed behind any set of eyes. My confidence came from my intellectual awkwardness and although I had a brief moment during school days where I was teased because I was too tall, too skinny, my lips too big, my eyes too far apart, my gap in my teeth too wide, I never dutifully placed a value in those moments because I lived inside my head and subsequently fought back against my bullies with …

How To Have #Jetsetterproblems

Published by Khadijat Oseni

I often get asked the question, “How do you get to travel so much?” It’s inevitable but also one I have a hard time responding to. Why? Because I’ve made a conscious decision to see the world and committed to going. I do not come from a place of privilege where I hit a magic button and, “Voila!” I’m transported into the sky…a misperception many assume based on my experiences. I’m a middle class girl from Brooklyn who had a dream early on in life to see the world and wanted to make this dream a reality. I took this fiery passion and found ways to manifest this dream through various mediums. One way was working hard in school and getting a scholarship that would place me at a university (NYU – Go Violets!) that supported experiential learning and global exchange via study abroad options. Another way was making sure that I remained open to connecting with people from all different walks of life. In maintaining these relationships and being open, I have had the …

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Say Yes To Austin City Limits!

Published by Khadijat Oseni

Being a kindred “analogue girl in a digital world” like Texas native, Erykah Badu, visiting Austin struck a chord with me since it’s a city that literally revolves around music boasting festivals eleven months out of the year. Last October, I flew out to Austin City Limits, aka ACL, and highly recommend a pilgrimage for fellow music lovers alike. Here’s why! TWO THREE-DAY WEEKEND OPTIONS IN A PHENOMENAL CITY ACL has two separate weekends for concertgoers to choose from with dates typically falling around Columbus Day. This is a huge bonus for crowd control and the line-ups for both weekends are synonymous with the exception of a few acts. Options allow for purchasing either: early bird specials, which are three-day passes issued prior to line-up announcements for $225, regular three-day passes at $250 or single day passes at $100 each. I chose the latter since my main focus was seeing Outkast who kicked off the first night of the weekend I attended. I spent the rest of my time soaking up Austin, which translated to …

Life As Travel

Published by Khadijat Oseni

What is Life? Is it living infinity free of expectations? Or is it roll in, roll out of bed, day in and day out, a repetition split between reluctant deadlines and enthusiastic snooze buttons with the occasional party mixed in to remind you of your existence? If this certainty were guaranteed, would you opt to have a case of the mundane everyday? Or would you gamble against the odds and dare to be different? It’s easy to ask the questions, but more difficult to provide answers, because we all desire a degree of control in some form or another. What would life be if we couldn’t create the memories we desired to collect and retell at a later time to display our glory? The problem is that with all this desire for control, there is little room left for interpretation in our stories, because for the sake of comfort, we’re willing to give up our maps to the guides of family, friends, lovers, school, and career to determine where we end up. How about picking …

Haggle Like A Pro

Published by Khadijat Oseni

In many parts of the world, haggling is a way of life however this dance can sometimes feel offbeat for Western travelers. If you’ve ever felt a tinge of hesitation towards this two-step, fear not! Here are some tips to help bargain your way through any marketplace like a pro! LOOK THE PART The art of haggling starts with your appearance. If you walk through a market looking like a million bucks, chances are you’ll get charged just about the same! Avoid being flashy in your presentation so your bargaining efforts come off sincerely. Added bonus if you learn a few local phrases to meet on as much common ground as possible. KNOW YOUR PRICE Before heading up to any vendor, do your research and come up with ideal prices you’re willing to pay for any given item. A great way of doing this is by consulting locals you know, observing other shops to see where the average asking prices fall as well as browsing through other travelers’ comments & confessionals online. Having rough placeholders …

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Ride A Camel Like A Badass

Published by Khadijat Oseni

As affirmed in a previous post, camels are pretty badass animals and riding them makes you equally as badass. But riding definitely is not as easy as it looks. Here are some tips to stay cool while getting one of the most epic thigh workouts of your life and in no time, you’ll master how to ride a camel like a badass! 1) Cover up – protecting your skin from harsh sun rays as well as guarding your eyes from sand are lasting keys to your journey so bust out those sunglasses and sunscreen. My desert attire always follows the 3 Ls: long, light and loose, but if you’re not into completely covering up, dress in layers so you can pull on and off articles of clothing if you get too hot. To avoid itchy skin due to camel hair, I suggest going with long pants. For my naturalistas out there, turbans are especially your best friends.   2) Don’t just creep up on a camel unknowingly without a firm introduction Same rules as with a …

O’ Captain, My Captain: Life & Travel Lessons from Dead Poets Society

Published by Khadijat Oseni

As a millennial obsessed with pop culture and digging up old movies from a young age, I stumbled upon my first entry into the wanderlust worlds of Walt Whitman, Henry David Thoreau and Robert Frost via sneaking a view of Peter Weir’s Dead Poets Society past my bedtime. Far too young to fully understand the depth of the various themes outlined throughout the film until I later encountered the original texts, I nonetheless was emotionally inspired by the overarching message of living life to the fullest without seeking the permission of others to explore self-expression through the arts. It was then that I fell in love with one of my favorite movie characters of all-time, Professor John Keating portrayed by the genius Robin Williams. With Williams’ untimely passing on Monday, it is here that I share five pre-mature life lessons I learned and still carry along my journeys from dear O’ Captain, my Captain John Keating, through quotes and travel images, in honor of one of my favorite actors, comedians, and creative inspirations of all-time. Rest in peace Robin Williams, you will …