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1. Name/Alias: Nikki NTU

2.Where are you from/ Where do you currently live?: Brooklyn, NYC

3. Where did/do you go to school and your major?: I attend Fordham University. I major in African and African American Studies.

4. What is your Grind? I’m best known as an emcee, writer, musician, teaching artist, facilitator, and speaker.

5. How did you get into what you’re doing now?: I had a love for writing and speaking at a young age. I started rhyming when I was a teen and got into artist development and workshop facilitation around the same time through a mentor of mine. It just grew from there.

6. When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?: My mom brainwashed me into thinking I wanted to be an Entertainment Lawyer for most of my childhood, ha! But I always loved writing and drawing. I grew up around that creative environment and got to see a lot of that lifestyle so I knew whatever I would be it would have something to do with expression and cultivation.

7. What are some contributing factors that shaped the life you live now?: Being around folks who push beyond their limitations has been a great influence. Having the opportunity to be exposed to what the world has to offer and understanding how I can contribute.

8. Any specific people that mentored or helped guide you to your current path?:Absolutely. Toni Blackman for one. She was key in me being and doing what I do today.

9. What motivates you?: Other artists. Being around them, speaking with them, enjoying their vibe. Learning about artists and figures who’ve come before me and the things they faced. I think learning or experiencing inspires me in general. Seeing what is missing and working to fill that gap.

10. Your favorite author and why?: That’s a hard one… Right now I’m on D.J. Conway and Ra Un Nefer Amen. Subject wise, they are some of the best. But when it comes to tone, Pierre Stephen Robert Payne brings so much heat to a his writing.

11. What are 3 goals you want to achieve within the next year?: Hmmmm…..
1. Tour 2. Have my organization up and running 3. Map out a space and place of my own where I can put roots

12. One person that continuously inspires you and why?: It’s hard to pick one…I’d really have to say MeLo-X. I’ve always admired his ability to keep moving. His vision and work ethic is crazy. I just sit back sometimes and smile. Gives me a great sense of pride.

13. 3 Indie brands you LOVE to rock?: ALIEN, Vane NYC, Open Ceremony (if my pockets are right), and though I don’t have any pieces yet, I stumbled on Loza Maleombho, which I think is a really fly brand.

14. What annoys you the most?: Ha! Constant sneezing and coughing! I can’t STAND it! Sounds like they can’t breathe and then I feel like I can’t breathe and then we’re both weezin’. And it’s nasty. Get ya immune system up mang!

15. Your best quality?: My sincerity. From anger to complete joy it’s always raw passion. Sometimes a jerk…but always honest.

Check out Nikki’s blog & download her latest EP Medulla Dinner, its wicked ya’ll!

Writing is something I’ve always enjoyed but with the popularity of the internet/email,  like everyone else I’ve opted to put down the pen & paper and type my thoughts away. But sometimes you just want to go back to the basics and indulge conventionally! One of my favorite blogger duo’s Tam + Sam have a really cute line of paper goods ByNous, that feature simple but original designs like their mascot Little Miss X(who by the way I am in <3 with). Why not send a thank-you letter or drop a note to that friend you’ve lost touch with via snail mail on some snazzy stationary! I’m motivated to try and re-incorporate this past-time back into my routine & hope that you are too. Please visit Tam + Sam blog to be visually stimulated daily & don’t forget to check out their ByNous Etsy shop to purchase their line of paper goods!

Haven’t done a giveaway in a while here at Nuvany Nice, so here’s one for ya! Yessss these are the F-Troupe flats that I bragged about in a previous post, but I left out one important fact  I CAN’T FIT THEM! I’m not going to lie, I WILL bind my feet like the geisha’s did to squeeze into a pair of  shoes but I’ve tried & they are just a bit too snug! And since I love & appreciate my readers immensely, I’ve decided to give one lucky reader/visitor a chance to win these F-Troupe flats.

To Enter:

Leave a comment telling me what you would like to see here at Nuvany Nice, that’s it! Please don’t forget to provide your email address in the appropriate field.

Giveaway starts today Aug. 09, 2010 & ends  Aug. 23, 2010

Deets: F-Troupe Flats Brand New In Box sz.40/9 value $150

Retweet the giveaway on Twitter for an extra entry!

P.S. JOIN NUVANY NICE ON FB & TWITTER IF YOU HAVEN’T ALREADY!!!!!!!!!

{All photos & video via The Fashion Spot}

I’ve never talked about makeup here on the blog, partly because I’m not much of a makeup addict. I never really started wearing makeup full-on with foundation until about maybe 2 years ago. And even with that new transition, I never got an accurate lesson on how to apply it correctly. Growing up my mom would always nag me & try to convince me that my flawless skin would be destroyed like hers if  wore makeup, so I followed her advice and stayed away from it. Thankfully I never endured any acne problems & I always naively attributed that to not wearing makeup.

Last week while browsing Ouxu Cheng’s blog (we’ve featured Ouxu in our Grinding series before here), I came across an amazing Makeup Tutorial video that she’d done. I’m all about simplicity, so that is one of the major factors that won me over while watching the tutorial. Aside from the presentation & dope background music, I really felt after watching the tutorial that the look was something I could easily attain on my own which is a major plus! I could also incorporate some of the essential methods into the one and only look that I know how to apply. I hope you enjoy the tutorial as much as I did & don’t forget to visit Ouxu’s blog & show her some love!

Check for Monsieur Mai right here POW!….

Afro-latino culture has always fascinated me, I think it partially began when I met my best friend Ana when I was a junior in high school. She was an exchange student from Niteroi, Rio De Janeiro & we became the best of friends and still are to this day(she’s the godmother of my children). Her father is considered black & her mother white, so she has experienced the racial complexities of both sides equally living in Brazil. Although Afro-Brazilians make up the majority of the population in Brazil, because of the negative stigma that is associated with being pardo(black or brown) there is a devastating lack of inequality socially & visibly within the media throughout the country.

Galeria Mercado is a fairly new line based in Brazil, focusing on the urban & contemporary experiences of the culture. For the 2010 Juu collection, founders Daniela Goulart & Josana Matedi enlisted local artist Adriano Paulino to create a series of stencil art depicting contemporary music & photography of the African culture. The t-shirt is the centerpiece in these collections because of its simplicity, versatility, and numerous possibilities when it comes to patterns and shapes. Please visit their site to view the entire collection & to find out how you can purchase these beautiful pieces!