September 26, 2019
Aries
MAR 21 - APR 19
Your relationship happiness quotient is off the charts, Aries! Not only is Venus still moving through your partnership sector, but this Saturday, a New Moon will also land in the same part of your chart. And all of this happens while Venus makes a gorgeous link to Jupiter! Yes -- the two most fortunate planets in the cosmos kissing while the universe infuses your love life with new beginnings ... it doesn't get more amazing than this! Your partner is certainly giving you a generous declaration of his or her affection. He or she might treat you to a fantastic vacation or other life experience now that makes you fall even more deeply in love.
Taurus
APR 20 - MAY 20
You and your lover are making a major commitment together that has everything to do with improving your health. Your sweetheart might be your new motivation at the gym, offering to personally train you or to be your new clean eating buddy in the kitchen during meal prep. Another possibility is that you will both invest in a gift for each other that improves your health such as exercise equipment to work out with at home. If you've been asking your partner for a pet, you might also be in for a sweet surprise. This week the two of you may adopt a new fur baby together. Awww!
Gemini
MAY 21 - JUN 20
If you're single and a Gemini, you have literally just won the cosmic romantic jackpot! On Saturday, a New Moon infuses your romance sector with intoxicating love potential. You can easily meet someone while you're out in a social setting and instantly feel butterflies in your stomach for whoever catches your eye. This person will know how to work a room and you'll notice that instantly. He or she will schmooze others effortlessly and you'll find every drop of charm they exude to be absolutely intoxicating. Yum!
Cancer
JUN 21 - JUL 22
You and your partner might have a domestic situation to work through this week. On Wednesday, Venus, now in your 4th House of Home and Family, will be in conflict to Saturn, the planet of limitation, now in your relationship sector. Your partner might be justified in feeling as if he or she is carrying way too much weight when it comes to domestic responsibilities. You might be trying so hard to restore balance at home that, as a result, you might have forgotten how much you're asking of your mate in terms of time, money, or other resources. He or she might have reached their limit. Be aware.
Leo
JUL 23 - AUG 22
You can look forward to hearing sweet words of love and adoration from your mate this week. And yes, Leo, you will love every moment of the praise. Your lover will truly make you feel like the king or queen you are, and the best part is that what they have to say will be completely genuine and from the heart. You will feel so amazingly loved and appreciated and this will only make you want to give more of yourself to the person who has won your heart. You might even receive an epic love letter or card. You'll treasure it forever.
Virgo
AUG 23 - SEP 22
The price you have to pay for love just might not be worth it to you this week. You might feel like your lover is trying to deplete you financially or in other ways and, if that's the case, you're not going to tolerate it for one more second. You're just tired of giving and giving and not receiving any type of reciprocation and, Virgo, if there is one sign that doesn't deserve this treatment, it's you. You go to lengths that others wouldn't dream of to help out those you love. But to be taken advantage of? It's just not ok.
Libra
SEP 23 - OCT 22
You've got your annual New Moon to look forward to on Saturday, so it's definitely time to make those birthday wishes and initiate a beautiful personal fresh start in your life. You're sure to hear the sweetest message from your partner or someone who has a crush on you this week. On Saturday, the New Moon peaks, but Venus, now in your sign, will also make a perfect link to lucky Jupiter, now in your message sector. The person you have had eyes on for quite some time might finally say hello. Even better, he or she might ask you out. Cheers to the start of something new!
Scorpio
OCT 23 - NOV 21
A delicious new secret romance might get off the ground this week. It doesn't have to be a salacious affair but, of course, if the shoe fits (wink!). What's really likely to occur, however, is that you and a new love will intentionally decide to keep the beginning stages of your courtship a secret. You know what, Scorpio? You're on to something. There is no value in allowing the entire world into your relationship when you and your sweetie are still building the foundation. Take your time to build something solid together first. Then, share it with the world.
Sagittarius
NOV 22 - DEC 21
You are about to enjoy the very best blessings of your ruling planet, Jupiter. When he dances with love planet Venus, there is nothing but big love in store and, this week, that's exactly what you can look forward to. Your lover might surprise you with a gesture or gift that somehow supports making your wildest dream come true. It sounds dramatic but, Sagittarius, it is very possible this week -- especially on Saturday. Another possibility is that, if you're single, you'll meet someone while out with friends who you know can take your heart and soul on a magic carpet ride. Get on!
Capricorn
DEC 22 - JAN 19
Your lover will somehow make you look better in the eyes of the world this week. He or she could just be arm candy that you're tossing around in public, but to be fair, it does seem to be much more significant. It looks like the person you're dating has an "in" with those in high places and is all too happy to make introductions so that you can benefit from these connections. You'll appreciate the gesture but, more importantly, you'll love that your sweetheart thinks highly enough of you to initiate you into their inner circle.
Aquarius
JAN 20 - FEB 18
Your sweetheart might make a bold and very public statement about your love life on social media this week. If this happens, you won't be upset at all. In fact, you'll be flattered. This could be anything from updating their relationship status on Facebook to something much more significant like telling the world just how amazing you are and that they have fallen madly in love. Back in the old days, people used to make mixed tapes of love songs for their beloved. Today, it might be a YouTube video or Instagram story that you'll never forget. Your heart will sing.
Pisces
FEB 19 - MAR 20
Your love life is sweet and erotically fulfilling these days. Not only is love planet Venus making her way through your 8th House of Intimacy, but this Saturday, a New Moon will fall in the exact same place. If you are single, there is a definite possibility that this will bring you the opportunity for a deeply enriching physical encounter with someone. Caution: You will become addicted to this person's love, so if you walk through the door, be prepared for major intensity! If you're already attached, you and your lover are somehow enjoying a financial boost together ... not to mention cosmically great sex!
September 26, 2019
By Jonathan Landrum Jr.
Associated Press
Danny “KP” Kirkpatrick has inked tattoos for Diddy, Nas, Taraji P. Henson and numerous other stars, but his latest venture aims to create a safe space in his hometown of Compton.
Kirkpatrick stars in “Black Ink Crew: Compton,” the newest VH1 series that chronicles prominent tattoo artists. He hopes his shop can help change the gritty image of a city that was arguably put on the map thanks to gangsta rap and gang culture.
“We’re showing we can unite. We’re shedding a different light of Compton through art, our ink and music,” he said of the series, which airs Wednesdays on VH1. He’s a native of the area and owner of iAMCompton, which is considered the community’s first black-owned tattoo shop.
Kirkpatrick and his crew of tattoo artists attempt to make the shop a “safe zone” in Compton and help build up one of the most economically underserved communities in the United States. He believes attracting a mix of outside clients and locals to the appointment-only shop can start to make that happen.
The reality series is the third spinoff of the “Black Ink Crew” franchise. The other locations include Chicago and New York, which is currently airing its eighth season on Sundays.
Kirkpatrick, 36, has already made his mark as a famed tattoo artist for several celebrities including Travis Scott. He could have opened a tattoo shop in a more popular area in Los Angeles, but he felt compelled to plant roots where he grew up to show that a black-owned business can thrive in Compton, a city of roughly 100,000 people south of downtown Los Angeles.
Before that could happen, Kirkpatrick and his cousin Tim Simmons met with Compton’s rival gang leaders at a dimly lit warehouse to seek their approval to open the shop, which turned into a small scuffle. He later got the blessing from a group of gang members who barged into the shop’s ground-breaking party.
Those scenes were intense, and some on social media said they thought the interactions with gangs were staged. But the cast insists everything they filmed is real, especially the aftermath of a shooting at a barbershop near their business.
“We’ve had some negative press saying ‘Oh, you’re making Compton look bad,’” said Erica “Barbie” Thompson, a receptionist at the shop. “At the end of the day, the stuff that’s being shown is real. This is really happening in Compton. We’re just now seeing it on VH1 instead of the news. We’re not showing anything that’s not happening. Our goal is to try to clean this up the best way we can. We’re not making up false gang allegations. It’s real out here.”
Kirkpatrick said he was grateful to earn the gang leaders’ support to bring peace to the neighborhood. He envisions a day when he’ll have his celeb friends and other clients feeling comfortable enough to visit Compton without any worries.
“People in this city actually want change,” said Kirkpatrick, a former college football player who was kicked out of school after a drug charge. He learned the art of tattooing after selling his drawings to a local tattoo parlor more than a decade ago.
“This is my second chance,” he said. “And honestly, nobody wants to be going to funerals all the time. I grew up and ran these streets. For me now, I’m really telling the homies like ‘Yo, I’m doing something. It could be big for all of us.’ This show will show that people can positively change the way they live.”
Simmons said their meeting with gang leaders was imperative, calling it “hood politics.” He said they couldn’t safely open their shop or film the show in Compton without the gangster’s permission first.
“You have to start with the homies,” said Simmons, who is also a former college football player. “They are the ones who keep the violence up or down. You get them, then corporate sees that and now they want to invite you in. You got power. Once you show you got power, then you can change the environment.”
Christian “Ink” Thomas wants to connect the divided worlds between the city’s black and Mexican residents, some of whom have been at odds for years.
“The two people who damn near hate each other the most, that’s who I am,” said Thomas, a tattoo artist at iAMCompton who is Mexican and black. “I want to show that you can be whatever you are mixed with. You can be bigger than what your mix came out to be. When you start with the color of your skin, then it goes to the color of your rag, then to the color of your laces. We’re artists. We make that perfect blend work.”
September 19, 2019
By Lauren Floyd
Contributing Writer
Each year, the Taste of Soul Hyundai Experience gets bigger and better and this year’s “We Are One” Hyundai Experience will be no different with a lineup packed with some of your favorite artists. Taste of Soul 2019 sponsor Hyundai just announced their exciting lineup for the Hyundai Sound Stage which includes Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Keri Hilson.
The “Pretty Girl Rock,” singer is a Georgia native who got her start in the music industry working with producer Anthony Dent as a songwriter and backup vocalist for artists like Usher, Ludacris, Kelly Rowland, Toni Braxton and Ciara. The talented songwriter is credited on several hits from the past two decades including Mary J. Blidge’s “Take Me as I Am” (2006), Omarion’s “Ice Box” (2006), Ciara’s “Like a Boy” (2006), Ludacris’ “Runaway Love” (2006) and her 2009 hit “Knock You Down” featuring Kanye West and Ne-Yo, just to name a few.
Besides her career in entertainment, Hilson contributes to many philanthropic efforts and projects including Fashion Against AIDS, DoSomething.org, and the It Gets Better Project, amongst several other charities and initiatives. She most recently took to her social media accounts to urge her followers to contribute to Hurricane Dorian relief efforts in the Bahamas. It’s only right that an entertainer with deep passion for the community would join the Hyundai “We Are One” Experience which celebrates and encourages togetherness, tolerance and service in the community.
After a hiatus from the industry, Hilson announced her return to the music scene on the 10th anniversary of her first album In A Perfect World which debuted at no. 1 on Billboard’s R&B and Hip Hop Album Chart. In a Twitter post earlier this year, Hilson announced she would be coming back with new music this summer. “I didn’t mean to be gone so long, I only needed my real world to be perfect…it is now. Thank you for your patience. The wait is over,” said Hilson on Twitter.
On Monday, Hilson sent an update to fans who are awaiting her new album. “I don’t share much but I’m working my ass off to get you this project. Turns out I’ll be a tad behind Summer, but we’re almost there!!” she wrote.
Now, all of you Keri Hilson fans that have long awaited new music from the R&B songstress, can get your fix at the 2019 Taste of Soul Family Festival, presented by Bakewell Media. Hilson is set to take the Hyundai Sound Stage along with other hot performances by Dru Hill, EU f/ Sugar Bear, DJ Mal-Ski & Friends and Doug E Fresh who is will also be hosting the Sound Stage. The headliner of the Hyundai Sound Stage has yet to be announced, but the Crenshaw community is already buzzing about what other big names are coming to Taste of Soul this year.
Taste of Soul 2019 is Saturday October 19, 2019. For more information on entertainment, food and more, visit tasteofsoul.org and stay up to date on all Taste of Soul news, including the Hyundai Sound Stage lineup, by downloading the Taste of Soul app and by following @TasteofSoulLA on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
September 19, 2019
By Lauren Floyd
Contributing Writer
Hyundai has just begun unveiling the lineup for its Sound Stage at the 2019 Taste of Soul, presented by Bakewell Media. This year’s performers are definitely going to excite Crenshaw Boulevard. A part of its “We Are One” Taste of Soul 2019 experience, Hyundai announced Dru Hill will be performing on the Sound Stage along with several other big names.
Dru Hill first rose to fame in the 90s with no. 1 hits “In My Bed,” “Never Make a Promise,” and “How Deep Is Your Love?” The R&B group of four young Baltimore natives, Mark “Sisqó” Andrews, Tamir “Nokio” Ruffin, Larry “Jazz” Anthony and James “Woody Rock” Green, eventually split after releasing two successful albums. The band’s lead singer Sisqó went on to release his debut album “Unleash the Dragon,” which featured the iconic 90s party anthem, “The Thong Song.” The song was a major success worldwide, peaking at no. 1 on the Billboard Top 40 chart and no. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100.
You can always expect to see R&B legends perform at Taste of Soul and Hyundai always brings the big names that the community loves to sing and dance along with. When it comes to the hits, the Hyundai Sound Stage never fails to take the audience on a “blast from the past” with past performers including legends like Brandy, Teddy Riley and Ginuwine. It may have been more than 20 years since the release of their 1996 hits “Tell Me” and “In My Bed,” but Dru Hill is still hotter than ever and is bringing nothing but heat to the Hyundai Sound Stage this year at Taste of Soul 2019.
The “We Are One” Hyundai Experience at Taste of Soul 2019 is all about promoting the importance of togetherness and tolerance in a time of division and discrimination. So far, Hyundai has announced the Sound Stage lineup to include Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Keri Hilson, EU f/ Sugar Bear, DJ Mal-Ski & Friends and Doug E Fresh. Fans and festival goers should stay tuned in to Taste of Soul’s website and social media for Hyundai’s final announcement of the Sound Stage main headliner.
Taste of Soul 2019 is Saturday October 19, 2019. For more information on entertainment, food and more, visit tasteofsoul.org and stay up to date on all Taste of Soul news, including the Hyundai Sound Stage lineup, by downloading the Taste of Soul app and by following @TasteofSoulLA on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.