Love... the deepest emotion in life, laying warm foundations for the richest form of human relationships. That beautiful mental and physical connection, that much sought after utter unity. That genuine joy in life putting a smile on your face...
Common and Erykah Badu The Light: It's love every time I think about your smile. Anytime I need you by my side you'll be there for me. Whenever I got lonely or needed some advice, he gave me his shoulder, his words were very nice.
Until recently authors, poets and philosophers wrote about love, depicting romantic love as a whirlwind of emotions, passion, fear and jealousy. An exact definition of love is very hard to accomplish.
The simplest definition could be Robert Heinlein's in the cult classic Stranger in a strange land: love is the condition in which the other's happiness is essential to your own.
Scientific research on the subject has grown tremendously over the last decades. It revealed the importance of love in child development and adult health. The first relationship with the mother is a blueprint for the following ones. Severely psychologically or emotionally damaged people are unable to experience healthy, independent love.
Psychologists and scientists study the subject of love pragmatically, defining it as an intense affection or preference for someone, so strong that it colors one's perception and conduct.
A Tribe called Quest Common Ground: Have u ever met a woman who just took ur breath? So deep inside her life, she contemplated death. Can't help to get attached to a woman like that.
According to psychologist Elaine Hatfield love can be divided into two basic types: compassionate and passionate love. The compassionate type is characterized by attachment, affection and trust. Usually developed out of feelings of mutual respect and understanding, this type assures an enduring relationship whereas the intense emotions, anxiety and sexual attraction of passionate love are transitory, usually lasting between six and thirty months.
A good, lively relationship is based on trust and intimacy. Genuine loving intimacy depends on the personal ideas on love and the notion that love develops. Intimacy is characterized by the elements of care, share, trust, commitment, honesty, empathy and tenderness.
Angie Stone The ingredients of love: How do we make love and what's it truly made of. Gimme an ounce of some honesty, some innocence and a cup of loyalty. At least a pound of conversation. Some attention when it comes to relation. Want I want is a liter of respect and a damn good listener.
Reciprocal care or the intensity of positive feelings towards each other is only to be found when two people openly share positive and negative feelings, thoughts, desires and needs with each other and interact. This frankness in sharing is essential for intimacy's growth in a warm enduring relationship. Trust, honesty and empathy are indispensable ingredients in this process of self revelation. Caring, sharing and trust lead to commitment. Verbal and physical expressions of tenderness are the most neglected aspects of intimacy.
Masters & Johnson (on sex and human loving 1982) explained that respect enables us to appreciate the other's identity, essential for the long duration of a relationship. Sexuality is another important factor to keep a relationship lively and fascinating.
Dwele What's not to love about you: Everyday I find more reasons to. It's your inner beauty that's always shining through. With you I can always be myself. It's something that I never felt.
Talib Kweli Never been in love: First time I let her in my bed she got wetter than the perfect storm. Gave the rest a try now give the best a try.
In The art of loving(1956) Erich Fromm wrote that love is the only sane and satisfactory answer to the problem of human existence. Love is an art, just as living is. It requires effort and knowledge. Fromm believed that self-realization is a necessary condition to attain meaningful love. He defined mature love as a union of two individuals keeping their integrity and individuality. Become one and stay two.
Jill Scott He loves me: You got me feeling like the breeze, easy and free, and lovely, and me
The Light: I ain't the type to walk around with matching shirts. A relationship is effort, I'll match your work. I wanna be the one to make you the happiest.
Why do we love? Because love makes sense. Because it brings out the best in us.
This revered street artist is best known for his iconic black rat (anagram of art) silhouettes, symbols of the urban environment and of the fear those invasive marginalized animals provoke.
Blek's style is often compared to Banksy's. Only difference is that Le Rat was stenciling walls while Banksy was still a kid.
While others were doing political graffiti in the 80's, Blek Le Rat started stenciling his rat silhouette on Parisian walls, hoping to provoke others to express themselves in the same way. The preparation( drawing and cutting) of these stencils took him over a week. Around 1981 he stenciled small black rats, bananas, running red men, little faces and a self-portrait.
Graffiti wasn't criminalized yet, allowing him to create a multitude of rats and tanks all around Centre Pompidou and frankly answering inquisitive policemen he was doing art.
After a couple of years the small pieces developed into life size figures. Inspired by a photograph of an old man from Belfast, he created the Old Irish Man in 1983. This piece, symbolizing civic courage, was reproduced all over France. Other full size images followed. (among others Andy Warhol, a Woman from Bangladesh, Mitterrand, Joseph Beuys, Jesus Christ, Two dogs mating, ...)
His first and last collaboration took place in 1984, when he and Bergu from Surface Active worked together on a stencil fresco on the Louvre's fences.
Le pochoir became a popular way of expression, as referred to in Le Monde(1986) as L'école de Blek le Rat. His pioneering technique added a new perception upon art and design. His work inspired other stencil artists such as Logan Hicks and Swoon.
After some graffiti charges in 1991, he chose a safer method: posters and cut-outs. Working on paper changed his approach towards working in urban space, allowing him to work in other areas freed from the constant fear of being caught.( e.g. self portrait, French Soldier)
He tackled some ancient mythological subjects(Centaur, Faun) and experimented with Michelangelo's (faun, David) and Caravaggio's imagery( Madonna and Tribute to Caravaggio). His wish to influence social change became apparent in 2003 when he created his American Soldier(2003) to criticize the Iraq war. He pasted hundreds of posters of the kidnapped French journalist Florence Aubenas(2005) throughout Paris and pasted tragic fairy tale symbol Lady Diana(2006) on the walls of Tate Modern.
Aware of the architectural impact of image, time and space, his images are always linked to the social urban environment. It explains why his Greek lady was found in multicultural areas.
His street art raises global social awareness on issues as discrimination, the solitude of the elderly, the homeless, poverty (Woman from Bangladesh), loneliness, people living on the fringes of urban society( Beggars). His pieces have permeated public consciousness and have had a profound effect on people's critical thinking.
Le Rat's art is all about purity of content and imaginative thought-provoking imagery.
Real life passionate rebellion against art imprisoning institutions, now who could object to that?
Watch: Blek le Rat- Original Stencil Pioneer 2006 Bomb It 2007
Underground femcee Stacy Epps studied African American studies and sociology at the University of Virginia. That's where she and Scienz member Lil Sci formed the jazzy rap duo Sol Uprising. They released Sol Power in 2004.
This lady combines rhymes with singing. Fond of contrast, she mixes soft melodies with hard beats. She collaborated with MF Doom( Eye 2004), Madlib, J Rawls, ... Epps and femcee Invincible were asked to join Bahamadia to tour Europe in 2006. Her sensual singing on Jazzliberatorz' Clin d'Oeil (2008) track "U do" is a clear example of her laid back rhyming.
Check out her debut solo album The Awakening!(2008, Japanubia Music) In her own words: "To shine from within is the most beautiful thing you can do. I create music to heal us through sound and vibration."
