#tamara “taj” george

[cozyaliensuperstar7]

Beautiful Black Women 👑

stylistjbolin:

My Girls! Love them all for trusting me with their image! Slay ladies! @letoyaluckett @sarahjakesroberts @tishacampbellmartin @theariellemonique @tashacobbsleonard @melodysholt @tajgeorge @therealcokoswv @therealleleeswv @michellewilliams @patsmithty @imericacampbell

[randomvarious]

SWV - “Right Here” 18 Top Hits 1/94 Song released in 1993. Compilation released in 1994. R&B

The first wave of R&B girl groups in the 90s was dominated by three separate entities: first, there was En Vogue, who were responsible for starting the whole craze, and then came TLC, who were then followed by SWV. And since this is a post that’s gonna be littered with a bunch of fun, little trivia nuggets, here’s your first one: SWV, which is an acronym for Sisters With Voices, originally wanted to call themselves TLC, based on the first initials of their three members, Tamara, Leanne, and Cheryl. But they received a cease & desist letter from Epic Records, who had the TLC name locked up for the soon-to-be sensational Atlanta trio that was on their own roster. And so, Tamara, Leanne, and Cheryl begrudgingly settled on calling themselves SWV instead.

They began in 1988 in New York with two members, Leanne and Cheryl, who both sang at church, and were in search for a third girl to finish out the group. After going through auditions, they chose Tamara, who, according to a Rolling Stone article, was really shy and originally would only sing with the lights off. The three girls also donned stage names. Leanne would be Lelee, Cheryl would be Coko, and Tamara would be Taj. As a quirk, they sent out demo tapes with bottles of Perrier because they couldn’t afford to send champagne. They would end up catching the ear of legendary producer, as well as the father of the new jack swing fad, Teddy Riley (more on him later), and he would end up getting SWV inked to a ridiculously terrible eight-album contract, which the group never completely fulfilled. But at least they got themselves signed to a major, right?

In 1992, SWV released their debut album, It’s About Time, with most of the production coming from a guy named Brian Alexander Morgan. Morgan has gone on to produce, remix, write, and arrange for a bunch of music superstars, including Usher, Drake, Wu-Tang Clan, Mariah Carey, and Ariana Grande. But his first big opportunity came from...right here...with SWV’s debut album.

In fact, it was “Right Here” that would kick things off for SWV, becoming the group’s first single, before their debut album ended up hitting the shelves. But here’s where it might get a little confusing. That first single isn’t the version of “Right Here” that everyone would end up remembering SWV for. Actually, almost no one remembers the original version of “Right Here,” which is an excellent song on its own. Morgan laced his new jack swing beat with organ, electric guitar, and ringing bells that remind us of Run-D.M.C.’s “Peter Piper” and Snap!’s “The Power,” which both trace back to Bob James’ “Take Me to the Mardi Gras”. And Taj raps, too!

The original version of “Right Here” would peak at #92 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #16 on the R&B/Hip Hop chart. The next pair of SWV singles, “I’m So Into You” and “Weak” would fare much better, both reaching the top ten on Billboard’s Hot 100, with “Weak” going all the way to #1. These singles would then set the stage for the release of a new version of “Right Here,” the one everyone knows and loves, which is credited as a Teddy Riley remix, and was fresh for the summer of 1993. It’s commonly dubbed as the “Human Nature Mix” because of its liberal sampling of the Michael Jackson song off Thriller. That particular mix would also feature on the Free Willy soundtrack, which would also contain and lead with Michael Jackson’s “Will You Be There”. 

(Another famous sampling of “Human Nature” would happen in 1994, too, with Nas’ “It Ain’t Hard to Tell,” which was produced by Large Professor. Now, you could be thinking that the “Human Nature Mix” might’ve provided some inspiration for Large Pro to conjure up that particular beat, but as it turns out, “It Ain’t Hard to Tell” was actually recorded in ‘92.)

So here’s the coolest piece of trivia you’ll run into today. Know who’s delivering that catchy “ess, double, you, vee” line throughout the “Human Nature Mix”? Pharrell. And it’s his first vocal credit, ever! One day, he was performing in a high school talent show with his R&B group, The Neptunes (not his production project with Chad Hugo), and guess who was in the audience? Teddy Riley! Riley’s studio just so happened to sit next to Pharrell’s high school. How’s that for luck? Pharrell would end up writing Riley’s verse on Wreckx-N-Effect’s old school hip hop summer classic, “Rump Shaker,” and the following year he was on the “Human Nature Mix”. There’s also a captivating, “give-it-some-time-to-work-itself-out” kind of “UK Remix” of “Right Here” on which Pharrell raps, and in 1996, The Neptunes (now just Pharrell and Hugo) would receive their first production credits for two songs (and an interlude) on SWV’s second album, New Beginning.

And now for something probably even less people know about. Although the “Human Nature Mix” is credited to Teddy Riley, it’s not his work. It’s Brian Alexander Morgan’s, the guy who also produced the original version. Riley’s name was merely attached for marketing purposes only. The label probably thought that if they sold the single as a remix that was made by a production superstar who was using a Michael Jackson song(!), it would move more units than if they said it was by Morgan, which is a name that barely anyone knew. And it seems like the label was correct in its calculus. Even though it didn’t end up hitting #1 (it hit #2), the “Human Nature Mix” remains SWV’s most remembered song, and you can credit it for leading to a re-release of SWV’s debut album, which at that point would add the remix, and would help generate over two million copies sold.

And come to think of it, how many songs can you name in which the remix ended up becoming far more popular than the original version? Before the advent of EDM, anyway. And “Ignition (Remix)” doesn’t count, by the way. That totally misunderstands what a remix is. There’s like a handful of tracks that come to mind: a pair of Amber remixes by Hani and Thunderpuss (”One More Night” and “Sexual (Li Da Di),” respectively), another Thunderpuss remix of “It’s Not Right But It’s Okay” by Whitney Houston, a Latin house remix of Madonna’s “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina” by Pablo Flores and Javier Garza, and of course, Todd Terry’s remix of “Missing” by Everything But the Girl. But the “Human Nature Mix” of “Right Here” might be at the top of the list. Lots of people aren’t even aware of the original’s existence. When you say the words “’Right Here’ by SWV,” everyone just assumes you’re talking about the “Human Nature Mix”. When the song is included on compilations, a lot of times the words “Human Nature” aren’t anywhere to be found, like on this random German comp I have that gathered 18 of the top songs from January of 1994. That’s how much more popular the “Human Nature Mix” is than the original. Let me know if you can think of any other remixes that hold a similar status.

One more thing before I get to the music video. This mix is so different from the original. The original version has a much harder edge and clearly took way more thought and effort to put together than the “Human Nature Mix” since the “Human Nature Mix” primarily just coasts off of the Michael Jackson sample. It doesn’t mean the original’s better though. It’s definitely great, but it’s trapped in the new jack swing era, and for that reason, it doesn’t have the staying power of the “Human Nature Mix”. Sometimes a producer finds something that’s easy enough to cobble together and it just manages to hit really good. That’s definitely the case here. The “Human Nature Mix” is just so fluffy; it was perfect summer radio then and it’s perfect summer radio now. It’s like an R&B counterpart to DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince’s “Summertime,” which came out a couple years beforehand. In fact, if I were doing a nostalgic 90s summer mix, I would probably line those tracks up back-to-back (”Rump Shaker” would be somewhere in there, too). There’s just a super relaxing, enjoyable airiness that both songs seem to possess. Oh, and speaking of DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, you know who provides the background vocals on Will Smith’s “Men in Black” song? Coko from SWV. Wild, right?

So, anyway, the video. It sucks. It just does. It’s not memorable at all, besides the awkward, intermittent slip-ins of footage of Michael Jackson performing “Human Nature” from his Dangerous tour and some clips of Free Willy swimming and breeching. It’s really a missed opportunity for the group. Apparently, there’s another video without Michael and Free Willy, too, but I can’t find it. It sounds like it’s boring though. Oh well.

The first single off of SWV’s next album (”You’re the One”) would do very well for itself, too, and that album would manage to go platinum. But they’d get lost in the fold soon after, while En Vogue and TLC would end up building much more on their prior success. And TLC would come out on top for the late 90s with songs like “No Scrubs” and “Unpretty”.

SWV made good songs, but they weren’t marketed well, at all. Case in point, your last bit of trivia: Taj was a contestant on Survivor in 2009. No, not Celebrity Survivor. Just regular-ass Survivor. No one knew she was Taj from SWV and she didn’t tell anyone on the show either. This lady helped sell millions of records for fuck’s sake. I guarantee you every contestant on that show knew an SWV song and they had no idea who this woman even was. Isn’t that kind of insane? I mean, SWV were by no means one-hit wonders, and they weren’t super popular for that long, but they were definitely an early 90s R&B staple. Anyway, for what it’s worth, Taj ended up finishing in fourth on Survivor. She’s also married to soon-to-be Hall of Fame running back Eddie George. 

So, there it is. One of the greatest and most popular tunes of the 90s. A song everyone likes that has a lot of fun, interesting facts that surround it. Shame that these girls couldn’t sustain their success for the remainder of the decade, but at least they and Brian Alexander Morgan gave us this indomitable classic.

[homagecollage]

Music Birthday: Tamara Johnson-George 🔊🥳 Today, April 29, 1971, Taj Tamara Johnson-George was born Tamara Antrice George in Brooklyn, NYC, NY.

[muvids]

OK. This is one of my FAVORITE music videos, directed by one of my FAVORITE music video directors: HYPE WILLIAMS! 

From wikipedia:

The breakout music video was the first of Missy's career directed by Hype Williams.[6][7] The most notable aspect of the video is the inflated trash bag that Missy wears during a fisheye lens shot.[8] Timbaland, Tamara "Taj" Johnson-George of SWV, Yo Yo, Lil' Kim, Total, 702, Da Brat, Lil' Cease and Puff Daddy all make cameos.[9] The video was nominated for Best Rap Video at the 1997 VMAs.

So I knew that Missy Elliott and Timbaland are great pals, and have been making music together for decades at this point. I think of them as a powerful dynamic duo with impeccable flair. 

But I DIDN’T know that this 1997 video was Missy’s first collaboration with Hype Williams, who has directed like 1,000 amazing music videos. Honestly this entire blog could easily become a Hype Williams fanpage. And maybe it will. From the iconic garbage bag/bike helmet outfit to the shot of Missy in what reminds me of that default Windows XP background, this video makes no narrative sense to me, and who knows/cares if there is an intended deeper meaning. But I really enjoy seeing Missy in all her forms with all her pals, and listening to her rap about driving to the beach with her BFF Timbaland and smoking weed. I think what I love most about Hype Williams is how he speeds everything up enough to make people seem like jittery bugs dancing at the Bug Club. He doesn’t hide his distortions, like when Missy’s eyes bug out, or when one of her pals (sorry I don’t know who’s who!!) gets her jaw stretched out and shrunk back again. Music videos often rely on smoothed over, highly composed, and conventionally beautiful aesthetic decisions to elevate their subjects–it’s always fun to take a dive in Hype Williams’ world and see some straight up weirdness. Love u, Hype ‘n Missy !!

Missy, Queen of the World, sitting on hills like Lauryn:

[popularchips-blog]

#WkndMmts: Miss Universe 2017, Soul Train Awards 2017, Black Friday and the Upcoming Cyber Monday

New Post has been published on https://popularchips.com/dailies/wkndmmts-miss-universe-2017-soul-train-awards-2017-black-friday-and-the-upcoming-cyber-monday/

#WkndMmts: Miss Universe 2017, Soul Train Awards 2017, Black Friday and the Upcoming Cyber Monday

Last week on #wkndmmts, we began the series by updating you on Miss World 2017, Justice League, the AMAs and the preparation for the Victoria Secret show. This week, we bring you 4 more updates on some of the events that have happened over the weekend or are happening soon!

Miss Universe 2017

The winner of the competition was Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters of South Africa, who surpassed 91 other contestants to earn her title.

Welcome to the sisterhood! #MissUniverse 🇿🇦 pic.twitter.com/ed6uJnwCdd

— Miss Universe (@MissUniverse) November 27, 2017

Watch her crowning moment below.

Congratulations to Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters, the winner of the 2017 #MissUniverse competition! pic.twitter.com/JYuQYc3Lvo

— Miss Universe (@MissUniverse) November 27, 2017

For the first time in the competition’s history, contestants were separated into groups according to the geographic region from which they hail: the Americas, Europe, and Africa and the Asian Pacific, with four contestants from each region guaranteed to enter the finals. In addition, four other contestants, regardless of their region, also entered the finals.

This was also the first time an Asian person, Rachel Peters from the Philippines, got into the Top 10 for the competition.

Rachel Peters; photograph from the Miss Universe Instagram page.

EARLIER: #MissUniverse Philippines Rachel Peters in the evening gown competition. https://t.co/T0pbtZC8KR pic.twitter.com/KcWpWlI3qQ

— Philstar.com (@PhilstarNews) November 27, 2017

Unfortunately, she did not make it into the Top 5.

Harnessing the power of the internet, organizers made it possible for individuals to vote for their desired candidate by hashtagging #MissUniverse followed by #(name of country) on Twitter.

Soul Train Music Awards 2017

For the uninitiated, the Soul Train Music Awards is an annual awards show that celebrates Black music and entertainment. It typically also features performances by various R&B and Soul artists. Although the actual awards ceremony took place on the 5th of November this year, the show aired on BET and BET her on the 26th of November, over the Thanksgiving weekend.

The #SoulTrainAwards hosted by @ErykahBadu are TONIGHT at 8/7c on @BET and @BETherTV! We’ve got an amazing lineup of performers and honorees ready for y’all. You don’t wanna miss this one! 🕺🏽

A post shared by Soul Train (@soultrainofficial) on Nov 26, 2017 at 2:00pm PST

This year, the show was hosted by Erykah Badu, who kicked it off by kneeling in honor of Colin Kaepernick. Kaepernick is a professional football quarterback who chose not to stand during the playing of ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ last year. He explained that he refuses to show respect to the flag of a country that oppressed black people.

Winning the Soul Train Lady of Soul Award is Sisters With Voices (SWV), comprising Cheryl “Coko” Clemons, Leanne “Lelee” Lyons and Tamara “Taj” George.

We did it y’all!! To all the fans and everyone who bought a record and still continue to download our songs, we are forever indebted to you😘. This moment to have our favorites @officialbellbivdevoe present this award to us was epic!! #SWV loves you😘😘😘 Thank you so much !!! #swv #ladiesofsoul #bet #soultrainawards2017 ‭

A post shared by LeLee Lyons (@therealleleeswv) on Nov 26, 2017 at 6:29pm PST

Some of the awards, such as that of the Best R&B/Soul Artist, were won by big names such a Bruno Mars, who also won best video of the year with his music video 24K Magic.

Black Friday

Many brands, of course, used Black Friday as an opportunity to increase sales, (in some cases) providing ridiculously high discounts, free shipping and even free international shipping in order to persuade customers to part with their money.

Sephora in Singapore, Indonesia and Thailand, for an example, held a “15% off everything” sale both in stores and on its online platform. This included products from the recently launched Fenty Beauty collection.

⏰ Last call, beauties! Our #SephoraXBlackFriday2017 sale ends tonight. • Get 15% off everything* online and on the mobile app ’til 11:59pm tonight, and in stores during usual business hours. Enter code BF15 to get 15% off if you do not see the discount automatically applied. • Offer is valid for all customers. T&Cs apply. For online or mobile app purchase, discount will be added automatically at checkout. Offer is not valid with other discounts, gifts, Beauty Pass offers and promotions, on gift cards, services or any other exclusions mentioned in-stores, on our mobile app or online. Beauty Pass reward redemptions will not be allowed in-stores on Black Friday. During the sale period, online purchases delivery may be delayed.

A post shared by Sephora Singapore (@sephorasg) on Nov 24, 2017 at 2:04am PST

It also introduced the hashtag #SephoraXBlackFriday2017. Sure enough, Instagrammers posted and tagged photographs of their Sephora Black Friday haul, giving the make up and beauty brand the publicity that they were looking for.

Only this i bought from @sephoramy today 😍😋 #SephoraXBlackFriday2017 #sephoramy #sephorahaul #myhaul #tartecosmetics #rainforestofthesea #nyxcosmeticsmy

A post shared by Mashi Syeta (@mashisyeta) on Nov 24, 2017 at 7:03am PST

• under the spells of black friday • come to momma, my bamboo, mocha & trippin baby~ 👩🏽‍🎨✨ #FentyBeauty #SephoraXBlackFriday2017 @thaisephora

A post shared by • take a TOUR to me • (@kithan) on Nov 24, 2017 at 2:33am PST

Baby clothes brand June and January also took to Instagram to informing consumers of its Black Friday sale.

Last ⚡️FLASH DEALS⚡️ of the day! Save an EXTRA 15% off when you buy both!! Check out both deals! #blackfriday #blackfridaydeals

A post shared by Baby Clothes & Basics (@juneandjanuary) on Nov 26, 2017 at 5:46pm PST

Some brands, on the other hand, also used the shopping season to help out certain groups in need. Ethical and sustainable fashion brand Everlane has done Black Friday differently from other brands for the past few years. In 2012 and 2013, it shut down its site completely on Black Friday. From 2014 onwards, instead of putting its products on sale, the company used the profits it received for the items bought on Black Friday for a different project every year.

This year, it partnered up with Saitex denim to raise funds to grow organic food in Vietnam.

Introducing #BlackFridayFund 2017: – Good food isn’t hard to find in Vietnam. The problem? Pesticide use is out of control. This year, we’re partnering with @Saitexdenim to give their workers clean, organic food. How? With the help of @freightfarms, we’re building an organic farm inside of a shipping crate. But, we need you. Watch the video above and head to the link in our bio to learn more. – Are you ready? Let’s do this.

A post shared by Everlane (@everlane) on Nov 24, 2017 at 7:13am PST

Everlane reached its $300 000 goal this year and will be providing all its employees in its denim factory with 2 organically produced meals a day.

Thank you. #BlackFridayFund

A post shared by Everlane (@everlane) on Nov 25, 2017 at 9:07am PST

Cyber Monday

For those of you who missed out on the Black Friday deals and are still hoping to get some things for a cheaper price, Cyber Monday is certainly something not to be missed.

Although Monday morning has not yet arrived in some parts of the world at the time of publishing, in order to cater to its international audience, some brands such as Colourpop Cosmetics have already put up posts announcing its Cyber Monday sales.

Click on the link in our bio 💥 #CyberMonday starts RIGHT NOW !!! Also swipe right to see what’s been extended 👀

A post shared by ColourPop Cosmetics (@colourpopcosmetics) on Nov 26, 2017 at 9:23am PST

Vegan brand StarCrushed Minerals has also announced its Cyber Monday sales.

#CYBERMONDAY starts now! • • Swipe left for more & tell us which one is your #musthave! • • •Video 1: Anarchy •Video 2: Plumalicious •Video 3: Fatal Attraction • • Enter code CYBERMONDAY at checkout to get 60% our entire line of cosmetics. • • All of our eyeshadows, highlighters, glitters & more at more than half off! • • Pressed eyeshadows and highlighters come in magnetic pans to fit into any empty palette! • • All SCM products are vegan & cruelty free, talk & paraben free and proudly made in the USA. • • Link to website in bio. • • #talcfree #parabenfree #crueltyfree #starcrushedminerals #matteredeyeshadow #pigment #singlepaneyeshadow #beatyourfacewithsomestars #makeupporn #jeffreestar #katvond #anastasiabeverlyhills #supportlatinabusiness #murrieta #temecula #inlandempire #stardust #metalliceyeshadow #vegan #makeupmagic #singleeyeshadow #matteeyeshadow #Christmas2017 #blackfriday #cybermonday #christmasgifts #makeupjunkie

A post shared by 🌌StarCrushed Minerals 🌌 (@starcrushedminerals) on Nov 26, 2017 at 7:49pm PST

We hope you enjoyed our update of these weekend moments. See you again next week!

[allthatandphat-blog]

Missy Elliott 'The Rain' (Supa Dupa Fly) 1997 @AllThatAndPhat | | | | | *Fun Fact: This was Missy's first single. Cameos in the video include: #Timbaland, Tamara "Taj" Johnson George of #SWV, #YoYo, #LilKim, #Total, #702, #DaBrat, #LilCease and #PuffDaddy* #MissyElliott #Missy #MissyMisdemeanorElliott #TheRain #SupaDupaFly #90s #90sMusic #90sHipHop #90sRap @MissyMisdemeanorEliott

[cozyaliensuperstar7]

Beautiful Black Women 👑

daniebb3:

From head to toe, the look just snaps. @moschino 💋 Last night was a dream, thank you @elleusa and @ninagarcia

📸 @evision_photoz

tymwallacehair:

Opulence for the academy gala @tarajiphenson styled by @waymanandmicah makeup by @saishabeecham nails by @customtnails1 shot by @mr_dadams #tossedbytym @dhairboutique

stylistbolin:

Lady of Soul back in the building! @soultrain awards 2023! Styled by @stylistjbolin assistant stylist: @_mekstyles_ designer: @antlamourr hair: @kalessiakhair Mua: @tyshalamakeup Photographer: @mo_storyteller Hat: @shopj.bolin x @grandcentralhats