If you've ever cried on an airplane by yourself...

listen to this. Erykah Badu's leaked track "Window Seat". It's from her upcoming album New Amerykah Pt. II (Return Of The Ankh)

Yup, been there.

New friends, new year, new appreciation for everything.

Big ups to Carlton @ Vision Photography for cookin up this poster for my new big project. I'm nearly finished shooting in my city, then I'll be moving on to LA, Atlanta and finally Toronto. I plan on unleashing the finished package in April 2010.
Without giving too much away, it's a compilation of photos, people and positive hip hop lyrics. So far I've had a really amazing time with all the people involved and I'm only a quarter of the way in!

Speaking of hip hop...

In case you didn't know, February is J Dilla Month. Jay Dee was born on February 7th, 1974 and made his journey to heaven on February 10th, 2006. Try and listen to at least 1 Dilla track a day. Throw some Slum Village in the mix. Trust me, you will feel richer for doing so. Dilla was, is and will always be a legend. He created the beat for one of my all-time favorite joints, "The Light" by Common.

Celebrate J Dilla Month and keep Jay's legacy strong.

Dre fell off? Nah, I did!

Too much has been going on lately. Hold up....I would take too much over not enough any day! I'm fixin to head down to LA for a month and then on to Atlanta and then Toronto. I can't think of a better jump-off for 2010.

Big-ups to Blogspot, in a huuuuge way. I created this blog exactly 1 year ago. I had moved back to my hometown, from Vancouver and had a lot of spare time. In a year's time I have made some seriously dope friends via cupcakesandmixtapes. I'm now writing for C.O.P. Magazine, have 2 photo shoots lined up with dope musicians in LA, had one of my photos published online at Sneakhype, have a collab planned with some amazing artists (more details coming soon!) in Atlanta. These are all contacts I've made through my blog. Wow, God bless you, internet! Thanks so much to anyone reading my blog. I wish you all big things in 2010. xoxox Elle Aye

P.S.

I was recently asked to join the blog team over at Female Sneaker Fiend. It was a real honor to be invited. If you're into kicks, don't sleep on the ladies. Check the blog!

Post Christmas reflects

My Christmas was pretty weak this year. It seems like every year I get older, the holiday season just isn't as sparkly and stoked as it used to be. In all fairness, it was pretty tough to be psyched for the season, knowing that in just a month, I'll be down in dope, sunny LA!

One thing I do love about my family's Christmas is the baking. I whipped up a couple dozen cupcakes that one of my guy friends referred to as "heaven with icing". I know he wasn't just saying that to be nice  cuz I watched him wolf down like 4 of em in 1 day.

Check my MOBcake!  :)

Yeah, I had some spare time on my hands.

Peep my bro's roulette game for drunkasses. Needless to say, we spread the Christmas cheer the Dean Martin way. (Rhyme not intended).

I used to work for United Way and helped organize a dinner for homeless people in our community. Well, not homeless specifically. It is for those who otherwise wouldn't have a Christmas dinner. I am no longer employed by the organization but I still volunteer. We fed close to 2000 people this year. Being a part of an event such as this is such a humbling experience. On Christmas eve, at the dinner table with my family, I was asked to say grace. Instead of the traditional thang, I went ahead and gave a toast which reflected on my gratitude and all the wonderful people I met at the Christmas dinner a few days earlier.

Be grateful, always.

Hope you all had a super great Christmas!!

xoxo

Drake Retakes - So Far Gone - The Calm feat. Joshua

Peep this video, remixed and chopped by the super-talented Carlton Mackey for Vision Philms

Retakes of Unstoppable and The Calm from So Far Gone performed by ATL's up and coming Hip Hop artist:  JOSHUA. Check it!!

"My tactics is unsportsmanlike conduct, you better ask it.."

I woke up with this throwback in my head. I still love Space Jam! This joint takes me back to when I was uh, 14(!!!) rollin with my brother in his red, slammed S10. My brother was a hooper, a damn good one too. I used to post up in the bleachers after school and just sit there in awe, all proud of my big bro - the team captain. If he would've kept up with it, I bet he'd be doing big things with his game right now. Awh look, I've gone and got all nostalgic again. Might have to hit him up for a spot of 21 over the holidays.

I think it's time for a Space Jam 2. Lebron's turn?

Were you a Nickelodeon kid?

I know I was! Curtiss King is back and has combined samples from all the dope Nickelodeon shows with his mad lyrics to present you with: SNICK @ NITE! Awh, I lost it when "Clarissa Explains it All" came on! I had completely forgotten about that show. Melissa Joan Hart was my hero. I'd fight my brothers for the remote and sing along to the theme song, no doubt rocking my own high side ponytail and slouch socks. That's beside the point. You can check Mr. King's blog or get straight to bidness and download the mixtape: SNICK @ NITE.

“Snick @ Nite is a completely different mixtape that came to me so easy because it was exactly what my heart and mind wanted to do. I wanted to invoke the spirit of a kid growing up in the 90s as well showcase my talent as an emcee and producer in 2009. And with my three singles fans and blog sites are already telling me they feel it’s my best work to date” - Curtiss King

Dear Anthony Hamilton:

Your music makes me a better person.

DON’T. PUSH. ME. CUZ. I’M. CLOSE TO THE. EDGE.

There’s nothing I hate more than haters. Uh, whoops. I’m actually trying to get away from using the word “hate” altogether.
I’ve been dealing with some haters this week and it just sucks. I have some really dope prospects happening in my life and it’s not like I’m an attention whore who needs to be patted on the head every time something good happens for me. But, really.

I was talking to my boss about this all today. He explained that it takes 3 days to get over a run-in with a hater. When it happens, your initial emotion is sadness – being upset in general. The second day brings anger. Anger as in, “why the eff you gotta hate!!?? I’m a good person!” The third day brings the recovery in which you can calmly say, “I’m sorry you’re jealous and bored with your life but Imma go on and do exciting stuff with my life. Maybe I’ll send you a postcard.”

It’s pretty tough to ignore haters altogether, am I right? I’ve always been a pretty sensitive kid but as I grow I’m learning to toughen and not let people’s neg junk cloud my skies.

I’d like to cut that 3-day recovery process down to say, 2 minutes or maybe even less. I’m workin on it.

I'm going going, back back, to Cali Cali

I love Christmas and all, but I can't wait for January! L.A. - my favorite city...I've missed you. Not to mention a much-anticipated photo shoot with a seriously bad-ass friend of mine - a fellow Leo chick and supreme queen of fun. The temp in my city is -16° C (3° F) right now! In L.A., it's 12°C (54° F). Yup, I'm hurtin for some sunshine and Huervos Rancheros something fierce.

Would I get his bank account too?

Photo Cred: Alliwemajor

Happy Birthday Hov!

Shawn Carter turned 40 today.

40! Can you believe that? I guess when I stop to think about it, I started f’in with him since like, damn, I feel old now too! Whoa, been down with Jay for 12 years now. I don’t think I’ve been faithfully down with much else for that long a period.

I'll never forget when I got my first car on my 17th birthday. I just copped "Vol 2: Hard Knock Life" and played the shit out of that disc. After awhile it got so jacked up I couldn't play it anymore.

What's your all-time fave Hov joint?

Grammy Time

The 2010 Grammy noms have been announced. I've gone ahead and filtered out the stuff I/you care about and highlighted my picks.....thoughts??

Record Of The Year
Halo - Beyoncé
I Gotta Feeling - The Black Eyed Peas
Use Somebody - Kings Of Leon
Poker Face - Lady Gaga
You Belong With Me - Taylor Swift

Album Of The Year
I Am... Sasha Fierce - Beyoncé
The E.N.D. - The Black Eyed Peas
The Fame - Lady Gaga
Big Whiskey And The Groogrux King - Dave Matthews Band
Fearless - Taylor Swift

Best New Artist
Zac Brown Band
Keri Hilson
MGMT
Silversun Pickups
The Ting Tings

Best Female R&B Vocal Performance
Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It) - Beyoncé
It Kills Me - Melanie Fiona
That Was Then - Lalah Hathaway
Goin' Thru Changes - Ledisi
Lions, Tigers & Bears - Jazmine Sullivan

Best Male R&B Vocal Performance
The Point Of It All - Anthony Hamilton
Pretty Wings - Maxwell
Sobeautiful - Musiq Soulchild
Under - Pleasure P
There Goes My Baby - Charlie Wilson

Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals
Blame It - Jamie Foxx & T-Pain
Chocolate High - India.Arie & Musiq Soulchild
Ifuleave - Musiq Soulchild & Mary J. Blige
Higher Ground - Robert Randolph & The Clark Sisters
Love Has Finally Come At Last - Calvin Richardson & Ann Nesby

Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance
At Last - Beyoncé
Soul Music - Anthony Hamilton
Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight - Boney James & Quinn
Sow Love - Ann Nesby
Woman Gotta Have It - Calvin Richardson

Best R&B Album
The Point Of It All - Anthony Hamilton
Testimony: Vol. 2, Love & Politics - India.Arie
Turn Me Loose - Ledisi
Blacksummers' Night - Maxwell
Uncle Charlie - Charlie Wilson

Best Contemporary R&B Album
I Am... Sasha Fierce - Beyoncé
Intuition - Jamie Foxx
The Introduction Of Marcus Cooper - Pleasure P
Ready - Trey Songz
Thr33 Ringz - T-Pain

Best Rap Solo Performance
Best I Ever Had - Drake
Beautiful - Eminem
D.O.A. (Death Of Auto-Tune) - Jay-Z
Day 'N' Nite - Kid Cudi
Casa Bey - Mos Def

Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group
Too Many Rappers - Beastie Boys & Nas
Crack A Bottle - Eminem, Dr. Dre & 50 Cent
Money Goes, Honey Stay - Fabolous & Jay-Z
Make Her Say - Kid Cudi, Kanye West & Common
Amazing - Kanye West & Young Jeezy

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration
Ego - Beyoncé & Kanye West
Knock You Down - Keri Hilson, Kanye West & Ne-Yo
Run This Town - Jay-Z, Rihanna & Kanye West
I'm On A Boat - The Lonely Island & T-Pain
Dead And Gone - T.I. & Justin Timberlake

Best Rap Song
Best I Ever Had (Drake)
Day 'N' Nite (Kid Cudi)
Dead And Gone (T.I. & Justin Timberlake)
D.O.A. (Death Of Auto-Tune) (Jay-Z)
Run This Town (Jay-Z, Rihanna & Kanye West)

Best Rap Album (It's a tie for me...there is NO way I could choose!)
Universal Mind Control - Common
Relapse - Eminem
R.O.O.T.S. - Flo Rida
The Ecstatic - Mos Def
The Renaissance - Q-Tip

Best Reggae Album
Rasta Got Soul - Buju Banton
Brand New Me - Gregory Isaacs
Awake - Julian Marley
Mind Control - Stephen Marley
Imperial Blaze - Sean Paul

Best Compilation Soundtrack Album For Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media 

Cadillac Records
Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds
Slumdog Millionaire
True Blood
Twilight

The 52nd Annual Gramms'll be airing January 31st. Can't wait to see who is gonna make an asshole of emself this year!!!

Damn, Mike was hot, right?

What's up lately..

I've been neglecting this blog in a huuuge way! The magazine's blog has been getting crazy mad love so I've been focusing my attention on that, to be honest.
Also, I'm in the planning stage of a fresh new art project. I can't wait to get into it! It involves hip hop, photography and dreams. I'm aiming to release it shortly after Christmas.
Stay tuned for more massive news next month. I've got a hella huge life decision happening at the moment! I gotta keep it on the D-L for a bit longer, until all confirmations are made.
What else...awh man, who has seen "Precious"? I've heard really amazing things on it. I'm planning on hitting it up early next week. Oh, and if you don't have anything better to do on Sunday, tune in to CBS. The movie I worked on all summer is airing:

Well that's about all I've got for news today. Oh yeah, and HAPPY THANKSGIVING to my US of A homies! xoxox

It just doesn't get old!

These dudes remind me of my ex-man. Creepy, hung around when he wasn't needed and always wanted to shower with me.

PE in Full Effect!!

Don't you love when you pop your ipod on shuffle and all these old jams dust themselves off and remind you how dope they are?
I wasn't even trynna care that peeps were watchin me rock the eff out to this joint in my car on the drive home tonight.

When did hip hop die?

Did I miss the funeral?

What ever made so many people say that 
anyway? Cuz of Biggie, Pac, Dilla?

Do you think hip hop died?

Photog Port Update

Check here for more!

Good Hair

I watched Good Hair last night. I freaking loved this doc. I think Chris Rock did a really good job of narrating. It kind of freaked me out just thinking about all the damaging chemicals I've been exposed to in my lifetime. My hair was stick-straight when I was a kid so my Grandma gave me perms. My hair isn't straight anymore, actually, it's super curly.
One of the reasons I moved from Vancouver was the weather....the rain and humidity. Ugh. If you're reading this and you have naturally curly hair, you know exactly why I hate humidity. You can leave the house with the freshest, sexiest hair ever and as soon as mister humidity breathes his stank breath all over your shit, it's jacked right up, beyond repair for the day. Anyway, back to the movie. It was cool to see all the work and creativity that goes into the Bronner Brothers hair show. Dude handled pretty well in them heels. Props! If you haven't seen this yet and spend shitloads on making your hair look good, you'll probably enjoy this a lot.