The MTV Video Music Awards, formerly a pinnacle for American pop culture, has been on a steady decline for the last decade. Once a catalyst for early viral moments like Madonna kissing Britney Spears and Kanye West interrupting Taylor Swift, the once definitive ceremony has lost its luster. Since the ways we consume media have evolved tremendously since the first broadcast in 1984, thanks to streaming and social media and whatnot, the very significance of the awards has shifted. Or perhaps the VMAs are just another thing millennials helped kill.
However, there’s hope for this year’s ceremony on August 26: Missy Elliott, the highest-selling female rapper of all time, will be presented with the Vanguard Award for her contributions to music and pop culture at large. Previous recipients of this title include Madonna, Spears, Kanye West, Rihanna, Beyonce, and Justin Timberlake. Elliott remains one of the most groundbreaking and innovative artists of her generation since she emerged in the late ’90s with her futuristic and high-concept music videos that continue to inform the girls today. And while this award seems way past due, there’s relief that she is finally being formally recognized for her cultural impact.
While a lot of new dining spots are starting to adopt a cashless policy, most bars and some alternative restaurants still honor a cash-only policy. I reckon the days of having the option to choose to pay with either cash or card (and confusing servers when splitting a bill) are numbered. But it’s been semi-proven that people spend less when they pay for things using actual cash — something about the visual sight of the transaction triggers something in the brain that says ‘Easy there.’ And it seems that Gucci is tapping into this by releasing a trio of leather money clips. Each style is made with rich leather and is garnished with straightforward branding. One clip features a simple GG logo in gold hardware, while another features embossed leather in another GG logo formation, enhanced with silver hardware. A third style features a gold bee detail that seems to be a subtle shout out to Beyonce’s legion of fans aka the Beyhive.
The Lion King has just marked a new achievement in animation films by becoming the highest-earning animated film of all time, with a whopping $1.335 billion gathered internationally since its release about a month ago. Before that, Frozen held the position earlier with a $1.277 billion earned. Bringing back the waterworks and breaking our heart with its live-action depiction of Simba and his Leo-family, it’s to no surprise that The Lion King is setting records likely to break into the top 10 all-time highest-earning films. I mean, the film had Beyonce after all. However, the film is more popular internationally rather than domestically (reviews for it are lukewarm at best) making it only the third best-animated film stateside. Disney is officially back on the map and has already earned record-break $7.67 billion thus far this year.
Beyonce-approved photographer Tyler Michell was chosen to shoot Loewe‘s menswear Fall/Winter 2019 campaign by Jonathan Anderson. Shot in the historic city of Toledo, known as the “City of Three Cultures,” Mitchell adapted this theme in an abstract manner. Some images for the campaign include out-of-place inflatable white and yellow objects that exist within the same frame as the natural stone and historic locations of the city. In this way, the photographer unites what is manmade and what is natural creating a loose link to the city’s past.
After making headlines as the first black woman to headline Coachella in 2018, Beyoncé is giving fans a closer look at how the career-making show came to be. Set to debut on Netflix next week (right before Coachella’s second weekend), Homecoming is an intimate documentary that highlights the performance, from concept to execution.
The historic headlining performance paid homage to Historically Black Colleges and Universities — during the event, she announced the launch of the Homecoming Scholars Awards Program, a scholarship program organized through the BeyGOOD initiative that provides students scholarships to HBCUs. The set heavily featured a college theme, with an expansive marching band supporting her and Beyoncé herself donning a bright yellow hoodie with Greek letters Beta Delta Kappa (a tribute to the five African American fraternities and four sororities in the country) printed on the back. The documentary features interviews with people who helped bring the show to life, exclusive behind-the-scenes clips, and (obv) footage from the performance. It’s likely that this documentary will be better than being at the desert festival itself.
In a little under a decade, Daps has emerged as a leading talent in the ever-expanding world of music videos. Having already worked with artists like Kendrick Lamar, Young Thug, and Migos (he directed the video for ‘Bad and Boujee,’ which went viral and was virtually inescapable for most of 2017), he’s quickly established himself as an authority of the genre.
Born in London, the director had an extensive basketball career, earning athletic scholarships for Campbell University and a master’s degree from Bellarmine University, before diving headfirst into filmmaking in 2010.
“My brother Luti started his own production company, called Luti Media. Initially, I was basically producing for Luti Media and that’s where I basically learned the ropes,” the 33-year old tells me over the phone. “As I’m producing, I’m producing for directors so I’m learning on the job what it takes, all the ins-and-outs.”
In an age where media is consumed on multiple platforms 24/7, finding a way to stand out as a director is increasingly difficult — especially when streaming culture means hit songs are bigger than ever before. Often it’s an accompanying video that makes can shift a catchy song into a massive hit. “Music videos are the most watched content on YouTube. Period,” he says. “YouTube is the second most searched engine in the world, period. The first is Google, and Google owns YouTube anyway. So music videos are very fucking important,” he adds with a laugh.
With the production value that goes into his videos, it’s no surprise that Daps gets most of his inspiration from movies. The camera movements in his video for Migos’ ‘T-Shirt’ was inspired by the football drama Any Given Sunday. He cites Quentin Tarantino’s method of extending scenes to be a continuous source of inspiration. In the age where social media dominates cultural trends, incorporating these nostalgic references is essential to surviving in an oversaturated media landscape. But with a new video for rising UK-based rapper Mist and goals to work with musical royalty Beyoncé and Rihanna, it’s clear that Daps is only getting started.
“It’s easier to be a filmmaker. It’s not easier to be a good filmmaker, necessarily,” he says. “Things are cheaper and quicker, you don’t need to go to film school anymore — you can just have your iPhone and iMovie. The access is easier as well for minorities, women, people of color. Now we don’t need ‘you’ [the system].”
Landing on the scene with a hyper-surreal perspective, Thierry Mugler dominated the fashion world in the late 20th century with his high-production showmanship and futuristic garments. By fusing science fiction and film noir visuals into razor-sharp silhouettes that celebrated femininity, the French label was able to simultaneously capture the zeitgeist and propel it to new heights, turning runway shows into opulent spectacles and models into superwomen.
The reclusive designer, who stepped down from his eponymous brand in 2002 before it shuttered completely shortly after, remains an instrumental figure in contemporary fashion. Renowned for sculpting entire worlds that extended far beyond the runway and amassing a vast body of work that fortified his singular vision, Mugler’s influence remains as idiosyncratic as ever and continues to rouse the public. Almost two decades after exiting the limelight, the designer is being honored with the first exhibition dedicated to his work, Thierry Mugler: Couturissime, which opens at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts this weekend.
When presented with the idea to commission an exhibition, Mugler himself chose curator Thierry-Maxime Loriot to make it a reality. Loriot has emerged as a young, yet seasoned veteran in sartorial show curation—his first exhibition was the widely successful Jean-Paul Gaultier retrospective that toured the world from 2011 to 2016.
“I was quite surprised and flattered when he [Mugler] asked because I know that many museums approached him for the chance to do an exhibition about his work,” Loriot says. “I guess it was a match with the museum director here [Nathalie Bondil] because we do more installations, rather than general retrospectives.”
The two worked closely together to design an immersive experience poised to re-introduce the genius of Mugler’s mind to the masses. (After all, the designer was the first to host a show that was open to the public—the Fall/Winter 1984 show in Paris featured over 350 looks and drew in an audience of over 6,000.) “We make installations that are very alive,” Loriot assures. “We are storytellers. That’s what the exhibition will be about—it’s going to be about fashion and the obsession with Mugler through the years with a thematic approach.”
Comprised of over 150 full couture looks (many on display for the first time), the exhibition encompasses Mugler’s multidisciplinary work as a full auteur, including photographs, original illustrations, and rare video footage from his extensive archives, which remain hidden and carefully preserved in secret warehouses throughout France.
“It’s quite impressive to see the level of perfection that was achieved in these pieces, and also the amount of work and number of hours he spent on every piece,” Loriot says, regarding his time spent combing through the archives and what viewers should expect. “Many people see the pieces in the magazines and on TV, but to see them up close is really impressive.” There’s also some irony that Mugler, whose work was frequently acclaimed for its futuristic appeal, had not preserved any of his archives digitally. “[Mugler] stopped doing fashion in 2002, when pretty much all the photographers went digital, so none of the images were digitized from the archives.”
Despite a seemingly never-ending public demand for all things nostalgic, Loriot is adamant that the exhibition is very much a reflection of today. “I don’t think this is something nostalgic, to be honest. I think this is more like a new work altogether,” he says. Additionally, a section of the exhibit includes new looks crafted exclusively for the museum.
He also mentions the importance of re-contextualizing Mugler’s work for modern consumption. Even at his career peak, his pieces were not without scrutiny—critics frequently deemed his clothes sexist and harmful for their exaggerated shapes and hypersexual tone.
“I think it’s always interesting to put things in context. We live in a #MeToo era,” he says, showing how hindsight has affected interpretation to carry Mugler’s work in higher regard. In his universe, women were autonomous supervixens who existed unburdened by systemic oppression. And it’s likely this interpretation that has continued to attract some of the biggest stars—like Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, and Cardi B—today.
Since parting ways with his label, Mugler (who’s reverted to using his birth name, Manfred) has turned his focus to extreme bodybuilding, yet his larger-than-life presence still resonates within the industry. His brand remains a fragrance juggernaut, consistently ranking among best-selling in the world since the first perfume launched in 1992. And the label remains a Paris Fashion Week fixture since its resurrection in 2010 under the direction of stylist and art director Nicola Formichetti. (It’s currently overseen by Casey Cadwallader.) But it’s this exhibition that promises to remind the public why a designer like Mugler is so necessary—harnessing a distinct utopian vision, he shattered sartorial convention and expanded the notion of what fashion could be.
“He was really using fashion as a medium; as an artist, and for me that’s what’s important,” Loriot says. “He revolutionized the system.”
This article is featured in the Spring 2019 issue of Essential Homme.
With Super Bowl LIII getting closer, the announcement of Maroon 5 as the halftime performer has stirred a mixed reaction from the internet. Especially after Dave Grohl, former Nirvana drummer and current Foo Fighters frontman, told to KROQ in LA that he was recently approached by the organizers about performing during the coveted slot. He also confessed that this is far from the first time that the organizers have asked. “We’re like, ‘Oh my god, I think we’re gonna do the Super Bowl!’ And then it’ll be Madonna or Katy Perry or someone like that,” Grohl said with a laugh.
With only four months remaining until the next halftime show, we’ve rounded up the best shows over the years.
5. Diana Ross, 1996 – Super Bowl XXX
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCEY7kXDvCQ
It’s difficult to imagine that a single performer can successfully pull off a show of this calibre – unless you’re Diana Ross. With a different outfit for every song, a gold cape covering the entire stage, an entrance in an illuminated platform and a legendary exit in an actual helicopter, the diva’s halftime show left little to the imagination in 1996. Needless to say, the production and vocal delivery definitely set the bar for 21st Century prima donnas at Super Bowl halftimes. They call her the boss for a reason!
4. U2, 2002 – Super Bowl XXXVI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pH5tHgXS-2M
Taking place only a few months after 9/11, U2 took the halftime stage by playing “Beautiful Day,” “MLK,” and “Where the Streets Have No Name,” modifying some of the lyrics to emphasize a sense of community and support, while a list of names of 9/11 victims were projected behind the band as they played. During the last song, frontman Bono turned his jacket inside out, revealing an American flag – a truly powerful and tear-jerking performance that has not been forgotten.
3. Beyonce, 2013 – Super Bowl XLVII
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suIg9kTGBVI
Although nothing less was expected of the Queen, the show was complete with an acapella rendition of “Love on Top,” a flawless delivery of “Crazy in Love,” and “Single Ladies,” accompanied by former Destiny’s Child members Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams. It’s not surprising that she returned to perform at the halftime show only three years later alongside Bruno Mars and Coldplay, with an equally impeccable performance and tribute to the Black Lives Matter movement.
2. Michael Jackson, 1993 – Super Bowl XXVII
One of the most watched events in American television history, the inaugural halftime show played a pivotal role in the future selection of top artists to grace the stage. In addition to “Billie Jean” and “Black or White,” the king of pop sang “We Are The World” accompanied by a 3,500 children’s choir, seamlessly transitioning into “Heal The World.” An immaculate and trailblazing performance from the King of Pop.
1. Prince, 2007 – Super Bowl XLI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NN3gsSf-Ys
Prince’s halftime show, opening with his rendition of Queen’s “We Will Rock You” remains the greatest halftime show to date. Complete with a cover of the Foo Fighters’ “Best of You,” Bob Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower,” and ending with his signature song “Purple Rain” during a downpour, the Artist was in true form during his 2007 set on television’s biggest stage.
Jon Batiste knows what’s cool. A renowned musician, and notable presence at NYFW, the Louisiana-born artist is the epitome of sophistication. Despite his busy schedule as Musical Director for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Batiste was able to talk to us about his new album Hollywood Africans (out Friday), New Orleans, and his dream collaboration.
“We recorded this album in a church that was pitch black most of the time so we couldn’t even see each other,” he tells me over the phone. Produced in part by T Bone Burnett (who he met at Bono’s birthday party), the album is the result of multiple sessions (“There were only 5 recording sessions, total,” he clarifies) since 2015. “We started talking about the history of American music and all the different parts of that history — the blues, folk, rhythm and blues, jazz, and the way it evolved. We really just wanted to work on something together that reflected that.”
The album’s title is inspired by a Jean-Michel Basquiat painting that challenges the convention of the African American entertainment figure, but Batiste considers the main focus of the album was the exploration of how art, no matter where it comes from, can be a source of unity. “The album is about paying homage to the great African American entertainers and just talking about music and the things that they created are so transcendent that even though they were under terrible circumstances. It doesn’t matter whatever culture you come from — art that is created and spread across the world is a unifying force,” he says.
Batiste grew up in Louisiana in a musical family, and these influences are peppered into everything he produces. “It’s funny because I have this musical family and I had this juxtaposition of having a pretty normal suburban upbringing mixed with a completely unique New Orleans culture, and music that was surrounding me,” he recalls fondly. “It was really rare — thinking about people I grew up playing with are some of the best musicians in the world, but I just think of them as ‘Oh, that’s Troy.'”
There’s a palpable passion that Batiste radiates when talking about music that indicates he’s grateful and eager to jump into his next project — there are no windows when he’s not thinking about his next creative outlet. “I’m really interested in collaborating across different mediums, with people in the fashion world, the tech world, dancers, music blended with other things,” he shares. “Music without borders. Music that blends with things unexpected.”
Throughout his career, Batiste has collaborated with the best of the best. This year he worked with dancing icons Misty Copeland and Alicia Graf Mack, the latter which helped with one of the singles for his upcoming album. But he really wants to work with Beyoncé.
“The first time we met was really cool because she knew about my work — this was before I was on TV — so she’s really up on a lot of things,” he says. “She’s another Southerner, her family has roots in Louisiana, so it’s cool to see somebody from that culture.” Since both artists have the ability to tackle large scale productions while still acknowledging where they came from and remaining refreshingly humble, it seems like a perfect fit.
Hollywood Africans is out this Friday (9/28) and available for pre-order now.
Streaming really has changed the music world together, with surprise drops no longer even being that much of a surprise — thanks Beyonce! Nevertheless, Canadian superstar The Weeknd has posted a Instagram announcing the release of a new album or EP (allegedly titled Melancholy, My Dear) tonight. The release will be the first since 2016’s Starboy, which was produced with Daft Punk and featured the eponymous number-1 single. We don’t know much else about the upcoming release but it’ll surely include some seductive tunes to take us right into summer. Be sure to check it out later tonight.
Crank up you speakers, grab some limes, and turn on your out-of-offices, because Miami-based #SXYLK compiled a spicy Cinco de Mayo mix that’ll have you celebrating all day today, duh, and then all the rest of summer.
Audio:SXYLK.
Track list in the following order:
01. “Batuque” – Atropolis
02. “From The Basement To The Roof” (MikeQ Remix) – MikeQ
03. “Grams” – Tomás Urquieta feat. Seer Jú
04. “Baphomet Baile” – LSD
05. “Ay Vamos” – J Balvin
06. “The Ha Dub ReWork” – DJ Sliink
07. “Petrichor” – Nthonius
08. “Brave” – Kelis
09. “Bad Bitch” – GRRL
10. “Missin My Baby” (Chopped & Screwed Remix) – Selena
11. “Nova Brincadeira (Semana Maluca)” – Mc Pikachu
12. “vxxdxxpvssy” – LSD
13. “Drunk In Love” (Fiinesse x Gip x Brenmar Remix) – Beyonce
14. “Stalker Ha” (DJ J Heat Remix) – Kingdom
15. “Fuck Me, Faye Valentine (Intro)” – LSD
16. “Yo Tambien” – Romeo Santos
17. “Yip Yip” – Ishka
18. “She Wolf” (Drugs Remix) – Shakira
19. “So Mi Like It” – Spice
20. “Pop Molly” – Natsu Fuji
21. “Dancing Like A Hoe” (DJ Problem Jersey Club Remix)- Fergie
22. “Na Minha Buceta (interlude)” – LSD
23. “Guaya Guaya” – DON OMAR
Note: Neither Essential Homme nor SXYLK claim ownership of any of these songs. If you have ownership of music in this playlist and wish to not be included, please contact us at INFO [at] essentialhommemag.com and we will remove immediately.
Hailing from the Brick City Club style of music, DJ C-HIM packed a punching mixtape to coincide with Essential Homme‘s new April/May 2015 issue. From Drake to Bieber, start your day off with a #JERSEYCLUB rager fit for any club or cubicle.
Audio: DJ C-HIM.
Track list in the following order:
01. “She Knows” (KickRaux Remix) – Neyo ft Juicy J
02. “Vaneck” (Produced by Fiinesse) – Mvck feat. Spanky Mack
03. “No Type” (Gianni Lee x HI$TO Remixx) – Rae Sremmurd
04. “Good Kisser” (Rah L x DJ C-HIM Remix) – Usher
05. “Get it Girl” (DJ GetEm Remix) – Spanky Mack
06. “Flicka Da Wrist” (Jersey Club Remix by Styles Savage x Supreme) – Chedda Da Connect
07. “Know Yourself” (Jersey Club Remix by DJ C-HIM x Styles Savage) – Drake
08. “Nxwxrk” (Sliink ‘I Run New Jersey’ Remix) – Nadus
09. “Truffle Butter” (YK Remix) – Nicki Minaj
10. “Cartoons & Cereal” (Prototype Remix) – Kendrick Lamar
11. “W.D.Y.W” (Jersey Club Remix by DJ HOOD) – DJ Carnage
12. “PIYP” (Jerssey Club Mix) – 2H
13. “DnF” (DJ C-HIM x DJ Problem Remix) – P Reign feat. Drake & Future
14. “Trifecta (If You Don’t)” – DJ Sliink x TWRK x Green Lantern
15. “711” (Jersey Club Remix by YK) – Beyoncé
16. “The Worst” (WDMG Remix by DJ C-HIM) – Jhené Aiko
17. “Anaconda” (Jersey Club Remix by Styles Savage) – Nicki Minaj
18. “Often” (Flythenerdofclub x DJ C-HIM Remix) – The Weeknd
19. “I Don’t Mind” (Homewrecker Edit) – Usher feat. Juicy J
20. “Up Like Trump” (Styles Savage Remix) – Rae Sremmurd
21. “You Make Me Wanna Jump” (YK Jersey Club Remix) – Rupee
22. “Red Cup” (DJ C-HIM x Getem Remix) – E-40 feat. T-Pain
23. “All That Matter To Me” (GetEm x DJ C-HIM Remix) – Justin Bieber
24. “Connect” (DJ C-HIM x Getem Remix) – Drake
Note: Neither Essential Homme nor DJ C-HIM claim ownership of any of these songs. If you have ownership of music in this playlist and wish to not be included, please contact us at INFO [at] essentialhommemag.com and we will remove immediately.
