Sculpted into the mountains in the southernmost region of Spain, the Seven Gardens House is a true work of art. Modeled after nearby caves and grottos, its grey stone facade hugs the hillside, curving around the terrain to reduce impact on the surrounding landscape. The layout is constructed from a mirrored pattern, creating a series of sheltered terraces that lead out to seven outdoor gardens — a feature that lends to the home’s name. Large glazed panels break up the otherwise cumbersome exterior to bring in views of the Sierra de Grazalema in the rear and the Atlantic Ocean ahead.
It’s Valentines Day and for some reason you cannot take your valentine to a restaurant. Don’t panic. There is nothing like a home cooked meal made with love, and a nice decorated table set for just two! We tend to appreciate things more when they are made from an authentic place of love; even if it doesn’t come out too great. Effort is all that matters.
If you know what their favorite meal is, you can always make it. But, this time, twist it up! You can also try making things that are out of the norm, like food from a different culture. Spice things up. Literally, use spices that you normally wouldn’t try on the regular and be creative. Ever heard of “curried coconut chicken”? Well now you have!
Drinks and desserts are just as important as the main course. You can never go wrong with a bottle of wine or champagne. But if your food is out of the ordinary, why not make the drinks be too. Instagram has been a great way for people to share recipes that you would never think of. If you want to get creative you should definitely follow tipsybartender on Instagram. He makes videos of different drink recipes, listing what you need and how much of it.
And don’t forget about dessert! You can hashtag desserts or follow DIY pages to find something you can whip up. You can never go wrong with chocolate covered strawberries. Remember it’s the effort, but making the food good will get you some brownie points. Check out the drink recipes below and have an awesome V Day!
Beyoncé’s highly talked about Sunday evening Grammy performance gold, sheer sequined and studded gown, with a gold halo like headdress, leaves people wondering where her wardrobe was inspired from. Her attire was an attempted mere replication of the African spiritual Holy Force of love, known as Erzulie Freeda in Haiti, Oshun in Nigeria or Oxúm in Brazil.
From indigenous lands including Haiti, Dominican Republic and different countries of Africa, traditions and faiths have spread across the world from the African Diaspora. From Haiti, originated the Voodoo faith, meaning high and sacred of God, in which they praise one God, Jesus Christ and the Loas. In the Yourba faith, fueled out of Nigeria and the Santeria faith out of the Dominican Republic, they too believe in one God, Jesus Christ and the Orisha. The Loas, Erzulie Freeda, or deities Oshun and Oxúm, is who Beyoncé imitated in her highly praised performance. Whichever name the force is called by from different lands and dialect barriers, she is universally known as the holy force that governs pure love and all matters of the heart. As depicted in pictures and paintings, the holy force is dressed in gold from riches of the earth, beautiful and a bountiful amounts of jewels, pearls, diamonds, and draped across her head is a golden sparkled vail with a decadent halo like crown encapsulated with astounding diamonds and jewels, structured as a star.
While this beautiful force of pure love not only has a heart of gold, but is dressed in it. Erzulie Freeda, Oshun or Oxúm is commonly and unfortunately represented in a lustful and sexual manner. Many will confuse love with sex and it completely distorts the innocence and portrayal of this Godly force. Beyoncé indeed may have tried to replicate and bring forth the beauty of this holy force while still trying to simultaneously incorporate the standard sexual Beyoncé appeal, but it contradicted what the Loa, Deity, Orisha or Holy Force, herself stands for. On that same breath, as people try to pin point exactly what force Beyoncé was portraying, those seeking more into African spirituality often confuse ErzulieFreeda, Oshun or Oxúm, force who governs pure love and the river/waterfalls with Eruzile Dantor or Yemaya, force who governs fertility, stability and the ocean.
In addition to above common misrepresentations, many recognize these Loa’s/Forces/Deities/Orisha, but many of them also confuse them as being gods or goddesses, but they are not. The faiths in which these forces are recognized, are monotheistic and believe in God, Jesus Christ and Holy Forces, however, those forces are commonly confused with the attributed gods and goddess of Greek and Roman mythology.
Beyonce’s Grammy performance gown and headdress has left many people talking, wondering, curious, astonished and amazed. Not only did her wardrobe become a topic of discussion, but her Grammy performance in addition has also opened up a door and given a platform for people to delve and seek more information into African spirituality, the roots of true black history and the origins of our culture.
People tend to procrastinate when it comes to getting gifts for their significant others for Valentines Day. Coming up with an idea to give your lady or man on love day is not the easiest thing in the world, unless you don’t think it over. The key to a good gift is, are you ready? Listening.
Yes, listening to what your significant other talks about can help you figure out what kind of gift you should give them. While some people have taken Valentines day over the top with diamond necklaces and cars, most people do not expect it. People want to know that they are appreciated, so simple gifts, aka cheap gifts, can go a long way. Lets take it back to when burning CDs and making mixtapes was the biggest way you could show someone how you feel. Music speaks to the soul. So when you can’t find the perfect words to explain your feelings, why not let Stevie Wonder “Just Call To Say I Love You,” have Jagged Edge explain what you “Promise,” or allow Beyonce to instruct how to “Dance For You.”
Still can’t think of anything and you balling on a budget? Well thank the Valentines day Gods for Groupon. If you search “Valentines Day Groupon,” you will be directed to cupids secret stash of ideas and gifts for the low. They have coupons for almost everything that you can think of. Get your lady some chocolate covered strawberries or a spa date or take your man on a trip to the shooting range or get his car detailed.
Groupon has categories like “Foodie Gifts”, “Date Night + Experiences”, and “Romantic Getaways” so the options are unlimited! Be creative and think about the things they wouldn’t expect you to remember, then watch them melt. Well that’s up to you. Happy Love Day!
The Bronx rapper and reality star Cardi B has been “breaking the Internet” quite a few times lately with her new look. Some may argue that she is a new muse that has brought a lot of buzz in todays fashion world, and we’re here for it.
We can thank stylist Mikiel Benyamin for her fashion switch up. Benyamin is a stylist who is based out of New York that glams up street wear and makes it look more refined and upscale as we can see with Cardi. What makes this transformation so eye snatching is Cardi’s personality. Anyone can dress up, but not everyone can be as blunt and open like Cardi B. The humor and conversations she has with her fans makes her someone people can relate to but also look up to. Even though we catch her wearing “high end” name brands like Gucci, she is not afraid to let people know that she wears $40 dresses and kills it.
She was recently featured in an article on Vogue Magazine as she posted on Instagram as “MOVING ON UP”, and that she is. She was in attendance for many shows for this years New York Fashion week posing in pictures with fashion icons like model Khoudia Diop at the Michael Costello show, Shaun Ross, and Fabolous. She wore Namilia to their own show and talked about how she wore Namilia on the cover of her new mixtape Gangsta Bitch Music Vol. 2. Her mixtape has 10 tracks that are “for the bitches that got anger in their heart, ’cause every bitch got motherfucking goddamn anger in their heart,” Cardi said in an interview for Complex.
She recently got the opportunity to light up the stage for VFILES in time square, New York City while performing her song “On Fleek” while wearing a body suit that fit her, as she would say, poppinnnnn.
Derek Jeter has always been very private about his personal life. First, he nonchalantly announced that he was engaged to his then-girlfriend Hannah Davis back in November 2015. Now, Hannah casually announced that they are going to have a child in a story published on The Players’ Tribune.
Big moments also have a funny way of making you look ahead. Now, pregnant with our first child, Derek and I are looking to the future…We want our kids’ lives to be as “normal” as possible. They’re going to be born into such an extraordinary situation. They’re going to have to be some strong little people. We don’t want them to be defined by their dad’s name — for them, we want him to just be “Dad.” That will be the piece of him they’ll have that the rest of the world doesn’t. It will be special, and it will be theirs.
During the Meek Mill and Friends concert, Meek Mill gave a shout out to the “fallen angels”, including the recently deceased Samir “Trap Street Saddi” Fortune. Among many other young black boys in urban communities who have been killed, including, Snoop and Little Lo, Saddi was an 18-year-old rising artist who had just released his mixtape. On February 9, 2017, thirteen shots were fired through his front door and living room windows and not too long after, Saddi died.
It’s heartbreaking to see talent, potential and innocence robbed from a person at such a young age, but what’s even more hurtful is to see how many people will celebrate one’s life after they have died. Why can’t we as a community, as a body of people, and as voice of change, support and show that same gratitude while they are living. Some boys who grow up in neighborhoods under distress, feel the need to engage in juvenile activities as a means to make money and support their families, but what if support, faith and belief from a village could change that?
The number of people who played Saadi’s music substantially increased after his passing, but hypothetically speaking, suppose he got the same amount of plays, if not more, while he was living. Those plays of exposing his music and talent to the world could have possibly changed the course of his life. It could have given him a better one before it was taken away.
“Everyday a young nigga dies in this city” ~ Trap Street Saddi
Rest in Peace Saddi. HYPEFRESH gives condolences to all the families and friends of the fallen angels.
After much debate regarding the future of his catalog, Prince’s estate has finally given the green light to make the late artist’s music available on streaming services, including Spotify and Pandora among others.
Spotify – the leading music streaming service – recently confirmed their access to Prince’s music in a BBC report which includes all of his albums from 1978 and 1996, including 1999, Sign o’ the Times, Diamonds and Pearls, and his seminal work Purple Rain. Apple Music and Napster both offer his discography on their platforms as well.
Pandora and iHeartRadio Plus & All Access subscribers now have access to the singer’s music as well. Fans without iHeartRadio subscriptions can also tune into the “iHeartPrince” radio station on the streaming service to listen to Prince’s catalog.
Although great news for fans itching to access the legendary singer’s discography, Prince was a long-time opponent of streaming services and a proponent of artist’s rights. Notorious for having his work and performances not authorized by him pulled down from YouTube and streaming platforms, Prince only allowed for his catalog to be available via Tidal. However, with Spotify and Pandora’s newfound access to the singer’s music, Tidal has lost its exclusive streaming rights to Prince’s work.
1997 was a phenomenal year for music. From neo-soul to electronic-fused R&B to mafioso rap and progressive hip-hop sounds, the year was sonically diverse as multiple genres were all simultaneously prospering. In no particular order, these are five classic albums that will be celebrating their 20th anniversary this year.
1. The Velvet Rope by Janet Jackson
Notable songs: “I Get Lonely,” “Got ’til its Gone,” and “Together Again
If Rhythm Nation helped her break the mold of just being Michael Jackson’s little sister and janet. ignited a sense of self-confidence and sensuality, The Velvet Rope effortlessly produced the aforementioned and so much more in Miss Jackson’s most prolific record to date. The concept album – which covered themes of depression, domestic violence, masturbation, BDSM, and HIV/AIDS among others – is largely introspective while still chronicling the perils and pressing matters of the world. Parading bright red curls and facial and body piercings while wearing erotic clothing such as latex, Janet had established herself as a sex icon through her major image re-haul that set the stage for the likes of Christina Aguilera and Rihanna in the future. The album is also noteworthy for experimenting with electronic and trip hop music and being an early example of “alternative R&B” akin to the music of FKA Twigs and The Weeknd among others; surely, the impact of this album is still felt today.
2. Life After Death by The Notorious B.I.G.
Notable songs: “Hypnotize,” “Mo Money Mo Problems,” “Ten Crack Commandments,” and “Sky’s the Limit”
Released two weeks after Biggie’s fatal shooting in Los Angeles, the double album – encompassing 24 tracks – eerily picks up right where “Suicidal Thoughts,” the last song of his debut album Ready to Die ends. Further delving into the mafioso rap genre while being able to simultaneously juggle ear candy for mainstream radio with hard-hitting rhymes and delivery for the die-hard rap fans, Life After Death was far from a sophomore slump, being certified diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in 2000. Aside from being hailed as one of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time or influencing the careers of Rick Ross, for instance, the seminal album is credited with marking the end of the gangster rap era. Biggie’s murder coupled with the death of Tupac Shakur a few months earlier demonstrated the violence of rap music and subsequently signaled a shift to a more light and upbeat trend of hip-hop while moving away from its dark, gritty themes. Nonetheless, the seeds of a more “commercial” hip-hop were planted with this album.
3. Supa Dupa Fly by Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliot
Notable songs: “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly),” “Sock It 2 Me,” and “Best Friends”
The hip-hop world was taken by storm upon the release of Missy’s breakthrough single “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly).” The track accompanied by the ahead-of-its-time music video offered a breath of fresh air for its surrounding rap landscape. After being relegated to songwriting and producing for years for lacking “mainstream appeal,” Missy released her debut album Supa Dupa Fly in 1997 to widespread acclaim from critics and hip-hop fans alike. Although the rapper’s legacy has largely been re-written to omit her eroticism, the “Misdemeanor’s” debut is loudly and proudly sexual. Challenging traditional norms of femininity and sexuality, Missy is confidently sensual on tracks like “Sock It 2 Me” while sporting body and sex positivity. Aside from the subject matter, the sheer uniqueness of the album was truly remarkable.
4. Baduizm by Erykah Badu
Notable songs: “On & On,” “Next Lifetime,” and “The Other Side of the Game”
Leaving Grambling State University to focus full-time on music proved to be quite beneficial for a young singer-songwriter Erica Wright. Her debut album Baduizm, released under the name Erykah Badu, beautifully mixed funky and jazzy sounds with then-contemporary R&B and helped establish the neo-soul genre alongside fellow crooners D’Angelo and Maxwell. Its lead single “On and On” is beyond conscious; examining religion and the world while also using a clever metaphor involving $3.60, the track was the first neo-soul song to reach the number one spot on Billboard’s R&B chart and remains one of Badu’s most successful and awarded hits.
5. Uptown Saturday Night by Camp Lo
Notable songs: “Luchini AKA This Is It,””Coolie High,” and “Black Nostaljack”
Although not as successful or noteworthy as the aforementioned albums, Uptown Saturday Night is a fine piece of work. Producing one of the greatest rap singles ever and displaying similar album artwork to a painting from “Good Times,” Camp Lo was a refreshing conglomeration of hip-hop, soul, and jazz. The production was top-notch, the lyricism was stellar, and the music had an early 1990s flare. When people say that they miss “the golden age of rap,” this is exactly what they are talking about. Oh, and to top everything off, they even released a groovy ’70s style video that featured Jimmie “J.J.” Walker himself.
Men and women of a certain age knew the score: first some wining and dining, then some bumping and grinding. That was how dating went, and the grinding part often didn’t happen until the second or third date at best. A recent study indicates as per usual that millennials are throwing the old rule book out the window and saving themselves time and money by going straight to home base.
The New York Post reports that according to research done by SinglesinAmerica.com as well as Match.com adviser Dr. Helen Fisher, millennials “are 48 percent more likely than others” to go ahead and have sex before they even hit the wine bar.
The reason why, says Dr. Fisher, is the younger generation of adults are “doing it to see who the [other] person is” and if they want to bother with putting “time and energy into them.”
Fisher has even dubbed the trend “fast sex, slow love,” reports the Post.
Fisher goes on to tell the paper that busy young adults are far too “ambitious” and “active” to mess with formalities. “You learn a lot between the sheets,” she says.
Further puzzling statistics from the report indicate that all that businesslike boinking doesn’t necessarily include oral work. Apparently millennials are “66 percent less likely” to get off that way, for some damn reason.
The flipside of this change in dating behavior is a reported 57 percent of millennials, for all their tech savvy and digitally-connected social lives, feel lonely much of the time.
These numbers were derived from 5,500 single 2016 survey respondents, so there’s a chance it doesn’t truly reflect the way 20 and early 30-somethings are getting together now nationwide.
Whatever the truth, we’d still recommend having coffee or a drink first, to at least learn each others’ last names maybe.
The Bugatti Chiron is not only very, very expensive, it is, without doubt, one of the fastest production supercars in the world. Bugatti has a long history in lustrous, elegant design, dating back to founder , who designed racecars at the turn of the century. The $2.6 million supercar was first introduced at the Geneva Motor Show last year. It has entered into production and will soon be delivered to customers. The Verge visited the Bugatti factory in Molsheim, located in the Alsace region of France, and we commissioned motorsports photographer Patrick Gosling to capture exclusive photography. Here The Verge soaked in the technological wonder at the Atelier, where this staggeringly beautiful piece of automotive engineering is assembled.
Bugatti will manufacture 70 models of the Chiron in 2017. Each Chiron takes about six months to produce from start to finish. Bugatti says no robots are used to make the Chiron. In fact, they claim, “The only electronic tool used in chassis assembly is the new EC nutrunner system. This allows a data curve of each bolt tightened on the chassis to be stored on a computer connected to the system, which then gives the assembly worker a signal when the right torque value is reached. There are more than 1,800 bolted joints on a Chiron, with documentation required for 1,068.”
A team of 20 people assemble the 1,800 parts that make up the Chiron at the factory that was built in 2005 for Veyron and designed by architect Gunter Henn. Bugatti has a long history in the region, dating back to its founding in 1909.
Bugatti offers La Maison Pur Sang, an extensive customization program, to its customers. Paint can be mixed to match to a swatch of material or piece of clothing.
The craftsmanship and attention to detail is extraordinary… as it should be for the insane price! The Bugatti family originally hailed from Italy, where both car and furniture design are paramount. This emphasis on design continues to drive the brand aesthetic.
“Bespoke” is the word that comes to mind.
The Bugatti Chiron is equipped with a truly mega 16-cylinder, 1,479-horsepower engine that makes 1,180 lb-ft of torque that can propel the car to a mind-blowing top speed of 261 miles per hour.
It is also work of art: engineering beauty at its absolute finest.
The completed W16 engine is painstakingly connected to the front part of the car and then swathed in a sea of carbon fiber.
Enormous carbon ceramic brake discs are needed to bring the Chiron to a halt from its top speed.
The wheels are polished to perfection. Parking this car on the street without curbing them must be somewhat of a challenge. Bugatti collaborated with Michelin on tires that decreased overall weight of the car.
The light tunnel is used by the team to carry out an exhaustive six-hour inspection to check for blemishes and imperfections in the bodywork.
Customers visit the Atelier during various phases of the build and some even participate in the assembly. After all of the final checks have been made, the car is prepped for final delivery to the customer.
The Bugatti Chiron takes two months to build from start to finish and is delivered to customers in six months time. If you have a spare $2.6 million laying about, maybe you’d like to put in your order?
It sounds like most if not all of the iPhones that Apple is planning to release this year could come with wireless charging. MacRumors obtained a note from the reliable KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who writes that Apple is developing wireless charging features for three iPhones to be released in 2017.
Kuo doesn’t say exactly how Apple plans to implement wireless charging. The company already uses wireless charging for the Apple Watch, so it’s very possible we’ll end up seeing something similar to that — it’s the kind of wireless charging we’ve seen on Android phones for years. But Bloomberg reported last year that Apple is working on “cutting-edge” wireless charging tech that may be able to power devices at a distance, so there’s some possibility Apple is looking to do more.
Though he doesn’t seem to touch on it in this note, Kuo has previously laid out what he expects from the three different iPhone models. All three will receive a new design, with Apple returning to a glass front and back for the phones. Two models are expected to succeed the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, maintaining the models’ 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch LCD displays. And the third model will be a higher end device, with a 5.8-inch curved OLED display.
The Grammy Museum Experience is finally coming to the East coast. In a collaboration with the Grammy Museum at L.A. Live and the Prudential Center, the Grammy Museum Experience Prudential Center is expected to open in Newark, N.J. in the fall of 2017.
With a significant section devoted to the region’s hometown heroes, including talented Frank Sinatra, Bruce Springsteen and the great Whitney Houston, the announcement was made during a press conference in Newark, attended by Grammy Museum Executive Director Bob Santelli, Prudential Center co-owners Josh Harris and David Blitzer, and Prudential Center CEO Scott O’Neil, this morning (Feb. 7).
“As a New Jersey native who’s grown up with artists like Frank Sinatra and Bruce Springsteen, both of whom put this state on the map, I am thrilled to partner with the Prudential Center to bring the GRAMMY Museum Experience to Newark,”said Santelli in a statement.
The Newark Grammy Experience will feature 8,200 feet of exhibit space filled with interactive features, tributes to local icons and an education center. This is a super thrilling feeling for the city of Newark.
Will you be visiting The Grammy Museum this fall?!
