BOSCO Went From College Kid To Multimedia Artist & Entrepreneurial Girl Boss
Savannah-born singer BOSCO moves to the beat of her own drum as an artist who also doubles as a CEO of her own creative agency, SLUG. In the past, the singer has had her music featured on HBO's Insecure as well as been featured on everywhere from NPR to Billboard.com.
BOSCO's humble beginnings as a freelance artist and server/bartender prepared her for the arduous life of a recording artist and entrepreneur. Speaking on her experience working in both she notes, "you know how the game goes in the freelance world, it was important for me to have something that generated a steady flow of income." After college, she took up a job in marketing and creative direction at Factory Studios (now GUM Studios) in Brooklyn, NY. She remarks about that experience saying, "I grew so much during that time having a space that nourished my artistic endeavors on and off the clock.
Luckily for BOSCO, she had a key mentor at her job who pushed her in the direction of her dreams. "My boss, Carrie White, was a huge part in the turning point of my career encouraging me to really pursue music. She actually directed my video with DJ Speakerfoxx 'shooter' and my first real video ever 'Names' with producer and DJ Treasure Fingers was shot there."
Recently xoNecole caught up with the singer at a lowkey brunch spot in the West Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles to talk more about how she's grown in the past year and what's to come in 2019:
How would you describe your unique sound of R&B?
Cameron Kirkland / Courtesy of BOSCO
I would describe my sound of R&B being a mixture of influences I grew up with. I'm from Savannah, GA by way of Atlanta. Being from a coastal beach city, you get R&B, soul, blues, but then you get a bit of funk and rock because of the artsy scene around the beach. So I would describe it as feel-good alternative R&B.
Who are some women mentors that have supported you throughout your journey?
One of my mentors is Fadia Kader. She has been mentoring close to 10 years. I would say also my manager Danielle Quebrado. She's been an instrumental part in the elevation of my career. I've been BOSCO but sometimes it takes a certain person to elevate you and see your potential to get further. I would also say Lacey Duke. She's a director that's really coming up right now and I would say she is like my digital sister. In addition, my mom is my greatest supporter and my backbone for when I wanted to give up. She provided a safe space for me to blossom into not only woman I am today but also as the artist.
I grew up listening to Sade, Aretha Franklin, Patti LaBelle, Brownstone, and others in the back of my mom's Toyota Camry. Those were very pivotal moments in my life.
What is some cliche advice you received early on as an artist you embraced or dismissed now that you've grown and been in the industry for a while?
Salim Garcia / Courtesy of BOSCO
You have to stick to one thing. I think when I started doing music, social media wasn't as prevalent as it is today and being a multimedia artist, a lot of people didn't know how to package them. But I've always been dabbling in different mediums and I'm glad I didn't stop. Now we are in an era where as an independent artist you have to do everything yourself. A lot of artists do their own graphics, their own video treatments, cover art, etc.
You don't have to choose one thing. Yes, you can be creative in one lane but don't ever stop using other gifts you have that God or the universe has given you just because someone doesn't know how to package it into a box and use it for themselves.
What is a time you wanted to give up but you pushed through and kept going?
It was two times. Right before I got signed to Fool's Gold, I was recording and releasing records on my own. I did a video and the last video I did they reached out to me. Another time was...well, I have this thing where in-between projects, I begin to doubt myself. I start asking if there's space for me as an artist and if people want to hear me.
The internet has a way of making you wonder if there's not enough space for artists.
Granted, there is a lot of noise and it's harder to decipher one artist from another but I just have to remember that what I contribute to the narrative of the musical landscape is something that no one else can do but me or take from me. I really had to understand that there is room for my music and people want to hear what I have to say. It's about conditioning your mind to make the decision to do the right thing everyday and work towards that.
You recently premiered your video "Cruel" on NPR, which invokes nostalgia of the 90s and what many call one of the golden eras of R&B. What are some records you listened to as a child that stuck with you and you may have had in mind for inspiration while making the video?
During that time, I was listening to Brownstone's "Love Me", En Vogue, a lot of TLC, etc. I tend to lean a lot on the 90s sound because it's music that resonates with me. Total and TLC are my go to groups. For me, Pam and TBoz have parallels to me in being tomboys but chic. They were sexy and laid back. Left Eye was kind of quirky and cool. That's some of the people I was listening to and drawing inspiration from.
Why is it important for you to house your creative agency SLUG in Atlanta and how is the city significant to you in relation to your hometown of Atlanta?
Salim Garcia / Courtesy of BOSCO
The concept of SLUG came to me in two parts. Because I grew up in Savannah, there was a lack of resources [in the] media I envisioned myself looking like. I would go to Barnes & Noble and take pictures of things in magazines I couldn't afford and read books envisioning a world that didn't exist in Savannah. I knew there were qualities and characteristics inside of me that I know I needed to nurture but I didn't know how to. I ended up moving to Atlanta after college.
I always say Savannah birthed me but Atlanta raised me and when I say 'raise me,' I mean in aspects of my artistry in terms of visual art and music.
I wanted to create a platform in Atlanta because it's up and coming and growing to provide kids that look like me with talent that's untapped a chance to work with big brands and cultivate their gifts. Above all, it's like a family and a collective that sticks together and show the landscape of the south in a different way. It's not just grass, trap, and hood shit. It's also a wealth of knowledge, art, street artists, fashion designers, and more that's overlooked. If I can contribute my very small piece to the puzzle, then I feel like it's what I'm meant to do as part of my destiny.
In the context of the #MeToo movement, how do you feel about the climate of the music industry as a black woman?
Different parts of me feel different ways about different things. Looking at it on a very surface level, I feel there has been a big progression in the visibility of our talents as a whole, not as a narrow perspective of this one-dimensional way we are. I feel like the elevation of that is great. The other part of me feels like when it comes to sexual abuse or, things of that sort, when you want to wear a bikini top and some low rise pants, in the industry standards today it's saying, "Oh you want a guy to come touch you." This becomes the narrative more than another reason like, "Oh I was dealing with depression and I just lost 15 pounds. Therefore I want to wear something cute and go outside because I don't have that depression hanging over me today." Those types of things make me feel uneasy.
Then on another aspect, it feels like Black women are exploited, whether it's hair, skin color, or being called hyper-sexualized.
Even when a black woman speaks up about being violated or having something that happens to her in her life, society is not always convinced and believes the story [society tells] because of misconceptions of what a black woman is and her standards are.
What do you hope to accomplish in the next five years?
Exquisite Eye / Courtesy of BOSCO
I want to win a GRAMMY or be nominated. I want to definitely have my own record label. I want to have a brand of collector's items, be it toys or apparel. I would like to do more tangible things with SLUG. I might even throw my own festival. I always want to go on a world tour. It's an ongoing list for sure.
For more of BOSCO, follow her on Instagram.
For more of BOSCO, follow her on Instagram.
Featured image by Cameron Kirkland / Courtesy of the artist
The Reality Of Living With Severe Asthma – As Told by 2 Women On Their Disease Journey
This post is in partnership with Amgen.
The seemingly simple task of taking a breath is something most of us don’t think twice about. But for people who live with severe asthma, breathing does not always come easily. Asthma, a chronic respiratory condition that inflames and narrows the airways in the lungs, affects millions of people worldwide – 5-10% of which live with severe asthma. Severe asthma is a chronic and lifelong condition that is unpredictable and can be difficult to manage. Though often invisible to the rest of the world, severe asthma is a not-so-silent companion for those who live with it, often interrupting schedules and impacting day-to-day life.
Among the many individuals who battle severe asthma, Black women face a unique set of challenges. It's not uncommon for us to go years without a proper diagnosis, and finding the right treatment often requires some trial and error. Thankfully, all hope is not lost for those who may be fighting to get their severe asthma under control. We spoke with Juanita Brown Ingram, Esq. and Jania Watson, two inspiring Black women who have been living with severe asthma and have found strength, resilience, and a sense of purpose in their journeys.
Juanita Brown Ingram, Esq.
Juanita Ingram has a resume that would make anyone’s jaw drop. On top of being recently crowned Mrs. Universe, she’s also an accomplished attorney, filmmaker, and philanthropist. From the outside, it seems there’s nothing this talented woman won’t try, and likely succeed at. In her everyday life, however, Juanita exercises a lot more caution. From a young age, Juanita has struggled with severe asthma. Her symptoms were always exacerbated by common illnesses like a cold or flu. “I've heard these stories of my breathing struggles, but I remember distinctly when I was younger not being able to breathe every time I got a virus,” says Ingram. “I remember missing a lot of school and crying a lot because asthma is painful. I [was taken] to see my doctor often if I got sick with anything so I was hypervigilant as a child, and I still am.”
Today, Juanita says her symptoms are best managed when she’s working closely with her care team, avoiding getting sick and staying ahead of any symptoms. Ingram said she’s been blessed with skilled doctors who are just as vigilant of her symptoms as she is. While competing in the Mrs. Universe competition, Juanita took extra care to stay clear of other competitors to ensure she didn’t catch a cold or virus that would trigger her severe asthma. “I would stand off to the side and sometimes that could be taken as ‘oh, she thinks she's better than everybody else.’ But if I get sick during a pageant, I'm done. I had to compete with that in mind because my sickness doesn't look like everybody else's sickness.”
Even when her symptoms are under control, living with severe asthma still presents challenges. Juanita relies on her strong support system to overcome the hurdles caused by a lack of understanding from the public, “I think that there's a lot of lack of awareness about how serious severe asthma is. I would [also] tell women to advocate and to trust their intuition and not to allow someone to dismiss what you're experiencing.”
Jania Watson
Jania, a content creator from Atlanta, Georgia, has been living with severe asthma for many years. Thanks to early testing by asthma specialists, Jania was diagnosed with severe asthma as a child after experiencing frequent flare-ups and challenges in her day-to-day life. “I specifically remember, I was starting school, and we were moving into a new house. One of the triggers for me and my younger sister at the time were certain types of carpets. We had just moved into this new house and within weeks of us being there, my parents literally had to pay for all new carpet in the house.”
As Jania grew older, she was suffering from fewer flare-ups and thought her asthma was well under control. However, a trip back to her doctor during high school revealed that her severe asthma was affecting her more than she realized. “That was the first time in a long time I had to do a breathing test,” she describes. “The doctor had me take a deep breath in and blow into a machine to test my breathing. They told me to blow as hard as I could. And I was doing it. I was giving everything I got. [My dad and the doctor] were looking at me like ‘girl, stop playing.’ And at that point [it confirmed] I still have severe asthma because I've given it all I got. It doesn't really go away, but I just learned how to help manage it better.”
Jania recognizes that people who aren’t living with asthma, may not understand the disease and mistake it for something less serious. Or there could be others who think their symptoms are minor, and not worth bringing up. So, for Jania, communicating with others about her diagnosis is key. “Having severe asthma [flare-ups] in some cases looks very similar to being out of shape,” she said. “But this is a chronic illness that I was born with. This is just something that I live with that I've been dealing with. And I think it's important for people to know because that determines the next steps. [They might ask] ‘Do you need a bottle of water, or do you need an inhaler? Do you need to take a break, or do we need to take you to the hospital?’ So, I think letting the people around you know what's going on, just in case anything were to happen plays a lot into it as well.”
Like Juanita, Jania’s journey has been marked by ups and downs, but she remains an unwavering advocate for asthma awareness and support within the Black community. She hopes that her story can be an inspiration to other women with asthma who may not yet have their symptoms under control. “There's still life to be lived outside of having severe asthma. It is always going to be there, but it's not meant to stop you from living your life. That’s why learning how to manage it and also having that support system around you, is so important.”
By sharing their journeys, Juanita and Jania hope to encourage others to embrace their conditions, obtain a proper management plan from a doctor or asthma specialist like a pulmonologist or allergist, and contribute to the improvement of asthma awareness and support, not only within the Black community, but for all individuals living with severe asthma.
Read more stories from others like Juanita and Jania on Amgen.com, or visit Uncontrolled Asthma In Black Women | BREAK THE CYCLE to find support and resources.
How 'Intuitive Intimacy' Will Play A Pivotal Role In Relationships In 2024
Not too long ago, I saw a video of a Black woman who was so speaking my language. She was talking about how it’s interesting that we, as women, will basically show supernatural tolerance when it comes to our female friendships, and yet, when it comes to our men, we won’t let them make even one mistake before deciding that we’re ready to cut them off.
Hmph. Let me tell it, a lot of us will self-sabotage our relationships with guys because we’ve got such a long list of things that we won’t put up with, that we’re pretty much looking for them to “mess up” right out the gate. And gee, that’s super unfortunate because you can’t cultivate any kind of real intimacy with someone that way — not to mention the fact that we aren’t perfect either, which means that they have to extend the same kind of patience with us that we need to be willing to extend to them.
And what does this possibly have to do with the focal point of this article: intuitive intimacy? Well, intimacy is defined as being many things; one of them is a close friendship. And so yes, if you want to experience healthy intimacy with the man in your life (or future man in your life), friendship should be at its foundation. Oh, but intuitive intimacy — something that is going to be a huge dating trend in 2024 — is about so much more than that.
If you’re curious, keep reading.
What Is Intimacy? REALLY?
Being truly intimate with someone goes well beyond sex.
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Something that irks me, to no end, is that people who engage in casual sex will sometimes interchange that term with “being intimate” (even I’ve fallen into the trap while writing sometimes because pop culture uses it so much). And why does that get on my almost last nerve? Because, as a writer, an “occupational hazard” that comes with that is being pretty word-literal — and since casual means things like “without serious intention” and “careless” and has synonyms like “apathetic,” “erratic,” “detached,” “unconcerned,” and “purposeless”…how in the world does any of that sound even remotely like real intimacy?
Now, to be fair, aside from friendship, another definition of intimacy is sex; however, it goes well beyond that. Being intimate with someone is about friendship and sex while also experiencing affection with them, experiencing a feeling of warmth when you’re in their presence, interacting with them on a very deeply personal level, being loved and understood by them, and seeing them as a safe space and confidant.
Uh-huh, now do you see why intimacy deserves so much more respect than recreational copulation? Damn straight, it does.
In fact, if you really take all of what I just shared into your being, it’s rare to find someone who you can be truly intimate with, in the full sense of the word — and honestly, I think that’s what intuitive intimacy is going to remind a lot of people of in the upcoming months.
Here’s why I say that…
Okay, So What Exactly Is Intuitive Intimacy?
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For intuitive intimacy to make sense, let me first break down what it means to be intuitive. When you’re an intuitive person, it means that you have a strong intuition. And no, I don’t mean that arrogant (and sometimes delusional, if I’m being real) stance that some women take when they say, “My intuition is never wrong.” Listen, I have sat in many (MANY) sessions where a woman had so much ego (and sometimes even bitterness) tied up in her intuition that it backfired on her. How?
Because, when certain questions were asked, and various revelations were revealed, what really was going on was she was moving on projection, which is oftentimes a mere counterfeit of intuition. That’s part of the reason why I’ve written articles for the platform before like “So, Experts Have Something To Say About Your Intuition's Accuracy” and “When You Should Trust Your Gut & When You Shouldn't.” So no, please don’t be out here thinking that just because you “feel something,” your intuition is working at its peak level. There is a whole lot more to being genuinely intuitive than that.
- Being intuitive is about being discerning.
- Being intuitive is about being empathetic towards others (many empaths are intuitive).
- Being intuitive is about being highly observant.
- Being intuitive is about being very spiritual.
- Being intuitive is about being super observant and being able to pick up on things very easily.
Adding to that…
- Kids and pets gravitate to intuitive people.
- Vivid dreams (and prophecies) happen to intuitive people.
- Feeling shifts in energy and subtle changes in environments happen to intuitive people.
- Having profound insights on folks you just met happens to intuitive people.
- Seeking out solutions over causing more problems is a solid trait of intuitive people.
I’m sharing all of this so that y’all can see that no, “I feel like something is happening” is not really what it means to have an authentic intuition or to be truly intuitive. It goes far deeper than that.
So, when you combine intuitiveness with intimacy, you get intuitive intimacy — something that a Bumble survey says is going to be huge in 2024. And while a lot of people define it as simply “emotional intimacy,” as you can see from all of the definitions of both words that I just provided, that doesn’t really even begin to scratch the surface. However, if I were to summarize it, I would probably say that intuitive intimacy is all about being mindful — hella mindful — when it comes to yourself, the person you’re with, and the kind of intimacy you wish to experience with them.
Examples:
- Your friendship with them needs to have a ton of empathy in it.
- You need to be so observant that the affection you give meets their core needs.
- And brace yourselves — the sex you experience with them should have a spiritual component to it.
Yeah, when it comes to that last one, let’s touch on “intuitive sex” for just a second.
Some Say That Intimacy Is More Important than Sex. However…
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I thought it was interesting that when I read different articles on the intuitive intimacy trend, something that pretty much all of them said intuitive intimacy was about emotional intimacy being more important than sex. Personally, I don’t agree. Even when you look at how the Bible speaks on sex in I Corinthians 6:16 (Message), it says “There’s more to sex than mere skin on skin. Sex is as much of a spiritual mystery as it is a physical fact.” It’s a reminder that sex was never supposed to just be a recreational or casual act.
So no, I don’t think that intuitive intimacy means that you should downplay physical pleasure or copulation — I think 2024 is going to remind (more) people that sex was always supposed to hold more merit and, perhaps if folks are more proactive and intentional about being truly intimate and fully intuitive in the bedroom, they can experience sex on a richer and more fulfilling level…and that makes me smile. It’s time. It’s past time.
Keeping all of this in mind, if you are currently in a relationship, ask yourself: are the two of you as intimate as you should (or would like) to be? Are you intuitive? Is he intuitive? Does it reflect in all rooms of your house? If the answer to these questions is “no” or “not as much as I would like,” I’ve got a few quick tips that can help to turn all of that around.
3 Tips for Building Intuitive Intimacy in Your Own Relationship
If you want to experience intuitive intimacy, focus on solidifying friendship.
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1. Focus on your friendship.
One of my favorite married couples has been together for well over 40 years, and every time I see them, they are together. I mean, I don’t think I’ve ever seen them apart, and I’ve known them since I was a child. I teasingly asked them about it one day and the husband said, “Girl, this is my best friend, my hanging buddy right here. Ain’t nobody I’d rather kick it with.” This is precisely why I don’t get folks who think that your spouse shouldn’t be your friend — hell, your best friend.
"Best" means “the highest quality” and “most suitable and desirable.” Why would you want to build with someone who you don’t see that way? Friendships are about fondness, loyalty, and trust (for starters). If you want intuitive intimacy with your man, focus on solidifying the friendship.
2. Become more spiritual.
A few years back, I penned an article for the platform entitled, “What's The Difference Between Being 'Religious' And Being 'Spiritual', Anyway?” For those who are skimming this, your spirit is the essence of life — your life. And so, when it comes to your relationship, you and your partner should be improving each other’s quality of life in ways that you both can easily rattle off if someone asked you about it.
You both should be becoming morally stronger. You both should be feeding each other’s souls. You both should be “going deeper” into knowledge of self as a direct result of the way you influence one another. And yes, this should be transpiring both inside and outside of the bedroom. Is it?
3. Pay attention to one another’s energy fields.
Albert Einstein once said, “Everything is energy, and that is all there is to it. Match the frequency of the reality you want, and you cannot help but get that reality. It can be no other way. This is not philosophy. This is physics.” The shorthand of this is “match energies” — only be intuitive when it comes to the kind of results that you want whenever you do it. Energy is big, y’all. If you want to go to another level in your relationship, be cognizant of your energy and pay attention to his, too.
You need to be fueling each other. You need to be making each other more positive. You both should feel more alive in each other’s space. And when it comes to sex, a man is literally going inside of you — how can you let someone who isn’t worthy of that affect YOUR ENERGY FIELD in that way and on that level?
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This is the time when you’re gonna be inundated (if not flat-out overwhelmed) by a lot of trends that will be happening in every type of category and industry that you can think of. Yet, if there’s one that you should take seriously and honestly can feel pretty good about, it’s intuitive intimacy.
If you’re in a relationship, strive for it.
If you desire one in 2024, don’t settle for anything less.
Watch how it benefits you — on a billion different levels.
I can just “feel” it. #wink
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