Cassie Says She Owes Her Comeback To Black Women
We all know that when a bunch of bomb Black women link up, magical sh*t is bound to manifest. Every time I see another woman using her talents to live her best life, it's like looking into a mirror and I'm finally able to see all of my magic and potential reflected back at me in real-time. It's true that there's something truly special about finding your tribe, and for Cassie, that meant restructuring her creative team.
After experiencing a very public breakup with industry legend, Diddy, Cassie has bounced back in true hot girl fashion. Not only does she have a fine baby zaddy, a newly revived career, and a bouncing baby girl on the way, but the singer recently revealed that she also has a new squad.
The 32-year-old entertainer recently sat down with L'Officieland opened up about learning to trust herself again, and according to Cassie, the first step was creating a crew of reliable confidants. As of today, the singer's creative team is now composed of mostly black women, and Cassie says that this was a much-needed change. She explained:
"When it comes to me choosing to work with certain people I have to go off of an organic connection. I love the fact that everyone that I work with now communicates fully on every aspect, we are not in competition, we work as a team and they actually understand who I am and who I want to mold myself to become. As a group, we work as a collective. For me, this is the first time that I feel that I actually have a strong team in place that has my best interests at heart and the added bonus is that the majority of the team are creative black females. To me, it means we see each other."
After spending years overthinking and wallowing in self-doubt, the "Me & U" singer is now in a place where she feels confident in her voice, but that didn't come without the support of the women around her. There's no "I" in team, but having a good tribe can be the key in rediscovering the real you.
Leon Bennett/Getty Images
"More than anything, I would say that my creative process has changed since working with a new team. I feel supported so I make decisions based on what's best for me. I used to spend the most time overthinking the smallest things and always worrying about how people felt that I neglected how I really felt and what would make me happy."
The opportunity to work with women who have encountered similar trials but at the same time have had different experiences is truly a blessing, and for Cassie, having that foundation has been key in rebuilding the vision she has for her life.
"The energy I feel when we're in a room together is unmatchable. We all have our own levels of experience and we bring our best to the table. We support each other and balance each other out all at the same time. It just works."
The mommy-to-be shared that while before, she was wrapped up in the thoughts of others, now, she cares more about what she thinks of herself. For Cassie, it was important to write music that could one day inspire her daughter. Keeping her promise, Cassie recently dropped three new singles, that unlike her former projects, were "written from the heart". She continued:
"My priorities have absolutely changed, not just for creating an amazing future and life for my daughter, but because I want her to be proud of me. I've heard people say that they're nervous to raise females in today's world, but I'm excited! I can't wait to see her grow, learn and challenge the world right back!"
Read Cassie's full interview here!
Featured image by Leon Bennett/Getty Images
Taylor "Pretty" Honore is a spiritually centered and equally provocative rapper from Baton Rouge, Louisiana with a love for people and storytelling. You can probably find me planting herbs in your local community garden, blasting "Back That Thang Up" from my mini speaker. Let's get to know each other: @prettyhonore.
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for daily love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
You've Never Seen Luke James In A Role Quite Like This
Over the years, we've watched Luke James play countless characters we'd deem sex symbols, movie stars, and even his complicated character in Lena Waithe's The Chi. For the first time in his career, the New Orleans-born actor has taken on a role where his signature good looks take a backseat as he transforms into Edmund in Them: The Scare—a mentally deranged character in the second installment of the horror anthology series that you won't be able to take your eyes off.
Trust us, Edmund will literally make you do a double take.
xoNecole sat down with Luke James to talk about his latest series and all the complexity surrounding it—from the challenges taking on this out-of-the-box role to the show's depiction of the perplexing history of the relationship between Black Americans and police. When describing the opportunity to bring Edmund's character to life, Luke was overjoyed to show the audience yet another level of his masterful acting talents.
"It was like bathing in the sun," he said. "I was like, thank you! Another opportunity for me to be great—for me to expand my territory. I'm just elated to be a part of it and to see myself in a different light, something I didn't think I could do." He continued, "There are parts of you that says, 'Go for it because this is what you do.' But then also that's why it's a challenge because you're like, 'um, I don't know if I'm as free as I need to be to be able to do this.' Little Marvin just created such a safe space for me to be able to do this, and I'm grateful for everything I've been able to do to lead to this."
Courtesy
Them: The Scare, like the first season, shines a light on the plight of Black Americans in the United States. This time, the story is taking place in the 1990s, at the height of the Rodney King riots in Los Angeles. While the series presents many underlying themes, one that stands out is Black people and the complicated relationship with the police. "For the audience, I think it sets the tone for the era that we're in and the amount of chaos that's in the air in Los Angeles and around the country from this heinous incident. And I say it just sets the tone of the anxiety and anxiousness that everybody is feeling in their own households."
James has been a longtime advocate against police brutality himself. He has even featured Elijah McClain, the 23-year-old Colorado man who died after being forcibly detained by officers, as his Instagram avatar for the past five years. So, as you can imagine, this script was close to his heart. "Elijah was a soft-loving oddball. Different than anyone but loving and a musical genius. He was just open and wanted to be loved and seen."
Getty Images
Luke continued, "His life was taken from him. I resonate with his spirit and his words...through all the struggle and the pain he still found it in him to say, 'I love you and I forgive you.' And that's who we are as people—to our own detriment sometimes. He's someone I don't want people to forget. I have yet to remove his face from my world because I have yet to let go of his voice, let go of that being [because] there's so many people we have lost in our history that so often get forgotten."
He concluded, "I think that's the importance of such artwork that moves us to think and talk about it. Yes, it's entertaining. We get to come together and be spooked together. But then we come together and we think, 'Damn, Edmund needed someone to talk to. Edmund needed help... a lot [of] things could have been different. Edmund could have been saved.'
Check out the full interview below.
Luke James Talks Ditching Sex Symbol Status For "Them: The Scare", Elijah McClain, & Morewww.youtube.com
Featured image by Getty Images