Watch out world, celebrity stylist Kendrell is on the move upward! A native of Charleston, South Carolina, Kendrell is our Fash-On Fridays feature for today. It comes as no surprise that Kendrell was a theater major at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York, as the looks he chooses for his clients play with the theatrical.

Kendrell has had experience in various capacities within the fashion/retail world; he was head of Ready Wear at Soho’s Louis Vuitton boutique and Assistant Store Manager of Balenciaga’s Flagship store in NYC.

The photo above shows Kendrell’s apt for style within his own closet. He has some staple pieces, sporting a sports jacket, jeans, high top sneakers, a pop of blue and of course some Louis duffle bags.

Kendrell has worked with David Banner, Kanye West, Ashanti, K. Michelle and one of our upcoming spotlight features, Lauriana Mae (who Kendrell transformed into a “super-retro barbie doll”, as he calls it). Take a look at some of the photos below for examples of his talent. You can find Kendrell’s work at : http://iamkendrell.com/ 

Follow him on twitter: @IAMKENDRELL

As part of of our Share an Experience Sunday, we would like to announce the demise of popular artist Nicki Minaj as a new pop icon has surfaced. PRESENTING: *drum roll* IGGY AZALEA.

We first heard of this artist through a friend (shout out to Akua) and wanted to Share our Experience with all of our readers. Iggy Azalea is not only a drop-dead, gorgeous editorial-type beauty, but she has swag beyond this world. She is, by definition, an anomaly who we are dying to find more and more about.

Iggy Azalea was born Amethyst in Australia and began rapping at an early age. She released her mixtape Ignorant Art in September 2011 and her music videos have been going viral ever since their release. Iggy is not signed to any label but is doing so well with her management team and boyfriend, ASAP Rocky. You can download her music here: IGGY AZALEA MUSIC

She is raunchy; we like raunchy. She has flow; we like flow. She is going to be big; we follow big! We are waiting for the opportunity to interview her, so whoever her PR is please send an email to followtheexperience@gmail.com! We can’t wait!

It’s yet another Share an Experience Sundayand we would like to share an event that we were able to be a part of.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a leader and main player in the Civil Rights Movement during times of Segregation in the United States. He was a legend in his own right. Jamie Dimon, the CEO of JPMorgan Chase & Co, made the decision to put his money where his company’s mouth is and donate millions to help fund the archiving of thousands of documents, words and photos of Dr. Martin luther King Jr. online. The initiative was also supported by AT&T and EMC Corp.

The preservation of this important part of American History is noble and a huge deal. The collage is easily searchable by clicking the following link: MLK Archive

We love and support independent artists, especially those who reside in our native Brooklyn New York. Born and raised in Brooklyn New York, subsequently attending Stuyvesant High School and Vanderbilt University, Julian Rhine aka the White Rhino is a rapper, song-writer and multi-instrumentalist. Julian has already released two studio albums: Just the Tip EP, Released 11/15/2010 and The White Rhino, Released 12/15/2010.

White Rhino – The Journey of Julian Rhine was recently released on 1/13/2012. If you want to get an idea of his sound, close your eyes; imagine you are in a space shuttle being chased by Predator; at that very moment when it is about to catch up to you, there is a moment of suspense: the thrill of the chase. That thrill of the chase is what comprises the White Rhino’s eclectic, space-age hip hop beats. The lyrics are just as exciting.

The White Rhino brings a fresh sound to Hip Hop. We can easily see him going in the direction of Deep House and becoming successful with his craft. The Journey of Julian Rhine begins with a sort of introductory track to the White Rhino Movement in Something to Say. It is followed by an ode to New York City. We enjoyed the bass-pumping, galaxy beats on each of the tracks.

We can predict “Phase it Out” doing very well on the radio. The beat is live and the lyrics “wake the animal” within:

I’m the animal
My mandibles
Are mechanical
Supernatural
Shake it up
Shut it down
Shake it up
Shut it down
Kiss your clavicle
Wake the animal

The album ends with Limelight, a fitting end to such a consistent album. The blend of hip hop and space-age house is clever and we hope to hear more of it in the near future.

CHECK HIM OUT; SUPPORT THE WHITE RHINO:

http://www.sonicbids.com/epk/epk.aspx?epk_id=287754

thewhiterhinomusic.com

The image above represents the laughing Buddha, a symbol of wealth and prosperity. Are you tangled in a sea of financial issues? It’s time to pave your road to success. We believe that there is a higher power somewhere up there that has our best interests in mind. For our first Share an Experience Sunday post, we would like to do so in the form of poetry. ENJOY!

The life over-lived ends up in over-drive times five
Take time to relax and discover your inner-self
No one can know you better than yourself and the one we call God, Allah, Jah, The Most High
Within your mind, there is a sea of success, a wealth of knowledge
Wisdom and power are yours to control,
Humility is a concept we must embrace
Chase after your dream, make haste after your seamless transition to the top

Teach more men to fish,
We take, but never give,
Our surroundings are in need of rejuvenation
Live strong, be bold, bolster courage

Courage to keep your enemies close
As the positive attracts the negative

Are we bigger than pride?
Who is man, that Thou art mindful of him?
We are nothing, but have the chance to make something
Like the magician who pulls a rabbit out of space
Space out and imagine, create your destiny, your destiny lies within

Lauriana Mae and her band, the Pains, did a phenomenal job at SOB’s last night for her first ever headliner show. She performed a medley of songs from her EP. We first heard her unique sound when she opened for a B.O.B. concert here in New York. Her vocals were smashing and refreshing.

We love that Lauriana stays true to her origins in New Jersey. Stay tuned into this artist; she will be big. If you want to know more about Lauriana Mae, click the following link to see our artist highlight page: http://followtheexperience.com/artist-highlight-lauriana-mae

Also, we want to shout out the opening artists Ronnie James and Lance Drummond. It was the first time we heard these two artists and their vocals were on point. We will be on the look out for more of their artistry.

THE EXPERIENCE BLOG IS TAKING ON A NEW FORMAT!

In order to keep you all entertained, we have come up with a new way to release news to you, our number one supporters!

1. PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER. We will begin publishing newsletters in the near future and want to ensure you are not left out the loop. Click the following link: SUBSCRIBE NOW

or scan this bar code, which leads you to the same sign-up sheet:

2. There is now a different category for most days of the week:

SHARE AN EXPERIENCE SUNDAYS:

Every first and third Sunday in the month, we will be sharing an experience that you most likely can relate to in some way or another. From weird experiences on the New York subways to parties that got way out of control, the stories will be comical and inspirational. FEEDBACK is appreciated in the form of comments, emails, etc.

MUSIC & MEDIA MONDAYS

Every Monday we will feature an artist in different genres of music. We strive to  expose new talent and good music, so if you know of anyone who wants to be featured send an email with your material to followtheexperience@gmail.com

We will also publish things we deem relevant to you, which will appear as trending topics in the media and social networks. For instance, the birth of Blue IV Carter!

WET WEDNESDAYS

This is a special day for the ladies. Every second and fourth Wednesday of the month, we will publish a travel and cuisine piece. You know women (as well as men) enjoy being pampered and taken out to eat. What better way to achieve the perfect date than to read some of our recommendations for the hottest vacations and best restaurants in various cities across the globe? This will be fun pieces to write!

TIMELINE THURSDAYS

History is important to us at the Experience Blog. We will incorporate a history post one Thursday out of the month. Most appropriate for this month would be a piece on Dr. Reverend Martin Luther King Jr.

GET YOUR FASH-ON FRIDAYS

We would be remiss if we left out fashion from this blog. We live for FASHION in every way, shape and form. We hope you will enjoy our pieces on fashion and our fashion highlights. Art is also another important part of our EXPERIENCE so we will include posts with various forms of art we enjoy as well. Suggestions and feedback are welcome!

We counted down with Vinny from Jersey Shore this New Years Eve at the AMC Theater on 34th Street in New York City. It was certainly a night to remember. I have to commend the organizers of this event as everything from check-in to coat check went smoothly. The biggest attraction to this event was the 7 hour open bar (which was honored) and the cheap tickets, which started at $55 online in advance.

Thank you all for the support throughout 2011. We are anticipating great things in 2012!

It seems as if Young Money and Drake fans do not completely understand that Hip Hop consists of more than the rap genre. During a DJ set ?uestlove had at SOB’s in New York City, he ranted, ” I want to be clear that playing Hip Hop doesn’t mean playing rap music.” Apparently during a New Years party hosted by Drake at the Dream Downtown, there was an overflow of Drake fans who were slowly moved to the Gallery where ?uestlove was spinning his set.

We can easily see the order of events playing out, as we have witnessed a sad decline in our generation’s knowledge of what true Hip Hop consists of. Some of those same Young Money fans probably don’t even know who the Roots are; most have probably just seen the group playing for Jimmy Kimmel on his late night talk show. We understand why ?uestlove felt the need to make the clarifying comments he did.

A lot of young Hip Hop fans, more specifically American Hip Hop fans, have tunnel vision where the genre of Hip Hop is concerned. I cannot understand why Drake fans aren’t more conscious because Drake’s lyrics are not your typical ignorant rap artist’s. Many have said Hip Hop is dead because of the lack of creativity in the rap genre. To them we say, “NO, Hip Hop is not dead!” We totally agree with ?uestlove’s commentary on the Hip Hop genre and hope that younger Hip Hop fans can really learn more about what Hip Hop consists of, globally and domestically.

Thoughts? Do you have an experience regarding ignorant comments on Hip Hop and rap that you would like to share? Share it here: Share an Experience