BABY BEDROOM DECORATIONS

Art Official Intelligence: Bionix

Long-awaited 2nd installment of the Art Official Intelligence trilogy, from Tommy Boy Records.

In the De La Soul diet, AOI: Bionix is a solid hip-hop meal--no fancy turntablism and few fluffy comedy sketches, just down-home beats and rhymes served straight up. Bionix is a mellow, intelligent album that aims to educate and get a laid-back party groove on at the same time. "Baby Phat" is a note to all the ladies that those couple extra pounds only mean there's more of them to love, and "Held Down" takes on a new, post-Septempter 11 relevance with the lyrics "And when I'm watching the news / And my daughter walk in / To choose to ask / 'Why were all the people on the floor, sleeping, covered in red?' / I told her, 'They came lookin' for God but found religion instead.'" Of course, De La Soul aren't comfortable preaching for too long, and at the other end of the spectrum lie sex and drug duds like "Pawn Star" (featuring Shell Council) and "Peer Pressure" (featuring Cypress Hill's B Real) that flog their subject matter dead. Even with a couple weak offerings, though, Bionix is more on par than subpar. The album's mix of gospel, funk, and hip-hop comes to a head on "Trying People," a soothing balm of a song about trying to make life a little less complicated. --Jennifer Maerz

ginger lemon tea, taste so good too me, I love to sit in the evening time when I am about ready for bed (3:00am) usually... well I can't help it... I cross so many time zones... I don't know what time it is or what day it is... I am constantly looking at my watch, you know the two headed one... double face:) so I can kind of keep on track... anyway back to the tea... I use to be a diehard coffee drinker... but they do coffee in Japan... so bad I don't understand it... it just doesn't taste right to me... :) I started drinking different kinds of tea... now I really enjoy tea.

The BRUSH Experience (Black Renaissance Urban Sophisticated and Hip) is a social experiment combining people and art to yield creative results. It's where everyone can be an artist (if only for one night) while indulging in food and drinks in an inviting and inventive environment. As the evening progresses joint artworks bloom and are shared for all artists to enjoy! Paint, socialize, & chill as you create or watch masterpieces being made.