Source: Complex

It’s become increasingly more and more clear that Solange is quite unlike many artists of our generation. While musicians signed to major labels are often swayed to make music that will be commercially successful, it’s very obvious that Solange’s main objective is to be true to herself and her art. She recently spoke to Complex Magazine about how her quest for artistic control led her to create music through an independent label. While, now it may seem that Solange is supremely comfortable and confident in herself and her creative decisions, there was a time when that wasn’t always the case.

She told Complex about a time when her creativity wasn’t so well received.

One day, she wore a “full-on Native American outfit” to Will Rogers Elementary School in Houston. “I had my own little quirks as a child,” Solange says. “I had a very vivid imagination, mostly through my style and fashion choices. The kids had a lot to say.” Her fourth-grade teacher, Miss Bethann, found Solange on the verge of tears in her Pocahontas costume outside of the classroom and gave her a lesson that stuck with her:

“Don’t you ever, ever bend or break because of who you are.”

“From that point,” Solange says, “the idea of convention versus non-convention or mainstream versus indie or any of those quote-unquote ‘conflicts’ has never crossed my mind.”

Wonder what Eve has been up to lately?

Well, E-V-E has teamed up to star in a documentary in conjunction with Reebok Classics and Complex, and in the process of doing comeback performances around Philly (at Kung Fu Necktie to be specific), she stopped at her alma mater, Martin Luther King, Jr. High School and kicked it with her young fans. With DMX coming back out, Lil Kim on tour, and Eve now getting back to being focused on music and making moves, it’s about to feel like the early ’00s (aka, Millennium) all over again! Check out all the colorful photos of the former first lady of Ruff Ryders as she meets the kids, prepares for performances, and rocks 54-11s. And you can see more over at Hip-Hop Wired.

*Reaches to play “Who’s That Girl”…*

See more photos HERE.

Photos courtesy of Reebok.

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Source: Photo by by Ysa Pérez courtesy of Complex

Another day, another opportunity for Solange Knowles to take over the world. If you don’t think she’s well on her way to doing so, then you probably haven’t peeped out her new spread in the current April/May issue of Complex (I ADORE that magazine by the way). In it, she gets fierce and funky in her usual wild prints and with a full fro, and she also talks about everything from reality TV, her cool a** parents, and being a submissive woman versus being too independent. Check it:

When asked whether she could see herself on Project Runway for her style or on Love and Hip Hop just because, she had this to say: “I’ve never seen Project Runway, but I’m a huge Chrissy [Love & Hip-Hop star Christine Lampkin] fan. I’d need to take boxing lessons from her first though, nahmean?”

She also made it clear that while she loves being independent, behind closed doors, she’s all about being submissive: “Strong, independent women share this sentiment of wanting to be taken over sexually behind closed doors. It’s the natural balance for a woman like me.”

And she even touched on why she would have preferred to know her parents when they were young rather than to know them now. Why? Because they were pretty hip. Or at least Miss Tina was:

“My mother was the most stylish, flawless woman I’ve ever seen. My father had a little cool, but my mother was a different breed of cool. I’ve looked through photographs of her that inspire me today. She’s partied at Studio 54, hung out in ski chalets in Colorado, and played Cleopatra in a play in Egypt. She’s insanely cool in her 50s, but I wouldn’t pass up being with her in her prime!”

Check out more photos from the shoot below, and click over to Complex.com to see behind the scenes video of it, and also to check out the rest of the interview. Go Solo!

Source: Photos by by Ysa Pérez for Complex

Source: Photo by by Ysa Pérez courtesy of Complex

Source: Photo by by Ysa Pérez courtesy of Complex

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Source: Pigeons and Planes

Celebrities are known for having no regard for anyone’s time but their own—and for expecting to get what they want when they want it—but when it comes to Vibe, they will put you on blast for feeling yourself too much.

In an article in the magazine’s February/March issue, Vibe exposes “The Dark Side of Aubrey Graham,” saying that the current cover with Nicki Minaj originally belonged to Drake until the rapper showed up eight hours late for the cover shoot, refused to wear the clothes that the stylist had picked out for him, and in a divo tantrum, peaced out.

Drake apparently offered to use his own clothes for the shoot but considering the spread was for the Spring, Vibe didn’t think Drake’s typical wardrobe of Hermes and bomber jackets fit the theme. The rapper didn’t take the news too well and hopped in his SUV, although not before offering to pick up the $10,000 bill as reimbursement for the incident. Does that excuse the behavior?

As Necole Bitchie points out, this isn’t the first time Drake had a diva moment at a photo shoot. When working on the cover for Complex magazine last year, he stopped the shoot halfway through and had his own photographer finish the session because he wasn’t “feeling the direction.” He explained his actions in an interview saying:

“I’m not going to take that s***.”  “Nah man, I work too f***ing hard for that. So does everyone around me. Not to hate, and to whoever I snatched that opportunity from, I apologize. But this is about what we’re trying to build here.”

I guess.

I really hate hearing about high maintenance behavior from people who haven’t even been on the scene that long. That’s an easy way to get a reputation for no one wanting to work with you.

What do you think about Drake’s behavior? Was Vibe right to expose him?

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

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