THIS is the life I chose, rather than the life that chose me.

-my main man, jigga.

Speaking of Jay- I just purchased my pre-order copy of his new album: Blueprint 3; along with 1 & 2. Im soo excited.

Anyway man, its been a minute. I guess this blog is a reflection of how I want to live my life: on my own terms. Lol, it seems like it takes me forever to update it but once I do I am very satisfied w/ the way it comes out. School is back in session, and the end is coming to the light. Eventhough I have a while to go, I guess its time I start acting like thats the direction I'm heading towards. Everybody is always talking about moving on (forward). To me thats just maintainin'. I'd like to think of myself as elevating. Gotta keep gettin higher til I make it to the top. (take it how u want it). This year is my maker's mark. (my outlet) I hope I can live up to the expectations required of me.

Brooklyn, went hard (as usual). I have pix to prove it. This was a well needed trip because it gave my summer balance. I spent majority of it working/learning in a industry full of lies. Going "home" showed me my true purpose. Whatever I do, I have to own my craft. I refuse to work in any industry whose main focus is sales. The TV/News business spent so much time trying to spruce things up, and make the stories visually stimulating for the viewers that the content/reality of it faded. (i cant get jiggy w/ that shit). I could write a whole book on Brooklyn-well NYC, and how much I love that place but I wont take it to that level just yet. For now, Ill leave it at this.

I love Brooklyn, because:
lol i feel like im in kindergarten...
everybody is on the same page out there. I mean its like no matter what level you are on professionally, you are still considered to be equal to the man standing next to you. NYC is a city derived off of hustlin'. Everybody got a hustle, no matter how big or small it might be. We met/saw countless "celebrities," either working, or maintaining their everyday lifestyle. Not to name names but: Jeffrey Wright (Muddy Waters, Cadillac Records), Kelis & baby, Dwayne Wade, Venus & Serena, Tila Tequila, argh Kid Cudi, some b-ball player, and we touched Jigga. lol met some Roc-a-Fella peeps. Now I mean, yeah thats cool & it was kind of surreal but the part that was amazing to me was how their peers treated them. There was a sense of respect between everyone. There is no way this could happen in Houston.

I mean chicks & DUDES, are trippin off of the sight of Drake, who is yet to release a LP. Dont get me wrong, I rock w/ him, but lets be realistic. He's up and coming just like the rest of us. I think the best way to show appreciation is through respect, and not by worshiping these people as if they are God. Now back to Bk.

Times are tough, man. Everyone is affected. I love the idea of collaboration, and to me it seems like the motto for NY. Everyone works together to make the product better. Females act like lady's. You probably dont get that so let me rephrase. These women carry themselves like women, all while staying true to the characteristics of their personalities. I mean no matter where I went, there was a mutual respect amongst women. No hating, no dirty looks, nothing compared to Houston. If a woman felt like you did the damn thing w/ an outfit you put together, she'd tell you. We met countless females, who "took us in" in a way and led us on the right path in NY. Ladies out here would never do that. You cant walk into a room in Houston, without being subject of these girls demise. Its 2009, I have nothing to compete with you about. Its time to give it up.

Sometimes, I wish people could see what I see. But then I realize that everybody has their own outlook on the world. Though, I never give up, i sometimes slow myself down because I dont feel like Im on the same page as everybody else. What can I say, I got some ishh to work on. Id rather die enormous than live dormid*.
Lets see what happens when I fade to black.

Here are some of the pictures I took in NYC, enjoy:

Sincerely,

D.

-Brooklyn.

will be updated soon.



Sincerely,
d.

Express Yourself...

Back from Brooklyn, and I guess you can say I'm "feelin it" again. NY always gets my juices flowing. This time I decided to try something new. Beyond tired of purchasing cheap jewelry from XXi that breaks after one wear, so me and my sisters decided to make our own. What can I say its pretty fun, and may even become profitable. Anyway here are the pictures I took of our nameless line of custom jewelry. Hair, Make-up, and Photography done by me: Danielle Mason. Model: my kid sis: Adrienne Mason Jewelry Style & Execution: Tameka, Danielle, and Adrienne Mason. Enjoy!



dont jock our issh..

Sincerely,
Danielle.

compassionate w/ my composition

...so inspired, so devious- yet so simple.
back in the day, when things were cool- all we needed was asfdasfjasdlfjaf. nothing.
the only way to get to where your going is by knowing where you came from.
i used to think i had it all figured out because i had first-hand experience.
really, it wasnt until i was able to look back at my past for things to make sense.
have you ever been hungry before? -steady on the grind.
...gotta make a revolution out of 15 cents.
i never thought i would have to say this but apparently it isn't only time zones that change around the world.
close your mind. close your eyes. see with your heart.
i ran into a lot of people who felt the need to stress their realism. _if that word applies.
i hate the fact that i have to write this down, because i don't want to seem as if I'm giving myself a certain title, but the _word must be heard.

honesty is a very important quality to possess, and for some reason i think that having to say you practice it should be equivalent to a double-negative. hope that makes sense, if not:
what i mean is that honesty (being "real") is subjective and having to say that you posess this quality is pointless- therefore when you do, i see you as a forcer. lmao you forcin' it.

i had this convo w/ a friend the other day. (shouts out to kim e. lol)
being real doesnt come from your ability to keep it real with other people.
being real should be determined based on how well you keep it real w/ yourself.
everyday people lie to God, so what makes you think they won't lie to you.
& staying true to yourself (and God) will show others your "realness."
eventhough i love GAME and how lovely it sometimes sounds when its spat,
execution is the only thing that matters. -actions.
that is how i will determine if the game was true.

Sincerely,
Danielle.


-the ink of a scholar is worth a thousand times more than the blood of a martyr.
Lupe Fiasco- American Terrorist.

..from my heart to yours. cont'd.

..fighting to be who i wanna be.

now to me.

i have had this blog for at least a year now & havent really gave you all any direct insight into who I am. Ive been so busy trying to keep my personal life personal, that I never realized that it may be the key to my success.

shouts out to this guy:
Max Gibson said... Dope video dope outfit. Lovin this blog. Great mix of content along with your unique perspective and style. keep it up. www.wineandbowties.com
-never needed permission, though i sometimes yearned for recognition.

life long questions...well the anwsers:

i tried to make things 'work' but then i was compromising myself- not knowing how.

cold-hearted to some, but the challenge wasnt there.

there are only 2 men in this world who can break me down- one is my father.

sweet soul, but my mind is a bitch. excuse my french.

when i aint sippin, im trippin. lol jk.

my excuse was that i didnt know what i wanted when i always knew who i wanted.

patience is my ultimate virtue.

its crazy how easy it is to get caught up- to me its the equivalent of being comfortable. not to say its anything wrong with it..but for me its not the time.

not enough? - a gift from virgo by beyonce.

Gift From Virgo - Beyonce

an idle mind is the devil's workplace.

no idea where to start, but here goes nothing:
shout out to wale's new mixtape: about nothing

Well, im back. Over the summer I had a lot of people ask me why I had'nt been updating my blog like I used to- my response was that I had a life. jk. But really, I believe in content and if you have been following my blog then I am sure you know majority of my "content" derives from experience. So to anwser everyone's question...I had a life.

I will try my best to catch you all up on my summer because I need your help in getting where I need to be, and in order to do so you must know where I've been. But for all of the inquiring minds- I spent majority of my summer in St.Louis partaking in an internship w/ Fox Ch. 2. I got everything I needed out of this trip plus more.

School starts back soon, and on top of that im going to the big apple next week (once again). I have a very busy couple of weeks ahead of me, so stay tuned...I have much to tell :)

Sincerely,
Danielle.

in my line of work you stay in the shadows- so the name Mason is never mentioned.

from my heart to yours...

(the name of my new photog series inspired by the lovely Laura Izibor).

Though it is not finito....well I havent quite started..I guess you can say this picture represents a starting point for me:




it might not say much yet but once you see the rest hopefully you will understand the concept..
Stay tuned..

(she's back..)

Sincerely,
D.

F.Y.E. : pay close attention...its pay back time. bee and jay are killin it. (the smartest in the game)