Ugh, my heart melts when I hear the lyrics to this song!!! Dudes better realize that it’s not a joke when you lose a good thing! Take a listen:
Love
Birthdays and Hip-Hop!
Sorry for the delay in getting on here, but as you all know, life happens! I had an amazing weekend and got to experience some wonderful things…just thought I’d share the highlights! First off, it was my beautiful mother’s birthday (say, “Happy Birthday Mommy!”) and I got to spend lots of time with her and the rest of my family and friends. She loved every second of her party (so did I)!
I also forgot to mention that a few weeks ago my mom received an award from the National Conference of Puerto Rican Women (NACOPRW) at the 2012 ODESSA Awards ceremony. She was recognized for her public and civil work within the community! YES! She takes care of her own on a daily basis.
My mom is on the end (left)
Love you, Mommy!
The next exciting thing about my weekend was attending the Life is Good tour with Nas and Lauryn Hill. YES! She is back! If you don’t know, now you know…she is my all-time favorite female artist! I had such a great time!
Nas
Lauryn Hill
What have you been up to? Anything fun and exciting?!
Why Are You Even Here?
We all want to be successful. To some, that means earning money, having nice things to show for their hard work, flashing labels and expensive jewelry. To others, it means something a bit more priceless…they want the feeling of being fulfilled. My quest isn’t just about having a successful site or doing celebrity interviews or bringing you new music. It’s really about inspiring others to live out their life’s purpose. It’s a waste of life if you aren’t actively trying to find what you were put on this earth for. I always had this weird thought that if I ever found what I was meant to be on earth for, God would take me back with Him (i.e. I would die lol!). So, I never rushed the process on trying to figure it out because I wanted to live longer (weird, right?). Then, like a ton of bricks, it hit me! There is a REASON why I am here and it’s my job to live each day like it’s my last.
The last couple of months have been filled with a lot of death of young people. The majority of those that passed were friends of friends or a friend’s family member, but I still took a lesson out of it all. I don’t think that people just die out of nowhere. I believe that their death is supposed to be a lesson and it’s a lesson that I think people, far too often, miss. Life is short. When I’m long gone, I want to have left a mark so that everyone that I came in contact with has some sort of memory. That pushes me to be a better person. Everyday I am thinking about how I can become a better person, a better friend, a better daughter, a better sister. Everyday, I tell people how I feel. Whether it’s a moment of brutal honesty or a moment of laughter…it’s genuine.
The moral of the story is…I’m no longer afraid to find my purpose in life because I think a part of my purpose is to be better. To be the change that I want to see in the world around me…and that kind of mark will last a lifetime!
Monday Confessions…
Normally Monday is blocked out for showing others how to become a blogger, but instead, I am going to do something that some bloggers stray away from…making it personal. The past month has been craaaaazy! I’ve seen death, I’ve seen sadness, I’ve seen friendships change, I’ve seen betrayal, I’ve seen families being torn apart, I’ve seen struggle, I’ve seen pain. There were small sprinkles of fun and laughter, but mostly just a whirlwind of THINGS! Some of them were my things and some were not my things. A part of my journey to fulfilling my life’s purpose isn’t just filled with fun and exciting blog posts; there are major lessons and tests that I experience along the way. When I put everything together, it becomes the sum of a greater whole…each piece of the puzzle playing its own role. I firmly believe that everything that occurs in this lifetime is a lesson to be learned. Regardless of the trials that I go through, one consistent lesson that I always come away with is that life is so darn precious. It is so important to recognize/right your wrongs, to appreciate your blessings and to forgive others even when they don’t forgive you. I’m not afraid of people seeing my bad days because I am who I am. I’m in constant growth and change and perfection has never been claimed. I have done plenty of things that I am not proud of, but one thing is for sure…I can always humble myself enough to recognize/right my wrongs, appreciate my blessings and to ALWAYS forgive (even myself). Maybe this will be just another post that you read today, but I’m hoping that it will help someone along their journey and to be a reminder that you may be in the midst of your storm, but there will always be sunny days again.
What Will Your Weekend Bring?!
I have the luxury of being able to visit family this weekend (yay!)…that means seeing my parents, my cousins, my aunts and uncles and my best friends! To add a splash of fun in there, I’m going to see Sean Paul perform live for the first time ever! I’ll be hitting the road and driving up north in a short while and I cannot wait. What will your weekend bring you? Any big plans? Either way, have fun and enjoy your time (near or far)! In the hustle and bustle of life it’s easy to let time slip away, but make this weekend different. Go out with friends, spend time with mom or dad…whatever it is, ENJOY and be PRESENT!
Bad Girls Club, Judi the Voodoo Vixen, Opens Up for an Interview!!!
To all my Bad Girls Club and Love Games fans/viewers, here’s a treat just for you! I had the opportunity to speak with Judi from BGC, Season 7 and she opens up to show her fans that there is a lot more to her, than what we’ve seen on television. She goes into detail about her romance with Matt, what being on the Bad Girls Club has taught her and what’s in store for her future. Of course, if you’ve seen Oxygen’s most intense series-to-date, you know that this show holds nothing back. At times I can admit to cringing from the violence and the girl on girl cattiness because it’s nothing short of a public display of bullying, but in the end the girls are supposed to have grown from the experience. Well, only time will tell if anyone actually comes away with a healthier perspective of reality and speaking with Judi was my chance to see what the Voodoo Vixen learned from her time in the Bad Girls Club house. Check out what we talked about; you’re in for a treat!
A lot of times, especially with the newer shows like Basketball Wives and Love & Hip Hop, to me it seems a little scripted so you never know what’s true or what’s just for TV. As far as Love Games goes, just to put the rumors to rest, are you and Matt actually together? Was that real love?
Yeah, we’re still together! No relationship is perfect, but it was real. It wasn’t scripted at all! Love Games nor Bad Girls Club was scripted.
I know it’s hard enough to have a relationship that’s behind closed doors, how do you make it work when millions of people can see your every move?
Well, we’re making it work…I can’t really say how, but we’re trying…(Me: Prayer?) It’s not easy…
The Judi on TV is crazy, likes to party, but what’s the Judi that we don’t see on TV…what’s Judi on a normal day without cameras?
I’m actually really cool and laid back. I be chillin! I just don’t like people to mess with me….that’s it! I’m actually not a crazy person…I don’t wake up on 10 and go to sleep on 10! I’m actually calm and respectful, I have common sense…I don’t just wake up drinking Mimosas and go to sleep drinking hot tea and vodka, I’m sober (lol). People just think I’m out of my mind and have no common sense at all! But really, I do and I’m actually really emotional and all the craziness and anger just comes from me being overly sensitive.
What do you think is the biggest life lesson that came out of you being on both shows?
On Bad Girls Club I pretty much learned that in the real streets, people are gonna hurt you if you torture them or mess with them. You’re an adult now, you have to take responsibility for your actions…if you want to throw cereal on somebody, they will beat you up! That’s what I’ve learned! You get what you give! From Love Games I learned that you don’t always have to show out and act out to get attention. On Love Games my role was kind of reserved and I was actually pretty quiet…that was the other two girls fighting, I kind of just chilled and sat back. You don’t always have to be the loud one to make your point or to give people attention…just be yourself. What’s that saying? The loudest one in the room is usually the most insecure and I just realized that.
As you weave your way through the industry, how will you begin to separate yourself from the image that you portrayed on the show? How will you become that serious business woman that people want to invest in?
On the Bad Girls Club I was 21 and I’m 23 now, so I mean age is nothing but a number, but with experience comes maturity. Going through the BGC and things that I’ve been through in the last few years, I’ve come a long way. I’m not saying I’m perfect, but I am growing and I think that’s all you can do…your actions speak louder than your words. And I’m definitely not the same Judi throwing cereal and cussing everyone out…I do slip up and make my mistakes still til this day, but I’m more of a woman.
Looking back, if there’s one thing about your journey that you could change, what would it be?
I wouldn’t necessarily change anything, but there’s certain stuff that made the media and I would have chosen to not do that and I would have thought about it before I acted out. I just realize there’s a time and a place for everything, but I don’t regret anything. I would have handled myself better and more ladylike and mature in certain situations.
What are some of the long term goals you have for yourself, moving forward?
I really want to be a business woman and invest in my brand. I’m the face of ME’YA Cosmetics! I love lipstick! I want to be a brand owner and a Video Jockey or a radio personality. I want everything! For Judi to be a household brand…sky’s the limit. I also want to get married and have kids ( I giggle)…no, seriously, this is not a joke!
If you had to give yourself a self-assessment, would you say that you’re content on where you are?
I’m not where I want to be yet, but I’m where I’m supposed to be. There’s always progess, learning and advancing and every day is a new chance to make yourself better than yesterday.
What do you say to the younger girls that are impressionable and looked at all the stuff that happened on Bad Girls Club? How do you let them know that may not be the best way to handle a situation (fighting)?
Television is not somebody’s whole life…it’s just a snippet of an hour of what people may go through, but it may not make them. So, do not base your life off of somebody else’s life because God has a path and a plan for everybody and your life is headed in the direction that God wants it to go…don’t be influenced by an hour of TV where for the other 24 hours you really don’t see what that person is really like.
How did you get the opportunity to be on TV? You went to Colombia University, correct?
Yes, I went to Columbia! I was always the party girl, the loud one…like let’s get it crackin’! Me and my friends were watching Bad Girls Club one day and I remember thinking “ARE YOU SERIOUS?! I can do this!” Like, let’s get drunk and talk smack to everybody, that is right up my alley (lol). I can be on this show! And everyone agreed…it was obvious that the girls on the show have been through stuff in their life and I have too, so my friends were like just try out. An open casting session came to Chicago at a bar up north and I had no idea that I would make it. It was literally me up against 1500 girls…there were so many girls there! I just remember thinking, “I’m never gonna make it. Noway!” And I did! I beat out all those girls…it was so surreal when they flew me to LA for my final interview…that’s a moment that I will never forget. It was the most exciting moment in my life! I was 100% myself…they take party girls with issues (lol)! I AM the Bad Girls Club!
For those looking to follow the same reality TV aspirations, how much work do you have to do to maintain your brand? Is it difficult?
It is difficult. You have idiots tweet you dumb stuff and call you all types of names, and since I’m in a relationship, you have people who judge that. As much as you want to cuss them out and go H.A.M. on them (I’ve done that a couple times), you can’t. You never know who’s following you…a big person may see me go off and they may not want to work with me…you have to pick your battles. You also have to stay true to yourself…all people know is the Judi on TV, the Voodoo Vixen…they don’t know me, they don’t know Judith Jackson. You want to go out to the club and be that girl from TV, but you can’t because people are watching…you do have to change! I want to get ratchet, but I can’t.
Do you feel like there’s a sense of getting to a point where you will be yourself 100% regardless of what others think?
I was real on TV…that’s Judi all day! They didn’t edit me in a different light. But, I can’t go out and throw drinks in the club and lift my dress up, I have people looking at me. I’m not on camera and people aren’t going to protect me. I don’t have to be that destructive person. A normal person can go to the club and get drunk and fall over, but if I do that it may end up on Mediatakeout and can be a whole different story like I was on drugs and that may not be the case. It’s about being more mellow and being aware of your surroundings.
Do you have anyone in the industry that you look up to and want to work with?
I would love to work with LaLa, Rocsi from 106 & Park, and I would love to work with the Kardashians. I think they flipped their mistake and made it into an empire. I think that’s the smartest thing ever.
What’s one funny thing that people don’t know about the sober you, but it’s a big part of your character?
I really do talk to myself! I do smile when nothing is going on (lol). When Matt is really serious, I laugh! I don’t laugh cuz it’s funny, I laugh cuz “why are you so serious?” (lol). People probably really do think I’m crazy!
How did you even come up with the whole Voodoo thing? Is that real?
Yes! I’m really Creole and I’m from Louisiana, but my mother used to tell me stories. I never practiced Voodoo, but her mother and my Grandma really do practice Voodoo. The thing with Voodoo is, it’s just karma! What you give out in this universe, you’re gonna get back. I’m not afraid! Treat people how you want to be treated. I’m not crazy, I really know what I’m talking about.
How do you balance your relationship? Matt seems like a laid back person and you’re more boisterous.
Me and Matt have way more in common than anyone knows. He’s not mellow all the time and I’m not wild all the time. It’s a relationship…I don’t think Matt would have dealt with me for so long if he wasn’t a goofy person or funny. People just don’t know that because he’s actually really shy. I’m just more outgoing and outspoken. You guys can watch the Youtube videos from Mexico…
How do you want your fans to support you?
I have Twitter (JudiJaiKrazi) and my YouTube channel (JudiJaiTV)! My fans are really interactive with me and unlike a lot of other celebs and reality stars, I actually talk back with my fans.
I think it’s great to see a different side of Judi, outside of what is seen on TV! She was super sweet and hella funny! Thanks for visiting the Dreamworld!
***New Music*** Drake ft. Dawn Richard “Where Were You?”
Check out Drake’s new track, featuring Dawn Richard, Where Were You. Of course I love it, but let me know your thoughts in the comment section!
A Road Less Traveled.
I think we all reach points in our life when there’s a fork in the road. We have the choice to either go left or right, not knowing which direction is the correct one. I’m more of a choose-neither-kind-of-gal and see what happens if I go straight! It’s how I’ve chosen to live my life and whether or not it was ever the best decision for me, it’s gotten me to THIS very point in my life. Do I have regrets? Sure do. Are there things that I would change if I could? Absolutely. However, in the end, all of the choices that I have made for myself, were means to a lesson. So, what sort of things have I learned? I’m blessed even when I don’t get all that I pray for, I love like it’s going out of style, I’m stronger than I give myself credit for, I will forgive someone a million times without them doing the same for me, and most of all, I am able to accept the consequences for my actions even if “in the moment” I don’t want to.
On the other hand, something that I struggle with DEEPLY is accepting the criticism of others. Because my heart is so big and I love so hard, sometimes I feel like I can’t do much to offend those that I love the most, but I now know that this is so far from the truth. I’ve had people teach me some crazy lessons recently and their words have stuck in my head. I’m guilty of holding some to such a high standard that is virtually impossible for them to ever meet. When they fail at living up to my “standards” I am the first one there to make them aware of their mistake. I’m also guilty of being so easily filled with anger when my feelings are hurt and what’s inside of me comes out through my words…words that can be hurtful. I’m also very emotional and with emotions come blurred judgments. And these are just a few.
You may be wondering why I’m disclosing any of this. Well, I believe that it is our (the world’s) responsibility to openly share parts of our journey that could prove to be helpful to others. I want to be the best representation of myself to the world and as I grow, I realize that no matter how many times I fail or I fall down or I take the wrong path at the fork in the road, I still have to live with myself. I still have to look in the mirror and look into the eyes of the person staring back at me. One thing I am sure of is, I am completely grateful for the people that have stuck by my side. I am forever grateful for those that have chosen to make me a better person rather than giving up even when I made it the easy option. It is because of them that I have lifelong friends, strong family ties and the motivation to be a better woman.
With this in mind, I made a list. A list of things that I want to work on within me because whether I choose left, right or straight, the path begins and ends with the person walking it…and I want to be a wise traveler.
1. Cut back on cussing (totally a work in progress, but the change starts now-words are powerful)
2. Listen to others speak, more than I listen to myself speak
3. Start admitting when I am wrong
4. Tell my family/friends “thank you” and “I appreciate you” more than I point the finger
5. The people that walk away…let them!
It’s a small list, but it’s my start. No one is perfect, so I challenge you to make your own and do your best to stick with it!
Dysfunctional Friends…Here’s What I Think About It!
I’m going to attempt to share my thoughts about the film, Dysfunctional Friends, without giving away every detail (for those that haven’t seen it). For those that did see it, I’m sure you can share in my sentiment of it being a good film. Starting with the opening act, my attention was solely on the screen watching Persia White, who I think is a phenomenal and underrated actress in the industry (formerly on the hit show Girlfriends), involved in some girl on girl action. The initial plot build-up was great! Of course, everyone knows by now that the premise of the story involves a friend who suddenly dies from a freak accident and leaves his estate to his close circle of friends. However, in order for them to cash in, they need to last a week together and work out whatever issues they have and get reacquainted. This is an amazing storyline, being as though it relates to so many friendships nowadays where life gets in the way, people grow apart and before you know it, years have gone by!
One of the biggest perks of the film is seeing actors/actresses who are super talented, yet haven’t been on the big screen in a while, i.e. Wesley Jonathan, Reagan Gomez-Preston, Persia White, Tatyana Ali. Another added bonus is that even though there’s a heaviness of the initial plot (death), there is comedy throughout to provide a healthy balance. What you will find is that each character is probably a representation of someone that you call a friend or whom you know in real life and because of this, there’s nothing phony or “Hollywood” about the film; it’s actually a very accurate depiction of the real world.
One thing that some may find is that the pace of the movie is steady and almost teetering on slow, BUT for someone like me who appreciates character and plot depth it matches perfectly with the story. For example, there are close to 10 main characters and the basis of the scenario requires them all to remain in the same house for the majority of the film. So all of the craziness that ensues forces each character to develop in front of one another, which allows the viewer to truly understand each role and get familiar with who is who and what there purpose is. How many times do we see a film and there is so much going on that we sometimes forget the name or what happened in the beginning of the movie with them? Not in this case! Corey Grant does an awesome job with the script and the direction.
The ultimate kudos is for the film NOT BEING PREDICTABLE. There were plot twists, moments of who’s sleeping with who, what secrets are they hiding, who ends up with who in the end…there is so much that will allow you to really appreciate this independent production. There were some really awesome breakthrough roles, fresh faces (Vanessa Simmons) and finally great representations of black actors! I give it two thumbs up and strongly recommend purchasing the DVD! Showing support for independent films is key!
Visit www.amazon.com to make your quick purchase!
Here’s the movie trailer:
Danithedreamgirl 