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Ashanti On Ja Rule & New Music, Cardi B's Grammy Nomination, & Trending Gadgets
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00:00I'm Makhon Zlovu, and today on Essence Now, Ashanti is back, and she's here to talk about
00:10reuniting with Ja Rule and all new music.
00:14We've got the hottest trends for the holiday season with our Black Girls Gadget Gift Guide,
00:18and it's the return of Slade or Shade.
00:21But right now, it's time for the hot list, the biggest stories you're buzzing about today.
00:30People around the world are in disbelief after CNN released video of migrants
00:35being sold at open public slave auctions in Libya.
00:39Yes, folks, slaves. Watch.
00:40Officials have denounced the practice, but say part of the problem is that the country
01:02has been simply overwhelmed by having to provide for the hundreds of thousands of people who
01:07come to the country in hopes of eventually getting to Europe.
01:10An official from the International Organization for Migration explains what happens this way.
01:16Migrants get off the bus, and they're quickly put into a murder machine, an extortion machine,
01:21and they're robbed of their possessions, their families are called, and they're forced.
01:25They're tortured, and they give these smugglers money, and then they're sold.
01:29$400 for a laboring man, and maybe a little bit more for a woman who can be put into the sex trade.
01:37Mark your calendars, Black Twitter!
01:42The royal wedding of the UK's Prince Harry to American Meghan Markle will happen in May.
01:48And considering Meghan will be the first Black royal in the UK, can you tell?
01:52We're a little excited.
01:54Well, we've also learned just a bit more about their love story.
01:56The two met on a blind date and knew very little of each other before meeting.
02:00And according to NBC, after just two dates, they traveled to Botswana and camped out for five days under the stars.
02:08I mean, how romantic is that?
02:10Meghan also said that since they've started dating, they've never gone more than two weeks without seeing each other.
02:15Look, I can't even get a text back.
02:16How much more perfect is this love story?
02:19As since now, fam, you got your outfits ready for the royal wedding yet?
02:22The Grammy nominations have been announced, and our favorite artists are all represented in the major category.
02:34Jay-Z leads the pack with eight nominations for his 444 album, and he'll face off with Kendrick Lamar and Bruno Mars for Record and Album of the Year.
02:45And the ladies, they did their thing, too.
02:49Our girl SZA got five nominations, including Best New Artist, and Cardi B has done it again.
02:56Cardi B's hit, Bodak Yellow, is up for Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance.
03:02But of course, you know some folks have stuff to say about it.
03:0531 Flavors of Ash tweeted,
03:06Am I the only one who's in shock Bodak Yellow is nominated for a Grammy?
03:11I like the song, but it's not Grammy-worthy, honestly.
03:13Mm, Sean P.A. is here for Cardi.
03:16He tweeted,
03:17Nikki got nominated for Anaconda, and y'all are saying Bodak Yellow doesn't deserve it?
03:21All right, so what do you think?
03:24Did the Grammys get the nominations right this year?
03:26Send us your comments using the hashtag EssenceNow,
03:29because we're talking about it in Slade or Shade next.
03:32It's Tuesday, November 28th, and it's time for Essence Now.
03:43Welcome to Essence Now.
03:48You can watch us right here on Facebook and Essence.com every Tuesday at 3 p.m. Eastern
03:54with the best in entertainment, news, fashion, and more.
03:57I'm your host, Makon Jelovu, but this, this is your show.
04:01Feel free to sound off on topics with us at any time using the hashtag EssenceNow
04:05or by emailing us at EssenceNow at Essence.com.
04:08All righty, y'all, it's time to get right into it.
04:11Here to throw some slay or some much-needed shade on this week's hottest topics
04:15is Sway in the Morning co-host and the creator of She's the Beauty and the Beast, Tracy G,
04:21Essence.com's entertainment editor, Danielle Huateng-Clark,
04:24and photographer, Antonia Johnson.
04:27Welcome, everyone.
04:28Hey.
04:28All right, now, as I mentioned in today's hot list, the Grammy nominations are out,
04:31and everyone from Jay-Z to Bruno Mars got honored.
04:34But social media had a whole lot to say about one nominee,
04:38in particular, J.M. Henderson tweeted an image of Maxine Waters with this caption,
04:43my face, when Cardi B gets two Grammy nominations.
04:47And Big Hempen had this to say,
04:49someone explained to me what makes this Bodak Yellow song so dope.
04:52It's a cool record in my 30-plus years of listening to hip-hop,
04:56and this is not in the top 50 of all-time records, in my opinion.
05:01All right, panelists, weigh in.
05:02Are this year's Grammys nominations a slay or a shade?
05:05In three, two, one, hold up your panels.
05:08Slay, okay.
05:08Yes!
05:09My slay!
05:09All right, Antonio, we'll start with you.
05:11Listen, I think that the Grammys got it right this year.
05:14I think that when it comes to artists of color, we are definitely represented.
05:17Women are definitely represented.
05:19And Cardi B worked so hard for this single and this record.
05:22I'm happy for her, and I want her to win and succeed,
05:25get both of the Grammy nominations.
05:26How could you not?
05:27Now, Danielle, do you think maybe the Grammys are trying to make up for last year?
05:30Because you know there's a little controversy, or did they get it right this year?
05:33That's a good question.
05:34I don't know if they're trying to make up for last year.
05:35I mean, I definitely am still hurt by Beyoncé's loss.
05:38Oh, yeah.
05:39Yeah.
05:40But I think they just hit it on the nose this year.
05:42Like, I feel like Kendrick's album was amazing per usual.
05:46Jay-Z, of course, the GOAT.
05:47I'm so excited for Cardi, who, like Antonio said, the work ethic she put in was,
05:53I mean, this girl was going to college campuses.
05:56She had two mixtapes before she actually put out this single.
05:59She's got an album on the way, but she's been putting in work.
06:02So I just want to see her win.
06:03I think they got it, like, right.
06:05And, of course, CZA.
06:05We all love CZA.
06:07Tracy.
06:08No, absolutely.
06:09Big time CZA stand over here.
06:11But I love this year's Grammy nominations because it actually looks like a buffet
06:15rather than, like, the same plain plate of blah.
06:19You know what I mean?
06:20There's, like, a whole spectrum of not only artists but types of songs
06:23which lends itself over to Cardi B.
06:26And for that one user that was, like, in my 30 years plus,
06:29and not to devalue that opinion,
06:31but every year there's a new Grammy to reflect the present music.
06:35So someone like Cardi, if you're going to judge it just strictly on substance,
06:39okay, fine.
06:40Maybe it's not going to be taught, you know, at your everyday middle school,
06:43the lyrics to Bodak Yellow.
06:45But she worked hard.
06:46But the impact cannot be denied.
06:48You cannot erase it.
06:49Hello.
06:49And by the way, 3-6 Mafia has an Oscar.
06:52I think Cardi B can get a Grammy nomination.
06:55All right, Kayla, let's see what the social media streets are saying.
06:58Now, Kayla's monitoring your comments on our Facebook and YouTube pages.
07:01Kayla, talk to me.
07:02Okay, nothing but love for her so far.
07:05Chantaya Parham says,
07:06Hey, you got the hottest song out, number one on the charts for X amount of weeks.
07:09I say, work it.
07:10Mark Buren says,
07:11Cardi should win the Grammy for Bodak.
07:13Fatima Smith says, stop putting her down.
07:15We need to love and uplift her.
07:16Stop putting all of the artists down.
07:18Rochelle Abathia says,
07:19Yes for Cardi B.
07:20Anyone who can go from stripping to reality TV to hustling their music.
07:24Number one out of the gate.
07:25Yes.
07:25Meeting top-notch people in the industry.
07:27Happily engaged.
07:28And now to Grammy nods.
07:29Can we say winning?
07:31Yes.
07:31I want my year to be like Cardi B in 2018.
07:33Okay, moving along.
07:35In the latest episode of The Real Housewives of Atlanta, Miss NeNe Leakes threw an all-white party themed, girls and gays.
07:42The usual suspects made an appearance, Sheree, Cynthia, and Kenya.
07:45But a lot of our viewers gave a big side eye to NeNe's party theme of girls and gays.
07:50Party attendee, Derek J., he compared the party to throwing a party where white people are told to, quote, bring their black friend.
07:57And others were really offended by Kenya's comment about Kim being transgender.
08:02Shade Lee Love tweeted,
08:03Kenya brought a gay to the party and then made a transphobic comment all in one night.
08:07I told y'all they don't like LGBTs people.
08:10Panelists, what say you?
08:11Was NeNe's party, the girls and gays theme party, was it a sleigh or was it a shade?
08:15All right, hold up your panels in three, two, one.
08:17Let's see.
08:18Oh, I'll give you some time to think.
08:20There, y'all, I'll go straight to you.
08:22I was actually one of those people who tweeted that, like, this is highly problematic.
08:25Um, it's just a larger conversation about NeNe and her use of, you know, words and, and just different things from the gay black, you know, black and brown community.
08:35I think she uses it as a show and she puts it on and it's almost like a costume to her.
08:41Um, and I just, it's weird.
08:42It's weird.
08:43It is like bringing a black friend.
08:44It's weird.
08:45It's a whole culture.
08:46It's not just like a moment for you.
08:47Yeah.
08:47And Tony, did it rubbed you the wrong way as well?
08:49It rubbed me the wrong way.
08:50Every gay person is not an accessory that you just bring with you to, like, the party to make you look good.
08:55Um, I think her comments are very insensitive.
08:57NeNe has said some things that are very problematic in the past.
09:00Kenya has too.
09:01But I'm also looking at Andy Cohen, who executive produces this show.
09:04Like, what are you doing?
09:05How are you allowing this stuff to continue to happen?
09:07Yeah, yeah, yeah.
09:08Um, so if we don't stop it now, it's going to continue to go.
09:10And I don't think that, um, they really care.
09:12They really care.
09:13Tracy?
09:13I feel like Andy Cohen is probably waiting for that confrontation to be held at the reunion.
09:18Yeah, yeah.
09:19Because she goes by that point.
09:20You know what I mean?
09:21Word up.
09:21But I think, I don't know, the reason why I was on the fence and kind of just flipping is, she did.
09:27Did she have gay men there?
09:29She did.
09:29She did.
09:30I mean, it was girls and gays.
09:31Right.
09:31But was it offensive to you?
09:33Was that title offensive to you to have a party theme that way?
09:36I hate that it's publicized because to me there's an issue if, if this would be replicated a thousand times, would it make the world better or worse?
09:43Mm-hmm.
09:44I think maybe worse.
09:46So I'm going to treat this as an isolated incident.
09:48If all that were invited were happy, then I'm cool with it.
09:51I also know Lance Bass from NSYNC.
09:54He says that sometimes his friends will have a Gabby bash.
09:58So, what's that?
09:59What's a Gabby bash?
10:01Oh, no, I'm sorry.
10:01A Gabby shower.
10:02Okay.
10:03So instead of a regular baby shower.
10:05Yeah.
10:05The woman's, all her gay friends will throw a baby shower.
10:09Oh.
10:10And I felt like it was along the same line.
10:13Kayla, what are the folks on social media saying?
10:16A lot of comments from our Twitter friends.
10:18Okay, so at JLoveAlexis, Nene hosting a girls and gays party is so tacky and it's cultural appropriation.
10:24At None of Your Biz, girls and gays, I swear Nene uses the LGBT community like an accessory.
10:30At Gaga for Jolie, once an ignorant fool, always an ignorant fool.
10:34Only enjoying Cynthia this season.
10:36And at Mr. L. Davis, I think a bigger issue than Nene naming her party girls and gays was the fact that Derek J said he had a problem with it, yet still attended and went along with the theme.
10:45Come on.
10:46That's a good point.
10:46We've got to start calling him out.
10:48All right.
10:49Now, next up, Spike Lee's 10-part series adaptation of his first film, She's Gotta Have It, made its Netflix debut recently.
10:56And the main character of Nola Darling has a lot, a lot of people talking.
11:00Nola considers herself a sex-positive, polyamorous, pansexual.
11:04Ooh, that was tongue twister.
11:05Which basically means she does whatever she wants with whoever she wants sexually.
11:10In the series, Nola is openly dating three different men at the same damn time.
11:15Panelists, what are your thoughts?
11:16Is Nola Darling's sexuality too much?
11:18Or is it unapologetic black female sexuality at its best?
11:22Okay, Slade or Shade?
11:23In three, two, one.
11:25Here we go.
11:26Slade.
11:26Slade all the way.
11:27Oh, great.
11:28Crazy, I'll service you.
11:29Okay, for anyone who says it's too much, I don't know.
11:31It really should not be a revolution to see a black woman owning her body.
11:35I feel like Nola Darling is so important in this era because this is one of the few times
11:39we see a black woman that is sexual and not sexualized.
11:43The latter part meaning that her body isn't here for male consumption.
11:47You know what I mean?
11:48It's not here to be on a leash with someone else.
11:50So I like that she's owning everything.
11:52And I like that as black women, we are seeing like a full kaleidoscope of ourselves on television.
11:58Like we are not unidimensional.
12:00There isn't this soul identity, this template that everyone fits in.
12:04And so I like that we're seeing a different type of black girl.
12:07It's a great time to be a black woman.
12:09Come on.
12:10All right, Danielle.
12:10Did you watch it?
12:11What were your thoughts?
12:12I did watch it.
12:13I mean, there were some things that seemed aged out, like the haircuts and some of the terms
12:18were a little aged out.
12:18But overall, I did like it.
12:20I thought I agree.
12:21Like I agree with Tracy.
12:22I think that it's something that needs to be seen.
12:25You know, we see this a little bit with Issa and her hotation.
12:29I like the idea of, you know, the nuance of black women.
12:31We are not a monolith.
12:33Like giving head is not that big of a deal.
12:35You know what I mean?
12:36I love these different explorations of us.
12:38And I also want to flip it and say like if this was a man and it was him dating three
12:42different women, which is probably everyday life, you know, for the average man, it's
12:46not a big deal.
12:47So I think if it was in a different perspective, it would be less of a jarring thing maybe.
12:52I got you.
12:52I got you.
12:53I agree.
12:53As a man on the panel, I have to say that.
12:55Yes, speak on it.
12:56Yes, Antonio.
12:57You know, like when you're like a little kid, right?
12:59A little boy.
12:59Everybody's like, how many girlfriends you got at school, right?
13:02That's very inappropriate.
13:03But this grown-ass woman, right, who has a career, who's doing well for herself, why
13:06can't she date and be with whoever she wants to be with?
13:09If there's five people, let her do her thing.
13:11I thought it was really good.
13:12I watched it over, uh, preparing for Thanksgiving and I really enjoyed it.
13:16I agree with you.
13:17Some things were a little, you know, outdated, but it's spiked.
13:19Some people said it was written, like, by a 40-year-old man and a really bad man.
13:24So y'all felt the same way?
13:2550-plus-year-old man.
13:25Yeah.
13:26It was good.
13:27I'm happy to see that the whole cast, um, you know, do really well.
13:30And came back on TV and she's so beautiful.
13:33All right, Kayla.
13:34Now, Kayla, you have some shout-outs for us from our YouTube fam.
13:36Talk to me about that.
13:37Yes, a lot of YouTube viewers, so if you're not on Facebook, get on YouTube and watch us.
13:41And a couple of comments coming in on Nola.
13:43Cynthia Spivey says, Nola Slade.
13:45Rochelle Batia says, Nola, darling, pure Slade, because men have been doing it for years,
13:49either on TV or in real life, so good job by her.
13:53That's so awesome.
13:54Now, thank you so much for joining us.
13:56Now, coming up, Ashanti is here.
13:58Ooh, that's so exciting.
13:59And we're going to get the scoop on her new music and love life.
14:02But first, speaking of Miss Nola Darling, Essence's Yes Girl podcast recently caught up
14:07with the She's Gotta Have It star, DeWanda Wise, to find out more about the origin of the character.
14:14I think Nola's a freak.
14:16I'm not a freak, and I'm damn sure nobody's property.
14:20My name is Nola Darling.
14:23Did he ever talk to you about why he chose to have a female protagonist, like, way back when?
14:28He said that his initial thought was literally on some Steve Harvey, like,
14:35Oh, like, like, what if a woman behaved like a man?
14:40That was it.
14:41It was just that simple.
14:42He literally took a character that we would think of seeing as a dude
14:47and put a woman in a place and made all the female characters guys.
14:52You're watching Essence Now.
15:04I'm your host, Makon Jlovu, and joining us in the studio is the woman we first fell in love with
15:09back in the early 2000s with hits like Foolish and Always On Time.
15:14Please welcome to Essence Now, Ashanti.
15:16Hey, Ashanti.
15:17Hey.
15:17Hey, girl.
15:18All right.
15:18It's been a while since we've seen you.
15:19How have you been?
15:20Amazing.
15:21Yeah.
15:21Now, you have your own record label, Written Entertainment, and what's it like being an
15:25executive producer?
15:27Are you looking for acts to sign?
15:29It's hard because, obviously, I'm an artist, so I have to be in the middle.
15:34So it's a little bit of a conflict.
15:35As much as I'd love to be in the studio for the whole week, I have to cut those checks.
15:40You know what I mean?
15:41So it's a little bit hard, and you kind of have to balance everything out, but it's so
15:46worth it.
15:47You know, just being able to own your masters and your license and, you know, be able to
15:51be in control of your music.
15:52Right.
15:53Are you looking for acts to sign now?
15:55I am.
15:56I have an idea of the first act I want to do, but it's later.
16:01It's later.
16:01Yeah.
16:02And you can't give us any tidbits on what that is.
16:03It's going to be a little bit different.
16:06A little different.
16:07Yeah.
16:07Okay.
16:08Well, we can't wait to see it.
16:09Now, you're on tour with Ja Rule right now.
16:11Do you have any plans to record new music or work on your album or your own album?
16:16We definitely have been talking about getting in the studio forever.
16:19Obviously, we did the Hamilton Project, which was amazing, went to number one.
16:23And that chemistry, it just never leaves.
16:25Like, we could not see each other for two weeks, and when we get on stage, it seems like
16:29we've been hanging out for months.
16:31You know what I mean?
16:31So the chemistry is always there.
16:33We definitely want to do something together.
16:34Yeah.
16:34Okay, so you are working with Diddy on the Ciroc campaign?
16:38Yeah.
16:39Girl, talk to me about that.
16:42It's honestly a blessing.
16:43You know, Puff is just like the ultimate big brother.
16:46You know what I mean?
16:47It just feels really good to be doing something empowering, you know, just with so many dudes
16:53in this industry.
16:54Yeah.
16:54You know, and just working with Puff and French on a brand like Ciroc.
16:57You know, it's like a nice lifestyle.
16:59Yes.
17:00You know, excellence.
17:01Yes.
17:01So are you like the ambassador of the brand, or are you featured in the commercials?
17:05It's weird.
17:06The whole commercial thing just exploded into, like, its own thing.
17:10You know what I mean?
17:11And it's organic because, you know, me and Puff and French, we kind of kick it anyway.
17:16So it just happened.
17:18Like, when Puff called me, he's like, I need you in the two-piece.
17:22I need you coming out of the water.
17:23It's just the boderic moment.
17:24Yes.
17:25And I'm like, oh my gosh.
17:26And it really turned into something really, really awesome.
17:28And it was a boderic moment.
17:30First of all, you look fabulous.
17:31Oh, thank you.
17:32In that two-piece.
17:33Tell me how you maintain your body, because your body is banging.
17:36Oh, thank you.
17:37Yeah.
17:37I just think it's really important to take care of yourself from the inside.
17:41Like, I do a lot of juicing.
17:42I do cleanses.
17:44You know, I eat a lot of greens.
17:45I don't eat a lot of meat.
17:46So you're a vegetarian?
17:48Not a vegetarian.
17:49Pescatarian.
17:49Oh, pescatarian.
17:50I'm trying to go that way.
17:52You know, my trainer, Raheem, he's really, really awesome.
17:56Okay.
17:56So, you know, it's a lot.
17:58It's hard work, but you look good.
17:59All right, let's switch gears.
18:00Let's talk about your love life.
18:02Uh-oh.
18:02Oh, yes.
18:03Fix the hair for that.
18:04Let's fix the hair for that.
18:05Are you single?
18:06Are you dating?
18:06What is happening?
18:08Say less.
18:09Say less?
18:10You gonna say less to Shantane?
18:12You gonna say less?
18:12I mean, you could give me a little hint.
18:14It was perfect.
18:15Is there someone in your life right now that you're excited about?
18:19You'll have to listen to the album.
18:21Yeah.
18:21The album will tell you.
18:23Yeah, the album will tell me everything.
18:24The single starts to talk about what's happening right now.
18:27Uh-huh.
18:27But the album will tell you.
18:28Okay.
18:29Would you be open to dating someone in the public eye again?
18:33Um, probably.
18:36Yeah.
18:36You know, I just think that you have to take your time with how you do things, you know,
18:40because everyone has an opinion, you know.
18:43But, you know, I'm really not into other people's opinions about what makes me happy.
18:48Yeah.
18:48You know what I mean?
18:48Yeah, yeah, yeah.
18:49So, you mentioned the album.
18:51When is the album?
18:51Do we have a tentative date for the album dropping?
18:53Not yet.
18:54So, you're still working for it?
18:55Still working.
18:56The album is coming out incredible, though.
18:57I've been working with so many people.
18:59Metro Boomin, Tory Lanez, Swae Lee, Jeremiah, LT Hutton, J-Rock.
19:06Um, so many people.
19:08Oh, yeah.
19:09Yeah.
19:09So, the person in your life is more singing.
19:11Okay.
19:11Well, we can't wait to hear about it because you're not going to give us the tea.
19:14We got to listen to the album.
19:15That's right, Hany.
19:15All right.
19:16So, a lot of people have been approached to do reality TV, right?
19:19Would you, is that something that you would be interested in or have you been approached
19:23before?
19:23You know what's so funny?
19:24I was approached a very long time ago.
19:26And recently, too.
19:27I'm not going to lie.
19:29It just, I feel like for me, I would really have to have full control on the perception
19:37and what goes out there and what people see.
19:39Yeah.
19:39You know what I mean?
19:40Yeah.
19:41It's the gift and the curse.
19:43So, if you were an executive producer, for instance, perhaps you could do it?
19:47Probably.
19:47Okay.
19:47It just would have to be done the way that I want it to be done.
19:50Yeah.
19:51You know what I mean?
19:51Yeah.
19:51Like, it had to be a little different.
19:53Okay.
19:54So, we'll watch out for that.
19:55What about acting?
19:55Are you doing more acting?
19:57Is that something that you're interested in as well?
19:58Yeah.
19:59I'm actually executive producing a film called Stuck.
20:02And we shot it about two years ago now in the summertime.
20:06Amy Madigan, Giancarlo Esposito, amazing, amazing cast.
20:11And basically about seven different people from seven different walks of life, seven different
20:16cultures being stuck on a subway train in New York City in the summertime.
20:21Okay.
20:22So, all those, you know, those stereotypes.
20:24All those personalities.
20:24And those, yeah, it comes out.
20:27And it's crazy because when we were filming, it was so relevant and was so needed.
20:32And we didn't know it was still going to be that relevant and that more, you know, it's
20:37like we need it more.
20:38We need that message out there more.
20:39Yeah.
20:39When does it drop?
20:41It will drop hopefully by middle of next year.
20:44Middle of next year.
20:45Well, we'll be watching.
20:46We can't wait for the movie and the new music.
20:48Ashanti, thank you so much for joining us.
20:50And remember, you can buy Ashanti's new song, Say Less, featuring Ty Dolla Sign everywhere
20:54music is sold.
20:56And coming up, if you're looking for a great Christmas gift for the girl in your life who
21:00is always up on the hottest tech trends, we got you.
21:03Our Black Girls Gadget Gift Guide is up next, so don't move.
21:07I'm your host, Makon Lovu, and the holiday shopping season has officially begun.
21:12But what can you get that tech-savvy BFF or for mom in your life?
21:16Well, here with some gadgets that are perfect for Black women is tech and lifestyle expert
21:20Stephanie Humphrey, better known as Tech Life Step.
21:24Hey, Stephanie.
21:24Thank you for joining us.
21:25Thanks for having me.
21:26All right.
21:26Now, before we get started, are there any pointers that you can share when it comes to
21:29shopping online for electronic devices?
21:31Do your research.
21:32Definitely.
21:33Lots of places out there offering the same products at different price points.
21:37Don't necessarily go for the cheapest one, because if the deal looks too good to be true,
21:41it probably is.
21:41That is great advice.
21:43Now, let's dive right in.
21:44Talk to me about this fun product here.
21:46Well, first up, we have the HP Sprocket, and it's taking you back to those days when you
21:50actually used to print photographs out, and it is just a really fun way to capture those
21:56memories and capture those moments.
21:58The prints take less than a minute, so we're going to take a quick selfie.
22:02Can we?
22:02You connect the printer to your phone via Bluetooth, and then you download the HP Sprocket
22:07app.
22:07So we will take a quick selfie.
22:08Take a selfie.
22:09Let's do it.
22:10Now, does it come with batteries included in it, or do you have to?
22:12No, you have to charge it.
22:14You have to charge it.
22:14You do have to charge it.
22:15Let's do our selfie.
22:15Give my good, give my.
22:19I love it.
22:20There we go.
22:21Now, what is the price point of this?
22:22Because I think I'll be buying this.
22:23This is $129.99, and again, super portable, really lightweight.
22:27It takes about a minute for the photos to print out, so it's really quickly.
22:31You just want to keep it down.
22:32Keep it out.
22:32Oh, yes, yes, yes.
22:33Oh, they're going to come out through the back way.
22:35Yeah, right out the bottom there.
22:36How many can you print out at a time?
22:37You can print out as many as you want at a time.
22:39It'll go for 50 prints before you'll need to recharge it, and it recharges via a typical
22:47USB cable, so you just plug it right in.
22:49Very nice.
22:49And you can edit your photos.
22:51There's one on here that we edited.
22:52You can add borders and text and different stuff like that, filters and all of that,
22:57and it uses what's called zinc technology, which stands for zero ink, so it's very similar
23:02to how Polaroids operated back in the day, so there's no actual ink in the printer itself.
23:07The ink is in the photo paper, and the printer heats it up and makes the picture for you.
23:13And what is the price point of that?
23:14This is $129.99.
23:16$129.
23:16I love it.
23:17So great for girls' night out, for bridal showers, for, you know, just to have that memory.
23:23Yes, that's us.
23:23We cute.
23:24We cute, girl, and it's so crisp and clear.
23:27It is.
23:27It's a great photo.
23:29And this is also sticky, so you could take the backing off and you could stick it up on
23:34the wall and make, you know, a collage or something like that, so really cool.
23:37Okay, hint, hint for my husband, this is a Christmas gift right here.
23:40This is the one I want.
23:41Yes.
23:41Now, let's move on to the next product that you have for us.
23:44Talk to me about this one.
23:45This is from a company called Roar for Good, and it's the Athena Safety Wearable, and I love
23:50this one because it really is going to give women, you know, their power back.
23:54You can connect it to your jewelry.
23:56You can connect it to your handbag or your backpack or if you're going out running to your sport
24:01bra or something like that.
24:02But what it does is it connects via app, and you can press this button if you're feeling
24:08unsafe.
24:09You designate a group of trusted contacts, friends or family, and you press this button
24:13three times if you're feeling unsafe, and they'll get a text message.
24:16So, say you're in the club.
24:17Yes.
24:17And there's that guy that just won't leave you alone because he bought you that one drink.
24:21You can press this button, and your girlfriend on the other side of the club can come and
24:25get you and say, hey, girlfriend, come back in with me.
24:27And if you really need emergency help, you press and hold it.
24:31So, is it like call, does it call 911 or?
24:33They're actually adding that.
24:35They're adding that functionality.
24:35But that's the, that's the emergency feature.
24:38Yeah.
24:38Oh, wow.
24:39That's your emergency feature.
24:40So, we're going to turn that off.
24:42So, you can turn it on and off from your phone.
24:44Yeah, exactly.
24:45That's very nice.
24:45Exactly.
24:46And the thing I love about this is that your contacts actually don't need to have the
24:50app on their phone.
24:51A lot of products like this, both parties need to have the app.
24:54Some people don't download it.
24:55They will get a text message to know that you need their help.
24:57That is lovely.
24:58So, you can clip it onto your phone or you can clip it onto your pants or your jeans.
25:01Clip it onto your jewelry, your pants, anything.
25:02All right.
25:03Now, the third product is a little something for the fashionista.
25:05A little something for the fashionista.
25:06This is fabulous, right?
25:07Yeah, very much so.
25:08This is the Q bracelet.
25:09It's by a company called Q Designs.
25:11And, you know, by day, just a gorgeous, high-polished, stainless steel bracelet.
25:16But by night, it is your phone's charger.
25:20Won't you look at that?
25:20Right.
25:21Because the phone always dies.
25:22The phone always dies.
25:23Yes, and you don't always have your charger with you.
25:26Really nice.
25:27So, is it compatible to all types of phone?
25:28Because I see this as an iPhone.
25:30It's just iPhone, yeah.
25:30We need an Android version.
25:32I know.
25:32It has a lightning connector, so you can only use it for iPhone.
25:35But you can see your phone is charging.
25:37And it's great because, again, you may not necessarily have your cable with you either.
25:41And you don't need the charging cable with this.
25:43So, a really beautiful piece of jewelry, but also very functional.
25:47And it's very lightweight.
25:48Yeah.
25:48It doesn't feel very, very heavy.
25:50Lightweight, stainless steel, comes in great colors.
25:53So, yeah, that's for the fashionista in your life.
25:55Very nice.
25:56So, you'll get up to a 50% charge with that as well.
25:59Up to 50% because that was going to be my next question is how many times can you use this to charge?
26:02You can use it as many times as you need to, but it'll get your phone charged up to 50% from zero.
26:09Yeah.
26:09Very, very nice.
26:10I love that it's lightweight.
26:11It is amazing.
26:12All right.
26:12Let's move on to that.
26:13Keep that on your wrist.
26:13Keep that on my wrist.
26:14Let's do it.
26:15Let's put it on.
26:15There you go.
26:16And what is the price point for this?
26:17This is $149.
26:19$149.
26:20Very nice.
26:20All right.
26:21And then finally, yes, I love this one because this is just a cute gift if you need a stocking stuffer
26:27or you have a secret Santa gift and you have a price limit that you can't go over.
26:31This is the Plug Life Smartphone Lighted Makeup Mirror.
26:36And what you do, it's for iPhone only, unfortunately.
26:38I know.
26:39There's a bias happening here.
26:40There is.
26:41There is definitely a bias happening.
26:42Yes.
26:43How does it work?
26:43What you do is you plug it into when you need that selfie.
26:49Yep.
26:51I know.
26:51Let me turn my phone over.
26:51Because once you've charged your phone, right?
26:53Once you've charged your phone up.
26:54Now it's time to take the selfie.
26:55Exactly.
26:56But you need the light because you're in the club and it's dark, right?
26:58And you want to fix that makeup.
27:00Let's see.
27:01That's very nice.
27:01You get that close-up.
27:02You get those brows on point.
27:04You get the lip gloss popping.
27:06Yeah, it's just great because you're carrying around a makeup mirror anyway.
27:09And sometimes you do need a little light in the club or at nighttime.
27:13And this is only 20 bucks.
27:1420 bucks is a great deal.
27:16Exactly.
27:16And since it sticks to your phone, you don't actually need any batteries for it.
27:20There are three settings.
27:22So a little brighter if you need it.
27:23If it's a darker situation.
27:24Oh, so you can even.
27:24Oh, sorry.
27:25Oh, so we can actually even turn it up a few notches.
27:27Exactly.
27:28So let's take a selfie.
27:29Let's see how that would look like with the light.
27:32See if it really enhances.
27:33Does it come with any filters or is it just the light?
27:35This is actually just a makeup mirror.
27:37Oh, I see.
27:37Okay.
27:38Yeah, yeah, yeah.
27:38So really good.
27:40Again, for those stocking stuffers, for that makeup lover in your light.
27:45Can I test it out?
27:45Yes.
27:46I'm going to see how strong the light is and if it really.
27:48We should take a selfie together.
27:50Let's go back to the, yes, there we go.
27:53The camera.
27:54See how it looks.
27:55Let's turn it around.
27:57I'm definitely an Android user.
27:58I do not know how to use an iPhone.
28:00Let's take our photo.
28:01Oh, wow.
28:01Look at that.
28:03Beautiful.
28:04And it will give you a little more light if you need a little more light for your selfie.
28:07But you can also get close up when you got to get those lip gloss pops.
28:10And then we can print it out.
28:11Exactly.
28:12That light.
28:13Stephanie?
28:13Everything.
28:14Everything.
28:14All right.
28:16Now, there you have it.
28:17Our Black Girls Gadget Gift Guide has lots of great gifts for the tech-loving women in
28:22your life.
28:22I might pick these up for myself.
28:24Honestly, real talk.
28:25Thanks to Tech Life staff and all our guests for stopping through.
28:28If you missed any of today's show, stick around for the replay airing shortly on Essence.com.
28:33And remember to subscribe to our YouTube channel to see all our videos.
28:37I'm Makon Jlovu and I'll see you right here next Tuesday at 3 p.m. Eastern for an all-new Essence Now.
28:43Take care.
28:44I want all of these.
28:46Everything.
28:47Every single.
28:47All the time.
29:14All the time.
29:15All the time.
29:15All the time.
29:15All the time.
29:16All the time.
29:16All the time.
29:17All the time.
29:17All the time.
29:18All the time.
29:18All the time.
29:19All the time.
29:19All the time.
29:19All the time.
29:20All the time.
29:20All the time.
29:20All the time.
29:21All the time.
29:21All the time.
29:21All the time.
29:21All the time.
29:22All the time.
29:22All the time.
29:23All the time.
29:23All the time.
29:24All the time.
29:24All the time.
29:25All the time.
29:25All the time.
29:26All the time.
29:26All the time.
29:27All the time.
29:27All the time.
29:27All the time.
29:28All the time.
29:29All the time.
29:29All the time.
29:30All the time.
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