Blu Cantrell - Hit Em Up Style
posted January 19, 2025
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Ads for Tonic Nightclub. Top 40 countdowns hosted by Kasey Kasem. Mishearing lyrics to rap songs. My childhood was deeply entrenched in pop culture, thanks in part to Channel 95.5. It’s how I familiarized myself with ‘90s and 2000s hip hop and R&B, and if I was able to stay up late, cool techno remixes. I idolized Janet Jackson and was seven years old singing “Got a nice package alright / guess I'm gonna have to ride it tonight.” I remember when Aaliyah died, when Left Eye set her boyfriend’s house on fire, when Left Eye died, when Destiny’s Child broke up. This was the second-wave of the music video era, when they all deserved their own premiere dates and fanfare. The glossy world was an idealized, Y2K-flavored image of Black futurism, laden with over-the-top tech and chromed-out cheese-grater interiors. Yes, there was MTV with TRL, but there was also BET with 106 & Park.
The R&B Diva is borne from this era, the urban glitz of the early 2000s. She’s got a gorgeous voice and a beautiful face, but there’s always a slight edge to her, like she’s too street smart to be naive. She came from a close family in a city like Atlanta, Detroit, or NYC, and probably honed her voice in church. There’s this level of self-possession and gravitas she has, despite her youth, that comes out in particular when she sings. She’s worked with the best producers du jour—Timbaland, Kanye, Dr. Dre, Neptunes—collaborations that have garnered her multiple Grammy nods.
She’s all about glittering makeup—sultry mocha-flavored lipgloss, sparkly smokey eyes, and an allover glimmer on her skin. Her hair is always sleek, sculpted, and falls perfectly, perhaps with a few brightly-colored or honey-blonde highlights. Jewelry is never superfluous and always sparkly. Shirts are often midriff-baring, either casual-club or sportswear-chic, often with deconstructed details. She loves pouring herself into a pair of shiny leather pants in jewel-tones. Shoes are never an after-thought: either they’re chic over-the-knee boots, strappy heels, or crispy tennis shoes. Every bold color she chooses—orange, magenta, teal, and pink—is the starting place for a cohesive, sexy, youthful look.
She’s just as gorgeous and charismatic as any music video babe, except she’s got the privilege of starring in her very own. Whether it’s for a deep piano-driven ballad or a poppy “feeling myself” vibe, she’s always telling a story through music and visuals. Whether or not she has staying power in the fickle world of pop stars, she will have left an indelible mark on the world and will be forever iconic.
Muses: Tweet, Alicia Keys, Eve
Easy-to-find brands that are more accessible include vintage Baby Phat, Triple 5 Soul, Rocawear, and of course, Apple Bottoms. FUBU briefly had a women’s label called “Fatty Girl” that has great items, but is harder to come by. Think statement belts, shiny pants, and anything with lace-up details. If you can swing it, buying 2000s or late-’90s era designer, especially the kind covered in monograms, is a good bet, too. Bucket/conductor hats, flippy hair, distressed denim, sporty-glam.
Picture it now: it’s 2005. Cam’ron is showing up on the O’Reilly Factor. Kanye interrupts live broadcasts to state his mind. And you’re in your penthouse apartment, soaking in a bubble bath and plotting your next move.