Janelle Monáe = Natural hair goddess + activist + amazing singer + spunky dancer + leader of Wondaland Records.
She and her Wondaland crew, artists she hand-picked to join her label, have been touring the country showcasing their new music.
And they are FIRE! 
I got a chance to see them last week when they stopped in Los Angeles. Unlike other concerts and music festivals I’ve been to, where the artists play there music in the background while they lazily half-sing along to the lyrics, Janelle actually gets into the performance. She sings live, dances along, and has a lot of fun on the stage.
Everyone in Wondaland, Jidenna, Roman GianArthur, St. Beauty, and Deep Cotton, also has an electrifying stage presence. Between the vocal skills of St. Beauty and Roman GianArthur to the fun lyrics of all of Jidenna’s songs, to the energy Deep Cotton had on the stage, the show was EPIC.
These up-and-coming artists are extremely impressive.
Jidenna
You may have caught this beautiful man in Janelle’s “Yoga” video, or, checked out his song “Classic Man” and the remix with Kendrick Lamar. Not only does he have the face of an angel (a very sexy angel) and the style of the gods, he’s pretty fun to watch on stage. He cracks jokes and his songs are all catchy.
Roman GianArthur
When I first heard Roman on Jidenna’s “Classic Man,” I thought he was another rapper—but actually, this man has a smooth voice. With guitar in hand, his songs will give you the feels.
St. Beauty
Everything about St. Beauty is, well, beautiful. They have soft, angelic voices and striking looks p. They’re hair would be included on anyone #NaturalHairGoals Pintrest board. Basically, Black Girl Magic oozes from their pores.
Deep Cotton
I couldn’t quite make out what Deep Cotton was singing above their loud rock music, but they were quite entertaining to watch. They are the epitome of the “carefree black man,” and they enter a genre that isn’t quite as welcoming of black men.
Not only are all of these artists talented, but also, they contribute to the #BlackLivesMatter movement. In every city the crew performs, they also march and protest with local organizers and activists. They’ve also put a new song called “Hell You Talm Bout,” which highlights recent cases in police brutality.
Wondaland = Talent + Consciousness
After seeing the show, I’m about to go buy their EP, the Eephus.
By the way, they have a few more shows coming up. Visit their website to see if you can get tickets.
Tags: Eephus, Janelle Monae, Jidenna, Wondaland
Six years ago, I shaved my head bald and didn’t look back. I rocked that buzz cut until a few months ago when I wanted to mix things up and grow my hair back. I decided to go 100 percent no-heat natural this time rather than the press and curl I’d worn in high school and part of college. Yet after several years without hair, I didn’t quite know how to take care of the new growth. I went back to methods from the ’90s that I’d learned from my mother. Luckily, friends helped me quickly realize my main mistakes.
A Woman's Worth 