• “The Power of PYNK // Logging Off” by Vanessa Maki

    “Pynk, like the lips around your… maybe Pynk, like the skin that’s under… baby Pynk, where it’s deepest inside… crazy Pynk beyond forest and thighs” – Janelle Monae   Much like the vast majority of Janelle’s work – “PYNK” was radical in the most unapologetic way.  The music video is most importantly the most controversial…

  • “Young, Black, Wild & Free is the Dream” by Vanessa Maki

      Unlike a lot of black artists, Janelle has no problem being unapologetic about her blackness. She doesn’t dismiss her experiences as a black woman or make light of them. Nor does she water down the reality of what life is like for her. That’s one thing that often gets left out of the conversation…

  • “The Bugs Are Apparently in Me” by Vanessa Maki

    The definition of a “dirty computer” is very much similar to what Janelle’s description happens to be. Everyone can come up with their own definition, of course. Regardless, in the eyes of ignorance and hate, I’m a dirty computer. There’s a sense of internalized shame in being seen as someone who has corrupted files in…

José Guadalupe Posada