The Hip–Hop Socialite recaps the hottest celebrity news and gossip of the last week, and drops a few exclusives….
Floetry’s Natalie Stewart Talks Reunion Tour, Rumors Of Past Bad Blood Between Her And Marsha Ambrosius And Possibility Of New Floetry Music
Natalie Stewart (‘The Floacist) and Marsha Ambrosius (‘the Songstress’), collectively known as Floetry, are responsible for hits like “Say Yes”, “Getting Late” and “Supastar.” The duo first joined forces creatively in 1999, and eventually went on to sell over 1,500,000 records worldwide. Along the way, they also penned hits for the likes of Jill Scott, Bilal and the late Michael Jackson.
In 2006, Natalie and Marsha branched off to work on projects as solo artists, and rumors of a breakup and bad blood between the two of them ran wild. During their individual journeys, Natalie returned home to London, but still moved back and forth between the UK and The United States. Musically, she released albums like Floetic Soul, The Floacist Presents Floetry Re:Birth and Rise of the Phoenix Mermaid.
Last summer, Natalie reunited with Marsha – to the delight of fans – for a North American tour. A second tour kicked off early last month in Sacramento, CA, stopped in Seattle, and wraps up in a few weeks in Anaheim. During a recent phone call with Natalie, I got the ‘SCOOP’ on how the tour came about, the rumors of past bad blood between her and Marsha, and whether we can expect new music from the two of them as a unit.
Check out highlights from our chat below.
ON HOW THE REUNION TOUR CAME ABOUT:
“I think quite simply how many reunion tours come about, you know. First of all, they come about at a moment when you realize that you’ve actually got to a point of longevity, you know. People reach out, and the time just is right in so many different aspects and so many different ways. I think that’s the most common denominator of all of the artists that go through that is just that the timing is just so very right. It’s been the most lovely tour – this is the second part. We did a reunion tour here in the summer of last year, and we’ve been out now for four weeks…two weeks to go.”
ON RUMORS OF PAST BAD BLOOD BETWEEN HER AND MARSHA:
“Marsha is my sister, you know. We’re all aware that the media much prefers to spread kind of negative connotations of stories, even articulation of a breakup. As creative individuals, Marsha and I didn’t breakup – we evolved, blossomed, and did many things, you know. But there was always a push and a sway to want to describe that time as something negative because of course we we’re introduced as Floetry, which is understandable. But, yeah, to answer that question, I’ve known Marsha since I was ten years old, you know. It’s a much further a line and relationship than just an articulation of Floetry, you know what I mean?”
ON IF THERE WILL BE NEW FLOETRY MUSIC:
“You know it’s interesting. One of the most beautiful things about Floetry and when Marsha and I decided to come together to join our art forms is that we really did it as a freedom thing, you know. It was outside of expectation – we create of an intention. So what’s really beautiful is that’s still in the future, you know. It would be lovely if so, and that’s a definite possibility, but right now, we’re just really enjoying the road, the live aspect, and just enjoying the balance within ourselves and what it is we do together. So, who knows? But we both have many, many projects that we’re doing. It’s interesting, when we created Floetry, we were young, entrepreneurial women, and now we’re grown, entrepreneurial women and journeying further, so plenty of things to share, which is great.”
ON THE FANS’ RECEPTION TO THE FLOETRY REUNION TOUR:
“It’s really been lovely everywhere, you know. We’ve had a lot of sold out shows, beautiful gatherings of people – we’re having a lovely time.”
ON WHAT SHE’S WORKING ON OUTSIDE OF THE FLOETRY TOUR:
“Oh, many things. At the show, we kind of speak and share about ourselves, Marsha and I. And one of the things I’m about to do is to come and share with some of my other friends from back home – singers, musicians. We’re going to come over and do a tour over here. This is something that’s been going on for a while, you know. Floetry, we weren’t the first to come on this journey between the UK and the US – Soul II Soul, Loose Ends, Sade, Billy Ocean. So we’re just highlighting that and celebrating that. So I’m going to be bringing some of my friends over – so that’s going to be happening. I also have an artist retreat that we’re about to open in Ghana.”
Natalie has many projects coming up, and to keep up with them, be sure to follow her on Twitter @The_Floacist. The Floetry reunion tour touches down in Orlando, FL on May 8, New Orleans, LA on May 11and Houston, TX on May 12.
Enter For A Chance To Win In ‘The SCOOP’ Bangles Giveaway!!
To celebrate the return of ‘The SCOOP’, I’m collaborating with the LIVEINFASHION Collection for a giveaway of one of my favorite fashion accessories – bangles!!!
The LIVEINFASHION Collection is the brainchild of Michelle Akers, who started her fashion journey by launching an own online boutique in 2009. After spending the next five years learning the ropes of how to run a business, developing relationships with other female entrepreneurs and heading many pop up shop events in NYC, Michelle decided that she wanted to pursue another dream of hers – creating her own women’s collection.
From that dream LIVEINFASHION was born, and sequin, sparkle and shine are the foundation of the collection. Their handmade bangles are handmade in Delhi, India, and no two sets are the same.
To enter for a chance to win your own set of bangles from the LIVEINFASHION Collection, simply tweet, “I just got the ‘SCOOP’ from the @HipHopSocialite via @seaspotdotcom” (or you could just copy and paste it) byThursday, May 12. A winner will be announced via Twitter the following day, Friday, May 13.
Good luck, and keep checking ‘The SCOOP’ for additional giveaways!!
‘The SCOOP’ On Formerly Penelope Luxury Tresses: A Product Review
I’m the type of girl who’s always on the hunt for quality hair for my weaves and wigs, and in my search for the best extensions, I discovered and fell in love with the virgin hair at Formerly Penelope Luxury Tresses!!
According to their website, Formerly Penelope sources its hair through a network of suppliers dedicated to finding the best quality hair from around the world. The company asserts that they are very selective about their hair products, and will reject hair that does not meet their rigorous standards. Those high standards and expectations were immediately apparent when I received my four bundles of Formerly Penelope 28 inch ‘Penelope’s Natural Wave.’
When I first received my package, I do what I always do when trying out a new brand of hair – I ran my brush through it. Before doing this it’s important to make sure your brush is completely free of any strands of hair because you want to be able to see if any hair comes out of the weft of your newly purchased hair as you brush it. A few strands here and there is to be expected, but if several strands come out during this initial test, that’s a bad sign. With Formerly Penelope hair, little to no strands of hair came out.
I decided to have my Formerly Penelope bundles made into a long wig, and when I took it to my stylist, he gave it glowing reviews. He loved the texture and luster (not so glossy that it looks like Barbie hair, but not so dull that it looks like it’s in serious need of a deep hydrating conditioning treatment), and he was elated that the wefts weren’t so thick, that it made securing the ends of each track onto the wig cap a difficult process.
I was happy with how my ‘Formerly Penelope wig’ turned out, and two months later, I’m still satisfied with the quality of the hair. I wash and wear the wig often, and I haven’t had any issues with tangling, which is something I can’t say for some of the other hair brands I’ve tried in the past. I would recommend Formerly Penelope hair to anyone, but particularly to someone like myself who wants their hair to look good in spite of not having the time for the recommended maintenance on it. To order your own Formerly Penelope hair products, be sure to visit their website at FormerlyPenelope.com.
To keep up with Mara the Hip-Hop Socialite, be sure to follow her on Twitter @hiphopsocialite and Instagram @thehiphopsocialite.
