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Meet Lion Babe: The Duo Behind Some of Today’s Most Soulful Sounds

When most people think of Lion Babe, they immediately envision the soulful and vibrant lead singer Jillian Hervey. Despite popular belief, Lion Babe is a music duo composed of both Jillian and producer Lucas Goodman. Their unique chemistry, vision and approach to music have taken the industry by storm and made them a force to be reckon with.
They recently dropped their freshman album Begin and have collaborated with the likes of music legend Pharrell Williams and Childish Gambino. Lucas brings a unique take on music that is riddled with inspiration from genres like pop, hip-hop, soul, funk and jazz. On the other hand Jillian’s unique voice, songwriting and dancing can command anyone’s attention in a room.
Beyond the music, both Jillian and Lucas are constantly finding ways to stay inspired and spread positive messages. They have also recently started DJ’ing and are using their platform to push the culture.
We got a chance to interview Lion Babe during their set at Ketel One’s “It Has To Be Perfect” campaign. Read the conversation in full below.

How did you guys originally meet?
Jillian: Now, it’s been almost a decade, but we met because one of my friends went to school with Lucas at North Eastern and when I visited as a senior in Highschool I met Lucas Briefly. A couple years later we met through mutual friends in New York City when I was fresh at the New School. Lucas was one of the first people I knew who made music, so when I had a dance project for school I asked him to create a beat for me and that went really well. Once we got closer and started discussing art and other projects we wanted to do, the idea of making music together came about and we just went for it. It happened very organically. “Treat Me Like Fire” was one of our first songs and we got a really good response and just kept going from there.

What about each other made you two feel comfortable creating together?
Lucas: Once we collaborated on our first project we realized that we got along and had similar eclectic taste in music and art. We grew up watching similar movies and listening to similar music so from there it felt natural to work together because we were inspired by some of the same things.
Jillian: And also, Lucas had been making beats but he had never worked with a singer and I didn’t really consider myself a singer or songwriter at the time so we were also really open because it was new for both of us. It was a comfortable environment where we knew we wouldn’t judge each other and that made it easier creating together.

What inspired you guys to start DJ’ing along with writing and performing?
Lucas: When I was younger I would always pick songs and select tunes without even realizing I was playing the role as DJ, so that just evolved. DJ’ing felt natural because we already make music, so curating music and setting the vibe only enhanced the experience. There are definitely records we like and want to expose to people.
Jillian: Being able to connect with people with similar taste and style also allows people to get to know us better. Although we have been around for a little, some people listen to our music and some people don’t listen to our music, so it’s nice to be able to curate the sounds and show our influences. Although it’s nice to go out and look fancy and dress up, you don’t always go to parties where the music is a good so it’s nice to be in a position to bring the vibes and create the experience.
Talk about your involvement in Ketel One’s “It Has to be Perfect” campaign.
Jillian: We were already interested in DJ’ing and we are also big fans of the artist that Ketel One has collaborated with, especially Santigold who we love. It was really nice to see the artist that they brought together and we wanted to be a part of the experience. It was such an interactive space with great energy and people. Everyone was dancing and naturally involved. It wasn’t only about the drink, but also creating a community that is comfortable and welcoming.
Music for many artists is sacred, what does perfection mean to you?
Lucas: It’s about finding whatever that magic thing is in the song and presenting it in the purest form. Whether it’s a melody or a beat, we just try to always enhance it and present it in the best way possible and not try too complicate things too much.
Jillian: I find that the quest to be perfect and make perfect music is like a black whole. I realize that you can come with the intention to capture a vibe and use a formula, but you have to accept that most of the time its not going to be what you envisioned and you might manifest something better. I think that’s been the hardest thing to wrap my head around that most ideas we go for ends up sounding different. I think art in general should be about enjoying the process and the experience. All that matters is if you feel the music and it captures the element your going for. I feel like those are the songs that feel perfect when you have that similar sensation every time you listen to it. That’s when music feels right.

Who are some of your favorite people you’ve worked with this year?
Jillian: We’ve got to work with a bunch of really amazing people this year. We got to work with Jungle Pussy on our “So In Love” remix and when she sent us her verse, we immediately loved it and thought it was such a vibe. We just got a new studio and we’ve been having a bunch of our super talented friends come through to jam, which has been really great, so there’s more in store.
Lucas: Yeah, we’ve definitely got to work with some dope people, but there are some things we can’t release yet so we’ll have to fully answer that question next year.
Can we expect any new music from you two soon?
Lucas: We have new music coming out at the beginning of the year that we are trying to wrap up before the holidays. The new stuff is always the stuff we’re most excited about so we’re always working. 
Jillian: Yeah we’re always working on new music and now that we have our own studio space we have tried to stay focus and really explore. But we have projects out that we are super proud of and want to keep building on that.

What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned this year and what are you excited about in 2017?
Lucas: It’s hard to say because we have learned so many lessons over the last two years combined. Just the experience of putting out our first EP and album has been a huge lesson. I think I’ve realized that you have to always do something that is true to you. It’s easy to get wrapped up in different things, especially when you start working with other people but its important to stay true to your vision and rely on yourself.
Jillian: In music in general, you’re always getting a lot of information, buts it’s most important to have honest communication. It’s always important to understand that we can do so much individually if we connect with one another and have honest conversations. As scary as it is, it can be very liberating. Staying connected to the people you love and staying connected to the things that really matter has been my biggest lesson. Just to even see what happened at Standing Rock and seeing how some of my friends were able to make an impact, that was a super inspiring moment for me because it started with having a conversation and connecting as humans. Moving forward I just want to make sure to spread positive messages that uplift people.

FRESH JORDANS:

Not long ago, Jordan Brand unveiled the “Black Cat” iteration of the heralded AJ6 silhouette. The moniker pays tribute to Michael Jordan’s nickname and culls design cues from preceding “Black Cat” models in the franchise. The upcoming shoe is predominantly wrapped in premium black leather alongside crisp white accents. Get a closer look at the latest rendition above and expect the sneaker to hit Jordan Brand retailers this December 30 for approximately $190 USD.





Not long ago, images surfaced online showcasing an Air Jordan 8 silhouette wrapped in a color scheme inspired by the original MA-1 flight bomber jacket. This time, Jordan Brand officially releases the “Take Flight” pack that includes the aforementioned model alongside matching Air Jordan 5 and 15 iterations. For the G.O.A.T’s fifth signature shoe, the sneaker is rendered in a colorway that draws influences from the P-51 flight bomber jacket, boasting a Sequoia green nubuck upper as well as a Vachetta tan leather tongue and limited edition “Flight” lace locks. As for the 15s, it returns in its OG black makeup from 1999 with bold red accents.
The “Take Flight” pack will see three different releases: the AJ15 is slated for January 7, the AJ5 for January 28 and the AJ8 for February 11. Take a look at the photos above and let us know which one is your favorite.

FRESH JORDANS:

We’ve already unveiled the Air Jordan 12 in a black and white colorway celebrating 2017′s Chinese New Year, but Jordan Brand has another colorway of the 12 up its sleeve for the occasion. Paired together in a pack, the second colorway is a neutral beige and gold makeup. Inspired by Chinese woven bamboo, the shoe’s tongue is embroidered with the Chinese words “er shi,” meaning 20, celebrating Jordan Brand’s 20th anniversary in the Chinese market. Additionally, the pack includes an Air Jordan XXXI equipped with Flyweave and Flightspeed technology. Available in limited quantities, the Chinese New Year pack will be available in Hong Kong on December 25, and online on January 7.

A few days ago, we had a chance to look at the unreleased Jordan Eclipse Chukka in black, today, we have images of the shoe’s Light Bone colorway. The Chukka silhouette features a Light Bone woven textile upper, neoprene tongue, tonal branding on the heel counter and tongue tab, and a foam and a tonal Air-cushioned IU midsole. Fans will be glad to hear that the Jordan Eclipse Chukka Light Bone is readily available for $130 USD at select Jordan brand retailers and online here.

After surfacing back in October, the Air Jordan 4 “Royalty” has officially been unveiled by Jordan Brand. Elevating the retro silhouette with a luxurious combination of black and gold, the design employs black nubuck throughout and couples it with metallic hits to the likes of the winged eyelets and Jumpman branding. Finally, a contrasting white midsole caps off the premium look.
Expect the Air Jordan 4 “Royalty” to drop on February 5 of 2017 for $190 USD.

Just in time for the holidays, Russell Westbrook’s signature Jordan Brand kicks are getting a couple of luxurious makeovers. Offering monochromatic uppers, the releases include a scaly burgundy release and the Swoosh imprint’s latest “Wheat” drop. While the first comes finished with a stark white sole unit, the other is capped off with a gum sole.
Both pairs are available now via Sneaker Politics for $140 USD.

FILM & TV:

                     

The new trailer for Gore Verbinski’s A Cure for Wellness gives us a closer look at the thriller that centers around a rescue mission gone awry. The film follows a young executive who must retrieve his company’s CEO from a “wellness center” located in the Swiss Alps. But there’s more to this spa-like environment than meets the eye — people are actually being diagnosed with some mysterious illness that makes each guest long for a cure. Our protagonist (played by Dane DeHaan) is seemingly afflicted by the same disease and he must now find a way to put a stop to all of the “madness” in the condition that he’s in. Furthermore, the trailer gives us glimpses of Mr. Verbinski’s return to the horror-thriller genre, which he first showed us with his U.S. adaptation of The Ring.
A Cure for Wellness opens on February 17, 2017.
                       

Many centuries into the future, the Earth’s population has dwindled to almost nothing — but the survivors have discovered the key to time travel. Desperate to save humanity, a group enters the 21st century on a mission to avert disaster.

Gigi Hadid Strips Down for Versace's 2016 Winter Campaign

Earlier this month, we saw a nude Gigi Hadid in her latest Stuart Weitzman advertisement. Now, the model-of-the-moment strips down once again for Versace‘s 2016 winter campaign. Dressed in nothing but a pair of sleek, black heels, the It girl is seen lounging on a bed full of silky, gold cushions and luxuriously soft sheets. She covers her assets with her arms stretched out, while holding onto a beautiful, black leather purse decorated with a bold striped strap. Browse the gallery above to check out the rest of the campaign, and head over to Versace’s website to shop the looks.

This Leonardo da Vinci Sketch Found in France Is Worth $16 Million USD Discovered by a retired French doctor.

Talk about a lucky find. In Paris, a retired doctor recently found a long-lost sketch by the great Leonardo da Vinci inside his father’s papers. The discovered drawing was revealed by auction house Tarjan, who in works with Carmen C. Bambach, a Metropolitan Museum of Art curator, authenticated the find. According to Bambach as reported by Quartz, “the 7.5 x 5 inch sketch is one of eight studies of Christian martyr St. Sebastian, that da Vinci listed in his Codex Atlanticus notebooks.”
Bambach also states that this particular sketch is the “most attractive of the three known St. Sebastian studies.” In addition to this rare discovery, it was confirmed by a Tarjan spokesperson that the sketch, valued at $15.8 million USD, will be planned for public auction in June of 2017.
See the sketch below:

2 Chainz Ugly Christmas Sweater For GQ Magazine

                       

To get into the holiday spirit 2 Chainz and his jeweler, Joe Avianne of Avianne & Co, designed and created the Most Expensivest ugly Christmas sweater ever. The sweater was auctioned off by 2 Chainz, and the proceeds were given to the TRU Foundation.

#ARTBYSKIP CHECK SKIP-SMITH.FINEARTAMERICA.COM

'Blade Runner 2049' Finally Has Its First Teaser Trailer

                       

Thirty years after the events of the first film, a new blade runner, LAPD Officer K (Ryan Gosling), unearths a long-buried secret that has the potential to plunge what’s left of society into chaos. K’s discovery leads him on a quest to find Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), a former LAPD blade runner who has been missing for 30 years.

Tarryn Alberts Is the Street Dancer Making Waves in South Africa

For a lot of people, growing up means sacrificing your childhood dreams and compromising by getting a nine-to-five, regular day job. However, we all know someone who simply refuses to go with the flow. Tarryn Alberts, a street dancer hailing from Soweto in South Africa, is one of these rebellious exceptions. Better known as BOOM BOOM, Alberts first came across the art of dancing when she was still a little girl. From then on, the highly-driven dancer hasn’t stopped realizing her passion into an actual career.
Having received years of training in a broad spectrum of dance styles, including house, dancehall, hip hop and modern jazz, the street dancer stepped into the spotlight a few years ago by performing with the likes of Die Antwoord and Kendrick Lamar. In 2010, she was even crowned the prestigious title of K.R.U.M.P Queen. We recently caught up with Alberts to talk about everything from the inner workings of her captivating choreography, to the challenges she faces every day as a full-time dancer. Read on to learn more about the rising star of the South African dance scene, and check out the images shot inside Killarney Country Club below.



What and who got you into dancing?
My mom. She told me that I was dancing before I could walk. Also, I had cousins who used to dance at the church and I used to sit in their rehearsals and attempted do everything they did. When I grew older, my mom sent me to dance classes and ever since then, she always motivated me to continue dancing and to entertain the family. A lot of inspiration or influence was music videos in the 1990s. As I was growing up, I tried to recreate dance styles that I saw, from the way dancers were styled to what they were doing.
What about dancing keeps you excited? And why do you carry on pushing yourself even though sometimes it’s hard and takes ridiculous amounts of effort and discipline?
Dance is constantly evolving, some styles are timeless and some are fads. Music evolves too, and that’s how styles are created. That’s exciting to me, finding new music and then making the music visual is a tedious but fun process. I’ve made it a lifestyle and that keeps me going even when it gets hard, especially on the body. I’ve learnt how to recover, when to dance, when not to dance, and even be picky of the certain types of dances I do and the work I do. I love the career path I’ve chosen and I believe it’s my gift. I mean, dance is all about movement and anyone can move. But I think it takes a certain type of skill and long hours of training to master “dance styles,” and then perform on stage and make people feel like they want to dance too.


What are some of the biggest challenges you have faced as a dancer?
I suppose it would be being accepted into a community of professional dancers. It was like going to high school for my first time — I was 17 years old when I turned pro. I’m from an urban background of dancing, so in order to gain respect, crews would battle. I wasn’t good enough but I had to work on my confidence, then I also had to start learning various dance styles. Luckily, we’ve got the Internet. Throughout the years, I’d learn new things, and I’d add them to my knowledge and grow.
A challenge that dancers still face today is being under-paid. I guess some people don’t know how much effort we put into our craft, so that’s why they would pay us simply based on what they think it’s worth. From production teams, clients, to music artists, the way a lot of people treat dancers is pathetic. I mean, we’re the MVPs. But I always say that it’s not on me but on them, because that’s how they chose to be. I still slay on their stage. You should then see the reactions from the same people after the performance is over.


What inspires your movements and your style? Do you chuck old moves out and get new ones, or do you continually evolve and develop yourself and your foundation?
The foundation of dance in any style, whether it be ballet, contemporary, dancehall or house, every style has core fundamentals movements that were created for that specific style. And when you learn to dance, those are the basic movements that they should teach you. I’ve trained in house (from SA and Chicago t0 sbjuwa and pantsula), dancehall, vogue, waacking, hip hop (including new school, popping, boogaloo, breaking, new jack swing, locking and lyrical), krump, cha-cha, modern jazz, contemporary and Afro. All these styles have the “basics,” then from that I’ve created a certain way in which my body moves. I have to control my body and become one with it because it’s my life.
Like I said previously, music inspires a lot of the movements because I find that as a dancer, I’m always trying to create pictures from the sounds I hear. Also, dancers tend to get rid of old moves, and we’d find new ways of reinventing them. I’d chuck some moves especially if they’re boring, but these movements would stay in my mind. I’m currently learning six new pieces for a show. Some moves are new while some other are just existing moves put into choreography.

InterviewerAndrew Berry

PhotographerAndrew Berry

Lions, Tigers and Fast Food Take Over Gucci's 2017 Spring/Summer Campaign

                                 

                                  

                                  

                                  

                                  

                                  

                                  

                                  

                                  

                                  

                                  

                                  

                                  

                                  

                                  

                                  

                                  

    
Following a romantic ode to old world Rome with Pre-Fall 2017, Alessandro Michele drops the Spring/Summer 2017 campaign with unlikely co-stars – lions and tigers.
Gucci told Dazed:

“Wild cats nonchalantly roam the romantic city alongside our characters, a giraffe is fed grapes as they dine al fresco, and lions and tigers are welcomed into their home as they watch TV.”

There’s lions and tigers strolling around while models chow down on hamburgers with nonchalance. The Glen Luchford-campaign was lensed around Rome, including the notable Trevi Fountain – in which a tiger is waddling around.