#girlswho

We’ve all heard the songs, and the many remakes. With suggestive lyrics and hard-hitting rhythms, Three 6 Mafia has solidified their position as southern hip hop cultural icons with a career that spans well over 20 years.

The Memphis based collective originally included Crunchy Black, Gangsta Boo, Lord Infamous, Koopsta Knicca, Juicy J, and DJ Paul; now the group consists of the latter two. Often, they are described as part of the horror core rap sub-genre, alluding to the fact that their lyrics involve anything graphic and slightly on the darker side. (However, that might not be much of a shocker considering their group name). This is a very important staple in their catalog because it was not very common then for a rap group to talk about things people usually would expect a heavy metal band to write about.

Most notably, they won an Academy Award for their work on the movie “Hustle & Flow” (2005) for the song, “It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp”. Also, arguably the best southern body of work, “International Players Anthem”, performed by UGK, and Outkast, is produced by Three 6 Mafia and David Banner. Since then, they have had an MTV show and continue to make music both individually, and as a group.

Music is a vehicle for culture. Often times, southern rappers are portrayed as underdogs of hip hop to outsiders. But for those who are willing to listen, it becomes apparent how much sway there is in our music. Their influence is present in the underground scene in groups like Raider Klan, and also in the mainstream with artists like Cardi B and A$AP Mob. In the big picture, we all like to feel good and flex to some degree, and that’s ultimately the tone of their music. Three 6 Mafia’s ability to adapt and stay relevant is a testament to how far you can get when you just be yourself. Check out the Youtube video below and tell us some of your favorite artists!

Written by: Arie

As a self-proclaimed foodie, I put together a food tour (here, spreadsheet from with notes here). This is how it went. 

Firstly, our mission is to explore Houston and encourage others to as well. What better way to do it besides trying new foods? With our list of restaurants on hand, we set out with a couple friends to see what gems we could discover. As large as Houston is, it is no surprise that there are many neighborhoods to explore. The Heights was the subject of this first tour. This area of Houston has a quirky charm with a very easy-going pace. Washington Ave is a business populated street full of restaurants and bars, making it a good choice for hopping place to place. We went on a Thursday afternoon, around the start of happy hour. The goal was to try as many foods as possible without stuffing ourselves or depleting our pockets. Efficientqueens. 

First stop: Urban Eats 

The ambiance was very calm. It wasn’t very busy at that time. We started out with a flight of beer, which came with house selected cheese, salami, and nuts. Next, we ordered the fried green tomatoes and a pear & prosciutto flatbread pizza. Arugula, arugula, arugula. These two dishes were definitely the stars of this tour. We wanted to try something different, and different is what we got. The fried green tomatoes were far from traditional, being that they came stacked with goat cheese, an onion chutney and roasted beets. They were served with a smokey aioli, but they honestly did not need anything else. The flatbread pear pizza was light with the perfect crunch. The pear did not disturb the prosciutto, as they worked together to form a great combo. If it’s not apparent already, I would for sure recommend this spot. 

Next we visited Soma Sushi. 

Still being happy hour, we headed over to Soma. Of course we got into some hot sake. One of our personal favorites, we also ordered edamame. The waitstaff were very friendly, and this place is surrounded by other places I personally enjoy such as Kitchen 713, and MAX’S Wine Dive, which are also featured on our Washington Ave tour list. Nothing on the menu particularly wowed me, but for a casual day out with friends, it is surely worth the time and the happy hour prices. 

Next, we headed across the street for some frozen margaritas. 

After that we somehow ended up at The Galleria, bringing our food tour to an end, or so we thought. We headed over to Diablo Loco Sports Bar where we had the Crown Royal wings and a few drinks. 

All in all, the tour was a great idea. The food led us to the fun. Between us pairing up and sharing dishes, not only did we go home full, but I spent less than $50 doing it, which is good considering we went to four places AND had drinks. The entire experience was positive, and I really had fun finding out about all of the unique menus, even though we did not get to them all in one day. In the future I would like to do more tours like this. 

Is there a particular neighborhood you would suggest? Did you and your friends try any of these places? Let us know! 

Written by: Arie 

I’m writing this post in hopes that I’ll be able to write a follow up post a few months from now telling myself I had nothing to worry about. I have on full blown Gucci graduation goggles, with a side of Saint Laurent senioritis, word to Guapdad 4000. The end of undergrad is here, where all of the classes are a good 20 minutes too long, and none of the things you actually paid attention to are on the exam. 

This week, I had one of my classmates cover his answers while we were taking our midterm. Dude. You’re thirty-five.  

My undergrad career has definitely not been a smooth one, and while others insist I’m going to miss it when I’m finished, I’d have to argue that mostly anyone that knows half of the battle I’ve had to go through would not agree. I have more than earned my right to say I am ready for this to be over. 

I’m literally so close, but I feel like I’m not doing anything quite right. The efforts I’m putting in just don’t match how smart I know I am. And I just have to think to myself, is this what I’ve come to? I might be dramatic for this whole post, but the only thing I’m sure about right now, is that I would really, really, like to graduatealready. 

Can anyone relate? Submit, hit that ask button, etc, I’d really like to hear from you. 

/ˈjazmən/ :  jvsmine_bvss :jas

She’s an aspiring DJ and a concert junkie with a passion for pushing the culture forward. She’s been cultivating her brand and interviewing the hottest names and now has a podcast coming soon. Be on the lookout for Jasmine✨ because she’s coming whether you’re ready or not.