About a month ago, I noticed a golden web outside my window. Mesmerized by its creation, my eyes found their way to its creator, the Joro spider. After raving about it for what seemed like fifteen minutes, I immediately Googled its spiritual meaning. I couldn’t help but turn my attention back to my spider friend. Still in awe of its color scheme—bright yellow and black with a hint of red—my eyes then traced the golden fortress surrounding it. How could something so enchanting also be so invasive? Yet it’s been helpful, keeping the other six-legged critters away. That’s beside my point, though . For the past few weeks I’ve had front-row seats to the circle of life and the creative process: intricate, tedious, sometimes slow. The Joro spider is symbolic of connection, perseverance, creativity, and rebirth. I saw beauty in its ability to adapt and connect to nature, persevering through harsh weather. In some way, it spoke to me, causing me to reflect on my own life and creations—my abilities. I never thought a spider could provoke such deep feelings within me. Even writing this now, I’m filled with emotions of wanting to create, connect, and preserve. It feels like another rebirth process—a shedding of my old self to welcome a new phase of life, one that’s a solid foundation for growth and development. Somewhat like my spider friend, Joro. Being able to witness this process has been both exciting and inspiring. I’ve taken it as a message from God: my web of life isn’t going to create itself. It’s a visual metaphor that creation takes dedication; nobody can build my golden fortress for me. Everything lies in my hands.

Get ready for the latest from Latto, Atlanta's rap sensation. As she prepares to release her highly anticipated album 'Sugar Honey Iced Tea' this Friday, we explore her rise from young star to one of the hottest women in the current rap scene. In the City of Atlanta, she was known as "Miss Mulatto" before we came to know her as "Latto" or "Latto777." Depending on who you ask, they might refer to her by that moniker still.   For most people, becoming a musician is not an easy path, but Latto has done a great job holding the title. Raised in Atlanta and born in Ohio, she was exposed to music at a young age. She began writing and performing her own songs at the age of ten. During 2016, Latto made her television debut with Lifetime's reality series "The Rap Game", which was produced Jermaine Dupri and the one and only Queen Latifah. Accompanied with four other rising talents, Latto and her castmates went through 8 weeks of intense competitions involving rap, fashion/style, mentorship with the greats in music as well as group sessions with her other cast members. She was declared winner of the first season! Winning came with the opportunity of signing to Jermaine Dupri's "So So Def Records", but she declined due to financial constraints and her will to pursue music independently. Since then she has released multiple singles, mixtapes, and albums. She has been giving opportunities to headline for festivals, multiple tours, and landed numerous spots on Billboard music chart! With her rise to fame, talents and resilience have been tested more than once (but she has shown us time after time why she is the "Queen of the South"). Friendships Amongst the Rap Girls The rap industry has forever been known to be a male dominated genre, only ever inviting some of best female MCs into the big boys club. When you look back at the history of rap music, some of the greatest rap groups or duos always had a chick spitting hot shit into the mic. The number of known female rappers increased as rap became more mainstream, but it just wasn't enough. With the result of the numbers being low, competition for the title of "Queen" increased. This competition was either created by loyal fanatics or the artist themselves. With Latto being one of the top girls in the female rap game, we've seen her and some of her peers ban together in solidarity. Just a few months ago, Latto hosted her very firstall-women cypher featuring Flo Milli, Monaleo, Maiya the Don, and Mello Buckzz. This showed the world that femal rap is more than just catty bars, sly tweets or backhanded insults. It's a sisterhood at the end of it all. So when Latto says she's "Queen of da Souf" it's more than just a brag. True queens are able to share the thrown and fix their fellow queens crown and I believe Latto does just that.

Meet Lurain, a Miami native raised in Jamaica. Lurain recently told us about her musical path. She explained how living in Jamaica affected her love of music and how the island is nothing short of beautiful. Inspired by some of the greats of reggae, she discussed bringing the island vibe to Atlanta to shake things up. Thank you Lurain, for starting off the new year with SUNNI SOCIETY. Connecting with new artist is what we strive to do. I'm excited to share your journey with the artistic community! Big up Sunni with the money! Thank you ever so much for this amazing opportunity to share my kool story with the community. I love art! Respect and nuff blessings to you. Born in Miami and brought up in Jamaica. What was that like for you? I'm happy to say I had a chance to visit the island about a year ago and was in awe of the beauty. Having access to it daily had to be an euphoric experience to you. Growing up in Jamaica was so fun and adventurous, I miss Jamaica so much! As a kid, you would always be around music whether it's church, your neighbor’s party, walking on the street or even your grandma playing the old reggae tunes while cleaning the house. Music has always been with me! Jamaica is the best country in the Caribbean and on Earth (sorry to the other islands). What I miss the most about Jamaica is being able to go to the river or beach to cool off and ease your mind from everyday life problems or stress. The nearest beach here is in Savannah and that isn’t even real. Another thing I miss is the food!! I love food, I want to be a food. One of my favorite things to do after school was go to the shrimp lady and buy pepper shrimp eat it and wash it off with a bag juice. I miss that! I am beyond glad you got to experience the island yourself and see the beauty that reigns there. When is comes to your love for music, how much of an impact did the island have on your passion and what made you bring that passion to the City of Atlanta? Like I mentioned before, being on the island music would always be around you no matter what! You’d go to the beach a one or two Bob Marley or Beres Hammond would play, you go up to your neighbor’s house music is playing no matter what you do, music would always be there. I remember when I was younger my dad had a microphone to this day I have no idea what for but it was just there. I would take the microphone and host my own concert with it at home no one but me and the couches, I would often freestyle and write to instrumentals or even sit down and create a beat with my bare hands or whatever object I can find around the house. I decided to bring my passion to the city of Atlanta because new sounds are needed, the scene is overbearing and oversaturated, almost everyone is the same, just different fonts. It’s like where’s the originality these days? I’ve always been a rebel and never a follower. I always strive to STAND OUT so why not STAND OUT with nuff vibes behind it? Exactly! Like they say back home and ting don’t watch crowd don’t medz people just believe inna yuhself and MOVE! Selah. Outside of the island culture, what are the other sources of inspiration you draw from? Who are some artist who inspire you to keep going? I get inspiration every single day whether it’s big or small. There is inspiration outside everyday, trust me. I also like to venture off into other countries’ culture and music, one country I fell in love with is Brasil. That is how 5AM IN SAO PAULO was born, shoutout to my Brazilians, te amo! I love Brazil, Brazilian people and their music. My favorite genre is baile funk. Hopefully I get to visit and experience the culture live in the flesh, hopefully perform my song. That would be AMAZING! There are so many different artists from all over the world that inspire me to keep going. Artists like Asake, Mohbad (may he Rest in forever Peace) Shallipoppi, Sho Madjozi, Koffee, Vybz Kartel, Rihanna, Asap Rocky, Valiant, and more. Their work and love for music inspires me a lot! If you could make a song with any artist right now, who would it be and why? I know I just listed a bunch of artists prior but oh my god, If I could make a song with any artist right now it would be Chris Brown. His past aside, the man is pure talent and true embodiment of art. It is a dream collab of mine that literally would be so fire see the day when that opportunity presents itself to me, I’d probably think it was a prank. But yeah super talented individual and super passionate about art. After all art is freedom and he express himself like many of us do through different forms of art. As a masc Caribbean woman, do you feel like the music industry is becoming more diverse? Do you think it's easier in this day and age for artist of diverse backgrounds to have more breakthroughs? Yes, of course! Everyday new artists from every part of the world are emerging and that is super dope. People are getting to express themselves whichever way they want and I love that because fuck society fuck the norm JUST LIVE AND BE YOU. It is super easier to since nowadays people are becoming more open minded and accepting, now there is still going to be the naysayers but f*ck em who cares what they think? Your song "5am In Sao Paolo" feels like a preview of Summer 2024. Will you be releasing more similar songs in the near future? OH ABSOLUTELY! I have many MANY more tunes planned strictly for the gyal dem enjoy and dance to ;) VIBES! I don’t want to say too much but know vibes are on the way! What are some gems you have learned along the way during your musical journey? How will you continue to apply them this year? Some gems I learned on this journey is to study the business so no one screws you over, you cannot be too trusting of everyone, big things take time, and to always be yourself no matter what. There’s plenty more to learn!! Before I close off this ting, I want to leave another quote I go by everyday by the LEGEND BOB MARLEY: “One good thing about music is that when it hits you feel no PAIN” Remember art is freedom so be free keep expressing and be YOU One Love! Big up yuhself and BELIEVE!

The ironic and inevitable consequences of existence. A tribute to my grandmother, Shirley Sims Jefferson. The proverb "two tears in a bucket, bucket f!ck it" suddenly occurred to me a few days ago. It’s a saying I’m way to familiar with. It was spoken to me throughout my childhood. I consider the saying to be a scripture in the unwritten book called Life. Recently, I experienced a loss that is slowly changing my outlook on life and what it means to live. The loss was my dear grandma, Shirley Sims Jefferson. "Baba" is what my brother and I called her. She left this realm and became one with the wind. Before her passing in December, earlier in the year, I felt a shift within myself. A small shift, but a shift nonetheless. Maybe my frontal lobe is in the process of gearing up for when I hit 25. I’m not sure, but something is different. Since feeling that shift and the passing of my grandma, my outlook on life has changed slowly but surely. I want to live life to the fullest. My grandmother was a grande dame. She traveled to all 50 states and 7 countries, worked in the tech industry, and assisted my grandpa at his famous record store in LA, “Jazz City Records." An advocate for unhoused children, she was a “Jill of all trades.” One of her sole reasons for moving to Atlanta was fueled by the love of her grandbabies, my brother and I, Shirley's grandbabies. Nobody messed with “Shirley grandbabies”. When I got older, I had the time to stay with her for a few months to keep her company, and it was the best time with her. Memories I will forever have with her. Her passing has left me with multiple emotions. Sadness. Anger. Confused. Bamboozled even. Sadness because she is no longer here to hug and kiss me. Angry and confused because she was so smart and resilient that I figured she would be here forever. Outsmart life at its own game. Bamboozled because I feel foolish for even thinking of the impossible. Even God’s son had his day. I sum all this up by saying we can't escape life's inevitable. Isn't it ironic that we’re put here to have these experiences but aren't able to experience them forever? My bucket is now full, ready to be emptied. I miss you, Baba and I wrote this for you.

SUNNI SOCIETY was made to be a bridge between artists and communities. This company was founded primarily with the intention of assisting up-and-coming artists in promoting their work and engaging the public in discourse about the state of the world. I was gently reminded a while back that art is political. The connection between politics and art is growing stronger every day, and I find it difficult to voice my opinions about the way the world is right now. Not because I do not care, but rather because I sometimes think that most people find my way of thinking radical or extreme. But it is depressing to see that while the world is screaming out for a hero, "our" government—like other governing structures worldwide—basically gives us its ass to kiss. According to Gaza's Health Ministry, over 11,100 Palestinians have been killed so far. Children, the elderly, mothers, fathers, and entire families are now buried in Gaza. The current state of Gaza and the world is a result of colonization. This war, the erasure of people, started more than 100 years ago, when British foreign secretary Arthur Balfour wrote a letter to Lionel Walter Rothschild (most definitely do a deep dive on this family if you haven't yet), a token in the British Jewish community. In this letter, he proclaimed that the British would establish Palestine as the national home for Jewish people. This profound letter of only 67 words had a crippling effect on Palestine that is felt heavily today. In 1913, a British mandate was created and lasted until 1948. At that time, the British facilitated mass Jewish immigration, fleeing from Nazism. Facing protests and strikes. Palestinians were left to face the forever changing demographics of their country and the seize of their land that was handed to Jewish Settlers. Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/10/9/whats-the-israel-palestine-conflict-about-a-simple-guide Palestinians have been at odds with Israel for YEARS since that life-changing letter. This is a story to which many people from various communities can relate. Being killed, kidnapped, or having your land and resources taken away. At least eight genocides are currently taking place: Palestinian, Congo, Tigray (Ethiopia), Armenian (Nagorno-Karabakh), West Papua (New Guinea), Uyghurs (China), and the Burma Myanmar people. Until we start working together as the village we were meant to be, we will always feel the pressure of our government's problems and will always be the ones to receive the SCRAPS while they continue to live comfortably and "untouchable." It is past time for us to get serious about the state of the world, or it will continue to crumble in front of our eyes. Below are article links that can further inform you about the current events happening in the world. https://republic.com.ng/october-november-2023/congo-cobalt-genocide/ https://news.un.org/en/story/2023/10/1142142 (Tigray Genocide) https://time.com/6322574/cultural-genocide-armenia-nagorno-karabakh-essay/ https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/sep/27/armenian-rally-azerbaijan-los-angeles-gop-debate https://jacobin.com/2023/11/indonesia-west-papua-colonialism-development-repression-resistance https://www.voanews.com/a/uyghur-news-recap-sept-15-22-2023-/7280783.html https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/10/17/myanmar-airstrike-village-apparent-war-crime https://scenenow.com/ArtsAndCulture/9-Palestinian-Artists-Who-ve-Lent-Their-Voice-to-the-Resistance

A girl with big dreams and a sewing machine. Learn about this sustainable fashion designer and how she hopes to leave a mark in the sustainable fashion industry and create room for more diversity in creative fields. My name is Kierra Lee, and I'm from Atlanta, Georgia. Growing up, I was always very interested in fashion design after watching shows like America’s Next Top Model and Project Runway. When I was eight, I was introduced to a seamstress who was one of my grandmother's friends, and I thought it was amazing that she was able to create pieces from her drawings and inspirations so beautifully. Shortly after that, I ended up convincing my parents to pay for sewing lessons for me to learn, and I realized it was something that I was very passionate about. I feel like I sometimes strayed away from fully pursuing it when I was a child and teenager, but ultimately I realized in high school that it was something I wanted to continue with as a career path. As for what's most fulfilling about my work, a lot of what I do is very sustainably minded, even with my own brand and what I'm currently also doing with Levi's as a 3D product development designer. In everything I do, I'm conscious of the harm I'm causing to the environment. This includes the materials I choose, the patterning techniques I use, and even the messages I spread through my designs. As a designer, I strive to uplift marginalized communities and showcase their stories in a beautiful light, especially when it comes to the black community. First off Kierra, thank you for blessing SUNNI SOCIETY with our very first interview! When the thought of looking for a creator came to mind, you were the perfect person to kick it off with. I've been following your journey for years now, it's taken off quickly. Overall, how are you feeling with your success in your life and career? This is very sweet, and I’m happy that you thought of me when deciding who would go first. I’m always watching you too, and I think this is an amazing idea, so I definitely look forward to seeing how far this goes in the future. Honestly, when it comes to the success of my career so far, I'm very grateful, but I also know that I still have a long journey ahead of me, and it is really just starting. Even though I've just graduated from design school, I feel like there's so much more that I want to do. I've already managed to land a job with Levi's, which is an extremely great company. I look forward to seeing where this takes me and how it elevates me even more as a designer moving forward. Recently, you just celebrated graduating from Jefferson University. Congratulations on that cycle completion! How was your experience at Jefferson? You accomplished so many amazing things, would you mind sharing a few projects you worked on while in attendance there? Thank you so much! Jefferson taught me a lot about myself as a designer, changed my perception of the fashion industry, and made me realize just how much work goes into making clothes. The experience I had at Jefferson was amazing because I was fortunate to have some amazing teachers and meet some great friends. I also competed in numerous scholarships and won six out of the seven I entered. This year, I won the Virgil Abloh PostModern scholarship a second time as well as a Skims scholarship. As part of that project, I created an eight-look collection for the brand Patagonia, which explored the possibility of smart technology and a digital world while pushing boundaries on racial diversity in winter sports. In my last semester, I also completed my senior collection, which won an industry award from various fashion companies in the Philadelphia and New York regions for real-world design. Archive 319, let's get into that. As you know I'm such a big fan your line! I truly do believe your work speaks for itself but I would love to hear your thought process behind it all? Why did you choose the sustainable fashion route? Thank you so much. Honestly, I just had a really great teacher in school who taught me a lot in a class that I took, which was called Sustainable Concepts in Design. This class focused on the harmful rhetoric associated with fast fashion and the problems of textile waste, especially overseas. I was also able to volunteer at an organization called Fab Scrap in Philadelphia, which collects textile waste from companies like Urban Outfitters, Free People, and 200 others along the east coast. My perspective on the kind of designer I wanted to be completely changed when I realized how much waste these companies produce and simply discard, as well as how it affects the environment in nations like Ghana, where the majority of the clothing we dispose of ends up in people's backyards, destroying the ecosystems of their land. The fashion business is the second biggest polluter in the world, and I could not allow myself to be a part of that same problem. I didn't want to add to this already severe problem. Fast fashion...what are your thoughts on how it affects people and the world? I hate fast fashion. When my family and friends indulge in purchasing garments from businesses that will essentially fall apart over the next year or so, I complain to them about it so much. But as time goes on, I've realized that many people are unaware of how damaging fast fashion is to the environment because it's damage hasn't affected the United States. However, it will eventually happen, and I don't think we'll be prepared when it does. The living conditions in the countries where these factories and power plants that make our garments are located are quite unfortunate and honestly hard to even look at, but I do believe everyone should see them. I remember watching a film about a small village in India whose drinking and bathing water has the color of oil because of the dumping of wastewater into rivers by H&M and other textile factories. The fact that children in the village suffered from birth defects as a result of the terrible circumstances they were forced to live in really shocked me. I am convinced that racial discrimination is a contributing factor in the fast fashion industry because, if the same situation occurred in a European country where the people you see on your screen are children with blonde hair, blue eyes, and light skin, I think the response would be very different from what we continue to tolerate happening globally. What are some new things you have been able to experience due to your career? What doors has it opened for you? I feel like the things I've been able to experience in my career are mainly from good connections and proper networking. I've had opportunities to go to galas where I'm in the room with professionals that work at some of the biggest companies in fashion and have been able to pitch myself to them on the chance of getting a job. I've been able to visit the Vogue headquarters and meet Anna Wintour, which was extremely interesting for me and definitely changed my perception of how I viewed her before. I had the incredible opportunity to visit the LVMH headquarters on two occasions, which was truly amazing. During these visits, I had the honor of attending panel discussions on design and had the chance to ask questions of individuals whom I greatly admire and look up to. However, none of this would have been possible if I hadn't believed in myself and pursued opportunities regardless of the potential outcomes. Today, I am part of a network affiliated with hundreds of big brands, and a significant factor in securing my current position at Levi's was the organization's encouragement and assistance in applying for the job. I am immensely grateful for this support. How do you plan to wow the people again? What can we expect next from Kierra Lee? I don't have a fixed career path in mind, as I believe in taking things one step at a time. My ideas flow naturally, and my interests tend to evolve as I progress in my career. However, one constant for me is my unwavering commitment to advancing sustainability within the fashion industry. No matter where my journey takes me, I will always work towards implementing more sustainable practices and solutions. In addition to sustainability, I am deeply passionate about fostering diversity and inclusivity within the fashion industry. I firmly believe that the industry must open its doors wider to people of color and underrepresented groups. This is a vital change that the fashion industry needs, and I am determined to continue working towards creating more opportunities for individuals who share my background. My goal is to contribute to a more inclusive future for an industry that has historically marginalized people like me. For more updates on Kierra and her journey follow her insta linked below and check out her website! Website: https://www.kierralee.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/archivesof319/ https://www.instagram.com/kierraxlee/?hl=en

so*ci*e*ty noun the aggregate of people living together in a more or less ordered community. an organization or club formed for a particular purpose or activity. Recently I got a spark. An idea to start a blog. I feel that most of us can relate to getting a "new idea" or "spark". Some of these sparks or ideas can either grow into an immense flame, or start to dim. Sunni Society is not a new idea per say, it is simply a flame that over time began to dim... and this is me, reigniting my spark. This is me, Sunjori, growing my immense flame. Sunni Society will be somewhat of an online club, opened for the public. We will feature all things fashion/style, entertainment, mental/physical health topics, and a few nitty gritty hot takes of my own as well (wink, wink). This will also be a way for me to show love to some of my favorite creators, big/and or small. Love is missing in our "society" nowadays, and I hope with this platform that we are able to spread love back to our society and build a community filled with talent out of this world. Stay tuned! Be on the lookout, and get prepared! Sunni Society is here for a good and LONG time! Peace, Sunjori Michaela