I've said it before: if you're a woman and say you don't have any female rolemodels, you just haven't done your research, go home do your homework.

A women that deserved more mainstream focus was the former front head of punk reggea band the SLITS (one of the bands who's crucial to the RIOT GRRL movement),  and later on solo artist, ARI UP who past away yesterday at the age of 48. Ari Up went from punk to jamaican dancehalls to what some people would call world music (hate this term), she's one of the people that made the "world music" craze happen during the 80s (before Paul Simon) and has had an influence on artists such as Nina Hagen and even our own Neneh Cherry among many others. The video for Lazy Slam was released postmortum after Ari Up's wishes.

Rest In Peace.

The Slits

Ari Up and Nina Hagen

Classic Slits cover

Fisher Man Vest, moi around the same time. (photo via www.army-of-lovers.org)

- Velvet, Jeans and Shifting Identities

1989: From Like A Virgin to LIKE A PRAYER, the song that got Madge banned by the conservatives and the VATICAN, and had a afro-american Jesus and burning crosses in the video. In true Madonna manner  she also made Like a Prayer-add-version for, yep you're right - PEPSI (watch here)! Yes, we talking Pop Culture in a commercial (But I'm thinking of the difference between: "having profit as the main aim" and "having fame as the main aim") field, but you understand how massive this is don't you?

STYLINGWISE: it's just what we think is HOT in this minute, you got the velvet, the jeans blue, the bustiers and the earthy henna tones.

In the book MADONNA-AS POSTMODERN MYTH (2002) author Georges-Claude Guilbert discuss how Madonna's alteregos and phases reflects today’s society, it's contradictions and attitudes toward sexuality and religion etc. From an postmodern angle, the shifting images that personify Madonna are the most interesting and enduring part of the Pop Cultural icon she is. Or as we say over here, Madonna is an original 2FACED1.

According to Guardian MALCOLM MCLAREN has lost the battle against cancer and did  past away at an age of 64 this thursday the 8th of April 2010. The Independent have an interessting interview with this subculture fiend (Nov 09)always blending the high with the low as an original 2FACED1, most known as the omnipotent manager of SEX PISTOLS, but with multiply skills to his name.

"That relationship between art, music, fashion and politics comes as close to any as explaining why it was that the most famous bands with which he was associated – first the New York Dolls, then the Pistols – could generate such excitement in 1970s. And why it is so lacking today in a music world dominated by X Factor, though he sees Simon Cowell's extraordinarily lucrative creation as wearying rather than worrying, symptomatic of a culture that is "not in good shape" and overrun with the "pollution" of globalisation."

With baby momma Vivienne in the infamous SEX store

Photo: David Montgomery/Contributor/Getty ImagesSource

A few sentences in a blog like this can't describe the faboulous life of Malcolm, but we can start by dig into some of his music and video art (I think you know your DEEP IN VOUGE and BUFFALO GALS but we'll include em as well).

See also Andy Gills article Drab World of Pop Needs McLaren's Brand of Anarchy

Absolute top 1: MADAME BUTTERFLY -based on Puccinis opera, and mine and Shamouns long time favorite!

..to be continued...