blackbird

D. Woods on “Blackbird”, music, acting… and more!

It is rare in this day and age, to find someone talented enough to be considered to be a triple threat. D. Woods is someone who is a strong contender to be that particular kind of entertainer. Already known for her musical prowess and dancing ability, the talented Massachusetts native is keeping her buzz loud and strong by starring in the new feature film “Blackbird”. Alongside Academy Award winning actress Mo’Nique, D. Woods shines in a breakthrough role about acceptance in yourself and others that will no doubt put her on the forefront of who is next in the acting community.

Beautiful, humble and sweet, D. Woods sat down with me recently to discuss her involvement in “Blackbird”, as well as her beginnings in the theater, influences that she has gotten to know and worked with, and what her future plans are outside of all the fab things she is doing right now. Take a look.

A lot of people know you from music obviously, but you are now dabbling in acting. Do you have a particular preference?

Well, I grew up in the theater actually. It was dancing first, then musical theater came after that, and finally it was the music industry. I have never really separated the art forms, especially with musical theater you do all at the same time and that is how I was trained to do it all- dancing forms, singing, acting, delivery, musicality etc. It all comes together for me, I am just now able to do projects that are more visible and show my acting talents but I’ve been on the stage doing acting throughout my life. Now I’m on screen so you are being introduced to a whole other side of me!

It is safe to say that your background in music that we have come to know is R&B based. A lot of people feel as if that particular genre has been dead for quite some time, what is your take on it?

I think because of the way records are selling or not selling, and everyone is trying to appeal to as many people as possible and want the largest demographic, that is where a lot of artist get into this EDM/Euro or Pop N’ B type feel to wherever they think is going to sell. I do believe that there are a lot of artists that are true to R&B, I just don’t put myself in a box however. I do whatever the music tells me to do, so it might be rock influenced or feel more cinematic, you know what I mean? It might be trap or ratchet, but then I might do R&B harmonies and vocals, its whatever I want to play with. I think there are a lot of audiences out there that want a true musical experience whether they are going to an R&B show and they are getting a little gospel thrown at them, or maybe some rock as well in the way that the band switches up the track that people know and love from their recording into the live show. I think the live performance is the best and a lot of R&B singers are the ones that can give you a true live performance as opposed to some overdubbed, autotuned track where they just hit play and walk out.

Growing up, you had to have influences that got you into the entertainment field that you are in today. Do you have any in particular that standout?

Yes, of course! I’ve met a lot of people that I didn’t expect to meet, or that I watched and know so much about their work and having a conversation with them is weird because I don’t want to have a fan moment or weird them out. I got to work with actress Lynn Whitfield on a musical called “Rebirth” and being in rehearsal with her everyday made me think of “The Josephine Baker Story”, which would just freak me out. I thought she was Josephine Baker when I was little! She comes from a generation that had that triple threat feel to it, so that was definitely a great experience working with her.

Working with Mo’Nique was big, because we saw her evolution from a comedienne to a comedic actress to working her way up to winning an Oscar and now she is an executive producer on top of all of that. So working with her was just fantastic. I watched a lot of fantasy movies growing up, so whenever they redo “The Wiz” I definitely want to partake in that on some sort of level. I met Quincy Jones a while back and pretty much told him, “I LOVE the soundtrack to The Wiz”. I mean, this guy has worked with everyone from Duke Ellington & Michael Jackson, the soundtrack to “The Color Purple” and so much more… but that is what I saw when I met him. The Wiz.

Blackbird, D. Woods, Ryan Shea, Manhattan Digest — Credit to: Youtube

So the movie “Blackbird” just got released to stellar reviews. What is your involvement in it?

“Blackbird” is a coming of age story, centered around a character named Randy Rousseau who is played by Julian Walker. He is our breakout star. He is straight up novice, like Julian is still in college right now. I remember he was doing homework while on set! When I read this script, I found out the character finding himself and coming to terms with his sexuality but at the same time trying to live up to the expectations of his family, community and church. I play one of his friends in high school named Leslie Crandall whom he also feels like he has to live up to in his group of people around him. I feel with “Blackbird” at the base of it, it is all about acceptance and love. Loving yourself, accepting yourself, hopefully the people around you love you and accept your choices and are supportive but its trusting that voice inside in being who you want to be.

Following up on that, what would you say if someone was reading this article and having a hard time coming out to their loved ones or had something they want to share with people around them but fear backlash?

I would say, just be who you are. You will be so much happier at the end of the day. If the people around you don’t accept you, there is a pool of people that you can find who can become your family, circle of friends and ultimately your support system. I have a non-profit mentorship program called “Foolish Dreamers” and one of the main things that I tell the high school students is “You have to get the squares out your circle”. I can’t take credit for that, it was Future, but I thought it was so real because the people around you have to support your dream and choices so that you can be the best person that you are. If you are trying to be somebody that you are not, you are not being true to yourself, fair to yourself, and ultimately what you can bring to the world.

I recently saw you on an episode of Bravo’s hit show “The Real Housewives Of Atlanta” where you and her went to back to your old high school. A lot of people know you from the reality world already, so would you consider going back to it?

I’ve been asked many, many times but it has to be under the right circumstances. I’m still trying to get that dark cloud from over me as it is hard to make a first impression for the second time. If you are introduced the wrong way to the general public you have to re-educate them so that gives them the opportunity to throw away the perception they may had of you and what you had presented at that point. At the end of the day- the networks and everyone else has their own agenda, question is- can I get mine? I haven’t felt comfortable with doing it yet so as of now no.

Besides “Blackbird”, what other fabulous projects doing you have coming up in the future?

I’ve partnered up with Patrick Ian-Polt & Tall Skinny Black Boy Productions and my independent label to produce the soundtrack to “Blackbird”. The first single came out Tuesday, shortly after the movie’s release, called “Find Your Way”. It is written by myself and produced by Simon Illa, another long time collaborator of mine. It was a song inspired by the film, and then we have the songs in the film that will all be on the soundtrack.

Anything else you want to add Miss Woods?

You can follow me on social media at YaGirlDWoods on everything! My main site is missdwoods.com and I have a single out right now called “Ur Tattoo” featuring Paul Wall. Paul is seriously president of Texas after all this time. We performed at SXSW and couldn’t even walk down the street, it was crazy.

Thanks so much for sitting down with me!

You are very welcome!

Check out D. Woods on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram!

Blue & Black Apothecary Trims The Competition in Brooklyn

by Ryan Shea

As someone who grew up thinking that a clean shaven face looked good on me, I always relied on myself to take care of things with some Barbasol and a good Gillette razor when it came to keeping my face clean. In my early 20’s I discovered the beard looked good on me but angling it wasn’t necessarily an expertise I was good in so I started relying on barbers to do the work for me in a professional manner. I have gone to a bevy of those since then, yet recently a friend of mine recommended trying out a new hot spot in the Carroll Gardens section of Brooklyn that goes beyond the normal trim and chat- The Blue & Black Apothecary Barber Shop.

Blue & Black, Manhattan Digest, — Before & After Shot- Blue & Black Did A Great Job!

A great corner location right in the heart of Carroll Gardens, Blue & Black provides incredible grooming in a chilled, relaxed environment. To go along with your grooming experience, you can also choose from a great selection of beer on tap from their neighbors Other Half Brewery & Manhattan Specials to enjoy a cold beverage. On top of all of this they boost a great line of men’s grooming products from Malin & Goetz, Cool Grease, Civil & Blackbird just to name a few. I stopped by there a week ago and had a phenomenal time. They did a fantastic job on the type of cut that I like and the proof is in the above photo. While I was there, I sat down and chatted it up with owners Keith Krystofolsky & Anthony DeAngelis about Blue & Black itself, from how they came up with the name, why it is called an Apothecary, the services they provide and what is next for the brand. Take a look.

The location of this place is big and spacious and in a great part of Brooklyn! How did this all come together?

We were looking in South Brooklyn for a number of months. Key elements were a corner space, great light, solid traffic and hood where you could hang out, chill and relax away from crazy traffic and the concrete big box hype that is so much of the city these days. We wanted to be off the beaten path, while still on it. Equally important as a good landlord, who we respected us, respected the neighborhood and that we could partner with. Then, while having lunch at Prime Meats, there is was, staring at us, across the street. The perfect location: awesome foot traffic, great restaurants around shops around, a masculine vibe and a place where we could differentiate ourselves and be part of a neighborhood in a chilled out, almost West Village kinda way. Aesthetically, it took a strong vision, but the bones and foundation were all that we could have hoped for.

How did you come up with the name for Blue & Black?

Way way back, when we were doing inspiration and design trips for the brand and shop, focused on color palette and vibe, we kept coming back to two key: blue and black. We felt those colors represented a masculine coolness and style, yet they were classic, easy but could also be arty depending on how they were paired. It kept on coming up, sounded cool to us and it just stuck. We also like that its a flip on the typical saying of Black & Blue, a bit of a play on words.

You describe this as an Apothecary, a word not commonly used much in the modern era. Why use that word to describe Blue & Black?

We’re trying to take the word Apothecary and put a fresh, new and modern spin on it, redefine it. Certainly, per tradition, there is a heavy focus on personal care products for hair, face, skin, oral etc. But we’re also trying to expand the concept from everyday items you need for your BODY, but also to everyday items you need for LIFE such as small electronic and gadgets, small fashion accessories like wallets, hardware such as flasks and knives, but also into other weird and wonderful categories like art and literature.. We see this as only the beginning of our cool offering to our even cooler clients…just think of all the possibilities!

What services do you provide? Is it unisex?

We provide classic barbering services including hairs cuts and trims, facial hair and beard services, and also a manly version of a quick facial done right in the chair. We do cut women’s hair, but as our core services offering is simple and stylish, most of our female clients tend to be those looking for shorter or more edgy styles. Don’t get us wrong, were def open to the right lady should she see us as a good fit, but our core target is definitely guys.

Can you describe in detail what a client would get once they enter your establishment?

When you arrive to our shop you will be checked in and offered a drink, and yup Other Half Brewery IPA is the obvious choice. If you’re a bit early, you can hang in out in our waiting area, browse our collection of art books and style mags or check out the latest product in our Apothecary. For those of you desiring a click hole, you can hook into our free wifi and top off your phone with one of our Cheero chargers (yup, we also sell Cheero).

Once in the chair, your Barber will consult you to figure out where you want to go style-wise, but also importantly what your current grooming and styling habits are (or are not), ensuring your direction and habits are a match. Then, its all about relaxing and enjoying ride, with beer of course. For us, the finer details are really important. The subtle fades, natural lines and fine texturing are key the finished look, among a few other shop secrets. At the end of the service, you’ll be offered a rinse and receive a hot towel (more shop secrets hidden here), a truly refreshing experience. After you’re a’ll cleaned up, its about setting with the front desk, but of course you are free to hang out and relax, and have another drink. It’s on us!

How are things price wise, is the entire experience affordable?

Our services range from $15-$42, beard trims at the lower end, full clipper and razor cuts at the higher end. Our price point is somewhere between classic subway tunnel barber and high-end salon. That being said, we feel we are well positioned to be very accessible to the NYC market given the mad skills of our barbers, the fine details of the services and the overall elevated experience and vibe.

I see you serve some really great beer and lager, something I have never seen before at a barber type establishment. Why incorporate this?

We incorporate it because we think beer is just awesome! We love Other Half Brewery and everything they produce; they are a local brewery and are located just a few blocks from the shop and we thieve on the idea being part of the neighborhood just like Other Half. We also think its quite nice to have a drink while your waiting for your barber, during that brief respite from the busy day. For those not as enthusiastic about beer, we also offer seltzer water and Manhattan special coffee soda.

Overall, why do you think people should travel to Blue & Black over their local barber shop?

We feel strongly we’re providing a fresh and really unique experience, both in delivery of services, through our environment and with our product offering. We’re elevated the experience, yet kept it simple, masculine, easy, modern and accessible to all types of guys, form high trend to no trend. Key to our philosophy is avoiding any air of exclusivity and pretense if who we are and what we do. We consider ourselves INCLUSIVE, not exclusive, lord knows there’s enough of that in NYC.

What are your hopes for the future of Blue & Black?

We see a lot of potential in the Brand we are building, both short and long term. Our core competency is surely Barbering complimented by a natural extension into personal care product. We see a lot of natural adjacencies: deeper expansion into retail including our own branded product, additional services offerings tailored to guys needs, perhaps even a foray into mens accessories and fashion. We def see shop 2 or 3 or beyond!

Blue & Black is opened Wednesday through Monday, with both walk-ins and appointments available. For more information, log onto their official site.

Blue & Black

488 Court St

Brooklyn, NY 11231

(347) 987-4426

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