Issue 19 - Tone Bell

Table ofContents Table ofContents

WHAT'S INSIDE

Sports 2 Acting

WORDS FROM THE PUBLISHER

Happy New Year, Everyone! I want to start by saying thank you to everyone who trusts The Official Black Magazne to tell their stories! As an indie Black publication, we always aim to highlight those in our community with tremendous respect and integrity

This is the year's first issue, and we have Tone Bell gracing the cover He is the host we never knew we needed until watching Pressure Cooker on Netflix Like many of those in this issue, his story demonstrates the power of faith, it's never too late to start over, and you never know when it will be your time to shine

Inside, you get to read and connect with fantastic entertainment and lifestyle individuals I am confident that you all will be inspired from start to finish, just like I am with each issue

I wish you all love, light, and happiness this new year! Stay motivated, dedicated, and inspired!

Michael G, Cox

CEO & Publisher

Michael Cox

T O N E BELL NETFLIX'S DRINK MASTER

Tone Bell s an actor, comedian, and host doing it all One of the hardest-working men in Hollywood who isn't stopping anytime soon Fans fell in love with him even more, this year as he hosted Netflix s newest reality show Drink Masters I had the opportun ty to speak with h m about th s recent project and h s overall career in entertainment

In Drink Masters, Tone Bell captivated aud ences w th his genuine and relatable approach to the contestants "People don't see me crying after elimination," said Bell Instead during the six and a half weeks t took to f lm the series, Tone became interested and learned something personal about all twelve mixolog sts He said even h s assistant would call h m after particular eliminations I see you got emotions with that one

Tone said "I treated this role differently than most hosts on reality shows because I didn't just stick to creat ng bonds w th the judges I wanted to do something different and bond w th the mixolog st too This is these people's livel hood "

Viewers couldn't get enough of Tone as a host It had them and him going back home mixing drinks as if they were m xologists "Let me fat wash these lemon pepper wings and see what I can come up with " said Bell jok ngly as we talked about how people became inspired after b nge-watching the show But, of course, none of us knew what fat washing meant before the show

"I m not as dumb as I look on the show somet mes " said Bell Many need to learn that he comes from a 7-year corporate background working for Anheuser Busch which he was able to br ng to the show But to make it more exc ting and relatable for the aud ence he would ask fundamental quest ons that may seem so simple and silly to some But he did th s because he knew th s would be the first experience for many v ewers in the science and terminology beh nd mixology So, Tone said, "how do I make someone at home not feel dumb for not knowing "

THE NEXT FAVORITE TV HOST I GOTTA EAT FIRST

There was always this enterta nment bug in him since the early age of 12 years It wasn't until a recent conversation with friends that he remembered he was on a public access kids' television show in Decatur, Georgia "It was at 28 that I had to roll the dice and move to Los Angeles," said Bell He had this rout ne to feed his entertainment needs by making stand-up after his 9 to 5 When he had his ep phany at 28, t was now or never for him to pursue entertainment full-time He laughed jok ngly when he said it would be e ther at 28 or never because he wasn't going to do t at 40

"Bruh, I moved to LA, and with n 10 months, I'm a regular on a show, which is unheard of," sa d Bell when he spoke about his first year in the city of dreams Though he was quickly achieving success at a rate, others can only fathom he st ll wasn't convinced W thin three weeks of his move, he had already booked a national commercial

Tone kept asking h mself if th s early success was just a fluke for him "I kept tread ng l ghtly," said Bell, since he had only started acting compared to the 6 years of stand-up he had done at that point in h s life He didn't want others to believe he didn't know what he was doing, but he wasn t go ng to give up or pass on an opportun ty

"I had to grow up quickly," said Bell when he thought back to when he was first asked to stand up on the road while acting This was a pressure cooker moment for him because he was now doing something full time was new to him (working) and presented with the opportunity to do something he has done for years (stand up) with some of the people he looked up to in the ndustry And in h s usual fash on he took with confidence and determinat on to only succeed Tone laughed when he told them that he only had thirty m nutes of material which they told him to figure out

Tone Bell s journey demonstrates the power of it's always poss ble to start over He shows us that you can literally manifest the destiny you want by having faith and cont nue working towards your goals There are no such things as excuses for h m! When working full-t me, he made t me to perform h s craft When he was new to a city and industry, he dived nto it head first My takeaway from h m is that if I want something, I better go for it with everything I have and leave nothing to chance

AARON JENNINGS

GRAND&CREW THE BREAKOUT STAR

Photography Credit Rowan Daly

ANTHONY HOLMES” & “GRAND CREW

Aaron Jennings is the breakout star from “Grand Crew” on NBC He plays the character of “Anthony Holmes” “It’s been a blast playing Anthony I think he represents many Black men who don t get portrayed as much in network television,” said Jennings “Anthony” sn’t your typ cal Black man portrayed on telev sion He has a very neurotic and sophisticated nature but, simultaneously is a Black man on his own Aaron said, “to quote the pilot; th s character has layers on layers to him ”

“I thank Ph l Augusta Jackson (Creator of “Grand Crew”) all the time for this show and the opportun ty to play a character such as Anthony,” added Jennings

But could we mag ne Aaron playing any other male character on the show?

I asked Aaron whether this role felt like it was made for h m He told me he actually came in init ally to read for “Noah” and then tested for “Wyatt” Aaron said, “It was nteresting for me because I had read, and tested for other roles all the while trying to f nd my rhythm ” Once he began working through all the character work and development for “Noah” and “Wyatt” he was presented with an opportunity to read for “Anthony” “I finally found my groove after a wh le with “Anthony” and real zed that we are actually pretty sim lar,” said Jennings

Th s is the testament to continue showing up and working on your craft You hear that all the time, but Aaron’s journey just to secure the role of “Anthony” s one that many others probably would have felt defeated by or given up on Remember, he showed up for the same show for three different characters - w thout guaranteeing one of them would be his

“I think we all are playing heightened versions of ourselves on the show,” said Jennings After recogniz ng how many personal traits he and his costars shared with their respective characters, he had more comfortab l ty to show more of Aaron in “Anthony” From there, it was smooth sailing for him Aaron said, “I have fallen increasingly in love w th “Anthony” as time has passed ”

Aaron continued,” I got the role meant for me ”

FOCUSING ON HIS ART, HIS ORIGIN STORY

Aaron isn’t new to the entertainment industry Unlike most, his parents are actors, so he grew up in this world

However, “ t wasn’t until I was sixteen that I went all-in and focused on the arts,” said Jennings Basketball was his f rst love that he put his time and effort into whole-heartedly before transitioning nto acting For Aaron, ded cating h mself to a craft whatever that may be means giv ng it his all, no questions asked, and no holds barred

“Although had my parents as a shining example and I watched them go through their ups and downs and could somewhat mentally prepare for my own it was st ll a struggle for me”, said Jenn ngs Off first glance, while t may seem l ke children of industry, or industry-adjacent parents have it “easier”, Aaron demonstrates that it absolutely still is a challenge The ebb and flow of the industry st ll affected him, alike anyone who moves to Los Angeles hoping to make it big As Aaron shared, “ t was over those years that I developed that mental fortitude that helps me persevere in this ndustry ” Whenever someone asks him for advice, he tells them that “no one can ever be prepared for this and you just have to d ve n and go for it ”

“That’s a never-end ng experience,” said Jennings, when I asked him if he ever had moments of doubt or thoughts of calling it quits due to the nature of the industry This is someth ng he said he’s experienced at great lengths at times, but t’s h s love and passion that keeps him going Giving up s never an opt on when you know that what you’re working towards and working on s exactly what you are meant to do

Aaron loves the craft of t all, but the collaborat ve environment means the most to h m

“I love collaborating on set with everyone The entire cast, crew and creative team s top notch”, he added Be ng around other passionate people daily making and bringing something to life, is priceless

“I take so much joy in all of this, and that’s what has allowed me to persevere,” he added

“As my grandma used to say, idle time is the devil’s playground,” Jennings noted Technically, when a show s off, and an actor doesn’t have any other working projects, they are unemployed ’ During that time, many can get depressed but Aaron finds his center by keeping up with h s hobb es Though audit on ng s still the goal during those down times, Aaron works to keep himself engaged in other activities such as wr ting and exploring other creat ve sides of himself It’s about staying ‘stimulated, he said

Whether he s work ng on a booked role or experienc ng down time, the focal point of his life s family and friends “They keep me grounded,” said Jennings These are the people who know h m best and keep h m constantly uplifted

Before ending our conversation, I asked Aaron how I could describe him as an actor to others Aaron replied, “Honest and vulnerable - well, that’s at least what I str ve for ” I was intr gued why that was his answer As Aaron then explained, he has to be honest and vulnerable in his actual l fe so it organ cally translates into an audit on or on-camera scene w th a character he’s playing For him, the goal of act ng and executing the craft is to show humanity in its entiretythe good and the bad The only way that can be showcased is f the actor s truly in touch with themselves on the deepest level with no pretense Always at the forefront of his mind, this s what Aaron strives to emulate on every set and through every character he touches

Cox: Christan Willis you are your own l festyle brand that specializes in so many different th ngs Can you tell our readers more about who you are and what you do?

Will s: Love that and thank you so much I'm a personal chef here n Atlanta a TV personality, and a brand ambassador I work a lot with people and families You know 'm all about making th s harmon ous synergy around Food and Life

Cox: Where did this love for t all come from, I know you have this multicultural background and were exposed to it all so early

Will s: I bel eve my love for food started at an early age since the age of 15 Food has always been a constant n my life It was only amplif ed throughout my life by my love for creat ng things with my hands So I have an artsy v be when it comes to food and my business I have been painting all my life and still do But I never knew I was go ng to get into th s industry even though I always had a love for it until I got to college

Cox: Speaking of college what were your plans when you originally attended?

Will s: studied journalism at Georg a State It's crazy to th nk about t because I d d my school news from m ddle school to high school Th s is what I knew wanted to do and I had a clear path when I went to college I wanted to be a reporter, but that all changed when I started writ ng about food

Cox: After that ep phany what was next for you?

Will s: So, I had a conversat on w th my dad about everything and he sa d if I wanted to do this why not go to culinary school? I was worried about the t ming and t me investment He told me t me was going to pass anyway so why not go for t? I took his advice and literally breezed my way through culinary school and did my internship at Disney

Cox: You h t the ground running when you got back to Atlanta You worked your way up n the fine d ning and food scene want to ask you since the evolut on of social media we have tons of nd viduals calling themselves chefs Do they need to be classically tra ned to call themself that? It's always a debated conversation

Will s: You don t have to be but you need the experience in the k tchen That exper ence s so nvaluable and you know how everything works from the front and back of the house and all there is in between If you are going to call yourself a chef you need to be able to go into a kitchen and run t So, if you have that knowledge (can be self-taught), experience, and that passion go for it But f you are someone who just loves to cook and you put that behind your name t can be offens ve to others because you have people who have put in that grit and those hours that make you a chef

Cox: The food industry is tough and you have built a name for yourself How did you go about doing that?

Will s: Building my credibility in th s industry started with the basics You know be ng in the kitchens at 15 I learned a lot and observed It was this journey I took that helped me bu ld a name for myself I ve been at the bottom of the industry where I had to take orders in the kitchen, but now I'm at a place where I m in charge and I can be flex ble with how I create and present food Somet mes people have this misconception about me because of my social media presence and think don t know what I m doing But I have a huge backing from the chefs I worked under and the establishments I worked for

Cox: The food industry is still male-dominated! How has your exper ence been as a b racial woman?

W llis: I ve taken some Ls in this industry and had some humbling experiences because as you said it s maledom nated Through the adversit es I had faced at times I had to learn to stand on my own and leave jobs at times because I knew my worth As a woman of color, we mustn't just take anything Especially now we are at a point in time where t's the year of the woman We aren't being qu et anymore, we know what we want and we are going for it

Cox: What advice would you give to women who are afraid to speak up for themselves in the k tchen?

W llis: Look I had a lot of no s come my way but when the yes's came those were meant for me You w ll have to take those risks sometimes and push those boundaries You have to keep trying And remember you might look at something as a fa lure but you have to remember fa lure isn't forever

Cox: I want to get nto your normal day as a pr vate chef work ng for a cl ent Walk me through that

W llis: Well before the event my first thing with the client would have been a week or so of conversing about their needs I find out exactly what they are looking for and then I put my sp n on t I take into considerat on what type of party is this and what they are going for and my goal is to elevate it So, leading up to the event I start w th shopp ng and I try to go to as many farmers' markets as possible to get fresh and organ c produce and ingredients This is a tedious party because I'm running through multiple locations As a chef, you are at least going to four or f ve places Then it s about the prep work which can be between one or two days Things I l ke to get done are my sauces, cuts, and marinated meats

"Day of the event you have to be super laser focused I always have my prep sheet with me and check off everything

know exactly where everyth ng goes and where I'm going to put them " - Willis

Cox: With all those stores runs what happens when you can't find the ngredients necessary for certain dishes?

W llis: Th s is when being flexible s very mportant to be ng a chef You have to know how to pivot and you can't get stressed It comes with the territory that stores might not have someth ng or an ingred ent m ght be seasonal Chefs have to be able to adapt and think on their feet and if you can't do both th s might be the wrong profess on for you

Cox: I love for our readers to learn from you The biggest thing a private chef does is learn how to price things

W llis: Take it from me it's trial and error There was a time I wasn t making a profit because the margins were too close to the cost of everything and the t me I had to invest in things I would say know your place n your field If you are a beginner you will have to start w th beginner pr ces and don t try to charge what you see someone else is charg ng who has put in those ten and fifteen years Some people come into it wanting to charge at the top and you don t have to do that You have to know your cl ent and demographic F gure out that niche because it's so spec fic and once you do you w ll be good

Cox: Thank you for taking me on your journey as a chef and giving me these amazing insights Before we go if someone asked me how would you describe Chef Willis, what would I say?

W llis: First you would say Dynamic There is nothing that I can't cook I'm a very dynamic chef and I'm swift in the kitchen My flavors are always go ng to be on point (smiles) And I'm super flexible, but I have to always go back to Dynamic because that's my favorite word for how I would descr be myself as a chef

WILLIAM STANFORD DAVIS

“I give a shoutout to the late bloomers.”

Photography Cred t: Bobby Quillard

““I always tell young actors if this is something you want to do and you love it, you can’t quit.”

William Stanford Davis is the embodiment of never giving up on your dreams because you just never know when t will be your moment He hails from St Lou s, Missouri and has close to 100 credits to his name From recurring roles on hit telev sion shows such as Showtime s Ray Donovan TNT’s Snowpiercer and Lincoln He ghts to recently guest starring on Curb Your Enthusiasm, he has invested his time in the industry However it is his recent role as “Mr Johnson” n the Emmy-nominated and Golden Globe-winning hit tv series Abbot Elementary that people are unilaterally taking notice of his br lliance to the screen

Cox: You have put in the time, and now this is the role where people un versally recogn ze you Tell me what kept you going all these years w thout giving up Davis: I have to say my fa th I felt l ke as long as I did the work, someth ng great would happen I mmersed myself in the craft, and I just tried to stay as positive as I could In this ndustry, you will have some mean and lean times, which can happen multiple times So, n hand with keep ng my faith I constantly surrounded myself with good people Making a point to do this has helped keep my focus on the work and at times, helped me take my focus away to enjoy l fe

Davis (cont n): As a seasoned vet in this industry, acting has been my main focus, as well as wr ting and direct ng but you have to have other interests, of which I have several, to help keep me from staring at the phone look ng (laughs)

Davis: Michael have you heard when people say they just know?

Cox: Yes

Davis: See, I just knew that sooner or later, it was going to be my time So, I kept the faith and kept going

Cox: Was there any particular feeling in knowing your time was com ng now?

Davis: Yes! It was when I had recently done a series of heavily recurr ng roles on several ser es (laughs) where in some of the shows, I was n every ep sode, and in others, was in just a few I knew that my t me was coming I could just feel it

Cox: D d you know after auditioning for Mr Johnson that you would get the role?

Davis: I just told someone the other day that I have developed th s muscle where you just leave the audit on there after you complete t Th s takes actors a wh le to develop but once you get it down it becomes easy For example, let’s say you have three audit ons n a day - by the time you go from the first two, to the last one, you forget about them

Davis (contin): With this particular audit on, we shot t when COVID restrictions were still largely in full effect I honestly forgot about t after we sent it n and it wasn’t unt l weeks later that my w fe who also doubles as a manager, told me I got the job I asked her “what job?”, and she said “the janitor on the show you aud tioned for” Back then, t was under a different name, and wasn t called Abbott Elementary yet

William shared that this is instrumental in anyone s career trajectory n acting Once you work on multiple projects and get consistency going and people start to notice you you build stronger relationships with n the casting community He urges people to hang in there even when they m ght just be securing recurr ng or guest star roles You are here n th s industry for a reason so don’t give up Cox: Now I want to know your origin story What got you into acting?

Dav s: I had always been in the bus ness of entertainment I started out DJing in soc al clubs and other venues at the age of 14 I was even in a pop band that d d well in St Louis It wasn t until I attended this program for three summers consecutively at Webster University that I knew acting was for me During the program, I saw the Negro Ensemble Company perform, and I was completely blown away That’s when I decided this is what I would do for the rest of my life

Cox: What is it about acting and entertainment that you love? Why does it drive you?

Dav s: It’s the craft Acting s all make-believe, and as an actor, you bring a character to l fe It’s the magic in do ng this that I love You get to put your spin on the character Even f another actor has played that same character, you get to make each role your own

Dav s (cont n): t’s also about gett ng to see the role and project blossom nto someth ng great It s like that with Abbott Elementary, where I’m surrounded by a truly stellar cast It’s so much fun, and we just have a great time together I’m constantly amazed by seeing these young actors work Everyone is younger than me (laughs) It s just amazing to see their talent on screen

You don t always get to see it n the moment when you are filming with your costars, but when you go back and look at the episode, you see each member s talent shine through

Dav s (contin): So, back to your original quest on the love I have for the craft comes from seeing all of it come together n the end That’s where the magic happens Cox: Before we end, I would like to ask you what advice you would give to any actor who feels that their moment isn’t happening even though they keep putt ng in the work

Dav s: F rst of all, it’s only about the work It can’t be about getting the job Your drive for work ng n this industry needs to be centered around developing your craft Even if you aren’t working, I tell emerging actors to get in a play or take a class They need to stay work ng on their sk lls regardless I think of actors’ tra ning just l ke athletes – who train all year-round I always say, work on your craft, and the gigs will come

MECHIESOCRAZY

Photo Cred t: D ana Ragland

Photography Cred t Cassidy Boi

MechieSoCrazy is an individual and artist who exemplifies the personification of man festing one's own destiny From playing basketball n college to gain ng millions of v ews on social media and mus c stream ng platforms he is working his way to being the star he knows he is meant to be

Originally from Wash ngton D C he got his humble starts after graduating college, which wasn't his initial cho ce “I only went because that s what my mom wanted for us and I had a free ride playing basketball,” said MechieSoCrazy He completed his college studies and one year after he nformed h s mother that he wanted to pursue h s dreams of sing ng and dancing She gave him her approval and with that he took flight

He started with working on his brand to gain followers and fans “I took to Tw tter because you know back then Instagram wasn’t that popular I just started posting p ctures of myself and for some reason it took off I can t even tell when that actually happened ” said MechieSoCrazy

MechieSoCrazy wasn t just about posting pictures because as a club promoter he had access to some of the hottest and most attended events in the c ty He used that as opportunities to showcase his lyrical talent “I would do remakes to popular songs I l ked and had the DJ play my track,” said Mech eSoCrazy S nce he already had the mic n hand, he would perform his song in front of the crowd He was fearless and determined to make sure he made some noise

After creat ng his own buzz, he met a gentleman by the name of Russell Webster who put him into a group called 4EY which stands for forever young “He put us in artist development for a year learned how to harmonize I didn't even know what harmon zing was before com ng into the group I was also introduced to choreography because I knew how to groove but I didn't know how to dance,” said MechieSoCrazy He looks back on that t me and s thankful for it because what he learned then s what he still using today as an art st “When I look back at my time during artist development, I'm thankful because now a days labels aren't focused on truly developing the art st They care only about how hot you are on Instagram and TikTok You can tell because some of the ones who get instantly popular you see them on stage w th no stage presence,” sa d MechieSoCrazy

"We weren t on top of the business like we should at eighteen and nineteen years old We were living our dreams and tour ng and opening up for people we looked up to,” said MechieSoCrazy His group was short lived because they trusted a person who took advantage of them like we were so many t mes over for young Black artists When they go their partnership w th Atlantic Records they received the first advancement upfront They didn't see anything from the second advancement because the indiv dual in charge of the group paid himself mult ple times over for h s many and various titles and responsib l ties

HIS BEGINNING & START GETTING OUT OF DEPRESSION & LEARNING

Afterwards he had went through a state of depression “I was so depressed I honestly d dn t think ever wanted to do music aga n ” said Mech eSoCrazy It was the fact that he felt like he gave something h s all and it didn't work out in his favor It wasn t just the band it was everything He was in an industry where people promise you the world and rarely deliver t was tak ng a toll on him but thankfully he had a brother who wasn t go ng to let him quit

“By the grace of God my brother flew me to LA He told me I didn't have to worry about bills of money as long as I work out and read every day ” said MechieSoCrazy He took advantage of that because it came at the time when he couldn't afford his current l ving situat on in Atlanta

Mech eSoCrazy said, “The crazy part is I couldn't afford my place anymore and I just got off the reality tv show Ex on The Beach ” He went through nearly $50,000 n less than 30 days fly ng his fam ly out to M ami and renting boats Things got worse because then COVID hit and all the future mon es he thought he was going to make from be ng how confirmed shows and tours all went away

“I felt l ke I was doing everything wrong,” said MechieSoCrazy But during his stay in Los Angeles, he learned the power of manifestat on after reading the book The Secret He w ll tell you that this book saved his life Now he is conc se and aware of the energy he puts out and his m ndset from when he wakes up to when he goes to sleep

OWNING HIS MASTERS & CREATIVITY

“The music you put out now is meant for you to make money forever,” sa d MechieSoCrazy as he explained why he stresses the importance of own ng your own masters and creat vity as an artist He s been through it all in this ndustry and isn't letting anyone else take advantage of his creativity and hard work It s always go ng to be key for him to have ownership fully or a great percentage of what he puts out because he never knows what song and or video will h t, go viral and stand the test of time

He is very vocal on new artists understanding that they have power n th s industry too They don t need to be so eager to s gn any deal give ownership and cred t away “You are the artists and that s your song,” said MechieSoCrazy Yes, they have an obligat on to g ve credit for those who help them create the song but he doesn't want them to neglect themselves when the times comes to the bus ness aspect of things

Mech eSoCrazy is frank and honest He let me know that he only recently understood the power he had when it came to h s contracts and what he was owned “People think I got pa d a lot from when I put like that out because of the mill ons of views and streams I didn't until recently because my new manager helped me go back and look at what was actually owed to me ” said MechieSoCrazy He learned the breakdowns of how much one earns per million streams per platforms He prays that these viral artists understand this and have people in their corner who truly are here for them financially

“While you are sign ng these deals so quickly with the hopes that your future singles and records are go ng to it Your f rst song m ght by one of your b ggest hits and you could potentially s gn away all those prof ts You never know so you have to make sure you do that f rst one the right way ” said MechieSoCrazy

Photography Cred t D ana Ragland

DENIM

RICHARDS

Season 5 of Yellowstone

SEASON 5 & WHAT TO EXPECT

Cox: Denim Richards I'm excited to speak to you about season five of Yellowstone and your character Colby But f rst let s get into you all breaking record after record with this show

Richards: It's exc ting to be back A few weeks ago, the ratings came out and the show broke a couple of records It's the number one show n the US We had 12 million l ve viewers the day of the new season premier and a total of 60 m llion viewers who watched it the next couple of days

Cox: Those types of views and ratings aren't normal for a show in its fifth season?

Richards: No actually you see the v ewers tapper off as a series goes into addit onal seasons th nk we actually had even a million more than we had on season four Th s s just all amaz ng to be on this ride with Yellowstone and to have my character Colby be on for all f ve seasons

Cox: Since the ratings are go ng up and the fan base, what can we expect w th season f ve and Colby?

Richards: This year we get into even more trouble with John Dutton becom ng the Govenor of Montana With him in office it makes us even more liberal on what we do on the ranch Colby gets nto more trouble and you get to see h m doing fun things like wrestling cattle It's just going to be a colorful ride that everyone has to tune in to see

Cox: How has it been being on a ser es for these many seasons? Do you ever just sit back and think about it?

Richards: Yes, I definitely think about t because you know the goal of any actor is to be on someth ng You know once you get on something the next goal is to stay on that something (laughs) Then you hope that they don't cancel off your character for whatever reason It's been five amaz ng years since 2017 which honestly seem like a lifetime ago

Cox: You must get close w th the cast members

Richards: You get so close with the cast members where even our fam l es know each other It really feels like when I played sports when I was younger You are n this foxhole with these people and they become your community Life outside of shooting the show feels a l ttle strange something because you get so use to everyone being together all the time Espec ally since we shoot in Montana where we don't have access to all the amenit es like if we were shooting n a bigger city

Cox: People now recognize you from the show How is it with that level of stardom now?

Richards: It's surreal because I was recently walking in time square and people actually recognized me and approached me But that just also speaks to the caliber of the show and how many people it touches

LANDING THE ROLE

Cox: Take me back to when you landed the role

Richards: I did a film Montford: The Chickasaw Rancher pr or to Yellowstone, which is available on Netflix I was doing this scene with Tommy Flanagan who s on Sons of Anarchy Once we were done he told me about Yellowstone and that his best friend John Linson was creating the show He told me I should tell my team to get me an aud tion I was like if it was only that easy (laughs) to get an audition But I listened to him and I told my team about the project My team was able to get into with the off ce of John Papsidera and sent h m v deos and photos of me of me from Montford: The Ch ckasaw Rancher I wanted to keep th s moment going because I movie was a western period p ece so I knew I could take what I did there to Yellowstone since it was about a ranch and everyth ng They called me in a couple days after to audition and talk about what they wanted from Colby

Cox: That sounds like a Hollywood! So how long did t take you to learn you go the part?

Richards: It took them six weeks to let me know I got t Those were the most stressful six weeks of my life (laughs) Dur ng that waiting period my time we call to check in on me I had to tell them to stop that (laughs) and only call me once they heard something I remember when I got the call, I was in the parking lot in Santa Monica My manager called me and started screaming

A LITTLE BACK STORY ON YOUR LOVE FOR ACTING

Cox: You mentioned sports So, was acting something you always wanted to do?

Richards: I ve been wanting to do it s nce I was five years old I was a kid with a lot of energy and my teachers were like we have to channel that energy somewhere Luckly, I went to a school that put a lot of energy into the performing arts They all thought I loved to be seen and that I talked a lot (Laughs) Nothing much has changed for me They asked me to do a singing performance in front of around three hundred people and I just loved the feeling I got

Cox: So where did sports come into your life?

Richards: Well, I had a very loving and support ve family but none of them where n the perform ng arts So, I grav tated towards sports growing up but my love and pass on for the perform ng arts was always there It wasn't until I got to be fourteen years old that I got back into the heavy of it all w th acting I was doing everything from theater to musical theater From there it was a slow molasses type of progression to what you see now with my career (laughs)

Cox: What is t about acting that you love so much?

Richards: This was something I knew I always wanted to do since I was f ve The thing that wakes me up each day to go for it is that I know there s this thing in side of me that loves t Acting also helps me focus because I did then and do now st ll have a lot of energy It took me while to learn how to take t, shape it and focus it You know what also helps me is that I had so many people in my life that didn't think I would do it They didn't believe in me I remember when I was in my twenties and a major ty of my friends were graduating from college, going for graduate degrees and nterviewing for positions Denim going for an audition didn't have the same type of ring of excellence for them

Cox: With all of that happen ng with people around you, how did you stay grounded and focused?

Richards: After the years went by it started to dissipate because I looked and stud ed the greats I studied what famous actors l ke Denzel Washington and S dney Poitier went through to get to their level of success I focused on my craft and as an athlete I used that energy around me from others and channeled t

Cox: What advice would you give to an aspiring actor who is having a tough time with themselves in this industry or those around them believ ng in them?

Richards: You have to bel eve in yourself from the beginning You have to believe in this You might not have the road map or the whole p cture But you just need to know that this s the journey you need to go on

D E A N D R E B R O W N

is using his content to give voice to the next generation of professionals

CONTENT CREATOR

Cox: Happy to have you here today DeAndre Brown aka The Corporate Badd e, aka the Leader in the Gen Z corporate workforce! How are you doing today?

Brown: Hello, I'm great, and thank you for having me

Cox: You have taken social media by storm with your entertaining and educating content on what Gen Zs want out of the workplace Before we get nto where you are now, I want to know a little more about you and your past

Brown: Well, I'm originally from Ch cago and went to school in Atlanta, where I attended Morehouse College It was there during my undergraduate program I had several great nternships with corporate companies Dur ng those nternships, I realized how much of a d fference we can make as minorities for these companies when we are in these spaces, and our vo ces are heard

Cox: N ce! So now, when did you know that content creation was go ng to be your th ng?

Brown: Honestly, I just started post ng daily on TikTok and p cked up two clients After that, I wondered what would happen f I devised a strategy to grow my channel actively So, I started to research TikTok I found t interest ng that over 70% of the users were Gen Z So, I wanted to create content geared towards them but also to talk about corporate America

Cox: Why was bringing corporate America something of nterest to you n your content strategy?

Brown: I wanted to help educate people on how to get into the spaces since I am Gen Z and came from a corporate America background

Cox: Were you surprised when it took off?

Brown: Yes! I figured I'd create content from the corporate America lens about Gen Zs! And when I woke to my content reaching m ll ons of views, I was like, 'Oh my Gosh, this is actually good

Cox: There was a b t of a pivot, right? You went from creat ng content for Gen Z's on how to get into the spaces to teaching Corporations how to get and keep Gen Zs n those spaces

Brown: Yes and it showed me that what I had in my m nd for myself init ally was go ng to be something even b gger than I had imagined

Cox: I want to touch on what I saw you speak about regarding companies hav ng strict employee soc al media polic es

Brown: It's such a great question that we need to explore more When it comes to tech spaces, companies are lenient with the r employee's soc al media pol c es It s much stricter when look ng at traditional banking and business companies I think companies have to really evolve their practices to stay current with where society s headed with technology and tools like soc al media Social media and the internet are so much part of our daily lives in how we interact, communicate, and express ourselves So, limiting that for employees won t be beneficial for corporations n the long run I do bel eve that people will start to turn down positions with strict soc al media guidel nes

Cox: I love your content when t comes to you br ng ng awareness to companies trying to take advantage of employees You generate a lot of content around that topic in such a fun and diverse way

Brown: I get the inspiration from my own exper ence and from stor es I hear from others You know, they try to make employees feel more 'connected' as a way to get over on them They put more on their plates without increasing the r pay or benef ts

Cox: Speaking of employees, what s something you stress with corporations to keep them?

Brown: I think they can actually keep talent by l stening to what they want! We don t care about pizza parties and spec al events Those are great for creating wonderful team environments We want the raise and different benefits when we know corporat ons have budgets and tools to provide those requests

Cox: You reference tech culture a lot

Brown: Yes because the tech companies and people I speak w th aren t required to be at their desks for 9 to 10 hours daily They work on more project bases Compan es don't need to hold employees hostage when there is nothing to be done I th nk moving forward, companies should start to let t be about complet ng the ass gnments at hand and then let employees go about their bus ness

Cox: You recently opened up about leaving your corporate job to become a full-time entrepreneur You talked about things that happened that let you know t was t me to leave

Brown: First, I was hardly sleeping I was doing my full-time job, and after I got off, I worked on my brand deals and content creation It was a lot! And th s was when things were really picking up for me from social media Then I started to learn that people with n the company weren't happy with the content was creating I mean there were some support ve people but I didn't know some h gher-ups were really aga nst t

Cox: That s definitely known of their business on what you do with your free time that isn t tied to the company

Brown: Yes that's how I felt And the last straw was when I was contemplating putting n my two weeks I went to HR to speak about everything I'm going through and the hardships of balancing things They mentioned that there had been a lot more talks about my content That's when I said, you know what, this is the perfect t me to put in my two weeks I felt then that I wasn't called to that job and company anymore and that my purpose was bigger than it

Cox: I know it s not hard to leave a place when pay is stable and consistent What was it that really let you know this was the time to ex t and start your own?

Brown: That s a really good quest on! When things started to line up from winn ng the Career Content Creator award to be ng asked to speak on mult ple panels and engagements I would have to say It really let me know people genuinely cared about my perspective outside of social media You see a lot of influencers and content creators on social media, but only a few of them are asked to speak on panels I realized I d dn t want to lim t myself and that I could do so much more

Cox: How does it feel now to be fully n control?

Brown: It feels great and a blessing I m just lett ng God lead me in the right path and trusting h s process

“It feels great and a blessing. I'm just letting God lead me in the right path and trusting his process.”

Photography Credit Darnell Brown Styl st Cred t: Chr st na Corso

TRINITY WHITESIDE

Trin ty Whiteside took viewers by storm with h s portrayal as Preston in one of BET s premiere h t television shows Tyler Perry’s Sistas Preston is a wh te character on the show who has h s first experience dat ng a Black woman (Danni played by Mignon) The tension between the two rises as race and culture play a significant role in their relationship dynamic from friend groups to family

Work ng on Tyler Perry’s Sista’s and with Tyler Perry

I spoke with Trinity about his experience playing the role of a character who is 100% white while he is biracial (half black & half white) “The great part about playing a character l ke Preston is he is so far off the spectrum of who I am in my everyday life as a Black man Though my skin tone may be that of someone white, pass ng my demeanor and soul s that of a Black man,” said Whiteside This role was both a breakout and a challenge for Trinity With any part the actor has to find a way to empath ze w th them n how they view the world their actions, and even if they have a nefarious agenda, but this wasn’t the case for him Trinity said, “Playing this role gave me the confidence I need as an actor because I’m playing someone who I can’t relate to because the way Preston sees and interacts with the world is opposite of me and how I’m living everyday life ” In his role, Trinity can demonstrate his ab l ty to genuinely and authentically get nto character

“The approach I take for Preston is thinking what would be the complete opposite of how Trin ty would th nk about a s tuation, h s attitude, and knowledge of Afr can-American culture,” Whites de

It’s interest ng for Trinity because n the show he has to act as if he doesn t know how to nteract with a Black woman or understand her He was candid about growing up biracial and how much of his ident ty and culture were shaped by the Black women on his father’s s de “Black women on my father s side had a major hand n who I have become today So, acting as someone who doesn’t know how to deal with Black women is something n itself when it’s my reality regularly My wife s Black, and I’m well versed in dealing w th Black women,” said Whites de

“The stuff you see from Tyler Perry is a microcosm of who he s as a person,” Whites de Trin ty had worked with Tyler Perry before on various projects in smaller capacities However, he said working with h m has been one of his career’s best and most reward ng exper ences “It doesn’t even seem l ke work when you are working w th Tyler I mean it’s working when we arr ve on set, but Tyler makes t fun and comfortable for all of us,” said Whiteside This role took his excitement to the next level because the capacity at wh ch he worked w th him ncreased

Trin ty s Love for The Craft

“Even back then I was enamored with creativity and express on ” Whiteside I m always interested in learn ng about an actor s origin story and w th Trinity, he went back to grade school As a child make believe was his favorite pastime, but he enjoyed it solo “As a kid, I didn’t like to inv te other kids to play make-believe with me because if they weren t really nto t and it wasn’t believable, it would bother me ” said Wh teside Ident f ed early on as a gift always had this sp rit of focus and determinat on that he takes with him throughout his journey

In the spirit of determ nation, Trinity recalled times when he would drive three hours to do extra work “There were many t mes when I would end up spending more than what I would get paid I knew the money would come in due time, and had a b gger vision for myself ” said Whites de He was more focused on gaining all the experiences he could Trin ty didn’t care to mingle with everyone when he was on set because he had an objective “You would find me off to the side observing all the people in positions I aspired to be in one day I m learning through observat on how they are doing things and preparing for the scenes,” said Whites de When everyone was look ng to either network or get attention as an extra, Trinity wanted to make sure he understood what he needed to do to be ready for his moment

“The attent on will come when I get into the pos tion I want to be A lot of t mes, people are in such as hurry to get right to the result that they forget you don t get the butterfly w thout the caterp llar ” said Whiteside

Trin ty said, “every time I got a new extra role, the role was b gger than the last So, when I aud tion and go in for a screen test and if I don’t get it, I know they saw someth ng in me to br ng me in in the f rst place ” His faith keeps him going in this demanding ndustry where you hear more nos than yeses Everything is always a win for him because he knows that even the opportunities, he doesn’t get aren t due to his inability to act but rather a change in direction from the casting directors or that the role su ted someone else “I try to control what I can control, and I let everything else fall where it does There are always outside factors in this ndustry you can t control but if you keep plugging along, then you will eventually get to where you want to be,” said Whites de

“God s plans are great than your deadline,” Whiteside

Trinity, The Father & Husband

Before we ended our conversation, I wanted to know more about Trinity as a proud father and husband You can visit his social media and see that his family is his world “I love be ng a father, and I can be the overly active father,” said Whiteside He is that father you will catch at all h s kids’ extra-curricular activities Work is the only reason why he has missed anything “As far as Trinity, the husband goes I m with my wife 24/7 When it s time for us to go to sleep or watch tv, I’m laying my head in her lap,” sa d Whiteside His favorite place to be s with h s wife and children

“God’s plans are great than your deadline.”

C H A N E L M A C K

You better Bet on Mack when it comes to Chanel Mack Her beauty, grace, and work ethic match her faith determination, and perseverance A breakout star in the new ser es Wicked City on Allblk, she is making way for herself n the entertainment bus ness I talked to the Bronx Bombshell to learn more about her role in Wicked City as Sher se and her journey as an actress

The Start of Her Journey

Showcase business was always the goal of Chanel Her parents encouraged and supported her hunger for the performing arts from m ddle school to h gh school "This changed once I graduated My parents were like, now it's time for you to go to college and p ck a trade," said Mack She fulfilled her parents wishes and stayed close to the industry by working n administrat ve posit ons at various companies

"But I wasn't happy in the pos tions I was in, and it wasn't until I worked for an entertainment law firm that I f nally took the chance to step out on fa th," said Mack

Andre, one of the only Black partners at the firm, was the one who rem nded her that this wasn t the forever place for her Chanel said, "He came up to me one day and said, Chanel, you need to go into acting I'm like, what, Andre? He said yes, you know this isn't for you, and you have to go for it " This was the pivotal moment in her journey because the partners wrote her a stellar letter of recommendation, which landed her a spot in the Stella Adler Academy of Acting

"Everything was good, then I hit a little bump in the road," said Mack

Now rekindled with her love for the craft and attend ng Stella Adler Chanel was not stopp ng But, w th her sights on the screen and graduation coming up in two months, her world drast cally changed for the worst "In 2018, I had caught COVID, and this was when they d dn t know how to identify or treat it," said Mack Finally, she was almost near her goal and lay in a coma for two months

"When I woke up, the first th ng I rec ted was the monologue from McBeth," said Mack

Two months after that fateful day, she woke up and was ready to continue where she had left off She couldn t look to the past or future; all she had was what she could do presently Most people in her situation would have been broken and distraught Maybe she was at a point, but that wouldn't stop her from going after what God had promised her "From December 1st, when I woke up to December 25th, when I was released from the hosp tal, I went through rehab where I had to relearn things such as walking," said Mack

"In January the following year, Jesus and I had to have a conversat on " sa d Mack

She was ready to get back out there, but because God s the driver and decision-maker n her l fe, she looked to him for the answers Her fa th is core to who she is as a woman, and if God isn't lay ng the path n front of her, she isn't walking t "There was th s student film that I audit oned for I told God if you want me to cont nue down th s journey I will get it " sa d Mack She ended up getting t, and the rest was history I want to point out that dur ng our conversation, I asked if she d dn t get t, would she have really given up on this pursuit Chanel replied, "Yes I would have because that's how much faith I have in my God and his promises for me "

"I'm very much guided by fa th," said Mack

Sherise & W cked C ty

In life, we only get some opportunit es once, and when it came to Wicked City, Chanel wasn t going to let it pass her by The funny thing is when she first received notice about the role and series from Tressa Azarel Smallwood (CEO & Founder of MegaM nd Media), she thought t was a joke "I was l ke Tressa Smallwood doesn t know who I am But as I cont nued to read the email, I was like, wait, this is real There are links in the email," said Mack

This was a full-circle moment for Chanel for various reasons One of them being she loved shows like Charmed, and That s So Raven "I was sold and said yes Then when they sent me the sides I was like oh this s sassy It's like Girlfriends and Living Single There is drama, and they just so happen to have powers Oh, I have to be a part of this, "said Mack

"I have to be part of this movement There is, in my opin on, th s Black girl movement in Hollywood which I think s amazing " sa d Mack

Let's get back to the full c rcle moment because, as a woman who is led by her sp rit things lined up w th this opportunity "When I was in h gh school, I participated in the production of The W z I played the Good Witch of The North, "sa d Mack She couldn't believe it when the dots al gned For the first t me ever on stage, she played a witch, and now her first t me being a series regular, she is one God is the only person she will tell you that made th s all possible

We had to take a deeper dive into the role of Sherise She is a seductive witch with the power to bend the wills of others f you ask, there is a little Sherise in Chanel Mack "You see, Sherise s out there, but I can relate to her art of seduction I think we all have that type of power, but as a Libra, I can tap into it and get what I want w th just words (laughs) " sa d Mack

"Sher se is a character that reminds me of g rls I grew up with You know, the ones from around the way," said Mack

When getting into the mindset of Sherise, Chanel channels the essence of women she knew and has l ved and experienced She sees the strength in them when people often pass judgment "I know those women who might do th ngs other people aren't proud of, but they stay confident," said Mack Sherise is a character whom Chanel needs to have the opportun ty to highlight how beautiful, powerful, and conf dent these women she knew growing up, but st ll at the same t me to show the r ab l ty to be vulnerable and accountable for the r actions

"Everybody on the set was Black, and it was beautiful," said Mack

We ended our discuss on by discussing the experience of be ng on a show where everyone was Black from the product on to the actors Chanel sa d, "We had Black women behind the camera, and all the way up to our executives, they were Black " Th s was a feel-good feel ng she had never experienced in the ndustry She could show up daily as her true self without needing to codeswitch the Bronx Bombshell She expressed t's not saying that the cast isn't open to diversity but there is just a feeling you get when t's just a group of Black individuals producing someth ng together

THE BRONX BOMBSHELL

" Always Bet on Mack."

KAY L

AN INTIMATE CONVERSATION WITH ZIMBABWEAN-BORN AND CANADIAN-RAISED ARTIST KAY L ON HIS MUSIC, ACTIVISM, AND WHAT MOTIVATES HIM

Tell us about your background!

was born in Zimbabwe, Africa but raised on the North East Side of Calgary, Canada I fell n love w th H p Hop and music n general at a very young age, and neither of them has left my life ever s nce

What was it like growing up in Canada?

Canada made who I am whether r ght, wrong or indifferent I will always be thankful for how I grew up because it created my sp rit It does have ts dark side of racism and prejudice but I do feel like that will be anywhere you go on planet earth, so we just learned to deal with all adversity and become b gger and stronger

When d d you discover your passion for music?

I can’t say that I remember a spec fic time or moment when I knew I had a passion for music, but I do know that I had an extreme pass on for music and performance from a very young age as a child And I bel eve it just grew inside me gradually, but I can t pinpo nt a moment when I real zed I had a passion for it

As a songwr ter, where do you draw nsp ration to wr te your songs?

I think I draw nsp ration from the same place all artists and creators do, l fe I think anyone who is observing or paying attent on to the inner deta ls of life can be a great writer or a great artist So I make sure I’m paying attention even in moments of my life that seem insignificant

Out of the many places you have toured, where was your favorite or most memorable tour locat on and why?

I will always have a special love for Jamaica We toured five c ties in Jama ca, and the love and energy we received from the people were unbelievable In add tion to the beautiful water and landscapes n the backdrop it was just unforgettable to me

What other goals would you like to accomplish in your career?

The goals are never-end ng; every time we achieve something we’ve wanted or worked for as a goal, there are already 5 or 6 more goals lined up So that’s something that is never end ng to me; the goals and asp rations change w th every step we take But my main goal is to say that I was able to make a slight shift in society through the art of mus c and the message of love

Your song “Wish You Would” gained popularity in S erra Leone in 2019, and you donated the earnings that the record generated to a local orphanage Why is g ving back so important to you?

That’s because I w ll always remember what t’s like to have nothing So, I’m always sensitive and sympathet c toward those in that position now I w ll always be willing to give what I have to someone who has less than me

Tell us about Black Lives Matter YYC

BLM YYC was birthed around 2016, caught on fire, and spread mmensely after George Floyd’s and Breonna Taylor’s deaths We had been do ng commun ty work and activ sm long before that but dur ng that time, the public and people came in droves to support our movement We ended up putt ng on some of the biggest protests in the History of Canada

Act vism s often an uphill battle It takes faith, courage, and perseverance What mot vates you to keep striving for peace equality, and just ce?

What mot vates me is just knowing that there are st ll so many people on th s planet who don’t get a fair shot at life And it affects them and their families for generat ons So I feel like we are ch pp ng away at the racist inst tutions that hold so many of us back from accomplishing our goals and chipping away at the fact that only a spec f c demograph c or a pr vileged few have access to all the resources needed to make it I feel our work is not done

What advice would you g ve other aspiring songwriters, art sts, and activists?

For activism, I would say be ready for anything coming back at you For every revolut on there s an equal and opposite anti-revolution, so be ready for hatred, be ready for death threats, be ready for the system to use its powers to dismantle what you’ve created

For artists, my ma n advice would be, when wr ting a song do not mpose your ideas on that song Allow the song the beat and the chords to tell you what it needs and you just fill n the blanks Work off feeling and emotion rather than thought

" I fell in love with Hip Hop and music in general at a very young age, and neither of them has left my life ever since."

J E R O N E L L E

R&B/SOUL ARTIST, JERONELLE SHARES WITH US HIS TIME ON THE FOUR, JOURNEY IN MUSIC, AND NEWEST SINGLE STUCK

R&B/Soul artist, JeRonelle is a magnificent vocalist with stage presence and sp rit to match

Although born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska, h s path has taken h m across the country over the last decade “ love my city and I ll always put on for it, but I knew that if I wanted to take my dreams of making it n music to new heights, I would have to branch out ” said JeRonelle With his deep love for mus c and a desire for more out of life, his journey would first take him to Atlanta, Georgia where he attended Clark-Atlanta Univers ty

As he nav gated through college, someth ng within him let h m know that Atlanta was only a temporary destination on his road to fulf llment JeRonelle sa d, “It was during the second half of my sen or year that knew Los Angeles was going to be the next b g move ” In addition to having family members who lived in California career opportun ties also began to line up for him, wh ch served as further confirmation Two days after his college graduation, he was on a plane to Los Angeles “May 2023 will mark seven years s nce I moved to Los Angeles,” said JeRonelle

Throughout the last s x years he’s had h s share of tr als that m ght’ve broken most, but he s steadfast in his determ nation and it has paid off numerous times includ ng his national TV debut on Season 2 of FOX’s hit singing competition ‘The Four’ Many may not know that just prior to appearing on ‘The Four’, JeRonelle went through a bout of near-homelessness and was liv ng in a trans tional house JeRonelle sa d, “Someth ng wasn t add ng up for me because I’m thinking to myself, I graduated with honors and I was at the top of my class, and now I’m damn near homeless?!” n addit on to his personal life go ng through a rough patch his musical dreams were on the decl ne as he had aud tioned for every major reality TV singing show imaginable

“With every single audition, I either would get a straight up no, or I d get further nto the audition process only to be told that I either wasn t the r ght f t, it wasn’t the right time or that I wouldn t be able to keep up with the competition,” sa d JeRonelle

On the brink of giving up completely, JeRonelle was in attendance for a friend’s birthday party when a chance meeting would change h s life and later g ve way to a successful aud tion for Season 2 of The Four’ “I met with one of the casting producers and he was the one who convinced me to re-audition He walked me through the process and gave me some helpful t ps ” said JeRonelle Mak ng the most of his moment, JeRonelle would go on to perform highly memorable rendit ons of “This Woman’s Work” and “All Of Me” – but the highs didn’t come without the lows “I w sh people at home could have known how dark it had gotten for me by that point ” said JeRonelle While thankful for the exposure, he was still having to experience liv ng in a transitional home JeRonelle opens up by say ng, “I was filming the show during the day and st ll having to go back to the home at night and live w th f ve other grown men battling the r own ssues meanwhile I’m just trying to find my own way ” JeRonelle continues by say ng, “I d dn t want people to hear my story and see t as a sob story I wanted them to understand why I was there Yes, the exposure and the idea of a recording contract s nice, but I wanted to finally see my career trajectory come to fru tion and go in an upward motion like for real, for real ”

After the show JeRonelle’s luck began to change as he found himself on stable ground and his mus cal career saw a new level of notoriety He’s since gone on to sing background for various artists, perform n cities across the country, and release two new EP’s worth of original music He rema ns excited to share his journey because he knows that t can inspire others to take a leap of faith

THE LATEST SINGLE – STUCK

After taking a brief h atus from releas ng music, JeRonelle released his newest single ‘Stuck at the top of January 2023 Regard ng his new song, JeRonelle opened up by saying “I wrote Stuck in September 2021 and it s the first part of a longer story The song was inspired by a dating s tuat on I found myself in with someone where we kept making up to break up ” ‘Stuck’ takes the listener through the emot onal ride JeRonelle went through after learning that the one he was previously dating had potentially found someone else The idea of his former love moving on so soon caught him by surprise as he thought that their t me apart would allow for the both of them to work on themselves individually “It reminded me of that moment in a romantic comedy you know, the part where you see the character make that last-ditch effort l ke running through the airport after that person ” said JeRonelle The response from fans and new l steners alike has been overwhelmingly positive and the accompanying music video has also s nce been released on YouTube ‘Stuck’ is part of a brand new EP which JeRonelle is slated to release later this Spr ng

"

“I didn’t want people to hear my story and see it as a sob story. I wanted them to understand why I was there. Yes, the exposure and the idea of a recording contract is nice, but I wanted to finally see my career trajectory come to fruition and go in an upward motion like for real, for real."

G R A N T H A L L

Cox: Grant Hall, I’m exc ted to speak w th you about your returning role as Kyle I’m not going to lie; Kyle is that guy who instantly rubs you the wrong way when we were introduced to him in season 4 (laughs)

Hall: (Laughs) You know what’s funny? had a feeling that was coming

Cox: That’s hilarious Do people have that reaction to you after playing Kyle?

Hall: I’ve gotten it a couple of times (laughs)

Cox: That’s a good thing because that s a testament to how well you can play a character unless that’s how you are in real life (laughs)?

Hall: (Laughs) No, Kyle s definitely very separate from who am n real l fe

Cox: How does it feel to be asked to come back and play Kyle?

Hall: I feel very blessed because, in this business, you are very much left in the dark I had moments where I would wonder if they l ked how I did everything last season

Cox: Now that we got the laughs out the way, I want to get straight into what we can expect from Kyle this season Hall: You know we see this transformation in him Last season we left off with him splitt ng up with h s girlfriend Annika (played by Justine Skye) We see them going their separate ways, and she gets with someone else I don’t want to g ve too much away, but we see him trying to get her back

Cox: I understand not wanting to give too much away so the viewers can have something to look forward to So let me know about the experience audit on ng for Kyle and landing the role

Hall: Man, it was definitely an interesting one I almost didn’t even audition

Cox: Wa t, why?

Hall: I was playing college baseball last year The audit on was around the same time as my game I decided the night before to choose the game over the audition But that night I heard the voice of intuition telling me to do the aud tion It was so clear that I knew it would have been a mistake if I had denied it So I called my fr end Roman when I woke up the next day to help me make the audition tape, which was a wrap

Cox: Grant, you have been in previous projects so dur ng that time what made you think that this was an opportun ty okay to pass on?

Hall: You know this quest on reminded me that I had audit oned twice for the role of Kyle The second t me I mentioned that I almost didn’t do t was because they requested me to have the audition tape over with just a change in one word (Laughs) I was th nk ng if you want me, give me the role But f I had to figure t was a callback without calling it a callback So, I m happy I obviously d d it n the end

Cox: I’m glad you followed your intu tion Now Grown-ish s a popular show and com ng off an even bigger franchise of Black-ish, d d you feel any pressure to make sure you nailed your scenes?

Hall: The most challenging scene for me was the first day I had a scene with Junior (played by Marcus Scr bner), who I have followed and seen on television But you don t know how real t gets unt l these individuals are right in your face So, we were in the van going to a locat on, and he asked if I wanted to run lines I knew these lines inside and out; remember, I had to do two audit ons for it So, Marcus said his first line, and my mind went blank when it was my turn I was like, wa t, hold up guys, I know this, and we all started laugh ng

Cox: What caused you to blank out at that moment?

Hall: You know the reality of it all just really k cked in that I was acting with a television star I then real zed that this is where my life s tak ng me

GRANT HALL TALKS ABOUT COMING BACK AS KYLE IN SEASON 5 OF GROWN-ISH! HE GIVES US INSIGHT INTO HIS JOURNEY IN ENTERTAINMENT

Cox: What caused you to blank out at that moment?

Hall: You know, the reality of it all just really kicked n that I was act ng with a television star I then realized that th s is where my life is taking me

Cox: I want to know your origin story Did you always know you had th s love for acting?

Hall: Man, I didn’t know t until later n life Growing up, I was always the class clown, and I knew loved the entertainment But growing up in Oh o the only road to being on telev s on is playing sports So that was the road I took since I was always good at sports I took a theater appreciat on class when I played baseball at a community college It was the first day of that class when the teacher was taking attendance and looked at me I was thinking about what was go ng on, and she told me I had a perfect look for telev s on and f lm At that moment, I knew this was what I was supposed to be doing It was all fru tion She had me enroll n all the acting classes and take mprov The rest is h story from there

Cox: I know your sports background helps br ng that d scipl ne for you when t comes to the craft and audit on ng

Hall: Yes, it does, and my dad was a professional athlete He instilled all those principles n me at an early age

Cox: One thing I have learned from interv ew ng individuals from an athletic background is that you all have your game face on

Hall: You know what it is? We are good at h ding our nerves didn’t realize that until someone told me I never showed it I’m l ke but I was definitely nervous on the inside (laughs) In sports, you are taught you can t show weakness to your opponent or be vulnerable That works in the sports world but when you get into act ng you realize it’s the opposite You have to be able to bring that vulnerabil ty on set

Cox: You do it all because people don t know your model e ther

Hall: I started modeling before acting when I first moved to LA I got signed within my first year here I walked nto an agency and told them I would be a good model They took the closest headshot ever that day They called me two weeks later to let me know they wanted me to sign with them Fortunately, they were an agency that primar ly focused on modeling but also had acting in their services Once the modeling took off for me with them, I knew I needed to shift back to acting because that s what I wanted to do

Cox: What is it about acting you love the most?

Hall: I love the craft that can transform the lives of others watch ng

Cox: Before the end, what advice would you give to any actor going through a tough t me?

Hall: You must keep moving forward toward your goal in this ndustry None of us always get the roles we want, so we have to use our prev ous accomplishments to keep us confident The parts that are destined for you will come Stay Focused!

“You know what it is? We are good at hiding our nerves. I didn’t realize that until someone told me I never showed it. I’m like, but I was definitely nervous on the inside (laughs). In sports, you are taught you can’t show weakness to your opponent or be vulnerable. That works in the sports world, but when you get into acting, you realize it’s the opposite. You have to be able to bring that vulnerability on set."

CHESTER TRE ROGERS

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CHESTER TRE ROGERS TALKS ABOUT LANDING THE ROLE OF STERLING BLACK ON BMF AND NAVIGATING ACTING AND PROFESSIONAL SPORTS

Cox: Last year, when you landed the role as Sterling Black, d d you th nk it would evolve nto this?

Tre: Honestly, no! When I aud tioned and got the role, thought t would be a one-and-done situation You know how it goes; you are in one scene or ep sode, and that s it But it turned into six months of f lm ng as my character Sterl ng Black kept growing in the ser es During that time, I had to turn down many teams due to the increase in my filming schedule

Cox: So, take me to you landing the role of Sterling Black and be ng on BMF

Tre: Honestly, it was just at the right place and time My parents and I took Ian Wolf the producer, out to eat to pitch him my resume I didn’t th nk anything was going to come from it But two weeks later, I got an email from a casting d rector for BMF And I had forty-eight hours to learn everything and submit my audition It was crazy because after subm tt ng my audition tape I received a callback an hour later asking when I would be able to film And that’s how it happened

Cox: What do you think you did in that first scene that made them say we need to expand his character and role more?

Tre: They said was so believable and scary how I came off (laughs) It s such a dope scene, and I m excited that everyone w ll get to see it They saw my demeanor, and they knew I was perfect for it So they nvited me to film the next ep sodes in Detro t for the next six weeks

Cox: What is it about Sterl ng Black that you can relate? Will I see Tre act ng as Sterling Black or Sterling Black being Tre?

Tre: I don’t say that s me how aggressive Sterling s with the things he does But I can relate to his principle about not playing with money (laughs) But, overall, it s his loyalty that I can tell because ’m a very loyal person That’s what you see with him and the whole BMF family It wasn t blood or knowing each other for years, but the loyalty they had with each other

Cox: Why do you think people are drawn to BMF, yourself included?

Tre: It s something many of us can relate to, especially me from the south The stor es of BMF are something we grew up hearing about It was so surreal to hear about Big Meech, putt ng kids through college getting people homes, and taking care of others outside of all the bad things you heard The story is cultural and iconic

Cox: Speak ng of teams you are both a profess onal athlete and a working actor Has t been tough doing both?

Tre: It is very demand ng do ng both It requires me to sacr fice my time and have extreme discipline As I mentioned I had to turn down teams while f lm ng for six months Then of course I was happy after we were done because I could return to the field But, again, t me was the most significant sacr fice for me because even when I went back to the area, there were times when we were done with practice, and I would have to head over to the studio to do voiceovers for the show But I understood this would come with the territory, so I was never worried

Cox: Since both industr es require you to give 100% while there, d d you ever get any pushback from coaches, directors, cast members, or teammates, thinking you might be splitt ng too much of your time?

Tre: No, I never received any of that, ma nly because I pr de myself as a profess onal Whatever I say I’m going to do, I do and give t my all When ’m on set, my directors and producers will complement my work ethic because I show up as a professional on time and know my lines Same when I was on the field My teammates didn’t even know I was go ng to the stud o once we were done with practice I did that so nothing could interfere with our practice and the team only sees me giving them my hundred and ten percent to what we are doing ng me

Cox: Speak ng of Football Tell me more about that and what you love the most about the game

Tre: (Laughs) I picked up the ball around six I love the compet tion of it all Playing in front of seventy-plus thousand fans every Sunday and beat ng the guy right in front of me s why I m still doing it The ultimate exper ence still gives me butterflies whenever I run out of the tunnel onto the f eld The brotherhood is another th ng I love about it I have built many relationsh ps in the locker room that will last forever

Cox: What is something you learned about yourself playing football all your l fe?

Tre: Being able to preserve Many don’t know that I was undrafted when I got to Grambling State University (the best un versity, to make sure everyone knows) But you see me now, and I have lasted eight years in the game Because of the adversities I’ve faced, and with football, you can throw anything at me, and I w ll preserve Th s showed up later for me one time when I went on set Something threw me, and I had to tap back into my football player mentality I told myself okay, th s happened; now get back up and don t make this same error again

Cox: I have seen profess onal athletes transitioning into act ng w th a particular and laser-focused m ndset

Tre: It s because in the game, we can’t get too h gh and we can t get too low with th ngs Let’s say I get a touchdown I may celebrate that for l ke three seconds, but then I have to switch to what s the next play That s the same w th acting I m ght kill this scene, but I still have to stay locked in with my character So, I use the same football tactics to keep me honed in on set and to maintain focus

Cox: So where d d act ng fit into a young Tre’s life?

Tre: It just happened to me at the age of ten There was this open casting call that I auditioned for and landed in my hometown From there, I kept at it and honed in on my craft

Cox: Nice; what do you love about acting?

Tre: I love that acting allows me to be artist c and creative and express my feelings It’s really like a therapy session for me when I’m working I must bottle up my emotions on the f eld and use anger and aggress on to win the game It’s d fferent with act ng because I can let all those emotions go t allows me to tap into other emot ons and feelings that I usually don’t For example, I m ght be go ng through someth ng that day, and I get to release all that

Cox: Th s has been fun Before we end, I know you are very entrepreneurial; let me know a little about that

Tre: I call myself a serial entrepreneur and a student of the game who is constantly learn ng In 2020 is when I tapped into my entrepreneurship I have a clothing l ne, a home health care company w th my fam ly, a trucking business, real estate, and so on I’m working on open ng a couple of lounges this year, so you all need to be on the lookout

“It’s because in the game, we can’t get too high, and we can’t get too low with things. Let’s say I get a touchdown. I may celebrate that for like three seconds, but then I have to switch to what’s the next play. That’s the same with acting. I might kill this scene, but I still have to stay locked in with my character. So, I use the same football tactics to keep me honed in on set and to maintain focus."

Photography Cred t: Kayla Madonna

"Cultural meaning behind the machete included in the image above. “Growing up Haitian, agriculture & farming played a huge part in life. A machete is a tool to chop off branches in your way while farming or used for shaving a sugar cane, or chopping off a coconut. For me, it represents me chopping down every obstacle I had to face in life.”

Photography Credit Rickie Arnez

ACTOR MACKENRO ALEXANDER – LIFE AFTER FOOTBALL AND HOW BEING FIRST GENERATION HAITIAN SHAPED HIS LIFE

Mackenro Alexander is someone who embodies resilience and determ nation in all aspects of l fe As a former athlete and now actor he is work ng h s way into the enterta nment industry to become everything he desires This was an ntimate conversation on h s transition from sports, but also his own personal development as Black Man

“I couldn t share my dreams of act ng with anyone because they had a narrow view of only focusing on Football where I’m from,” said Alexander when I asked him if acting was always something he wanted to pursue Though acting was always a dream of his he couldn t express that because his commun ty and social circles only pushed and promoted Football as a means of achievement Mackenro said, “It was hard for me to commun cate with people so I would only share my dreams of acting with the artistry friends ” Early on he understood how to separate himself from both the sports and art world so that he could nav gate them without controversy

Mackenro sa d, “I have always had a balance to myself, which I liked I never wanted to marry football, but I wanted to be great at t because I’m compet tive And I’m still competitive in the entertainment industry ”

It was that early morning rout ne from Football which he appl ed to gett ng h s start in acting “I came into this ndustry fast and dived right into the craft,” said Alexander It was with a humble spirit that he tackled the industry by asking peers which classes he should take and understood that he was start ng all over Mackenro sa d, “I didn’t want to be here just because of looks I want to be great at the craft and known for that ” That same foundation from waking up at 5 am to tra n is what he applied to setting a structured act ng reg me

“I keep push ng myself to be better and better And I have only been act ng since 2019,” sa d Alexander

There s a work ethic that he feels gives him an advantage in th s industry which he attributes to Football On and off the f eld Mackenro had to learn to discipline himself mentally, phys cally, emotionally, and sp ritually to perform at top peak This s something so ingrained in h m that each act ng class or audition he treats as if t’s game time and there are hundreds of people watch ng

“The best investment I made was in myself ” said Alexander as he talked about his next moves after ret ring from professional football in 2018 He nvested in h mself by making the big move to Atlanta where he had noth ng lined up, but only a dream Understanding that he needed to pay his way he became a personal tra ner to sustain h mself while enroll ng in acting classes

“I had to learn to be still and present,” sa d Alexander

That f rst year in Atlanta Mackenro tore his Achilles tendon Mackenro said, “th s was my fifth sign ficant injury ” This time he had to take inventory in himself and see why th ngs like this kept happen ng to him He realized it was God tell ng h m to be still for a moment and be present It was easier sa d than done for the ex-athlete who only understood how to keep mov ng and pushing forward in life “As Black men n America I think that concept of being st ll and present is hard because we have this pressure of being financially stable and making sure we have everything together ”

Though he had this pressure to be the best and being green in a new ndustry and city, he took this moment of st llness with joy

“This was the best moment of my life because I actually took the time to stop and smell the flowers,” said Alexander

Mackenro opened up about being a first generation Hait an Amer can in his family and how t affected him growing up n Florida “My parents are extremely beautiful Haitian people who didn’t speak Engl sh and came to America to pursue a better l fe for us,” said Alexander At an early age he felt this weight on his shoulders to make them proud and to be successful because of the sacr fices he saw them make daily He recalled many t mes when his parents would ask him to read and explain certa n b lls and documents because they d dn t speak English Moments l ke these were common for Mackenro who had to grow up faster than most and take on a lot of responsibility

“I was at this place where I m not Haitian enough to be Hait an but also not Black enough to be Black in America ” said Alexander

Growing up for him was a constant conflict of not just being a support system for his family but also f nd ng his own ident ty Mackenro sa d “I could speak Haitian French enough but not enough for the Haitians and I d dn t have the Black exper ence enough for the Black community ” This was another time in his life where he had to find balance once again n how Mackenro would be

Mackenro Alexander’s story is one that inspires me to see that regardless of where you come from, where you might have been at the highest point n your life, that start ng over can be the best thing life offers you

MACKENRO ALEXANDER

Cox: Dr Truesdale you have this amazing cosmetic procedure that gives you a competitive advantage in the industry and helping people look 10, 15, or even 20 years younger Can you tell me more about your method of facial plastic surgery, how you came up w th it, and why is it different then what’s on the market today?

Dr Truesdale: The techn que you are referring to s the deep plane facelift As we age, we lose volume and things fall Gravity w ns! I tell people that I m a gravity f ghter I lift the muscle back to where it used to be I use a special technique that a lot of doctors don’t use because it s more challenging than the average surgery A deep plane facelift brings you closer to the facial nerve This is mportant because t’s the nerve in the face that helps move the muscle My deep plane facelift creates a beautiful result for patients but you really have to know what you are doing and be an expert surgeon but also an expert n facial anatomy to do it well People leave refreshed and look ng like themselves It’s really chang ng the game!

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Cox: Tell me about your background and how you became a surgeon?

Dr Truesdale: I grew up in upstate New York to a father who is a sc entist and a mother who is an artist I knew early on, around the age of 10, that I admired both of their chosen paths Around that time, we lost my baby brother I dec ded then that I wanted to help people, and to use sc ence to do so I went to Morehouse College for undergrad and the University of Pennsylvania for med cal school I realized quickly, pretty much as soon as I got to medical school that I wanted to be a surgeon I absolutely love working with my hands and how transformative surgery can be on someone’s life I went “shopping” for what type of surgeon I wanted to be and immed ately fell in love w th head and neck surgery I matched nto the top Head and Neck Surgery / Otolaryngology res dency in the US (The University of Mich gan) and decided to subspecial ze in facial plastic and reconstructive surgery

Like I ment oned, the other part of me is an artist I’m a portrait art st who grew up work ng with graph te and o ls So what better way than to combine my art stry with my knowledge and skill as a surgeon than facial plastic surgery? Plus, I get to really help people I can t th nk of anyth ng better!

Cox: There s not that much representation n your field as a Black doctor Why do you think there is still a huge lack of representation?

Dr Truesdale: It’s interesting – if you look at the data n the 1970s, there were more Black men in med cine dur ng that time frame than there are in medical school today I do a lot of work in the medical space in terms of diversity and inclusion It’s not that there are fewer people of color that are capable Med cine is an extremely challenging career path, is often very expensive and requires years of training and multiple rounds of interviews, tests, and appl cation processes Many br ght and intelligent nd viduals might prefer to become a lawyer or businessperson, or other lucrative and challenging careers outside of med cine Medicine is not an easy field to get nto or to navigate While fulfilling, it s a long and challenging journey, and there are a lot of alternative career paths that may be more enticing to people and/or may have fewer barr ers to entry

Social determinants can play a part in career paths as well There are a lot of things that we have to go against when try ng to get our foot n the door in med cine It s multifactor al because you have to take nto account things like financial and social challenges, lack of mentorsh p and advocacy and that there s a lack of people who look like you, both in your cohort and at the leadership level I m blessed that I was able to get to where I am

Cox: You ment oned mentorsh p How are you able to bring up the next generation of Black and Brown doctors?

Dr Truesdale: I mentor people at all different levels ranging from high school, college medical school, residency, and even dur ng fellowships If you actually google “Dr Truesdale d versity”, you will see book chapters and articles that I have wr tten on this I speak at many conferences to spread the importance of mentorsh p in becoming a doctor

Cox: With everything you have going on, how does Dr Truesdale find time for himself?

Dr Truesdale: I try to be as eff c ent as possible n everyth ng I do I also have a lifelong commitment to grow ng and stretching When you are becoming a doctor it s a stressful journey that causes you to stretch in many ways and forces you out of your comfort zone Once you exper ence it, there s no returning to your “normal” dimensions By constantly stretching, I’m also creating space for new th ngs and exper ences – including time for myself

Cox: Earl er you ment oned the holiday season being a busy season for you Why s that?

Dr Truesdale: People are g ving themselves one of the best gifts poss ble: confidence When done well, facial plastic surgery procedures bring out people’s inner beauty Some people save year-around to treat themselves to one of my procedures which I don t take lightly Dur ng the holidays, many people have more flex bility with their schedules and time off from work It’s also a season of giving and making positive mprovements in your life and the lives of those around you Facial plast c surgery can be a great form of self-care, and people who take care of themselves often find they are better able to give to others

Cox: I love that you brought up self-confidence and inner beauty

People stigmatize facial plastic surgery What are some of the misconceptions and false narratives when it comes to it?

Dr Truesdale: I would say check out my Instagram honestly Look at my pat ents’ stories People often only see the horror stor es when it comes to plast c surgery Their social media t melines are flooded with all of the things that can go wrong, like unnaturallooking results, obvious scarring, or people who no longer look like themselves after surgery I tell my patients all the time that confidence comes from w thin, and beauty is not all about external appearances My job is to help them al gn with that mindset too so they feel beautiful both inside and out That s when the magic happens I practice facial plastic surgery in a way that makes them look natural – I help make them look like the best versions of themselves Typically, that helps people feel better about themselves as well

Cox: Because you are so particular with this, do you tell people no sometimes?

Dr Truesdale: I tell people “no” all the time The thing is, th s a spec al journey that often requires a h gh level of vulnerability This dynamic helps my pat ents and me create unique and longlasting relationships I let all of my patients know that facial plastic surgery has to be done safely, and it has to be beautiful and natural look ng If I don’t th nk they’ll love their results then I won t do it If they have body dysmorphia or other red flags, I w ll say no Sometimes, dur ng this consultation process I find other options for people beyond the procedures they initially came in for In those cases, I educate them on what I think will be the best surgical plan uniquely for them, and why So, I say “no” frequently because again, I want them to look natural and to love their results Safety, beauty, and stunning, natural-looking results are what I m all about

Cox: Joe McG ll, I’m excited to speak w th you today! You have such an amazing company and story with your work in bus ness management for clients n industries such as entertainment Tell me about yourself and how you go nto t

McGill: I was born to two teenage parents in Watts, Cal fornia It was definitely difficult grow ng up there but I was blessed that my parents instilled in me the d scipl ne of sports at a very young age My father especially pushed for excellence all around which translated and resulted in good grades n the classroom because I didn’t want to let him down

McGill (contin): Growing up in the inner city I saw a lot of gang activity It was something I knew I didn’t want to do and sports was the perfect outlet for me I was fortunate enough to be athlet c, so I could play different sports and stay busy Football and basketball were the main sports for me, but in high school it was football that led me to receive my scholarship The scholarship was to the University of San Diego, but for some unknown reason I changed my mind and went to Cerritos College

Cox: So, what at Cerritos College sparked your interest early in financial management?

McGill: I took my first ever accounting course there and I thought to myself “oh this is pretty easy,” and balanc ng things out made sense to me when it came to debits and credits

Cox: You transferred later and that s when life took a turn for you

McGill: Yes I’m always that person who wants to take th ngs to the next level I was fortunate enough to rece ve a scholarship to Weber State University While I was playing there, I had a major knee injury This sidelined me for a while and all I could do was focus on my school work But the longer I stayed off the f eld my college career plan was n jeopardy I had to make a life changing decision at twenty-two years old to forfeit my athletic career to solely focus on academics I made this decision because the team doctor informed me after much rehabilitation, my left knee looked fine but they discovered that my right knee was in a condition that would later be long term complications for me on and off the field

Cox: So how did you trans tion from that college football dream to know ng that business is where you were headed?

McGill: I knew that I needed to set myself up for success after college so I got into understanding how to network w th d fferent people At that t me, I didn’t know the organizations I joined and events I attended were actually showing me how to communicate effectively to other people

Cox: Now school is over and you are back in the city of Los Angeles

McGill: So, I return to LA and this was the time of the Enron scandal The accounting world was go ng through it and funny enough all of my connections made were in Utah I got a job n Brentwood at a midsize tax company doing auditing work I actually thought that was the career path for me It wasn t until these two men came in who ntroduced themselves as managers They explained what they did and what types of clients they represented That’s when it clicked in my head that that’s what I was going to do

Cox: How and when did Topl ne Business Management come nto existence?

McGill: I started working my way through companies and learning from major corporations In 2017 Brian Meyers (who now is my business partner) called me to inform me that he had cl ents at his current company who were w ll ng to leave f he wanted to ever start his own company I had to really think about t because I was in a good position But there was th s entrepreneurial spir t in me that wouldn t let it go I spoke with my wife about the opportunity and w th her support and blessing I went for it

Cox: What were your next steps to building Topline Business Management?

McGill: The good thing was Brian and I had worked with each other and known each other for seven plus years We had the same thought process when it came to things so we hit the grounding running People knew who both of us were individually so our goal was to get n front of people to introduce them to Topl ne so they knew what it was about

Cox: Your business was still n an early stage when the pandem c hit Was it negat vely impacted?

McGill: You know actually it wasn t It was the oppos te because we actually grew with our clients We were able to help them navigate through the pandem c Our work ethic stood out wh ch resonated with our clients because while a lot of industr es were on pause, we were on calls champ on ng for our clients to make sure they were in good posit ons

Cox: Present day Topline represents a lot of compan es and high-profile nd viduals in the entertainment ndustry Why is t mportant that those in the entertainment field especially Black people, have a management company like yours handling their bus ness affairs?

McGill: I think representation s one of the most important things because right now we are in a time where people want to be represented by others who look like them There are just certain things we get w thout even having them spoken It’s just a different feeling and level of understanding they desire and rece ve from us

McGill(contin): There are these shared experiences we understand professionally and personally It helps that we can approach them in a professional voice, but also, we can switch to a more relaxed delivery We can talk to them in d fferent ways that make them more comfortable This ultimately leads to them having a deeper level of trust

Cox: Descr be to me that first meeting w th Joe after I’m a client?

McGill: I really spend the first two to three months getting to understand my clients’ spend ng hab ts This gives me the opportunity to get a full view on what I need to do for them and the parameters that need to be set for their goal So I work my way back looking at all of their expenses over those couple of months to see what was and wasn t necessary I do this because my biggest question s why is my client spending like this? I need to understand them at the core

Cox: Now before we end, what s something Black entertainers should focus on when it comes to business management, especially with money

McGill: That you need to be involved in everyth ng It doesn’t matter who you go with, just be involved and don’t just let them tell you anything Ask questions if you don’t know something or are unsure The best clients are those who are nvolved and ask quest ons like why what s th s for r ght?

McGill(contin): I stress to them that there are so many ups and downs in this industry so you have to bu ld really great money sav ng and spending habits This s why we bu ld parameters for our clients to better understand the r present and potent al future financial situat ons based on information The light bulb comes on once they see what it all takes to get them n a good pos tion They know that it’s about if they can’t afford it but what are the consequences of that purchase

JOE MCGILL SHARES HIS JOURNEY AND HOW HE CO-FOUNDED ONE OF THE ELITE BUSINESS MANAGEMENT FIRMS IN LOS ANGELES!

Rickie, let us know a l ttle b t about your background n photography How did you get into it and how long have you been doing it

I started shooting photography n 2021 when I moved to LA I started go ng out to clubs, events, and release parties to meet people and make connections Most of my nfluence is the entertainment industry and that is where I took my direction Shooting dope art sts that I listen to became my goal

Where are you currently located?

I am located in Hollywood California How would you descr be your photography style?

I would say my style is candid and lifestyle

When capturing the essence of people or events, what do you focus on? When I photograph people I focus on the actions of people Whether they are enjoy ng themselves interacting, or just minding their own bus ness I try to make the moment bigger and more meaningful My end result is to tell a compell ng story and make it interesting

What are some things you wish you knew before getting nto photography?

I w sh I knew that carving out your own lane and sticking to that helps standout Try ng to shoot everything is cool, but know ng the steps to get to the b gger picture helps more

As a photographer what are some of your rules when it comes to t me for someone to be photographed by you?

If I have a concept in m nd I space t out like a week in advance It helps me get everyth ng n place and get locations check marked As far as sessions like to keep it short and br ef A good shoot can last 2 hours, but if the concept s big it could take a day

What are some of your favor te ways to photograph people?

My favorite are studio sessions In my opin on it s more personal and I can get better images because building that bond makes the talent comfortable Uniqueness is a standard I want to hold myself accountable for

PHOTOGRAPHY CAPTURED THROUGH THE LENS OF RICKIE ARNEZ

CLOSE UP WITH DOTTY'S PHOTOGRAPHY

Dotty, let us know a little bit about your background in photography How did you get into t, and how long have you been doing t

I fell into photography by accident The art overall, really, but maybe it wasn t an accident My mom has always kept me heavily nvolved with doing th ngs Horseback riding, Fencing (YES! I can Fence! And a worthy opponent), Archery, and pretty much anything outdoors and art! It wasn't unt l watching enough of Amer ca's Next Top Model and getting a certificate from Santa Monica High School my senior year - which also served as a cert f cation in the edit ng field- that I decided I wanted to be a photographer Since early childhood, in some way, I was determined to be a neurologist, surgeon or in the WNBA Dance, art, and other life events would soon take me off course into a world I had no idea I was entering, and I slowly lost sight of what I wanted to be

Where are you currently located?

I am located in Los Angeles I travel frequently to New York

How would you describe your photography style?

My style is very up close and personal with a dash of angle It s been noticed by those around me and brought to my attention; my close-ups draw you nto what I'm shooting The eyes the shape of someone s face, the freckles, and the deta ls all bring it together

When captur ng the essence of people or events, what do you focus on?

When capturing events, I str ve to catch people off guard, genuinely enjoying the moment they are in I love what I call 'fly on the wall photography' When I'm shooting and don't have to use a flash unit I control entirely the candid moments of people enjoying the moment they are in, which brings me complete joy When shooting people I like to focus on what about them, mak ng them unique It could be their eyes or the shape of the r head There s something un que about every person I shoot, and I look for what t is to make it noticeable

What are some things you wish you knew before getting into photography?

I wish I had known how to market myself better when I got into photography I th nk there are so many great photographers and uniqueness in shooting, I just w sh I had my marketing down a l ttle better, something that catered to the un queness of what makes me a great photographer

As a photographer what are some of your rules when it comes to t me for someone to be photographed by you? Rules mmmm I think the only rule s don't tell me how to shoot lol, trust me I will f nd the shot Other than that, I love for people to feel comfortable w th me I know it can be so awkward in front of someone s lens you just met and now have to "fake" or get through the shoot The first outf t or 10-15 minutes of a shoot can be so awkward I l ke to break through the awkwardness and have t feel l ke two friends just having a good time, but making t FASH ON

What are some of your favor te ways to photograph people?

I don't know that I have a favorite way of photographing I just like to l ve in the moment with the team I am with I have grown to love shooting in doors w th controlled l ghts, but there is really nothing like shooting on a location raw and us ng the entire scene to take up space

Phoenicia, please tell me about how you and your husband met Take us back to that first date

Joseph and I met while serving in the A r Force Reserves! Joseph had just finished his active duty tour and we happened to join the reserves at the same time We started talking, noticed we had a lot in common, and became really good friends! We decided to carpool to and from San Diego and our friendship flourished into the amaz ng relationsh p we have today We were friends for a couple of years before we actually started dating

Our first official date was Disneyland for the holidays! Disney was a huge part of both of our childhoods and it is great to be able to revisit that connection t me and t me again every t me we find ourselves at Disneyland

How long were you both together before getting engaged? And long have you both been together in total?

Joseph and I have been together for about f ve years now! We were together three years before getting engaged Joseph proposed in Par s, France! Joseph planned an amazing, romantic proposal n a private venue with the Eiffel Tower right n front of us Red roses and rose petals were scattered creating a path to a neon s gn that read, “ W ll You Marry Me? A photographer also showed up wearing a large hat and sunglasses

BLACK LOVE CHAT WITH NEWLYWEDS JOSEPH & PHOENICIA

Joseph then asked me if I was ready for my second surprise The photographer took off their hat and sunglasses and I saw that the photographer was actually my best friend, Charlotte! Charlotte and I have been best friends since 4th grade It was amazing that my best friend was a part of th s special moment and I was brought to tears knowing that Joseph made all of th s happen

I remember thinking how lucky I am, that this man loves me so much, and that I can’t wait to just spend the rest of my l fe with him!

What let you both know that you were the right one for each n terms of getting married?

Our friendship plays a big role in our relationship We always talk about the fact that we were friends first for so long not only makes us closer but helped us learn about what type of people we were once we started dat ng we knew everything was genu ne there were no surprises or shocking facts to find out because we already knew so much about each other

How was the whole process of planning the wedding to the day of?

Joseph here! Lucky for me, Phoenic a already had most of the wedding planned before I proposed! We always talked about our future together, but I was blown away to see how much

Phoenicia prepared for our wedding Literally the n ght that I proposed to her, Phoenic a showed me that she had already picked our top potential venues, locked n a photographer and selected a DJ

Overall the plann ng was very stress free (and I promise Phoenic a can attest to this sentiment)! Part of what kept us connected was our choreographed dance that we planned for our f rst dance We took dance lessons for a few months and they ended up serv ng a dual purpose for us: a mini date n ght and a therapeut c reprieve as the weeks became busier leading up to our wedd ng

As newlyweds what advice would you give to any couple that s ready to tie the knot?

The wedding s a celebration dedicated to how much you love each other Don’t focus on the napkins being folded the right way or the flowers be ng perfectly set up

On our wedding day, Joseph and I made it our priority to stay with each other the whole night which we did! I’ve been told by so many couples that they did not get an opportunity to eat at their own weddings because of how fast it flew by Joseph and I ensured that we spent our ent re wedd ng together and even took some time to step away just to take it all n We made it a point to eat our dinner and engage with all our guests at our own pace to ensure we enjoyed the night Don t forget that you should enjoy every aspect of your wedding just as your guests do!

Is there anything you wish you knew prior to getting engaged or marr ed?

If you are changing your last name, get to the social security office early because when I showed up there was a long line!

Some people do couples/marriage counseling as preparat on was that someth ng you both did? If not, was there anything you both felt was mportant to discuss prior to gett ng married?

We are both big fans of counseling! Joseph and I had mentors that supported us, and we learned that a very mportant aspect of any relationship is commun cation We made it a point that we were a team throughout our relat onsh p We have learned that through teamwork and communicat on we can face anything head-on!

As newlyweds is there something you have learned mmediately w thin this first year of marriage? Nothing changed for us when we got marr ed We’ve always been best fr ends and t’s a big part of our relat onsh p If there is anything that we learned, t would be that it is possible to still be best fr ends after getting marr ed Everyday feels like a new adventure together and we love t!

We love Black Love! Why is Black Love so mportant for us to see as a community to you both?

We love learning new things about each other such as how we grew up and how we were raised t’s always so nteresting to see the things we have n common from our childhood as well as other things that we discover are different We both have such a good comb nation of sim lar ties and differences, that it’s fun to develop our own new tradit ons that are a reflect on of the best of both of us

What s your love language and what’s h s love language?

My love language is t me spent! I love a fun date night or even a walk n the park with our dog, as long as we are doing something together Joseph s love language s helping out and doing n ce things for me, whether that means running an errand for me or surprising me with dinner because I was busy at school

How do you keep your relationship and marriage fresh? Joseph and always make t me for each other We make sure that spending time with each other is just as mportant as that work meeting or dental appointment We’ve actually synced our calendars and that has made planning time for each other a p ece of cake

Lastly how do you ma ntain positive and healthy communicat on with one another even when the other is upset or you have to have those uncomfortable conversations?

There really sn t a conversation that we won’t have between the both of us because we are so open with each other already When you are practiced in having tough conversations, you learn how to communicate in a healthy way that no longer makes those conversat ons awkward