Issue 87 Hit-Boy

HIT-BOY HIT-BOY HIT-BOY

Photography by Andrew Zaeh Fashion by Apuje Kalu

Photography By ANDREW ZAEH

Words By CHRIS LAW

Publisher

DéVon Christopher Johnson

Managing Editors

Antheny Raiy, Justin Wallace

Editor Chris Law

Editor-At-Large

Kent Olden

Creative Director

Andrew Zaeh

Art Direction

Aspasia Bouzakis

Graphic Designer

Russell Caras

Contributing Editor Chevy Wolf

West Coast Fashion Editor

Apuje Kalu

UK Fashion Editor

Sean Azeez

Social Media Strategist

Livingston Steele

Copy Editors

Trevoy Ross, Nicholas Hernandez, Eric Charles Munson

Videographers

Dante Williams, Anthony “Bubba.G” Gutierrez

Contributing Writers

Deonte Chalant, Becca Bond, Jason Kwame, Kirby Carroll, Eric Charles Munson, Jennifer Billock, Nicholas Hernandez, Emmanuel Perilla

Contributing Photographers

Faysal Hassan, Ryan Dinham, Richard Ontiveros-Gima

Interns

Veronica Lledo, Jack Chadwick

THE BLEULIFE MEDIA GROUP Chairman, CEO & President DéVon Christopher Johnson

Digital Partnerships

Sam Doliner, Maxwell Bashy advertise@bleulife.com

Print AD Sales

Todd Evans

Rivendell Media 908.232.2021

Web Design

Muhammad Azeem

East Coast Partnerships & Ecommerce

Justin Wallace

West Coast Partnerships & Special Projects

Antheny Raiy

Licenses & Joint Ventures

David DeGraff

Oaklins | DeSilva+Phillips

d.graff@dp.oaklins.com

Brand Ambassadors

Rannon Harris (Chicago-Midwest)

LeRoy Williams (New York- Northeast)

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Submissions

Bleu Magazine

26 Broadway 3rd Floor New York, NY 10004 info@bleulife.com

Allmylife(allmylife)

Theybeentryin’tokeepmedown(theybeentryin’tokeepmedown)

All this time (all this time)

NeverthoughtIwouldmakeitout(neverthoughtI’dmakeitout)

Theycouldn’tbreakme,theycouldn’tbreakme(no,no)

Theycouldn’ttakeme,theycouldn’ttakeme(no)

Allmylife(allmylife)

Theybeentryin’tokeepmedown(theybeentryin’tokeepmedown)

I decided I had to finish, but the media called me a menace

Idonesatwiththemayorandpoliticians,I’mtrynachangetheimage

Youcan’tblamemypastnomore,Icomefromthetrenches

Some said I’d never be a superstar, but I know I’m different (no, no, no)

I’mTheVoice,butthesystemain’tgivemeachoice

Knowsomepeoplethat’sstillondeploy

IknowafelonwhotrynagetFOID

Childsupportyouronlysupport

Foravisit,I’mgoin’throughcourts

Wenttojail,theywaschainin’meup

AndyouknowthatI’mfamousasfuck

Seehowyougon’jokeaboutstimulus?

Buttheyreallyhadcameintheclutch

Iknowsomekidswannahurttheyself

Stoptrynatakedrugs,Irefertomyself

Trynabettermyself,trynabettermyhealthbut

ALL MY LIFE -

LIL DURK

Transitions are often met with resistance. Finding a way out of a situation could take insurmountable efforts comparative to the ease of arriving at a place of needing a shift. The friction is the beauty of those moments. If getting out of trouble was as easy as getting into trouble, what would you learn? More importantly what would keep you from making the same mistake again.

The American system of education has done a disservice in the approach to learning skills and knowledge to live a fulfilled life. We have been trained to take tests and pass them with little applied critical thinking that can only come from lived experiences. The conditioning has made most modern generations severely behind on emotional intelligence, kind of like being trained to become a human AI. We are now the robots that we feared in the future.

If we are not existing as our most informed selves then we are putting products and creative representations of ourselves that also lack a full scope of existing into the universe. If life imitates art, but art is created by us — we have created an infinite loop of mediocrity. That’s not what jump started innovation historically. It paralyzes us today. And is counterintuitive to who the future of us could be. Let’s be better.

DéVon Christopher Johnson Founder & Group Publisher

Chris LAW

Chris Lawrence (pen name Chris Law) is a writer, menswear stylist and fashion pundit. During the day he works on brand strategy and copywriting for brands like Everlane, Banana Republic or Saks. At night, he enjoys binge watching TV, trying out new restaurants and a bourbon on the rocks.

Apuje KALU

Apuje Kalu’s talents are indefinable. He is an instinctive freelance fashion stylist and creative director from Washington, DC known for his eye for detail. Apuje injects forethought, creativity, and boundless energy into every project and brings an aptitude for organization and structure thanks to his engineering background.

ZAEH

Jason KWAME

Andrew is a photographer, director and creative director who splits his time between Brooklyn and Los Angeles. A proud member of the LGBTQIA community, Andrew is happiest spending the day on location getting to know a subject while making authentic imagery in the process.

Jason Kwame is a British-Ghanaian creative writer & brand consultant, and a self-titled culturist. Inspired by the likes of Pharrell’s Skateboy P era, Louis Vuitton don Kanye West days and Diddy’s game changing Sean John era, he started writing at age 16, documenting style and fashion, alongside a fashion and culture Tumblr.

He has since gone on to work with, write for and interview brands & artists like Alexander McQueen Menswear, designer Ikire Jones (part of the Black Panther Oscar winning design team), newcomer rapper Central Cee, LVMH prize nominee and ANDAM prize winner Bianca Saunders, and African giants like Adekunle Gold & Rema.

A Jazzman’s Blue’s

On September 22, 2022, Netflix hosted a New York special screening for A Jazzman’s Blue’s at The Paris Theatre. Written, directed and produced by Tyler Perry, the film is a captivating tale of forbidden love, with an ensemble cast led by Joshua Boone & Solea Pfeiffer and choreography by Debbie Allen.

Urban One NYC

On Monday, January 16th (MLK Day), the 5TH URBAN ONE HONORS hosted by R&B singer/ actor Tank celebrated the accomplishments of individuals who have made extraordinary contributions in entertainment, media, music, politics, education, and the community. Honorees include LL Cool J, Bobby Brown, David & Tamela Mann, Pharrell Williams, and Congresswoman Maxine Waters, with a performance by Keke Wyatt and a celebration of the 50th anniversary of Hip Hop with DJ Spinderella, Salt-N-Pepa, Monie Love and Doug E. Fresh.

PHOTOS: Tammy B for Urban One

YARBO: THE THREE-IN-ONE AUTONOMOUS YARD ROBOT A SMART ROBOT FOR ALL YOUR YARD WORK NEDS

By Eric Munson

Yard work is often tedious and strenuous, requiring various tools and machinery. From mowing the grass to clearing debris, some people find it to be a time consuming task on an already busy day. What if there was a product that could solve this dilemma?

Well, the folks over at Yarbo have devised an ingenious solution. “Our dream is to improve people’s quality of life and make the world better,” Yarbo Product Director Jay Li said in a statement. “We are working hard to make this happen…”

The company, which is based in Ronkonkoma, New York, developed a line of autonomous yard work robots. The creators say Yarbo was inspired by Snowbot, the world’s first autonomous

snowblower, and shares design similarities with its predecessor.

Yarbo consists of a central unit that can be replaced with detachable parts depending on the need. The three-in-one model comes with a snowblower, a lawn mower and a leaf blower. Other attachments include a sweeper, plow, vacuum, a small crane arm and a sprinkler. All of which can be controlled via a smartphone app.

Yarbo offers “superdocking,” which allows the storage and switching of all the different components in a cabinet-like device.

All of the Yarbo products come with a GPS navigation system, computer vision, intelligent algorithms, rubber treads, water-resistant parts, wireless charging and low-temperature-resistant batteries.

“I want to bring a revolution to the yard maintenance field by replacing human beings with robots to do the yard work and make people’s hands-free!” Yarbo CEO Allen Huang said in a statement.

The Yarbo Snowblower S1 is a two-stage snowblower that can clear heavier snow. It gathers snow and ice quickly and then shoots it out up to 40 feet away. Thanks to its specially-designed structure, it can handle most types of snow and small quantities of ice without getting stuck.

The Yarbo Lawn Mower M1 can mow up to 2.3 acres and has an adjustable cutting height ranging from 1.2 to four inches. It comes with two decks, both of which contain three blades. It also contains

The Yarbo Blower B1 is fitted with a powerful air blower that can be adjusted as necessary. The minimum air volume is 424 CFM. The fan speed is 20,000 rpm and the wind speed can reach 119 mph. It can rotate to blow leaves and other debris, replicating how humans would move a traditional leaf blower.

The snowblower costs $4,800. The lawn mower costs $4,400. The blower costs $4,200. If all three are bought as a set, the total is $7,000. The snowblower will be available in October 2023 and the other two units will be available in May 2024.

“The most precious commodity we have in life is time,” Yarbo Vice President Kenneth Kohlmann said in a statement. “Why waste it doing yard work that can be automated?”

RestockedNYC, founded in 2021, transformed sneaker retail by becoming the first consignment store for sneakers, apparel, and art in New York City. From offering the most elusive and collectible sneakers to becoming a vibrant cultural center,

AXE has released its first-ever Fine Fragrance Collection which smells finer than the finest fragrances while neutralizing odor, keeping you feeling fresh and protected for 72H.

The Fine Fragrance Collection deodorant Body Spray is the perfect hybrid between a Fine Fragrance and a deodorant. Formulated by world-renowned perfumers from two of the premier fragrance houses - Givaudan and Firmenich, as well as the best ‘Nose’ in the business Ann Gottlieb, the new range features an eclectic range of scent profiles loved by young guys, with notes inspired by foods, such as lavender ice cream, and drinks, like flavored and hard seltzers.

In addition, each formula is crafted using high quality ingredients with no aluminum or parabens.

Scent-Specific Details:

The Fine Fragrance Collection features five unique scents across three different categories

Blue Lavender: Icy, Clean, Smooth

• Key Fragrance Notes: Scent infused with Lavender & Mint essential oils plus Amber notes

• Scent Description: A refreshing treat made from iced lavender with a hint of mint and a cool, creamy gelato accord lead to orange blossom accord and boozy, geranium, bourbon accord. A contrasting background of warm cedarwood, addictive vanilla creme accord, sensual tonka bean and glowing amber create the ultimate scent for those yummy moments. Nothing less. Nothing more.

Axe Fine Fragrance Collection

Axe body spray has just released their first ever luxury fragrance collection and it’s breaking the internet.

by Jack Chadwick

The new range has been spreading all over TikTok recently (already grabbing the attention of over three billion viewers) and it’s easy to see why. In a blind smelling test this body spray went up against three high end and well known scents: Bleu de Chanel, Versace Pour Homme, Polo Blue Ralph Lauren and it was preferred by 73% of the judges. Yet despite this, it is actually being sold at an affordable

price. The spray, shower gel and deodorant stick all under $10 which proves that it doesn’t cost much to smell “fresh as fresh.”

Despite Axe’s scents not traditionally having the best reputation this new range is truly different. What makes it smell so good though? The 20 natural essential oils used definitely help but for the most part the blending of unique flavors is what puts the icing on the cake. For example, if we’re to look at one flavor in particular (blue lavender) there are hints of orange blossom and velvety gelato with a contrasting background of vanilla and cedar wood. This beautifully comes together creating an icy cool smoothness.

Furthermore, the golden mango gives us the smells of patchouli and guaiac woods, all mixed in a fruity and natural fruit cocktail. These are ingredients we don’t typically come across day to day, especially in standard deodorants. These smells are not only alluring, but their individuality adds somewhat of a sensual mystique. Fragrances sourced as far away as Italy, Morocco and Egypt further add to this glamorous appeal. The smells are just as exotic as these colorful locations and the light subtle freshness appeals to all moods and personality types.

Axe’s scientists have also ensured that this spray is kind to skin, aluminum-free and also uses two times more zinc technology to tackle body odor than their standard sprays. This attention to toughness on odor molecules means for 72 hours it is now possible to smell just as delicious as green geranium aqua bergamot or pure coconut.

Choose your favorite fast though as they’re selling like hot cakes. But for those looking for birthday gifts or to just add some spice to your daily routine, this is the essential new accessory.

BINKY’S

Celebrity Chef to Migos, Kendrick Lamar and Lil Baby Opens Binky’s: a New Atlanta Restaurant Chef Baul brings an eclectic soul food fusion of Japanese, European and Caribbean flavors to the community

By: Kirby Carroll

On April 7, Bleu had the opportunity to attend Binky’s soft opening, a new restaurant created by Celebrity Chef Bryant Williams, better known as Chef Baul. The celebration was held from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and had a line down the street from the moment they opened their doors.

With an online audience of over 150,000 people and the chef’s notable list of clients including Kendrick Lamar, Gucci Mane, Migos and more, it’s no surprise that they were met with excitement. However, even Chef Baul admits he didn’t expect the turnout to be as big as it was. We caught up with the entrepreneur to learn more about the restaurant and how he’s feeling about the big endeavor. Check it out below and make sure you attend the lavish grand opening in May.

How do you feel? How was the big day?

It’s been a wonderful day. I’ve worked in other kitchen environments and a lot of times people can feel stressed and pressured when things get really busy but we were all on the same page and rhythm. It went better than I imagined and planned – the volume and how smooth it was. The vibe was good and the team was happy. We worked together and we sold out!

That’s amazing. And the restaurant is named after your father, right? Was he influential in your journey to becoming a chef?

Binky is his nickname and, yes, he was. My dad cooked every Saturday. He’d make a breakfast spread with biscuits, gravy and everything you can think of. He showed me you can be a man and really cook and provide for your family.

Speaking of family, what’s it like owning a restaurant with your wife? I know a lot of couples want to go into business together. Do you still make time to balance

It’s something that has to be done. You have to do it. Balance is needed. If you’re not doing that, you’ll feel all over the place. We take time out separately for us, the kids and the business. That works out great for us.

Let’s talk about the celebrity element. You’ve cooked for so many big names. How did the entertainment element happen?

I went to school with an artist from QC and he told me I could come into the studio where he records at. Once I got there I was around A-list artists and they enjoyed my food. From there it spread and they just kept calling.

Speaking of good food, what is your signature dish?

If you come to Binky’s, you have to get the lamb chops! Also, I’d recommend the oxtails, turkey wings and salmon. After lamb chops, those are the top three.

Finally, what advice do you have for aspiring entrepreneurs?

First, find God. Trust God. Find the right partner or spouse and grow with them. Put your two brains together to make something that can be better than both of y’all by yourselves. The most important thing is letting God lead you and finding your partner to help take what you got and build it up into one strong machine.

To learn more about Binky’s, visit their social media page @BinkysATL

The Brand That Takes Center Stage

By Jason Kwame

Photos By Ryan Dinham

Marc Jacques Burton’s namesake brand continues to rise with a motion and energy that has the best performers and artists of our time gravitating to his unique pieces when they need that extraordinary show look.

From Lil Baby, to the legendary Rolling Stones, 2 Chainz, Young Thug, African superstar Wizkid and a brand collaboration with Ciroc, Burton has organically built a wealth of social currency and influence that most brands would pay for. The wave hasn’t let up either. Just this month alone, NBA All-Star Kyle Kuzma, leading Latin artist Maluma and the Prince of R&B Chris Brown both opted to rock Burton’s latest, striking grenade vest and cargo pants set on stage.

He’s done this in record time, too. The brand was founded in 2015, fuelled by his love for custom designs, electrifying graffiti art (which you’ll notice in his most popular denim looks) and an understanding of showstopping looks and what people want via his successful background in nightlife.

Now, with the finest fabrics, ateliers and concepts out of Milan and London, Burton is now stocked in British fashion flagship Selfridges and even in stores down in the culture machine of Atlanta, where upper echelon of the rap world like Future have picked up MJB pieces. The stacked jeans, like the one recently worn by Lil Baby, have become a global bestseller for the brand.

So when Burton agreed to speak with me on Zoom from his studio in Fulham, West London, I made it my mission to find the source of his brand’s sauce. Impressed by his striking blue hair choice, I realized it was like talking to a friend or older brother, the conversation was relaxed as Burton answered straight to the point and honestly, giving nuggets of wisdom without overthinking it. By the end I had the answer as to why so many artists choose him.

Read on as we discuss in depth the meaning behind his Spring Summer 2023 truffle and trap inspired collection that already has Breezy hooked, his brand ethos made for the dreamers and all-round vision of Marc Jacques Burton.

Marc, congrats on all the recent successes! Tell me more about this recent SS23 collection and all the love it’s been getting.

Thanks for taking a look at the collection! There’s always two sides to designing the collection. The first is: I always look through the lens of a musician, thinking about the stage pieces, so those are the pieces made to stand out on stage. Or be it music videos or on the front cover of magazines. So, for the Spring Summer collection the two really cool pieces that I developed were firstly the grenade pocket set. I’m really excited and proud of that piece because it’s made of recycled nylon, and I’m happy we’re using recycled materials. It was very intricate to make the piece. On the actual vest and the cargo pants there’s over 200 pockets, and it took a lot of perseverance and back & forth to develop a way to sew each pockets on. In the end we had to sew each one individually. So it took a lot of time, and certain people advised me not to do it because they thought it’d be too complex. They thought people wouldn’t get it. But, I’ve just had the most incredible response…

We also developed our other stage piece: the spiked organza, so a flat fabric with a slight shine to it. Then we sew it in a circular motion and it creates these spikes. It’s beautiful, lightweight, it doesn’t crease and it attracts attention. I love that piece and the new silver colorway. We’ve obviously also got new variations to our best-selling stacked jeans, with new distressing, an oil and ruche effect, which is very rock and roll.

Then our new “truffle trapper” story comes from our production in Italy, in a region famous for “the diamonds of the kitchen” truffles. One

of the pleasures of designing in Italy is the great Italian food. Then of course the name is a play on words that honors how the Atlanta trap scene embraced me. I hand drew the truffles, and got an amazing artist to paint them in watercolors. Then my art is integrated into the silk sets and denim for this collection. I wear the pieces myself all the time!

How did you feel about Maluma and Chris Brown both hand-picking the new grenade pocket looks for their recent shows?

Really incredible. Maluma’s stylist Ugo Mozie… he helped me from day one actually with Wale when I first started the brand and I actually remained close friends with him. So he reached out and let me know Maluma was interested in wearing some MJB. We sent him that piece, which was amazing and a huge blessing that Maluma rocked it.

Chris Brown wore it at his opening night at the O2 Arena because he brought that from Selfridges and I wasn’t aware. So that was a beautiful surprise and I just love seeing the same piece reinterpreted. You’ve got Maluma with his South American energy, and you’ve got Chris with his LA energy. It was great to see the two different characters rock it on stage and they both looked great in their own ways, dancing. It’s a real honor… both of them could choose any designer in the world to wear on stage and in that important moment they’ve chosen the design that took me so much love and pain to develop. A really special moment I must admit, I feel really blessed.

You spoke about how much effort these looks took, I was wondering how much does a collection like this take to create?

Initially, I’ll draw something and sketch it and in my mind it’s there ready. But, then you’ve got to work with the team to actually turn it into a product that works and functions. Then you have to think “How can we roll it out and produce it, so we can sell it?” So you gotta make sure it doesn’t take so long that you can only make one pair everyday or something. It’s a lot of trial and error. But specifically, to do the grenade set it’s about 12 hours of one person sewing all the pockets… it is a long, long process.

Your ateliers are in Milan, so how do you balance designing and overseeing production?

I travel a lot back and forth from Paris, Milan and Italy. I began the moodboards in London, with the sketches. When the collections are developed, I’ll do art and paintings that we can scan and turn them into digital assets so we can play around with them. Then we start to design in that way. Then we’ll link the fabrics in Italy to the digital designs, and we run through with the ateliers in Italy what we’re looking for, the fabric flow & form. Finally, we start making samples…

So, you’ve worked with a lot of big names like Tom Holland, Meek Mill, Migos, Lil Baby and the Rolling Stones. How important is that to relaying the message of your brand?

It’s really important. Because the main slogan of my brand is “living your dream” and the basis of me creating the brand was that I wanted to create products for people who I felt were doing just that. With that, I was in turn living the dream myself. So an example would be an artist like Wizkid who wears me on stage. He’s living his dream by expressing his music to his fans… so there’s this beautiful full circle for me. Then what I hope is that by living my dream, it inspires other people in whatever it may be to live theirs. So if you’re

a young designer and see me doing what I do and that inspires you to design then that’s my message to the world.

Is there anyone you haven’t worked with that you’d like to in the future? I personally think someone like ASAP Rocky would be a good fit…

Yeah! ASAP, I have so much respect for his style, I think he’s absolutely incredible. You really never know what he’s gonna wear next. He has so many different styles and they always work, and he’s always pushing the boundaries. I agree with you there ASAP would be perfect, he’s a really special one.

But I’m also pretty relaxed in the sense that I know if I’m doing good work then people will eventually hear about me and it’s a beautiful part of the journey. Sometimes you have to just do the work, and know it will find the right people at the right time.

So going back to your own dream and the brand ethos, how did this dream start for you in 2015?

I used to work in nightlife and I had a couple of clubs and I initially wanted to wear clothes to the clubs that no one else had. That led me to buying fabrics and finding ateliers in Italy, then designing items that I would wear. So it was sort of a selfish reason at first… and then I would wear the clothes to the club and people would ask for pieces. I used to make and sell them. Eventually, some musicians started to see the clothes. Early wearers were will.i.am, Zayn Malik from One Direction, and Wale. David Guetta started to rock it too, so we started to build this following. Then I decided to go show a collection at Paris Fashion Week and we got one store to buy into us. Then H. Lorenzo in LA bought us. We also got into Jeffrey’s in Atlanta which was very pivotal at the time because the Migos started wearing us… Young Thug, Lil Baby, Gunna, Future. So the Atlanta scene really embraced us. But I think if you look back at each step there was always a product that was different and we’ve always created statement stage pieces too. The right talent wears it, and it makes noise on social media and wider awareness to the brand.

Would you say that nightlife energy is what has attracted these artists?

Yeah, thinking about it I would say when you’re in nightlife - it’s similar to working in a department store like Harrods. I think you come across so many people and so many different styles. I’ve always been an observer. I’m naturally pretty introverted. I would rather sit in a room and watch people. Through nightlife, I’ve met more people than most have. On a normal night that the club was open I might talk to 200 people in a night! I’m pretty good at understanding people’s energies, what they’re after and what suits them. So I was blessed to work in that environment. It definitely helped build the brand MJB.

So how did you yourself grow up and develop your character and energy?

So I grew up in Wimbledon, very close to the tennis stadium. My dad’s English and my mom’s from Paris. There was always good buzz during the tennis championships… and of course the commons and parks so I did a lot of sport, mountain biking, football. Pretty sporty as a kid. But then, I had this artistic side where I love art and painting, drawing and designing. That kind of accumulated, and my mom was always creative. She would make sculptures out of dough and dad was in advertising and sporty too. I had this interesting dynamic. I learnt so much about teamwork, winning, losing, going through

Chris Brown

MALUMA

CHRIS BROWN

Photographed by: FAYSAL HASSAN

Photographed by: FAYSAL HASSAN

different emotions, so I think it was a good childhood that prepared me for what I do now.

Your brand logo is also clearly inspired by the Batman symbol, so I wanted to know how that affinity came about for you?

Initially, how I started the brand is I used to draw a lot on leather jackets and denim. You have limited resources so I would differentiate my brand through drawing and painting. Quickly I realized that all the big stars had their own stylists, so I couldn’t compete with Gucci on sending a beautiful plain black leather jacket for example. But I could compete by making the leather jacket personal to that celebrity. So the stylists got to know me because they knew I could make custom pieces.

From that a language started evolving where I would use the same symbols over and over, one of them was the bat. I used to do smiley faces with cross eyes, and eventually it was just the bat left and I really loved it. You get lucky…Young Thug wore it on stage where I drew a big bat and it caught on. It just felt right so I kept going with it.

Then if I look back as a kid, I was always obsessed with Batman and I had Batman skateboards and posters… and I was a big fan of Ultimate Warrior from WWE. He had bats on his outfit, too. And I’ve always

been a Basquaiat fan and he has some bats in painting. I think subconsciously I was affected in a positive way by all these.

Have you considered selling your art separately?

I haven’t, but there’s signs to do that and people have been asking me. I haven’t to date. I just did a collaboration with an amazing painter called Brett Crawford and just met Mr. Doodleman at Fashion Week. So I’m doing more and more with different artists, and each time they have said to me “Oh, you should do something” and I’ve done some stuff with Alec Monopoly. Fashion is fastpaced and needs your full attention, but I could see myself slowing down in say fashion and developing more art, so that could be a good switch and addition.

You’ve had great product collaborations with the likes of Overwatch and Ciroc. So when it comes to a product, how do you decide who you want to collaborate with?

I always try to work with brands that my inner child would love! I recently collaborated with The Batman movie, Sonic and Overwatch. They were all collaborations that I was really excited by, and could make really amazing clothing with. Because I respected the characters or the colors and logos. It’s also the purpose of the product. For example, with Overwatch, I got to work

with amazing musicians and wanted to create a powerful, world class campaign. So we did an amazing project with Giggs, Darkoo, Suki Waterhouse. So it’s great to have a brand allow me to pursue my vision.

Are there any up and coming young designers you’d love to work with or mentor?

For sure, I’d definitely love to work with Reece Yeboah, the young designer who’s

Marc Jacques Burton

currently at Cos. So yeah, I’m really open to working with different designers, even artists and painters, musicians. Because the beauty of collaboration is that you start to see someone else’s energy vision likes dislikes, curiosity. That always opens my eyes and shows me new possibilities and new ways of looking at the world so I always love that.

With that being said, what advice would you have for a fashion creative starting now? What would you have liked to have known when you started out?

That’s a really good question. I think when you start out, we’re all used to seeing the big brands like Louis Vuitton, Chrome Hearts, Palm Angels or Off-White. You see they have a product for everything, from

shoes to underwear to plates to bags, to backpacks and suitcases. So you might make the mistake of trying that from day one and thinking you need everything. I believe that when you look at the big brands they always start with one world-class product that’s different, and there’s real art to that. So my advice to young designers would be to really focus on one or two products that you genuinely believe can be better than other products out there, that you can sell over and over. Fashion is an expensive business, because you have to sample, there’s negative cash flow because you have to buy the fabrics and pay the factories. You have to be very careful with your money initially…you need money left over to market the product after being creative.

What’s next for Marc Jacques Burton?

What’s your vision for the future of the brand?

So we just finished showing the AW collection in Paris, so it was beautiful to be back in Paris. Buzzing when a lot of Americans are in town. We’re working on a couple of amazing collections, so I’m looking forward to sharing those when I can. And

then I showed a big collaboration with Brett Crawford who is the most incredible artist from LA. I love his paintings. They are based on a Pinocchio-style character. He makes the character really cool with sneakers and cool hats in the paintings so we collaborated on a couple of art pieces to turn into hoodies. I would love to work on my first fashion show, going off from my presentations, to

also create a moment to show people what my brand stands for and build a world that people can enter and understand myself and the brand even more. That’s the long term goal. I know what needs to be done, so we’ll continue growing, developing and succeeding.

KYLE KUZMA

Photographed by: Richard Ontiveros-Gima

UNVEILS UPCOMING VEHICLE SERIES

German automaker completely overhauls the popular Cayenne

Written By: Eric Charles Munson

Porsche threw nearly everything it could into the upcoming 2024 Cayenne vehicle series, which is expected to be released sometime this summer.

This upcoming series will have three models of the Cayenne: the regular, the E-Hybrid and the S model, which range from about $80,000 to $97,000. The coupe variants’ $85,000 to $103,000, while the coupe-exclusive Turbo GT is estimated to cost $197,000.

In an effort to refine its luxury SUV, the dashboard is now slicker and more screen-

heavy. The gear selector has also been moved to the dashboard, improving the physical climate controls.

The 12.3-inch infotainment system comes standard with the Porsche Communication Management software as well as Spotify and Apple Music connectivity. Safety features such as speed limit assist, adaptive cruise control and turn assist also come standard. There is also an optional 10.9-inch touchscreen for the passenger, allowing them to have their own station and even stream videos while the car is in motion. However,

the driver is unable to see the other screen due to a special layer on the display, Porsche stated in a press release.

The hood, bumper, fenders, headlights and taillights underwent some minor redesigns. The longroof has a new fascia that lowers the license plate, aligning it with the alternate coupe variants. The car comes in three colors: algarve blue metallic, montego blue metallic and arctic gray.

The base model of the Cayenne has a turbocharged three-liter, V6 engine allowing

it to go up to 348 horsepower. The Cayenne S has a V8 engine, allowing it to reach 468 horsepower. Porsche claims the car can accelerate from zero to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds.

The E-Hybrid can reach 174 horsepower and has a more powerful battery with a capacity of 25.9 kWh. The E-Hybrid has a 56-mile battery range, nearly double that of the previous interactions. It also comes with an improved 11-kW charger, allowing

it to fully charge in just two-and-a-half hours. For the exclusive coupe variation called the Cayenne Turbo GT, it is equipped with the most powerful engine of the series. The Turbo GT reaches 650 horsepower and accelerates to 60 mph in just 3.1 seconds.

There are also improvements to the Cayenne’s chassis. A new extensive range of 20, 21, and 22-inch wheels add to the high degree of customization for the Cayenne, increasing the mechanical grip of the car. Adaptive air

suspension is optional but comes standard on the Turbo GT. Porsche also improved the rear axle steering and vectoring systems to allow for improved handling.

Massive overhauls are a huge risk, but innovation is always key in the automotive industry. The German automaker faces a lot of competition in the 2024 car market, but fortunately the Cayenne remains one of its most popular models.

SHORDIE SHORDIE

Rap’s Melodic Storyteller

By: Emmanuelle Perilla

“I’M A COOL MELLOW GUY, I REALLY LIKE MUSIC, I DON’T CARE WHAT GENRE IT IS.”

Baltimore native Raquan Hudson, known to his fans as Shordie Shordie, has slowly but surely climbed his way into the music industry. His distinct melodic voice has clearly captured the ears of many with recent hits like “One Wish” and “Doctors.” His secret to stardom? Each song offers a new sound for fans to marinate on. In some you can hear Shordie effortlessly rapping to a catchy chorus and in others Shordie lets his voice fly with catchy R&B hooks. In an ever changing rap industry, Shordie Shordie remains relevant with a style that isn’t easily defined but it’s here to stay.

Shordie first gained prominence in the industry being a part of the rap trio Peso Da Mafia, that includes Shordie’s brother Lor Dee and their cousin Purp. They caught the attention of the music world with songs like “Money Man” and “Winning.” Shordie’s unique cadence and hooks earned him the nickname “Captain Hook” and in 2018 he dropped his first mixtape by the same name. The mixtape featured enticing songs like “Bitchuary” where Shordie rapped about his relationships with women and his own flaws with love.

In an interview with Lyrical Lemonade, The Baltimore native told fans about his inspirations behind the music and his upbringing: “I grew up with a lot of ratchet shit Boosie, Webbie and Wayne. I am a fan of Erykah Badu and Wiz Khalifa. I’m a cool mellow guy, I really like music, I don’t care what genre it is.”

Shordie Shordie stays true to his Baltimore roots and doesn’t hold anything back when it comes to the music and his motivation behind his melodies.

When asked about the origin of his name in an interview with Lyrical Lemonade he stated, “I got it from the hood. I always stayed with a pistol. That’s why they gave me the name Shordie Shordie with the 40.”

“My song “No trust” is sampled after TLC I do because I respect them. T Pain was the harmonizing voice, I had to remix his songs, that’s how “Stripper Love” came to be. With the song ‘Lonely’ it was Akon and he inspired me. These are harmonizing kings and this is me tipping my hat to them.”

Shordie is clearly an artist that is serious about the authenticity of his craft and part of his appeal is his insistence on making real music that tells stories that are real to his life.

When asked about music in the present moment Shordie Shordie expressed the lack

of relatability he sees in the industry: “I feel like there are not enough people out here making relatable music. They’re just making a lot of music that’s riding in the car type shit. I really don’t want to hear a regular rap. I want to hear a song. Some shit you actually took your time and perfected yourself. It’s no wonder why the Baltimore rapper is one of rap’s brightest new stars- he believes in the importance of staying true to yourself in the music and taking it seriously as an artist. It’s no secret that rap is a constantly evolving industry and oftentimes artists that can’t adapt and stay relevant to the times unfortunately get left behind.”

Shordie is a standout artist in his generation because he devotes time to versatility. He ensures his topic material is not defined by any one thing or sound and that’s one of the

elements that keeps him fresh as a rapper. The Memory Lane project he dropped with Murda Beatz in 2021 is an example of Shordie’s multifaceted talent and his ability to experiment with different melodies. In an interview with Uproxx Shordie explained his thoughts behind the collaboration: “It takes us back. It takes us back to memories or real music.”

“It brings me back to not really caring about streaming, not really caring about who got higher status this week. Nah, real music. Push out real music to the point that people don’t have any other way to gravitate towards it.”

With songs like “Love” featuring hitmakers like Trippie Redd, Shordie Shordie proves he’s not just about catchy hooks and smooth melodies. He has a story to tell and holds no punches when it comes to the realness of his message.

Dushi Curaçao: Not Your Typical Caribbean Vacay

By Becca Blond

“Dushi, welcome to Curaçao,” my friend T says as she gives me a welcome hug at the airport.

I’ve just landed on the Dutch Caribbean Island just 37 miles north of Venezuela for five days of exploration.

T reaches to pick up my suitcase, and I warn her it’s heavy.

“It’s okay dushi, I’ve got it,” she replies and swings it into the trunk of her car.

Dushi. It’s a word you will hear everywhere on this island to mean a host of different

things. The Papiamento word (a Portuguese-based creole spoken here) has no literal translation and many meanings.

It can be used in similar vernacular to “friend” or “amigo,” as in T’s references. But it can also be used to describe food as “tasty,” or to call someone “sweet” or “loving,” “babe,” or “sexy.” And it can refer to everything just being all “good.”

Dushi is the perfect word to sum up Curaçao in general. This is a unique island with many variations to the types of vacations it delivers. Whether you

are looking for adventure, culture, food, nightlife, beach, art, or a mixture of all, you’ll find a dushi experience here.

Where to Wander

Curaçao still remains off the beaten path for many travelers, who may have heard of the famous blue liquor produced here, but had no idea it came from an island near Aruba. It’s a multiculturally vibrant island with a population comprising more than 50 nationalities including those with African, European and South American roots.

The historic city of Willemstad, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is filled with brightly colored buildings designed in classic Dutch architectural style. Make sure to visit the Punda district, the Queen Emma Floating Bridge, Wilhelmina Plaza and the Governor’s Mansion.

Also check out the Otrobanda Neighborhood, home to some impressive street art murals painted by local artists as well as a few top restaurants. Curaçao’s art scene is quite impressive and just wandering around Willemstad, you’ll find many local galleries where you can interact with the artists directly.

To explore Curaçao’s 35 beaches or rugged cacti and volcanic interior, you’ll want to

rent a car. Most hotels can help arrange this service and it is safe and easy to drive on the island.

Cas Abao Beach is a great day trip destination. It has soft white sand, crystal clear waters, waving palm trees, gazebos for shade and a restaurant and bar. The beach has a shallow entrance and calm water that makes it great for swimmers. There is also a raft for sunbathing in the water just offshore.

Some of Curaçao’s best beaches are easiest to access via jet ski. Book an excursion with Touriffic Curaçao to fly around the coastline this way. You’ll stop at a few different beaches as well as to snorkel in the famous Blue Room Cave.

For a touch of adventure, take a day trip to the untouched Klein Curaçao. Sitting eight miles off the southeast coast of the main island, the uninhabited island is a true slice of paradise with gorgeous turquoisehued water and a long white beach. The island, which can be reached by boat or helicopter in less than two hours, is one of Curaçao’s top diving and snorkeling spots. Beneath the water you’ll find vibrant coral, abandoned shipwrecks and underwater caves.

Other water focused adventures include a Seabob tour. Like an underwater jet ski, it propels you through the water at speeds up to 14 mph and lets you swim alongside the island’s sea turtles and schools of brightly colored fish.

Where to Eat & Drink

In the Otrobanda neighborhood, Bario Urban Street Food was my favorite dinner experience. The al fresco restaurant and cocktail bar has live music many nights and serves four different food truck-style menus, each cooked by a different chef. There is everything from ceviche to burgers and vegan Caribbean fare.

BKLYN is also one of my top picks, for the food and the vibe. Inspired by Brooklyn and 90s hip-hop, it’s a gastrobar with a cozy chic dining room. The menu features everything from oysters to ribeye. Don’t skip the Funchi Fries. A local side dish they are similar to fried polenta sticks topped with butter and cheese.

Get a little more adventurous and have lunch at LionFish

Caribbean. Here the invasive lionfish species is caught and cooked up in all sorts of styles. The fish tastes a lot like lobster and is quite tasty. The restaurant also serves as an education center for what lionfish are doing to the ecosystems and sells jewelry made from inedible parts of the fish.

For lots of vegetarian options, check out De Broeders. Established in 2020 by two friends who consider themselves brothers, the interior is influenced by urban art. The cuisine is a combination of Caribbean and international.

Cascada at the Elements Hotel & Shops is where to head for a sunset drink or bite. The rooftop bar and lounge has panoramic city views and elevated pub grub.

Cabana Beach is another top option. During the day you can chill on beds on the sand by the sea and at night you can dance to DJs in the club or listen to live saxophone, depending on the evening. The restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner and the menu is international.

Where to Sleep

Curaçao does not have the same volume of hotels as say Aruba, The Bahamas or the Dominican Republic. You won’t find rows of all-inclusive resorts lining the beach fronts, although these options do exist.

Many hotels are of the boutique variety and a new favorite is Kura Botanica Hotel at the edge of Willemstad’s Otrobanda neighborhood. Part of an eight-block historical village area, the hotel has spacious and airy rooms with comfy beds and a shared balcony. There is a lovely swimming pool and a bar, but no onsite restaurant. However, you are within walking distance of a number in the city center.

For a traditional resort experience book the Curaçao Marriott Beach Resort. Set on six beachfront acres just outside Willemstad, it has newly renovated rooms and suites and four dining concepts on the grounds. There are also two swimming pools (one is adults only, the other designed for families) and most of the activities mentioned in this article can be booked from here.

A Local’s Guide to Chicago Beaches

By Jennifer Billock

You probably don’t think of Chicago as a beach town — which would be understandable since we’re in the middle of the country and have the pleasure of enjoying brutal winters. But thanks to our expansive 26 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline, we’ve earned our nickname of the “Third Coast.” We’ve got more than two dozen beaches, all free, all unique in their own way and all waiting for you to spread out a towel and soak in some beautiful Chicago summer sun. Keep reading for a local’s (that’s me!) guide to the beaches in the city and what makes them special.

Not sure where to stay? Your best bet is downtown. You’ll have access to the great parks and museum campus, plus, it’s an easy hop onto the northbound Red Line or southbound Green Line to get to most of the beaches. As far as food, you’ll be able to grab a bite at several of the beaches themselves, or just a short walk away.

The Bird Sanctuary Beach

Chicago has a habit of turning local wildlife into celebrities. See alligator Chance the Snapper and Chonkosaurus the snapping turtle. Two of the most beloved were Monty and Rose, a pair of piping plovers that nested every year at the Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary, right on Montrose Beach. More than 300 bird species head there every year.

The LGBTQ+ Beach

It may be officially called Kathy Osterman Beach, but locals call the unofficial LGBTQ+ beach “Hollywood Beach” (you can get to it by walking down Hollywood Avenue). It’s close to the two main LGBTQ+ neighborhoods in the city, too: Andersonville and Northalsted, formerly known as Boystown. And as an extra bonus, the beach house is LEED-certified.

OAK STREET BEACH

PHOTO: ABEL ARCINIEGA

ST HARBOR SUMMER

PHOTO: ALEJANDRO REYES

HOLLYWOOD BEACH PRIDE

PHOTO: ADAM ALEXANDER

The Dog Beach

Traveling with a pup? You have a lot of beach options. Montrose Beach is one of the very few official off-leash dog beaches in the city. The dog area is on the north end of the beach and fenced in, so you don’t have to worry about them running off. The other main dog beach is at Belmont Harbor, but it gets pretty crowded and caters to small dogs. There’s another smaller-in-size dog-friendly spot at Foster Beach.

The Volleyball Beach

If you’re looking for a true coastal vibe in the Midwest, head to North Avenue Beach. It’s by far the most crowded beach in the city and is well-known for the expanse of volleyball nets used by bar leagues, local teams and anyone looking to hit a ball around. The beach house here is fun, too — it’s shaped like a boat and has concessions, showers and rentals.

The Beach With the View

31st Street Beach (officially known as Margaret T. Burroughs Beach) has probably the best view of downtown that you’ll find along the lakefront. It’s also a great spot for watersports, since it’s the homebase for Chicago Water Sports Rentals. Go on. Try the jet skis. Plus, you can fish at the public fishing dock here. A closer but no less delightful view of downtown can be had at 12th Street Beach, located on Northerly Island by the museum campus.

The Historic Beach

In 1908, Rainbow Beach officially opened under the name Rocky Ledge Beach, and was one of the rare spots at the time with electric lighting. It’s bigger and smoother now with lots of sand and the Rainbow Beach Victory Garden, which is one of the oldest public gardens in Chicago. At the north edge of the beach, stroll the 10 acres of dunes looking for native plants and animals. You’ll also want to visit 57th Street Beach — it’s part of Jackson Park, which was the site of the 1893 World’s Fair — and 63rd Street Beach, with a historic beach house and interactive water features for the kids.

The Bougie Beach

Oak Street Beach is nestled right into the curve of Lake Shore Drive, on the edge of the Gold Coast and Streeterville neighborhoods — two of the most posh and expensive areas of Chicago. Expect to find rentable cabanas, upscale beach food and swimsuits that probably cost more than your rent. All that being said, it is gorgeous and definitely worth a stop. Ohio Street Beach falls into this category, too, but it’s right next to Navy Pier and has more of a touristy vibe.

RAINBOW BEACH SUMMER PHOTO: ALEJANDRO REYES

Rappers Delight

From Staircase to Stage Raekwon

Corey Woods, better known as Raekwon, is one of the founding members of the hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan. The hip hop group was founded in the 1990s and received widespread recognition for their debut album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). Since then, Wu-Tang Clan has gone on to

The Perfect Day to Boss Up Rick Ross

BY ERIC MUNSON

become one of the most popular hip hop groups.

Raekwon produced some of the most critically acclaimed hip hop albums both with Wu-Tang Clan and on his own. However, his early life was full of hardship and violence.

FOUR BOOKS BY ICONIC HIP-HOP ARTISTS 1 2

In his memoir, From Staircase to Stage, Raekwon opens up about his life’s journey. He talks about his troubled and impoverished upbringing in Park Hill, Staten Island. Rapping was initially a hobby to escape from the horrors of reality, but Raekwon would go on to perform in soldout stadiums across the globe. Raekwon created an entire legacy of hip hop music, while also “staying true to his roots.”

Hustle Harder, Hustle Smarter Curtis Jackson

Curtis Jackson, better known as 50 Cent, opens up about his journey of personal loss to becoming an established businessman and one of the highest-paid cable executives.

Growing up, Jackson had numerous run-ins with the law. He was also shot nine times by a gunman and survived. Despite

3

William Leonard Roberts II, better known as Rick Ross, is a renowned rapper and record producer. Ross released several albums that made it to the Billboard 200 list. His bestknown song is Hustlin’, which was also featured on his debut album Port of Miami.

In his memoir The Perfect Day to Boss Up, Ross shares his secrets to success. Despite adversity and other controversies, he refused to “settle for anything less than greatness.” His book is an inspirational guide about how to build “an untouchable empire from mud to marble, no matter what obstacles stand in the way.”

4

Vibrate Higher Talib Kweli

Talib Kweli is best known as a member of the hip hop duo Black Star, which he co-founded with Yasiin Bey, better known as Mos Def. Kweli also collaborated with other famous rappers such as Common, Kanye West, Pharrell Williams and Kendrick Lamar.

his troubled past and near-death experiences, Jackson became a renowned rapper and music producer. He has sold over 30 million albums worldwide and has won numerous awards. However, he eventually pivoted to become an actor and producer. The crime drama series Power, which was produced by and stars Jackson, is one of the most popular and highly-rated shows on the Starz network.

Jackson’s memoir Hustle Harder, Hustle Smarter is part biography, part self-help guide. He builds upon his “fear nothing and you shall succeed” mentality while also combining it with his own street smarts. Jackson encourages readers to adapt to change and recover from personal tragedy.

Before becoming the hip hop icon he is now, Kweli was a simple boy from Brooklyn who liked to cut class and wander through Greenwich Village. Kweli and a “motley crew” of rappers, DJs and musicians found hip hop to be more engaging than their academic studies. Kweli was one of the first generations to grow up with hip hop as a historically lush culture. In his memoir, Vibrate Higher, Kweli talks about his own artistic success as well as the sociopolitical side of hip hop music. He sees it as a catalyst for the growing resistance against white nationalism in the United States and a symbol of African American pride.

The Man, The Music, and His Moment

The international sound of the music scene is something that has been around forever, but it has definitely been showing up and out in recent years. While Spanish influence made its mark in the late ‘90s and early 2000s, the late 2010s and early 2020s have set the stage for the mainstream spotlight of the very popular Afrobeats. Tems is taking over. Wizkid always wows us. And now PsychoYP shows us how he sets the stage and shows up for the culture.

We had a chance to sit down with PsychoYP to talk about how the music moves him and what he has in store for us on the horizon…

Kent Olden

TELL US ABOUT YOUR ALBUM YPSZN3. HOW DOES THIS ONE DIFFER FROM THE FIRST TWO, AND WHAT DO YOU WANT LISTENERS TO TAKE FROM IT?

‘SZN 3’ is meant to show my growth as an artist and how far I’ve come. The cover art has all three versions of YP in a lab – the third being the only one all geared up – representing this is somehow the “polished” version of YP.

THIS ALBUM IS THE FINAL INSTALLMENT IN A SERIES OF THREE. WHAT MESSAGE ARE YOU SPREADING AS YOU TRANSITION FROM THE 1ST TO THE 2ND TO THE FINAL INSTALLMENT?

This actually isn’t the final installment to be very honest but I won’t say too much about that just yet. And all seasons have been mixtapes and will continue to be mixtapes, being that they’re all compilations of music recorded by me at any point in my life. The intro track on SZN3 is a record I had done in 2019 and 2020. So my first official album will be something very special to me. Being locked in that space working on everything from scratch should present an even more polished version of me.

WHAT MOTIVATES TO PURSUE MUSIC IN THE WAY THAT YOU DO?

I feel like this is all I’ve really got and, how it comes to me so easily, I feel like it’s very spiritual. Coming from a family of music lovers and being able to be where I’m at right now in the scene is a blessing and I feel like I just gotta keep going.

YOU INCORPORATE A LOT OF DIFFERENT GENRES OF MUSIC TO CREATE YOUR OWN. WHAT ABOUT THOSE GENRES INSPIRE YOU AND HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR SIGNATURE SOUND AND STYLE?

I think I’m just able to pick certain elements from different genres and present them the way it should be coming from me. I barely write, I just let everything flow out as it comes to my head. But I’d consider myself a rapper. No matter what genre you give me I’d bounce on that so crazy every single time and the flow is always gonna be something different.

HOW HAS IT BEEN ADJUSTING TO BECOMING A CULTURAL ICON IN NIGERIA AND NOW ACROSS THE GLOBE?

I’m not even where I wanna be yet but I’m so grateful to see that people are finally expecting the sound. I just try to work twice as hard everyday and stay focused.

OUTSIDE OF MUSIC, WHAT PASSION PROJECTS DO YOU HAVE GOING ON?

I mean right now I’m focused on music so much I really don’t have time for anything else. But as I’m doing all this music stuff I’m out here shooting and editing the videos and I’m getting better so yeah, you guys are about to see a lot more visuals from me.

WHAT CAN WE EXPECT NEXT FROM PSYCHOYP?

I think everyone is just waiting for one more thing from me that’s just gonna put me where I should be including me and so until then I’m just gonna keep working and putting out beautiful music.

Be sure to keep up with the latest on PsychoYP on social media: @psychoyp.

HIT-BOY HIT-BOY HIT-BOY

The multi-hyphenate musician discusses his career, family and how he continues to keep his way above water.

“I’ve just been in the studio over here in West Hollywood working on multiple projects,” Hit Boy offers. I’ve just asked him my standard first question of “What have you been up to in the last few weeks.”

It’s a device I use that helps me get a sense of where the interviewee is at the moment. Hit-Boy answers exactly what I expect him to answer, which is he’s been working.

It’s a Friday afternoon and we’re on a Zoom (the new normal of interviews for me). Much like my other counterparts I work with, he’s a few minutes late — but grace is given. I imagine he was caught up in a creative moment before a text from his team reminding him of our conversation and the team is waiting on the call.

Writer: Chris Law

Photo: Andrew Zaeh

Stylist: Apuje Kalu

Grooming: Glen A. Williams

Chauncey Alexander Hollis Jr aka Hit-Boy is one of the most important producers and musical talents of our generation. Originally from Fontana California, Hit-Boy was first introduced into the music industry by way of family.

“My uncle made music, he was in an R&B group called Troop,” Hit-Boy explains. “I lived with my uncle when they [Troop] was at their height, so I saw a whole lifestyle and something I was intrigued by.” At 17, he created the Surf Club. While it later became the name of his label, it started as a group, a movement if you will. A place for him to create music (both as an artist and a producer) work on his craft and represent lifestyle.

“You can go back and you can hear Drake rapping about Surf Club way back,” Hit-Boy says matter of factly.

A lone DM on Myspace from producer Polow-Da-Don jump started his career. A career that’s afforded him the chance to work with an ever growing list of artists (Beyonce, Jay-Z, Kanye West, Nas, Travis Scott, to name a few) and has earned him four Grammy wins and 12 nominations.

For a man with such career-defining and applauded records, he’s very reserved. There’s no tagline on his records to speak of. Despite knowing his records, most wouldn’t be able to pick him out of a line up. Don’t mistake it. He’s not secretive, but for sure a private person. I’ve asked him if there’s a special someone in his life or what he wants to say about relationship status.

JACKET + PANTS: MARNI X CARHARTT SHIRT: DIESEL JEWELRY: HIT-BOY’S OWN

“I got a relationship with music and I’m just watching my son everyday. Man I’m just chilling right now,” he said.

His publicist laughs during this which lets me know everyone knows this man is about the work. And honestly in a world where so many put fame before talent, it’s refreshing to see the reverse.

By the time of this interview, several new projects that Hit-Boy was involved with will have dropped and or will be promoted as coming soon. He executive produced Belly’s album, He’s currently working on his fifth album for Nas. Last but not least, his latest effort Surf or Drown Vol. 1 was released in April and visuals to support that project are currently being shot.

“I GOT A RELATIONSHIP WITH MUSIC AND I’M JUST WATCHING MY SON EVERYDAY. MAN I’M JUST CHILLING RIGHT NOW,”

SHIRT: CASABLANCA

SWEATER: CELINE

PANTS: MONCLER

SHOES: CHRISTIAN DIOR

SHADES: CLEAN WAVES

JEWELRY: HIT-BOY’S OWN

He’s not riding the wave, he’s creating them. And just like waves in the ocean, each one seemingly bigger than the next. Sit back and let’s learn a bit more about the man himself.

BLEU: What’s your process like when you are creating music?

Hit-Boy: My process is forever changing because I do multiple things. I recorded most of Nas’ stuff as far as laying his vocals down. I started becoming more of a vocal producer rather than just a beatmaker. It helps with the overall thing of being a producer, getting in the trenches and learning different ways to inspire the room. Sometimes my main job might just be to [an] engineer so that’s something I grew into. It’s always changing. As far as creativity, I keep that organic as possible. Just let the moment just lead and let what’s going on in the room. I don’t have a specific process, everything I do is really on the spot and what I’m feeling at the moment. I feel like I have the most success when I’m just vibing on my own.

BLEU: What’s the biggest lesson post your first successful hit [Ni**as In Paris]?

Hit-Boy: Biggest lesson I’ve learned? Try to get 10 more records like Niggas in Paris. I had a lot of other big records but you really got work that moved because that’s only going to last for that moment. No matter how big the song is. No matter how revered that song is, it’s going to have its capsule in that time and place. You can’t ever lean on one thing to say “Oh I’m good at this game forever.” Nah bro, you gotta keep pushing and keep putting the pressure on. I’m knocking songs out and albums out like its clockwork.

BLEU: Did you feel like people try to limit you to a record like that or were you allowed to explore other sounds?

Hit-Boy: There was a definitely a lot of “I need a N**gas in Paris.” I didn’t even know that record was going to be that until they put their vocals on it. Even that beat alone, I played that beat for multiple people that didn’t take it. It always got land in the right place. It kind of confuses me when a person boxes me in like that, versus wanting to come in and seeing the best stuff I have to offer or if we need to cook up something from scratch, cool. For them to put me in a box like “Oh I need this,” like I don’t even know how I made that shit. I just make music. I make vibes that I feel in the moment and they become what they are supposed to become.

BLEU: What inspired by The Surf or Drown project?

Hit-Boy: I really went through some real stuff. Post my biggest records, It was me really trying to figure this out and get out of the box of people feeling like my moment had passed. To me,

“ANYTIME I WAS GOING THROUGH SOMETHING, I KNEW I COULD LEAN ON MY FAMILY. ”

SKI MASK: MANNAHATTA NEW YORK

JACKET + PANTS: ALEXANDER MCQUEEN

SHIRT: UNIQLO

JEWELRY: HIT-BOY’S OWN

that’s how I looked at it. As much stuff I was doing, I felt like my brand was digressing as far as where the game was going. That’s what pushed me to say “I had to surf through this shit.” I had to really beast and become the best producer I could be. When I had the opportunity to work with Nas, Benny The Butcher or whoever I’m working with, I just really got to surf on whatever I’m doing.

BLEU: What tracks are you loving the most?

Hit-Boy: Most definitely every song got a special place in my heart. Hearing my dad rap from prison on the first song [Big Hit (Intro)] to set that [album] off. In retrospect, when I was seven or eight years old, he used to rap for me over the phone and send me rhymes that he wrote. So to have that full circle moment — something we always talked about doing music together and me able to get that off and people get that context. It was an ill moment. On Make The Rules, my three-year-old son vocals are on there, shouting out Surf Club and saying little fly stuff. It’s a family thing.

BLEU: You mentioned earlier about going through some things. What were some of the things that kept you going?

Hit-Boy: I worked through it. Anytime I was going through something, I knew I could lean on my family. Plenty of times, I went to my mom like “I’ve been through so much, not sure I can keep going.” She always encouraged me to keep going—she saw me making beats since I was 15 or 16. I always leaned on the fact that I loved music and regardless I’m going to be doing what I gotta do.

BLEU: Do you have a wishlist of artists that you would love to work with or someone in your mind you’ve been creating for?

Hit-Boy: Kodak Black and Stevie Wonder. [Laughs]. I’m just open to talent. I see the game is forever shifting and new waves are coming in. I’m the type of the person to work with a new artist and vet and try to get them my all. I’m really open.

TOP: WHO DECIDES WAR PANTS: MARNI SHOES: NIKE

JEWELRY: HIT-BOY’S OWN

BLEU: What’s the proudest moment of your career thus far?

Hit-Boy: Surf or Drown — it encompasses the struggle and things I’ve been through. I’m still keeping this shit fly, keeping it wavy. Even on the artist tip, there were times I was really off this shit, feeling there’s no chance for me. Then I drop something like this and get support from so many dope artists, dope people in general. That’s just more energy to keep it going. I like where I am right now.

BLEU: You obviously have a relationship with fashion and your own personal style. What motivates you from a style standpoint?

Hit-Boy: I’ve always switched up my style. Back when I was 19, I moved to Atlanta, I used to wear these long socks in different colors and people would always point that out. I always try to have something that’s a stamp. When people see me with the rings now, it makes sense. As far as brands, most of the things that are at Max Field or H. Lorenzo. From Bottega Veneta to Marni to Casablanca. Mix that up with some forces or Jordans and you straight.

BLEU: What can people expect from you in the future?

Hit-Boy: Definitely more Surf or Drown volumes. Me and The Alchemist got more going. Me and Nas. Me and Belly’s album. Working on music with Benny The Butcher. I did his album Burden of Proof in 2020 and it was the largest selling album of Griselda history, it’s just ill to have a continuation of that.

BLEU: What do you want your legacy to be?

Hit-Boy: Greatness. I want people to associate me with being quality and being on the track of greatness. That’s how I look at Kanye. Like Pharrell. No matter what they do, you always think about their greatest moments. I want to be just like that.

“ I WANT PEOPLE TO ASSOCIATE ME WITH BEING QUALITY AND BEING ON THE TRACK OF GREATNESS. ”

SHIRT: ISSEY MIYAKE

PANTS: COURREGES

SHOES: BOTTEGA VENETA

SHADES: PALM ANGELS

LYUBOMIR DOCHEV

Bleu: How long have you been drawing/illustrating? How did you get your start?

Lyubomir Dochev: It probably sounds a bit cliché, but I was a really creative kid and was drawing and illustrating from a really young age not knowing that this might be my career one day. I was using all my free time trying to redraw Disney characters and also think of cool clothing designs (at least in my head they were cool back then lol). But it was not until I finished high school that I started taking my passion more seriously. Instagram was the place where I was showing my creations and sharing them with the world. I was surprised by how many people actually cared about what I was doing. Being recognized by some of the biggest celebs like Rihanna, Ariana Grande,

XZendaya, Kendall Jenner, Gigi Hadid and Winnie Harlow just to name a few was definitely a push for me to continue believing in my creative vision.

Bleu: Do you consider this more of a hobby, or is this the direction you’d like to take your career?

Dochev: At the beginning, I was definitely seeing this more as a hobby but the interest in my work became really big that I started taking this as an opportunity to really explore more of my talent and not being afraid to turn it into a career. I firmly believe that this is only part of me and I look forward to using the gift that God gave me to develop my own clothing and jewelry brand one day, because

RIHANNA

Rihanna wearing Savage X Fenty

Dreamy Gigi Hadid

for her Gigi X Frankies Bikins

I am truly passionate about building and showcasing my vision when it comes to fashion and styling. Modeling and photography are also things I have considered, so I am not afraid to experiment and see what will make me happy.

Bleu: What work are you most proud of?

Dochev: I think we should be proud of each little step we are taking towards our goals and I am definitely thankful that I managed to go through a lot of hit-and-miss moments because they taught me a lot as a self-taught artist. But I might say that some of my most memorable moments were when my work was used as a card that was going with one of the first Rihanna “Riri” perfumes or when Winnie Harlow was wearing a hand-painted jacket by me. These two moments really pushed me in the beginning of my path!

Bleu: Tell us about your love of fashion and how you use illustration to merge the two worlds.

Dochev: I have always had an eye for details and appreciation for people with different styles, who are not afraid to stand out. That is really what excites me and makes me want to create art that revolves around fashion. I love reimagining clothes and accessories in my own way and using them as styling ideas on my illustration models. Fashion is art and being an illustrator is a huge part of it because that’s how every design idea starts — with sketch. That’s why I wish fashion illustration was taken more seriously by the industry because there are many talented creators who deserve recognition.

Simon Jacquemus

and his flowers

Tribute to the life and legacy of Virgil Abloh

Kendall Jenner showing Power as a true Scorpio Sign

Bleu: Anything you’d like to share about your process? Paint, pencils, both or other? What’s your favorite color to work with?

Dochev: Let me surprise you — pencil but a digital one! I had the chance to experiment with many mediums throughout my career from paint to pencils, markers, charcoal, but I think my favorite way of illustrating is when I am using my iPad and Procreate. I love how easy it is for you to carry it everywhere. You can pack it and travel with it or enjoy the nice weather while drawing in the park. All of your art supplies are in one place. I believe each color has its own beauty. But I definitely prefer earth tones. And I enhance every work of mine with the aura that I add as a finishing touch. And it’s always really colorful so there is a contrast between the beige/grey background I am using.

Bleu: Are any of your illustrations your original designs?

Dochev: Really often I am recreating the fashion looks from celebrities that inspire me, but I also like to work on my original ideas. Every Halloween I love to do an illustration series where I experiment with styling and clothing designs of mine. Using your vision to create costumes and putting them on celebrities that you think might fit your theme is really fun. I have also worked on a whole menswear collection of my own that I hope one day to be produced and showcased on the runway.

Bleu: Who are some of your role models/inspirations?

Dochev: I find inspiration in people who are not afraid to experiment and are themselves no matter what. That’s why I can say that Rihanna has played a huge role in believing more in myself. Seeing her being a singer, performer, fashion icon, designer and building Fenty as an international brand for makeup, skincare and lingerie is something that shows me that you can work on all of your passions and you should not limit yourself to one thing only. Virgil Abloh is someone who has always been a great example to me when it comes to creativity and design. His passion was and will stay motivation for many. I would like to also add Simon Jacquemus with his beautiful designs and breathtaking ideas!

Bleu: Do you have any dream clients/projects?

Dochev: On the top of my list will definitely be to work with Simon Jacquemus as I truly love the aesthetic of the brand and it’s really close to my heart. The same goes for Off-White! I love the vision behind it and how creative and innovative the brand is. And of course continue building my relationship with Fenty and creating more for them. Who knows? You might see me in their next campaign!

Bleu: What are you working on now? Have anything coming up in the future?

Dochev: I am definitely excited about what the new year will bring me as we are still in the beginning of it. And I look forward to all the projects that I will be developing so I can come back and reveal them in front of you. I mentioned my passion to experiment with

Ariana Grande

from her R.E.M. Beauty campaign

modeling so it will hint that I have been actively working on that at the moment.

Bleu: Where do you see yourself in five years?

Dochev: Happy and fulfilled with the work that I am doing but always striving to achieve more. Hopefully having my own international brand, exploring the world more and working with all of my muses I mentioned above. I believe that the future is bright and it’s best when you share these moments with the people you love so having my loved ones is a must!

Bleu: Anything else you’d like to share? Anything you want people to know about you?

Dochev: As my final words, I would just like to tell every single person who is reading this and has dreams in their hearts — DON’T GIVE UP! Believe in your own abilities and trust in yourself through this journey. Also surround yourself with people who will push you and support you — your circle is really important! And never rely on motivation to do the work, be disciplined when it comes to achieving what your heart truly desires. Be grateful for every moment of this journey! And last but not least, always stay optimistic no matter how things look! It all works in your favor!

The Inspiring Story of SHAQ PALMER

Shaquille “Shaq” Palmer understands the assignment when it comes to fashion.

DJ Chalant

Fashion is, no doubt, a significant driver in pop culture. Celebrities across all entertainment areas know how their fashion choices can influence their image and branding. Fans and spectators have always marveled over movie and music stars’ wardrobes on the red carpet at award shows. Music artists also know that their image plays just as big a role as the music they create in building and connecting with an audience.

Even professional athletes take their fashion “game” to new heights when not on the playing field… and fans are all for it. It is a reason NBA pregame “Tunnel Fits” is a thing. In the social media age, celebrities know that a well-put-together fit can create a viral moment.

Palmer the in-demand stylist is the muse behind some of your favorite entertainers’ fashion moments. Already, in his young career, Palmer has styled for an impressive list of clients, including Diddy, City Girls, Serena Williams and Nicki Minaj, to name a few.

His work has graced the pages of publications like Paper Magazine and Galore. He even has television (“Million Dollar Hustle,” Lifetime Series, 2022) and film (“Secret Society 2,” Amazon Prime, 2022) credits on his resume.

Success, of course, does not happen overnight and for an aspiring stylist and fashion influencer, you do not just snap your fingers. You are suddenly working with A-List celebrities.

Palmer’s journey to get to the position where he is now started at an early age. Hailing from Philadelphia, a city known for being style-centric, Palmer began to gain a fashion-forward reputation in middle school. He credits his mom for pouring into his passion, making sure he was laced with the latest styles and trends.

Writer: Jason Kwame

Photographer: Ryan Dinham

Richard Ontiveros-Gima

Faysal Hassan

This carried over to high school, as Palmer continued to become a style influencer. Of course, as a high school student, you may need more funds to buy new clothes regularly. This is where Palmer started to exercise his creativity. Many of his peers and classmates used to believe that he never wore the same thing twice. In reality, he did wear pieces more than once, but he was skillful at matching, swapping and putting pieces together to create an entirely fresh look. He would become the costume designer for his school’s theater department.

During this time designing costumes, Palmer discovered his idol, Grace Jones. He admired her boldness, fierceness, fearlessness and how sensual she was. Palmer would keep these traits in mind as he began his path to a career in the fashion industry. After graduating high school, Palmer packed his bags and headed to Florida, where he attended the Miami International University of Art and Design. In 2014, he earned his associate degree in fashion merchandising. With his formal education and training now completed, Palmer had to find his bearings in the industry. He needed to find a way to “get his foot in the door.” He was in the right place. Miami is a glamorous city filled with stars, Palmer just had to find a way in.

It is common for creatives to have side jobs and hustles while searching for a big break. For Palmer, it was delivering coconut water. But while working, he always kept his eyes on the prize, contemplating his next career moves.

Palmer determined that if he was going to make a splash in Miami, who better than hip-hop royalty and Miami legend Trina to pursue. He got wind of where the Diamond Princess’ residence was, and luckily for Palmer, he had the perfect excuse to show up at someone’s door without an invitation.

He would deliver coconut water to her, with a note introducing himself and his aspirations of wanting to style her. He was willing to do it unpaid. He just needed a chance to prove himself. It was the perfect plan, so he entered

Photographer: Ryan Dinham Richard Ontiveros-Gima Faysal Hassan

the condo where Trina lived and got up to her unit dressed in his delivery work clothes. He knocked on the door, which someone from the cleaning staff opened and allowed him in.

Once inside, Palmer looked down at the Diamond Princess doormat, and the moment became surreal. He did not get a chance to meet Trina that day, but he left the box with the coconut water and the note on her counter and went on his way.

About two weeks have passed since leaving the note at Trina’s house, and Palmer still has not heard back from her or her team. The universe rewards those who are persistent. Because Palmer would find yet another opportunity to connect with Trina. He knew a friend that was mutual friends with Trina’s manager. He asked for a favor to join and soon he found himself on the phone with Trina’s manager… and it was perfect timing as Trina had award show obligations on the horizon.

So a meeting was set up for Palmer to come by to show Trina some looks. On the meeting day, Palmer waited in his car for three hours and still saw no signs of Trina. He was getting ready to accept another near-miss opportunity. As he was getting ready to pull off, Trina pulled up. The moment he was waiting for had finally arrived… the chance to show Trina some styles. While at her place, showing her his work, Palmer noticed the box of coconut water and his note that he had left there weeks before. It was untouched. He asked Trina to look inside the box and read the letter. It was a fullcircle moment.

That moment was the career launching pad Shaq had been manifesting since he first landed in Miami. Palmer’s hard work and persistence paid off, as Trina would eventually fly him out to New York to style her for the 2016 VHI Hip-Hop Honors: All Hail the Queens. Shaq has gone on to work with many big names in hip-hop and entertainment. His work is featured in music videos, red carpets, publications, and performances.

Palmer is not content with the success he has achieved so far. When asked what is next for him, he said he is still restructuring and figuring things out, perfecting his craft, and even growing his clientele list.

I asked him what advice anyone had given him was best.

“Simple, never give up,” Palmer said. “I could have given up when I waited three hours for a chance to meet with Trina.”

But he persisted. To succeed in this industry, you have to get lucky. But as they say, luck is awarded to those most prepared, and Palmer has been preparing for this all his life.

MECHIE SO CRAZY

Artist Mechie So Crazy gives insight into his creativity in his sit-down with Bleu.

DJ Chalant

Bleu: You released your debut EP just last month, what was the creative journey like for you from start to finish with that?

Mechie: It was actually super dope. This was the first EP that I have ever put out throughout my career. It’s always been single after single after single, so this one was pretty much like my baby. I connected with a guy named K Major, who’s produced a lot of Jacquees, Usher, Future, Chris Brown… also OG Parker is on there too. And it was just a creative process. We would go to a studio, just vibe out, play beats, and we really created everything from scratch. Maybe one or two songs are already completed so we just had to add verses, but everything else was literally made from scratch. I literally had my hand in pretty much everything from the whole creative process, picking out the beats, to the writing process. It was just a vibe man, it was just super dope to actually get the chance to show all of my talents in all different genres of music because I got Afrobeats on there, I got hip-hop on there, I got R&B on there, so it was just super dope to not box myself in and just be completely creative and open.

Bleu: I’m glad that you said that, talking about the different genres, because the next thing that I wanted to ask was what do you hope the aesthetic journey will be for your listeners from the first track to the last? What do you want them to hear? What do you want them to see? What do you want them to feel while they’re listening to the entire EP?

Mechie: Really just the emotions that I felt you know?! Like I’m a crazy guy, I’m super dope and I’m a lover you know what I mean, so I wanted to convey that. I didn’t want to just box myself in, I didn’t want to just do all R&B because I’m not just an all R&B guy, you know I mean? I like going to the club, I like turning up, I like rap music, you know what I mean. I like Wizkid, Burna Boy, and you know, I love all of these types of music, and I feel like I would be doing a disservice to just put one type of genre on my project, when I’m capable of doing everything, you know what I mean. And when people listen to it, I just want them to just go with the motion, just go with how it makes you feel you know, because that’s what I look for. As soon as something come on, I’ll be like “Oh fuck, this about to do, is about to go somewhere” you know what I mean, like, that’s what I look for. No matter if it’s a club song, or an R&B song, whatever type of song it is, when you press play on it, it’s either going to be some anticipation, so you’re gonna be like “Shit, hold on, I gotta see where this goes”. Or is it going to be immediate like “Oh my god, dang, this fire”, you know what I mean. But I want that mystery there, I want people to actually listen and be like “he can do everything”. That’s what I want people to listen to, and actually take from it.

Bleu: Nice, And I thought that you said your music is fitting from the dance floor to the bedroom, or even just to write out to, and you talked about having all those different genres as a part of your EP. What about those genres inspire you? And then how would you describe your signature sound and style in all of that?

Mechie: Yeah, well, I rapped before I sang, so I always listen to hip-hop music. I always listen to rap music, and I started my career off being a club host, so I would host the clubs and actually play my song while I’m hosting it. So the club environment and me turning up it’s always just gonna be me, you know what I mean, so I had to convey that. Because even when people see me in social media or whatever, or out and about, they see I’m lit, you know what I mean, so I don’t want you to see me being a lit guy, and then being like “eyy, that’s two different people,” you know what I mean. That’s not me, you know? And when it comes to the Afromusic man, that’s just like, all of that stuff it just makes you feel so good, it just makes you feel amazing, it just makes you dance, move... I mean, just the soundtracks alone, when they come on, it just makes you move, you know, just like Wizkid’s Essence, if that song just plays with the beat, you’re gonna still black out to it, you know what I mean? Because not too much has to be said, you know, and that’s what I love about that, that’s what I love about that type of music, and when it comes to the R&B, it’s like I’m a nasty dude man, it’s just like I love women, I love being intimate, I love being physical, so I had to convey that, like, I had to do that.

Bleu: Yeah, I like it, you’re right about that afrobeats, I don’t even know who the artist is, I think it’s called Calm Down or something like that…

Mechie: Yeah, it’s the [sings] “Baby come down.”

Bleu: Yeah, that’s it!

Mechie: Man listen, it’s just the instruments. I don’t even know what it is, it just makes you feel good. But it shows that too, when you look into their videos and stuff that people do over in Ghana, and all of these places. They’re all just like, no matter their circumstances, they dance, they get up, they’re happy, and it makes them feel good, you know what I mean? So that’s how it makes me feel, you know what I mean. I’m pretty sure that’s how it makes everybody feel, so I had to put that in there. I’m the type of guy… like, the type of music that I like to listen to, I make, you know what I mean. I’m going to make some stuff that I would listen to. I’m not going to sit here and do songs that I wouldn’t press play on myself you know what I mean. So if I stamp this, I know everybody is going to stamp it too, because it’s what I love to do.

Bleu: I like it. And this is kind of like, not a factor for me, or surprising or anything, but I had actually after I got the email from Alicia, I was like “I know him, where do I know him from.” I don’t know what you call it, like those Snapchat channels that are at the bottom, like nobody you actually follow or subscribe to on Snapchat, but there will always be a channel of you, and I was like “Oh, that’s where I know him from”.

Mechie: It would always pop up on the main page with everybody.

Bleu: Yeah!

Mechie: It’s like a For You Page for Snapchat, if that makes sense.

Bleu: Yeah, yeah, that’s it. That’s exactly it. So since we know that you sing now, what motivates you to pursue music in the way that you do.

Mechie: Just being a kid, and hearing music and it actually making me feel something, you know. That’s what it all comes down to. You know, when I was a kid, when I was about 10 years old, I first started when I was singing in the church choir. I always would dance, I always just had like the groove, you know what I mean. I never knew exactly how to dance, and choreography and things like that. Even when it comes to singing,

I really didn’t know how to sing, but I could sing, I just had a voice. You know, a lot of people, well everybody got a voice, but not everybody knows how to sing, you know I mean. Everybody can hold a note, but not everybody can sing. That actually came and developed over time, me getting into a group, and getting vocal lessons, and then I started to realize I didn’t know what harmony was. I started to learn harmony, runs and riffs, and things like that. And the same way when it comes to dancing, we had a choreographer, and that just tapped into so many different things about my artistry. So I always was this guy, like I always was this artist, I always was the life of the party, the guy that wants to have fun, the “Ladies Man,” like I always was that person. I always was that guy, even when it comes to TV and entertainment. I never was a guy that people saw like, you know what, I see you being a teacher or being a doctor… no one ever said that about me growing up. A lot of people used to say “I don’t know what you’re going to do, but you’re going to have a lot of money, because I can feel it”. Or they’ll be like, “man you know what? You’re going to be an entertainer, or you’re going to be famous, or you’re going to be this, or that…” Like, that was always kind of like people’s opinion about me, and once I got older I kind of started to see it for myself. And that’s when I kind of took the initiative to stop everything else, and just really pursue it because people are not going to lie to you. If everybody says the slope is high, I’m not going to go over there and touch it, because they say it’s high.

Bleu: It makes sense.

Mechie: Everybody just says it is, so let me go ahead and give it a shot, so that’s what it came down to.

weather it’s my peers or people that I’m dealing with business wise. So I’m finally free to the point where I can do whatever I want, drop music whenever I want, and I have no restraints. So now, this is the time to really go 100 with the music, because everything else, like I said, the opportunities keep knocking. So, while those are there, this is what I really really love. So I want to kind of nurture it and take it where it needs to be before I step out, because if you give everything 30%, nothing is going to be 100%, so I want to give something my all, and this is that.

Bleu: Right. And with that, you mentioned the TV shows, so we’ve seen you go from social media sensation to reality show, and now you’re creating your own space in this next wave of new music. How have those transitions been, or have they been transitions, because you just said those are still things that you would still be working on, but how has it been jumping from that to the next level?

Mechie: There have definitely been transitions, because when you get fans, they know you for why they’re there. If I got fans from TV, they know me for TV, if I got it from YouTube, they know me for YouTube, if I got it from a relationship, they know me from a relationship. So, everything is always a transition because I’m getting fans from so many different places, and not just one space. So I always have to reintroduce “Hey look, I do this too” or “Hey look, I do this too”. So I started with music, from when I was in a group and touring with Mindless Behavior, Jacob Latimore, Diggy Simmons, OMG Girls, Trevor Jackson, all the young stars, so that’s where I started from. So my core fanbase, they know me for music. But then you have different races and ethnicities that watch MTV, so now I got the caucasian community, the asian community, all the different ethnicities, that’s liking me for “Oh he’s a TV personality”, “Oh he’s a sex symbol” “Oh he’s this or he’s that”…so you always have to transition in some type of way. Even in music, if I’m doing R&B now, but I want to do a hip-hop album, I might have to make a transition to letting them know “You know I want to be respected for this too now, so I have to figure this out”. I feel like that’s the reason why I put everything on that same project, to make that transition more smooth. Because a lot of people have already seen from my last singles that, it’s R&B, I sing and dance, but I do so much more, so it’s always going to be a transition, but I feel like I handle it pretty cool, and everything happens at the right time, everything is on God’s timing, so there are no mistakes. The transitions are happening the way they’re supposed to.

Bleu: I think it’s crazy that you mentioned Jacob Latimore, because he is literally the last interview I had before you.

Mechie: Oh dope!

Bleu: He was our last cover, and he’s the last person I interviewed before you. Yeah he was cool, and he gave my friend a shoutout because she’s obsessed with him. And I was like “I think you’re too old for him, but I’ll get him to say your name”. So you just gave the world your debut EP, but what can we expect on the horizon from you in the near future, well, throughout the rest of 2023.

Bleu: Makes sense. I was supposed to be a doctor, and look at me, I’m a magazine editor.

Mechie: It’s just what comes natural, man, what comes natural to you. What comes natural and feels good, that’s what it came down to for me. Basketball was something that I always loved to do. I played college ball, things like that, but it was never my love, it was just a passion of mine, something I was good at. But, just entertaining, it just came naturally. Especially with certain teachers, it just came naturally.

Bleu: I like it. And we’re going to jump down to one of these other questions, because what you’ve said, just took me into it. Outside of music, what other passions or projects do you have going on?

Mechie: I’ve done TV shows, like Ex On The Beach, The Challenge, things like that. A lot of TV shows continuously reach out to me, so that’s something that I’m going to tap into as well, along with pushing this EP more and more, because, the bigger that you get in one lane, a lot of other doors and opportunities open up for you. So, really the focus is pushing this EP, because everything else it’s just going to happen from that. It’s just going to trickle down you know? I’ve modeled before, I’ve done shoots before, as far as for magazines and things like that, so modeling is never out of the picture, acting is not out of the picture, TV shows are not out of the picture. Everything is there, everything is just about timing, it’s about the right time. And for right now, it’s a time for me to actually put my imprint when it comes to the music, because it’s always been there, but, there’s always been some obstacle that I need to get over, weather it’s within myself, or

Mechie: Tour. I’ve been pitched for a lot of tours, coming up with a lot of different mainstream artists, but also putting together my own. This is a year for me to feed my core fanbase, that’s like everybody. You have 500,000 followers but maybe 100,000 would be there, and really be supporters. Maybe less. Social media is nothing but nosey people. I’m trying to feed my actual fans, the people that are actually going to press play, not all the rest of the people that just think I look good, this is the year that I actually feed my fans. And actually get up close and personal with them, so doing more tours, more spot days, more events. Just really showing more face, especially after the years we had with covid, where we couldn’t really touch people. So now, this is a year for me to touch the people. That’s what this whole year is about. It’s about touching the people that have been there rocking with me.

Bleu: Okay, and you mentioned you’re going on tour with other artists. Can you say who they are yet?

Mechie: I mean, I hadn’t solidified those yet, so I don’t want to sell one before it’s time.

Bleu: And I don’t want you to.

Mechie: But it’s a lot of dope female and male artists that’s touring this year, that by the grace of God I’ll be opening up for, so we’ll see.

Bleu: And what do you want fans to know about you that they might not already know, or anything that we haven’t already discussed since we’ve been having this conversation?

Mechie: Oh that’s a difficult one. Something that they don’t already know? I’m a pretty open guy. I don’t think it’s something that they don’t already know, but I want them to know that I’m really appreciative of the support that I’ve been getting in the past and currently. And I’m going to keep putting my foot on their necks. That’s pretty much it.

Bleu: Alright, that was actually all that I had. Is there anything that you want to share that we might not have touched on...

Mechie: No, I think this is cool. I appreciate it, I appreciate it, for sure.

PLANT DADS

WHO WANT TO SHARE THEIR LOVE OF PLANTS

Plant dads are taking over social media platforms

By Eric Charles Munson

ADRIAN ABESAMIS

Adrian Abesamis, known online as “adrianandplants”, is a blogger and video creator from the San Francisco Bay Area. He has around 150,000 followers on Instagram. His video content consists primarily of plant care tutorials with detailed descriptions and instructions in the comment section of the posts. Abesamis is also a seller on Amazon called Plant Thangs. In this store, he sells grow lights, fertilizers, miscellaneous plant care items and pots.

PLANT DADDY KOSS

Plant Daddy Koss is a video creator based in Denver who makes short videos about plants. Many of the videos are comedic in nature and involve plant puns and skits. He has around 150,000 thousand followers on TikTok and around 98,000 followers on Instagram. Koss also produced an app called Blossom, which has plant identification, plant care tips, gardening reminders and a botanist hotline, among many other features. He also uploads fitness videos.

THE PLANT PAPI

Kevin Cliff, known online as The Plant Papi, is a therapist and digital content creator who focuses on mental wellness and his love of plants. He originally created his Instagram page to find other plant lovers, but then started creating his own content. Eventually, his page exploded. Now, Cliff has around 122,000 followers where he can promote his love of plants and mental health. He also uploads content about family, sneakers and anime.

CHAZLAMONT

Chaz is an entrepreneur based in Fayetteville, North Carolina. He is the founder of Noir Plant Club (NPC), which is an online community dedicated to “Black and Brown plant enthusiasts.” NPC aims to “educate, connect and inspire” plant parents. On NPC’s website there are various items such as t-shirts, sweatshirts and mugs. On Amazon, NPC sells various plant care products, home decorations and other miscellaneous items.

JONNY BALCHANDANI

Jonny Balchandani, known online as “thebeardedplantaholic”, is an entrepreneur and video creator. He has around 166,000 followers on Instagram. His videos consist primarily of plant care and terrarium tutorials. Balchandani’s love of plants began with his mother’s love of gardening. During the pandemic, he brought his several thousand-piece plant collection to Instagram. He even sells plants on his website. He also has a “plant care playlist” on Spotify.

of primarily plant care tutorials. He also has a store on

are notable for their cute face

THATPLANTGUY_TY

Ty, known online as “thatplantguy”, is the owner of a content creation, interior and lifestyle brand. Ty offers various services such as plant installations, consultations, recommendations, routine care and pest mitigation. The pricing varies depending on the service and whether the appointment is inperson or virtual. Consultations vary between $75-$125. He also has an Amazon store where he sells assorted houseplants, gardening tools, fertilizers and pesticides.

CHRISTOPHER A. MATTHEWS

Christopher A. Matthews, known online as “kingedcam”, is an army veteran who is now a social media personality. Matthews has around 173,000 followers on Instagram and around 100,000 followers on TikTok. His video content consists of primarily humorous skits about life as a plant dad. He also has a store called Cam Theory that sells t-shirts, hoodies, mugs, tumblers and even AirPods cases. The products are themed around plants and dogs.

Aiming for the

STARS

Rican Da Menace is making waves in the rap game with every new release and becoming an artist you need to track.

By DJ Chalant

The culture is starting to take notice. The ladies of hip-hop have been pushing the genre forward, pumping out songs dominating the clubs and airwaves. Rican Da Menace is the next female MC poised to make a big splash in the rap game. Since bursting into the scene in 2022 with the release of her first official single, “Ain’t Going Back,” Rican has been building up a nice buzz for herself with each subsequent drop.

In fact, when I interviewed her for this story, the video teaser for her soon-to-be-released track with Moneybagg Yo had just dropped on YouTube. Scoring a collaboration with Moneybagg Yo, one of the biggest stars in rap today, shows that Rican is on her way up.

When I talked to Rican via Zoom, she was active and in the middle of making her moves for the day. As she spoke, there was this zest in her voice, the type of excitement that a young budding artist feels when stars are aligning.

“I want to leak everything right now, lol. That’s how good the music is. But I’m going be patient,” Rican said. Foxy Brown would eventually become one of her earliest supporters and co-signers when she began putting out music. When asked who some of her early musical inspirations were, she credits hip-hop giants like

Jadakiss and The Lox, Nicki Minaj and Foxy as key influences. With rappers of that Caliber as sources of inspiration, it is easy to see why Rican music connects with audiences the way it does. Her voice commands the track while she glides through hard-hitting production with an almost effortless flow.

With her type of talent, it is eye-opening that music was something that the Baltimore native did not really take seriously at first. It was just something to do. It was not until after Rican experienced a personal tragedy.

While in San Francisco, Rican was shot, resulting in her having multiple surgeries. Forced to be inside while recovering, Rican began to have a new perspective on her career and life. So, with nothing but time on her hands, she is taking music seriously, recording for at least four hours daily, grinding. During that time, she began to find her voice and homed in on her craft.

In 2022, Rican would start to see the fruits of her labor. Dropping a barrage of singles and videos on YouTube that included “Ain’t Going Back,” “Uh Ohhh’’ and “I Admit It,” amongst others. In many of her early videos, Rican is putting on for her hometown of Baltimore. “Yeah, we always bring the city out,” Rican said.

I asked her whether she feels pressure to represent Charm City, given that there are few artists from Baltimore to break out into mainstream hip-hop. Rican doesn’t view it as pressure but as an open lane for her to slide in and continue to do what she does for her city.

Rican has big plans. She does not view herself as some short-term fad, a here today gone tomorrow type of artist. She sees herself having longevity in the game and one day having her name mentioned alongside the names of those she idolizes.

“I have a lot of other music, too, that people don’t know about. I’m touching on some deep, deep topics that other artists do not really talk about because they may be too embarrassed to do it, or they are just shy or whatever the case may be. I want people to feel they are not alone when they hear my music. The point of music is to make people feel good,” Rican said.

DJ Chalant: How far do you think you can take this thing?

Rican Da Menace: I’m aiming for the Stars.

“ I WANT TO LEAK EVERYTHING RIGHT NOW, LOL. THAT’S HOW GOOD THE MUSIC IS. BUT I’M GOING BE PATIENT.”

“ I WANT PEOPLE TO FEEL THEY ARE NOT ALONE WHEN THEY HEAR MY MUSIC. THE POINT OF MUSIC IS TO MAKE PEOPLE FEEL GOOD. ”

HOW TO MAKE IT IN HOLLYWOOD

Actors Marc John Jefferies and Gerard Cordero Share Their Secret to Industry Success

GET THE SCOOP ON THE NEW ACTION TV SERIES DEMONICO

By Kirby Carroll Wright

Do you remember the first time you saw The Dark Knight? Or the intensity you felt during Denzel Washington’s unforgettable scenes in The Equalizer? Wouldn’t it be cool to experience those adrenalinefilled emotions weekly?

Well, one producer-director, Donnell Henry, is in the process of making that a reality through the new action-packed television series Demonico

Bleu Magazine had the opportunity to speak with Marc John Jefferies and Gerard Cordero, two of the series’ primary actors to learn more about their personal journey, respective roles and what we can expect from the series. While the actors have different career paths, they share many elements like a humble demeanor, a passion for the arts and a clear excitement about the show.

At 32 years old, Jefferies is an actor many of us have grown up with. In 1995, he played Isaiah in the culture classic Losing Isaiah alongside the incomparable Halle Berry. More recently, he’s been a part of popular shows and films like Power, City on a Hill, and Aurora: a Love Story, which is currently in theaters.

In fact, he revealed that he’s acted in at least one film every year since he was three years old. He credits his parents for his healthy transition from child actor to the present.

“My Dad is a disciplinarian, my mom is a teacher,” Jefferies said. “That combination is the perfect mixture for staying grounded. Things like respect, integrity, and accountability are components that were instilled in us from a young age. My identity at home was Marc John Jefferies, the son – not the actor. Even on set, my dad made sure not to pamper my ego. Some child actors lose that discipline factor because they become breadwinners. Their parents start forfeiting control because they want to remain a part of the child’s journey. At 13 or 14 years old, their parents don’t give them any rules

Gerard Cordero

or boundaries. Also, a lot of child actors are also not protected and they have no outlets or anyone they can relate to.”

Another thing his family ingrained in him is the power of entrepreneurship. He even confirmed a rumored childhood story about his family purchasing a restaurant after not being serviced by the staff.

“Yeah, my dad went back and bought it a few days later,” Jefferies said. “We got rid of the ignorance and brought in people from the community.”

Moments like this taught him the power of research and work ethic.

“It made me realize anything I want to add to my identity, I can add to it,” Jefferies said.

Now, he is the owner of an acting school in New York City and continues to build other forms of income. He also learned a lot from his peers and industry legends like 50 Cent, who he played as a child in Get Rich or Die Trying and later alongside in Power.

“He’s [50 cent] one of the dopest and realest dudes I’ve ever met,” Jefferies said. “He’s very peopleoriented and will always stop to teach you things. But he’s also a really sharp and wise man that’s full of integrity.”

Jefferies brings all of his passion, experieance and knowledge of the industry into every single role, admitting that each one feels completely different.

“It’s no magic trick. It’s just situational, and I make sure to show up the way I need to for each blessing,” Jefferies said.

Then there’s Gerard Cordero, known most for his role in Ray Donavan. The Queens, New York actor found his love for performance in college, starting in theater, but eventually transitioning to film and television.

“I was inspired by all the old school actors and creators: John Travolta, Robert De Niro, Patrick Swayze, Rob Lowe and Denzel Washington just to name a few,” Cordero said. “When I saw their performances and the presence they had on camera, I knew that’s what I wanted to do.”

However, acting isn’t the only skill he has going for him. Cordero is a former gymnast, martial artist and wrestler.

“The discipline and focus of being an athlete helps with fight choreography and makes things flow more easily. Plus, I get to perform my own stunts,”

Cordero said with a grin.

The unique ability aligns him with an elite small group of performers like Paul Walker, Keanu Reeves, Michael Jai White and Kelly Hu. Still he feels like this is only the beginning of his career, and it’s a challenging path.

“The hardest thing for me is rejection, it’s a long journey of rejection. Also, there’s the down-time in between jobs and me, being too critical of myself,” Cordero said.

While Cordero made fair points, it’s hard to ignore his impressive career dating back to the late 90’s and his performance in Showtime’s Ray Donavan

“I played the character Big Al in Season 6 of Ray Donavan. My character was a dirty cop who was part of a crew doing illegal things. It went to a dark place of playing cat and mouse, resulting in people being hurt and killed through the season. The cast and crew were very inviting. Working with Jon Voight, Pooch Hall and Liev Schreiber was an awesome experience and something I’ll never forget. It’s always a pleasure working with other talented professionals.”

Cordero admits that with his athletic background, sometimes his opportunities seem a bit categorized. But his secret is he uses it to his advantage.

“I get typecast a lot, but that’s not a bad thing,” Cordero said. “If you’re good at something, why not do it? Acting allows me to live one million lifetimes in one.”

He implores acting hopefuls to remain humble, train and be open to criticism.

We’re very excited to see these two artists and the rest of the cast join forces and create magic onscreen together in the premiere of Demonico.

The action series follows a hitman named Nico (Cordero) who after being left for dead by his employer, comes back deadlier than ever to enact revenge on those responsible, with the help of his 12-year-old daughter. He also relies on the assistance of his best friend and fellow hitman Hugo (Jefferies) to use his tactician skills to get the job done at any cost. The actors say it’s like nothing you’ve ever seen.

“What you think you’re watching is not what you’re watching,” Cordero said. “It’s one of those series.”

To learn more about Demonico, keep up with the actors on social media. Connect with Jefferies on Instagram at @Marcjohnj and Cordero at GerardCordero.com.

The Actor Shares the Importance of Finding Your Tribe.

PLUS, WHY ‘SCREAM VI’ IS BEING CROWNED THE MOST RUTHLESS OF THE FRANCHISE.

By Kirby Carroll Wright

Directed by Wes Craven, the first Scream came out in 1996, and took audiences by storm.

Whether you left the theater looking over your shoulder or brainstorming your next Halloween costume, it became tattooed in your mind. I guess that’s why it’s not surprising that the franchise has reemerged in recent years and maintained its cult following.

Bleu Magazine chatted with Mason Gooding, who plays Chad in Scream VI, about what makes this film unique.

Gooding, the son of actor Cuba Gooding Jr., has been a fan of the Scream franchise for years. In fact before the films resurfaced, he wrote a college essay about its impact.

“I guess it’s a form of manifesting,” Gooding said. “It just happened to contextually make sense in the moment. I’m such a big fan. It’s one of the first horror films that made me feel like I was watching elevated cinema.”

He went on to explain how he was asked to email his essay to the production team after his audition. He received a call a few weeks later telling him he got the part.

“I screamed fittingly,” Gooding said with a shrug.

Fast forward that moment to last year’s Scream (2022), to the present, Chad remains, which Mason contributes to his character’s support system – an element he can relate too.

“I love that Chad is willing to put himself on the line to protect the people he loves,” Gooding said. “As a young man, that’s something he’s coming into. He affords himself the space to take direction and criticism from the women in his life. I try to do that in my personal life too. I respect him deeply.”

Gooding seems to be very in touch with his character. That’s apparent by the respectful way he speaks on acting and his creative journey.

“I was afforded a specific showcase of the industry with my father and I think there was always a question of if this was something I had the ability to pursue,” Gooding said. “I don’t know if I had that answer until I got my first job on Ballers [Season 4]. There was a moment in the water because I played a surfer where hundreds of people clapped from something I’d just done. And I was like, ‘I can do this for the rest of my life.’ I just want to get better at it and hone my craft.”

Scream VI is already making quite a bit of noise online thanks to the film’s creative marketing where a performer dressed as Ghostface makes appearances in popular cities. Some onlookers are taking photos to capture the bizarre sighting while others are calling the police.

“I think people are right to be curious and cautious about a famed serial killer showing up in their city, but I think it gets people talking about the movie,” Gooding said. “People really start to wonder what they’d do in a situation where Ghostface is amidst their presence. I like that people were respectful and safe of the performer in the costume and they weren’t hurt in any way shape or form. But I like the immersion factor the marketing team has taken. It’s fun for me at least.”

The excitement and vigor of the latest Scream most definitely allows Gooding the space to explore his creative passion because the characters endure a plethora of emotions. Many are calling it the most “ruthless” of all the films, which Mason says is due in part to the film’s new backdrop: New York City.

“New York is a very visceral landscape and that’s part of what makes the city move fast,” Gooding said. “Things are so high-octane and quickly paced that the violence that would take place would follow suit and have a higher level of intensity. Moreover this time around, Ghostface is just something different

— that will make sense once it’s revealed. But the motivation and drive behind his actions are indicative of that violence.”

Moving forward, Gooding is excited to continue delving into other genres. Though he admits he doesn’t think there will ever be a time he says no to being amidst horror. Still, there are many other creative avenues he’s looking forward to exploring.

“A random career goal is to dress up as a character and go hang out with kids

and involve myself in the community,” Gooding said. “I want to have my art and representation of a character go beyond the screen and be amidst the audience in a more tangible way.”

We’re intrigued to see where his journey will take him next, but for now it’s Scream VI’s moment.

“What makes me comfortable as a longtime fan of the franchise is the themes and messaging rely a lot on family and sticking close to the people you trust most,” Gooding said. “Remain skeptical of the world around you but through the lens of protection and trying to be together with your chosen group. I think what brings new people in is the fresh take that Radio Silence [the production company] applied to their vision of Wes’ original narrative. The guys have done their best to respect what came before but also add their own personal and artistic take.”

Scream VI is in theaters beginning March 10, 2023.

Gocha’s Tapas Bar in Atlanta

Celebrity Hairstylist GOCHA HAWKINS celebrates opening of her newest venture.

Some might recognize Gocha Hawkins as an award-winning hairstylist or the owner of Gocha Salon in Atlanta. But, one thing recently added to her resume - a restaurateur. Before entering into the food industry, she spent nearly three decades building a career in the beauty industry, and working with various stars such as Beyonce and Nicki Minaj as she worked with them during the times when the superstars would perform in Atlanta. Other names include tennis star Serena Williams and reality star Kandi Burruss.

But, in early 2019, Hawkins launched a new venture within the restaurant industry by opening Gocha’s Breakfast Bar in the Atlanta neighborhood of Cascade. Eventually, she would open a second location in January 2020 in the Fayetteville region. The eatery

By: Nicholas Hernandez

serves signature staples, including fish and grits, various pancake and French toast flavors, and even “betta than yo momma biscuits,” making it a popular brunch staple in the area.

But, now Hawkins is the creator of a new concept - Gocha’s Tapas Bar.

Celebrities celebrated the grand opening on May 17. The star studded list included: Recording artist, Cee-Lo Green, Bravo’s “Married to Medicine” castmate Dr. Heavenly Kimes, Food Network Chef Erica Barett and VH1’s “Love & Hip-Hop” castmates Kirk Frost and Rasheeda Frost. And, the three-hour event was hosted by Crystal Renee from BET’s “Sistas.”

Ahead of the celebration, patrons lined up, awaiting the grand opening of the new restaurant and eager to try out their tasty

offerings. The establishment is located in the South Fulton area of Metro Atlanta, decked with an interior space of nearly 1,500 square feet and a 2,100 square feet patio space. The menu consists of dishes including shishito peppers, grilled lamb chops, lobster rolls and shrimp ceviche, along with signature cocktails such as “Da Baddest Peach.”

As the guests celebrated the official opening of Hawkins’ third venture, during the event, the beauty guru received a proclamation from the Mayor of South Fulton Khalid Kamau and other city officials of South Fulton.

The opening showcases Hawkins’ growing food empire, building off her two successful breakfast bars in the region and illustrious career serving as a hair consultant for the Miami Heat, Detroit Pistons, Orlando Magic

and Atlanta Hawks cheerleaders and being a part of the WE TV series “LA Hair” for three seasons.

“I am truly grateful for the relationships and the community we have built over the years,” Hawkins says in an Instagram post.

And with a cut of a brightly colored red ribbon, the doors officially opened for business at the Publix Shopping Center at Sandtown Crossing in Metro Atlanta. Proclaimed, via Instagram, to be home to the “best tapas in Atlanta,” the restaurant is open Tuesday through Sunday from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. and sets out to bring an upscale dining experience to South Fulton.

However, for Hawkins, the restaurant means

more to her, especially as a Black, female business owner. In a recent Instagram post, she writes, “my job as a restaurateur is to bring things to my community that are needed. It’s a void and I’m here to fill the void and help my community.”

And, while she strives to create a comfortable space that fosters connections over food and drinks, she says in a BET interview, she wants to develop an environment that will impact the cultural and social climate in Atlanta.

Early last month, Hawkins became a part of PepsiCo’s Dig In Program, which spotlights Atlanta’s female-run, Blackowned restaurants. In an effort to change the restaurant industry landscape, PepsiCo

committed $50 million over five years to help establish a better future for Black restaurateurs. From offering advice on how to access capital to marketing tools to setting up delivery operations, the company provides access to the tools and opportunities for success, according to its website.

“Programs like Pepsi Dig In are essential because they aim to provide long-term support,” she says in an interview with BET. “During the pandemic, the community stuck together and supported Black businesses to help get through a very challenging time, but beyond that, support wanes. I was interested in working with Pepsi Dig In because of what they’re doing to address that…”

Young Dolph’s life was taken away on November 17, 2021 at age 36 in a driveby shooting while visiting a cookie shop in his hometown. News of his death shook the hip-hop community and even more so the city of Memphis, which Dolph called home.

Born Adolph Thorton Jr, Dolph was committed to achieving success in the music industry on his terms while putting on for his city. He was one of the biggest stars in the rap game at the time of his death. This is backed by the fact that his last solo album released during his lifetime, “Rich Slave,” was his highest-charting album. The album was powered by the single “RNB,” which features Megan Thee Stallion. “RNB” and the album “Rich Slave” would become certified gold, giving Dolph his first project to receive such honor.

Words by: DJ CHALANT

More impressive is that Dolph reached such sales accolades without the big marketing budget of signing to a major label. One of the key components that helped to make Dolph adored by fans, the industry and the streets was that he stayed independent throughout his career, electing to release music through his own label, Paper Route Empire. He started the label in 2010 after his debut mixtape, “Paper Route Campaign” (2008). With his newly formed imprint, Dolph would drop many mixtapes early in his career, including titles such as “Welcome to Dolph World” and the fan favorite “High Class Street Music” series, to name a few.

By then, Dolph was starting to make a name for himself in his hometown of Memphis. But when his 2014 single “Preach” dropped, his brand began picking up more steam and fans everywhere began to pay more attention. In 2015, his guest verse on O.T. Genesis’s banger “Cut It” gave Dolph his first certified platinum record as a collaborator. All the work Dolph was putting in through his mixtapes and guest verses helped to build momentum for his debut studio album “King of Memphis.” Released on February 19, 2016, King of Memphis was well-received by fans and critics. The album boasts the single “Get Paid,” which gave Dolph another anthem that banged in the clubs, streets and the radio.

Some other notable singles Dolph would crank out during his run are “Play Wit Yo Bitch” and “100 Shots,” released in 2017. After signing the artist Key Glock to Paper Route Empire, Dolph would find more success as the duo would collaborate on multiple projects, ranging from mixtapes to an album.

Adolph Thorton Jr has made a significant impact on hip-hop. He may not have the most commercial accomplishments or platinumselling records, but what he could do independently is remarkable and admirable. His unwillingness to sign to a major label and rejecting many lucrative offers throughout his career earned him much respect amongst his fans. Remaining independent gives artists more creative control over their work and finances and Dolph proved to be a savvy businessperson. He made a fortune for himself and never hesitated to use his wealth to uplift his community. Dolph is just as known for his charitable initiatives and humanitarian efforts as his music. Following his death, many stories began to surface about his generosity, giving more insight into the personality of the man we know as Young Dolph. Long Live.

Nelly - “Hot in Herre”

Migos - “Stir Fry”

Kelis - “Milkshake”

Usher - “U Don’t Have To Call”

Justin Timberlake - “Rock Your Body”

Jay-Z - “I Just Wanna Love You”

Clipse - “Grindin”

Shakira ft. Kid Cudi - “Did It Again”

Daft Punk - “Get Lucky”

Snoop Dogg - “Drop It Like It’s Hot” 702 - “Star”

Camila Cabello - “Havana”

Kendrick Lamar - “Alright”

Pusha

T - “S.N.I.T.C.H.”

SZA ft. Ty Dolla Sign - “Hit Differentl”

J Balvin - “Safari”

Solange - “Crush”

Ludacris - “Southern Hospitality”

N.O.R.E. - “Superthug”

LL Cool J - “Luv You Better”

Asher Roth - “Public Garden”

Gwen Stefani - “Hollaback Girl”

Robin Thicke ft. T.I. - “Blurred Lines”

Birdman (Baby) ft. Clipse - “What Happened To That Boy”

Mac Miller - “Objects In The Mirror”

Jay-Z ft. Frank Ocean - “Oceans”

Lil Uzi Vert - “Neon Guts”

Omarion - “Touch”

Beyonce - “Blow”

M.I.A. - “Time Traveller”

N’SYNC - “Girlfriend”

Beenie Man ft. Mya - “Girls Dem Sugar”

Britney Spears - “I’m A Slave 4 U”

SWV - “Use Your Heart”

Jadakiss - “Knock Yourself Out”

Wreckx-N-Effect - “Rump Shaker”

Blacksteet - “Tonight’s The Night”

Ariana Grande - “R.E.M.”

Ol’ Dirty Bastard ft. Kelis - “Got Your Money”

Prince ft. Q-Tip - “The Greatest Romance Ever Sold (Remix)”

Rosalia - “Motomami”

Mystikal ft. Nivea - “Danger”

Busta Rhymes ft. P.Diddy - “Pass the Courvoisier”

Ray J ft. Lil’ Kim - “Wait A Minute”

Babyface - “There She Goes”

P. Diddy ft. Neptunes - “Diddy”

Yuna - “Live Your Life”

Ma$e - “Lookin At Me”

Foxy Brown ft. Kelis - “Candy”

Mary J. Blige - “Steal Away”

Fabolous - “Young’n (Holla Back)”

Faith Evans ft. Missy Elliot - “Burnin Up” No Doubt - “Hella Good”

The Carters - “Apeshit”

Alicia Keys ft. Kendrick Lamar - “It’s On Again”

Ed Sheeran - “Sing”

Toni Braxton ft. Loon - “Hit The Freeway”

Tamar Braxton - “Wanna Love You Boy”

Common ft. Mary J. Blige - “Come Close”

Sean Paul ft. Fahrenheit - “Bubble”

Daley - “Look Up”

Cee-Lo Green - “Let’s Stay Together”

Talib Kweli - “Broken Glass”

Slim Thug - “Like A Boss”

Mariah Carey ft. Snoop Dogg - “Say Somethin’”

Jennifer Hudson ft. T.I. - “I Can’t Describe (The Way I Feel)

Twista ft. Jamie Foxx - “When I Get You Home”

Lupe Fiasco - “I Gotcha”

Total - “When Boy Meets Girl”

TLC - “In Your Arms”

Sleepy Brown ft. Big Boi - “Margarita”

Ciara - “I Proceed”

Mario - “Go”

Madonna ft. Kanye West - “Beat Goes On”

Pharrell - “Happy”

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