Braided Magazine Issue One

Soul noun \ ‘sōl’ \ emotional or intellectual energy or intensity, especially as revealed in a work of art or an artistic performance.

To me In the black community the definition of soul varies but all has the same importance to us, this sense of pride in the use of that word. Our voices, our food, the way we carry ourselves has always been held high as soulful. In the times of slavery to the times of the harlem renaissance african americans had picked up the term soul to explain their illustrious and oftentimes intense performances. The term soul strongly attached to black culture due to our intense emotions we put into everything we cared about, everything we had to fight for gave whatever we did more intense and driven. We still to this day do things to the best of our abilities, even when our society tells us we’ll never make it. This issue celebrates soul and its meaning to people of color as a whole.

Playlist

DeadstockV1- Liv.9000 (Feat. NEV) Kenny Flowers- Butterflies Lavagogh- Wants & Needs Manasseh! - I didn’t Know Anaiet - Exes Are Trash Pivot gang- Death Row [Prod. daedaePIVOT & Daoud]

Movies and Shows to watch When They See Us- The story of the Central Park 5 by Ava Duvernay She’s Gotta Have It- (2017) Spike Lee revistits one of his first films starting the character Nola Darling a black artist in brooklyn new york.

Body image issues

After a shower I just stare at myself Hold my arms up and flex Wondering if this is enough I have way too many athletic friends Turn to the side and look at the skin folding over itself

Wondering if that extra skin is bc I’ve lost weight or extra skin bc I’m getting fatter I get closer to the mirror to scrutinize my face

Oh look another pimple My forehead a cracked Chicago road in the summer The stress of the heat pushing and pulling on the road leaving this disgusting mess That’s how I see myself

A disgusting mess

I hit the lights and just let the dim sunlight shine through in the bathroom I like myself better that way When I don’t have to actually see myself Please for the love of god don’t hit the lights Don’t remind me of what I look like I walk out the bathroom trying to forget what I saw I want to forget myself

I want to forget what I look like I walk past a mirror and flinch “Oh yeah that’s what I look like” I get dressed and look down How my stomach bulges through my shirt like a mother holding a new child My friends will joke asking when is the baby due…...please don’t remind me that I walk around like this

...yeah I have body image issues

Truthfully most men do We look at ourselves then look at the men in movies and magazines, on our timelines, our feeds, our tv’s

Wondering if we will ever be that picture

Wondering if she or he will squeal at the sight of our bodies in amazement only to be reminded we will never live up to that so we walk around dejected and sad Broken and mad at the world Hold all that pain in for you will never be enough but you are a man so never talk about what you feel Suck that shit in like you do your stomach when she walks past They must never know your pain you are a man ….yeah this is what being a man is. ...body image issues.

By: Michael Adams

Johari Parish

instagram, Facebook & Twitter : @saynoart

Tyrell Traylor

Akua Darkwa

I’m a 19 year old music major at UIUC and I like to crochet clothes. I crocheted this top inspired by Solange’s “When I Get Home” album and she ended up seeing it! She retweeted it and posted it on her Instagram story and it’s one of the proudest moments of my life. After I went viral, Lil Yachty ended up seeing my shirt and dm’d me asking me to make him one. It was really convenient as well because he was performing at my school around a week and a half after he asked me for it, so I got to meet him too! He was really nice and both of these moments really made my freshman year amazing.

Social Media: @nyancoaa on all socials

Imani Joseph

Hollywood Narratives We Are Killing in 2019

A new year means new stories featuring marginalized communities hitting your local movie theater, streaming service, and television. White Hollywood has had a history of recycling corny tropes and stereotypes when portraying minorities’ stories; however, it’s not just white Hollywood playing into problematic stereotypes, but these same marginalized groups cashing in on their peoples’ misrepresentation in the box office. Going into 2019 as a viewer and consumer, let’s try to avoid putting our money where ignorance is - let’s leave all of these overused, problematic tropes in the past:

-Award winning movies about black people only involving slavery or Jim crow

-Black women being portrayed as simply loud, bitchy, angry, or sassy

-Leading women needing a male love interest

-Two women’s conflict focusing around a man (failing the Bechdel test)

-Feminine gay men being the sassy sidekick, never the lead

-Homophobic characters being secretly gay

-Interracial couples always including one white person

-Transgender people being described as ‘born in the wrong body’

-Bisexual people solely interested in threesomes

-Bisexual people involved in affairs

-Light skinned Latinx and Black people taking on the majority of leading roles

-Large women being portrayed as grandmothers or aunts, never lovers

-Asian Americans having phenomenal standardized test scores, being violin prodigies, and having doctors for parents

-Black men only being funny dressed up as women

-Black kids having absent fathers

-Queer stories entirely centred around homophobia

-Domestic violence only shown in heterosexual relationships

-Not acknowledging Mexican people can be brown, white, and black

-Bisexuality being illustrated as a phase

-All Mexican American people are poor and undocumented

-Not acknowledging men are victims of sexual assault too

-Women incapable of healthy friendships

-Mexican Americans only having wealth through drug related business

This list was put together by asking my family and friends of different ethnicities, sexualities, and walks of life: it’s not an exhaustive list of all problematic narratives that exist. If you have any more narratives you think should die in 2019 comment below.

Kenny Flowers

Kenny Flowers is a Chicago musician that makes amazing music that gives off a mello and playful vibe.

1. Where do you get inspiration? Top three things that inspire you? Top three things that inspire me are other artists like my friends and my emotions. What inspires me about other artists is like I started making music because of together artists anyways. It inspires how I write and the sound I’m going for. I try to get it exactly the same as the artists I’m inspired by or kind of their vibe as you will.How my friends inspire me? They inspire my actions and what I do. I’m heavily influenced by friends and family. Also myself and my emotions inspire me a lot. A lot of my writing comes from how I feel.

2. Where did you get your name from?

I got Kenny Flowers my first rap name was Kendal with a K which was kind of stupid the reason I named myself that because every time I freestyled I was like, “yo its Kendal with a K” because you say crazy things when you freestyle because it’s the first thing you think about. Then I played off of it and started going Kendal with an AK like an AK47 which was also made it more stupid. I was brainstorming other names and I remember Mac Miller one of his songs he said Kenny Powers and I’m like “Oh kenny powers ,I’m not like an aggressive dude so I can go with Kenny Flowers.” So I texted my group chat and they [my friends] were like “Yo why don’t you name yourself Kenny Powers” like no y’all don’t know me. I was like “Kenny Flowers rolls off the tongue really nice it works” so we went with that.

3. What tips do you have for networking

Networking, get loose and go out more. The more you go out, the more you get used to talking to people. You become an expert at it. One guy told me, “Talk to five people a day,” I don’t have time for that but I will talk to as many people as I can a day. It doesn’t matter who your connecting with as long as you connect with somebody. It’s still important to connect and expand your network at the end of the day.

4. Other hobbies or interests? What else would you possibly be doing right in life if you had not followed this path?

I like playing basketball, I intern at a magazine company where I do advertising and I’m majoring in advertising and minoring in public relations. That’s what I do outside of music, but that also goes hand and hand with music. You can advertise and market your music the right way with public relations which goes along with making connections and talking to people, which goes along with communications in general. Basketball is my hobby, I like to write like anything-skits, bits, movies, shows, whatever. I like to watch Anime, Netflix, and Hulu. I like to sleep, but that’s more than a hobby that’s a sport. I would probably just be advertising at an agency somewhere, that’s kind of my plan B. So working in an agency as a copywriter, being in charge of many campaigns and commercials.

5. Top song on your playlist right now?

Top songs on my playlist are Shoutout to Joz, she’s an artist from Chicago. She has a song called BlondeNow and everytime I listen to it I cry, it’s amazing. Childish Gambino’s Is Summer Time Magic. Thats the mood for the whole summer. Maritza Day’s Summertime Fine, and I’m really getting ready for this summer.

6. How do you dress and what do you think it says about you and such? What’s your personal style?

I’m terrible at my wardrobe. I need someone to dress me. I haven’t bought new clothes in a year because you know, money can be tight. But I’ve never really been expressive through my clothes and I want to start doing it. In one of my videos I wore a poncho like the sand man he has a gown. I’m gonna start wearing sleep gowns because that’s what I do, I sleep.

7. Your astrological sign?

My astrological sign is a Gemini Or Cancer I guess, I don’t really know the details. When I tell people I’m a Gemini they make a cringey face and I don’t know why.

FrshWaters

FrshWaters is a Chicago native artist that is a part of PivotGang a chicago native group which is made up of Saba, FrshWaters, MfnMelo, SqueakPIVOT, and daedaePIVOT.

1. Where do you get inspiration? Top three things that inspire you?

I get inspiration from the experiences I’ve gained through living life, coming up in the hood is a humbling experience. Being able to see and have more than what was presented to me in life is beautiful and just a blessing. The second is family, they give me a lot of things to motivate me and keep me going, they always have my back. The third thing is my friends. I have the best friends in the world, they are really cool.

2.What tips do you have for networking?

Always go into social settings and never be the person to live with regret later. Go to these events like it’s a family reunion but they aren’t family, introduce yourself and be nice, don’t necessarily tell them what you do off the bat, get to know the person and if it comes up you can tell them. It’s better they get to know you so they REALLY know who you are, that’s a lasting impression. We are all everyday people, give people the same hospitality as people at a family reunion. But also show appreciation for their work and just overall be kind and inviting.

3Other hobbies or interests? What else would you possibly be doing right in life if you had not followed this path?

If I didn’t follow this path I would see myself as a teacher, I am a very empathetic person who always wants to see other people succeed so I would love to be a teacher, maybe not grading papers, but I love helping people learn and bridge the gap in experience barriers. Like through explaining things in a way people can understand and relate to, making it easier for them to learn and grow through my experiences.

4. Top song on your playlist right now? Mariba- Black Truck

5. Your astrological sign Cancer

L.A. VanGogh

L.A is an amazing Chicago musician who performs all over Chicago and specifically often with Sofar sounds, concerts held in different locations all over chicago.

(Photo Credit: @bemore.bybre and @chollette )

1. Where do you get inspiration?

It comes from a few different places. It might come from a dope drum loop I hear in a song. Could be from Classic Rap, New Rap, Jazz, and R&B mostly. Or I might hear a cool instrument, my favorites are the electric piano, bass, and trumpet.Sometimes, I feel inspired by the music itself or by the audacity of the artist to do something special or crazy. Those are more like influences. Although I do my fair share of study on the greats before me by listening, the bulk of my inspiration is directly from events in my life - feelings that move me, questions I want answers to, answers that others seek, things I want to let go, things I want to have fun with, and things I have a hard time saying out loud.

2. Top three things that inspire you?

People: Anthony Joshua, Kendrick Lamar, and Gary Vee at the moment. Books (instead of shows): Codependent No More, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, and The One Thing. Movies: almost anything Stanley Kubrick, anything Jordan Peele, and anything with amazing cinematography and coloring.

3. What tips do you have for networking and such for people just starting out?

Before you do anything, including networking, have a plan, set a goal, have discipline, and understand that mistakes are a part of the development process. Because networking is such an interpersonal communication skill, I do recommend learning how to communicate best to get your message across and learn to be confident in what you say. Truly be yourself, and if you don’t like what that means to you at the moment, just keep improving, and most importantly, don’t give up on yourself or your dream. Don’t be afraid to ask questions or ask for help. Don’t be afraid to take the chance. BELIEVE IN YOURSELF. Get out and be around the kinds of people doing the things that you want to be doing. Wanna be a music producer? Hang around a studio, or someone with production knowledge that you respect and admire. Same if you wanna be anything, have conversations with people you respect and admire and that can teach you. [Whether it’s a] Painter, doctor, dentist, carpenter, mechanic, writer, actor, don’t matter. Don’t consult a chicken if you want to make milk.

4. Other hobbies or interests?

Hmm I’m very intrigued by psychology and personality. Oh, and philosophy. I’m a thinker. I could imagine finding fulfillment in being a psychologist. If I was really into math, I might try to be an astronomer and quantum theorist, or something like that. Space and the cosmos just awe me. I really just like to find out how things work, but like, mostly finding out how existence works. And the more I Think I know, the more I don’t know. That’s so inspiring to me. Knowledge is endless.

5. Top song your playlist right now?

Everything I Know by: Benny Sings

6. How do you dress and what does it say about you?

I dress comfy and colorful. I like stripes, floral patterns, and silk. I also like H&M joggers and a hoodie. I think my style says “I’m cozy, but I WILL show out on you”

7. Your astrological sign

Taurus Sun, Gemini Moon, Gemini Rising

2. What tips do you have for networking?

Anaiet Davis

Anaiet Davis is a chicago artist who does it all she is a pianist, producer, songwriter, vocalists, and an all around creative queen.

1. Where do you get inspiration? Top three things that inspire you?

I get my inspiration from my emotions, that’s definitely a thing. Sometimes I have a hard time talking to people and I’m bad with confrontation, so I will just write about that shit. But yeah I try to get inspiration from just existing. I also like using inspiration from someone else’s music, like [I take] a jazz composition and do my own thing to it.

Go to a lot of open mics everywhere like YCA, Surreal Chi, and YouMedia. That’s where you find people that you want to work with and who you don’t want to work with. People think social media presence is super important but that’s not really the case, you can’t do any of that unless you present yourself and your art openly. Sometimes I get scared of that like, I don’t want people to judge me but you’re judging yourself by doing that so it’s not really cool.

3. Other hobbies or interests? What else would you possibly be doing right in life if you had not followed this path?

I like skateboarding but I’m kinda bad at it so I just cruise. I actually auditioned for Visual Arts first and then piano, so I play piano but I also paint. Sometimes it works sometimes it doesn’t. I also really like to braid hair and if I wasn’t doing music I would probably be in cosmetology school. Which I might do anyways because I want a separate source of income. I work at a pizza place right now. It sucks but it’s not too bad, that money is nice though.

4. Do you think it’s important to know more about one craft?

It’s important to know multiple skills if you’re a singer and also maybe wanna do merch. It’s awesome to know screen printing. Like it’s great to pay yourself. It’s definitely important to invest time into your skills.

5. Top song or songs on your playlist right now?

Whack world, I love Tiere Whack and I want to be her. Holy by Jamila Woods, that shit slaps that’s the song I can listen to and be sad.

6. How do you dress and what do you think it says about you and such? What’s your personal style?

I just put on whatever is clean. I’m just kidding.My wardrobe mostly consists of black. In highschool I used to do a bunch of Piano and Jazz gigs and that’s really all I used to be able to wear and I stuck with it. I also used to be anemic, and you know, you absorb more heat when you wear black. I’m planning on buying more things but the problem now is that I don’t really want much, I’ll buy a pretzel just to buy a pretzel but do I really want that pretzel? No. I’m trying to stop shopping at places like Forever 21 because fuck fast fashion. I love thrift stores though, they are amazing. I only go to regular stores when I want something specific which is rare.

7. Your astrological sign?

Capricorn, nobody thinks I’m a Capricorn because they hate them but they like me.

Manasseh Croft

Manasseh is a wonderfully talented and soulful Chicago artist. He does performances all over Chicago with Sofar sounds and many other events including the taste of Chicago. Get to know Manasseh in this interview!

1. Where do you get inspiration? Top three things that inspire you?

The top three things that inspire me are first;what I need to address within myself, the second is how to work through it, and the third is how to get over everything that’s happening or has happened. It’s not always easy to fill those gaps but I’ve found that if I quiet myself and remove my nerves, I can focus on things a bit easier.

2. What tips do you have for networking ?

To constantly create visibility and awareness for yourself because no one’s gonna push you harder than you will. I know that cliché but that’s very true, no one can push your product harder than you can because you’re the one that created it you know all about it, the ends and out you even know how to tweak it to make it worse or better you know everything through and through so with that being said you have to do that for yourself you have to make sure that you don’t get discouraged by a no because no’s turn into yeses after awhile you keep bugging the right people sometimes they will eventually go “alright come on then” well yeah that’s what I would say.

3. Other hobbies or interests? What else would you possibly be doing right in life if you had not followed this path?

I would probably be in culinary school and be a chef, probably travel to Paris to study somewhere the French . They use a lot of butter and I love butter. Butter makes everything better. But yeah I would probably be doing that or I would be in school getting my Bachelors I have my associates in Addiction Studies but, I would probably be getting my Bachelors and go on to get my masters in a similar concentration to your social work and all that good stuff. I wanna go back to school but that’s not at the forefront because I have a lot going on and I don’t wanna slight anything. Because school is gonna be there just like student loan debt so it’s both of them waiting for me and I’ll see them when I get there.

4. Top song on your playlist right now?

Top three songs: I’m indecisive on this one because it’s very hard but, No by Devin Morrison, Not Enough by Benny Sings, and Imagine by Mickey Miller. I love all three of them, they all need to do a collaboration. If I could throw a 4th in there it would be Mystery Hour by Pavo Pavo.

5. How do you dress and what do you think it says about you and such? What’s your personal style?

I tend to wear fancy apparel loose and I can move around and be really comfortable. That’s my goal, to be comfortable at all times because you never know what’s gonna happen, you may have to sing or something you know. I love color, I’m a black man that’s not afraid of color and I don’t associate colors or patterns or cuts of clothing with gender so I just wear what I want to wear and mix things up. I’m a child of the 90s through and through I was born in 87 so the 90s were the time for me to grow as a person and form ideas of like who I’d be as a teen and a young adult. It’s 90s fusion all day long. Sometimes I like to get in theme with my outfits like the colors or monochromatic situation. I’m very easy going and I like my clothes to feel that way but it feels that way and that’s what matters to me. The look isn’t always the entire story but the feeling is always more telling.

6. Your astrological sign

I’m an August Virgo. A cusp baby on August 25th.

DeadstockV1

A Chicago artist that makes beautiful and fun music about real life issues. He does events, festivals, and open mics all over Chicago. He even performed at the first braided event! Get to know him more in this interview!

1. Where do you get inspiration? Top three things that inspire you?

I get my inspiration from people, being around different people or traveling to different countries. Just meeting different cultures whether it be black, white, LGBTQ, anything. It’s just interesting seeing what’s going on right now. My mom, or just being around my family, I feed off that energy. I’m an energy person so people, energy, and personal things are what I feed off of inspirational wise. I’ve been traveling recently. I went to Morocco and Spain in January, I’ve also been to Mexico City. Trying to travel even if you don’t have the means just figuring out some type of way. You might’ve been born in Chicago but you have to get out to grow.

2. Other hobbies or interests? What else would you possibly be doing in life if you had not followed this path?

I rollerblade a lot and I snowboard in the winter, and I also really like watching documentaries on culture. When I get really sad I think I get into “education mode” and want to learn a lot of things or be really productive in general. Right now I’m trying to lay low. I haven’t really worked so I’m just not spending much money hanging out with friends and just getting that energy. Whether it be DJs or videographers, just being around that energy it’s important, I don’t think people really realize that. I want to teach English in the Philippines, I heard it’s easy to apply and the odds of it happening are really high. I also might wanna take a break from the music thing, that’s what I would wanna do.

3. Top songs or songs on your playlist right now? B album by Common that Kanye produced in 2006, Crash talk By Schoolboyq, Odeza because I’m going to electric forest at the end of this month, it’s like edc Burning Man but it’s in the forest, it’s crazy. Brock Hampton Outcast, Saba,Third eye blind. Some local people Cmoneywave Morgan Gold. A bunch of people.

4. What artist inspires you to be an artist?

Kid Cudi really moved the generation without actually moving the generation. I really like J Cole. I’ve been compared to him, I like Chester Bennington too. I grew up on Linkin park but I really liked Linkin park’s first three albums, they’re super great. I wanna say Kanye but I can’t anymore,his first three albums are like but I stopped listening after dark fantasy. Kid Cudi, Lupe Fiasco, or Eminem it’s really the third one I can’t decide.

5. How do you dress and what do you think it says about you and such? What’s your personal style?

I hate clothes right now when I was in middle school, it was a different world, we used to rock Nike SB’s because they were doing collabs like with Staples, but now all these collabs are like 800 dollars and I can’t always afford that. Like I have the Travis Scotts but I got lucky and I wore them once and people were walking up to me taking pictures like “this is sick.”

It should not be like this, I’ve never been there before and they have this virgil stuff going on, I don’t know if I like it. No offense, I don’t know if I like seeing all these white people walking around in these things. It makes me feel weird because we have all these people who can’t afford this stuff and can’t get this stuff even if they wanted to. I think making things accessible is important like when Kendrick dropped that Reebok line. It was so accessible, [but] like a lot of stuff dropped nowadays isn’t and that’s crazy. A lot of what’s happening right now is cool but we can’t buy it, like people are genuinely getting killed over things like that.