Industry Mag: Jun/July 2010 by Elizabeth Aferi

ourmission

THE Industry The Industry is North Americas’ newest and fastest growing publication in the urban market. Our Mission is to Market, Serve and Promote Toronto, New York, Miami and Jamaica’s entertainment industry. We cater our readers with the latest fashion & beauty trends, hottest music charts, Sensual eye candy for both genders, Upcoming events and exclusive interviews with headlining talent in the business!!! Not only do we provide material of those in the spotlight and behind the scenes; we also collaborate with a valuable network to create local and international opportunities for both existing and aspiring talent in all respected cities we distribute in. Welcome to THE Industry!

12CONTRIBUTORS

ISSUE

CEO & PUBLISHER LISA PERSAUD, CREATIVE DIRECTOR MICHELLE BRIJLAL, EXECUTIVE EDITOR MELISSA SUNDARDAS, SENIOR EDITOR allison ramdial, JR. EDITRO & FASHION COLUMNIST christina cheng, music director georgia kuye, PROMOTIONS MANAGER (TORONTO) latoya reid, PROMOTIONS MANAGER (MIAMI) TATIANNA MONTES, PROMOTIONS JULIE WILSON, PROMOTIONS RAYMAN ALI, advertising director alicia bryant-west, MEDIA AND VIDEO DIRECTOR NATALIE ASSADOURIAN, Official NBA Dino Blogger James Borbath, Official Industry_Mag Blogger Miss Journalism & wESLEY, Beauty Columnist trish islandbesos, webmaster rami mikhail Exclusive Interviews and Content: Joel Persaud, BAILEY, Kesing S, Nicole McGloster (Miss Journalism), Lisa Persaud (L Peezy), Melissa Sundardas, natalie assadourian, jolie adam Dj’s: Dj Lissa Monet, Riddim Track Master Spex, 4 korners, renegade squad, Photographers: Der wei chan, RICHARD YAGTILOV, SanjaXOXO Photograpy & Make-up and rick obrien Contributers: DIRTY MONEY, Interscope Records, Detail King, TOP DECK ENTERTAINMENT, Micah Entertainment, Smitty Green Eyes, REPS UP, IluvLola, Mona Ladyluckent, 1LoveTO, NuHype, Standout Ent, XO Management, Chris Reign photography, Enchanted PR, Platinum Publicity, Stylus Group, Octobers very own, Grindworks, MONTREAL DANCEHALL , MB-KREATIVEModels: NIKOLE PATON TALENT: QUE, DREW SIDORA, DIRTY MONEY: DAWN RICHARD, DRU, REESE COUTURE, PETER JACKSON, NANDO, SHIVYSHANK, BRASS TACKZ, SHAW YOUNG, KEVIN ROSS, EVERGREEN, jazz cartier, drake

tableofcontents

meetthe

dreamteam

issuetwelve meet the industrY THE dream TEAM

drew sidora SPECIAL FEATURE

33-34

ALBUM REVIEW DRAKE: THANK ME LATER

best of the best 2010 coverage

35-36

TOP TEN MUSIC JUNE 2010

dru exclusive interview

37-39

HOT97 SUMMER JAM COVERAGE

7-8

hello mr sun sex & the industry

UNSIGNED HYPE NANDO

UNSIGNED HYPE SHIVY-SHANK

UNSIGNED HYPE SHAW YOUNG

EYE CANDY anna maria

UNSIGNED HYPE kevin ross

ONE ON ONE jazz cartier

UNSIGNED HYPE brass tacks

UNSIGNED HYPE evergreen

DINONATION BLOG 09/10 SEASON REVIEW

15-16

QUE exclusive interview

17-21

DAWN RICHARD exclusive interview

23-24

PETER JACKSON exclusive interview

BEAUTY WITH TRISH ISLAND BESOS

27-28

fashion spring 2010

29-30

Reese Couture FASHION SPECIAL FEATURE

31-32

WORDS OF WISDOM ADVICE COLUMN shoutouts

40 41-42

LISA PERSAUD CEO & Publisher

michelle brijlal creative director

MELISSA SUNDARDAS EXECUTIVE EDITOR

allison ramdial Christina Cheng senior Editor jr. Editor & Fashion Column

42 43 45-46 Georgia Kuye Music Director

latoya reid PROMOTIONS manager (toronto)

Alicia Bryant-West Advertising Director

Natalie Assadourian Media & Video Director

TRISH ISLAND BESOS BEAUTY Column

wesley industry blogger & celeb news

Joel Persaud Unsigned Hype Journalist

JOLIE ADAMS JOURNALIST

tatianna montes

PROMOTIONS manager (miami)

julie wilson promotions

rayman ali promotions

JAMES BORBATH NBA COLUMN

Nicole Mcgloster industry blogger & celeb news

kesing sang JOURNALIST

BAILEY jeffries journalist

DRAKE:

ALBUM REVIEW

THANKMELATER By: Georgia Kuye

keeping Drizzy’s hype alive. “Show Me a Good Time” Produced by: Kanye West Apparently there was a bidding war for this beat and, luckily, Drizzy was able to add Ye’s hardhitting production to his album. The track opens “Fireworks” Produced by: Noah “40” with Drake revisiting his Shebib The album starts off with fireworks themes of sudden suc-- literally. The intro features production by cess, living his new life, Drizzy’s longtime producer, Noah “40” Shebib” and the vocals of Alicia Keys on the and, of course, women. “Up All Night” feat. piano. This track explores various personal Nicki Minaj Produced matters from his speedy rise to fame, his by: Boi-1da “Up All uneasy relationship with his father, and his rumoured alliance with Rihanna. “I could tell Night” offers the first rap feature and is a straight ode to Young Money, meeting the it wasn’t love,/ I just thought you’d f*cked appetite of Drake’s hardcore fans. Drake with me/ Who could have predicted/ Lucky Strike would have you stuck with me”. does the hook effortlessly without sounding over done meanwhile label mate Ms. “Karaoke” Produced by: Francis and the Barbie delivers a decent verse, thankfully Lights This track might be one of the underrated tracks on the album that Drake says he omitting the Barbie sh*t with lines like, “Which b*tch you know made a million off will be thanked later for. With a Sade-style vibe, he sings and raps about his first love in a mixtape?” and “I’m a bad b*tch, I ain’t a way that is directly towards her instead of never been a mixed breed/ On a diet, but third person as most artists would; this adds I’m doing donuts in the 6 speed.” “Fancy” the sincerity to his music that we love. “The f/ Swizz Beatz & T.I. Produced by: Swizz Beatz Halfway through the album we are Resistance” welcomed to “Fancy” which features T.I. Produced by: Noah “40” Shebib Drake offers his the most hauntingly honest track on and Swizz Beatz. This dedication to fancy the album, “The Resistance”. It is emotionally girls is a promised hit for Drake’s female audience. If you’re anticipating a regular laced, in which he states, “I heard they just Swizz Beatz production, not to worry; his moved my grandma to a nursing home/ touch is exactly what this track needs. Of and I be acting like I don’t know how to work a phone/ but hit redial and you’ll see I course, T.I. steals the shine (no surprise just called some chick I just met at the mall/ there) and if you listen closely, you can hear Mary J. Blige on the back-up vocals. “Shut that I barely know at all/ plus this woman It Down” feat. The-Dream Produced by: I messed with unprotected/ text me saying Omen, Noah “40” Shebib This is easily she wished she had of kept it/ the one I’m the best R&B track on the album. It was laying next to looked over and read it/.” necessary to have The-Dream accompany “Over” Produced by: Boi-1da, Al Khaliq Drake on this slow jam that is a sure bedAt this point, the album jumps into the first single, “Over”. Although it is not as good as room smash hit (no pun intended). The curse some of the other tracks on the album, it still words that were on the leaked version were removed off the album version. I guess “Put had everyone proclaiming “I’m doing me”, The last time there was a buzz like this was in 2003 before 50 Cent’s debut Get Rich or Die Trying... and we all know how classic that album was. After being pushed back for months, the highly anticipated debut of Aubrey Graham’s Thank Me Later has finally arrived.

your f*cking heels on and work it, girl” may have been a little too demanding for Drake’s female fan base. “Unforgettable” feat. Jeezy Produced by: Boi-1da, Noah “40” Shebib You can never go wrong with an Aaliyah sample... nor a Jeezy feature for that matter. While Drake, yet again, talks about past relationships saying, “And all the girls who played me eat your muthaf*ckin’ heart out,” Jeezy talks about the trap game and delivers an explosive hook, “Riding ‘round the city with my hood on and my windows down/ ask ya girl, I’m the realest n*gga she been around/ I pull up in something new and park it by the haters/and when you get to talkin’ bout the greatest.../ I just really hope that you think of me.” All in all, this track goes f*cking hard. “Light Up” feat. Jay-Z Produced by: Tone Mason, Noah “40” Shebib Wow. After hearing this for the first time you may need to catch your breath. “Light Up” is the most anticipated collaboration on the album and Jay-z... well, basically, he murders this sh*t. Not to say Drizzy didn’t come hard, but while he is critiquing his new life, Hov comes in offering triple entendres. It is debated whether or not this is one of Jay’s best verses. He delivers many quotable lines, especially knock outs like, “Oww...hoes turn they heads like... owls/ I’m the man of the...hour/ Triple

entendres, don’t even ask me...how/ Con Edison flow, I’m connected to a higher... power.” This is straight hip-hop, easily the best track on the album. “Miss Me” feat. Lil’ Wayne Produced by: Boi-1da, Noah “40” Shebib Of course, the album has a Wayne feature. “Miss Me,” the third single is Drake and Wayne doing 32 bars each. Drake gives a cocky flow, “Bills everywhere, trill everything/ and Drake just stand for ‘Do Right And Kill Everything’” and this is followed by one of the best verses on the album, courtesy of Weezy. “Cece’s Interlude” Produced by: Noah “40” Shebib Following “Bria’s Interlude” off So Far Gone, we have “Cece’s Interlude”, again produced by 40. Drake sings to Cece about his success, their relationship and how, for a minute, he wishes he wasn’t Drake, but a normal dude. Ha... WE KNOW. “Find Your Love” Produced by: Kanye West, Jeff Bhasker, No I.D. In terms of Drake’s potential talent, “Find Your Love” is one of the weaker ones. On the first listen, this second single sounds like a scrapped concept

topten

for 808’s and Heartbreaks. However, in terms of landing on Billboard’s Hot 100, this track was brilliant. Not to mention the video definitely made a difference. “Thank Me Now” Produced by: Timbaland The album is brought to close with Timbaland’s production. Though the album’s title is Thank Me Later, Drake rides the beat with anxious energy with the line, “Yeah I know what I said/ But later doesn’t always come/ So you can thank me now.” With the recent album leak, we shall see how customers thank Aubrey Graham in his first week of release. “9 AM in Dallas Freestyle (Bonus)” Produced by: Boi-1da It’s been confirmed that those who purchase the album on iTunes will get the bonus track. Drake subtly replies to his Toronto enemy, Page (don’t worry, we’ve never heard of him either) and doubts himself, asking if this is what his fans that miss the “old him” want and whether he will meet the expected numbers. Although Drizzy’s Thank Me Later is a star studded album with a track listing that one

would expect would drown him out, he tactfully adds his touch of R&B as he does sing on almost every hook to ensure his prominence. He goes against heavyweights like Jeezy, Jay-Z, T.I., Nicki Minaj and Lil’ Wayne lyrically and Alicia Keys and The-Dream from an R&B standpoint and is still able to old his own... impressive. Furthermore, the album is made thoroughly enjoyable with production from Kanye, No I.D., Swizz Beatz, Timbaland, and his city’s own Boi-1da and 40. As promised, the album is a collection of Drizzy’s memoirs covering a range (a rather small one, at that) about his abrupt rise to fame, money, women, and family issues. Drake’s range of topics was limited and subject matter should be expanded for future albums, nonetheless this debut is a breath of fresh air in the current industry. I doubt we will need to thank him later for this one as he has undoubtedly captured market share for years to come. Rating: 4/5

music JUNE10 club bangerstopten

010. N.E.R.D ft. Nelly Furtado - Hot N Fun 009. T-Pain - Kiss Her 008. Pitbull ft. Trick Daddy - City Of Gods 007. Dondria ft. Jermaine Dupri - You’re The One (DJ Chuckie Rmx) 006. Rochester aka Juice ft. Daniel Daley - One Night 005. Yeah Yeah Yeah’s - Heads Will Roll (A-Trak Rmx) 004. Gyptian ft. Nicki Minaj - Hold Yuh (Rmx) 003. Drake Find Your Love 002. David Guetta ft. Kid Cudi - Memories 001. Usher ft. Will.I.Am - OMG

HIP HOPtopten

010. T.I. - I’m Back 009. Belly ft. Serani - Hot Girl (Remix) 008. Drake - Find Your Love 007. Lloyd Banks ft. Ludacris, Yo Gotti, Jadakiss, & The-Dream - Beamer, Benz or Bentley (Remix) 006. Dirty Money ft. Red Cafe & Nicki Minaj - Hello Good Morning (Remix) 005. Fat Joe ft. Young Jeezy - Slow Down 004. Red Cafe ft. Ryan Leslie & The Lox - I’m Ill (Remix) 003. Dj Khaled ft. T-Pain, Rick Ross, Busta Rhymes, Nicki Minaj, & P. Diddy - All I Do is Win (Remix) 002. Young Jeezy - Lose My Mind 001. Drake - Over

DANCEHALLtopten

010. Mavado - Gyal A Mad Ova 009. Aidonia - Jahova Watch For Me 008. Mavado & Stacious - Come Into My Room 007. Di Genius - Cyaa Friend Again 006. Vybz Kartel Beg U A Touch 005. Jah Vinci - Rumour 004. Mavado - Nine Lives 003. I Octane - Lose A Friend 002. Gyptian - Hold Yuh 001. Vybz Kartel feat. Popcaan & Gaza Slim - Clarks

RnBtopten

010.TeairraMarif.SouljaBoy - Sponsor009. Dwele-What’s Not To Love 008. Erykah Badu - Window Seat 007. Ciara f. Ludacris - Ride 006. Usher - Daddy’s Home 005. Usher f. Nicki Minaj - Little Freak 004. Trey Songz f. Fabolous - Say Aah 003. Usher f. Will. I.am - OMG 002. Drake - Find Your Love 001. Alicia Keys - Unthinkable (I’m Ready)

HOT97SUMMERJAM

UNSIGNED HYPE:

ALI ENT: INTERVIEW What is ALI ENT? Ali entertainment A.l.i the acronym for”All Lookin In”. Ali ent is a business that focuses on organizing, advertising and promoting various events like some of the hottest parties in the city, stage shows, concerts and many more events surrounding the entertainment industry. We also do advertising for record labels, independent artists and both male and female models. Another department in Ali is the establishment of our own record label where we are working with two up and coming superstars J’ soul from Toronto Canada who is a very passionate and driven rnb singer/producer and Fantom from Burlington who is a very swaged out rapper that is very passionate about his music. Who is in Ali Ent and what are the roles of each member? The Ali Ent movement comes with a very strong team: Nando Jr “ME”: Founder, CEO, Manager, Event Planner and Promoter.

Teenie: Event Planer and Promoter. Progress B: Marketing, Administrative / Promoter. Tony N: Film Maker / Video Wditor Young Fantom: Rap Sensation J’soul Melody: RnB Sensation How did the group form, what was the motivation behind the collaboration? The group was formed in 2008 by “ME” Nando jr. Nando always having the love and drive for music and with a dream to create a group such as Ali Ent. Of course there were many challenges before I actually formed a successful team that I have today but when I decided to move forward and make something happen my dream became a reality. With the influence and the cooperation with the group members to see the same vision as me we are able to take Ali Ent to a totally new level making music and promoting some of the most exciting parties in the city of Toronto eventually expanding internationally.

UNSIGNED HYPE:

SHIVY-SHANK: BIOGRAPHY

music scene. His talent along with his creativity and business ambition only adds to his appeal, and his unique sense of pleasing the audience.

What or who influences the music and what types of music should we look out for? We listen to any and every artist out there and we try to get the best out of all of them. We mainly do hip hop and Rnb but we tend to switch up a little at times or mix up with different genres just to give a different flavour and come out with something totally different and new.

Shivy-Shank’s debut album (Put It On My Tab) features many of the veteran and fresh faces of Toronto’s Rap scene, Celebrities from the durty south along with songs produced by names such as “Popsondabeat” who has produced for artists such as “Lil-Wayne, Lil-Twist, WakaFlaka-Flame, Soulja Boy, Arab and Jabar from S.O.D Money Gang”, “J.Staffz” who has produced for “Tony Yayo, Wiz Khalifa, Yung Berg and 40 Glocc” just to name a few!

What makes you different from any other group out there? Nothing at this point and time. We are just like everyone else with the same dream of success and ambition in this industry.

“Everything I listen to directs my musical creativity in some way” says Shivy; however, he would certainly include 50cent, Jay-Z, Lil-Wayne, Snoop Dogg, Juelz Santana and Ludacris amongst his biggest influences.

What’s coming out, what should the fans look out for? Look for the new website coming soon look for j’soul and Fantom’s solo projects. and up and coming events. our first anniversary party “Last chance for shorts and skirts” coming at the end of summer. We do have the hottest parties so when you hear Ali you know is going to be on and popping!! How can people find you? Facebook: Ali Entertainment www.youtube.com/user/AliEntpromo Shoutouts? Ali Entertainment Street team. A and K-Sqaud Timeout Crew Dj Aplus Dj Malicious Vertex Sound I Pull Numbers Infamous sound crew Princess Promo So Special Ladies Lexus Supreme Diamonds Studios Sean Bond and Cammy!!

Shivy-Shank, (Shiv Trivedi) was born June 25th 1986 in Manhattan NY U.S.A. He lived in Queens, NY until he was about 5yrs old and moved to Toronto, Canada where he currently lives. Shivy is about to release his debut album (Put It on My Tab), much to the excitement of his already sizeable army of fans. With the album expected to be a success and fame imminent, the fresh, new and exciting sound that he has made his own, is certain to gain recognition from around the world. Shivy-Shank’s unique style is the result of a lifetime of musical influence. Growing up with an enriched musical culture meant that Shivy was always surrounded by different forms of music ranging from classical Indian music to Rap, Hip-Hop and R&b. His parents exposed him to a wealth of music as a child enrolling him in various musical schools to perfect what was clearly a talent in music, all of which influenced his development and creative

thought process. His first attempt into learning an instrument himself came when he started to play the Tabla, (East Indian Classical Drums) at just 7 years old. Later he taught himself to create melodies on the piano and keyboard just to have a tune to play the Tablas with. After declaring that being a musical artist is his main goal, Shivy is now beginning to showcase his talent in various venues across Canada, U.S.A, India and the U.K, playing at numerous gigs and making sure that his name and music is being heard by as many people as possible. He was quickly recognized for the unique style that he brought to the traditional East Indian folk scene across India, and his popularity began to grow across the world. As his confidence grew and his style developed, he soon saw a loyal following begin to grow and he is quickly becoming a popular local hit in the Toronto

Other changes that have affected and influenced his song-writing over recent years have been his perspective on the harsh realities of life compared to the lifestyles of the rich and famous, an area that he pays a lot of attention to and incorporates to a certain degree in his music, employing the characteristics of powerful individuals in history such as President Barack Obama, on a beat that forces you to bounce, or at least nod your head to. Shivy-Shank’s first single, “Obama N’em” Feat. Arab and Nova-Kane will be released on June 25th 2010 at the venue where he will celebrate his birthday and shoot the video. “The party is gonna be off the hook” To stay informed and receive and invitation to the event, follow @ShivyShank on www.Twitter. com/ShivyShank, visit his blog at http://Shivy-Shank.tumblr.com/, Join his Facebook page or simply Google “Shivy-Shank”. Check him out! Bookings and features for Shivy-Shank can be arranged by contacting his manager KP at 647-449-4718 or KP.MusicLife@gmail.com

UNSIGNED HYPE:

KEVIN ROSS: BIOGRAPHY

Kevin Ross is a recent graduate from Berklee College of Music where he was a Songwriting major. Ross is originally from Washington D.C.; he has the next meaningful voice of this generation. Kevin’s rich tone, creative ideas, youthful look and piano skills humbly place him into the category of some of the greatest performers of all time. As a trained vocalist and performer, his engaging stage presence and personality gives him the edge, while industry insiders find the freshness of his voice to be something special, comparing him to artists like Stevie Wonder and the late Donnie Hathaway. To top it all off, he’s extremely charismatic and a true gentleman. Now a days, Kevin resides in Atlanta working as a song writer. He recently singed a joint business venture with Kon Live & Bu (Akon’s brother) on a Pub deal.

UNSIGNED HYPE:

ALI ENT: INTERVIEW Why Shaws? YShaws is a driven, talented, determined perfectionist, who would like to cross borders in music and develop his talent as a Hip-Hop artist into an overall musical success. So often music is classified into genres. YShaws is a true music lover, who envisions music to have no borders or boundaries, breaking the cycle of being placed in one category. If you want to call it, Hip-Hop, then that’s fine, but he’d call it undeniable music, instead of classifying. The Toronto native was born to parents who constantly played music around the house. Although he never really had a vision of rapping until 2000, he always had a love for Hip-Hop and always had a love for the legends. His natural gift to write and create music became predominant in his early teen years, kicking it in his room listening to B.I.G., Jay Z and Nas who were inspirations to his musical genius and immaculate lyrical ability. His love for basketball took a backseat to his dream of becoming a lyricist. He chose to enlighten minds and reminisce about what

hip hop used to be. In 2006, Yshaws’ first single hit the radio waves titled “Right Back Oh My”, produced by Grammy nominated, Boi 1da. YShaws was the first artist to purchase production from Boi-1da in 2003. He has worked with other Toronto artists such as: Kim Davis and Darryl Riley. DJ Green Lantern has also acknowledged YShaws’ music and contacted him to put a song on to a mix tape with various artists. In 2009, Champ Magazine, who has interviewed a variety of celebrities, Grammy nominees as well as up and coming artists became instant fans the minute they heard YShaws’ classic delivery and creativity. How could they not respect and embrace this talent? As YShaws makes a steady incline in the Hip-Hop game, he leaves behind the adversities he faced on the come up, yet still, not forgetting where he came from, but looking onward toward the future and leaving the non-believers in the rear-view. The well-known phrase to the entertainment biz, “It’s always business, its never personal,” has become a motto. His undying love and devotion to HipHop has caused many obstacles on the

journey to become a superstar. Although Toronto has undeniable talent from Drake, Melanie Fiona, Justin Bieber, Kardinal Offishall, Boi-1da to T-Minus, urban music in Canada has endured more than its fair share of struggles. Due to lack of money, media promotion, and overall just not enough doors being open to inner city music. Although he is not currently signed to a major record label, he continues to grow and take baby steps to the top. YShaws stays focused on achieving his dreams his way. He doesn’t rush. He works hard and works steady. Meet YShaws, the baller turned rapper that’s got the whole city talking. You’ve now been formally introduced. Download YShaws’ Music On The Wall EP feat Boi 1da & Kim Davis on www.CHAMPMAG.com Contact : yshaws123@gmail.com Twitter: @yshaws Facebook: youngshaws www.myspace.com/bigmikemastermusic thisisyshaws.com coming soon

UNSIGNED HYPE:

ALI ENT: INTERVIEW

UNSIGNED HYPE:

EVERGREEN: A LABEL FOR THE ARTIST BY THE ARTIST

Artist: Sean MacGregor aka 40 BELO aka JUNIOR Hometown: NIAGARA Job Description: CEO EVERGREEN, PRODUCER, MANAGER BLACK MAJIK, ARTIST Genre: HIP-HOP/ROCK/R&B/FUNK Label: EVERGREEN Artist: Matt Orlando aka DJ MATH-MAJIK Hometown: NIAGARA Job Description: PRESIDENT EVERGREEN, PRODUCER, ARTIST Genre: Hip-Hop/ROCK/R&B/FUNK Group: DJ of BLACK MAJIK MOVEMENT Label: EVERGREEN Artist: Sami Ali aka SOSA Hometown: NIAGARA Job Description: EVENT CO-ORDINATOR, ARTIST EVERGREEN WOULD LIKE TO THANK Genre: HIP-HOP/ROCK/FUNK ITS AFFILIATES AND SUPPORTERS: DJ Group: LEAD MC of BLACK MAJIK POWER, RAS KING, JUDGEMENTDAY MOVEMENT SOUNDCREW, JABRIL, PHOTO WILL, Label: EVERGREEN THE ILL KIDZ AND CP SWERVE, JAY Artist: Norm Pacquin aka TAK MONEYY, CHUBS, NXT UP, PAT MURHometown: NIAGARA PHY, MIXED STYLES, MEN IN BLACK Job Description: PRODUCER, ARTIST LIMO,RYAN GUAY OF STREET PHARMA- Genre: HIP-HOP CY, PACO,ROB NESBETT, CENTRAL MU- Label: EVERGREEN SIC AND STAND OUT ENTERTAINMENT. Artist: Andrew Hendsbee aka THANK YOU TO ALL THE CANADIAN AYEDRUW ARTISTS WHO MADE IT AND GAVE US Hometown: NIAGARA AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE HEARD.   Genre: HIP-HOP Label: EVERGREEN Artist: Zak Ali aka ZAY Artist: DJ aka SHAY BUX Hometown: NIAGARA Hometown: NIAGARA Genre: R&B/HIP-HOP Job Description: PROMOTER, ARTIST Label: EVERGREEN Genre: HIP-HOP EVERGREEN is a new label out of Niagara, Canada. With a line-up of strong artists, EVERGREEN is sure to make a big name for itself in the industry. EVERGREEN’s feature group, Black Majik Movement’s debut album is expected to hit the streets this fall. Other Mix Tapes and albums are also in the works. Look out for the Forever Green mix tape Volume One featuring Dj Power and EVERGREEN artists coming soon. Also, you can check out the featured artists Black Majik Movement at Scene Fest Niagara at the end of June. With many of EVERGREEN’s artists also having jobs within the company, EVERGREEN seems to be a label that cares more about the best interests of its recording artists than capital gain. This could be the label of the future.

Brass Tackz may be a rag-tag team of hiphop misfits, but something about it seems to be working: with over 5000 downloads of their free EP “The Outfit” within the first week of release, Young Sin, Snak the Ripper and Evil Ebenezer are spreading their dirty sound from Vancouver to the rest of the world. The trio combined on Camobear Records in 2009 and the smooth sounds of Sin, raspy ramblings of Snak and dark tones of Evil have drawn attention: the boys have 2 million Youtube hits, 280 street teamer’s worldwide and have played over 300 shows in the past year and a half.

ing, melancholic ballads are certainly not without their silver lining. The glimmers of hope in the face of despair and the hunger to persevere are evident in Evil’s song writing and his raw, energetic shows keep audiences coming back for more.

Snak The Ripper began creating hip-hop in early 2007 and has been kicking up dust all over the world since. Along with his fellow group members, Snak has been littering the Internet with his grimy delivery, reality based lyrics, hard hitting beats and pure ability to tell it like it is. In the short time Snak has been around, he has collected well over one million views This summer Brass Tackz are hitting the on Youtube, and generated thousands of road to support the release of veteran plays a day on Myspace, gaining him group member Evil Ebenezer’s third international attention. solo album “Evil Eye” being released in Young Sin has always had a strong pasJuly. Ebenezer is an original in a genre sion for music - born to a DJ mother and a of lemmings, no entourage, no fancy father in a funk band, the Toronto native jewelry, just a weathered student of hip was initially inspired by groups like Earth, hop staying true to his sound. Evil’s haunt- Wind and Fire, Sam & Dave and Parlia-

ment. As he got older, Sin’s wandering attention span was held by NWA, the Rascalz and anything Dr. Dre touched; it wasn’t until the late nineties that his family moved to Vancouver and he started to turn his passion into reality. Young Sin spent a few years focused on the administrative side of the rap game, sharpening his skill set and garnering industry wisdom. He returned slicker then ever, ready to hold down the business end of the mic while spitting into the other. Fresh off a month long tour of Spain Brass Tackz will be playing select dates on the Warped Tour this summer and are tasked with representing for hip hop as the only urban act on the line-up. www.myspace.com/brasstackz www.myspace.com/evildraftdodgers www.myspace.com/snaktheripper www.myspace.com/youngsinmusic

Label:EVERGREEN Artist: Justin Niece Hometown: NIAGARA Genre: HIP-HOP/ROCK/FUNK Group: GUITARIST of BLACK MAJIK MOVEMENT Label: EVERGREEN Artist: Patrick Scodellero Hometown: NIAGARA Genre: HIP-HOP/ROCK/FUNK Group: BASS PLAYER of BLACK MAJIK MOVEMENT Label: EVERGREEN Artist: Matt Dolynsky aka CAMEL Hometown: NIAGARA Genre: HIP-HOP/ROCK/FUNK Group: GUITARIST of BLACK MAJIK MOVEMENT Label: EVERGREEN Artist: Mazin Nasr aka THREATZ Hometown: NIAGARA Genre: HIP-HOP Label EVERGREEN Staff Member: Ahmed Daoud aka the god father aka mr judgementday Hometown NIAGARA Job Description: BOOKING AGENT, PROMOTER, ROAD MANAGER Genre: HIP-HOP/ROCK/R&B/FUNK Label: EVERGREEN the website is www.evergreenstudios.ca

THE NBA 09/10 REVIEW - James Borbath: daily writer in the Dino Nation Blog that is part of The Score Sports Federation. The NBA Off-Season has almost over-shadowed the playoffs. The amazing heroics of a Rajon Rondo leading the Celtics to a magical ride in the playoff. Kobe Bryant’s quest for back-to-back titles. Steve Nash o.k. Canada’s greatest baller leading the Suns to the verge of an NBA Finals. Superman looking for his own return to the finals for 2 straight years. It all gets over shadowed by the Big 3. No, not Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce. This big 3 consists of Lebron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. They are all now officially available and come July 1st, the most hype freeagent class in the history of basketball and perhaps sports hits the open market. All 3 of this big 3 had quicker ends to their 09/10 seasons than they expected. Bosh didn’t even get to the post season and was left watching his team fail as he sat the final games of the season. Wade had his Heat dismantled in the first round by the actual big 3 lead by Rajon Rondo. While James had a rather epic collapse in 6 games losing to those same Celtics. It has all lead to the moment that ESPN has been hyping for almost 2 years. Free agency is here for the King, D-Wade and CB4. We will start with here in the T-Dot. Chris Bosh had kept quiet on the topic until a few weeks after the season. That changed when he jumped on his Twitter account and asked his followers what he should do this summer. That sparked a firestorm of backlash. Some Raptor fans saw it as Bosh breaking up with them via Twitter. We all know how Vince Carter is- the basketball equivalent to public enemy number 1 in Toronto. Safe to say that not many Toronto fans will be offering congratulations should Carter land a championship with the Magic. Now Bosh has sparked up fans and he may find out what it is like to be V.C. In his time in Toronto, he passed Carter this past season as the franchises all-time leading scorer. He leads the franchise in a number of other key stats. But Bosh detractors point to his lack of leadership and lack of playoff success. Bosh supporters will point to the organization and it’s failure to put players around him. The team has never ventured beyond the NBA’s Luxury Tax in Bosh’s time with the Raptors. It seems all things point to a Bosh departure. He and Raptors G.M have agreed to have a happy break up. If there is such a thing. But both Bosh and Colangelo have said on the record if Bosh does not return to Toronto they will work together on a sign and trade. The advantage to Bosh is

30 million dollars and an extra year on his contract potentially. For the Raptors, they get to try to save face and get something in return for losing its best player. Bosh will be added to a list that most Raptor fans know by heart of Stoudamire, McGrady and Carter- all who left Toronto to play elsewhere. Which up until this season did not lead to a ton of success. Carter may find that this year but clearly not as the guy like he was in Toronto. The Raptors short-term future without Bosh would appear to be bleak. It is up to Bryan Colangelo to change that opinion going forward. He already has decided to keep his coach a move that some hardcore fans do not agree with. Both Colangelo and Triano will have a much tougher job without him. Bosh always has been the other guy to team up with a Lebron James or a Dwyane Wade. The 3 players all have played together on both Team USA and at the All-Star game for the Eastern Conference. However, the idea of an entire season with a combination of any of the 3 has been the focus of more articles in basketball then perhaps any topic ever. So what about the King? Lebron James honestly saved the Cleveland franchise from what could have been death. The Cavs were a complete joke before James arrived on the scene. No he still has not won his ring, as many seem to enjoy pointing out. However he did take the franchise to a Final and has earned it a ton of money and put Cleveland and Akron Ohio on the map. People in Cleveland are afraid with good reason that James could leave. Unlike the Raptors in Toronto who could handle the loss of Bosh and still survive. The same cannot be said for the Cavs. James has many options of where he could go next. The most talked about and likely are New York and Chicago. Unlike the Raptor, the Cavs have made it clear that they will not do a sign and trade with James. He stays in Cleveland or he walks and leaves 30 million and an extra year on the table. However in the case of James that is not as big a deal as it would be for Bosh. Lebron with the amount of buzz he would create by changing teams could likely make the money back. The amount of wacky things that James’ free agency has caused is just off the charts. But here are 2 of my favourites from all of the insanity. First the people of Cleveland gathered to sing a song to the tune of We Are The World with words changed to convince LBJ to stay. I am not sure if taking a song that was originally designed to help global poverty is equal to losing a star athlete. However, there is no doubt a lot of people in Cleveland could lose money from James leaving but I am not thinking it ranks up there with global poverty. That is without even going into the cheesy lyrics and terrible singing. My other favourite involved a New York City strip club called “Scores”. They have said that if Lebron James comes to the Knicks he can have free lap dances for life. Clearly a cheap way to get some publicity but that is far more creative than that song was. It is good to be the King in more ways then one.

There was an excuse made that Stan needed to step away to focus on family. Which he no of course is, his new family in the Orlando Magic and it is going pretty well.

There are lots of strange and unconfirmed rumours out there. But something changed near the end of that series with the Celtics. What it was we may never know. But we will know eventually if James is ready to bid adios to Ohio and the Cavs. Something that the people close to James say would be a major change for him. He has always lived in Akron and his friends and family all call it home. James of course never went to college and being drafted by the Cavs has always called Ohio home base. The 2 front-runners in the James sweepstakes are New York and Chicago. If James concern is the short term the Bulls are the clear winner in terms of talent. Already a playoff team without him this past season. They lost in 5 games to James and the Cavs in round 1. James in his comments after the series had a lot of good things to say about the Bulls. They have Derrick Rose, Noah, Deng and Rookie Taj Gibson to name a few. It offers a lot more hope then New York. Who basically have nothing but money to spend as they have stripped the franchise down to the bare bones to prepare for 2010. People in New York would make the argument that wherever James would go others would follow. Which is true but at least in Chicago you already have some chemistry with the people that are there. The Bulls also have a vacant coaching position that could allow them to sign someone that may interest James and the other top name free agents like Bosh and Wade. For the majority of the season, many felt James would stay put with the Cavs. However, this unexpected exit from the playoffs has made everyone re-evaluate. James says that he and his team would be his management team, will discuss everything and have a game plan. Clearly the one Mike Brown had this season did not work. By the time you read this Brown will likely be fired and Cavs will also have that open coaching spot as a chip. If you polled media and fans they would say both James and Bosh are more likely to go to a new team. However, with Dwyane Wade you would get a much different result. Most feel that he will remain in Miami and stick with the Heat. Miami has a lot of money to spend thanks in part because of a deal they made with the Raptors for Jermaine O’Neal who is also available and going to get a massive pay

If Wade is to leave the front-runner for his services it should be Chicago. Wade is a native of Chicago and it may make more sense for him to come home then to land James for the Bulls. If Wade or James go to Chicago they will have to live with the rather large legacy that is Michael Jordan. Both were big Jordan fans as kids and may embrace that idea. Some feel it would cast a massive shadow on them that it would be wise to avoid. Where the Big 3 of free agency will end up will be the story of this off-season. Some dark horses in this free-agent frenzy could be New Jersey who are in part owned by Jay-Z. However, the majority owner of the franchise is a Russian Billionaire who is taking over and long rumoured move to Brooklyn may just happen. But would any of these 3 guys take that risk seems unlikely to me. cut where ever he goes next. The Heat have won a Championship and that is something Bosh and James both have not done. Maybe that is why many people feel Wade is less likely to move. But since he won that ring with Shaq, things have not exactly been great in Miami. The franchise has been a playoff team but not a real serious contender. Many throw out the Bosh to Miami idea and that would be ironic. The trade the Raptors made with Miami for O’Neal would provide the Heat the money to take their star player away as well. But is that enough for Wade? Clearly Miami would need to give up some things to get Bosh. This is because Bosh is going to come via the sign and trade option. This would leave Miami with little money left and 2 max contract players moving forward if Bosh and Wade both get the contracts they desire. Pat Riley the Heat’s President also went on the record saying that he would not rule out a return to the bench. He coached Wade to that championship but also coached the Heat to a disappointing season as well. Something Wade pointed out when he was asked about the comments made by Riley. Pat of course did this before and pushed out Stan Van Gundy.

If the goal is just to win. Oklahoma City is the place to be. Kevin Durant is the rising star in the NBA and has a lot of young talent riding with him. Here is the problem if you like the nightlife as well, which all 3 of these gentlemen do to varying degrees. OKC does not have a lot to offer you. But if you want a ring and want a place where basketball will be your focus for the majority of your day and night, well then OKC is a perfect fit. If you are filthy rich and looking for a place in Toronto, Miami or Cleveland we might have a place for you to call home. Check back with us on July 1st for details. These are just the top 3 prizes of this class. Many more will be a part of this game. It is likely the most important off-season in the NBA for the most people in the leagues history. Franchises and people’s careers and legacies are on the line. This is BIG BUSINESS despite that fact for fans this is an emotional roller coaster. Like the Boys II Men song goes it’s so hard to say good-bye to yesterday. Well for fans and players there may be a lot learning just how hard it is this summer. Good Bye and Good Luck Chris Bosh if the T-Dot is not in your future.

Exclusive Interview queformer day26 member

with

- Melissa Sundardas

Qwanell ‘Que’ Mosley didn’t just stumble upon luck ¬– he has real talent. Sacrificing a full scholarship at Five Towns College in Long Island, New York where he was studying audio engineering and music business, he auditioned for Making the Band 4 in 2007 and was chosen out of thousands for a spot in Diddy’s hot, up and coming male R&B group, Day26. While recording two studio albums with Day26 and three seasons of Making The Band 4, Que began to have disagreements with his band mates about their management and received a letter from the other members asking him to leave the group. Que was determined that departing from Day26 would not be the write off of his music career. Now a solo R&B artist signed to Atlantic Records with a mixtape – The Que Files – out, a reality TV show, solo album and modeling career in the works, Que has proven that we haven’t heard the last of his fluid, smooth vocals. On a recent visit to Toronto to host an event at Guvernment Nightclub, Que sat down with me to clear up what happened on Making the Band and Day26 and to talk about his big upcoming endeavors as a solo artist. I’m sure everyone’s wondering, how did things suddenly go bad with Day 26? [Laughs] Well that’s a good question…it has a lot to do with my management – my manager before. We were just in crazy agreements and I believe it’s not just about your talent, it’ about your business too and you have to have your business in order and when your manager isn’t showing you contracts and he’s refusing to show you receipts and you hired him, that’s a problem [laughs]. So I had a personal problem with the manager and I told the group, look we’re getting cheated basically. He wanted to sign a contract to 2,060 of our funds. Anything that we acquire – all our funds,

everything even if we pass away, will be given to him and his family – it was under Virginia law – so basically, it was like some bullshit! It was like signing your life away and I wasn’t down for that and so Day 26 sent me a letter saying they wanted to move forward without me because I knew too much. And it wasn’t really an issue with Day 26, it was the manager and they wanted to keep him, so in order to keep business right and to keep the fusion and keep everybody from going their separate ways, they decided to stay a group and because I’m the one that found the problem, they decided to get rid of me. I think he’s the one who told them. I don’t think it’s really Day 26, I think it’s the manager. And so now

having all that in the past, do you have any beef with Day26? Do you keep in touch? We don’t really keep in touch. If we see each other – I’ve seen some of them – we’ll say hi, but it’s business and we’re men and we all grew up. You know, from the Making the Band show we let a lot of our emotions out; we were all growing up, so I think now we’re at a different place in our lives where even though it seems big and it’s like, ‘oh my god he’s not in Day 26,’ I know and I believe in myself and I know

I’m talented. I know there’s an in, so this is not the end for me and it shouldn’t be the end for anybody if this happens to them. When you’re put in a situation and get kind of screwed, don’t give up! Know that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Would you ever consider working with any of the guys from Day 26 in the future? Yeah, in the future I think when everybody grows up and realizes they’re worth more than getting cheated, I think that’s when we can probably come together and make an album and we all can make money [laughs]. You know, I had to walk to get cheesecake – I think I paid my dues and I know you gotta pay more, but I had to do a lot of stuff and I’m just not for getting cheated all my life, you know. I’m man and I’m a business man too. I don’t know everything in business, but I do know enough so that I don’t get cheated. Nobody deserves to get cheated and I think if you’re in any situation where you’re getting cheated, you should figure it out and run and get to somewhere where you know what’s going on – get your business in order. Do you feel the way the fallout with you and the guys was depicted wrong on Making the Band? Because I mean a lot of

editing goes in to TV reality shows and sometimes things that actually happened to you look a lot different when you’re watching it all afterwards on TV. Yeah it was crazy! See, we were arguing over – it was crazy. They didn’t show why we were arguing on television. They showed and made it seem like I was sensitive and I was crying over just bullshit. What they didn’t show was the reason why we were arguing was because of my relationship and on top of it my manager cheating us. We were having arguments about me being with Dawn and I didn’t understand why we were arguing about my girlfriend because I didn’t get in anybody’s personal business relationship wise. I don’t care even if she’s a celebrity and she’s in a group you know, I always kept personal things personal. I didn’t get in their business with their wives or anything, so I didn’t see why we were arguing. We were having meetings about me spending too much time with my girlfriend, so that’s why we were arguing on TV– the guys – about that. And I wish they would’ve show it to the world – this is the reason why he’s acting crazy because they’re bringing up issues about his girl. You know, everybody doesn’t want me to me with Dawn, people are jealous of that [laughs]. Was that kind of hard to be on the show and to be going through a relationship at the same time as you were trying to be in a band? …Getting into a relationship how I got in a relationship I could see why it would cause tension because we’re on a show and if my relationship is real and I’m really in love, people are going to see that. And so when you’re capturing real stuff for reality TV other people look at it like, ‘oh my gosh, he’s getting to much shine – the camera’s going to be on him.’ This is what goes through people’s minds. I’m not saying that they were jealous, but that’s what we were arguing about. I’m not saying Day 26 is jealous of Que’s relationship, but what I

am saying is they didn’t show that we were arguing about my relationship. The guys were saying I’m spending too much time with Dawn and I was like huh? Kind of like I’m still here, I’m still working with you and what not? Exactly and it made me cry because I’m sensitive and I was hurt because I was really for Day 26 and so it just hurt me, that’s why I was crying, ‘cause I’m a sensitive guy [laughs]. Ladies he’s sensitive! [Laughs] But not too sensitive now! I ain’t too sensitive, but yeah I have feelings, you know, like everybody else and I’m human. Just because I’m a celebrity, just because I have an opportunity to pursue my career, doesn’t mean that I don’t go through things – I’m not perfect. Are there any decisions or actions that you regret while you were with Day26 or while you were on the show? I don’t regret anything. I’m glad I went through everything I went through so that I know the information that I know today. I think I’m a better person. I’m more equipped and prepared for whatever comes next, so I’m thankful for everything I’ve been through. Even the bad stuff I’m thankful for, because I learned stuff from it [laughs] and I can recognize if I see somebody cheating me. I can feel that energy, I can recognize it and I’ll be like alright, peace out [laughs]. Not doing that no more! And now everyone knows you as Que that former guy from Day26, so I’m wondering, how hard has it been to develop yourself as a solo artist? It’s been kind of crazy because I don’t have four other members beside me, but I feel stress free, I feel relieved. I feel like no one’s jealous of me, I feel like I have an opportunity to pursue my dream now of what I dreamed of. I’m happy! I’m so happy because I got put out of a situation for the better. So you think everything worked out for the best? I think everything worked out for the best and I don’t want to down talk Day26 or anything like that and I don’t want to say anything bad – even about the manager. Even though he’s crazy as hell [both

laughing]. It’s all love still? It’s all love. They go their way, I go my way. If we see each other, let’s make an album in the future, when everybody is makin’ paper and when everybody’s contracts are right, let’s go, but right now it wasn’t right and I’m glad it happened how it happened because I don’t want Day26 to crumble. That was a brand that we all started so I hope they figure it out in time so that they don’t crumble, because the reality of the situation is that they’re getting cheated and I think people don’t see that. I think people are stuck in ‘oh my gosh that’s Day26,’ so I think they’re stuck in, ‘oh my gosh we’re famous,’ and they’re not seeing the outcome is that they’re getting cheated! So you still don’t think they’re aware of what’s going on? Yeah! We can be a group, just be honest! Do you find it difficult to reintroduce yourself to the public since millions of people have already heard you sing, seen you perform and have already kind of gotten to know your personality through the TV show? I don’t find it hard, the only hard thing about it is answering questions like ‘are you crazy?’ because people don’t know what was going on, all they got was the TV show. So that’s hard – going in front of people that really don’t know me. A lot of people don’t know me, I’m not that “crazy” person shown on TV. I just don’t want to get cheated and that person comes out when somebody’s crossing the line and stepping into my business and messing up shit and when it’s not right, that’s when that person comes out, but I want people to know that I’m not that person, so it’s not hard, but it is a little bit. Do you feel like you putting out that video setting the record straight helped to stop all the rumours and the confusion about what really happened? Sort of, kind of. When I did the video – I’m a very animated person and I have a big personality so people were like, ‘oh my gosh he’s going crazy! [both laughs] Look at his eyes! He’s on crack, he’s on coke…’ I think the people that know me, they got it

and they know that’s just who I am. When the cameras come on I get very animated, but um, I think it helped and then it probably also didn’t, because some people just don’t get it! Some people are just … stupid [laughs]. And you’re no longer just another member from Day26, you’re Que, you’re on your own and starting your solo career , you’ve just released your mixtape called the Que Files..tell me a little bit about that. The Que Files is available on soberetertainment,com. Basically it was a mixtape for me to step out after Day26 and show people like yo, I’m talented, it is what it is. I can sing, I have talent. Basically I was introducing Que to the public and letting them know I’ma keep ridin’ for y’all, I’ma keep ride or die for my fans and I’m not going to give up! And just because someone sent me a letter does not mean it’s the end of my life or my career. There’s a million other things and one person, or one letter, or one thing is not supposed to stop anybody, so that’s what the mixtape was. Basically to show my fans that I’m still around, I got some music for y’all, let’s go! [laughs]. And how long did that project take you to put together? We did that I’d say in a couple of weeks. See I’m used to doing things really fast because of Puffy. He puts us in crazy situations where we have to complete tasks really fast and it kind of helps you in business, when you’re doing certain things, to get the job done. So it took me about two weeks. I record pretty fast in the studio. That’s impressive! Two weeks? Wow. Thank you, thank you [laughs]. We had to do the album in like two weeks for Day26, so I was kind of prepared. The faster you get it done, the more money you make. What was the concept for the mixtape? The concept basically was a whole bunch of files stored up inside of me. I didn’t want to give it all away – there’s some stuff we took off the mixtape because a lot of stuff we wanted to use for the album. We’ve been talking with Atlantic – I’m still signed with Atlantic Records – and trying to get my solo situation straight, so we wanted to save the good songs for the album, but

basically the songs on the album are different messages on different situations that I’ve been through. I believe in writing music about your situations and the things you go through – that makes a song great. So basically the music – it’s me. It’s my opinion, it’s me stepping out, it’s my music, it’s my message. So it’s really personal? Yeah. Any big collaborations on it? I did a song with Lil’ Mo. Shoutouts to Lil’ Mo, that’s like my sis – she joined in to help me. Dawn from Dirty Money, she did a track with me. Brandy reached out to me for the album – she wants to work together on the album. Puffy just told me he wants to get on the remix of Shake That, so he wants to put Dirty Money on it. So you’d still want to work with him? Yeah! And it wasn’t him, it had nothing to do with him. I think a lot of people miss out on that right? They think you have bad blood with Diddy? Yeah, they’re like Bad Boy, Puff, they did it. The thing about this case is, Puff didn’t do it. The manager did this. That’s crazy! Like I said I’ve been in the studio, we’ve been working on the album material now and we’re trying to do a reality TV show. We’ve been talking to my lawyer – her name’s Patty, she has a big firm in L.A. where she deals with reality TV agents. Me and Dawn, we’re trying to do a show. We’re supposed to start filming I think this summer in the D.C. area. What’s the show going to be about? Just our love and the ups and downs. A lot of people,like you said, watching the reality TV show see just one side of the story. People see our love and they’re like, ‘oh my gosh they’re in love’ and we are in love, but people don’t see the struggle. People don’t see the hurt that comes in our eyes and the pain we feel when she has to go away for five months and I have to go my way for five months to handle my business and they don’t see the struggle between our families trying to maintain a relationship and take care of your families and pay the bills and take care of all of these other things, they don’t see all that.

And people think we’re stars and we have it like that and the reality is we’re just in that situation, we haven’t made it – there’s more to it and I think a lot of these celebrities are here going through the same thing I’m going through, or Dawn or anybody else – they’re just not honest. I think that it’s about time that somebody puts out some honesty and tells people what’s really going on. Like you think you wanna get in this – this music industry – but it’s crazy as hell because it’s all about money being made and about you being a product and basically you looking at yourself like a product and you taking your product as far as you want it to go. It’s crazy! People see the videos or they see the movies and they see Hollywood and they don’t see the struggle. They don’t see the other side. It’s crazy, it’s weird and it puts us in situations, as artists, that make us uncomfortable because we’re like, we’re pretending almost to be something we’re not. And is that why you think it’s important to give people an inside look at the life of someone who’s in the music industry? Yeah! What stations is it going to be on? Have you worked that out as yet? We’ve been in conversations with MTV, BET, TV1, Oxygen E – we’re trying to figure out which one is the best one. We’re pushing for E – that’d be good. So you’re starting to film in the summer? We’re starting to film – we put together a pilot right now and basically our reality TV agent, she’s shopping it to different stations because we want someone to invest we just don’t want to get in another situation where we’re doing stuff for free and we’re kind of like puppets [laughs]. You don’t want it to be fake because when you get in the situation of reality TV, sometimes some people who aren’t strong, they can forget about their dream and why they got in in the first place and they get lost in it all because it’s not real. So when would the show be airing? Well since we’re filming in the summer time, I would say about fall. Maybe the

middle or end of fall. Dawn’s getting ready to go on tour with Puffy, Dirty Money and Calina so they’re getting ready to go on tour together so once they get off tour that should be in the summer, then she’ll be free to do the show. And so back to your album, have you though of a concept for it as yet? Yeah we’ve been thinking. I want to do something where I’m kind of saving the world with my message, not in a Michael Jackson way, but very influenced by Michael Jackson. He always had messages inside of his songs and I want to change the realm of my voice, so basically we’ve been talking about futuristic stuff. I don’t want to give it away, but we’ve basically been talking about taking this album to the future. How many tracks have you recorded for it so far? We have about eight – we’ve been working! Any special collaborations you’re going to have on it? Brandy for sure, I said Puffy, the New Boys – I want to work with them. I would love to work with Beyonce and Jay, but basically a lot of R&B artist features like Brandy, the Ray-J, the Lil’ Mos, the people who sing – they’ve been reaching out because they know I was in a singing group so they’re like ‘he can sing. I want to sing with him ‘cause he can sing.’ It’s going to be crazy! I don’t want to give too much away, I don’t want to talk too fast, but I’m excited because I do have a future and Day26 wasn’t the end, it was just the beginning! Any other future projects you’re going to be working on soon besides the album and your reality show? I’m trying to model. I’ve been talking to a couple of stylists at Tiva, Toya, Derek

– Derek is Puff’s assistant. I’ve been talking to a couple of them about helping me out and getting in some magazines and starting modeling. There’s so many different doors that I can go through and choose. I’m just relaxing but working now and taking my time, getting my business in order and picking out what I want to do basically now, so I’m excited about my future because it’s all in my hands and I’m not going to fail. Is there anything else you’d like to say or like people to know about Que? You can hit me up on twitter! It’s que_thafuture and basically look out for me and keep searching me, get my mixtape, vibe out to the music and keep searching Que ‘cause I ain’t goin’ nowhere! I’m here to stay.

specialingin: branding and logo design brochure & flyer design editorial design advertising design corporate identity materials business card design reports & marketing materials corporate website design

I know that everytime I come back they be like ‘oh this mother fucker, this crazy dude is back’ [laughs] like here he comes again. [Laughs] Well we’re happy to have you here in Toronto and I’d like to thank you for taking the time to do this exclusive interview with me for The Industry magazine. It was a pleasure talking to you. We’ll be sure to keep an eye and ear out for you in the future. Thanks Melissa.

michellebrijlal

graphicdesigner

mb-kreative@live.ca

Exclusive Interview

DAWN RICHARD

with

of DIRTY MONEY - Lisa Persaud

Coming from an entertainment industry family (Your father was a lead singer of a funk/soul band and your mother owned a dancing school), did you feel the pressure of having to pursue a career in entertainment? No not at all. My father and mother never pressured me to be in the music industry. They wanted me to do whatever I wanted. And I think because I was not pushed into it… it’s even sweeter that I am now successful in it.

A lot of people think you got started in the business when you were selected to join the cast of P Diddy’s Making the Band (3) but in actuality you joined your first group in your early teen years in New Orleans called “Realiti”. Tell us about that experience: My father was managing me at the time and he formed our group Realiti. It was my best friends Amanda and Bethany Winfield and myself. Kind of like Girl Tyme was for Destiny’s Child. It was my start :)

Aside from your parental influences, what motivated you to embrace the music world? I was a huge fan of Tone. Of course, I loved the greats Prince and Michael Jackson, Etta James, and Queen. But I also loved The Cranberries, Alanis Morrisette,and Green Day. Something about the lyrics in rock music moved me. I grew up on indie rock music living in New Orleans so I was all over the place musically and I loved it.

Now during this time you attended the University of New Orleans, you were on tour as an opening act for Anthony Hamilton and became an NBA cheerleader for the New Orleans Hornets. How did you manage all of that along with your personal life? You know, my whole life I’ve done a lot! Ever since I could walk I was always in everything. I was dancing, in the choir, and cheering. In high school, I was on the bowling team, basketball, softball, track team, in the art club… Just on and on. I think God prepared me young. So it just comes easy because I’ve always been busy. My parents made my brother and I like that.

Who were your favourite artists/dancers/ entertainers growing up? I love Gregory Hines and Fred Astaire. They were amazing and timeless to me. The created stories with there dance ... It was moving art to me :)

Now lets fast-forward a bit, you landed a spot on P Diddy’s Making the Band 3. How did you feel when you got the news? It was a blessing because I had just lost everything to Katrina so my family and I were pretty down. It came at a perfect time :) Tell us about the reality show experi-

ence? Do you feel it made you grow as an artist and an individual since the breaking up of Dainty Kane? Definitely, any experience that doesn’t go as you plan is a learning experience. I’ve grown so much. I’m stronger, tougher, and wiser. Do you still keep in touch with the former members? No, but I wish them success at whatever they do. You already know all us viewers fell in love with you and your boo Que [Former Day 26 vocalist] Was it hard maintaining a relationship with the pressure of the show, industry and media? I thought it would be hard, but he makes it easy. He is such an amazing man. I’m a private person so it was hard living my love life out in the open. He made me comfortable with all of it. He is so easy to love. Do you and Que have a reality show coming up? :) Real soon If so, tell us what we can expect and what makes it different than all the other shows! No pressure haha! I won’t tell all. But I will say the difference is that it’s not a gimmick. It’s real love. The hard work of balancing a career and a love life. And doing it in the public eye. It’s young love at its finest. Do you have any other film or television projects in the works? Or any you would like to pursue? Yes. I have a film out now on DVD called Perfect Combination with Christian Keyes and Angell Conwell. And I’m definitely interested in doing more film projects. Acting is a passion of mine. So lets talk Dirty Money! First off, I love the

new look! What motivated the change? Being a woman motivated the change. We can never get stuck in one look too long. I’m growing and loving the skin I’m in. I want to take risks with my look. It’s liberating for me. Who came up with the name “Dirty Money” and can you elaborate more on the “definition” of this group. We wanted a name as dope as the rock and roll names. Like “My Chemical Romance” or “Flyleaf”, so Puff was at the strip club in Tampa for Superbowl weekend and he was giving stacks of ones out to the strippers and the people in the club. It got crowded and for security purposes he had to leave. When he got in the car he had 3000 dollars worth of ones in his hands. And they were the dirty ones that had been circulated through the community. He said, “Damn this is some Dirty Money. And lit the light bulb. When you first met Kalenna, was it an instant connection or did it take some working up to feel confident that you would make a dynamic team? It was instant with Kalenna. She is my other half. She is so talented and I am honored to have been able to sing with her on this project. The anticipated “Last Train to Paris” releases this month (June) Any favourite tracks or special things to look out for? Lookout for the entire album, we have written on this album and poured our hearts into it. From beginning to end you have to hear it to understand the spiritual experience it takes you on. Are you and Kalenna are going be featured on every song on the album? This isn’t a feature album. This is our album just as much as it is Puff’s. We are on every song. Have you considered any solo projects? Yes. That will be coming, but right now the Train is what’s taking off. Dirty Money is the beat right now. What advice would you give young women wanting to pursue a career in entertainment like yourself? Don’t just be good, be great. Success comes to those who work hard. Learn the business as well as your craft. And never let “No” be your final answer. Trust in God and yourself and you will win. The key is to believe. :)

Exclusive Interview PETER JACKSON

with Catching up with canadA’S HIP HOP TALENT - Georgia Kuya

You’re originally from Durham Region in Ontario. With all punk bands coming from Ajax, how do you think growing up there has influenced your music? Yes I am from Ajax , I don’t think the punk bands or band that came out of Ajax influenced me at all in a musical sense because I don’t listen to their music , I’ve heard there hit singles but that’s about it. On the other hand, they know how to hustle and if a punk band can go #1 from Ajax then I’m sure I can gain a little attention myself (laughs). Now that Toronto is making its footprint in the hip-hop community, what do you think coming from Canada has to offer that the U.S. does not? I mean that depends on each artist I think, and for me I offer real solid music supported by an insane grind. You’ve had the opportunity to go on tours with some big names. You must have seen a lot and met many people. Do you recall any funny or strange tour stories? Umm ye, lots of different stuff happens on tour for sure , but I’m not going to air that out. I’m going to stick to the road code.

What have you learned from the artists you toured with? I’ve learned a lot for sure , I mean from Busta Rhymes and Naughty by Nature I learned a lot about stage presence and how to control a crowd. I just recently toured with Tech N9ne and that was an amazing opportunity to learn the business side of the game. Your new album, “In My Life” drops June 15. Can you tell us a little bit about it? Yes, my debut album drops hopefully June 15th or the week after , I’m taking to long with certain little things so it might get pushed a week or so again , it features Sizzla , Naughty By Nature , Royce Da 5’9 , Joell Ortiz , JMelody , 9-0-Nickel & Production from Classified , Young K , DJ Sluv & More. You can pick it up in stores or online at iTunes. What have you done on this album that’s different from your previous work? Well this is my debut album so I defiantly put a lot of time and effort into making this whole project and all the videos, it was a lot more work than putting together past

mixtapes. If not you, who do you think will be next to shine out of Canada and why? You always have to think it’s going to be you or you shouldn’t be doing this , haha , I’m playing , but I think 9-0-Nickel, my group works really hard , I think a lot of these artists are amazing and super talented so I think a lot of people will continue to be successful in the industry and hopefully it builds everyone as a whole . What can we expect from Peter Jackson in the future? A lot more touring this summer and this whole year , a lot more videos , hopefully you’ll see me in a few movies , I just did a small part in a horror film , my group has a project coming out, and I think you’ll just see a continued hustle and grind. You can check my debut single called Ma’Ma Online at YouTube , and buy it along with the album on iTunes! Thanks . www.PeterJacksonOnline.com www.twitter.com/PeterJackson905 www.youtube.com/PeterJacksonTV www.myspace.com/PeterJackson905

y t u a Be s o s e b d n la is h is r t h wit

#ChinaGlaze #NailArt #Fancy

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#MsPaige #Earth #Columbiana #Toronto #Smokey

#Caribana #TorontoSummer #IslandFever

#Trinidad

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#CreativeMakeup #MACcolours #SaveOurOceans #SaveOurTrees

#KimDavis Have a fabulous Spring 2010 Everyone! â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Trish Island Besos xo

#QueenOfSpades

Stalkerazzi // FaceBook: Trish IslandBesos Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/trishislandbesos Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/islandbesos see what they do for you!

FASHION: Christina Cheng presents

SUMMER FASHION TRENDS 2010

Ladies, let’s not forget about our accessories this summer! Layers and layers and stacks and stacks of bangles and watches are a huge deal for this warm weather. Why not add more abstract pieces to your already abstract outfit? Go ahead and be loud with your whole attire this summer, you’ll be sure to turn heads!

P.S. Throw in a pair of slim-cut khakis and wear the hell outta’ them with boat shoes, a fresh tee and even a jean jacket!

Fellas, take a look at Lacoste as they show off it’s latest summer releases – Esteban & M85.

Joshua Kissi and Travis Gumbs are this season’s GQ Models and the maestros behind the real-guy style blog Street Etiquette (http://streetetiquette.com/). They are better than anyone at giving affordable brands an injection of personality. Here, they break down accessible but never predictable looks, along with a break down of where to find these items. (Check out the rest of their tips at: http://www. gq.com/style/wear-it-now/201004/gq-guide-style-secrets-cheapbudget#slide=2)

For my dudes, take a look at some other cool and stylish things I came across that would definitely play a huge role on to your summer attire!

INDUSTRY MAG’S, Christina Cheng presents… SUMMER 2010 FASHION TRENDS! With warmer weather our way, it’s easy to say that summer is in the air! The Industry Mag gives you the inside scoop of what’s hot this summer for both, the ladies and the gents. Ladies, expect print-on-print as a huge trend this summer. With the hot weather approaching, expect to see bright, loud colours and prints everywhere! Have fun, explore, and be risky because this hot, sizzling weather has no limits! Why not try tie-dye with tribal prints, polka dots and petals, strips and animal prints, and even play with complementary graphic prints?

Now for my gentlemen, I have quite the bonus for you all. The Industry Mag is going to show you the hottest stuff for this hot summer weather along with how to dress fashionable and affordable! Dressing well doesn’t have to mean spending a fortune; it’s about combining items and making an outfit work, along with the realization that there are now more affordable style-centric stores than ever! The Industry Mag will show you where and how to shop, with the items in which you should always buy for less. For this summer, start at the best of the low-cost, high-style stores. For instance, big-name shops like H&M, Club Monaco, and the Gap have never been so packed with legitimately cool, stylish stuff for men. But the one thing to always remember is: Wear these labels your way; it’s all about how you style, mix, and match the clothes. Street Etiquette is the way to go when dressing for this season.

Joshua Kissi (left) Coat “Got it off eBay for $100. The $495 J.Crew price tag was still on it. It’s one of the gems of my closet—I’ll have it for life.” Shirt “I paid $29.50 for it at Uniqlo.” Tie “It’s Tommy Hilfiger. I got it at a thrift store for $3.” Bracelets “Wooden bracelets are one of our trademarks. I don’t wear watches, and this is something different that feels manly.” Belt “This Tanner Goods belt started out a totally different color. I’ve been breaking it in. It was $65.” Jeans “White jeans really pop. These are $50 at Topman, but I used to work there, so I paid $25.” Travis Gumbs (right) Coat “This was on sale at the Gap for $20 or something ridiculous.” Shirt “I like the small collar on this shirt. It was the Uniqlo collab with Opening Ceremony, on sale for $10!” Tie “This look is so muted that I wanted a busy tie, so I went for this plaid one I got for $6 on Topman.com.” Pants “These were 70 percent off at Nom de Guerre. Think it came out to $70 or so. I like Nom de Guerre because everything is very minimal.” Shoes “The shoes are Fred Perry by Raf Simons and, like, the perfect cross between a loafer, a moc, and a sneaker.”

Fashion Special Feature

reesÉ couture

with

The Industry Magazine got the opportunity to speak with the young, talented, Sherise Cromwell, the designer of REESÉ. REESÉ hit the public eye about a year ago and it has been on the rise ever since! Sherise mentioned that designing and having her own clothing line and collection has always been a dream of hers, especially throughout high school. She also mentioned the thought of the impossible being a factor:

“It’s casual but at the same time depending on how it’s put together, many pieces can look professional or ready to wear for the night life. My collection is meant to have peoples’ minds wandering...”

“I never had the guts to pursue my dream because I felt like it was impossible. A year ago I began working with talented, successful young people of Toronto and realized that anything was possible as long as I worked hard!”

With her new pieces coming out at the end of June, we should expect to see a lot of mix and matching, where most people, as she puts it, “will be able to try to mix and match pieces together.”

The image of REESÉ is different from many others, as she mentions,

- Christina Cheng

Sherise also mentioned that she will be having a launch for her online boutique this coming, June 20th. As a bonus, we will also be able to see other new GTA designers involved such as, Domo and Lulu just to name a few. The Industry Magazine is anxious to see what this young designer has in store, and just like you, we will definitely have to stay tuned!

What would you like to accomplish within the next 5 years? Continue to entertain my fans through my music and my acting. How did you fit in creatively with your record label, Slip –NSlide, being their first pop artist in a label full of hip hop recording artists? It is a perfect fit since they are known for huge success in the rap/hip-hop genre. It is an honor to be part of the family because they allow me creative control and showcase all of my talent to the masses.

Exclusive Interview

DREW SIDORA

with

- Jolie Adams

Meet Actress and singer Drew Sidora. Some of you might be familiar with the 25 year-old stunner from her role on “That’s so Raven” to her stint on “The Game”. She’s been featured in plenty of hit films such as Never Die Alone, White Chicks, Step Up and much more. Get very acquainted with this multi-talented star because she’s about to blow up the charts with her upcoming album.  On your single “Ladies Go”, Missy Elliott is featured. Missy has been M.I.A lately, How did this collaboration come about? My producer Lamb who has worked with Missy in the past on her album and he has also with worked Jazmine Sullivan Need U Bad, Keyshia Cole Let It Go and Monica on her recent # 1 smash Everything To Me. Missy will probably be on the remix of Ladies Go when it comes out as a single but I am concentrating on my first single Juke It also produced by Lamb. It is an infectious high-energy record that is picking up steam nationwide. My hometown Chicago broke the record. I would like to give a special shout out to V-Dub (WGCI), DJ Moondawg (WGCI) and Jamal Smallz (Power 92) key DJ’s who were instrumental in the early push of the record so far.

You’re about to release your first album. You’ve been in the industry for over 10 years. What influenced you and inspired you to proceed with your singing career, when You’ve already established your acting career? I always wanted to entertain and I started playing the piano at the age of three years old. I was in a group in Chicago that opened up for several acts. I graduated high school early and I pursued my dreams of wanting to be an entertainer by relocating to LA. I worked with Edmonds Publishing where I learned the art of songwriting and I worked on several projects perfecting my craft. Are you still pursuing acting or mainly focusing on music right now? If yes, are you working on any films at the moment or in the near future? I am always auditioning and getting booked for projects. I just co-executive-produced my first feature film “Blessed and Cursed”, starring Dietrick Haddon, Karen-Clark Sheard and Sheryl Lee Ralph. I also did a pilot called, “One Love”, a sitcom about a first church family who is religious on Sunday but have problems like any other family Monday through Saturday. The show stars Mark Curry, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Carl Payne and Sherman Hemsley. I have few more projects, which I will be working later this summer but I can’t really talk about that right now. But it will have some great character roles for my fans.

What can we expect from this album? A whole lot of me with personal and shared experiences. There will be a range of emotions including Heartbreak, falling in love and having fun with your friends at the club. There are quite a few female empowerment records too. Any fears or obstacles you’ve had to overcome? Artistically and creatively? Yes of course. There are plenty of obstacles and challenges that I have faced being in LA. I have grinded out there seven years and have had disappointments, which have made me hungrier. I keep my faith in God and the support of my family and friends have made this journey worthwhile What lessons have you learned from being in the industry (both acting and singing) that you could give any aspiring artists? If it is your passion keep it going because there is something out there for everyone. Just be prepared for pitfalls and never take your eye off the prize. This question for The Game’s fans, on the show, you played one of Derwin’s love interests, more specifically the other woman. Have you ever been the other woman? No. I have been in relationships where the guy may have not been honest and I find out about him cheating but I have never positioned myself in those types of situations. How do you spend your free time? When I am not working just relaxing. If I am in Chicago my hometown, I hang out with my family and friends. When I am in LA my current residence I got to the beach and enjoy the beautiful weather. A lot of people are unaware of your foundation Dream makers. Please elaborate on the organization’s mission. The mission and vision of Dream Makers is self-esteem and empowerment for young men and women so they can be fully equipped with the necessary tools as they enter the world. This could be taking the road to entertainment or becoming a doctor. I had my first workshop in Virginia where it was young women and we focused on beauty and hair care especially basic essentials like how to go to an interview. I will hit more markets with the promotional tour of my album in the next several months Any hobbies or interests? Dancing and having fun with family and friends. That time is totally priceless to me. Name 3 quick facts about you people don’t know. • I am a Taurus and I just celebrated my 25th birthday on May 1st • I am the fourth child of 5 kids I have three sisters and one brother • My first role was in the movie Divas that starred Nicole Ari Parker and Khalil Kain. It airs on TV One from time to time. Thank you for your time.

ATTHE

bestof theBEST2010concert

MONTREALDANCEHALL.COM

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW The former InEssence lead singer takes a few minutes out of his busy schedule to answer a few questions with The Industry Mag. The dedicated old-school R&B crooner with a soulful voice tells us his plans for the near future, his favorite songs at the moment and the one thing he enjoys the most during his spare time. Jolie: You’ve been in the music industry for many years, does it get easier once you’ve gained tenure or is it still very competitive? Dru: Coming from Canada, it’s always been a competitive industry. It is changing a little now with certain canadian artists’ exposure like Drake, Justin Bieber and Melonie Fiona getting world wide recognition and international deals. But it’s still competitive for artists who haven’t broken out internationally. Jolie: You were the lead singer of InEssence, one of the rising R&B groups and could have easily ascended to BoyzIIMen rank or status. What led to the group’s break-up?

u r D It’s - Jolie Adams

Dru: Thank you. There aren’t that many industry artists that have been able to sustain a long career as a group, that were able to be recognized nationally. Our label at the time didn’t believe in us a 100% because they hadn’t seen it happen before in the country. The idea was approached in a negative way and they didn’t believe in what they were doing. After InEssence’s Juno win in 2003, we were dropped along with every urban artist in our roster. That led to the group’s struggles. I had plans to go solo eventually but that was further down the line. But with the group getting dropped, it made more sense to keep going solo. So it was a combination of the creative differences with the label at the time as well as my decision to go solo. Jolie: Are you and the group members on good terms? Dru: Yes, we are on good terms. They try to come to some shows here and then but I’m just focused on my solo project right now. Jolie: Any chance of a reunion? Dru: There is always a chance of a reunion. The only thing that makes for a successful reunion is if were able to establish success on our own. But it wouldn’t make sense to plan a reunion if it wouldn’t be done big. It makes sense for us to do our own thing. I’d want us all to be able to bring something to the table. I don’t want us to get a chance at success just because my last album did great. It would hurt my solo career. Some are doing their solo thing, signed with Universal. Some are MC’ing internationally. Some are managing. If we all branch out and get back together with something, it would be more productive. Jolie: Your album The One was a great success. Did you anticipate that it would be so well received by your audience? Dru: That album was just my baby. It was my first chance to really express myself. I was proud of it because I’ve always wanted to

do something that I could say I was proud of. The good reviews and people’s reaction was just the icing. As much as I love making music for the audience, I primarily make it for myself. Don’t get me wrong, it was very nice to get such a positive response from Canada. It was also released in Japan and South Africa. It was an independent release, not by a major label so it was a success in my book. The next album however is going to be much bigger. Jolie: You did mention your last album was partially released by your own label. What is called? Dru: Effortless ENT. It was started as soon as I went solo. I found a songwriting publishing deal and made it a full fledged label. Jolie: So I assume you write all of your songs? Dru: I do write all of my own stuff. I co-write with other artists sometimes but I like to convey real emotions through songwriting, which is hard to do when someone is writing something for you. That being said, if The Dream called today and said he had the perfect song for me then of course. On the most part, I like to write my own stuff. Jolie: Any upcoming collaborations? Dru: Right now, I’m just working on the new album. I’m in the middle of signing with an international label. I got good news recently and I don’t want to release any names yet but you will hear about it soon. Depending on what makes more sense, the next album will be dropped in the U.S or the U.K. Jolie: Your sound is very different from most music we hear in the media right now. What influences you? Dru: I have a lot of respect for R&B singers like The Dream, Usher, Trey Songz. I think the biggest part of respecting other artists and their craft is not duplicating what they do. Nowadays, there are too many artists who watch other artists and try to copy them and make variations of it. I respect whatever they decide to do but I’ve always wanted to be one step ahead. The dance track Running was something people were not expecting. I wrote the song two years ago and James Doman brought me the beat. This was before Akon and David Guetta, when artists were not mixing dance with R&B. It wasn’t being merged the way it is right now. I demoed it for another artist but when James [Doman] heard it, he said “I’m not touching it.” I thought about changing my name, going under alias, but decided against it. A lot of people, unless they’ve seen the video still don’t recognize it’s me. Jolie: You mentioned having a lot of respect for Usher, Dream and Trey. Are there any artists that inspire you? Dru: They definitely inspire me. I was inspired by BoyzIIMen and New Edition coming up as a group. I love the group’s dimension. Five guys coming together in harmony. I’m a vocal arranger so I love that. I was hugely inspired by How Do I say Goodbye acapella by BoyzIIMen. I’m old school, I’m into Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Donny Hathaway. I don’t listen to the newer artists but I like Dream. I think Ne-Yo is great. Hip-Hop: Jay-Z, Drake all the way. I like Kanye’s style, I think his fashion sense is insane.

Hello MR. SUN SEX & THE INDUSTRY

– Natalie Assoundurian

Like the sun, sex is essential for the existence of almost all living things on earth. Like the sun, it can emit blazing temperatures, red-hot flames, raging fires and desires ;) But unlike the sizzling sun which scientists believe still has 7 or 8 billion years in its lifetime, it seems like passion and heat in sex today is dwindling. Although adults are engaging in more sexual activity as it is more openly accepted, encouraged and publicized than it was in the past, the quality of this contact appears to have taken a nose dive.

Jolie: Any artists you would love to collaborate with? Dru: Drake, being from Canada and seeing how much he’s grown into the artist he is. Jay-Z would be a dream. A collab with Nicki Minaj would be crazy. T.I, Luda, Kanye, Alicia Keys, Keri Hilson, Will. I. Am. He’s the big reason for a lot of BEP hits. One or two of those names are going to be a part of my new project so look out for that. Jolie: Tell us what you’re up to, artistically and personally? Dru: Personally, it’s all about my daughter. She’s the only thing that keeps me coming back to Toronto when I leave. She’s my focus. I spend all of my spare time with her. When I’m back from L.A for a week, everyone knows I’m with my daughter. No girlfriends.

structure but it’s hard. Every artist knows how hard it is to be in a relationship, the touring, scheduling and traveling. You need someone who is very understanding. No groupies. Jolie: What would you like to achieve in the near future? Dru: I’d like to win a grammy in the next year or so. The MMVA’s (MuchMusic Video Awards) are coming up. I think Running is going to be nominated in the dance category and it would good to win. Any songwriting accolades. It’d be nice to have a song I wrote for another artist become a big success. Jolie: I hope your song wins an MMVA. What are your favorite songs right now?

Jolie: Are you looking?

Dru: Find your love by Drake. Everything that kid puts out is my favorite record. Oh My Gosh by Usher and Hold Yuh by Gyptian is a big tune right now.

Dru: I’m looking. I’m a single dude in the industry. A lot of people think it’s easier to be single in the industry but it’s better to have someone who has your back and keeps you grounded. It’s a good

Dru will be attending this year’s MMVA’s. He is working on his solo album and is in talks with major record labels. Keep a lookout for this talented artist in the news and on your screens.

We live in an age where instant gratification is not only becoming more and more the norm but expected. Its almost demanded in the Western World today. In an increasingly fast paced society and an even faster paced Industry, the values, time, and compassion once invested in this sacred and mysterious act have been cast aside leaving very little sacred or mysterious. These spoiled mentalities have leaked into all expectations, including sexual ones. What does all of this mean to you? ...trouble, if you don’t want it on the double. Too many things in life are done in passing. Either we don’t have the time, are in a hurry, don’t care enough, etc, etc. Sex should not be one of them. What we see in the Entertainment and Music Industries these days clearly reflects the change in societies behaviours. For instance, sexual euphemisms have been used in music for decades. They get the blood boiling and can put a whole different spin on a song. Through time these euphemisms have intensified and escalated to frighteningly violent sexual degrees. I miss the days of tracks like Computer Love, Wild Thing, even The Candy Shop and you all know, My “MILK-

SHAKES” Better Than Yours ;) We need to slow it down. Show a level of respect for ourselves so that we can see it in others. Today, Industry magazine brings your some surprising research from around the world that will hopefully shed a different positive perspective and motivation on North Americas favourite past time... “Sex with someone you care for is the best prescription for good health. It keeps you young, keeps your sexual organs in good working order, and it boosts your self-confidence. Nothing else stimulates all the senses quite like sex. It just puts a glow on you that no other activity does.” That’s according to Dr and sex expert Ava Cadell. Dr Cadell also believes that sex reduces anxiety and increases your sense of smell. Wow! Reports coming out of The British Medical Journal state that men who have high numbers of orgasms have a better quality of life than those who don’t and even live longer. Research also suggests sex reduces head aches, relieves insomnia and can stop pain from being felt in the brain serving as a pain medication. Not to mention its aphrodisiacal values. Scientists believe that sex and feelings gained from sex and

relationships release endorphins in the brain that emit feelings similar to those of a hallucinogenic. If that’s not enough check this out, sex can even work as a laxative, toning and controlling your lower abdominal muscles. Think burning about 200 calories might be motivation enough? That’s the equivalent of about half an hour of running on a treadmill. Since sexual fulfillment also involves your brain, sensual sex can improve a variety of mental functions including concentration, mood, mental ability and agility. And lets not forget one very important thing that can not be gained by anything speedy ever, especially in this department. Its the sense of connection that no other activity out there can duplicate. Taking the time to discover and enjoy can make every and all of the difference. I can not stress safe sex enough! There are never any guarantees with contraceptives or condoms but knowing yourself and your partner, getting tested and using overall common sense is a good start. Because so little factual information is out there and available regarding up to date sex news and health facts here is a trusted site for your reference, www. sexualityandu.ca. Till next time, lots of lovin’ – Natalie Assadourian

words of wisdom By: Jolie Adam

My ex and I broke up a few months ago. Let me rephrase that. My ex dumped me a few months ago blaming school and work for our demise. I was very hurt since I had invested a lot of time and effort into this relationship. But I decided to be the bigger person and walk away with what was left of my pride. However now, I’m hearing stories my ex has been running around and running his mouth. Talking about every aspect of our relationship, even to people he knew I disliked. I am so angry but since I refuse to stoop to his level, what can I do to make him understand that I don’t appreciate this behavior? S.W    Hey S.W, Keep being the bigger person by not acknowledging these rumors. He’s either trying to get your attention by spreading fallacious lies or trying to obtain sympathy from others while making you look like the villain. Let this immaturity on his part be decided by his

audience rather than an angry message from you. The truth always comes out, even when it slowly slips from the cracks. The fact that he’s babbling to your frenemies shows that he really doesn’t care about your feelings and is intended to offend. As tempting as it may be to bash his contribution in your relationship, ignoring his behavior is the most suitable solution for this situation.

Hi, As much as I am in love with my boyfriend, he’s really clingy which at first I thought was pretty cute but now just find annoying and at times intruding. How can I tell him I need some space without coming off too harsh or putting him off? I love the attention he gives me but sometimes it’s just too much. Hide and seek

Dear Hide and Seek, The most efficient way to make him understand without having to say a word is to give him a taste of his own medicine. Do the same things he does that drive you crazy. This is a sensitive area because you don’t know the cause of this overwhelming attention. If it’s a new relationship, perhaps he’s still very enamored with you. If you’ve been dating for a while, it could be anything. Insecurities. Or he’s under the belief that paying you an extreme amount of attention will make you feel special. So next time, he’s going out with the boys or about to settle in for his favorite sports game or do something he’s been dying to do, whine and insist that he spends time with you instead. Repeat everything he does that you despise. That should give him a very clear hint. If that doesn’t work, then open your lines of communication, find a time when you’re both relaxed, like during a walk or a night in, and casually inquire why he acts a certain way at times. Once you know the reason, let him know nicely that it can be a little suffocating at times.

I started dating this dude recently. I was so into him until I realized he was a 1-minute man. Actually, I’m being too kind. He’s a 45 seconds man. At first, I brushed it off and thought perhaps he’s gone through some sort of sexual drought. But after the 3rd time, he didn’t even make the effort to play it off or make excuses. I cannot deal with that. What am I do? No sex in this city. No sex in this city, If his engine is dead before yours even starts, I’ll give you 3 very easy options. 1- Buy him a book on the art of making love or having sex. Available in most bookstores. 2- Invest in a toy. 3- Dump him. Delete his number, e-mail, Facebook, Twitter, pin and move the hell on. He’s not worth the sexual frustration.

shout

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june/july 2010

EYECANDY MODELS nicole paton Model: NICOLE PATON Photo By: Dave Mydlo Photography Nikole Paton, is a 21 year old girl from Burlington Ontario who is a very social and outgoing type of girl. She loves traveling, nightlife, music, sports, cars, and like most 21 year old girls; cannot put her Blackberry down. She also loves her Xbox! Favorite game: Call of Duty. As a tomboy growing up she grew to love the finer things in the male driven world (at least she has good taste). She is a college graduate for marketing and advertising and has a strong passion for the industry. During the regular season she works for the CFL for the girls promotional team. As surprising as it may seem from the pictures she actually has 10 tattoos! She aspires to career in marketing and public relations and wants to own her own productions company, specializing in planning events, parties and loves to do charity work.

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How would you describe your personal style? Very clean cut. Preppy but with a twang to it. Ralph Lauren is my favourite designer.

One on One

Do you think attending a boarding school affects your street credit? I don’t bank on my street credit, so I don’t think it affects my image.

with

jazz cartier

Within the music industry, who do you look up to the most, internationally and within Toronto? Kanye West and Lil Wayne internationally. Personally, I never really kept up with Toronto hip hop, being that I always lived elsewhere. I hear a lot of JD Era, and Belly in the states. I always look for Toronto hip hop to listen to. D-Pryde, Blake Carrington and Rich Kidd I listen to a lot, and more recently I’ve been getting into some P Reign, Tommy Spitz and Yung Jixx.

- Bailey Jeffries

Although the road to success is never easily travelled, Jaye “Jazz Cartier” Adams may have found the desired shortcut. After recording his first serious record at only 17 years old Jazz Cartier’s ‘Slow it Down/Her Daddy Don’t Like Me’ has received instant notoriety by earning frequent airplay on Much Music and creating a serious buzz around Toronto. How did you come up with the name ‘Jazz Cartier’? Jazz became my nickname back around 4th or 5th grade, I always wanted to be the Fresh Prince but I never resembled him so people started calling me Jazz instead. As for Cartier, it worked to top off my name with some elegance. You were born in Toronto, but you seem to move around quite a bit. Where are all the places you have lived and do you think they have influenced you musically?

Other then Toronto, I have lived in Connecticut, Barbados, Atlanta, Kuwait, Idaho and Texas. I get to travel and experience different cultures and different people who all work to influence me as a person and artist. Also, when I’m faced with a new environment I find it easy to adjust. What label are you currently with? If you could be with any label who would it be? I have a distribution deal with GCP records. I record many of my songs at the GCP studio, JB and the rest of the guys there have helped me out a lot. If I could choose any label to be under it would be Universal. You write all of your own tracks, correct? How did you get into this... was writing your first passion or was music? That’s right, but to be honest when I was really young I didn’t even listen to hiphop, I listened to a lot pop, to the point that I could recite almost every word. It was when I was in Barbados and I took a bunch of my mom’s hip-hop records that I really got into it. So music was my first passion, I started to write hip-hop tracks once I

got into hip-hop. Do you come from a musical family? My family members like to sing and dance but none of them ever had the drive to become a musician. My family supports my drive, my mom is just protective over what I talk about in my records, and I have to be careful what I show to my little brothers. Do you think your music is reminiscent of any other performers? Because I move around a lot and don’t have a distinct accent that Toronto rappers usually have, people tend to say that I’m mimicking Drake or Tory Lanez because they have more of an Americanized sound. Do you think the comparison to Drake and Tory Lanez is justified? I don’t mind being compared to them, especially with the position that Drake is in right now. I see Tory Lanez as one of the best rappers to come out of Toronto, he has talent... he’s up there with Drake’s lyricism, and flow... but Drake will forever be cemented in Toronto’s history. When Toronto is mentioned, so is Drake.

In your bio it talks about teenage love, are you single, and how would you describe your perfect woman? I’m single right now. I was in a relationship for a year and a half that ended in December, that relationship helped me with a lot of my female-driven songs. As for my perfect girl, personality goes a long way, class, sophistication, someone who is articulate... and just a chill girl, nothing extravagant. Other than music, do you have any other passions? Fashion and anything to do with design. Tell me something about yourself the general public wouldn’t know. I have a rubber band that I’ve been wearing for five years now. It was given to me by a good friend back when I was leaving her in Kuwait. I’ve only taken it off once, and that was during a soccer game and it didn’t feel the same when I was playing. You’ll never see me without it. A lot of artists argue that there’s all this talent in Toronto, but not enough support... yet you seemed to have gained support pretty quickly after the release of your first single. How do you feel about the Toronto hip-hop scene? Toronto is like the screw face capital, it’s hard to make it here. It’s like people outside of Toronto are watching, but those in Toronto don’t have a clue. Personally I think Tory Lanez, D-Pryde, and myself are a part

of the younger generation that people aren’t taking enough notice of. Eventually they will understand that we’re serious business. Tory Lanez and D-Pryde have potential to take on anyone in the city, not to be on their jock but that’s how I feel about my peers. It would be crazy to get the three of us on a track Who else would you like to collaborate with? Z-Ro, Gucci... Wayne would complete anyone’s career. I`m a big Bow Wow fan, Wiz Kalifa, Col. Monroe, Norah Jones would be ideal... John Mayer, Corrine Bailey Rae, and Feist; I love her live albums. ‘Her daddy don’t like me’ is the first single you ever recorded, and it’s gained frequent rotation on Much Music. This is a huge accomplishment that many artists have to work years to achieve. What do you think makes you different from other Toronto artists? Not sure, and I honestly don’t want to know. But it MUST have been SOMETHING... and whatever it is, it’s working. Tell me about the process of recording and shooting ‘Her daddy don’t like me’ Around July I was taking music more seriously, I pretty much emailed a bunch of labels in Canada with my music, which was horrible quality, but JB was one who hit me back up. ‘Daddy don’t like me’ was originally JB’s song, but he thought it would suit me better because of the younger demographic. We shot the video in December and got the results back in January, we were going to drop it then but wanted to wait for the right time. Are you currently working a mix tape or album? J. Staffz and I are working on a mix tape and I’m currently working on my own mix tape. I have another song called ‘it’s all good’ being released in the next couple weeks. Big things are coming in the summer!

Do you find that you’re taking your music more seriously now that you’ve gained such a positive response from your first single? I’m impressed with what’s coming now that I’m taking it more seriously. It’s hard for me because people are going to have ‘Her daddy don’t like me’ stuck in their head whenever they see me. Lyrically I’m going to be stepping it up. ‘Her daddy don’t like me’ isn’t my favourite song... I do NOT want to come off as a gangster, that’s not the genre I’m trying to be included in. When people hear my song I don’t want them to think I’m talking about the projects or that I grew up in a dangerous neighbourhood, ‘hood’ is just referring to wherever I reside.

With Jazz Cartier’s Poland Polo Poppers currently creating a noteworthy buzz in the States, and the undeniable recognition of Her Daddy Don’t Like Me, one can only wait to see what he comes up with next. A foundation has been laid for young artists in Toronto and Jazz Cartier is sure to be another valuable addition. So let me Slow it Down, grab your attention now, and remind you to TAKE NOTICE. Jazz Cartier just may be next!