June/July issue of FunktheFormula Magazine

AMANDA BROWN X HENRIOCI

MAGAZINE

JUNE/JULY 2013

ARTS. CULTURE..... AND THEN SOME.

ARTIST: DAN23, “What’s Real”

Street Art Save My Life Facebook.com/streetartsavemylife

Designer: Henrioci; Makeup: Treanna Neufville; Hair: Glamm CEO

WHAT THE FUNK’S INSIDE 5..................THE RUNDOWN 6.................. EDITOR’S NOTE 9.................. COOKING WITH A CULINISTA 15................. TASTEFUL RADIO 25................. RE-WRITING THEATRE 33................ THE VOICE LIKE NO OTHER 39................. KEEPING IT NATURAL 45................. DAVENCE’S COSPLAY ZONE: CUDDLING WOLF 49................. THE BIG PICTURE 55.................STEPPIN’ ON THE SCENE W/ NEVZ 59.................THE DYNAMICS OF A DUO 67.................WATCH OUT NOW 73.................ADVENTURES AT SAKURACON 3013

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E EDITOR-IN-CHIEF C.E. LAWTON CONTENT EDITOR GENESE NICOLE CREATIVE DIRECTORS C.E. LAWTON & GENESE NICOLE COPY EDITOR C.E. LAWTON CONTRIBUTORS DAVENCE YOUNG, TSHENELLE BETHEL, NEVZ TOWNSON, DJ KAYEX ONLINE CONTRIBUTORS ROBBIN PLAZA, DAVENCE YOUNG, TSHENELLE BETHEL, GERALD GRANT, NEVZ TOWNSON, DJ KAYEX ADVERTISING info@funktheformulamag.com FUNKTHEFORMULAMAG.COM It’s the commentary of your life ... but better.

Art. Culture. And Then some.

FOLLOW FUNKTHEFORMULA FACEBOOK.COM/FUNKTHEFORMULA TWITTER: @FUNKTHEFORMULA YOUTUBE.COM/FUNKTHEFORMULA INSTAGRAM: @FUNKTHEFORMULAMAG AT LEFT:

Artist: DAN23, “Sweet Girl” Street Art Save My Life Facebook.com/streetartsavemylife

COVER:

Designer: Henrioci Makeup: Treanna Neufville Hair: Glamm CEO Model: Singer, Amanda Brown

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EDITOR’S NOTE It’s been a long time...

We shouldn’ta left you...

Without a dope mag to vibe to....

... Ok, so maybe that was corny, but whatever. You love it, and don’t you even act otherwise.

I swear the support that comes behind this magazine is something truly appreciated. We’ve gone through quite a regrouping period as so the pendulum of life swings, but we’re always striving to take things to the next level. So we’re bringing you some greatly gathered content and an issue to stat off a new lane for the magazine.

This issue marks the first of now bi-monthly releases. We also have introduced a new section: Watch Out Now. Through this section, we will highlight up and coming artists, across all boards, that we think you should be aware of if you’re not already. Want to see someone you know, or see yourself get more shine as an artist? Send us your bio and your work to submissions@funktheformulamag.com and you can very well pop up in an upcoming issue and on our site. we’re always looking to shed light on who could possibly be our next favorite musician, painter, designer, architect, and also share them with the world through this medium.

We continue to grow with you all, and are always looking to bring you great content, features, and more. So we want to say, Thank You. Thank you for sticking with us, checking out our content on the social networks and always asking “when’s the next issue coming out??” with the brightest of eyes. Welp... Look no further.

We’ve got some great content we’ve been hoarding that we’re bringing to you, including radio personality, TastyKeish, the funky chef with the formula for healthy living, Chef Josie, singer and finalist on Season 3 of NBC’s “The Voice” Amanda Brown in a collaborative feature with designer Cat Henry and her line, Henrioci, Hip Hop artists, KO-Lition and amazing painter and illustrator, Steven D’’Arbenzio. We’ve also got more coming from our resident fabricator extraordinaire and main man, Davence Young, coming with the Cosplay Zone’s latest feature, owner of Works In Progress: Behind The Production’s Cuddling Wolf, as well as coverage from this year’s Kuricon Convention. Hope you enjoy!

-C.E. Have questions, suggests, comments? Feel free to contact us: info@funktheformulamag.com 6

ARTIST: Pobel, “Nice Surprise”

Street Art Save My Life Facebook.com/streetartsavemylife

Cookin’ with a Cream always Rises to the TOP! Spunky, full of life, energetic, cheerful…are some of the many different characteristics of Chef de cuisine Josie. I recently had the wonderful opportunity to meet with this passionate “kitchen magician” to discuss what drives her love of food and life.

What was your major in College?

Development Sociology at the CALS School of Cornell University.

What prompted you to become a chef?

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I originally went to CALS School of Cornell University to study Development Sociology. I felt very strongly for that field but there was something else inside of me that yearned for something more. What prompted me to become a chef is a story that truly has no beginning and no end. If I had to select one thought, it would be this: After 2 years of cooking as a work-study job at CU, I remembered looking into the executive chef’s face and saying “do you know that I would do your job, for FREE”. I was incredibly serious and then…shocked. I remember that my father always said, if you find something that you love and will do it day in and out without it feeling like work, then that

perhaps should be something you make a living. I did not make the decision then but I realized that cooking was going to become a large part of my life. But could I make it a career? I was uncertain but the little voice in my head would not let me be. One year after college, I left my 9-5 and headed back into the culinary world. It turns out that I had found a voice through cooking and was somewhat lost without it.

Wow! I admire the mettle. What is food like your world? Did you pretend to be a chef as a little girl?

Food to me was always like, magic. While I hadn’t considered being a chef as a career, I was fascinated by food and cooking. How can ingredients so drab and plain turn into all of these amazing dishes? How can one person interpret something as common as “curry chicken” so differently from another?

Instead, I was initially focused on the sciences at school. This seemed like a natural path for me as deemed by my parents and teachers.

Where did you train?

Training to be a chef incorporates everything you’ve every learned regarding food in your life. Official training was at Institute of Culinary Education with an externship at Jean Georges. I stayed at JG for some time.

Before that, I had already been cooking in professional kitchen for 5 years.

What is the most memorable meal that you have ever eaten?

Well most recently a mother of 4 whom I was simply assisting with a Rosh Hoshannah menu whipped out her classic Tunisian dishes for the fete. Everything was perfect! The meats were slowly cooked and tender, couscous was nice and fluffy, all 12 salads crunchy with good balance, etc. The tradition and meaning was all there. My love for cooking started in the home so it is always refreshing for me to see people enjoy a lovely home-cooked meal. I am very much in awe when someone guards and honors their exceptional family recipes.

That sounds delish! What meal became the turning point in which you decided to become a chef?

Let’s talk about the first whole recipe I made. I was probably in the 9th grade. At

that point I was my mother’s right hand cook at home. But that was limited to chopping vegetables and cooking the rice.

I read through her cookbooks feverishly trying to understand how the fire worked.

One summer day as my siblings were playing outside and she chatted with friends, I decided to open the largest book: a red and white checkered “Better Homes and Gardens”. I loved brownies and I only imagined them coming from a box so when I saw a recipe for brownies from scratch, I just had to give that a shot! I was very amazed at how well they turned out. Now, I was a shy girl but I really wanted to share this. So, I ran downstairs and just decided to offer samples to anyone that would take it. Thank goodness they turned out well because if they didn’t, maybe I would’ve given up on cooking!

A lot of people develop a mantra or vision that describes their passion. What is your food philosophy?

A personal motto of mine is “healing through food”. Food should be healing, even as far as Hippocrates noted: Medicinal.

Food dining should be also a moment of nurturing, sharing, and love. All of this is healing of the soul. I keep this mind whenever I am cooking for clients. You never want to have guilt from eating or feel like it “wasn’t worth it”. My food is tasty and balances with a person’s particular vision of health.

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What is your favorite thing to prepare?

I don’t have a favorite thing to prepare as much as a whom I’m preparing it for. The more I know you, the more I love to cook for you.

Have you won any awards or accolades?

Yes, but i cannot mention them yet. ;) Haha, Intriguing! So you have a wonderful cook book out on shelves now. How did you become one of the authors of the book?

I was working as a personal chef for a while through an agency. The owner of the company was a budding writer and wanted to do a cookbook. She asked if I would like to be on the project and I accepted. We approached the publisher who fell in love with the duo and told us YES! I love the name of the book, how did you come up with the name? Everyone loves to party and we liked throwing them. The name of the agency was called The Culinistas (play on the popular coin ‘fashionistas’). We thought we’d teach people are how party like us: low stress prep, casual, healthy.

Who is your target audience for the cookbook?

We aimed to invite twenty- and thirtysomethings into the world of frequent home-based dinner parties. Many in this group like the idea but they may not have the Martha-Stewart level of skill or equipment to accomplish this. Especially in NYC, where kitchens are often small. That lends to a lot of take-out or pre-done appetizers.

“Hummus and celery, anyone?” But no, we knew this could be done with style and we show you how.

What is your favorite meal in the book?

I love all the menus in this book. One of my favorites is the unique collard wrapped burrito with black beans, quinoa and cheddar. You start that menu off with a sweet pea guacamole dip that is just refreshing and delicious. The corn and 11

tomato salad is so hearty and healthy and then you end the meal with a chocolate pudding that has some special and formerly secret ingredients. There are fresh and lively flavors throughout.

That sounds absolutely delicious! What sort of preparation goes into creating a cookbook?

Once you get the book deal, you need to be really organized and focused on your mission. Set deadlines for yourself, etc. Just like any other project. We talked about what dishes were our favorites and how we should present the book. Also, what elements of throwing a party are the most challenging for people? That lead to organizing the book by menus. The concept was, the less thinking day-of-party, the better. The make-ahead options were first to come. We also decided to include wine pairings. After all, this is an adult crowd, right? We thought about making menus very vegetarian and vegan friendly because not everyone eats the same these days.

We’ve even included at what point in the prep you should stop and put on your pretty outfit!

What is your next step?

In late 2012, I started Lively Palate. It is a catering company with the “healing through food” mission. We currently work on parties up to 100 people in the NY metro area. Everything is really personalized depending on the client’s needs at this point. We ensure that your party is a hit and your guests leave feeling satisfied and energized. There are also plans to make Lively Palate a very community-focused,

VIBRANT mission that helps people maintain their voice through food culture and cooking.

What is your biggest dream?

World peace. But until then I’d settle for traveling and sharing my food experiences more with people. There is always a lot to learn with regards to food culture. We are facing some controversial issues with regards to agricultural practices right now.

I hope that people will understand that we are a part of the environment and that our actions DO matter. Food will only continue to heal us if we make the conscious effort to keep the raw ingredients as healthy and natural as possible.

Contact Chef Josie Live on twitter: @josetth Sociable on facebook: www.facebook.com/livelypalate Email questions: chefjosie@livelypalate.com OR re-pin deliciousness: pinterest.com/livelypalate

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ARTIST: Sean Hart

Street Art Save My Life Facebook.com/streetartsavemylife

An Interview with radio personality, event host and voiceover talent, Tasty Keish.

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long time friend of the FunktheFormula brand, since day one, Kiesha Dutes, better known to many as TastyKeish, practically had no choice in the matter when it came to sitting down for this interview. I mean, it was written. The opportunity to interview the worldwide interviewer could not be passed up. I decided to take a trip over to her studio, where she broadcasts her latest endeavor, TK in the AM, and chat with her for a bit about her perception on the industry, The Real Hip Hop debate and what it’s like to have a parent as a co-host on her urbaneclectic weekday morning talk show.

Now...TastyKeish. Where does it come from? Is it because you do everything with such flavor?

The name itself? Man, honestly… I try to keep it PG. Adults think it’s a pornagraphic thing…

Kids actually get it right. They’re like “do you like to eat?” and I’m like “YES! I do! And my name is Keisha!” But that’s kind of the generic way to go about it. My name is Keisha… Everybody wants to call you KeKe, and all kinds of derivatives… Which I hate. So I needed to come up with something else. And I was doing radio in college… And even in college I still wasn’t TastyKeish yet.

I was… Big Keish or something like that, something terrible (laughs) something that didn’t make no sense, and then I really thought about it. I was playing with names, trying to see what happens.

People pay attention to stuff that they don’t get or stuff they make mistakes of. If you make an assumption, or underestimate me because of that, I already won. So I just stuck with it because of that, really, and I enjoy having that conversation with people.

You’ve traveled around and interviewed all types of people and what have you, but everyone has their down time. What’s a good day for TastyKeish?

A good day without doing radio?

Both, a good day with and a good day without.

A good day without it is, sometimes I shut everything out. I stay in my bed. I got my little cat, Feisty Misses Peabody. We take long naps. We watch a lot of tv; sometimes I literally don’t want to talk. I’m just tired. I get some bodega sandwiches, some Jamaican food or some sushi (laughs). And that’s my day, pajamas and all. If I’m feeling expensive and want to take care of myself, I might go up the way and get a mani pedi, you know, self care that I’m learning to do more often.

A day with radio or other TK events, is a whole ‘nother story. I gotta get myself amped. I put on Pandora because I still enjoy the randomness of radio, supposedly. Even though that’s an algorithm, I still love the randomness of it, so I play Pandora, I might play like… 90’s or 2Chainz, just ‘cause I need to get amped and, ratchet… It works for me (laughs). So I’ll do that before a gig, or show or interview, like today… That was part of my ritual, haha. I give myself the good scrub-down, I do the show. It’s something about live energy; people, even if it’s on air, they wanna hit me back on Twitter right after I said something, it gets me mad charged. And then I crash after. (both laugh) TK In The AM. How did you feel about taking that leap and how has the ride been thus far?

Coming from a group situation on the FM dial, albeit, it is community radio, it’s different… Because 17

now, EVERYTHING is on you. Even though, I was in a leadership position before, I could still say “you didn’t do X, Y, Z.” Well if the show doesn’t happen for us here, it’s really all my own fault. But I love it. I’ve actually loved my life a lot more since January 2nd than I have in the past maybe year or so. It feels like a new beginning.

Would you say that this is or would you have an answer as far as what your defining moment in your career thus far is?

Yeah. Because, this was me letting go of all the things that I thought I was supposed to be as far as radio, as far as success, as far as someone giving you a job or you getting a job, or corporate entities and what not – those people are not looking out for me. I see all the people I’m competing with, I’m competing with GOOD people… People I know that have lots of talent. But I believe in myself, so they could have those jobs, if they could get ‘em. And I got this right here.

But I had to let go of that whole idea, that whole, “oh I wanna work for Oprah or I’m gonna go to Hot97 or Clear Channel”… From what I see I don’t even want to be there anymore. You know…. (pauses) … Let em, you know, let ‘em holla, but, (laughs) at the end of the day…

Get it where you get it… (laughs) Once you let go of those expectations that society puts on you, which I finally did, took me a long time. Honestly took me a long time from when I said it, that I let go, to doing this. Took me like… I realized it maybe 3 years ago, and it took me this long to do it finally, to just make the leap.

How do you feel about the current state of women of color in radio and media overall?

Honestly this is a 2 part thing for me.

Women of color in radio, women in radio…

We’re kind of are doin’ it! I don’t know if there’s something about radio, as far as personalities… We appeal to everyone, you know? Women want to be our friends, men want to be with us, you know that whole thing where you’ve gotta play with your sexuality and whatever or your appeal, we get to play with that. For a man, if he’s not a funny dude, he’s a predator. Game over, you know what I’m saying? He’s a creepy nigga. (both laugh) So we could play that role and as far as personalities, we have a

lot. We have Angie Martinez, we have Wendy Williams, we have Sunny… One thing I just don’t like is that we’re relegated to sidekick status a lot. That’s why I respect Angie Martinez, Wendy Williams and people like that, because they’re just like “you’re MY sidekick!” you know? And I kind of took that lead. I never wanted to be anyone’s sidekick. I never wanted to be Robin to Howard Stern. I also kind of reject the whole… “Women in X,Y,Z” role because it’s hard for everybody to work. You’re either gonna work or your not. I’m competing with everyone, I’m out here to get all of y’all.

What do you feel is currently an issue that the world is dealing with that you feel personally that should have more attention that it’s not getting?

I think my personal movement has been really about following your dreams. We just talked about this on the show the other day about how… You gotta have a bachelors degree to load cargo on an airplane? To be a runner in a law office?

To work at Walmart? Like, what is that? So like, my personal movement is just do for yourself; don’t fall into the trap. We are getting conditioned into believing that if you do the formula, then the outcome will be a job, a house, a wife or husband or whatever, and it’s not happening… And people are upset and acting crazy. So, I don’t know, all these things that are happening in the world, all this despair, and all these shootings and all this bullshit, I feel like it’s people trying to live up to expectations of what the world put out… not living up to it… And feeling like they are owed something. Nobody owes you anything. And if we would learn that faster, and let go of the bullshit and all the conditioning, then I feel like whether you wanted to be a bum, you would be a bum by choice. Or an entrepreneur, be that by choice.

How do you feel about how social networking presents media, news, current events and basically taken control of life and kind of remixing it in a way?

I have a mixed feeling on that. As a person that uses news and things to source their show, I appreciate it. I appreciate getting that joint on my doorstep, so to speak. It’s right there on my Twitter Feed. It just happened. I was at the hair salon when I 18

found out Michael Jackson died, you know? I didn’t even have to look up from my phone. All I saw was, “MJ... Dead” … 2:25 in the afternoon.

Turned on the TV, it still wasn’t even on yet for 10 more minutes. So I like the speed, but I don’t like what the speed does to it. People don’t fact check. And they think it comes from a reputable source, so they don’t fact check it further, because they think “well it’s the news… CNN.com tweeted it, so it must be true.” So I appreciate the speed, I don’t appreciate the sloppiness.

Yeah a lot of celebrities are getting killed via social networking.

There’s probably more celebrity deaths via Twitter over the past decade than actual celebrity deaths period.

I’m telling you, I almost killed Muhammad Ali, yo, because I almost believed the hoax for a second. ‘Cause see that’s how they present it; they present it in such a way that you have no choice but to believe it.

And thankfully, I got checked, haha. And that’s cool, I love when people check me. Let me know before I go public. And we’re cool.

What would you feel has been the hardest issue you’ve faced being in media?

As far as not being a part of an official, like, ... I don’t write for a magazine... I freelance, but I’m not a part of anything full time, so people don’t take you as seriously until you show them your resume. That’s why all my stuff is right there on blast. You go to youtube, all my videos are there. That’s kind of a challenge. Part of it is also value. People think that just because you did it yourself that you’ll do it for free, and they don’t want to pay you what you’re worth when they ask you “how much?” I didn’t come to you, you came to me! Obviously you saw value in my work. If I solicited you, then we can have a conversation.

I’m willing to work with people, no problem. The thing is, when you come to a person, or when you go to a store, you know what the value is in the store. If I go to the dollar store, I know I’m not gonna spend much more than a dollar (laughs). You come to TastyKeish because you know there’s value in having a great event and I’m going to bring that. There’s value in that and if you don’t want to pay because you think “oh she does this everyday for herself” - Yeah, I do it FOR MYSELF. Not for you. I do it for you to listen and enjoy, but I do it for myself. Because I love it and need that in my life. But if you solicit me, you have to pay, which is difficult in these trying economic times. (laughs) What would you say is the process you go through to get a guest for your show?

When I want to find someone, I’ll go through my mental rolodex, maybe someone that knows someone that knows someone that knows someone, and I can kind of patchwork a connection, and then I hit them up. Sometimes I kind of pepper them with compliments. If you know what the person is about, obviously, I’m soliciting them. I like you.

I must know something about you, and that’s part of being prepared.

So you tell them that you enjoy them or you tell them why, and you be transparent. I’ve looked for interviews and have been denied ... I don’t know if it’s due to my transparency, because I don’t want you to come down here thinking one thing and I start asking you something else, I’m not that kind of interviewer. So I’d rather you respectfully decline and know that I was right in being transparent than surprising you and being kind of ignorant with my work. It’s not worth it. I’d rather we stay cool and you don’t do it. So sometimes it’s a networking thing, sometimes it’s just learning about the person and hitting them up.

You’ve been dealing a lot within the hip hop scene, independent artists and what have you. One of the most interesting debates to me is “Real hip Hop”...

- Oh God. (laughs) (laughs) How do you feel about the “Real Hip Hop” debate? What is that to you?

What is that to me... “To me,” thank you for saying that. (laughs) I wanted to be specific ... (laughs) Honestly Real Hip Hop is what is real to you, what is real to me, what’s real to the artist. Like, OK, “Started From The Bottom” by Drake.

Everybody’s like “oh he didn’t start from no bottom!” But for him, transitioning from acting to rapping... That’s the bottom of rapping!

Nobody took him seriously. “Wheelchair Jimmy” ... to Drake. So he

started from the bottom... Now we here (laughs). That’s real to him and whatever.

Street shit... I might not agree with the content, but if that’s your life, that’s your life. And sometimes I like to learn about people’s lives. Like Yelawolf... Is a ratchet white nigga from Alabama, y’know, and I didn’t know how people were living out there. And if he’s really real in saying all that, then I believe him.

So real is relevant to the person, to the time. I don’t subscribe to this whole old school Hip Hop shit about it’s real hip hop ‘cause he was the first person that did it, and it’s classic, it’s a classic. Son, I don’t wanna see no sloped fades and cross colors and all that. That shit is done. I respect it, but I’m not lamenting over it not being here anymore. I’m moving on, I’m seeing what’s new out there. It’s all real. It’s all relevant. It’s all ok. I might not like it, but it’s all concrete. Somebody put work into it...

For even the worst songs. Milli Vanilli... Them niggas put work into lip syncing. That was a real moment for them (laughs).

I always thought it was interesting when people talk about “Real Hip Hop” and they always go back to the old school.

And I’m like... “you know they’re pretty much talking about the same stuff just in a different era, right?”

There’s always a special space for the first.

The very first. Yes. Those old dudes can do whatever they want. They’re still out here rapping and talking greasy and I appreciate them. But if you’re not the first and you’re in between then and now, just go with it, man. If you had your moment...

Then... You had it. (both laugh) I noticed you’re very about the DIY life.

What does it mean to you to be DIY in this day and age?

Even from this, the radio project, to building furniture in my house, literally the studio was a DIY project. I feel I’m more proud of something when I can say that I built it from the ground up, even if it comes out crazy. I think it came from situations when ... I’d hate to sound cliche, but (in dramatic voice) when I didn’t have enough money (laughs) or whatever, but it’s true!

When you don’t have the thing you need or you can’t get the thing you want... You find a way to get it, yourself ... I needed something, I had to figure out how to get it myself. I needed something, couldn’t 21

afford it, built it myself. Things like that I feel like you get a greater appreciation for that thing. I literally will not throw it away because I made it, or I’ll try to give it to someone because I feel so connected to it. So I feel even more invested in TK in the AM because I built it and because my friends came down here and helped me build the studio. I can’t disappoint y’all. I gotta give this the college try before I wrap it up. Everything I do I feel like I owe it to myself to continue until it’s futile. Because I either owe myself or the people that have helped. That’s my DIY life. Just gratitude for being able to do something with my hands.

How does it feel to work with your mom on the radio?

It’s awesome. She and my dad are my biggest supporters. they come to the events.

They actually cooked for our live breakfast party show and will probably work our summer events.

Miss Tina is a natural born character. When we started the show, she was making regular pre-recorded appearances doing an advice segment. But we’ve kind of chilled because the way the show has evolved with the chat room listeners is that they want to be able to ask a question right there in real time. Due to her work obligations, she can’t come to the studio live- but Miss Tina will still call in and pre-record if you have something in mind to ask. The listeners always ask about her; they love her and so do I. How do you feel about the Network as far as the community or media and taking a career to another level?

Your network or A network is only as strong as the people you select to be in it. And sometimes you make mistakes. Sometimes the guy on the corner that you thought was cool turns out to be a crackhead and steals your stereo. That’s not a good guy to have in your network (laughs). And it happens professionally. You start off and it doesn’t work out like you thought and you have to remove that person from your network or community to make it stronger.

And it’s hard to realize when your network is weak. Because everybody wants to believe they’re such a great networker or whatever.

Being a great networker means letting go of the weak links. I’ve learned that, took me a long time and I’m still working some shit out. It’s a process. But I appreciate

everybody on an organic level. I’d rather be your friend than pass you my business card.

Half the time I forget my business cards at home because I’m not even thinking about it like that. I’m thinking I’m gonna go to this event and I’m just gonna watch some dudes rap or I’m just gonna hang out, and I just end up talking to someone. And we do the phone thing or the Twitter thing. And that’s how it starts, that’s part of building the network in a real way.

When you meet someone in real life, you can feel them more. That’s why I like seeing people perform live. People hit me up and are like “I want to come on your show, I want you to play my music” and honestly, I gotta see you live first. You can give me some great shit on CD, but if I don’t see you live and feel the energy, if I don’t meet the person and feel their energy, then I can’t be sure of their place in my network.

And when I say network, I mean my life, because it’s a life thing.

What was the experience like taking TK in the AM on the road? Where did you visit and how were you received?

TK and J-Live broadcasting from Atlanta

Well, I just came back from the Nomadness Travel Tribe RV College tour which stopped at HBCU’s from the east to the west coast and talked to the students about the importance of travel shaping one’s life and world view and how entrepreneurship fits into all that. I was brought on as a resident media personality because of my experience and with TK in the AM just starting I thought having live mobile episodes would be innovative.

Before I even left, I did a test run in Massachusetts at DJ Rik Rok’s little hideaway. There I learned how to rig up all the moving parts and what I need to do on the road, how fickle the mics and mixer can be and whatnot. It was a good test and I was confident about going on tour as long as I had regular stable internet.

What I didn’t realize on the tour itself was that, not all hotel internet is made equal.

Doesn’t matter how much the room costs.

Some connections are better or worse and you won’t know until you get there. Shout out to Le Pavillion Hotel in New Orleans for the best internet ever!

Out of the 9 cities we visited, TK in the AM broadcasted live 4 times in 3 locations over the span of 2 weeks. I met J-Live in Atlanta

TK & Houston listener, Freeberry @ TSU

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and broadcast from an awesome loft, we did two episodes in New Orleans- covering the Jazz Festival, and the last one was from Los Angeles where I talked to Dante of Dante’s Fried Chicken, Liv L’Raynge, and had an impromptu parking lot roundtable with creatives like Sum, Eagle Nebula, Protius, SuperKing Armor and more on how their lives are better since moving to the west coast.

The reception of the show as a mobile entity was amazing and confirmed my ideas on how I wanted to do this on my own terms.

Folks that listen outside of New York stopped by to meet me while I was on site at the colleges with the Nomadness team. It made my day to see a non- New York listener in the flesh! Also, The Nomadness team was so amazing helping me get things together, co-hosting on the fly, dealing with my stress when live radio doesn’t go as planned, and waking up crazy early to let me broadcast.

At the end of the day, I want to do what no one else is doing and I want to not just give a shoutout but I want to really engage with my listeners. TK in the AM will be back on the road very soon (Midwest maybe?/?) and are looking for more opportunities do so.

What do you see next, not only for TK In The AM but for TastyKeish?

Step by step. Honestly, this show. Because little did I know that these years of me doing so many different projects, I thought that I wasn’t focused. Turns out, I was accumulating different skill sets so that I could do this show. So now I’m taking all those skill sets and pouring everything I have into TK in the AM. That’s really what it’s about right now. That and pretty much monetizing my life to a point where I feel satisfied and fulfilled without doing things that I don’t feel satisfied and fulfilled doing.

I really did think I was unfocused for a long time. I thought “something must be wrong with me. Why can’t this project work?” or whatever, y’know. Selling shit, (laughs) which helps because I have to sell this show. I gotta make you listen. I gotta make you want to invest in this thing that I built for myself.

This thing that you assume has no value ...

Until you listen and turns out “I enjoy this thing that she built from nothing ... with her homies.” (laughs) So sales, everything I did that looked like it failed, it was just for this moment. and that’s why I say I’m happiest since January 2, 2013 than I have been for a long time, because I see it coming 23

together.

What does TastyKeish think when she hears FunktheFormula?

HA! Well ... I go back with y’all a while. With you, the original incarnation of the thing, so I think of it in the same vain as I think of my own DIY life, TK in the AM, I think of it in the same way. I’ve just seen such motivation and such... Drive to do more. No matter what.

This is it, this is the little engine that could, we’ve got trains on these motherfuckin’ tracks, man! THAT’S Funktheformula, that’s what I think. These are the trains that are on the track, I’m pulling out of my station, you’re pulling out of your station and we’re gonna get to fuckin’, the Bronx (laughs) ...

From the the end of Flatbush to the tippytop of the Bronx, with no problem, on time, on schedule. And FunktheFormula is that. It is the DIY life. It is making shit happen. It is as much a part of me as my own show. And I hope that my own show is as much a part of you and everybody else as I feel about FunktheFormula.

I can’t even fathom why it wouldn’t be!

Where can people check TK in the AM? TK in the AM is every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, LIVE! There’s a podcast later, we post it. But LIVE on TkintheAm.com or Bondfireradio.com, another part of the movement. You can find me on all social networks, TastyKeish, or the show, TK in the AM. As far as anything else... I feel this train is moving fast. So I just want folks to realize the value for what it is before things get to a place that’s unmanageable for me to see every person. ‘Cause right now I can see every person. Like my listeners, I know a lot of them, and the ones I don’t know, I know them because they listen. And we’re friends now on Facebook (laughs). I want to invite you to this movement before it gets to a point where I can’t fully focus on having one-on-one relationships. Because, real talk, I want to get to a point where things are unmanageable, that’s how you know it’s working. If I can’t manage, then yay! I did something. And then I’ma fix it (laughs). But right now is a great time, so please just join us. TK in the AM. Staying busy, moving along that track.

3 reasons to wake up in the morning!

Exactly, best days of the week. WELL... Now that TK in the AM is on the air. Mondays are much better and Friday’s are much sweeter. (sings) Praise the Lord. (both laugh) Lastly, describe TastyKeish in one word, besides TastyKeish, at this moment.

We’re gonna make it work. Thanks so much for sitting with us Keish. I’ve watched and admire you for so long and I wish you nothing but the best with TK in the AM and beyond.

Thank you, you too man. I’ve seen you grow so huge, keep doing it!

Scared. This is more real than anything else that has ever happened. Because me and my people made it happen. And it’s real because people that I don’t know are noticing, and I’m scared. And every time something crazy happens and there’s an equipment failure, I get more scared! (laughs) So I’m scared but I’m excited, so I don’t know if there’s a word for it... scared... excited... Scarecited... terr-ra-cited, I’m Terricited!! Terrified and Excited!

You heard it first, we made up a new word, via TastyKeish. “Terricited.” (laughs) That sounds crazy. Sounds like Space. (laughs)

Photo Courtesy of Vanissa W. Chan/ACD Media

Re-Writing Theatre The women of the Re-Write(s) of Passage Ensemble Theatre Company

took some time out amidst the run of their successful production, Vivisection, to speak with us at FunktheFormula on a cool Sunday evening in Harlem. We sat down with members Piper Anderson Shamapande, J’nelle Chelune, Nanya-Akuki Goodrich and Charlotte Michell (unfortunately members Tricia Taitt and Myoshi Smith weren’t able to make it, but were repped in spirit) to discuss the dynamic of the ensemble, spearheaded by Piper and J’nelle. The 2 found inspiration on a trip to Rwanda roughly 3 years ago to do a thesis project. With that, they found themselves gathering a group of other women who equally identified as being part of the African Diaspora and as being artists, and begun having conversations on what that means in totality. From there, they devised a theater production based around that which was multidisciplinary (including aspects of singing, dancing, music, poetry and more) and was made into a full fledged experience from the moment people walked into their theater space. From there, the women decided they wanted to continue working together, which incited Piper and J’nelle to expand beyond co-directors and to become active performers.

As a result, the Re-Write(s) of Passage Ensemble was born.

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Vivisection was an amazing production, telling an overall story that needed to be told. Can you give some insight on how Vivisection came about?

Nanya: “Vivisection” was the original title of the production, but is now titled “Vivisection: Brought to You by Sista Girls Who Were Tired of Being Dissected So We Snatched Back the Mic.” We started with exploring the theme of respect and how we saw a lack of respect as black women on a daily basis, from our personal experiences to how we see ourselves as a group being disrespected in the media and various other ways. Within the year of its creation, there were many issues that came up, including one study, though I forget the name of it, but it was to the effect of “why are black women less attractive?” So we had a visceral reaction to that and had quite a bit to say about it.

Wow. Well touching on an issue like that, what do you think is one of the biggest issues that black women face that may not be properly addressed, if at all addressed, in the mainstream media?

J’nelle: Let me get my list... (all laugh) Charlotte: Maybe we can go around and say one each... Because there’s really no one answer...

Piper: For me, it’s misrepresentation. More often than not what we experience as far as how we’re portrayed in the media is a complete misrepresentation and an inability to see us as complexed and nuanced. Like any human being, you can’t just put is in a box and think that you’ve diagnosed us.

That’s one thing that happens in the media and kind of carries over into how we’re perceived in the workplace, social settings, in relationships... So we’re constantly working to sort of undo the damage of those misrepresentations.

Jnelle: The first thing that popped into my head is the hyper-sexualizations of the female body ... How that relates to the systemic implications in the media and healthcare, just everything. Just think of a system and there’s some form of misrepresentation based around that hyper-sexualization of our bodies.

Charlotte: For me, probably because I spend so much time with kids, it would be negative self image. A lot of young women and women-to-be are not sure who they are and who they should be, so they take their cues from these misrepresentations and hyper-sexualizations and all these different ideas of what black women are supposed to be, look like, etcetera, and never gain the chance to develop into the beautiful individuals they could be because they’re trying to fit these molds.

Nanya: I’m one of those people who is very uncomfortable in those boxes society puts us in. All of us are, which I think is why we all work as well as we do... We’re multi-dimensional with various experiences... From where we grew up, to the type of music we listen to, to the foods we eat, religions, the whole spectrum.

J’nelle: Even with the term, “misrepresentation,” there’s almost an assumption that the representation is singular. And because of that, it’s like, here’s what we believe it is and this is what gets put out into the world. We’re just as complex as any other group, and to be recognized for those complexities and be allowed to explore them in a way that’s safe for all of us is really what Re-Writes is about. That exploration. Yes, we’re 6 women in a group, but that’s only 6 women of billions of experiences. I understand with media 26

and other things there has to be this standard, and it’s really a matter of dismantling this standard and not having one at all.

Charlotte: One of the beauties of Vivisection is that it’s like the 6 of us are saying we’re all of this and none of this at the same time, and we’re Ok with that. That’s the way it should be.

How often do you find yourselves pulling from your own personal lives in the works you create?

J’nelle: There are things we see in the media, and then we bring it to the group and then we talk about them, and inevitably some personal experiences come up. And then we talk about it and then we have lines that we then play around with and have improv... And then next thing you know we have a scene. So that’s really the process, we take from both.

Piper: In essence, all of it comes from us and our experiences. And yet, because we have theater which gives you this space to break down reality and really challenge perception in different ways, we take advantage of that in the way that we create our scenes. I think that’s really important because so often I think there’s an expectation that when you see a black woman on stage, she’s probably saying something autobiographical and written this one-woman-show about her life ... (all laugh)... To the point where people will ask in talk-backs, “well, you’re not that person why do you get to tell that story?” White playwrights don’t ever get asked that question. White men can write about whatever they want and tell whatever story they want. But they’re sort of feeling that, as black women writers and theater makers, our purview is autobiographical work and that’s where we need to stay. With Re-Writes, we kind of break out of that box, and we say “no we’re going to create a character from some unknown place in Africa, and you’re gonna love it!” Or any other kind of scene. So we challenge all of our perceptions of what it is to create theater.

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Nanya: I think also because we all have backgrounds as educators, it’s almost instinctual and most gratifying for us to provoke and to challenge... And to question... And to fully explore whatever it is that we bring to the table.

Do you ever feel like you may go to far with any messages you put out with your production or do you feel like you may not be pushing the envelope enough and more could be said?

Piper: I think the goal for us is to make a body of work that is really rich and diverse and that tells a lot of different stories, so we’re really just getting started. I’m really proud of this show, Vivisection, and I’m really proud of what we’re saying in it. And I really love the fact that it does provoke and stir things up in people, and sometimes they don’t know how to feel and sometimes it makes them uncomfortable and that’s great; if it makes you feel something, then we’ve done our job.

Where do you see the overall future of Re-Writes?

J’nelle: ... Excuse us as we think about that right now. (all laugh) Nanya: We’re always looking for new opportunities to take our work and us as a collective to the next level. We’re really proud of this work we’ve created and really enthusiastic to share it and help it grow and grow with it. In terms of other members, we’re comfortable where we are, it’s working for us, but we’re always very keen on evolving. Whatever changes we need to make as they come, we welcome them.

Piper: One of the questions that came up in a talk-back was what will be the stories that we will eventually tell... The stories about black women 30 years from now. I would love to see Re-Writes 30 years from now telling those stories, whatever they become, and be apart of the evolution of the narrative around black women and our experiences.

J’nelle: And the stories will never be the same. With the current climate of how people of color are perceived and... what is it, by 2040, people of color are going to be the majority... So who knows what stories are going to come out of that. So there’s a lot to do and a lot for us to challenge ourselves with... To continue telling stories in ways that are different and exciting for us.

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With Re-Writes, we kind of break out of that box, and we say “no we’re going to create a character from some unknown place in Africa, and you’re gonna love it!” Or any other kind of scene. So we challenge all of our perceptions of what it is to create theater.

- Piper Anderson Shamapande

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ARTIST: KD, “The Call”

Street Art Save My Life Facebook.com/streetartsavemylife

Designer: Henrioci; Makeup: Treanna Neufville; Hair: Glamm CEO

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After taking the world by storm on Season 3 of NBC’s “The Voice,” powerhouse singer, Amanda Brown posed for our cameras modeling the latest pieces by feature designer, Cat Henry, from her line, Henrioci (Featured in issue #2 of FunktheFormula Magazine). We also got an opportunity to get a quick interview from Ms. Brown on what it was like being on The Voice, her sound, and more.

At what point in your life did you realize that you wanted to sing and ultimately pursue a career doing it?

I’ve always enjoyed singing but it wasn’t really until my freshman year of college that I decided to pursue a career in music.

How would you describe the Amanda Brown sound in comparison to other to other singers of your time? Do you feel it can be necessarily defined/placed in a category?

I’m not really a fan of placing anyone’s music into a box. Perhaps my “sound” might remind someone, for instance, of another artist because they hear strings or world instruments. Perhaps someone else might place me into the R&B/ pop genre because I have a soulful sounding voice that reminds them of other artists in that category. For myself, I consider myself an Alternative artist. My goal and dream is to strive to be in the company of artists such as Prince, Bjork, Kate Bush, and CeeLo Green. Their music, in my opinion, spans a number of genres. At the end if the day, what one hears is what one hears, I merely want to be a better, more knowledgable musician.

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Designer: Henrioci; Makeup: Treanna Neufville; Hair: Glamm CEO

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The music industry has changed so much in many ways over the past decade or so. As a growing face in music, what would you say has been your biggest concern, if any, with the way music today is distributed/presented to the masses?

It’s proving more and more difficult for musicians and artists to earn a significant income from selling their music because it’s so easily accessible, for free. However, it’s opened a new world of opportunities to musicians and artists that want to sell their work themselves, or through a mass distributor (i.e. iTunes, CDBaby, Tunecore, etc.). There will always be challenges when we pair business

with art but, for me, having the opportunity to showcase my music on a world stage, via the World Wide Web, is a tremendous gift.

You made it to the top 6 on NBC’s The Voice competition, which is major. How has being on The Voice affected your career as a result?

Exposure and opportunity. I’ve met and worked with talented people as a result of being on the show, not to mention the awesome fan base I’ve gained. I must say, the fans are my favorite part! They’re so great.

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I hope to inspire and move people to think and act. Yes music is nice to listen to in passing but my goal is for people to feel AND think when they hear what I have to say.

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Designer: Henrioci; Makeup: Treanna Neufville; Hair: Glamm CEO

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Designer: Henrioci; Makeup: Treanna Neufville; Hair: Glamm CEO

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What was your favorite performance that you’ve done on the show and why?

I’d have to say “Dream On” was on of my favorites. I got to let lose and sing a song I wanted to sing from the beginning of the show. I was so nervous and everyone responded with nothing but love and support. It was a great feeling.

You’ve toured and traveled the world singing with some of music’s greatest artists, Adele and Alicia Keys to name a few. What was the experience like working and traveling with them?

In a nutshell, hard work but a lot of fun! I learned a lot about what it takes mentally and physically to embark on a world tour!

In Beyonce’s recent documentary, she mentioned something I thought that was very interesting: to paraphrase, artists don’t make albums anymore; rather they focus on a hit single, burn out and repeat the process. What is your take on that?

I’m working on a project that is more than just a single, at the moment.

It’s very possible that that does happen, releasing a single then burning out. It is a singles market, so they say. Haha! I can only do what feels right to me and right now that’s releasing a story that consists of more than one song. I could fall flat on my face afterward but I’ll be more the wiser because of it.

What can fans hope to expect from your upcoming project?

Something they didn’t expect. Haha!

Haha, fair enough. What do you hope to ultimately accomplish with your music as your career continues to progress?

I hope to inspire and move people to think and act. Yes music is nice to listen to in passing but my goal is for people to feel AND think when they hear what I have to say. That’s my goal, whether or not I achieve that is an entirely different story.

Describe a perfect Amanda Brown concert, if you could have ANY artist involved in your set.

Paul Simon, Bjork, Joni Mitchell, and Prince. Nuff said.

Very nice. That’d definitely be something to see. What advice could you give to an up and coming artist or anyone with dreams of becoming an artist?

Practice, practice, practice, practice, play a bunch of gigs, listen, listen, listen, then practice some more.

Check out music and more from Amanda Brown @ www.amandabrownmusic.com Find more designs from Henrioci @ www.Henrioci.com

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KEEPING IT NATURAL A natural hair Q&A, exploration and celebration

by DJ KayeX

I wanted to take a slight detour from my old man rants of what Hip Hop was back then and has become today to celebrate the beauty of women this month. There are few memories I retain from my college days, but I met a girl on one particular night wearing a scarf covering her hair rollers. She was just as shy as ever and none of the other guys paid her any mind, but I already knew then that she was beautiful. I always prided myself in being observant and having the ability to see hidden beauty.

She mostly wore her hair relaxed in several styles, but one day something was different.

I was heading back to my dorm one afternoon between classes and she was exiting after looking for me and her hair was braided. I don’t know what had came over me, but at that moment I couldn’t take my eyes off of her or stop touching her hair. There was something about braids that I adored. Her braided hair seemed to have enhanced her beauty about tenfold.

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The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines Beauty as the quality or aggregate of qualities in a person or thing that gives pleasure to the senses or pleasurably exalts the mind or spirit.

There are plenty things on a woman that I find beautiful, but to me there is nothing that can accentuate a woman’s face better than her hair. We all have seen our beautiful sisters with relaxed hair, braids, locks, weaves and wigs. Me being a guy that was born in the 70’s, I felt I had to take it back to the hairdo of what beauty was in that era and is now making a reemergence today: The AFRO.

to just try something different. So I did what is called the big chop (BC) I figured I wouldn’t know how my hair would look if I didn’t have patience so I decided to give it a second try (and NOW I loveeee it).

I had the good fortune of interviewing several women concerning the topic of natural hair. I was surprised to find there were so many similarities amongst the ladies that had traveled the natural hair route. I’d like to thank Sherita for inspiring this piece along with Susie, Jessica, JaEl, Kealana, Darrell, Rashida, Sa’Ran and Chay for their contributions to this article. You are all beautiful women and I’m honored that you all have given your perspectives on natural hair.

Chay: Well, I decided to go natural because I never knew what my hair looked like. I found it odd that at 27, I had to ask my mom what my hair texture was like. I had my first relaxer when I was 7 years old. Plus I got tired of conforming.

JaEl: At first it was about taking a break from the perm for a bit to get my hair back in shape, but when I realized there were more simple options to care for natural hair than permed hair, I decided to keep going without a perm. As I’ve read more and more about growing and caring for natural hair, it is more about what’s applied within the body than what’s applied on actual hair. Let’s see where this journey will take me....

What are the variables that you think pressure some women into wearing weaves?

What made you decide to go back to keeping your hair natural?

Jessica: The ease of maintenance.

Sa’Ran: After years of conforming to what the world deemed to be beautiful I decided it was time to be me. I was tired of being someone else’s definition of beautiful I wanted to go back to my natural state.

The way GOD Intended for me to be.

Susie: Trends because you never really see people glorifying team natural. You never saw celebrities rocking Afros. In videos and on stages you see the long luxurious hair that blows in the wind. We were always taught that nappy was ugly. Solange and Janelle Monae are celebrities who are wearing their hair natural.

Rashida: I was tired of spending so much money on getting my hair done and I wanted

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when you finally made that decision?

Sa’Ran: It’s funny, one Wednesday I was washing my hair and I said I’m sick of this. I went to my sons barber “E” and told him I just wanted to be free and he did just that.

15 minutes later, I walked out of there with a buzz cut. I knew that if I didn’t cut it all the way off I’d end up relaxing my hair again, so I big chopped. It’s been 5 months and has proven to be one of the best decisions I’ve made.

How did you feel when you first went natural? Was it strange in the beginning?

Did it take some getting used to?

Sa’Ran Kealana: In my opinion the top variables are the entertainment industry, society, and other women in general. Whether most women want to admit it or not we develop our style from other women, even the ones we don’t care for...lol. You will see another woman walking down the street and if you like her appearance then a mental note has already been made in reference to her style including her hair.

Kealana could you at this point be persuaded to go the natural route?

Kealana: No I don’t believe it’s for me in totality. While I do take care of my natural hair in between installing a new weave; I do not have the time to devote two hours or more to just my hair. I wear weaves because they are convenient and contrary to popular belief they have helped my hair grow a great deal. Besides I like them, I like the colors, and the variety and I don’t have to “damage” my natural hair to achieve said style.

Jessica: My dad asked me why I don’t wear hairpieces and wigs anymore?

I asked him did he want me too? His response was “nah I’ve been trying to get you to do that for a long time and now you are.”

Chay: I was scared! I did the big chop the weekend of my family reunion. After my mom cut my hair off, I looked in the mirror and was HORRIFIED!! LOL. I was used to having long straight hair, so I went to the store and bought some weave, lol. I was worried about what others thought about my hair and me. After I took the weave out. I was going to put another one in and I changed my mind. I kept telling myself the reason why I cut all my hair off in the first place; it was a part of me that I never knew and me putting another weave in was delaying the process. After the first

Rashida do you feel a sense of chemical freedom from the hair products and weaves?

Rashida: Yes Lord! Lol. I do NOT miss having to get a perm every month or spending hundreds of dollars on hair and then hundreds to get it sewn in. I honestly think about why I didn’t go natural sooner.

Sa’Ran did you have to work up the courage and did it feel awkward at first 41

Chay

week of me wearing my natural hair, I was comfortable and confident in the choice that I made.

Sa’Ran: Honestly it took me a few days to get used to it, my entire life I was so concerned with my hair so to actually just be able to get ready without spending an hour in the mirror took a while to get used to.

How were you received when people saw you and your real hair at first?

Sa’Ran: My dad freaked out and of course everyone assumed I was coming out of the closet lol, but surprisingly my friends both male and female loved it. Honestly it took me a few days to get used to it. My entire life I was so concerned with my hair so to actually just be able to get ready without spending an hour in the mirror took a while to get used to.

Chay: Well, the older people didn’t like it; it took a long time for my grandma to accept it. My mom loved it! She was my biggest supporter. I loved the fact that she started me on the creamy crack but she was also the one to end it. My friends were on the fence about it, but they came around. I think they love it more than myself now. The funny part is when I go out, whenever I wear my Afro, people just stare. Some approach me and tell me they love my hair. Others ask questions on my decision to go natural. Some say that I inspired them to go natural. I also get

Susie people who tell me that I should relax again because my hair is not professional.

I ignore them though ... lol.

Is maintaining natural hair more work or less work than before? Does it cost more or cost less to maintain?

Susie and Sherita: There’s a lot of maintenance involved.

Rashida: Natural hair is least expensive (unless you’re a product junkie and don’t know how to maintain your natural hair). I spend about $30-$40 a month on my hair. I trim my own ends, I do my own deep conditioning, my own scalp massages, and I do my own styling, which saves me lots.

With a weave ... I’d pay for the hair, to get it sewn in, and then I’d have to pay every two weeks to get it styled. That would be about $450 per month but it was less hands on.

Jessica: It’s a lot of work. Sometimes I wish I had a weave but I can’t last more than 3 days with one.

Sa’Ran: More work because I’m actually paying attention to what my hair needs however I’m not doing my hair as often LESS!! All I need is a good conditioner, extra virgin olive oil, and gel vs. weekly visits to the salon which ran at least 50 each time.

Rell 42

Chay: Oh It’s definitely more work! LOL. I put in a lot of time with my hair but I actually enjoy it for the most part. When I first became natural, it cost a lot. I was listening to different people telling me what I needed to buy for my hair and I became a product junkie. Now, after two years, I realize that less is more and I have cut back a lot on the things I buy for my hair.

One final question, what would you tell a woman who is considering going natural?

Rashida: I would tell her it’s the best decision she will make in her life! She will feel completely liberated and beautiful minus the enhancements.

Chay: I would tell her to do her research! When I decided to go natural, YouTube was my best friend. I watched tons of videos to see how much work went into maintaining my hair and to see if I was ready for all of that work. Also, have patience, growing natural hair takes time so sit back and enjoy every stage of going natural. Do what is best for you; it’s your hair so it’s your decision. Don’t let others dictate what is beautiful on you, that’s your job. Lastly, it’s just hair, so if you decide that natural isn’t for you, that’s fine.

Susie: It’s not easy and it will take some time getting use to ... So you have to have patience. Hair may look awkward because you are so used to relaxers or weaves but once you start finding the right products that work for you and watch tutorials for natural styles you will see its not bad at all.

Sa’Ran: Don’t over think it, at the end of the day it’s just hair!

I’d like to conclude that I appreciate the fact that some women chose to separate them from what is considered popular and go natural when it comes to their hair. It has been said that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but do we all possess the ability to see what beauty truly is?

For more information on going natural be sure to check out: Connecticut Curlies on Facebook and @ct_curlies on Twitter “One has to do it for herself and want the work that comes with it. Some say going natural is a fad. It is not. People have their own reasons behind doing a big chop. Becoming a naturalist is a true journey in itself.

Transitioning is well worth it once your hair is free of chemicals and one can literally get back to her roots, freedom from relaxers, and healthy hair.”

-Darrell

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As a young woman who discovered that natural hair is a culture and a form of identity I decided to create a campaign that not only exposes identity, but personality.

I have been classified as “the girl with the hair” on many different occasions which has lead me to embrace and explore what exactly my hair was capable of. One day I replied, “I Am My Hair, and my hair is me,” and such evolution occurred from that day forth. Growing up around girls who predominately had straight blonde hair, a girl like me was a curly haired outcast who has grown from the elephant in the room to one of many women apart of this hair culture. I am ready to share the spotlight with those individuals with my campaign.

I Am My Hair campaign was created by myself, for people of all shades, shapes, and sizes to embrace and wear their number one identity trait; hair. Hair is shaped by product, accessories, and its master, you.

The power of a fro, with a hint of frizz, the sleek and shine of soft straight hair, or the texture and tease of kinky hair individuals

across the world are all a part of a culture that I want to be seen worldwide. This was designed to bring hair together as a culture whether it is curly, kinky, soft, big, frizzy, thick, long, purchased, or short; you are your hair! This campaign is where hair meets personality. Embrace it, accept it, and most importantly, wear it! Launching the campaign, I want to bring awareness and acceptance of identity and expression with hair.

Our campaign functions around photos uploaded to our Instagram from participants who creatively tell us why they are their hair along with submissions of Hair Stories. We take submissions via email and track our brand via major social networks with the use of a hash tag (#IAMH or #IamMyHair). Join the campaign and dare to be different.

To view more : www.iammyhaircampaign. com Twitter & Instagram : IamMyHair_JP

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Hi fellow cosplayer’s and creators! I had the privilege of chatting with Cuddling Wolf, (CW for short) about his budding business, Works In Progress: Behind the Production.

What was your inspiration for creating W.I.P.’s?

I’ve always been a cinephile, and a huge fan of behind the scenes documentaries. Very few, show much more than an interview with the actor talking about their personal experience, which can get stale after a while. I started focusing on watching BTS that included work on sets or props and makeup, which I found much more fascinating than just hearing the actors talk about how much they had fun on set or enjoyed working with a director.

Awesome, behind the scenes is definitely where it is at.

After I was commissioned to do some prop work of my own, it occurred to me that without some sort of segment showing all the effort that went into the simple props I was making, chances are no one would ever appreciate all the work beyond the people who worked on the production. I was not happy about that and wanted my own work and other’s works to be more appreciated.

Did those films inspire you to get into the business of prop and costume making?

It was a combination of film and photo shoots, particularly in the cosplay industry, that pushed me to start creating things of my own as an artist. Also, of course, seeing the techniques being used was a big help since I could not afford to take art classes at the time.. So the documentaries and segments showing how these artists created their works were more than an inspiration, they were a guiding tool.

Yeah definitely have to have a way or means of inspiring future costume and 45

monster makers. So what does your business Works In Progress: Behind the Productions all do?

only as much diversity in projects and productions as possible, but in artists as well.

Works In Progress: Behind The Productions is an endeavor to try to show more about the work and talent that goes into any large scale production than a simple behind the scenes documentary can fit, while maintaining the interest of the audience by showing not just all aspects of one production, but different aspects of many productions, to keep things fresh and original.

Awesome, so basically have a worldwide non brick and mortar type of studio, showcasing what artists and craftsmen can do all over the country/ world. This definitely has the potential to get huge. How or what type of platform will you be using to stay connected with all of these artists?

Sweet so is this basically all under one roof or is it more expansive?

It’s a collaborative effort. Mostly our production company will be filming the extensive process that goes on behind major productions, and creating short segments on our own YouTube channel showing various parts of a production.

Cool! Will you also be filming your own progress as you do work for other clients or companies that desire your services so that others can learn as you did?

We will mostly be focusing on the work of other artists to ensure as much diversity as possible. Our own projects will try to fill in any gaps we feel we have missed in the process. In doing so we hope to show not

Mostly online since many we will be working with remotely, at least to start. It provides a very unique challenge for filming, but one we are taking on with pleasure.

Sweet. So will you be using multiple emails, Skype, yahoo, video conferencing?

Primarily we are trying to stick to using Google applications, for a number of reasons. Since the applications all tie in well to one another it helps us keep things organized and share information freely, and we’ve found a lot of the applications really are the easiest for us to use for discussing things and sharing ideas, not to mention the fact that YouTube is owned by Google and will be our primary form of distribution for our show.

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Nice, staying on the edge of tech, sounds like an amazing way to conference and get ideas across the board in a sensible manner.

Have you hit any milestones yet with your W.I.P. endeavor?

A few, yes. We have been negotiating and making steps towards a partnership with an investor on a second project, which will give us enough funding to actually create both shows in the end. In addition to that, we’ve been working with a local independent fan series production, including producing their own behind the scenes documentary segments for their show, which has given us a lot of experience as well as put us in touch with key people in the local industry to arrange for filming other projects.

Making big moves, I see. is there anything you can tell us about one of the shows you are working towards making a reality?

Well I can say that we are working with the production crew for a fan series called Doctor Who: The Forgotten Doctor. We have personally helped create a few iconic props for the show, and have filmed over 50 hours of behind the scenes footage and interviews. The cast and crew are amazing and include many big names in the independent film scene in Atlanta.

Awesome you will definitely have to let us know when the series go live so we can tune in to it. Well thank you CW very much for this interview, I will love to reserve the right to interview at future intervals as your business endeavor blows up!

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ARTIST: KISLOW, “Helping Hands”

Street Art Save My Life Facebook.com/streetartsavemylife

The Big Picture We got a chance to sit and speak with young artist, Steven D’Arbenzio about what drives his work, his views on the art world, and what’s next for the inspired painter and illustrator.

I’m a big fan of your paintings and your style, and I see there’s a strong family aspect in your subject matter. How influential and supportive has family been to you as far as starting you career as a painter?

As far as starting my painting career, If you want to go a little farther back... I think my main influence was my dad. I guess he saw that I had something as a little kid. He told me, as young as 3 years old, he noticed I would spend odd amounts of time sitting at the table by myself with crayons and markers coloring when most kids would do it for a little while and walk away. So he saw that and pushed it... Bought me all the supplies every year, more and more and I just got better and better, and he kept pushing and pushing. So that’s how I become someone who likes to draw.

Once college rolled around, all I knew was I wanted to do art. So I went to the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan and became a Fine Arts major because I didn’t know what major to take and I knew that Fine Art was a more broad major that goes into everything - painting, sculpture, drawing, design, everything. My family has always been supportive in pushing me to be an artist and push my skills as far a I can. As far as why I paint people I know in my family, I think it runs a bit deeper than why I am an artist.

And what does that entail?

Well family is an odd thing, as I’m sure you know. Its a strange relationship because you love them, you hate them... They make you sad, they make you happy. A lot of times people kinda... Maybe not just your family, but in life, people that you love or people that you’re close to, you kind of put up on a pedestal. And as far as my paintings go... I spent 4 months studying in Italy, so I had a lot of Renaissance, religiously charged work to look at, and you just soak that in, you’re surrounded by it. I love the realism and the 51

high technical ability that the Renaissance painters have. So that’s what I was trying to push as far as my photo realism goes, just to make it look as real as I can. But that’s just one aspect of it. I think with painting my family and people I love, it’s kind of like turning them into idols by immortalizing them on a canvas. Because, you know, what is an idol? Whether it’s God or whether it’s your car, something you really love or maybe spend to much time thinking about. And that’s what your family can become. So that’s kind of the idea behind the paintings... Confronting the idea that sometimes my family can become somewhat of an idol.

Have you ever tried or thought of trying other styles aside from photo realism, like say surrealism or what have you, within your career?

Well I haven’t had that long of a career yet as an artist; I guess the word “career” is a pretty broad term, you know, because I’m not making a living off of my paintings. But I still consider it as me trying to grow an art career.

But I’m into so many different styles, like surrealism... I guess right now I’m really into realism, but not just photo realism. Like, (opens sketchbook) stuff like this, drawings that I do. Though I draw them realistically, they’re not real. So I’m really into this type of style, an illustrative type of drawing and painting, and I think these can transfer into some really cool looking paintings.

Do you necessarily always draw exactly from photos or is there every a point where you’re painting from memory?

When it comes to my paintings, I work from photographs. I like to take photographs of the people I’m painting. I usually go to where they are, set up a little shoot, get the lighting right, take a bunch of pictures, choose one, maybe alter it a little bit in photoshop, bring out or push back certain colors. And then I paint them. And I make sure I get really high resolution, huge images so that I can zoom in and get all of the little pores and eyelashes ... I like painting all that stuff.

Normally for artists, it’s hard to pinpoint that one piece that you love. Is there one piece particularly closer to your heart than the others?

I painted 2 paintings of my grandparents when I was in Italy. Those were the first real paintings pushing my photo realism that I did. I think those paintings are really important to me. So important that even my grandfather, who the paintings are of, wants them and I won’t let him have them. (laughs) I don’t know, just being in Italy, for one, and painting my Italian grandparents IN Italy, just pushing those paintings represents how hard I pushed to get good at painting realistically, like my first step into it. So those are pretty important to me, but ALL the paintings I do are really important to me. I’ve joked with other artist friends and my fiance because it’s like, I do paintings for people, and the idea is you do a painting and you sell it because you want to make money. But you do something and it’s like, you don’t want to get rid of it, because you spend so much time with this thing, 52

and when it comes to art, your art is apart of you, it’s like an extension of yourself. So when you have to get rid of it, it’s like losing it, losing a piece of yourself.

I can definitely understand that sentiment. As a painter, what would you say is the biggest misconception about painting, and the artist, the “starving artist” if you will, that you would like to dispel?

I think the term starving artist was a term that used to ring true, but in a different era. In 2013 I don’t think you can really use it. I mean, I guess you can, I’m sure there are some artists out there that are Hell bent on just making art and they’re not going to work a job. So they’re willing to maybe be poor or go without certain things to live that kind of lifestyle. But I think that term goes more for like back in the day when artists could come to New York and live in a rat hole apartment that now costs 3 grand a month to live in. They were starving artists, but they could afford to live there for like 20 bucks a month, make their paintings. But now, who can really do that? I don’t know if it’s a misconception ... I don’t know if I’ve ever thought about if people see me the right or the wrong way. I just think the art world in itself is a weird thing ... One big misconception. Artists want to be artists, they want to be part of this cool thing making art and being creative and meeting creative people. But the art world is just as much of a business as anything else. There are amazing people, but basically it’s just one big show you put on for rich people to buy work. And there’s a lot of pretentious people, a lot of pretentious artists. I don’t like any of that... Not to say I don’t want to be apart of it. (both laugh)

Have you, as of yet, realized what the legacy of Steven D’Arbenzio will be? Have you thought that far ahead? (laugh) As a young artist, I’m still figuring out things. I have a pretty decent body of work, but I don’t think it’s going to stop there. I’m still trying to figure out where my paintings, where my work is going to go. I think right now, one of my main fears is waking up at 50 years old and thinking “damn, I didn’t stay an artist. I had to work the day job and let the day job consume me, and art just became this thing I did on the weekends and it just disappeared.” So right now I’m struggling with that idea, so I guess I haven’t thought far enough ahead to think “what is the artist, Steven D’Arbenzio going to leave behind?” I hope that when I’m gone, I leave behind a lot of really good work and that at least some people get to see it...

Even if it’s just a Brooklyn following. (laughs) I want to leave behind good art work.

Check out work by Steven D’Arbenzio @ http://sdarbenzio.carbonmade.com/ http://darbenzioart.tumblr.com/ Contact him @ Sdarbenzio@gmail.com

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Hey it’s Nevz , So this month we will be stepping on the scene for womens month and guess what I know you didn’t think males was the only ones to get bashed for terrible lyrics . No….No…No…. We play the tables over like “even steven.“ With that being said let’s get to the contestants for the day, shall we?

Oh sister …Sister….Sister….we couldn’t just let you walk around speaking of being the best and saying I quote “I just shitted on them“ in a song . Well guess what, let’s turn the tables cause I think the competition I choose, or should I say the people rather, is a hefty tag for your labeled ticket.

Especially when the two of you knew each other before the deals happened and from what I understand you’re also friends . Too bad her lyrics didn’t rub off on you like we believed it should have.

What I have realized is you have a gimmick in your lyrics that I say is very interesting to cover up the bad lyrics that lay ahead of the production that people are listening to. The cartoon look to appeal to the early youth because all the children know is cartoons at this age. Pretty clever but this wasn’t your idea so we can’t give to the marketing department of Universal Records. What we can credit you for is taking the original style of “ lil kim” and running with it without awknowledgement of showing praise and the fact that you utilized her whole entire style except the lyrics because you lack the ability.

So lets begin with one of the worst female rappers I’ve ever heard but I’m sure I’m not the only one that believes this is true.

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Nicky Minaj - Stupid hoe [Hook:] You a stupid hoe, you a, you a stupid hoe [x3] You a stupid hoe, (yeah) you a, you a stupid hoe You a stupid hoe, you a, you a stupid hoe (stupid, stupid) You a stupid hoe, you a, you a stupid hoe (you stupid, stupid) You a stupid hoe, you a, you a stupid hoe (you stupid, stupid) You a stupid hoe, (yeah) you a, you a stupid hoe (you stupid, stupid) Look bubbles go back to your habitat MJ gone and I ain’t having that How you gon’ be the stunt double to the nigga monkey Top of that I’m in the Phantom looking hella chonky Ice my wrists and I piss on bitches You can suck my diznik if you take this jizzes You don’t like them disses, give my ass some kisses Yeah they know what this is, givin this the business Cause I pull up in that Porsche but it ain’t De Rossi Pretty bitches only can get in my posse Yes, My name is Roman, last name is Zolanski But no relation to Roman Polanski Hey yo, baby bop, fuck you and your EP Who’s gassin’ this hoe? BP? Hmm thinks, 1, 2, 3, to the Nicki Minaj blink Cause these hoes so busted Hoes is so crusty, these bitches is my sons And I don’t want custody Hoes so busted Hoes is so crusty, these bitches is my sons And I don’t want custody

Word of advice, since you don’t write your own raps just like Remy has pointed out in her first single on a chalkboard “write your own rhythms“ I think you should get a new ghost writer ‘cause it’s obvious your ghost writer is a child ‘cause we sure here he’s child in his raps.

Oooh….. So if you get another ghostwriter to replace the one you let go, then make sure he can actually rap.

Lyrics to Yeah, Yeah, Yeah : [Remy Martin] Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah Yeah yeah yeah yeah Check it [Verse One: Remy Martin] You see the girl get it popping like no other Now they call me Streets cause I, be on the block & I’m so gutter My flow 8 butter; see Rem got a whole lot of game but none of y’all lame dudes going to fuck her I’m on some chill shit But if you fronting then I will flip I’ll give it to a little chick real quick Oh you a real bitch? You ain’t a bit real You got little tits and your face looks like Emmitt Till First I’m a get it hot, then I’m a get a deal My budget none stop, mine paying 10 mills

And when I’m not in the hood, I’m rocking the hood smoke Vanilla dutches and stuff on Holly-a-wood And if I, pollyin the dick it’s got to be good I tell him I could change his life just like the lottery could And now I got him good, he believes me and he should Some dudes won’t go down but a lot of them would I know this nigga name, Eat-it-out, he like to eat it out I just cooked in the crib and he still want to eat it out (Damn!)

Oh God its Remy Martin In a hot pink Porsche with the purple carpets Nigga!

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Brooklyn stand up! Schedule’s finally permitting, De-Lo & K Briggs, better known as KO-Lition, and FTF got the opportunity to meet up in the home of Biggie and Jay at a Starbucks on a wet Saturday afternoon. We held down a quaint corner and spoke a bit on their latest endeavors and what the next phase of action is for the duo.

Fresh off a win at the Artists In Music Awards, how did it feel to find out you were nominated for the artist in music awards and also performing on the show?

De-Lo: As far as being nominated, we sent our music out about a year ago and they were interested in one of the songs off the album called “Stylin’ Profylin” So that was really really cool. They played that on their radio station for quite a while, shout out to KGUP. They played it for a while and let us know they wanted to nominate us for Best Hip Hop. I was kinda shocked and was like “wow that’s pretty cool.” So they told us to start telling people to vote. Fans really came through and really looked out for us. When they actually said they wanted us to perform, it was based on seeing one of the music videos we had called “Blindsided” and they were like we’d love to have you guys come out and perform and we were all for it. So it was a good experience.

What was the crowd like out there?

D: Crazy. I don’t think we expected it to be as packed as it was, but it definitely was packed and the crowd was really loving it and feeling it.

Well as you know we interviewed your nephew, Enzo in one of our past issues, so I’m sure you’re proud of the moves he’s making. With that, how influential would you say family is over all in the growth of your music?

K Briggs: The inspiration is great. To see him do it and to say that we had a hand in it was pretty cool. And I think that he’s definitely going to be one of those artists that you’ve gotta look out for. So it’s a blessing to see.

D: Music is like in the family, embedded in the family. And even though it is, it’s still always a pleasant surprise to see someone as young as he is hit us up and he’s like “yo, I rap, you should hear me.” And I remember sitting in the room like “you don’t rap man, get outta here with that man!” And he started spittin’ to me, and I was just amazed from that moment and I knew that he was going to be something that was well crafted, man. He did a good job on his own, man, very very talented. So instrumental, absolutely.

I think fam is like the overall.

Are there any other musical influences in the family, like parents or what have?

D: Absolutely. My mom wasn’t a famous singer but she’s what started the music in the house. She would wake us up with music, she would cook with music, she had music whenever we had big parties. So that was her thing, to keep us engulfed in great music and move us into whatever it is that we wanted to from a creative aspect. And my older brother is Doctor Ice from UTFO and Whodini, so he’s a catalyst for even Hip Hop itself. So that right there is a huge blessing to have his guidance over us as we make certain movements.

Aside from KO-Lition, what do you feel Hip Hop music, or music in general currently is lacking or needs more of?

K: Personally, I feel as if Hip Hop needs to be more organic. Just be real, and whatever comes as your feeling at the time, just speak it, let it be vocal, as opposed to try and follow or mimic someone else’s steps. Just be yourself.

We have people kind of doing the same thing. It works to a certain extent, but you can’t really differentiate from one person from another. Just really be organic, be yourself and your true artistry will come out.

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D: To piggyback off that, I think honesty is what is going to allow for better music to be made. Because people can connect to honesty. Any truth that you have in your life or story you want to tell, be willing to tell it. Not only be willing to tell it, but be willing to tell it at a capacity where everyone can connect to it. And then take it a step further, y’know, be theatrical with it. Not everybody’s the same person, not everybody’s a thug, not everybody’s mellow, not everybody’s smooth.

Be yourself and that’s the beautiful music that will continue to be made.

Is there any artist or genre that many

wouldn’t expect to be an influence on the music you make?

D: Alternative. I LOVE alternative music man.

Actually, in LA, one of the things we were rocking out a lot to was...

K: AWOLNation...

D: AWOLNation, the XX, the Black Keys. And then sometimes I go back to some of the older music like Vanity 6, a ton of Prince, Stevie Wonder. There are builds in that music, and instrumentation and long 62

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pauses... No words, just instrumental, for like a minute and a half, 2 minutes.

And I LOVE hearing that. Because even without words, those are moods that they’re creating.

K: And sometimes, even in music, you don’t even have to say much to get your point across. Just let the music speak for itself and your music will carry over with it.

What’s the studio process like? How do you sit down, find a beat or say “I know this is going to be a hot record”?

K: We NEVER know what’s gong to be a hot record. (laughs) We NEVER know, and it’s ironic. Let’s say I would produce one of the beats, right? I’ll start of with a drum, put a little snare, maybe some percussion, and he [Dee-Lo] will come and be like “what’s that?” And I’m like, I dunno, I’m just starting something. I hear something, but it’s not finished yet, I only got the skeleton, I ain’t put the meat on everything yet. So we’ll hear it and vibe with it, and it just becomes a song. And WE’LL like it. but then you know, to the other ear they’re like “oh yeah, that’s cool.” But other people just have different ways of ...

D: Interpreting the music.

K: Exactly. And we just try to season it right. Like I was telling him before it’s like putting together a really good plate of food. You know you have your meat, you have your greens, you know, your dessert. So you gotta have a really good plate in order to give great music.

D: There’s a song we have called “Blindsided,” one of the first beats KBriggs ever produced. When he produced it, he produced it and left it alone for a while. He sent me the beat, I listened to it for a while ... I wanna say 2 weeks, close to a month. I listened to it and was like “yo, THIS is a record right here.” So I write the hook, I write the verses and go back to him like “dude we gotta do it.” He was like “ehh I don’t really like it.” I’m like let me spit it for you. I spit it for him, he ain’t even say anything, he went right back to adding more to the beat. And then we came out with “Blindsided.” That was like one of the most inspiring songs that was able to create a mood, and not only create a mood, but that honest and true music that we look forward to making.

I listened to Love, Jazz, Robots ... Probably one of the best hip hop albums I’ve heard in a while. it’s really dope from beginning to end. Very hard hitting as well as thought provoking and smooth in certain moments. What was the thought process behind the title and overall feel of the album?

K: Initially we just thought it was a dope title (all laugh). When we started piecing some of the songs together, going back to the plate analogy, it was just seasoned right and well put together. And it’s great because you have love elements in there, and, obviously, the robot song and that having the robotic sounds in there, so we thought that was great. And also the meaning behind it with the robots is just us not following other peoples command and doing our own thing. And then the jazz part, you know Hip Hop stems from jazz and we just thought it was very abstract to incorporate all of that together. Love, Jazz, Robots.

D: We really wanted to put something together that was our story, a piece of our story. A lot of those songs are just pieces of things that we’ve been through together. And that’s the meaning of KO-Lition - the coming together of 2 artists, 2 knockout artists. So when you hear “Love, jazz, 64

Robots” you’re hearing about our experiences coming up. You’re hearing “Blindsided,” how we react to certain relationships. You’re hearing ‘Summer Girl,” the influences of meeting chicks during the summer. A whole bunch of different things, especially the intro to the album. You’re getting a piece of us, and it’s going to be a really good segue to the next projects that we plan to put out.

Any insights on those projects?

K: I will say this. I think this is going to be a super dope project. it’s really gonna surprise people. I will say that. So far, we were listening to the tracks the other day and I was like “I don’t think we’re prepared for what people responses will be” (laughs) but I thoroughly enjoy it.

D: We were in Cali, and one of the things that we did, we drove around, played the music and handed out CDs. In the process of playing the songs we have for the new project, and.... I’ll let the cat out of the bag, it’s called “The Inauguration of KO-Lition.” That’s the title. The date I won’t give you that. But the Inauguration of KO-Lition is the reintroduction to what KOLition is. it’s going to be different from “Love, Jazz, Robots” as far as sound and musical direction we’re going in.

K: Another reason it’s the Inauguration of KO-Lition is because we’ve grown and learned and gained a lot of knowledge from “Love, Jazz, Robots,” and made it applicable to the “Inauguration of KO-Lition.” So we’re going to introduce the new , more mature KO-Lition. Thought provoking, wise, still having fun with it but just a reinvention of who we are.

What do you feel has been your greatest accomplishment thus far as KO-Lition?

D: Everything we’ve done up to this point ... I wanna say for about 3 years now ... All of this build, the entire “Love, Jazz, Robots” album to starting our production company, which is called See Music Live, this has all been done on our own. K-Briggs does a lot of the production, I do a lot of the business end of things. And that’s a lot, it’s a lot. Of course we need help, but the biggest accomplishment is being able to take something on your own, and finishing. I think that people - Frank Ocean said something the other day, I remember it was in GQ, he said “people have a hard time finishing. It’s easy to start, they have a hard time finishing.” And I agree with that, whole-heartedly. To see us finish and start the next project, that’s my greatest accomplishment, and I want to continue to finish.

Touching within that, See Music Live. How are you looking to expound on that? Do you have artists in mind, is it just focused on production, where do you want to take it?

K: Definitely to another level. We want people to see music live, like literally, in every aspect of it. It’s bigger than just hearing it. There’s plenty of times where I would just hear artists and be like “oh, that’s cool” but when I see them live, I’m like YO! I’m rockin’ with them! The whole perspective is changed. We want to take artists and really build them to have people really want to see them perform. Because people need to go out and see these artists shows and be like “that’s why I rock with them.”

D: Right now it’s KO-Lition and Enzo who are under See Music Live right now, and it’s like ... It’s great. Because when you hear music now, everyone who hears music, they place a visual on it immediately, especially if it’s good music. So that story is already being told. So let’s take that further, let’s take that on stage, let’s take that into the music videos, let’s take that further into the music with better layouts and organization, an actual instrumentation 65

that’s taking place. You do that man and that’s seeing music live.

Now will there be an Enzo/KO-Lition collaboration project in the works?

K: You tryin’ to give out a lot of stuff here (all laugh). There will be. There will be. That’s in post production right now, but there will be. You’ve already heard a taste with “Rock to It.” D: He’s such a dope artist, man. I want him to really build on everything he’s doing on his own and us continue to work on our next couple of projects. when the time is right it will be right and we’ll make it work.

What do you see from here on out, now that you’ve come to the point you have?

D: Right now, I think the focus is to continue to expand the music and allow more people into our lives, musically. I think that’s going to be the focus of KO-Lition for the next couple of projects; continue to make great music and push the envelope. I don’t ever want to be apart of a situation where we’re focused on the wrong things. The thing that’s gotten us this far is the music. So we’ll continue to seek guidance from the right people in the right areas. and just push forward with See Music Live and Ko-Lition and whatever is left.

What would you say would be some inspiring words for the young artists, the aspiring Enzo’s of the world looking to make in the music?

D: Hard work. Just work hard, continue to work hard and don’t stop. It’s really cliche, but the fact of the matter is it’s the truth; if you’re not working hard, if you’re not treating this like it’s something that you want to be a job, you should leave it alone. it takes hard work, dedication and patience.

K: I usually revert back to what my brother, Doc Ice, would say, “always wear your pants long.” Because if you wear your pants long, it could always get it tailored to fit you. That being said, you could have so many ideas, but it’s good to have so many ideas rather than one idea. So you could always tailor those ideas into one. So be a thinker, be a creator and be yourself.

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RISING ARTISTS THAT YOU SHOULD GET TO KNOW

DEBRA CHURCH /R&B SOUL/POP ARTIST

An Alabama native, with a heart and passion for music. A songwriter and performer at various sophisticated music lounges in New York City. She made an appearance on Rev. Al Sharpton’s syndicated radio show in Harlem, “Keepin’ It Real.”

She placed in one of the 2nd runner-up spots in an online singing contest for the movie Dreamgirls, sponsored by Paramount Pictures in Hollywood, CA. Debra has also been featured in Andalusia Star News and Around Town magazine. She received White House recognition from U.S. Representative for Alabama’s 2nd congressional district Martha Roby, on her performance at Arts on Third Festival in Mt. Vernon, NY. She made a vocal appearance on an inspirational track for dancehall reggae star-turned gospel artist, Chevelle Franklyn (Mr. Lover Man). Debra graced the stage for Denny Moe’s Superstar Barbershop’s annual “Cutting For a Cure” event. She also opened up for Karen Clark-Sheard and Kierra Sheard at the southern Alabama concert “Favor Ain’t Fair.”

Debra is an independent artist and co-owner of Master Plan Productions with Darin “Pianoman” Whittington; a producer who has worked with artists like Mary J. Blige, Britney Spears, & Toni Braxton. As a gifted songwriter, she sets her standard high in creating unforgettable music and timeless vocals for any music genre. http://youtube.com/officialdebrachurch http://soundcloud.com/debrachurch http://twitter.com/debra_church http://instagram.com/debrachurch http://debrachurch.tumblr.com/

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AMUI PTAH /R&B SOUL ARTIST Amui Ptah was born to an unwedded, teenage Mother, who later turned to drugs, addiction and neglection of her son. Angels watching over him sent his grandmother to protect and care for him. Am​ui began singing at the age of 4. The christian influence landed him in the choir of young adults at his family church in Harlem, where he soon became the lead singer. He continued to sing throughout his school years; he participated in school plays and talent shows.

His mother passed away when he was 15. This traumatic experience turned him to a life of self-destruction, degragation and crime, which ended in his incarceration for an extended period of 14.5 years. Soon after his entering the prison system, Amui realized that he needed to reevaluate and reconstruct his life. He then obtained his G.E.D and went on to study Psychology at Mercy College on a TAP grant. When that grant was revoked from the prisoners’ use, Amui enrolled in The New York Theological Seminary.

Since his release to the society, Amui has been singing in the subway platform, where he was introduced to Aya Minatoya, a musical composer who soon became his partner in songwriting and producing his music. Amui has been performing at both public and private events such as weddings, birthdays and dinner dance. He has also volunteered his time at a non-profit organization.

Amui is currently in the studio recording his first album, as he continues to write new songs. http://www.amuiptah.com

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PRETTY STIZZY /HIP HOP ARTIST

Pretty Stizzy, who’s real name is Ayanna Mosley, was originally born in Queens New York but now resides in East New York Brooklyn. She is on the rise to becoming the next big female artist to step on the scene. She Began rapping at the age of 7 and continued to rap through out high school where she also DJ’d school functions. Pretty Stizzy went to Benjamin Banneker Academy where she studied Pre Engineering. After She Graduated from Benjamin Banneker Academy She Went To Touro College in New York City and began to study Audio And Production where she began to learn master mixing , Midi & Synth, Acoustics, Audio Electronics and many more different areas of music. She is now in persuit to reaching her ultimate goal which is to be one of the best recognized female artist in the game.

She doesnt plan on stopping anytime soon. Pretty Stizzy now 20 years Old Just Put Out Her First Mixtape Entitled “U.G.L.Y” Meaning (U. Gotta. Love.

Yourself) Hosted By The Peoples Choice Dj Envy From The Breakfast Club Power 105.1 . Pretty Stizzy believes everybody has special talents and are born with a reason and purpose. “This is just the beginning” as she laughs she wont be no stranger to the big screen anticipate Pretty Stizzy she’s coming! http://www.reverbnation.com/AyannaMosley http://www.Twitter.com/Prettystizzy http://www.SoundCloud.com/Prettystizzy

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SOPHIA WALLACE /CONTEMPORARY ARTIST

Sophia Wallace (b. 1978 Seattle, lives Brooklyn) is an artist working in conceptual photography, video and mixed media. Exhibitions include: KUNSTHALLE Wien Contemporary Museum in Vienna, Colgate University’s Clifford Gallery, MiLK Gallery, TASCHEN Gallery, Aperture Gallery, The Assembly Room in London, Sasha Wolf Gallery, Kopeikin Gallery, Carnegie Art Museum and the Australian Centre of Photography among others. Her solo exhibition ‘The New Masculine’ was at Leslie-Lohman Gallery in Soho, New York November of 2010. Awards include PDN’s Curator Award, Critic’s Pick by the Griffin Museum of Photography, American Photography AP-25, and ARTslant’s Showcase Award. Notable publications include No Fashion Please! a 160 page hardcover catalog by KUNSTHALLE wien Museum and Identities Now, a hardcover book of Contemporary portraiture by Peter Hay Halpert Fine Art. Wallace received her Bachelors degree in Government with a Minor in African American Studies from Smith College in 2000. She went on to earn a Master of Arts in Photography from New York University and The International Center of Photography in 2005. Wallace often lectures at Universities, Colleges and Photography Industry events. Presently, Wallace is a 2012 Van Lier Fellow and resident in the Art Law Residency of Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts. http://www.sophiawallace.com http://sophiawallace.tumblr.com https://twitter.com/sophiawallace

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F.STOKES /HIP HOP ARTIST

“Aspire, to Inspire. I don’t even know you, but I love you,” the motto F.Stokes lives by. Born and raised in the South Side of Chicago, F.Stokes has lived a life anything but simple. Transplanting to Madison, WI for his adolescent years, he has created a strong following and passion. Now residing in New York City he has learned to be appreciative of every opportunity he has earned, making the most out of all situations. His musical influences range from Patti Smith to Kanye West. Johnny Cash to Miles Davis. Gary Clark Jr. to Elvis. He views music not as an option, but as a necessity stating, “my music is how I breathe. I’m grateful, and humbled, that I make a living living out my ideas. There wasn’t a definitive moment in which I decided I would dedicate my life to music, it came naturally. Birds don’t learn to fly, they just do it, baby.” www.fdotstokes.com/ twitter.com/#!/FdotStokes www.youtube.com/user/TheRealFStokes

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KFHOX /R&B SOUL/POP ARTIST

Kathryn F. Hoxie, better known in the music world as KFHox, is a Bronxite by way of Rhode Island and Florida. Her musical training began when she about 10 years old in Warwick, Rhode Island by Gerry Granahan of GQ Records, where she was immersed in artists such as Karen Carpenter and Anne Murray. She continued with voice lessons and was in the choir throughout elementary school continuing on throughout her college career at Iona College, where she sang in the folk choir and the gospel choir.

During her time in Florida, she auditioned for American Idol and participated in several singing contests throughout the central Florida area. A relocation to New York was the golden opportunity for KFHox to make music in the city where her heart had always been. Raising over $5,000 in 32 days through Kickstarter, she recorded her first EP, “Light Shines Through Me,” which became available for purchase on iTunes, Amazon, & Spotify in early February 2012.

KFHox is currently recording new music with artists from all over the country, including Sunni G of South Carolina. Her song, “Him or the Music,” is a response to Sunni G’s song, “Her or the Music,” which talks about the struggles of balancing life in the music industry and a love life. The song is scheduled for an online release on Valentine’s Day 2012 through Kelly Kels Promotions also of South Carolina.

For information on where you can come check out KFHox, check out reverbnation.com/kathrynfhoxie or facebook.com/kfhox.

Hoxie tries to be a positive voice and role model. Everything that she does, she keeps in mind that someone is watching. It helps her make better decisions knowing that her choices will impact others.

KFHox is best known for her quote, which can be found on IMDb:” i don’t make wishes anymore...i just make it happen.” http://www.kfhox.com http://kfhox.blogspot.com/ https://twitter.com/KFHox http://resume.castingnetworks.co/ http://www.google.com/profiles/kathrynfhoxie

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My time spent at Sakuracon 2013 can be summed up in one word “EPIC!” I had such a blast there mingling, talking and trading cosplay tips with so many likeminded souls. It is like a mecca for all artistic souls of all levels. From the most simplest cosplay to the most intricately detailed, from the most playful and comical, to the most powerful and awe inspiring. There where cosplayer’s of all shapes, sizes and different walks of life there, from the disabled to gender bends to crossplaying- so much eye candy of epic proportions!

I took over 300 photos trying to cover the gambit of different cosplay styles, so look forward to seeing a bunch in this article. The types I took pictures of range from solo to group cosplay, and from video game to anime so that is a huge selection you will get the opportunity to see. For those of you new to what a cosplay convention actually is, it is a huge gathering of people that have a deep love and connection to certain video game characters-anime movies- manga stories- sci fi animation or even live action flicks.

They gather at specific hotels or conventions centers at certain times of the year to show and express their love for those genres. Cosplay conventions have grown to epic proportions over the years. I remember the very first one I went to was called the C.F.O. convention (Comic Fanatics Organization) and it was held in a person’s basement! They had 3 vendors’ booths, were showing anime movies and even had a person or 2 to translate the films. And now they are held at huge conventions centers like the ones in NY and San Diego and Washington. With dozens of vendors, movie viewing rooms and so many more things to do to satisfy your thirst, either it be roleplaying, card game playing, photo ops of “glomp circles.”

I know a bunch of you probably just said what the heck is a “Glomp” circle? Well apparently it is an advanced from of hugging a stranger. Basically what goes down is a huge circle is 73

formed by a bunch of cosplayer’s and a few get in the center of it. Then they throw an empty water bottle in the air above themselves, and watch for where it lands, depending on the direction that the neck of the bottle is facing they run to the person in that direction and jump and hug them as tight as they can. This goes on for hours apparently, as I was doing my photo rounds through the convention center and came back a few times throughout the day to see that it was still going strong.

I think it is very cool that things like this can go on. It is really the only event where I have seen good feelings and genuine happiness abounds to a total stranger. It was amazing to see the effect when 2 total strangers cosplayed 2 characters from the same anime series or game bumped into one another. It was like 2 old friends meeting after a few years from each other. It also meant an instant photo op! This actually happened to me as I was cosplaying Sgt. Heller from the game Prototype 2. I was the only person cosplaying Heller from the game, so it was really cool to see all the ooo’s and aaah’s I got and the many times I was stopped and asked to pose for a pic for fans of the same game.

I was approached by a female wearing a hood and jacket, very similar to the antagonist of the game, named Alex Mercer. She came right up to me and hugged me and said “oh hell yeah man, we have so got to do a shoot together!” It so happened, a photographer by the name of Aaron Mathews wanted to do a shoot with me that Saturday (day 2 of the con) and I could not think of a better set up than with a live version of Alex Mercer and Sgt. James Heller going at it. So I told her the time and location of the shoot and she promised to be there with her weapon arm in hand.

She was there on time and we were able to get some amazing movie quality photos done, Aaron is truly a gifted photographer. Between his camera skills and the poses that we were coming up with it was an amazing collaboration. Here are some of those photos:

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Left to Right: Davence, one of the developers of Prototype 2, and a cosplayer as Prototype 2 character, Alex Mercer

We recreated a few scenes from the game, which came out very sweet looking. We even worked out one where I picked up the female version of Alex Mercer and put her on top of a dividing wall to have her attack me from above. I love how that shot came out, we really drew a crowd of other photographers to snap shots of that. We spent about a half an hour taking pictures and were able to get some incredible shots. Occurrences like this happen quite often at these conventions, but there are also organized huge photo ops as well.

One of the biggest ones I saw this past weekend was the Hentalia photo shoot, and the Homebound photo shoot. There had to be anywhere from 20- 30 cosplayer’s in each of those shoots, covering almost every character in the series, it was pretty cool to see them all there participating.

I was even more surprised to have run into one of the creators of prototype 2, she loved how I built the blade arm and took a few pictures with me, I was honored to hear from her how much she appreciated the level of detail I put into the arm itself.

There was also a bunch of cosplayer characters from the Sword Art Online 75

anime series. This is a more recent and insanely popular anime that will be entering its 3rd season. If you have not gotten a chance to see it definitely give it a look, it is well written, and a dubbed version is due out later this year. Some of the other events being held at the convention were Cosplay Chess. It is a life sized version of chess with actual cosplayer’s taking the roles of all the playing pieces on a giant chess board made of eva foam.

Another event is the Cosplay skit contest.

This is where the cosplayer’s reenact a scene from their favorite anime movie or video game, in front of judges for prizes.

There is also the traditional costume contest where your cosplay is judged based upon level of creativity difficulty to create. They break down the entries into 3 categories: Novice, Journeyman and Master. There is a winner within each category, and then they have a best in show category and a judge’s choice winner as well. The contestants in each category had some amazing cosplays, so I know the judges had a difficult task finding a winner for each category.

Amongst all of this, there was even more to do if you loved video games. They had a few rooms to sate your desire in. One was a retro gaming room where they had SNES games like Super Mario Bros. Tthey also had a mobile games room, and a huge tournament room which also had all the major console systems there where you can play any game you want for free there (no time limit on playing either).

There was also a card game room for games like Magic the Gathering, a traditional roleplaying room (pen and paper style). Also a miniature’s strategy roleplaying room as well.

Another great spot was the dealer’s room, here you can purchase all kinds of manga, anime video games, clothing, t-shirts; basically anything that deserves to be in the realm of geekdom was there to be purchased. They even had model Gundam’s and other action figures for sale as well. Also you had the opportunity to get custom art done there by some amazing artists, and get signatures pics from some from the great voice actors of the anime’s you love, they even had a concert from the singers from the anime Sword Art Online there. So it was definitely a fun packed 3 days for me!

All in all it was an amazing experience, from seeing guys walking around in real armor, to seeing some simply breathtaking ball gowns to even seeing a predator style masquerade mask. There was so much to see and do there, I greatly encourage those of you that have not had the opportunity yet to visit a cosplay convention to please do so, and it is well worth the money!

For more Sakuracon pictures, visit our gallery section @ funktheformulamag.com

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