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This has been a long over due issue. I apologize to the you, the readers, for being fashionably late but I promise it was worth the wait. This issue is my aesthetic dream honestly. I think I finally found my flow for this publication and I am in love. I took some time off to really revisit why I started this brand in the first place. and to map out where I want it to go. As always, this publication is ment to bring to light the stories of those who inspire us to keep going. It is for the artist who feel overlooked. I am a fan first. There are no gate keepers here. This publication is created for the creative in you and no matter what you are always welcomed here. I will never change that format, no matter what becomes popular to do. As a journalist, I take pride in writing facts and telling the story correctly. It's good to be back. Welcome to Forty Five.
Filah L
Lah Lah PHOTOS COURTESY OF D EIN-CONRAD O'TOOLEE STORY BY ELLA AUD REY RAE
Fila Lah Lah is r eady t o br in g u s back in t o h er soot h in g R&B oasis w it h t h e 'We Ar e Gon n a Be Ju st Fin e" EP, ar r ivin g Oct ober 25t h . Th is sin ger , son gw r it er , an d m odel cam e on t o t h e scen e w it h a br eat h t ak in g debu t sin gle t it led, 'Th is Is' in 2020. Not icin g t h at h er f an s cou ld n ot get en ou gh of h er voice, sh e blessed ou r playlist w it h h er debu t EP, 'Filosph y '. Th is six-t r ack exper ien ce in t r odu ced u s t o h er t ak e on self -love, r elat ion sh ips, an d m or e, cr eat in g t h is space in t h e m u sic in du st r y t h at on ly sh e cou ld f ill. In t h is t im e, sh e h as been an ar t ist on t h e r ise w it h Apple M u sic, a sh or t docu m en t ar y by Adidas, f eat u r ed in n u m er ou s pu blicat ion s, an d
gr aced t h e st age of
dif f er en t
live
plat f or m s. It 's f ou r w eek s pr ior t o t h e r elease of t h e pr oject an d I cou ldn't be m or e excit ed.
How
h as
t he
In reality we are experiencing some
" Since
sort of completion almost on a daily
Filahsofy so much has changed.
basis. We just don?t notice. So right
There
now in this current place of life I am
r elease
lif e of
were
been
sin ce
'Filah sof y '? changes
that
were
welcomed and changes that were
complete.
uncomfortable and aggressive. All in
complete."
all, I?ve been so blessed and I?ve been incredibly grateful."
Not
perfect.
But
Do you st ill f eel t h e an xiet y an d depr ession t h at you f elt u p t o t h e
You spok e in a pr eviou s in t er view
r elease of you r debu t ? I k n ow
t h at bef or e you r debu t EP, t h at
m en t al h ealt h is su ch a big t opic
you f elt u n don e. At t h is st age in
at
you r car eer do you f eel m or e
pan dem ic. How h ave you been
com plet e? "I think, as a human
able t o m an age it or get past it ?
being, I am always trying to forage
"I?m in a constant battle with anxiety
for some sense of completion. But it
and depression but I take it one day
can be so destructive because we
at a time. It sounds corny. But you
have these ideas of what completion
get to a point where you have to
should be. And when we don?t
level with that side of yourself. The
experience anything resembling that
side that just refuses to have a good
idea we believe we?re undone. When
day and a good existence. You level,
t he
m om en t
du r in g
t he
you accept and you forgive."
Wh at is t h e back st or y of t h e n ew
You said you t h ou gh t people w ou ldn't con n ect
pr oject ? "Heartbreak, loss, love, newness,
t o you r debu t . How w as it w h en you saw h ow
light, time, happiness, sex, rebirth, the
w ell t h e f an s w er e t ak in g it ? "I thought ?this
natural way of things, beauty, pain, risks
is wild...what?s wrong with everybody?? I?m
,and transcendence. In a nutshell. "
kidding. But I was genuinely blown away by the
reception.
The
genuine
love
and
connection that people have to the music makes me feel like I?m doing something right. As someone who loves music for such deep and sentimental reasons, it makes me feel warm inside to know that people vibe with mine for the same if not similar reasons." You spok e of a pr oject
In conclusion, Filah is one of the best alternative R&B artists to come onto the scene in a long time. She sounds like a breath of fresh air with her ambient tones and relatable poetic lyrics. With each tune she sings on, she delivers such an effortless sound that you won't find anywhere else. Filah does not just deliver music, she delivers visual art to go along with it. Filah
in a r ecen t
in t er view t h at w as su pposed t o com e ou t
doesn't just have a seat at the table, she is THE table and she is here to stay.
in Ju n e of t h is year , is t h e WGBJF pr oject t h at on e? If so w h at m ade you m ove t h e deadlin e? "It?s been such a roller coaster, really. WGBJF has been in the works for almost a full year now. I mean deadlines change all the time. But I think this particular project was being delayed for an
"You g et t o a p oin t w h ere you h ave t o level w it h t h at sid e of you rself. Th e sid e t h at ju st ref u ses t o h ave a g ood d ay an d a g ood exist en ce. You level, you accep t an d you f org ive."
array of reasons too vast to even get into. I will say this though: things really do happen in their own time" How did t h e con cept of t h e WGBJF t r ailer com e abou t ? "I wanted to do something that felt ironic and yet super spot on in terms of the project and its feel. It?s weird but it felt like the most natural way to promote it. I?ve always liked infomercials for their ability to incite curiosity and interest in a product, whilst maintaining this extreme sense of awkwardness."
You can stream and download Filah Lah Lah's new EP 'WGBJF' on your favorite platform starting OCT 25th.
why youneed m akro PHOTOS COURTESY OF M AKRO STORY BY ELLA AUD REY RAE M ak r o is a pow er h ou se du o t h at
stayed in love with throughout the
con sist s of cou sin s Er ic an d Kr is. I
years. Growing up, I?ve always been
m et
EXTREMELY expressive. I don?t know
t h em
w ebsit e
on
w h en
a m u sic r eview I
w as
w r it in g
how my family was able to handle it,
ar t icles f or a dollar per r eview in
but I literally sang, danced and made
2019. Th ey su bm it t ed t h eir m u sic
so much noise 24/7. My first love
t o m e an d f r om t h en on , t h ey h ave
was singing though. My parents had
been m y m u sical h u sban ds ever
me compete in singing competitions
sin ce. Th ey h ave t h is sou n d t h at I
growing up and I also was involved
ju st can't descr ibe bu t n eed m or e
in musical theater for a bit. It wasn?t
of . Th eir lat est sin gle, 'On e' br in gs
until I was 16 though when I first
t h is r aw sou n d t o t h eir cat alog
dabbled in
let t in g you h ear u n t ou ch ed vocals
musician (and really the first person
an d pr odu ct ion t h at t ak es you t o a
to teach me how to sing) and one
soot h in g place. M eet M ak r o.
night I came up to him and I brought
How did you f all in love w it h m ak in g m u sic? KRIS: I?ve always had a love for music since literal birth (seriously, my earliest human memory was picking up a magic-sing
writing. My dad?s a
his guitar with me and said, ?TEACH ME
PLEASE.?
A
few
chords
progressions later, writing just kind of came with it naturally and shortly after? I was HOOKED.
karaoke mic at a cousin?s house as a
ERIC: I got into making music when I
fetus) ? BUT once I realized I could
was 13 when my dad bought me my
make music, it?s the one thing I?ve
first guitar. It was a cheap electric
You can stream and download Makro's new single 'ONE' now on your favorite platform.
Squier Stratocaster with a tiny amp, and in middle school, I was constantly playing it till my fingers hurt. Around my freshman year in high school, I had met my best friend who was an amazing drummer. We formed an alternative band called A Year Without a Name, and it was the first time I had ever written music rather than covering songs. I think I was 15 at the time when we were playing a bunch of gigs around Memphis. Performing live was the best feeling especially when it was our own songs. Later on, I was in another alternative band called Wilby during my senior year of high school, and I was also writing a bunch of music with that group. I was in a few other music groups on and off, but it
made
me
realize
how
much
I
loved
songwriting. I was never really interested in covering songs, so I would always be recording random guitar parts on my iPhone (I have a long list of ideas on there) trying to write melodies or chord progressions that sounded good to me. I always write songs with my electric guitar and that was how I fell in love with making music. How did you t w o m eet an d decide on bein g a gr ou p? KRIS: We?re actually real-life cousins ? but also pretty much brothers. The first time we met was actually in the Philippines! I was born and lived there until I was 8 and when I was, I think 7, Eric and his mom (they were in the U.S.) came and visited for some reason. But yeah, one day I remember this bowl-headed little dude walking up and for some reason, we?ve been best friends ever since. When my family moved to the US, we grew up very involved in each other ?s lives because our families were super close. Eric picked up the guitar and started playing in bands. I on the other hand had my own solo gig going on.
Although we did have moments where I would sing
piano, but the feeling of the song didn?t have the
for Eric?s band or Eric would play for one of my
same emotion compared to just the acoustic guitar
gigs. But we never thought about coming together
and vocals. It?s a weird process. We kind of let our
as a group until we wrote this song called,
songs write themselves, and we just let the
?Elevator.? It was the first song we ever wrote
speakers tell us if it sounds like trash lol.
together and honestly still one of my favorites to date. After writing that, we started writing more and more songs together and it just ended up feeling natural. But then one day, I came up to Eric and suggested the name makro (it?s the easiest parts of our last names put together lol) , and we
Our goal was to get it to sound perfect but in a real -world, so we recorded the guitar and vocals each three times because we were waiting until a specific feeling was there. Honestly, we would?ve kept going, but the third time recording ended up being the ONE. Lmao
just kind of ran with it. Do you t h in k you w an t t o m ak e m or e m u sic You gu ys of t en h ave su ch a ch ill aest h et ic w it h
w it h t h is con cept ?
you r m u sic videos an d ph ot os. How do you cr eat e t h at at m osph er e you give you r f an s?
KRIS: Do we want to? YES. Have we already? Maybe? ;)
KRIS: I feel like the both of us just kind of base our visuals on things we find beautiful at the moment.
Will w e be get t in g a visu al f or t h is an d w h at do
Just kind of like with how we create music ? our
you h ave plan n ed f or it ?
goal when creating visual concepts is to fill empty
KRIS: Yes, it is actually part of a larger project that
space with something beautiful.
we?re working on so it might take a while before
Let 's t alk abou t you r n ew sin gle 'On e. It 's
that comes out but you can definitely expect a
sim ple bu t pow er f u l in ever y aspect . Wh at
video (and maybe merch) to come.
in spir ed t h e lyr ics an d sim plicit y?
How h as t h e jou r n ey been as an in die ar t ist an d
KRIS: I meant the song concept to be a cheeky
do you h ave an y advice f or n ew on es?
conversation with yourself, wondering whether you
ERIC: Our journey as an indie artist has honestly
actually do feel a type of way about someone and
been very freeing for us. We can create whatever
like ACTUALLY mean it. This song had a very
we want, release anything when we want to, and
interesting writing process. Eric initially made up
with our two skill sets, we can create art right from
the chord progression and recorded it then we just
our home studio. We?re constantly learning and
had it sitting for a while in our ?beats with potential? figuring things out gradually, but being able to have folder. One day, we were just kind of sitting outside that self-sufficiency and control allows us to be and he started playing it ? to which I reacted by
more of ourselves. I would say being an indie artist
humming the melody of the hook. And from there
has its own challenges compared to being signed
the song just ended up unfolding before our eyes
to a label, but there are pros and cons to both. You
and ears. We didn?t force it at all ? if anything it
don?t automatically become successful when you
happened by accident.
sign to a major label, so knowing the music
ERIC: The simplicity of the song was interesting
business and knowing your own strengths &
because we actually kept trying to add more
weaknesses are important to navigate the music
elements to the song, but nothing seemed to work.
industry.
We originally had extra guitars, percussion, and
KRIS: PERIODT?
SHE'S A VIBE FEATURING ANGELIQUE JEFFREY
This spread was created to showcase the beauty that is, Women of Color and the hair we wear as our crown. You are a vibe. You are the pr ize. You are the goal..
PHOTOGRAPHY BY Trevor Pierre @trevorpierrestudios
PHOTOGRAPHY BY Trevor Pierre @trevorpierrestudios
PHOTOGRAPHY BY Trevor Pierre @trevorpierrestudios
"I need to see my own beauty and to continue to be reminded that I am enough, that I am worthy of love without effort, that I am beautiful, that the texture of my hair and that the shape of my curves, the size of my lips, the color of my skin, and the feelings that I have are all worthy and okay." - Tr acee Ellis Ross
Cover Stor y
A powerhouse creator with a hear t of gold for black histor y, Taylor Cassidy has redefined the meaning of being a Tik Tok creator.
Video sh ar in g app, Tik Tok h as
because of a Twitter thread or
misrepresentation in the media."
becom e on e of t h e w or ld's
speaks
HOW CAN THESE PLATFORM S
biggest apps t o dat e, h elpin g t o
volumes to the power one post
DO BETTER? " Give creators their
cr eat e lif e-ch an gin g cr eat or s
has in creating a domino effect."
flowers. It?s amazing to have
an d in f lu en cer s like
YOU OFTEN SPEAK A LOT ABOUT
?Black creator ? and ?POC creator ?
18-year -old, Taylor Cassidy. Sh e
AM AZING BLACK WOM EN
IN
initiatives, but at the end of the
st ar t ed h er car eer in
M EDIA & SOCIETY. WHY DO YOU
day, POC creators don?t want to
Novem ber 2019 ju st f or f u n
THINK OUR ACCOM PLISHM ENTS
be boxed in. If a challenge or
bef or e r ealizin g t h at sh e cou ld
ARE
song
do m u ch m or e w it h in t h e
"Blackness traditionally isn?t the
normalize
plat f or m t o ch an ge t h e
standard in our society. Because
opportunity
to
dyn am ic. Sh e st ar t ed cr eat in g
of this our talents, the innovation
instead
using
con t en t t h at u plif t ed ot h er s
we create, and our creativity is
?brandable? face."
an d br ou gh t t h e REAL black
taken and donned a new face to
h ist or y t o ligh t f or t h e you n ger
make it more digestible for the
SOM E OF YOUR VIRAL VIDEOS
gen er at ion . Today sh e h as
masses. I use my videos to talk
ARE
m or e t h an 2.1 m illion f ollow er s
about not only Black women, but
SOM EONE'S WHO IS WATCHES
on t h e plat f or m an d w ow
all POC to reclaim our creativity in
HYPE M AN. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE
au dien ces w it h h er on goin g
our own narrative."
IT. WHERE DID THAT CONTENT
hashtag.
OFTEN
It
OVERLOOKED?
ser ies ?Fast Black Hist or y ? an d ?Black Gir l M agic M in u t e.?
becomes
popular,
giving of
YOU
credit the
and
creator a
JUST
more
BEING
CONCEPT COM E FROM ? " In High DO YOU FEEL LIKE CONTENT
School, I would post Instagram
CREATORS OF COLOR ARE OFTEN
stories talking about positivity
BIG
OVERLOOKED ON
PLATFORM S
and self-love to hype myself up
OR
SUCH AS TIKTOK? " Absolutely.
for the day. They didn?t have the
WERE YOU NOT INTO THAT
Countless
dances
intention to go viral. I started
KIND OF THING? "I?ve always
created by POC have made their
filming them a year or two before
loved
media
way to the mainstream influencing
I started Tik Tok. They were a gift
connects me to many different
commercials, Superbowl ads, and
to me each day as I learned how
worlds. Since middle school, I?ve
late-night talk show appearances.
to keep a positive mindset." YOU
loved watching content creators
However, instead
the POC
ARE ONE OF THE FEW ON THE
be themselves and unleash their
creator being at the forefront, a
APP THAT CREATES CONTENT
creativity for a living. It?s always
more popular white creator is
THAT NOT ONLY EDUCATES US
make
for
given visibility and the paycheck."
BUT UPLIFTS US AS WELL. WHAT
myself." DO YOU THINK THE
DO YOU THINK INITIATIVES LIKE
M ADE YOU DECIDE YOU DIDN'T
RISE OF SOCIAL M EDIA HAS
YOUTUBE BLACK
WANT TO
HELPED
OUR
BLACK FIXES THAT OVERLOOKED
INFLUENCER? " I don?t know how
SOCIETY? " For the most part,
ISSUES ON THEIR PLATFORM S? " I
to be normal. That?s not in my
although my opinion may be
think these programs do a great
DNA. I only know how to be me,
unpopular,
has
job at addressing the problem on
so when I started social media I
deeply impacted the way we
their apps individually, but I think
didn?t feel the need to follow
confront social issue and incite
it?s up to entertainment as a whole
another
change. I?ve seen so many laws
to
blueprint. It wasn?t a decision, but
and call for action be amplified
underrepresentation
WERE YOU SOCIAL
ALWAYS A
M EDIA
the
me
way
PERSON
social
dream
larger
OR HINDERED
social
media
fix
trends
the
and
of
OR
TIKTOK
system
of and
rather
BE THE TYPICAL
content a
resolve
creator ?s to
never
"As long as you pour love into the spir it, your roots will remain".
WHAT
HAS
YOU
OFTEN
TALK
ABOUT
THAT
BIGGEST LESSON YOU HAVE
HOW
YOU
HAD
BLACK
WITH GOD KEEPS YOU ROOTED
LEARNED BY BECOM ING AN
HISTORY TAUGHT TO YOU ALL
IN
INFLUENCER?
YOUR CHILDHOOD BY YOUR
AND NOT MATERIAL THINGS.
valuable thing I?ve learned so
PARENTS.
THINK
WHAT IS YOUR ADVICE TO
far, and my journey still has a
SCHOOLS DO BLACK HISTORY
OTHER UPCOMING CREATORS
long way to go is the audacity
EDUCATION
ON
to try. Being a growing content
HOW COULD THEY IM PROVE?
WELL? "Without foundation,
creator I?ve been challenged to
"The reason I?ve learned a
one can?t stand. My advice to
set
in
majority of my Black History
other creators is to remember
experimenting with ideas and
from my own family. is because
that while you are on social
subject matter and I?ve dared
the education system has a
media, you are not social
myself to take that audacity
lack. In elementary school, the
media. My relationship with
into my own life. This past
only Black History we covered
God reminds me that the
year, I?ve discovered a tenacity
during the 1800s was two
purpose
in myself to stop consulting
dark-colored pages on slavery.
cannot
fear for my future. I can credit
For
of
Instagram or TikTok. While I
some of that discovery to my
foundation
and
can use them as tools, they
journey on social media."
revolutionizing
people
are not the destination. As
have done to and for this
long as you pour love into the
country, the education system
spirit, your roots will remain.
should
Social
fear
BEEN
THE
" The
most
aside
HOW DO YOU KEEP YOUR POSITIVE ENERGY HIGH IN HARD TIM ES? "I think there?s a misconception about people with positive mindsets always being high energy no matter what
the
situation.
That?s
simply not the case. Positivity is a consistent practice rather than
a feeling. It?s always
seeing possibility in life even when you?re not fully ready to take action. When hard times come, I've learned to allow myself grief; It?s still a form of love. In those hard times, I turn to my consistent practice of
journaling,
prayer,
conversation, and possibility."
the
DO
YOU
JUSTICE?
vast
AND
amount
building Black
be ready
to
fluidly
YOUR
RELATIONSHIP
THINGS OF SUBSTANCE
STAYING
ROOTED
I?ve be
media,
AS
been
given
boxed
into
the
hottest
incorporate it in every unit
clothing, and the number of
rather
followers
than
a
ten-minute
will
always
fade
lesson." YOU ARE A RAY OF
away, but the spirit always
SUNSHINE IN M ANY PEOPLE'S
remains."
LIVES WHO LOOK FOR YOUR VIDEOS TO
UPLIFT
THEM .
WHO IS YOUR OR WAS YOUR 'TAYLOR CASSIDY" ? "My Mom has always been ready to give me wisdom, inspiration, and encouragement. I know that no matter where I am, she?ll be ready to give advice and lend an ear to listen. In our hardest moments, she?s always pointed to respond with love." I READ
WHAT WAS THE M OM ENT IN YOUR CAREER THAT M ADE YOU FEEL LIKE, " OKAY THIS IS M Y CALLING AND I NEED TO
KEEP
GOING" .
"My
moment was on a small stage at the TikTok Black History Summit in 2020. I had just shared
my
goals
for
the
platform and beyond in front of new creator friends and others I had
watched
for
years.
I
ended
with
will
learned that in challenging the standards I
revolutionize because I am Black History.?
set for myself in how I treat others, how I
That moment of saying aloud the words I
listen and observe, and how I grow, I can
heard faintly humming in my heart for
be
months
continuous journey."
solidified
my
saying, ?I
passion
for
content
in
my
own
steady
and
WHAT KIND OF CONTENT DO YOU WANT
creating." YOU ARE VERY HONEST AS WELL WITH
TO CREATE IN THE UPCOM ING FUTURE?
YOUR VIDEOS, WHY DO YOU THINK
"I?ve just launched my new series, Black
BEING VULNERABLE ON SOCIAL M EDIA
Girl
IS IM PORTANT? "Social media is often a very fake place. It?s no surprise now to see artificial things on your timeline. For me, being vulnerable is where truth is
Magic Minute, a
YouTube
show
uplifting Black creatives that I am beyond excited about. In the future, I see myself hosting a Podcast, diving into acting and the film industry, and continuing to keep creating magic."
seen. By coming to my content open and authentic, I retain ownership over it. For my audience, I think it?s a breath of fresh air for them."
In con clu sion , Taylor w as on e of m y dr eam in t er view s an d sh e is su ch a ligh t t h at t h e cr eat or space w as m issin g. Her abilit y t o n ot on ly in spir e bu t edu cat e is
BEING AN INFLUENCER ON AN APP
su ch a br eat h of f r esh air . I can't w ait t o
LIKE TIK TOK CAN M ENTALLY DRAIN A
see
w h er e
sh e
t ak es
us
n ext .
PERSON. AT WHAT M OM ENT DO YOU SENSE, OKAY IT'S TIM E TO TAKE A BREAK"
AND
WHAT
DO
YOU
DO
DURING THAT BREAK TO REFOCUS? "I?ve learned that it?s time to set the phone down when I start feeling a need to gain happiness from it. When I find myself endlessly scrolling, often it?s because I am searching for a feeling. I?ve recently started to practice turning my phone off more often to recognize that
those
feelings and desires are experienced offline." YOU SEEM LIKE YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE AND YOU STAND FIRM IN THAT TRUTH, HOW DID YOU GET TO THAT POINT IN YOUR LIFE? "I think a big part of discovering who I am was recognized early that life isn?t about destinations. I?ve
"Positivity is a consistent pr actice r ather than a feeling. It?s always seeing possibility in life even when you?re not fully ready to take action."
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF ZOË FERGUSON STORY BY ELLA AUD REY RAE If I cou ld lead you t o on e ar t ist ,
wasn?t able to go to LA were I usually
w h o get s it , it 's Zoë Fer gu son . Sh e
record my music. I was so excited to
is a t alen t ed sin ger an d son gw r it er
finally record and release again and I
w h o f ir st cam e on t o t h e m u sic
can?t wait for everyone to hear what I
scen e in 2019 w it h h er f ier y an d
have been working on." How w as it
h on est
sin gle, 'Dip'. Th e
t o r elease you r f ir st ever m u sic
st or ies sh e t ell in h er m u sic ar e so
video? "It was so cool! I wasn?t really
st r aigh t f or w ar d, it alm ost seem s
sure what it was going to be like
lik e sh e can r ead you r m in d. Her
because I?ve never released a visual
debu t EP, 'Pr obably Abou t You ' is
before. The feedback I got was
ou t
awesome and I can?t wait to make
debu t
an d f eat u r es seven t r ack s
t h at
speak
on
r elat ion sh ips,
h ear t br eak , f r ien dsh ip
more!" Wh at w as you r f avor it e
bet r ayal,
m om en t on set ? "I loved doing the
self love, an d m or e. Wit h an 80's
last scenes with the projector. It was
vibe, sh e deliver s a r aw an d u n cu t
so
look in t o h er st or y, w h ile t ellin g so
awesome in my opinion!"
m an y ot h er s.
so
fun
to
film
and
looked
Wh at is t h e st or y beh in d t h e EP? "I
You seem t o h ave t ak en a sm all
wrote 'probably about you' about
br eak f r om m u sic af t er you r 'im
other people obviously. I wrote it
ok ay ' sin gle w as r eleased. How
about getting over a breakup and all
w as it
get t in g back t o m u sic? of the stages you go through. Like
"Taking a break from releasing music
with the first few songs, no longer
was super hard! Once Covid hit, I
believing in love, then the loss of
"I think it?s super impor tant to feel as much as emotion you can in the moment in order to fully let go of what?s making you feel so stuck."
You can stream and download her new EP 'Pr obably Abou t You ' now on your favorite platform.
some of your friends and getting betrayed, the
relatable. I think 80?s music really captures the
petty stage, and then the stage where you?re over
feeling of fully being over someone and finding
that person. I titled the EP 'probably about you'
love within yourself." You w er e so open on t h is
because in high school everyone always wondered
pr oject . How w as it t o r eally t ap in t o t h ose
who I was writing my songs about so, they?re
f eelin gs t o br in g t h em t o lif e? "Being open in this
probably about you?
project was really hard because some of the things
Can you t ell m e m or e abou t t h e st or y beh in d t h e in t r o son g of you r EP, 'Fu ck Love'? It 's su ch a r aw an d h on est an d ph en om en al sin gle. It sou n ds lik e it com es f r om a place w it h in . "I wrote 'fuck love' out of literal pure hatred for love. I
I write about actually happened. I knew the people that I wrote the songs about were going to hear them and they would think the song is probably about them. That?s another reason why I titled it 'probably about you?."
wrote it about getting so hurt so many times that
Can you sh ar e som e en cou r agin g w or ds t o
love is hard to continue to believe in. It kicks off the
w om en w h o go t h r ou gh t h e sam e st or y as t h is
EP because it is a feeling that we all go through
EP an d don't f eel as f r ee r igh t n ow ? "Everything
right at the start of an EP."
takes time and you?ll never be stuck in the same
Now t h e son g 'Ch r ist in e', Th e jou r n ey of t h at st or y w as so r elat able. Is t h at a t r u e st or y? If so h ow did you h an dle it , m en t ally? Wh at 's you r advice on dealin g w it h losin g f r ien ds in t h at
place or feeling forever. I think it?s super important to feel as much as emotion you can in the moment in order to fully let go of what?s making you feel so stuck."
k in d of sit u at ion ? "I also wrote ?christine' in such a
How h as t h e pan dem ic af f ect ed you as an
vulnerable time stamp in my life. I wrote it about
ar t ist ? How h ave you been able t o get t h r ou gh
this group of girls that I used to be friends with.
it ? At first it was super tough for me to come to
Falling out of a friendship and feeling ?betrayed' or
terms with. I decided to not go to college this year
'left out' is essentially what the song is about.
after high school and it was super hard watching all
Friend
romantic
of my friends leave while I stayed behind. I was
breakups in my opinion. My advice to losing
supposed to move to California but didn?t due to
friends is, people who are meant for you will bring
the pandemic. It was also very hard not recording
you positivity. Once someone is bringing you
any music in a studio but I continued to write on
negativity, the relationship isn?t meant for you
my piano at home. I was able to get through it with
anymore and that?s definitely a hard thing to realize
my new best friend, Bowie, who is a 7 month old
but essential for your character development."
Dachshund. He helped keep me company. "
Th e son g '80 m u sic is su ch a f r eein g son g. I love
In
ever y r espect of t h e EP bu t t h at on e, w h en you
assignment. She creates this feeling of openness
f in ally f eel f r ee is m y f avor it e. "80?s music' is
with her music that many artist have not been able
actually the first song that I wrote off of the EP. I
to tap into. You almost feel like you know her and
wrote it because I knew in order to write about all
that she knows you. Her lyrics always seem to be
of the other stuff I was going to put on the EP, I
written from a raw place and not polished by a
had to be sure that I was over the certain situation
million writers or labels. She's just healing like the
or the songs would come from a darker place,
rest of us and that is so relatable. I present to you
which I didn?t really want. I wanted the songs to feel
the storyteller that is, Zoe Ferguson.
breakups
hurt
more
than
conclusion,
she
always
understands
the
Heather LaRose PHOTOS COURTESY OF HEATHER LAROSE STORY BY ELLA AUD REY RAE Heat h er
is
a
sin ger -son gw r it er
my self-worth. I was in a serious
com in g f r om West ch est er , New
relationship
Yor k . Her debu t EP, 'Beach side'
2020 and I really think that the
gr ossed m illion s of st r eam s af t er
people around us help us grow. So I
bein g r eleased w h ile sh e w as st ill
was looking a lot into where I place
in
w as
my value and how others around me
of
affect me. Most of my friends that I
Jack son Hof f m an , a h igh sch ool
made when I first moved to LA had
f r ien d, an d ban d m em ber . Th e
to move back to their home states.
sin gle ?New M oon? w as syn ced t o
All of these situations fueled me with
M TV?s Teen Wolf Season 3. Now
incredibly strong emotions which
w it h h er n ew sin gle 'Baby Blu e'
have kept me writing this whole
ou t , a br an d deal w it h BM W, an d
time."
college.
r ecor ded
in
Th e
pr oject
t he
basem en t
m or e, I sat dow n w it h h er t o ch at abou t all of it .
throughout
most
of
Wh at in spir ed you r son g ?baby blu e?? "This is actually a song idea
Wh at h as k ept you in spir ed t o
that I had written down for years.
w r it e
After hearing Taylor Swift?s ?Red? I
t h is
past
year
w h ile
t r adit ion al sh ow s w er e on h old? reflected on what color my love was. "Having this time to reflect has been
Since I have been through a few
really important for me. I feel like so
heartaches I knew in my bones it
many of us were forced to face some
was a shade of light blue. I just
demons that we?ve been holding at
didn?t have the full experiences to
bay for a while. A big one for me was
articulate it until this summer. I was
You can stream and download Heather 's new single 'Baby Blu e' now on your favorite platform.
processing my past relationships and finding the
everything and that good can come out of the
common theme between them
darkest moments of our lives has always been a
and tried to
describe what it?s like to feel ?baby blue?."
compass for me. "
You ar e a beast w it h t h e gu it ar , w h er e did you
You r m u sic h as k in d of t r an sit ion t o m or e of a
love f or in st r u m en t com e f r om ? " Thank you, ever
pop f eel over t h e year s. Was t h at in t en t ion al or
since I was little I wanted to play guitar. I asked my
ar e you m or e t o w h at ever f eels r igh t ? "I think
parents for one for years growing up and then one
that pop has always been at the core of who I am
year for Christmas they bought an electric guitar
as an artist. The more I get comfortable with my
for my brother and enrolled him in classes that he
voice, both lyrically and literally, the more I?m able
hated. So naturally, I started teaching myself with
to find the sounds that fully help me tell my
YouTube videos on his. Which was a lefty guitar so I
stories."
actually learned really bad technique at first. But music was always something that I wanted to pursue and for me learning guitar gave me more freedom as a songwriter."
How did it f eel t o h ear you r son g in Teen Wolf ? "I mean that is huge! What made it so much better was how genuinely obsessed with the show I was. I wrote ?New Moon?about what it must be like to be
Did you alw ays k n ow you w an t ed t o get in t o
a teenage werewolf and struggling to battle animal
m u sic? "I was that little kid who was singing
instincts. Also, the entire cast of that show is
constantly. When I was little and my grandmother
amazing."
would babysit me, I would ask her to sing me a song over and over again until I had it memorized."
Wh at is you r f avor it e son g t o sin g live an d w h at is t h e h ar dest son g t o sin g live an d w h y? "One of
How w as it collabor at in g w it h BM W f or you r
my favorite songs to perform live is ?Betty Cooper ?. I
son gw r it er ch allen ge? "Working with BMW was
wrote it during the BMW challenge actually. The
amazing. It was the beginning of quarantine and I
lyrics are tongue and cheek about being in a
got to explore my emotions while racing down the
relationship with someone who doesn?t see you as
PCH. I honestly think that some of my best songs
a real person but instead a fictional character. It
came from the experience."
talks about letting go of the need to be perfect
You h ave def in it ely over com e som e r eally t ou gh t h in gs t h at w e don't h ave t o t alk abou t bu t I do w an t t o k n ow , h ow do you k eep m ovin g f or w ar d as you do? "There have definitely been moments that really made me question, ?Am I strong enough to handle this?? I think the most important part when going through times that challenge you as an individual is taking note of the small things that you can do to give yourself a sense of normalcy." Wh en you w er e goin g t h r ou gh t h ose t ou gh t h in gs, w h at k ept you r h ead h igh ? "I definitely have a very strong sense of self and a deep belief in God. To be honest, my head hasn?t always been held high. But my belief that there?s a purpose to
which makes it really fun to dance to. I performed my song ?Homecoming Queen?for the first time live last week and I actually cried. It?s about realizing you?ve outgrown where you?re from and letting the people you love know that you?ll never be their homecoming queen. Since I spent all of 2020 and a bug portion of 2021 away from my family that hit a little hard." Wh en can w e expect an albu m f r om you ? "I?ve been working really hard to create a series of songs that tell a story. Since I?m on an independent label, I?ll probably release an EP before a full length album. But I hope to announce the project very soon!"
FALL IN LOVE WITH ISSALYNN
S ham ba The Artist PHOTOGRAPHY BY TIM MCGUIRE JR. STORY BY ELLA AUD REY RAE
At lan t a
ar t ist ,
Sh am ba
is
an
pow er sh e placed in each n ot e. I
except ion al sin ger an d son gw r it er
k n ew f r om t h en on t h at I w ou ld
t h at h as ju st r eleased h er f if t h f u ll
be h ook ed on h er sou n d. Wit h t h e
pr oject , ?Th ou gh t It Was Love?. Th e
debu t pr oject , sh e r eleased t h r ee
eigh t -t r ack EP depict s a t im e in
m u sic videos in clu din g a f eat u r e
h er lif e, w h er e sh e m ist ook all t h e
w it h an ot h er u p-an d-com in g f ir e
w r on g t h in gs f or love.
bom b
"I found myself in a situation where I was mistaking all the wrong things for love. The title summed it all up and gets straight to the point. It lets you know
at
t he
Deet r an ada.
t im e
Th e
k n ow n
m u sic
as
video
accu m u lat ed over 150k view s an d w as m et w it h posit ive r eview s f r om all over .
exactly what you are
Sin ce t h en , sh e h as r eleased t h r ee
about to hear. It is a story of falling
pow er f u l EP's an d a f ew sin gles
for someone and being blinded by
t h at I can't live w it h ou t . On Ju ly
everything wrong and just looking at
16t h , sh e an n ou n ced t h e r elease
the good. It is a story of coming to
of h er n ew est pr oject , Th ou gh t It
the realization that it wasn't actually
Was Love'. "The journey leading up
love."
to the release of 'THOUGHT IT WAS
Sh am ba
r eleased
h er
debu t
albu m , ?Rain bow s & Hu r r ican es?in Jan u ar y
2018
w h ich
placed
Sh am ba on t h e m ap as on e of t h e best n ew vocalist s ou t of At lan t a. I h ear d h er voice f or t h e f ir st t im e on ?Red Ligh t s?, a son g of f t h e debu t
albu m .
I
in st an t ly
LOVE' was very different. I wanted to move differently than I have with any other project I put out. There was so much intent behind every picture, lyric, and song selected. It honestly was such an amazing feeling that I will hold on to forever."
got
How w as it cr eat in g t h is EP du r in g
goosebu m ps f r om t h e am ou n t of
t h is t ou gh t im e in t h e w or ld f or
You can stream and download Shamba's new EP 'Th ou gh t It Was Love' now on your favorite platform.
you ? "Surprisingly enough this felt like the perfect
Wh at m ade you m ade you pu blish you r n ew est
time to create this project. I will forever say that
r ecor d u n der Sh am ba Th e Ar t ist LLC? "Having my
the pandemic was a bittersweet moment in time. I
own company just seemed right because my name
had
the chance to sit and create with no
is attached to everything I do. I am a business. I am
interruptions. My mind was so clear and so open,
a brand. I had to capitalize on that. I am still apart
it made the process smoother. That time in my life,
of the Kalombo family, it's just that this project was
I was blessed to enter into rooms that I've never
pieced together apart from that. Being a part of
been and experience things that I truly don't think
Kalombo Records is still being independent. It is an
I would have, had it not been for the pandemic."
independent label. I am 100% in control either way.
Wh at w as t h e h ar dest son g t o r ecor d or w r it e on t h is pr oject ? " Truly, I don't think any song was hard to write or record. Every song came so effortlessly. The beauty of writing about your
Having the Kalombo family behind me is just that, a family. You have the support and resources of the village. We're independent yet together, if that makes sense."
current experience is that it is just storytelling. I
Wh at w ou ld you say is t h e h ar dest par t abou t
was just painting the picture of what I was living in
bein g
real life."
do you m ak e it all w or k f or you ? "The hardest
Did cr eat in g t h is pr oject h elp you h eal f r om t h is st or y? "Creating this project absolutely helped with the healing process. I can play it and feel relieved. In the midst of writing these songs, It hit me: "Yo
an
in depen den t
ar t ist
an d
h ow
part of being an independent artist for me is the doubt. I have these moments, that come and go, where I feel like I am not doing enough or that none of it is worth it. It is definitely the harder route but the most organic path. I feel so much
this is not love."
better when things come my way knowing that it Wh y did you ch oose t o be so open on t h ese
came from nothing but my hard work and talent.
t r ack s? "I have no idea why I chose to be this open
That is what makes it all worth it to me. I make it
haha. I know for me writing about it on a song is
work in my favor because the freedom I have is
me being done with the situation. It's like I actually
not something I am ready to give up. The creative
leave it all on the track. So in a sense, I knew that if
control keeps me grounded. I can do what I want
I was able to put it on a track, I am able to begin
lol and it is a plus that people rock with that."
that healing process. And at that point it's like, why In conclusion, Shamba is one of my favorite
not release it?"
vocalist. Her range and control is exceptional and Wh at is you r advice t o n ew pr odu cer s w h o w an t
to
t o get in t o t h e in du st r y bu t don't k n ow w h er e
experience. Aside from her music, her ability to
t o st ar t ? "I can give advice to new artists wanting
show up as her authentic self in her music is
to get into the industry. Do not waver in your
inspiring. You can tell from the records she release
foundation. Make sure you are already grounded in
that each song is crafted with emotion and
who you are as a person and as an artist, because
precision. Her pen game is one of best I have heard
they truly go hand in hand. Believe in yourself
come out of Atlanta in a long time. With each track,
enough for the world because as cliche as it is,
she becomes this bestfriend in your head that we
literally no one believes in you more than you.
all need. She sounds like no one else. She is
Create
Shamba.
create
practice."
create
and
practice
practice
hear
her
sing live is such
a refreshing
Y
p
d
Respect yourself enough to say, 'I deserve peace,' and walk away from people or things that prevent you from attaining it.
Y
p
d
You deserve peace + You deserve love + You are beautiful. + You deserve self love + You deserv
peace + You deserve love + You are beautiful + You deserve self love + You deserve peace + You
deserve love + You are beautiful + You deserve self love + You deserve peace + You deserve lov
THE SELF LOVE CLUB W RITTEN BY ELLA AUDREY RAE
PHOTO BY KRISTAL TERZIU FROM PEXELS
I saw this clip from mama Tabitha
past. It is not your whole life. It is not
Brown that said, 'Maybe you are at
who you are. It is not what you are. It
a stop sign in life because you need to look both ways before
is a moment in time that will past. When it passes, you will still be the prize. You will still be worthy of love.
moving for ward'. Moving for ward
You will still be beautiful. You will still
is something that seems so easy
be you. Those people that come into
to do but in reality when you have
your life just to disrupt your peace,
dealt with tr aumas, which create
don't have peace themselves. It is not
depression and anxiety, it seems
your job to give them yours.
it gets harder and harder to find
On another note, we simply can not
the strength to move.
obtain
It took me years to truly feel what it means to have peace..In my journey I learned that forgiving yourself is a major part of it. Isn't it strange that when things happen to us, we end up blaming ourselves for it happening? Instead of realizing that we are more
peace
within
a
toxic
environment. Peace and toxicity will never be friends, let alone found in the same room. Light will always outshine the dark and you dear, are the light. Don't let one bad bulb in the bunch keep you from shinning as bright as you can.
then that pain or moment, we stay in that
moment
and
become
that
moment. It's just a moment, it can
You deserve peace + You deserve love + You are beautiful. + You deserve self love + You deserv
peace + You deserve love + You are beautiful + You deserve self love + You deserve peace + You
deserve love + You are beautiful + You deserve self love + You deserve peace + You deserve lov
rei gn i n your craft.