Issue 19 Oct/Nov 2010 by H.A.S.MAGAZINE, LLC

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Ludacris v.

Chris Bridges

Fatherhood, Dating & New album “Ludaversal” “Raptivist”

Rhymefest

supports the Arts & Chicago’s Youth

Kai Morae

Steps Out of Mom, Lisa Raye’s Shadow & Into Her Own Light

Winner of the What Will You Conjure Up? Contest with a special Pop The Top: A Wine Column

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H . A . S . M A G A Z I N E

contents features 21//Ludacris 26//Rhymefest Supports Chicago’s Youth 13//The Roots Curate Hennessy Artistry: Chicago. Featuring Q-Tip, Erykah Badu, Curren$y & Kid Sister

Hip.

17//Kai Morae

departments 10//Editor’s Note 11//Chicago Cool 15//I’m Just Sayin’: Celebrity foolishness 19//He Said, She Said 22//Pop !e Top: A Wine Column

Artistic. 28

38//Single In Chi City 39//Classifieds

S t y li sh .

C h i c a g o SoftSheen-Carson Presented “Picture of Strength” Chicago Illuminating Company Chicago, IL 09.25.10

IL State Rep. Ken Dunkin & Family

J. Ivy Album Release & Listening Party Chicago, IL 09.21.10

J. Ivy Yaw Kat Harris

Falling Whistles: A Campaign For Peace in Congo, Akira Chicago, IL 10.10.10

OCT/NOV 2010 HASMAGAZINE.COM

J. Ivy

D-Win

Interviewed by Dee Perkins What's been up with you since January when we last connected? Just been working really hard and writing new songs and did a lot of things for other peoples projects, I'm working on my own stuff to and working on the new album. Who are you working with on the album? Ummmm. Let's see. I'm trying to think of who I can say. I did the Jersey Shore soundtrack. Then, I've

done a bunch of work for artists on their albums, but I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t say. In working on my own album, I'm working with really great producers some of whom I idolize. So, it's very exciting. How does it feel to be a part of Hennessy Artistry? It's exciting. I actually have a Hennessy bottle coming out and I designed it with a visual artist named Fafi and she's out of Paris, but it's a good friend of mine. Naturally, she's who I went to. Like Atrak goes to Dust La Rock, I go to Fafi. That's kind of how we..When we do something visual that's what we do. Speaking of art, Hennessy has an exhibit on display with different artists, and I don't think I saw you. Were you involved in that? Maybe that was a different project. We did a project with six visual artists and six musicians teaming up to design a bottle together, so I don't know what they have downstairs. (Laughs.) Like, is it downstairs? I don't think it is. They haven't thrown a party for that yet. So, it hasn't come out yet. So, what's coming up next that we can look out for? The album is coming out. The mixtape is coming out in a month or two. It's called Coco's Revenge. We are going on the road to Europe. We will be there for 3 weeks in the studio there and shooting a video there in Paris and when we get back it's back in the studio, so never stop working. That's the name of the game! â&#x2019;˝

H.A.S. MAGAZINE

I’m

by Antina Redmond

Just Sayin’ 15

OCT/NOV 2010 HASMAGAZINE.COM

The streets are always talking and I’m a loyal listener. I got a good earful this month and I can’t wait to share everything I’ve heard. Listen closely and try not to miss anything.

H.A.S. MAGAZINE

Things aren’t looking good for TI. He canceled a few concerts because he couldn’t leave the city until after he met with his probation officer. After the meeting, his probation officer proposed that TIP should serve 8 to 14 more months in jail after being caught with drugs in Los Angeles. However, TI’s lawyer is saying he should only have to spend 5 to 11 months at the most because the 8 to 14 month term is for violent criminals. Unfortunately for TI, he has 3 strikes working against him; testing positive for opiates, possession of ecstasy, and associating with a convicted felon. I swear these rappers are playing merry-go-round with prison doors.

Lil Wayne seemed to be enjoying his stay in jail. He’s the only

prisoner I’ve ever known to be able to run a website from the confines of the prison walls. Apparently, those privileges weren’t enough thus causing him to have an MP3 player smuggled in for his entertainment. He was caught…TWICE. As a result, he’ll be spending the rest of his sentence in solitary confinement. He’ll be enduring 23 hours of isolation, one hour of recreational time and one visit per week. I guess him and his “Martians” will really get in tuned with one another while he’s in the hole. We’ve all heard the saying three’s a charm. Well the saying is true if we’re talking about jail. Lyfe Jennings was sentenced to 3 1/2 years in jail for DUI test refusal, criminal trespassing, discharging a weapon near a street, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and fleeing or attempting to elude a police offer. For those of you not familiar with his history, Lyfe has already spent 10 years in jail for arson. He got out, his career took off, and now he’s right back where he started. Talk about statistics. Bobby Brown thinks Whitney Houston isn’t living up to her “crack is wack” exclamation and is planning to intervene. He supposedly feels responsible for getting her addicted to drugs. People rumored to be a part of the intervention is Denzel Washington, Janet Jackson, Brandy, plus her mom and daughter. Although I’d love for this story to be true, I just can’t believe it. How is Bobby staging an intervention for anybody when he’s still rumored to be an addict as well? That’s like Tiger Woods pulling Jesse James to the side to talk about monogamy.

Kanye West did the unthinkable again. No, he didn’t interrupt

another award acceptance speech. This time he’s rumored to have snubbed Oprah Winfrey by backing out of an appearance on her show via email. I can only imagine the conniption the queen of talk shows had. The arrangements for his performance had already been setup and it’s said Oprah is pretty upset. Kanye’s camp has yet to refute or confirm the rumor. I can confirm Kanye made a move all hip hop heads will be proud of. He signed Mos Def to his G.O.O.D. Music label. His roster now contain some heavy hitters like the newly signed Pusha-T from The Clipse, old school crooner Charlie Wilson, microphone beast Common, and another new signee CyHi Da Prince. This is a match made in heaven because Kanye knows real hip hop and Mos Def is the epitome of hip hop. GOOD Music indeed! My only hope is he won’t have Mos Def dressed in a raspberry blue blazer and a pink shirt. We all witness how he had my man Pusha-T in fuzzy navel threads at the VMA awards. I’m beginning to think the wardrobe choices are put into the contracts they sign.

Boris Kodjoe spoke to AOL Blackvoices about being seen as a sex

symbol and the professional hindrance he’s had to deal with. In short, he wants to be known for his acting abilities, not his looks. He said, “Over the past few years, it’s been more of a hindrance in that I had to really work ten times as hard to establish myself and prove to people that I’m more than that,” he continued. “Sometimes, I think the sex symbol thing is overshadowing the fact that I’ve worked my butt off. I

can’t worry about how people perceive me.” Fine or not, he is undeniably a great actor. At the end of the day, his talent will speak for himself and all of us will speak about his looks from time to time. It’s a win win situation to me. Any Drake fans out there? You’ll be happy to know he’s almost finished wrapping up an entire R&B mixtape called It’s Never Enough. The first single is going to be a TLC cover of “I Get Lonely Too.” It’s produced by Noah “40″ Shebib who did a lot of work on his mixtape Comeback Season. A new couple was rumored to be getting hot and heavy. The couple was none other than Lauren London and Trey Songz. When I first heard the allegation, I didn’t believe them because no pictures had surfaced. Trey can barely order off the McDonald’s menu without the paparazzi snapping shots, andwere no candids. A video of Trey surfaced where he smugly and rudely denied the rumors before they snowballed. He claimed he and Lauren “ain’t shit.” Yet she’s met his mother. More importantly she’s only the second girl to have that honor. I think it’s safe to say even Steven Wonder can see through this. R&B singer Mario was arrested last week for supposedly assaulting his mother. The details surrounding the case were scarce but the majority knew his mom’s addiction to heroin more than likely played a part. Many of you saw the aforementioned during Mario’s MTV Special awhile back. Mario released this statement regarding the incident: “This is an unfortunate incident between a loving son and a mother who continues to struggle with a devastating addiction. Anyone who has waged the battle to save loved ones from the forces of drugs knows the irrational behavior that almost always accompanies their actions. Despite the allegations, Mario remains committed to supporting his mother.”

T-Pain is trying his best to stay relevant after Jay-Z nearly annihilated his auto-tune career. Instead of making new music, he’s decided to go out and buy another big chain. The first chain literally said “Big Ass Chain” and was worth a few hundred thousand. His new additions are diamond encrusted Ciroc and Nuvo bottles. He tweeted the picture and caused an uproar.

He defended himself by tweeting, “Shout out to the ppl that feel like I should never buy myself anything. I spend money on me and my family, just bcuz I don’t tweet my kids new power wheels and pix of they private school y’all feel like I’m stupid but like I always say y’all do y’all and ima do me. Don’t hate on my lifestyle just go get a life. Find something you good at and go do it and stay off twitter. I’m goin to sleep now so I can take my kids to school in a few hours I’ll holla at y’all tomorrow.” Fortunately for him, I really don’t care how he spends him money. Ball to you fall if that’s what you want. I just hope he won’t be like MC Hammer a few years down the line. Moreover, I found tons of humor in the entire situation. Not even with a Ciroc chain will Diddy allow him to be a part of the endorsements. He’ll probably thank him for the free advertisement though. Good try T-Pain. See you next month for more rumors and outrageous behavior. Remember to watch your setup since the celebrities never do! Ⓗ

H.A.S. MAGAZINE

by Kat Harris

He Said She Said Once upon a time getting into relationship was uncomplicated. Back in the day, there was serious courtship taking place to woo your boo thang. You went on numerous dates before you even got a first kiss. That’s when people really got to know (and I mean really know) and understand the person they were with. Or remember when it was as simple as receiving a note that read “Do you like me? Circle YES or NO”. Needless to say, it’s not that straightforward anymore. We can place the blame on roles being reversed, sex coming earlier in the relationship and messing up the dynamics, or mixed signals from both parties. But let’s say you’ve been fortunate (so you assume) to get pass all these issues with someone and are ready to take the relationship to the next level with a title. You ask them and they respond, “I’m NOT ready.” This month’s topic proved to be explosive! Some of the most honest and comical comments, to date, were posted! The normal one per person response turned into an all out debate. Therefore, the format of this article will be different to keep the flow of the debate intact. This month’s He Said She Said topic: “If someone you’re dating tells you they aren’t ready for a relationship, what’s the next step? Is it smart to be just friends or would you leave the person alone all together? She said: It would depend on what my feelings for this person were and what it is that I wanted out of them. If I am feeling him in that way and it’s not what he wants then I would have to fall back! After all, why play yourself? Falling back means if we are having sex all that comes to an end! I can’t be the one that you call and tell anything. I won't be the one you call to help you out of issues that you may have gotten yourself into. When you are told they’re not feeling you in that way but continue to stay around like they never said those words to you, then you’ve set yourself up to be hurt! Leave their ass alone and keep it on a friendship level! He said: If some men would just stop letting their penis be their guide for finding a wifey, then perhaps going into it with the clear motives of getting to know that woman would help a man to detect if a woman is ready or not without asking. And as for a guy saying "I'm just not ready."...that shouldn't happen, because women shouldn't have to pursue a man. That's mainly for groupies and thirsty chicks with low self-esteem. And even if in a rare case the guy is being pursued, the same rules apply. Stop skipping the "get to know" stage! It's hard to build something on the fly and expect it to last She said: If I’m looking to be in a relationship, I’d give them space. We could still be friends but I would have to start looking elsewhere. If I wasn't, then we all good but I'd still feel a certain way about him having said that. He Said: I feel if my instincts don’t say " I can't live without her” then I don’t want to pursue to live with her." The get to know u stage is built on the spirit and not flesh. Fleshly thoughts are temporary and spirit is eternal. When you have it it’s almost a mild holy ghost…it takes the body and mind and once a woman and man have made amends to that degree we looking at potential fruiting!! She said: I would have to say I would leave the person alone all together. If I meet a man and find him to be relationship material and I really want a relationship and he is not ready then I'm out because I don't want anything less then what I am trying to give.

OCT/NOV 2010 HASMAGAZINE.COM

He said: I think it depends on the past. Does that woman show hope in a relationship?! I’d ask her if there was hope and if so I’d stick by. *The genesis of the debate* She said: I would say it depends on what you are looking for as well. From experience, if a person states they don't want a relationship and you do, keep it moving. You may not be able to be friends right away. Just friends is BS after feelings have been involved, maybe down the road. He said: It depends on the chick. Lately, some men just be wifing secondhand chicks and scallywags on the daily like they going out of style. So if we’re talking a classy, decent, some what educated chick wit low vagina miles I’d just respond to her "I ain’t ready but we can be friends with benefits…” until I update my (insert season) roster or you change your mind, which ever comes first... She said: Seriously, if a man is interested in me and I say I'm not ready, I would advise him to keep it moving. That for me just means I don't like you enough. I'm basically set in my way of thinking of things as being either "black or white.” There's no such thing as just friends after feelings have been introduced. That right there is how men trick women. Nope, not on that! Either you’re making your intentions to me clear or you’ll be spending time chatting with my voicemail. I’d rather not play with these foolish men. Real men know what to do and how to get my attention, and then keep it. If you have to ask “are we together" something is wrong and the answer is no. He said: Just because I like you, want to break bread or go see XMen 5, follow that with a little cuddling and sex (if you cool with it) doesn't mean I'm feeling you as my girl. SEX DOES NOT = COMMITMENT. So you may hear I'm not ready for a relationship depending on where a person is at that moment and it won't be game!! SECOND: COMMITMENT DOES NOT = MARRIAGE!!!! Friendship is possible after feelings have been involved. It has been proven in my experience, and for most of my life I didn't believe it. Doesn't mean we’re calling each other everyday like BFF's but you get the point. But that shouldn't be an issue in the beginning. And lets be real; be honest with ourselves...SEX is the complication! If you can't control your emotions afterward, accept that about yourself and stop blaming the other person!! She said: I feel most of what you are saying. However, that whole break bread, XMen 5 thing....nahhh, bruh…that description sounds like more than just a friend. If not, then what is it? Men and women are two different species. Women are emotional creatures and men are physical creatures. Men are very good at fostering that emotional aspect (as he so eloquently described above) for women to get them "draws", but it leaves the women confused. The problem is that men don't want to compromise the sex by being upfront with a woman. Because let's face it, a lot of women may not be trying to add another "notch in their belt" for some dude that doesn't want a future with her. However, there are a lot of women that will add that notch as long as you are keeping it real from the beginning. The point is, if you are only trying to be on some homie lover friends stuff, either keep it real from the gate and find a chic that can dig it, or keep sex and dinner separate! He said: We not fostering anything! We’re being what we are. I don't want to run down a check lists with a woman while we having our first date at Chili's! I keep it real, please believe! And I don't get as much cutty as I would if I did play the game differently. A meal, dinner, etc. is a date. You know, the kind of thing a lot of women complain that men are not doing so much these days. But when I do what a man is suppose to do, be a woman and

understand who you are. If you are a deer, don't be mad at the wolf! We are what we are! I want to have a date without having to give my 2 year relationship plan over appetizers. I know if she asks, I'll say “I don’t know...lets see how things play out, but I really, really like you girl.” She said: Okay, but, a date and dating are two separate things. Of course you don't want to run down those mental checklists on a first date or even a few subsequent ones. Correct me if I'm wrong, dat-ING is for the purpose of eventually finding someone to settle down with. Otherwise, you trickin! But, once we get into months and months of hanging out and doing what we do (y’all know what I mean), where's the defining line of dating and a relationship if those words have not been spewed?? Most men don't have that conversation with women expressing that this is just for fun. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, the women are “ooh-ing and ahh-ing” to their girls about how good of a man he is to her and thinking they are on a different level. She said: Yes YES YES! When keeping it real goes right; no feelings hurts, no busted windows, no restraining orders. No, but seriously, I don’t understand what is so hard for a guy to either step up or step back. It’s visits, conversations, dates, and the you-know-what that have woman thinking its all good but in his mind she’s not even his girl. Now sometimes we don’t want to believe the truth, then there are other times when he saying all the right stuff. That’s what bothers me! If you don’t want a girl, say that instead of being sneaky. I could totally handle a guy saying he not ready for a girl because I might not even be ready.

She said: See this is why a simple yes or no should be used. Are we exchanging dinner for sex...yes or no? Are we dating… yes or no? Black or white! To the men above talking, with the right girl your ass will be broke while she’ll be full and caught up on all the latest movies! He said: Y’all talking crazy but C'mon Son!?!? The game is designed for lying. Nobody does an accurate self critique. I'm waiting for a woman to say “I wear my heart on the cutty and once I give it up it’s like a light switch to stupidity!” You all can talk about the dumb ass dudes too but that’s my job! They’re the ones messing up the game. All women, even if they can't admit it for themselves, got a minimum of one dumb ass, emotionally retarded girlfriend. She said: If someone tells you that they don't want a relationship, what you should do depends on what you can handle. If you like those bomb.com benefits, just mentally prepare yourself because you now know what the deal is. If you know that you are a stalker/fatal attraction type of person, keep it moving! If a person is in their early twenties, in their college years, or something to that affect, than I would revisit the situation at a later date. I mean, they need to get their fun and experiences out now that they are young. But, if we’re talking about somebody damn near 30, in their career, etc., TAKE IT PERSONAL and WALK AWAY. That person is most definitely waiting for someone better than you (in their eyes) to come along. And if they never find that person, than, eh, they will just settle for you! Uh-uhn, I don't know about anybody else, but I will not be the fall back guy! Ⓗ

Interviewed by Kat Harris Photographed by James Cox Exclusively for H.A.S.MAGAZINE

“...They Call It Luda-Yak” Many times we have to wear many hats to accomplish our goals and Ludacris shows us he is no exception to the rule. Simultaneously, playing the roles of father, entertainer, businessman and now mate--Luda makes it look easy. We caught up with Chris Bridges recently as he broke down being a father, balancing acts, and love in the spotlight for the first time.

H.A.S.: So you represent Conjure Cognac as Christoper "Ludacris" Bridges but a lot of people know you as "Ludacris" the rapper. Do you find it hard to separate the two different entities for people? Ludacris: Nah. It's not hard to separate the two.You know, I wear a lot of different hats so it's all good. "Ludacris" is on stage with the music and everything, but they all kind of go hand and hand and they complement one another. H.A.S.: So what else can we expect from the Christopher "Ludacris" Bridges brand? Ludacris: I surprise myself. So, we shall see what the future holds. So a lot more innovation, I guess you could say. H.A.S.: You're new project Ludaversal is coming soon but right now Battle Of The Sexes is out, and it's doing really well. Originally, Shawnna was on the project with you but now she isn't. Was that a personal separation or a business separation? Can you speak on that? Ludacris: Yea, I am happy to celebrate my birthday here in Chicago, and I'm forever young. So, there you go. (Laughs.) H.A.S.: Your filming Fast and the Furious right now, are there any other film projects in the works? Do you think you'll lean more towards the acting in the future as opposed to the music? Ludacris: Right now I'm really lovin' jugglin' the two because I still feel like I have a lot of music that I need to get out, so I will continue. I could see myself further like way down the line getting into movies but right now I'm lovin' juggling them both. H.A.S.: It's great to see the romantic side of Luda! This is the first time we've seen you with a significant other in the public 21

OCT/NOV 2010 HASMAGAZINE.COM

eye. Do you find it hard to balance your career and your love life? Is it hard for you? Ludacris: (Laughs.) That's such a good question! The answer to that question is that I separate the two. So, I'm good. H.A.S.: We see you're a big Twitter buff, and we saw you kind of navigating with your daughter in an airplane ride. How do you feel about being a father and what message do you hope to send to other fathers about being a father? Ludacris: I LOVE being a father. I make sure to be a great parent and a friend to her. That's extremely important. I feel like, you know, more fathers need to step up and make sure they spend more time with their kids. H.A.S.: There is a lot of violence in Chicago. What is one thing you can tell the young people as far as guiding their energy into something positive instead of something negative? Ludacris: It's a lot of things that you can do. I would just say continue to not be influenced by the negativity. Just make sure that you learn from different people's successes and others failures. Basically, you have to take it upon yourself to do something positive. H.A.S.: What's you're favorite thing about coming back to Chicago? Ludacris: Man! The Taste Of Chicago! That's my favorite thing. I love food that much. I know it's over right now but I definitely love coming in the summertime for the Taste. H.A.S.: What do you want your legacy to be and how can people keep up with you? Ludacris: Man, the legacy, just world domination! Like I was saying earlier or like you said earlier, they [people] can keep up with me on Twitter. Follow my moves! Ⓗ

Pop The Top

A Wine Column

Recently H.A.S.MAGAZINE teamed up with Conjure Cognac-- hand crafted by Chris “Ludacris” Bridges-- to present the What Will You Conjure Up? Contest. Entrants were to submit original recipes using Conjure Cognac where the H.A.S. team then selected 3 finalists to compete for title of creator of the signature H.A.S.-It-All! Cocktail. The submissions poured in from all over the country from Chicago to New Orleans to NYC. While it was certainly tough to decide on the finalists, we definitely had a great time trying all the new congoctions. After rigourus tasting, we decided on 3 finalists. When deciding we took in to consideration taste, ease to make, and name. The 3 finalist were: Lemonade In The Shade by J.R. Gil 1 oz Conjure 3 oz Lemonade (4 oz rock glass)

Purpple Reign by Nikki Hopkins 1 oz Conjure 3 oz Grape Juice (4 oz rock glass)

Creole Cocktail by Joy Sinegar

C o n j u re i s a c o l l a b o ra t i o n b e t w e e n international superstar Chris "Ludacris" Bridges and famed cognac house Birkedal Hartmann, a producer of award-winning spirits since 1887. Visit www.ConjureCognac.com to find where to buy Conjure in your area.

1/2 Shaker of Conjure 1/2 Shaker of ice 1 part Grenadine 1 part Grapefruit Juice (martini glass)

Voting took place at the 1st Annual BarrioBonito Urban Showcase and Benefit Concert. H.A.S.MAGAZINE served as media sponsor to the event where guests also received H.A.S.-It-All! gift bags. See coverage from the event on page 27.

THE WINNER AND NOW OFFICIAL H.A.S.-IT-ALL! SIGNATURE COCKTAIL IS

LEMONADE IN THE SHADE BY J.R. GIL Ⓗ

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H.A.S. MAGAZINE

Hip. Artistic. Stylish.

Hip: Dom Kennedy H.A.S.: You have a heavy LA accent. How has being from LA influenced you?

release. How did it feel to hear that your music was reaching people so quickly?

Dom Kennedy: I mean being from LA, it's really all I know. It influenced me because in my music that's mostly what I talk about. I talk about friends. I talk about family, and I talk about my city. That's what Dom Kennedy's music is based on. So, I think just growing up there and being influenced by the lifestyle and like my older cousins and my older uncles and things of that nature is really the reason why I am here.

Dom Kennedy: That was like the first time I started to really notice it in terms of like numbers of downloads. You know, it was a great feeling to know I worked so hard and like now that I am in this position where people actually wanna' hear what I have to say and that goes back to my position of if people care and are excited to hear what I have to say, I better have something important to say. That's how I really approach my music and take responsibility for my fans. I always wanna' leave people with something to remember and something to inspire them.

H.A.S.: Every city has its "hood." There's a lot of violence in LA and there is a lot of violence here in Chicago. How do you want your music to help those who are impacted by violence in our communities? Dom Kennedy: [Thinks a moment.] If anything just show'em that being a leader, you know, and taking responsibility for yourself and at least putting in the effort to stand up for yourself and to better yourself is possible. I look at myself as somebody. I'm just like every kid in LA. Parents divorced and separated and in and out. You know what I mean, I wasn't the best student. We all got the same story pretty much, but I took it upon myself to become somethin' and make myself somethin' and be a leader instead of following the path the city and the government sets up for you. Me and my homies, we got the lil' J.B.C (Just. Be. Cool.) movement. We just do things for the community and for the kids and just let them know that it's people out here for them. [And.]They not the first people or the first kids to grow up and go through what they are going through with the pressures of inner city every day. It's not something new, and you can make it out of that. H.A.S.: You brought up the point of being a role model. What do you hope to achieve by being a role model in hip-hop? Dom Kennedy: Really…Man, that's a good question. I definitely do consider myself a role model. It's nothing that you can really run from when you have kids who admire you and aspire to be in the position you're in. So, really I just hope to give them an option and hope. So, they can say, "If he can make it, I can make it." I like to show and tell'em them that there are steps that you have to make. Nothing is gonna' come to you overnight, but if you keep at it and stay true to who you are and keep good people around you. It CAN happen! You just gotta' believe in yourself first. H.A.S.: I love your song Menace Beach because you can hear all of the instruments and that something that's missing. When I turn a lot of songs on the radio all you hear is auto tune or the artists are overshadowed by the beat. Who are your musical influences and how did you get your start in music? Dom Kennedy: My musical influences in terms of rap are people like DJ Quik, Biggie Smalls, Ice Cube, you know, people like that. I am a Stevie Wonder fan. Isley Brothers fan. In terms of just music and overall timelessness those guys really influenced me. They remind me to create and outlast just today, next week, and even this year and possibly even myself by telling stories and providing music that will last a long time instead of being so time sensitive and chasing everything that's popular right now and chasing something that will outlast everything. H.A.S.: Speaking of being timeless, your mixtape Best After Bobby, was downloaded 10,000 times in only a few hours of it's

OCT/NOV 2010 HASMAGAZINE.COM

H.A.S.: There are a lot of new hip-hop artists coming out. Who do you feel is your biggest competition. Dom Kennedy: Nobody. Myself. I feel like it's a competition really with myself. I feel like every artist should look at it that way and all the really great one's probably do. I feel like if I do what's best for me and what works for my potential. It's unstoppable! It's a lot of great up and coming rappers. Man, I really look forward to hearing their projects and seeing what they are doing on it. Shouts out to Mikkey Halsted. Shouts out to people like J. Cole, Chip The Ripper. I listen to Chip The Ripper's stuff. So, I just think it's a really important time in rap music period right now. It's a lot of young guys that's taking responsibility and telling stories and bringing that feeling back of hip-hop and rap music, how it's supposed to be done. H.A.S.: What do you think hip-hop is missing and what do you hope to put back into it? Dom Kennedy: At this point, I think that all the pieces is there and in the upcoming years I just hope that fans really embrace the artists. Whether it be their hometown artist or an artist that’s not from their hometown, but if you respect an artist and you like his music, I hope that these artists including myself have proven to you that we really wanna' be hear and tell stories. So, support that artist and buy their music when it's time to put somethin' in stores because that's the only way we gon' keep it goin' or else everybody gon' be stuck complainin' about how whack music is. And you can't really complain if you're not part of the solution. So all these artists that everybody out there likes and have supported and have seen put out free music and kind of garner a fan base, when it's time for them to hit the stores, I just hope that the fans go out and support them so they can stick around. H.A.S.: You’re a dope dude with a chill style to you. Where do you get your style from? Dom Kennedy: Probably like my family. I had a couple cousins that were like in high school when I was in junior high that was really into music that was ahead of me that I otherwise might not have gotten into like Tribe Called Quest, Brand Nubian, other things like that. My uncle is really heavy into fashion back in the day, so he had me in like Jordan's, and Vans, and all these other type of clothes that I still probably wear today because that was so important and apart of who I was then. It just kind of stuck around so mostly my family to be honest. H.A.S.: Is there anything else that you want to say to your fans? Dom Kennedy: Check me out on DopeItsDom.com. or Twitter.com/DopeItsDom and that's it!.. Ⓗ

H.A.S. MAGAZINE

Hip. Artistic. Stylish.

Artistic: BarrioBonito

H.A.S.MAGAZINE was proud to be apart of the First Annual BarrioBonito Urban Showcase & Benefit Concert. As soon as we learned about BarrioBonito we knew it was a match made in heaven. The event showcased the talents of the youth that belongs to BarrioBonito, which ranged from spoken word to rap to painting. The turnout was amazing and guests were definitely in for a treat from the start with the sponsored Conjure Cognac tasting & voting reception to determine the official H.A.S.-It-All! signature cocktail up until the grand finale performance by Grammy Award winning rapper/activist Rhymefest. About BarrioBonito: Barrio Bonito is an innovative social enterprise, combining a powerful social mission with a relevant and engaging revenue structure. Barrio Bonito operates as an urban lifestyle boutique/showcase and serves the community as a career development program for low-income youth ages 17-24. We utilize fashion, music, art and culture as an access point to connect with our beneficiaries and create employment opportunities. Barrio Bonito, meaning beautiful neighborhood, represents the need to celebrate and promote the beautiful elements of culture and innovation in underserved inner-city neighborhoods. So much vibrant life, creativity, and passion within urban communities gets overshadowed by negative stigmas that plague these neighborhoods. Through creative development, career training, entrepreneurship, and collaborative community efforts, Barrio Bonito serves as a showcase for the talents and innovations of inner-city youth and strives to transform these talents into sustainable careers. â&#x2019;˝

To learn more about BarrioBonito please visit www.BarrioBonito.org

Malcolm London, Spoken Word Artist

Jiovanni Niz aka Emcee Summit, Spoken Word Artist

Co-Founder, Jake Schipper

Co-Founder, Bill Galioto

32 SEP/OCT 2010 HASMAGAZINE.COM 27 OCT/NOV 2010 HASMAGAZINE.COM

Board Member Alfonzo Howard

Event Guests

Will from Kollab, Live Art

Reverend Posey. Lottery Pick Energy Drink

I Fly Phoenix

photo by Bradley Murray

Miranda of Spot Live

Jake Schipper Patman

Singer Erin Martin & Band Member Naledge

Hustle Simmons

Xcel A.J. Moore

Event Guests

H.A.S. MAGAZINE MAGAZINE H.A.S.

19 28

Hip. Artistic. Stylish.

Stylish: Bryan K. Osburn Bryan K. Osburn: Chicago's Fashion Architect H.A.S.: What's it like being a designer in Chicago? Can you tell us a little bit about your journey and how you got here? Bryan K. Osburn: Well, I am back again after 25 years. I left in 86' to move to New York. I spent 14 years in New York. A year in France and about 8 years or so in Charlotte, North Carolina, so I'm back celebrating my 2 year anniversary in Chicago. A lot has changed in those 20 plus years but actually came back and met some contacts I had 20 years ago, people still in the industry and that's who I'm with right now. H.A.S.: What brought you back? Bryan: Just wanted to come back home. I'm from Chicago born & raised on the south side of Chicago. I went to school here. I traveled back and forth when I lived in New York, but I love Chicago. It's great to be back. It's a beautiful city. I'm greatly inspired by it. H.A.S.: What can Chicago do to keep artists here so they don't have to go elsewhere to be successful? Bryan: The industry Is picking up, and I'm comparing what we have here to some place like Charlotte. Not to knock charlotte, but I pretty much starved as an artist. It was hard, but Chicago was great in the 80's for fashion. It was new and people were spending money. The economy was hitting a little bit. Chicago has got its own speed going, and I've got private clients and I do my own shows. I had 7 or 8 shows in July alone. So, its as busy you make it. I do like it. A lot of artist leave like I left to make it and comeback here. Then, when we come back we can appreciate it in different ways. So sometimes it takes to leave to come back. H.A.S.: I know you have been designing for more than 25 years but what is your ultimate goal in designing? Is that anyone particular that you would love to dress? Bryan: You know what? I just wanna' keep making dresses. After living in New York for 14 years and having a lot of celebrity friends, I made dresses for Diana Ross so I've done a lot of stuff already. So, I just want to continue for people who like my dresses. Oprah would be nice. H.A.S.: Are you inspired by the silhouette of a woman? When you make dresses whom do you have in mind that you are designing for? Bryan: A lot of things. I'm inspired by fabric itself. I love black & white, but I'm also inspired by color. I am inspired by fabrics, music, and architecture. H.A.S.: What direction are you going in now as a designer? Bryan: I have a great following of ladies who lunch. I will sell to anybody, but I have a great clientele from the Drake hotel. The next collection I am going to be showing there is called Chocolate Glam. The whole collection is inspired by chocolate. That fashion show is November 11, 2010. H.A.S.: Would is something that you want the world to know about you? Bryan: I would like to inspire people. I love the young people. I love to tell the young students how to stay and be humble in the industry. I have made some great contacts and done some great things just being humble and staying true to myself, which is the best advice and network a lot! Please visit www.Bryankosburncollection.com for more information on Bryan K. Osburn designs!

OCT/NOV 2010 HASMAGAZINE.COM

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S i ngle in Ch i City : Antina Redmond is

There are characteristics we all look for in the opposite sex. Some of them are really basic like great conversation, good hygiene and mental stability. Well, maybe I should take the word “basic” out of the equation because not everyone got the memo that these are thing that should be part of everyone’s foundational makeup. If cleanliness is next to godliness, then some people are going straight to hell; do not pass go, do not collect $200! I was set up on a blind date. One of my friends knew a guy they felt would be a great match for me. I obliged and set out to meet this guy my friend raved about. I didn’t know him so I met him at the restaurant. It’s too many crazies out here, you’ve got to watch your setup at all times. Our first date went well without a hitch. He had an infectious personality and was funny as hell! Not being too shabby on the jokes myself, we had a great time. Great food and great laughs made it a great night. Things went so well that we planned a second date. This time we met at the theatre to see a movie. The movie we saw wasn’t even important, believe me. After the movie we went and had ice cream. We took out treats to the park and walked around getting to know each other a little more. Hours of chatter showcased how similar we were and helped us connect. I’d found me a new homie! I wasn’t envisioning us walking down the aisle or anything, leave that for the stalkers. From experience, most men messed up on the first date within the first hour, so making it to a second successful date was an accomplishment. Nevertheless, the third date went to hell in a hand basket. I wasn’t even prepared for what I was exposed to. We had been talking on the phone everyday and I was really starting to feel the guy a little. He called me up and invited me to dinner. I agreed and even allowed him to pick me up from my house to take me to his. He’d cooked especially for me and I thought it was a nice gesture because the only reason a lot of men go in the kitchen is to heat up the microwave. He opened the front door, I stepped in and the entire house was lit up by candlelight. The regular lights were dimmed and the ambience was perfect. He’d also set up the table and it looked amazing. I was delighted he’s put so much thought into something for little ol’ me. We sat down and he poured out first glass of wine. He even blindfolded me after a few sips. Now normally I would have channeled my inner Money Mike and been ready to slap someone for that but I honestly didn’t mind. He was from the Caribbean, so his accent in itself was intoxicating. I loved the way he pronounced my name and countless other words. When he said, “Bebe, let me feed you,” in my head I was like heyyyyyy now. He fed with me precision and wiped my mouth after every forkful. In between he’d caress my face. All I was thinking was THIS MAN IS IT! The food was delicious; spicy and flavorful. I didn’t deny one morsel. I was enjoying myself immensely and anticipating what dessert would be. (Don’t judge me; I’m talking about edible sweets.) Dinner was done before I knew it. He took off my blindfold and told me to hold still while he put the dishes up. My entire life came to a halt when he cut on the lights….THERE WERE ROACHES EVERYWHERE! I was waiting on him to say something but he continued about his business like they were his roommates. At that very moment, the only thing I felt was shock. I tried to play it off and asked to use his bathroom. I figured I’d attempt to get my mind right in there. By now, you should know nothing ever works in my favor. I got to the bathroom, closed the door and prepared to have

my exhale moment I’d been waiting for, but that moment never came because I was being bombarded with more filth. It was hair clippings from him shaving his head all over his sink and a ring around his tub! Even worse, his toilet was dirty! It was no way in hell I was sitting on that thing. No amount of tissue could prevent my snatch from catching an incurable and unknown disease. I still couldn’t comprehend how someone could have a public port-o-potty in their home! I really had to use it at that point because all those different stages of shock had made my bladder drop. I looked under his counter for some Lysol, Clorox, hell for FEMA. I didn’t find anything from that category but I’ll be enchanted to inform you of what I did find; more roached. They were congregating up under their like Sunday service. I swear one of them gave me a side eye for interrupting them. I promise they were under there kicking it like the dancing raisins on those California raisins commercials. I needed Jesus or Mary Maids to take the wheel. I was utterly disgusted and ready to go. I was scared to open the door because I thought he’d be standing on the other side in his true form; a life sized roach like the ones from the Orkin commercials. How could I go out there and face him after finding out he breeds roaches? That feeling of uncertainty lasted all of two seconds because I remembered my purse was sitting low. I ran out the bathroom, grabbed my purse, and shook it like a Polaroid picture. I was so freaked out I started shaking my entire body and I know it must have looked like I was having a seizure. I didn’t give a damn! He was in no position to judge with his crib being equivalent to an outhouse. I cut that date shorter than ……. I politely asked him to take me home. I didn’t give an explanation and he didn’t ask. I believe my face told it all. I’m sorry but a man that dirty could do nothing for me. And thinking about how dirty his kitchen probably was had my stomach churning like the Ally McBeal baby was in there dancing to techno music. I honestly don’t remember any conversation in the car or when I got out to this day. My mind was too focused on getting that food out of my belly! I never spoke to him again. I saw him a few years later in the mall, He called my name and I played completely crazy. “Excuse me… who? Nah, you have the wrong person.” I almost ran trying to get away from him. Presently, I will thank him. He taught me to check out people’s homes before I get comfortable eating and relaxing. Now, I be almost ready to pull out my white glove and check countertops like Bob Saget in Full House. I’ve learned you can never be too careful. And there you have it. I experience yet another crazy, almost too insane to be reality type date. This thing is almost more trouble than it’s worth. Did this put an end to my dating streak? You’ll find out in the next installment of Single in Chi City.Ⓗ

H.A.S. MAGAZINE