Editor’s Note Alice Y. Boswell
Breast Cancer Awaremenss Month.............. During my yearly physical, a lump was found in my x-rays. The first emotion: I cried. Then I thought about my son, my family, my friends, I even thought about the guy that I had the crush on for so long (and still do). I thought about all my dreams that I haven’t completed. It was the most terrifying time in my life, and I have been through some bad times. I am really happy that my bestie was there with me from beginning to end. I didn’t have cancer, but a scar was left to remind me to always get my mammogram done on a regular basis. Please, take care of yourself, have your mammogram done and check your own body on a regular basis. You will LOVE yourself for it.
Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Jr. mer, a e r B. C
unforgettable moments in education . . . . .once was told by a “brother”, as I was transitioning back to Chicago from DC, that he had any number of gigs waiting for me once I made my way back. .I took him at his word and exhausted a chunk of change to fly into Chicago to attend an interview which was supposed to have been for an administrative position which is what I had clearly indicated on a number of occasions was my sole interest . . . .I get to interview and its a classroom full of brand new potential teacher hires. .I stayed anyway just to listen and observe and figured maybe the convo between he and I would occur after this “group interview”. .the school is in Woodlawn. .it is 99.9% Black, but the teaching staff reflects a lot of other. .”milky” . .faculty members come into room to relate their experiences to the potential hires. .not quite 99.9% Black. .in fact, nowhere near. . the most unsettling fact was that the head of their history department, in a “Black school”, was European. . .I quietly shook my head but I continued to listen. .eventually, they came to a part in the interview where they claimed to be making certain all of their teachers were teaching culturally relevant material. .he claimed they were evaluated on it. . I ask simply, “how do you gauge/measure whether a teacher is imparting culturally relevant material to these Black children?”. .in my mind, I knew this to be b.s. which is why I posed the question. .the facilitator of this mass interview asked that we pull out a one-pager from the back of the folder they had given us. .this flimsy, half-assed, thrown together, “rubric” was supposed to be the Bible that ensured that Black children in this Jewish-provided school were being taught appropriately by people who didn’t look like them. .I was supposed to believe that they were forcing these twenty-something year old White teachers from North Suburbia or Dakota into immersing themselves into the culture of Africans in order to impart those much needed lessons to our children. . . .he must’ve heard the b.s. alarm go off in my pocket because this administrator reacted with a bit of an edge. . . .saltiness. . . .”well Sir. .Black culture does not have to be about Africa. .it can be about a Black boy being arrested by the police!!”. . . .huh?! . . . .in three seconds, he had appeased and pacified every European teacher in that room. .as White teachers, the only thing you needed to know about Black culture is Black boys’ involvement with the police. . at the same time, I was thankful for that moment because it let me know immediately what this cat and this school was about. . .don’t worry about their culture, just get ‘em to college. .a continuance of our forever. .unfortunately, many go to college and have no connection with the masses that never see one. .and the many that don’t go, often see incarceration or some other misstep simply because they lack knowledge of self. . .and know nothing else but. .college. .or else. . who needs a culture?. . . .this same administrator was dismissive towards me after the interview. .as I attempted to speak to him, he walked away to speak with a group of brand new White ‘Teach for America’ recruits that were also vying for his attention. . . . .thankful for the revelation . .
Fear Management Stan Popovich
NEVER LOSE HOPE IN DEALING WITH YOUR FEARS AND ANXIETIES When your fears and depression have the best of you, it is easy to feel that things will not get any better. This is not true. There is much help available in today’s society and the best way to deal with your fears is to find effective ways to overcome them. As a result, here are some techniques a person can use to help manage their fears and anxieties. You never know when the answers you are looking for will come to your doorstep. Even if the thing that you are afraid of does happen, there are circumstances and factors that you can’t predict which can be used to your advantage. These factors can change everything. Remember that we may be ninety-nine percent correct in predicting the future, but all it takes is for that one percent to make a world of difference. Challenge your negative thinking with positive statements and realistic thinking. When encountering thoughts that make you feel fearful or depressed, challenge those thoughts by asking yourself questions that will maintain objectivity and common sense. For example, your afraid that if you do not get that job promotion then you will be stuck at your job forever. This depresses you, however your thinking in this situation is unrealistic. The fact of the matter is that there all are kinds of jobs available and just because you don’t get this job promotion doesn’t mean that you will never get one. In addition, people change jobs all the time, and you always have that option of going elsewhere if you are unhappy at your present location. Some people get depressed and have a difficult time getting out of bed in the mornings. When this happens, a person should take a deep breath and try to find something to do to get their mind off of the problem. A person could take a walk, listen to some music, read the newspaper or do an activity that will give them a fresh perspective on things. Doing something will get your mind off of the problem and give you confidence to do other things. Be smart in how you deal with your fears and anxieties. Do not try to tackle everything all at once. When facing a current or upcoming task that overwhelms you with a lot of anxiety, break the task into a series of smaller steps. Completing these smaller tasks one at a time will make the stress more manageable and increases your chances of success. Take advantage of the help that is available around you. If possible, talk to a professional who can help you manage your fears and anxieties. They will be able to provide you with additional advice and insights on how to deal with your current problem. By talking to a professional, a person will be helping themselves in the long run because they will become better able to deal with their problems in the future. Managing your fears and anxieties takes practice. The more you practice, the better you will become. BIOGRAPHY: Stan Popovich is the author of “A Layman’s Guide to Managing Fear Using Psychology, Christianity and Non Resistant Methods” - an easy to read book that presents a general overview of techniques that are effective in managing persistent fears and anxieties. For additional information go to: http://www.managingfear.com
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“Music is what feelings sound like”... If there were any way to sum up what music truly is, then perhaps these words express it most aptly. Music speaks from the heart, from the soul, and in the case of hip-hop, from the mind. It evokes memories, moods, hopes, and feelings from our past as well as our present. For Kevin Ross, CEO of Chicago-based record label, Twoguard Music Group, it was magnetism at age 10. “I was listening to the radio, and a song came on called, “Midnight at the Oasis” by Maria Muldaur. I was very young, but I could hear in the song, that it was supposed to take you to the desert; with a cool breeze, stars overhead, palm trees and sand. I mean, if you listened closely, the way the song was arranged, the music, the way she sang the song, the way her voice carried it, it actually took you there. And I was fascinated by how a song could do that”. From then on, Ross began listening to the radio intently. Every day, almost all day. Listening to songs, learning who sang them, then learning who wrote them, what the possible meanings were behind them. “I became a student. But it was easy, because I also loved the way music made me feel.” In Junior High School, Ross picked up drums in the school band, and even tried his hand at singing and rapping. “Into a Panasonic cassette tape recorder”, he says laughing.” I was pretty good with Heatwave’s “Always and Forever” until my voice changed, and trying to imitate Kurtis Blow didn’t go very well either for him. The next logical step was to learn how to play the songs rather than actually make them. Thus began his quest to learn how to be a DJ. “I had collected vinyl records pretty much from everywhere up to that time, as well as having my mom’s and dad’s old records like The Isley Brothers, Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr., Earth Wind and Fire, and more. Now it was just a matter of learning how to fit songs together and what turntables and a mixer to use. Hours and hours of practice, along with listening to cassette tapes of DJs from San Francisco, Oakland, Los Angeles, and New York, allowed Ross to hone his skills. Soon, upon entering college, he was DJing for different fraternities. And then his name begin to grow. “I got a reputation for creatively putting together hits and new music. That’s always a challenge for a DJ, to continue to entertain the crowd while introducing them to something new. But I got very good at it, and the word began to spread about DJ 24K. Don’t laugh, yeah that was my name.” he says with a smile. While DJing at college parties, Ross also began working at the local record store in town. Here, he began to learn about different types of music from Reggae and SKA, to Country, to Zydeco and Blues, Country, Rock, Alternative.....“Nearly every genre of music that people listened to. “I was a junkie at this point. I wanted to know as much as I could about everything that I could. From where the music was recorded, to who the engineer was, to who did the album photoshoot.....everything.” By this time, Ross was going to school full-time as a student at the University of California Davis, working at the record store, DJing at clubs and doing college parties, as well as an overnight shift on the college radio station. “I was paying my dues, and I loved every minute of it. I didn’t sleep much, but of course when you’re young, you really don’t need it.” Leaving the record store led to a part-time position working for Oak Tree, a clothing store located in the local mall. It was here that he met Jay King, leader and founder of 90’s R&B outfit Club Nouveau, who were riding success at the time off of the song “Rumors” and the subsequent follow-up “Jealousy”. “Jay had come in to get some clothes for a photo shoot for the group, and while we were talking, I told him I was a DJ in town and where. He seemed very impressed with my passion & knowledge of music, and asked me to come work for him full- time! Of course, he couldn’t afford to pay me what I was making then, but I did agree to volunteer for a few hours a week to come into the office and listen to demo tapes. I was going to do, what I had to do with the opportunity.” It was here that yet another facet of his development was added. “Jay taught me about structure, vocal production, and other elements of songs that made them hits, not just records. Ironically, though, I remember listening to a cassette tape that was sent in by some guys from Oakland, California and saying to myself that I really like their stuff, although they sounded a little different than the current music that was popular at the time. I took the stuff to Jay, and he dismissed it saying, “It probably won’t work.” It ended up in the hands, however, of Staff Producers Denzel Foster and Thomas McElroy, who got in contact with the group and later went on to produce them. Their name: Tony, Toni, Tone.” Having moved from a small college town of Davis California to Sacramento, Ross had now to build a name as a top flight DJ in the city. With experience DJing at night clubs, in college, on the radio, working for a record label, and hosting parties on weekends, Ross went back to retail at music giant Tower Records. It was here that he began to meet the promotion,
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marketing, and sales people from record labels. “Capitol Records, Warner Brothers, Polygram, and more, always had people coming to the store either checking on stock or bringing artists through. Some of the artists were Sarah McLachlan, Garth Brooks, Depeche Mode, the Dead Kennedys, Bobby McFerrin, The Isley Brothers, and more. “Back then, artists knew that they had to work hard, even though they were already signed to a record label. It’s about being visible, shaking hands, and relating to your fans, the audience. Garth Brooks was the coolest dude I ever met. He came in wearing some Air Jordan’s and we shot basketball later that day. I will never forget that” After a few years at Tower Records, Ross went to work for one-stop distribution giant Valley Record Distributors. “A onestop basically was a huge warehouse that sold music all across the country to different retail chains & independent stores. I was the Urban Music Buyer here, which allowed me to talk directly to the stores in the neighborhoods across the country and learn about people like E-40, Master P, Rappin’ 4-Tay, The Ghetto Boys, NWA and more. These dudes were selling thousands of records from the trunk of their cars, and I began to learn about independent sales and distribution.” It was one Fall day that changed everything for Ross. “I had been speaking to one of the salespeople from Motown Records, and I received a call asking, if I would be interested in interviewing for a position in Los Angeles. It was in the sales department, and I remember being on the phone shaking I was so nervous and excited. I told them that I would be interested, and they said they would get back to me and let me know the details.” A flight was booked by the label, and Ross flew to Los Angeles to interview for the position. Being told it was just himself and one other person, he was very hopeful. “When I got back, I could hardly eat or sleep. Every day seemed to get longer and longer and it was the longest week of my life”, lol. Then finally, the fateful call came. “I had gotten the job. I absolutely couldn’t believe it.” Along with his cousin, Ross packed up a medium sized U Haul and drove to Los Angeles to begin another chapter of his career. “Living in L.A. was amazing! I basically was a country boy coming in, and this was my first big city. But having worked in the music industry already, along with networking and socializing with my counterparts, it wasn’t too difficult of a transition. I even got another DJ gig part-time at a legendary club called, Paradise 24, which did an Industry Thursday party where everybody showed up from Dr. Dre to Leon Sylvers to Bryan Turner from Priority Records (record label president just characterized in the NWA biopic “Straight Outta Compton”.) At Motown Records, Ross began working with artists like Diana Ross, Boyz II Men, 702, Johnny Gill, and Stevie Wonder. “Going to work every day was like a dream. It was so amazing. Not just because of the artists, but because of the structure and the organization itself. Learning the intricacies of a record label. There was nothing like it.” After a little under a year, there was a change in regime at the company. Former CEO of Uptown Records Andre Harrell came in as president of the company, and was planning on relocating it to New York City. “I really didn’t want to live in New York, but I would do whatever it took to build my career and my experience. Unfortunately, not everyone was offered the opportunity to transfer, and I was one of them, so I wasn’t sure what was going to happen next. But that’s when God intervened.” Barbara Seltzer, who had come in as the new VP of Radio Promotion, saw promise in Ross as a Promotion Executive. She believed that he could be developed into a great ambassador for the label. “I have always had people skills, and along with my knowledge of music, was always able to communicate effectively. Barbara felt that I should be doing radio promotion, which is basically getting records played on the air. She offered me two choices: Atlanta or Chicago. Well, at that time, LaFace Records was just getting started and was hot, Jermaine Dupri was extremely active, Dallas Austin and TLC we’re hugely popular, as well as groups like Outkast and artists like Bobby Brown all living in the same spot. So quite naturally, I said I wanted to go to Atlanta. She smiled, looked at me, and said “You’re going to Chicago””. Only knowing images of cold weather and gray skies, Ross was extremely reluctant to go to Chicago. However, a large increase in salary, expanded opportunity, and a larger expense account finally swayed him. “Once I got here, it wasn’t so bad because it was July. But when that first snowfall hit in October, I was ready to come right back home”, laughing as he says, “Real Talk.” He, of course, ended up enduring the rugged climate adjustment, and went on to work for not only Motown, but Tommy Boy, Loud Records (Wu Tang Clan, Mobb Deep,), Priority Records (Ice Cube, Xzibit), Blackground Records (Aaliyah, Tank), Warner Brothers, and finally Capitol Records, over an 18 year period. It was at Warner Brothers that he met and worked with artists like Eric Benet & Gucci Mane. In 2011, his stint with Capitol led to work with artists such as Snoop Dogg, Anita Baker, Tamia, Bobby Valentino, Tyrese, Avant, Katy Perry, and others. “Between those two labels, I learned the most about marketing, promotion, A&R, media relations, social media marketing, and publicity. My education at this time was incredible, as well as the contacts and relationships that I was establishing.”
When Capitol Records was acquired by Universal Music Group, some of the staff was not retained for financial reasons. “I really wasn’t sure what I was going to do at this point, because all I had ever done up to then was some independent work for some local artists, and some consulting. But most of my time had been consumed with my primary duties at the companies I worked for. But it was at this time that once again God spoke to me and told me it was time to step out on my own. So I formed my own company, found a name (Twoguard), and decided that I would take the skills and the relationships that I had amassed, and apply them to my own business.” Thus, Twoguard Media Group was born. Designed to be a boutique, full- service marketing, promotion, and artist development agency, Ross began to slowly get the attention of local media and the artist community as well. After compiling and executing a few successful marketing and promotional campaigns for a number of Chicago artists, which included getting their records played on WGCI and Power 92, Ross began expanding and decided to start a record label. “Back when I was a kid, labels like Chocolate City, Solar Records, Motown Records, and others were always intriguing to me. Most people knew the artists that recorded for those labels, but I was one of the few who could tell you who the President of the label was, who the Vice President of the label was, even who the Art Directors were”, he says with a smile. “Of course, being at Motown, I studied under people like Andre Harrell, Russell Simmons, Sean “Puffy” Combs, Clive Davis, and others. It had always been my dream to have my own record label, where I was able to come up with the concepts for the artists, give them their musical identity, and of course, sell records. And having been in Chicago for a good part of my life, I wanted to make it happen here, because we have so much amazing talent.” As fate would have it, Ross’s first artist would come from one of his mentors, VP of Urban Programming at iHeart Media, Derrick Brown. Brown had been corresponding over the years with a young artist who had consistently sought his advice and council, as well as sending him very high quality music. “I went to Derrick and asked him if there were any artists that he could recommend for someone starting their own label. He didn’t even hesitate and sent me Marwan Akil’s record “Eternally”. As soon as I heard the song, I knew it was a hit.” Of course, in today’s industry, imaging is just as important a part of music and promotion of the songs themselves. “I hadn’t seen any pictures of him at all, so I really wasn’t sure what I had. We had spoken on the phone and corresponded via email, and I knew that his attitude and demeanor were perfect. Then, once we met and I actually saw him, I knew right away that I had a star in the making. Renaming him Marwan (Soulflow), for his stylistic ability to move effortlessly between traditional R&B, old school R&B, and neo soul.” Ross says, “Six months later, “Eternally” was on Sirius XM playing in rotation, and ultimately made its way to V103, where it spent the better part of a year in the top 10, and then in the Top 5. When I got the phone call that they (V103) we’re going to put the record in, I kept my composure while on the phone. After I said “thank you” and hung up, I sat on my couch and cried. The truth of the matter is, I had spent so many years helping artists like Snoop Dogg, Eric Benet, Tyrese, and Ginuwine get their records to #1. But there’s no feeling in the world like having your own artist’s record played on the radio. None at all. In fact, it’s very much like that scene in “The Five Heartbeats” with Robert Townsend and his sister when they first heard his record playing. You either jump up and down and scream and yell or you cry. But either way, you are moved emotionally.” From there, Ross then went on to sign Pop/R&B artist Patrice Forde from the island of Antigua, Danielle Lee, a Neo Soul/ R&B singer who evokes comparisons to Avery Sunshine and Chaka Khan, and Rapper/Producer/ Hip Hop artist Truth. His crown jewel, however, is 90’s R&B mainstay act Public Announcement, whom he did work with nine years prior as an Assistant Road Manager. “When they came to me and asked me to manage them, not only did I say yes, but I promised them I would help them put a record out as well. This was before I decided to start the label, but everything has worked out perfectly. Their new single, “Fireworks”, was written and produced by Marwan himself (who is now a 50% partner with him in the venture). I believe it will be another smash for the label”. With a dream having been converted now into a vision, Ross has set about establishing a viable platform for Twoguard Music Group, in an attempt to carry to fruition something that he says has yet to be done in Chicago. “We have such a rich musical history here, one that most of the newer artists have no idea about. Labels like Chess Records, Curtis Mayfield’s Curtom Records, even Record Row, which used to be located on South Michigan Avenue and was home to such iconic labels as Capitol and Warner Brothers. We have not had that type of consistency, success, and respect in a long time. I’m basing Twoguard on three of my favorite labels: Motown Records, LaFace Records, and Bad Boy Entertainment. Not only were the artists talented, but they were also able to convey lifestyle imaging (the way they dressed, talked, acted), which allowed them to relate to consumers and fans. That’s what I want Twoguard to be about.” “Not bad for 10 year old country boy who heard a song on the radio about a woman, a camel, and a desert.”
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of the original concept behind Upscale Dough was to use the cookie as a canvas to promote images that we would like to see and, quite simply, to make our baking fun. We see each cookie that we create as a little piece of art. Since Hip-Hop is a genre that represents self‐determination and an outlet for self‐expression, elements mirrored in our entrepreneurial spirit and baking skills, we saw a perfect match(like Public Enemy’s Chuck D, “Most of my heroes don’t appear on no stamp”). Images thus far have been whimsical, thoughtful, profound or just plain fun. Additional inspiration came from the fact that our cousin, Mr. William “Billy Bill” Waring, wrote music for Kurtis Blow and other early Hip-Hop pioneers so, as a tribute to him, the first cookie we released on social media featured Kurtis Blow and paid homage to the song ‘These are the Breaks.’ The subsequent response to the cookies on social media has been great. Every time someone likes an image on Facebook or shows love via Instagram it tells us that the person gets it –they see our vision. It also helps that the cookie itself is delicious. We are just a mother and son team, Carlotta and James Tyson, with cooking and baking skills. Originally we are from Harlem, NY, but the people that we have met since being here in Chicago and Chicagoland have shown us so much love and spiritual support – the kind that one really needs when trying to wear the shoes of an entrepreneur–that it has truly touched our hearts and we are proud to call this home. It’s a great feeling. We hope to be able to continue to create new images and have high hopes for Upscale Dough. To get our cookies, upscaledough.bigcartel.com
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Fine The Way I Am Building Self Confidence A Skill You Can Train
By: Mathias Eggerichs This article talks about the importance of confidence and how it heavily influences everything you do. I outline the fundamentals to build confidence. Confidence is a skill. A skill you can train and learn. You probably heard about the phrase “Fake it till you make it.” It is often said but not explained why it’s true. Confidence is a skill like any other learned trait. You can’t expect to just be confident exactly like you can’t expect to speak French fluently without putting time into learning it. So why is that. Lack of confidence is the result of not having the experience of various situations in life. If I say to you, prepare a presentation and present it in front of 200 people. Most of you will be hesitant and be afraid of the task. That is because so many different unexpected situations can occur in which you mind find yourself lost. Repeating the tasks will lead to you facing every situation possible which will be hard at times and you will often fail but learn so much in the process. There is unfortunately no way around the failing part. But what you can do is minimizing the fail potential. So what can you do? Confidence Building Again, think about confidence as a learned skill. What if you have an important exam coming up? You learn for it. The more you learn the more you feel better about the exam and about your confidence concerning the task. So do what you can regarding preparation. Sometimes you can’t prepare and need to improvise. That’s where faking the confidence comes into play. “Fake it till you make it” The perception of others of you as a person is always vastly different to your own view of you. Walking straight, eye contact, loud and clear talking makes you look confident. Even if you don’t feel like you are confident, others will think you are. You will notice the different looks people give you and that will boost your confidence. So just get the ball rolling, the confidence will come. Building self-confidence is a step-by-step progress. I might get a little mathematical here, but it helps getting my point across. You have the following situation. You are new in a city and want to set up your social life but are afraid or not confident enough to approach strangers. There are 2 possibilities. Talking to a stranger and maybe become friends. There is of course a possibility of failing because he or she might react negatively about your approach. Let’s say there is at least a 50% chance that the encounter will yield positive results and the other half of the time, the stranger won’t react nicely. The other possibility is simply not approaching. The expected outcome here is 0% progress. “Failure is the key to confidence.” CONTINUE AT JUSTMEMAGAZINE.COM
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