Play channel magazine issue 6

Play Channel Magazine

Issue 6

LBJ goes home

Fashion tips for men and women

Inside the mind of

ALVARO ARO AND BRIAN COOKSEY model

KyJuan

ng i r u t fea

Cierra Miller

Photo submitted by Crystal Richerson

St. Louis is known around the world for its collection of free attractions, fine cuisine, blues music and nightlife. Once the nation's fourth-largest city, it has hosted the 1904 World's Fair and Olympics, was home to ragtime composer Scott Joplin, and was the city where Dred Scott filed his landmark lawsuit for freedom. Indeed, St. Louis once stood as the gateway to the vast, unsettled American West. Today, it continues to be a city of cultural crossroads, mixing food, music and shopping for a personality all its own.

St. Louis A great place to live

Looking for great St. Louis or Missouri destinations?

Explore St. Louis: A complete guide to shopping, dining,

entertainment and sports in the St. Louis area sponsored by the St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission.

Forest Park Forever: In 1986, Forest Park Forever, a private, not-

for-profit organization, was founded to work in partnership with the Department of Parks, Recreation & Forestry to make Forest Park the finest urban park in the country.

Missouri History Museum: Here you will find all the information you need to become acquainted, or reacquainted, with the Missouri History Museum, its facilities, programs, exhibitions, and community involvement.

St. Louis Science Center: Explore more than 700 free, hands-on

exhibits on environment, aviation, technology and more. Nominal fee for the James S. McDonnell Planetarium's Space Station experience, OMNIMAX速 Theater and special traveling exhibitions.

Saint Louis Art Museum: The Fine Arts Palace of the 1904

World's Fair is among the leading art museums in the country.

Collections range from ancient to contemporary. Special exhibitions are held throughout the year.

The Muny: Find fabulous Broadway-style entertainment under the stars at America's oldest and largest outdoor musical theater. From mid-June through mid-Aug. Nightly, in beautiful Forest Park.

Missouri Botanical Garden: Founded in 1859, the Missouri

Botanical Garden is one of the oldest botanical institutions in the country and a National Historic Landmark. The Garden is a center for botanical research and science education, as well as an oasis in the city of St. Louis.

Missouri Department of Tourism: Whether you are planning a

family getaway or a solo adventure, Missouri has great vacation opportunities just waiting for you. View the official guide to activities in Missouri for vacation, fun and tourism.

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Be safe this Summer from the Play Channel Staff

Editor's Note This Issue is a sad but happy one. We have some great content from some awesome people but it is sad because we lost to excellent staff members.

Stephanie Khio and Delise Danielle, both will be missed. They move on to bigger and briter futurs and we wihs them well in thier endeavors.

Stephanie had a few words to say as she exited from her post as editor.

Though it saddens me to be leaving the Play Channel Team after a wonderful 4 months, I am incredibly thankful to have had this opportunity to work with such great people. I remember getting a phone call from CEO and Editor-in-Chief, Keith Baker, while sitting in an empty classroom at Roosevelt University, wondering where my career would lead me. I didn't realize that that was the first day of a great journey and that this opportunity would open so many doors for me. As Play Channel's Editor, I not only got to communicate with people of different fields and ages, but also learn from their stories and articles. Overall, I am leaving Play Channel with gratitude, and it is all thanks to Keith for giving me the liberty to make the magazine what I desired it to be. This magazine has grown so much from when I first started and I wish the current and future staff with the best of luck in their endeavors.

Stephanie Khio-Exiting Editor

Meet the staff.

Ceo and Editor -in-Chief

Keith Baker Photographers

Editor

Lesley Joubert Robert Godsey

Stephanie Khio Advertisers/ Marketers

Contributing Writers Delise Danielle Desiree Faith Runnels Neil McDonald Lesley Joubert Kitryn Marie

DeJuan Lynch Yuxin Yui Creative directors

Kitryn Marie

We have a ton of new content in this issue as well as some great people writing it. I want to thank all the new people for joining us and making this issue and future issues the best entertainment can give.

Department contacts

advertising /marketing Contact Us to be featured We are looking for content writers and photographers

WHATS IN TH 10-13 Labron Goes home and Pa ul George gets hurt Austin...Drea

16-21 Fashion for men and women.

24-29 Work out with The Proving Ground 34-35

Show your selfie wall

38-45 Beauty spotlight Cierra Miller

62-71 Neil McDonanld interviews Dale Ward

HIS ISSUE 40-51

KyJuan

LBJ Goes Home

by Delise Danielle

This year’s NBA off-season had many newsworthy headlines to follow: what would become of the Clippers the Spurs winning a fifth championship, and where they league’s biggest stars would end up. None of these more talked about than where one particular free-agent would land: LeBron James.

For weeks, there were endless reports about where the “King” would play next season. One of the most interesting reports had James returning home, to Cleveland that is. Only one problem stood in the minds of many: the infamous open letter written by Cavaliers’ owner Dan Gilbert. If you haven’t read it, it basically condemns James and promises Cleveland would win a championship before LeBron ever did. Fast forward 4 years, the Miami HEAT won two titles in four tries and the Cavs have struggled to even make the playoffs.

Would all just be forgiven? It seemed likely amid inside stories of James’ agent, Rich Paul, meeting with some of the Cavs top brass. HEAT General Manager and Team President Pat Riley refused to go down without a fight though, arranging for one last ditch meeting between himself and King James.

Within a few days of that meeting ‘The Decision’ 2.0 was expected to be announced. Then it happened.

On July 11th, through a letter posted on si.com, LeBron announced his decision. He had decided to go back to where it had all started. LeBron was coming home. In his letter, he explained this decision was bigger than basketball. He thanked the Miami HEAT organization and prepared himself for the return. With a few words, one of the league’s most vilified players one again was liked by pretty much everyone. A power shift in the Eastern conference had just occurred. Any LeBron led team had to be favored to not only win their conference, but compete for a title. So it began..

I have a bit of a different outlook on this, being as though I am a HEAT fan.

While I’m bitterly disappointed the King’s reign in Miami had to end, I’m proud of what the team accomplished while he was there. Four consecutive division titles, four consecutive conference titles, four consecutive Finals appearances, and two NBA championships. Oh, andlet’s not forget the second-longest win streak in league history at 27 straight. All in all, I’d have to say the King James experiment was quite successful. With the league’s best GM at the helms, I’m confident Miami will again be a force to reckoned with in the Eastern conference once again contact Delise at

Injured during a FIBA scrimmage, what’s next for

Paul George?

by Delise Danielle On Thursday, June 26, the 2014 NBA Draft took place in Brooklyn at

For the first time in the U.S.’s FIBA history, it happened. What coaches and general managers around the NBA all dread, a serious injury. It’s victim? One of the league’s biggest and brightest stars, Indiana Pacers

All-Star small forward Paul George. During the U.S. Men’s National team’s intra-squad scrimmage Friday night at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, came a devastating leg injury. As Paul George was defending James Harden’s layup attempt, things went seriously awry.

When George landed from his block attempt, his leg was caught up in the basketball stanchion. What happened after that can only be described one way: horrible. After falling to the ground in obvious pain, George was surrounded by the medical staff. His teammates were all visibly shaken. The entire arena fell silent, as everyone waited for word on just how badly the star player had been hurt While George was being tended to, his NBA brothers sat quietly, many of their heads were down and eyes filled with tears. This was a first for them. Never before had aplayer suffered what appeared to be such a serious injury in FIBA play. Paul George’s leg was stabilized and he was transferred onto a stretcher so that he could be taken to an area hospital for further evaluation. As he was wheeled off, everyone in the arena stood and applauded. With his family at his side, the All-Star forward was carted off to the hospital to learn his fate.

A few hours later, the extent of the injury was announced: George had suffered a compound fracture in his right leg. He has an open tibiafibula fracture and is expected to remain in a Las Vegas hospital until at least Monday. Surgery was performed on the star’s leg that same night, a pin bad been placed in his leg. While there has been no announcement from the Pacers’ as to a timetable for his return, many experts have him missing the entire 2014-15 NBA season. Neither the national team nor the Pacers’ have released a statement as to what roster moves will be made to replace George, that seems inappropriate at the moment.

George himself seems to be keeping a positive attitude. Shortly after arriving to the hospital, he tweeted, “Thanks everybody for the love and support.. I’ll be ok and be back better than ever!! Love y’all!!”We all hope that statement rings true. Paul George is a star on the rise and such a positive role model for children. This was such an unfortunate and unprecedented accident. We all wish you the best Paul, get well soon!

contact Delise at

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Be a Rock Star in 10 Minutes

by Jane Luu

images are public domain from the internet

It is time to be a man, and being a man doesn’t mean you can be a slob. Don’t reach for that same t-shirt and jeans combo, again. Getting dres sed in the morning should take more thought than “ I wonder what’s clean?”

Alright, we have all been there.

But with a few good pieces in your closet, you can even look clean and put-together on laundry day. All you need is some inspiration from 3.1 Phillip Lim, Alexander Wang, and Balenciaga.

Don’t worry guys, you don’t have to buy it off the runw ay for thousands of dollars. The following top three trends will surely bring out your inne r rock star in the most elegant and classy way. Plus, these classic silhouettes will become staples in your wardrobe for years to come! And don’t forget to check out the quick gui de at the end of the article to learn how to look put-together and sharp in under 10 minutes.

The Three Trends 1. Color Blocking When I say “color blocking,” I’m not referring to the neon, abstract patterns popular in the eighties. I’m talking about the classic black and white pattern created with defined shapes and clean lines. A colorblocked sweater or shirt will instantly add interest and style to your outfit.

2. Turtleneck tops Turtleneck top is the perfect piece for layering in the winter. It’s practical and fashionable. Phillip Lim, Alexander Wang, and Balenciaga have all been utilizing the black turtleneck top for their prefall runways. The turtleneck top helps to tone down the intensity of a color-blocked sweater or a printed blazer.

3. Classic Silhouettes and leather The classic long coat and black blazer is no longer a boring fashion statement. These coats and blazers are not the same ones your grandfather wore. Phillip Lim, Alexander Wang, and Balenciaga have reinvented some classics by mixing these traditionally wool, silk, and cotton coats and blazers with beautiful, smooth, black leather. This hint of edginess will bring out your inner rock star in a very classy and elegant way.

images are public domain from the internet

I promise you can look put together even if you got dressed in the dark with your eyes half closed, rolling out of bed ten minutes before you had to leave the house. First, let’s start with the essentials. A t-shirt, more specifically a plain t-shirt, layered under a good blazer or leather jacket will instantly boost your outfit from boring to cool. This combo with a good pair of straightleg jeans will be a great casual outfit. And, just think, nobody will know you rolled out of bed this morning after pushing the snooze button five million times.

For the winter, start with a black turtleneck then layer over a color-blocked sweater. Yes, mixing trends is allowed. In fact it’s encouraged! Mixing trends show that you not only are up-to-date with fashion trends but that you also have inhibit a sense of style. Pair your sweater and turtleneck combo with a good pair of trousers and you will be unstoppable. Top off your look with a classic coat, and you, my friend, are ready to impress anyone who comes your way.

k

t,

How to Walk “T he Walk ”

by Jane Luu

Now, I don’t mean if you can walk and talk at the same time or walk and chewgumatthesametime.Imeanwalk“thewalk.”ThewalkI’mreferring to is the model walk: the elegant walk that models strut down the runway witheveryfashionseason. Thisfall,wecanalldresslikethosefabulously stylishrunwaymodelsandwalkourownwalk. Iknowwecanallwalk“the walk” in some very sensible heels and an awesome outfit that looks like we bought it straight off the runway. I’m here to keep you on the lookout for the top trends that have been lighting up runways, such as Chanel, Valentino, and Christian Dior. Ladies, get your shopping lists ready and prepare your very best model walks. Here are the five things you need to keep an eye out for while shopping for your fall wardrobe.

The Five Trends Are 1. A-line Skirts The popularity of A-line skirts began in the 1950s and their timeless style hasn’t left the runway since. The silhouette of A-line skirts is just like it sounds. The skirt has an “A” shape with its flared bottom and cinched waist. A-line skirts are seen on dresses and coats.

The classic style will make you feel as glamorous as the Duchess instantly.

2.Vintage Floral Patterns Vintage floral patterns no longer belong in your grandmother’s closet. These floral patterns are seen on coats, tops, and dresses. This print can be modernized with classic silhouettes inspired by the sixties and some awesome statement jewelry that add a futuristic element to the vintage look. Stick with gold or silver tones in your statement jewelry to avoid any color clashing with the floral pattern.

3.Structured shoulders and Collar The futuristic look of the stand-up collars and structured shoulder pads reinvent the classic silhouette of coats and blazers. Layer simple pieces with the structured coats and blazers, so that the outfit can make a more subtle statement. And keep your makeup looking soft with a more natural look to contrast the harsh lines of the structured coats and blazers.

4.High-necklines Remember the eighties and nineties when your mother dressed you for school in a turtleneck? And no matter how many times you told your mother that the “cool kids”didn’t wear turtlenecks, she still made you wear your turtleneck to school? Well, the time has come for you mother to say, “I told you so.” These cropped turtlenecks and mock neck styles are the perfect canvas for printed blazers and statement necklaces. Plus, your neck will stay warm despite the frigid winter wind. But if you live in a warmer climate, these high-necklines can also be seen on dresses. The shorter hemlines and modern silhouettes contrast the high-necklines beautifully and provide a nice balance of skin-to-fabric ratio

5.LargeLapels Who says going to the office has to be a snooze? This twist on the classic blazer is the perfect way to spice up your wardrobe, and these oversized lapels add glamour and drama to any boring outfit. You can even pile on the drama (in a good way) with a fabulous statement necklace! If you just want to give this trend a try and not invest in a trendy blazer, you can always try on open cardigans. The look of open cardigans is much softer compared to the straight-cut lines of a large lapel blazer. With these five trends, you will be able to strut down every sidewalk, driveway, and supermarket aisle in style! And ladies, don’t forget -- the best accessory to any outfit is confidence. You are the decision maker, so make these trends work for you. Like Yves Saint Laurent said, “Fashions fade; style is eternal.” So, put on your best and walk YOUR walk.

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The P Grou

Fitness Succ

What do you get when you cross an Air Force Veteran, a Marine Vetera Zumba Instructor?

You get the hottest going private gym seen in this town! Located on th A, Fenton Mo.), you will find "The Proving Ground" -- a private veteran definitely a meeting of the fit and sound mind. These two Armed Servi background, along with quite the accomplished military discipline to s to be a cookie cutter operation!" Co-owner, Will Matthews, 29, served Force, 55th Security Forces Squadron.. 386th Expeditionary Security Fo 2007-2008 (Support of Operation Iraqi Freedom). He was stationed at and Law Enforcement, becoming the Lead Physical Trainer to American combat and teaching kickboxing.

Proving und

by Meet Me In St. Louis, Kitryn Marie

cess With A Passion for Health

an, A Body Builder, A Wrestler, A Golden Glove Champ, and a Vivacious

he outer road of highway 44 and Bowles Ave (1732 Westpark Center, Suite owned gym. When Will Mathews and Mike Glunt came together, it was ice Veterans came together with a vision and an extensive fitness see it all come to fruition. The mission... "Prove Yourself! This is not going active duty along with reserve in 2004 to 2012. In the United States Air orces Squadron and 375th Security Forces Squadron...deployed Offutt Air Force base in Nebraska. There he was trained in Security Forces n, Korean, Japanese, and Australian forces, instructing hand-to-hand

His status was an E-4 Officer in 2010. He divi boxing in the gym, and h

Co-owner, Mike Glunt, 47 stationed outside Monter quick kill/bayonet instruc Upon moving to St. Louis Park School, and Corner S Arts/Self-Defense Instruc These two military forces gym manager and Mike a 2013, with the idea that t newer concept to the pla boxing, glove boxing, and classes in the hottest tren Their goal was:

"A one stop shop gym where you get the personalized workouts without ever having to step in any ring to master the training!" This mission were also connected with learning the necessary tools that would contribute to a lifestyle conducive for a long and healthy life. It was important to them that the lessons given to each client extended outside of the gym, and not just within the confines of the building. As a private gym, they could give the attention and adhere to each individual need, unlike other gyms that have maintained rules set by corporate mandate as a whole.

With all that in mind, bringing in Jason Mounts, 29, was a no-brainer.

Jason, a NANBF (North American Body Building Federation) competitor, placing 6 times in his standing career which started just in 2010, not only was bringing in his fitness vision but his passion for strength training, too. His credits not to be overlooked, Mounts is certified by NASM (National Academy Sports Medicine), certified MMA (Mixed Martial Arts), a former certified lifeguard for Concordia Turners, a current private swim instructor, and a Motivational Speaker and Fitness model to boost! Jason is the Director, and he over-sees the operations of other personal

when finishing his duty. Mr. Matthews became a St. Louis County Police ides his time between Instructing self defense, mixed martial arts, his current duty as a St. Louis County police officer.

7, also served in the U.S. Marine Corps. from the year 1987 to 1993, rey, California. His training specialty was artillery, hand-to-hand combat, cting, and martial arts. His rank when leaving his position was an E-6. s, he taught physical education (K-8th grade) at Southside Christian, Green Stone Academy. He currently is a full-time admininstrator and Mix Martial ctor at The Proving Ground. s met in 2008 while working at the "Boxing Gym" in Arnold, Mo. Will as the as the martial arts instructor, collectively came together as co-owners in they could open a gym with a mesh of collaborating ideas, offering a ain-old workout routine. It was to be a combination of martial arts, kick d cardio strength, merging with maximized physical activities, including nd, Zumba!

of other personal trainers and instructs a highly successful boot camp.

Matthews and Glunt, nowhere near satisfied or complete with their team, decided on hiring Brandon Craig, 24, Certified ACE (American Council Exercise) and ISSA (International Science Sports Association).

Craig, named “Top 500 Wrestlers of America,” holds 5 titles with an ongoing career traveling. He was brought in under the direction of Mounts. Together, the two of them execute an intensive but interactive training regimen both teaching the importance of good physical strength combined with specific cardio goals in mind.

Next up, Kevin "Boom Boom" Bozada, 50, A 4-time Golden Glove boxing champ with title wins in 1982, 1985, 1987 and 1988, also was inducted into the St. Louis Boxing Hall of Fame in 2008. His beginnings stem from under the direction of boxing trainer, Ray Kube, from the renowned South Broadway Athletic Club. “Boom Boom” started his career in his late teens and began at a cruising weight rising to the momentive status of heavy weight champ. His approach was: “Whether you are a boxer or not… there is such a thing as correct form and sturdy balance. As you are learning to hit hard, you gain a mindful concentration with relaxed techniques.”

He currently instructs group kickboxing and glove boxing.

To round it all out they brought in Tracy Collins, 37. Certified in Zumba, Zumbatomic, Zumba toning, and Zumba gold, she too has a background in military training. She was a part of the US Army Reserves, and was a medical specialist from 1994 to 2000. Collins has been instructing Zumba since 2007 when she started out at the Kirkwood Family YMCA. Her mantra for Zumba is: "Ditch the Workout. Join the Party." Her Zumba Fitness program combines Latin and International rhythms with fitness moves. Zumba routines incorporate interval training and alternating fast and slow moves. As she says, "It strengthens your heart and boosts your mood!" Her classes are Mondays and Wednesdays at 5:30pm and Saturday at 9:00am. She loves welcoming all newbies and encourages all to try her class.

The focus of this gym is to promote a workout style that not only benefits a healthy lifestyle but also one that encourages selfconfidence while doing it. The Proving Grounds clients have been known to lose a substanial amount of weight along with a significant amount of inches lost within a very healthy duration of time.

All trainers develop one-on-one relationships with their clients by sharing what has worked for them in obtaining their fitness and health goals. Each trainer and instructor have the mindset of: “Fitness Success With A Passion for Health.”

The Proving Ground is the official training site for St. Louis’ Guns and Hoses. This yearly fundraising event for police and firefighters/paramedics/EMT who have fallen or have been injured while performing their duties, providing aid to victims and their families.

The Proving Ground also particiaptes in the Murph Challenge providing a portion of the proceeds to Lt Michael P. Murphy Scholarship Foundation. (501c3). The Proving Ground is also a distributor for “Fit Aid” -- the first paleo recognized gluten-free energy supplement providing a series of beneficial vitamins and antioxidants containing no artificial sweetners or colors at only 45 calories per can.

All of the extremely trained personnel from The Proving Ground would like to invite you to try their facility FREE for week. For more information, pricing, rates and all the exciting events, please call 314-540-1193.

Classes generally run an hour. Please check their website for times and for scheduled classes. http://www.theprovinggroundstl.comhttp://www.theprovinggroundstl.com

Also feel free to visit their Facebook page to see all the current updates and fun-filled pictures of their events and classes https://www.fa cebook.com/ProveYourselfSTLhttps://www.facebook.com/ProveYourselfSTL Special Kids Club/care is provided.

The Proving Ground would like to remind you…

No Contracts … No Excuses!

Tesson Station Bar

There is a small little bar across the rail road t racks... where a table or two is waiting for you!

7928 South Broadway St. Louis, Mo. 63111 314-631-3141 Home of the $10.00 Bucket (domestic beers only) And The $2.00 Rails...

Outside Tented Patio Big Screened TV's Food Games and more! http://tesson-station-bar.weebly.com

The Lights are bright... On Broadway

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C y a Pl Show your

rselfie Wall

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Something extreme has hit the St. Louis radio waves and it's creating quite the controversy in the St. Louis area. KFXN 1380 AM recently changed their format to 1380 The X –Xtreme Talk Radio. The line-up of live talk shows are pushing the envelope right to the edge of the FCC regulations. St. Louis seems to love the format change and KFXN's rating's are growing substantially.

Just by looking at the line-up and listening to the shows, one can tell that the content is racy, raunchy, and risque. Some of the content would make Howard Stern's jaw drop!

According to a recent article on stltoday.com, it appears that the drama behind the scenes can be more racy than on air, making this station prime material for reality television.

Coincidentally, many networks are looking to do just that, a reality show depicting the off and on-air antics of St. Louis Extreme Talk Radio.

You can visit their website at 1380thex.com for more information.

music and videos avaible at these locations

OFFICAL WEBSITE OF NIKKO SMITH http://ww w.nikkosmith.com/

PlayChannel Magazine

PlayChannel Magazine

Beauty and grace go hand in hand so we wanted to find a young lady who can bring that to the table and more. With her exotic look and her young appeal our model this month is a class act.

PlayChannel Magazine

PlayChannel Magazine

Cierra Miller

PlayChannel Magazine

PlayChannel Magazine What advice would you give people that want to become a model?

I would tell them to go for it!!

Make sure you do whatever your heart desire and make sure whatever you do you have fun doing it. You only have one life to live.

What is your favorite quote or saying?

Don't nobody got time for that?

What do you do in your spare time?

What is your favorite movie?

Blow Johnny Depp my BOO What is your favorite Food?

I love spinach ,fried Chicken ,ranch dressing and cheese.

PlayChannel Magazine

PlayChannel Magazine

PlayChannel Magazine

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How long have you been a model?

I started modeling about five months ago and a lot of people been ASKING TO WORK with me. I'm very excited about my model LIFE. People was all ways telling me to model saying I had the look. I was always very insecure and was To book our models for any event scared to step out and try. One day I was like why contact Pictures taken by Tim Rothe playchannelmagazine@yahoo.com not....

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Take your company to the next level by contacting our team today for ad space rates and freebiees.

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Sabrina Signs

Upcoming date: Treasuse Island Event Center San Francisco, CA 16 May, 2014 9:00PM with: Lenny Ruckus

Now on Pandora and Spotify - Hitting the EDM scene hard, Sabrina's background is quite diverse She decided to be a recording artist early recording her cover of "Tainted Love" at 11, she has also wrote and co-produced "Halfway 2 Neptune" with GHouse by the time she was 12.

Life threw curve balls to Sabrina the family finding themselves part of the great recession of 2009 Sabrina was homeless. Sabrina's spirit only grew from the experience. In 2010 she was able to get back into a studio and recorded "Homeles and a touching song to lighten the heart of her little brother called "Hey Anthony". Sabrina continued to follow her heart in music, exploring all genres of music. In addition to being a teen advocate for the Homeless, Sabrina is also passionate about Teen Domestic Violence, havin been a victim she wrote the song "Victim of Love By the time 2011 rolled by Sabrina had an album called "Phases" illustrating the growth and depth of this young lady. Now 2013 Sabrina's latest hit "Even If You're Crazy" "Predator" "Thirst" "Emotions" and "Higher" are getting massive attention around the world.

KyJu

uan Dabess

By: Queen De

1997, St. Louis was introduced to a whole new style of music by a group of individuals who dared to be different. The local hit, “Gimme What You Got” brought the group the recognition in which they had been working toward for four years, and together, the group continues to “rep their city”. The members consist of Nelly, Ali, Murphy Lee, City Spud and Kyjuan.

Kyjuan, was born Robert Kyjuan Cleveland in April of 1976 in University City, Missouri. He graduated from University City High School in 1996 where he continued to do music with his fellow group members. Kyjuan, along with the St. Lunatics, has released two albums and he has appeared on the solo albums of other members in the group such as his brother, MurphyLee,Nelly,AliandSloDown(nolongerwiththegroup).Althoughhe has not and has no desire to do a solo project of his own, when you hear the name “Kyjuan Dabess” you know exactly who he is. Seemingly quiet, his style of rap, fashion, swag and intelligence in business and marketing speak entirely for themselves.

PlayChannel Magazine

Queen De: Which song by the St. Lunatics is your favorite

Kyjuan: Airforce Ones. Because we was playing when we did it. The guy didn’t want the beat for real. We was like, “Let’s just do this.” We did it so quick and so fast and it just took over the world. We didn’t even make that a single; it just made itself into one. So we come out and people just take off their shoes and hang them up in the air. You ain’t worn Airforce Ones in over five years and we have a concert so you go out and buy a pair just for the occasion...that’s what’s up.

Queen De: How did you choose your stage name?

Kyjuan: It’s my government name, my middle name anyway. It couldn’t be my first because my grandma said that it wouldn’t look right on applications so my first name is Robert, after my dad. But since I don’t know him, I only used that name on like the first day of school and maybe going into the bank.

Queen De: When you’re not doing music, what are some of the things you enjoy doing or your hobbies?

Kyjuan: I don’t know if I would necessarily say hobbies…I don’t know…I like making movies and I love music and wine…but I made my “hobbies” into money making opportunities. Everything I enjoy, I find a way to make money off of it.

Queen De: What made you want to start rapping?

Kyjuan: The attention. I had a friend who used to rap when I was in school and he had all girls on him, everybody knew him…I wanted that.

Queen De: What is one of your earliest memories of when you first started rapping?

Kyjuan: Rapping on the back of the bus with Nelly in like ’93.

Queen De: Where do you gather the inspiration for your music?

Kyjuan: Just when we’re altogether and the music is playing and we’re in our zone…and my past, my hopes for the future.

HOW DO YOU STAY GROUNDED?

Queen De: What is the intended audience for your music?

Kyjuan: Really, anyone who listens to it. I mean, this is the first era where parents and their children listen to some of the music. My daughter and I listen to some of the same music and she’s only five years old.

Queen De: If you could change anything about your musical career, what would it be?

Kyjuan: I would have had us sit down and talk to Nike before we need Airforce Ones.

Queen De: What was the hardest thing about trying to interact with other artists in the industry?

Kyjuan: Being labeled. I mean, our first record, we recorded in New York. We were considered country. But we were only country because we weren’t them. Then we go to the country and we weren’t country, we were something else. I mean, what does all that stereotyping even mean? I mean, we went through that with music…which gave us more influence in St. Louis alone because we were around some people that were considering us “back pack”, I guess that’s the term, “back pack” rappers…and then we would get around the real “back pack” rappers and they’d say we were too street for them. So we knew the only reason they were saying that was because we wasn’t them….we couldn’t be them, we couldn’t be the complete opposite. Most people were Tims and goggles and fatigues and we had our own way, our own style, our own feel, our own sound… We were more Ralph Lauren, and you know, colorful and driven…and we all just liked style anyway so it all came to par.

Queen De: Can you tell us a little bit about your style of music?

Kyjuan: Well, we just love West Coast type beats and we love really caring about what we have to say. So it’s when east/coast meet but we are Midwest. With us being from the middle we get a hold of everything. We might get it late, but we get a hold of everything.

We’ve never imitated anyone.

Queen De: What made it easier for the St. Lunatics to make their entrance into the music industry?

Kyjuan: The fact that Ali pretty much already had his foot in the door musically made the transition easier. He taught us about the business aspect of music. The right questions to ask, the type of mind frame to have. He advised us not to rap on the street or in the neighborhoods because he knew that people wouldn’t get us that way. That wouldn’t understand our metaphors or whatever. And then we were all different ages and stars at something within our own age groups, which made gaining a fan base that much easier. much because the album is pretty much done. We just have to do some mixing & mastering which is boring as hell to me but necessary. I'm looking forward to this summer getting back in and enjoying the recording process. Laying down new Ideas and vibing to new tracks is the fun part.

All pictures taken from Nikko Smiths official Fansite. http://www.nikkosmith.com/

Speakaz Blow Courtesy of Nikko Smith

Queen De: What were some of the things that you guys did in the beginning, as a group, to show that you were unique as a group and individually?

Kyjuan: We studied a lot of different things and did a lot of reading.

And Ali used to challenge us to do stuff like writing songs without using curse words and use some of what we learned in our music. We would also spend time in different states.

Queen De: How did you all choose the “St. Lunatics” as a name for the group?

Kyjuan: We were over a friend’s house rapping in the basement and heard Tab the Villian, “I’m with the St. Lunatics.” He just said it. And we was like, “That’s dope!” He don’t even know what he said. And then when we started getting “knowledge of self”, we was like well, the power of the St. Lunatics is crazy. Crazy don’t mean killing people, it just means “different than you” so St. Lunatics was just us. It’s like negative meets positive entities. We went like after the WuTang’s seal because of the W. It didn’t even matter what they looked like, it was about the W. So ours was the Lunatic’s skull. And people that know us and might not like us because their girl liked us or something may not even listen to our music just because it’s us, so with the skull, all they saw was the skull and it gave us the opportunity to be heard.

Queen De: What advice do you have for other artists trying to break into the music industry?

KyJuan: I think they should all go to Atlanta for like 3 months. It’ll make you both mad and happy. It’ll make you mad because you will see that the djs actually play local artists’ music, but then you will also see the work ethic of artists, posters hanging on walls, artists spending money on their own projects Learn the business aspect of music, learn how to market yourselves. We have a “wait method” or a “lean n me method’ but we need “go getter attitudes” that not too many people have here.

Work ethic is always valid in this game…with any game. Study…know the stuff for yourself…stop trying so hard to be signed. Learn that the rap game is a business, if you don’t want to do it for business, do it in

be signed. Learn that the rap game is a business, if you don’t want to do it for business, do it in the shower. Be ready when you say you ready. Surround yourself with business oriented people and not the trouble makers

Queen De: Who is someone who influences your music?

Kyjuan: Red Man, Method Man, WuTang Clan

Queen De: What are some of the things, if anything, that you would change about your music?

Kyjuan: About my music in particular, how much I care about it. As a group, I would change that we should all listen to Murph. It’s hard to listen to the youngest ones because everyone has their own patterns. It took so long for Lil Wayne to be heard. He had to say, “I’m going to Jay Z.” You gotta understand freedom is everything. A young person is going to be the one to bring more attention to the group. So if everybody listens to Murph, I think everybody would be on a whole other level.

Queen De: What is something about you we might not know?

Kyjuan: I’m a vegan. I haven’t ate meat in like 16 years, me or Murph.

Queen De: Where can we go to keep up with what’s going on with you…like performances, appearances, etc?

Kyjuan: dbeswines.com, newmurph.com, Twitter: kyjuanstl, Facebook: Kyjuan Dabess, Instagram: kyngkyjuan

Queen De: Is there anything you would like to add?

Kyjuan: I’m about to try and change this whole city. I don’t know if it’s musically as much as it is the entire city, but I just got my Nonprofit Reasons to achieve R2A. With a lot of heavy people…I’m actually one of the youngest people on the board….but I’m a heavy influence in it about the prevention and at risk programs, healthy eating…I’d like to teach it from like a “ghetto vegetarian angle”. I don’t want to tech about asparagus yet, I want to teach about vegan, chicken tacos or vegan sloppy joes, vegan polish sausages, vegan shrimp…You know,

Kyjuan: I’m about to try and change this whole city. I don’t know if it’s musically as much as it is the entire city, but I just got my Nonprofit Reasons to achieve R2A With a lot of heavy people…I’m actually one of the youngest people on the board….but I’m a heavy influence in it about the prevention and at risk programs, healthy eating…I’d like to teach it from like a “ghetto vegetarian angle”. I don’t want to tech about asparagus yet, I want to teach about vegan, chicken tacos or vegan sloppy joes, vegan polish sausages, vegan shrimp…You know, just to show that you don’t have to trade your pork chop in for a plant, but you can trade it in for a plant-based diet. So I have a lot of stuff like that. We got a E magazine coming out next month on that coming from the City Health Department and my foundation.

Movies are the next step. Movies have been my next step for a minute now but I had to build creditability. S what I did was I put together a method, about to start with the young adults about decision making but making it into films and have them acting, have people filming. Have people learning that you can be an actor, director, writer and stuff like that too. Because in urban schools, either they not going to have anything like that or they gone have something called “Drama Class”, which sounds like leotards and Romeo and Juliet, which our young men are not about to get into. But if you say you about to shoot the next series of The Wire in third hour then they’ll sign up for it.

So it’s all about getting them to understand you may not need to go to Harvard but you can go to AI Institute or EI Institute and use your talents the same way they do at ITT Tech or Rankin or where ever…like, it’s other places out here…because that is considered a trade…just learn the business aspect of it. That helps me to teach them about decision making. Rather than talking about bullying, I’m talking about X pills, you know. Rather than talking about things that we always

A.

a

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n t

that we always talking about…I will mention safe sex but I’m so into these young women that’s a senior in high school and going with that older boy who comes t get her. He sells drugs but she don’t care, he get caught up but she like, “Yeah, they mine.” and end up getting locked up. Or they get shot because of his situation or people in his situation. So it’s a prevention method. So yeah, we have a lot going on.

More family events: family swimming, family bowling, family skating… Our kids don’t have anywhere to go.

They’re tired of going to the Zoo… let’s just get something where I can pass out pamphlets and say hey, let’s do baseball camps, let’s do basketball camps. I’m bringing in a lot of my ex football players… I want my own school, put it that way. I want my own Matthew Dickey. I want to do tutoring for them, practice, feed them and take them home.

Immigration, The Military, Construction, and Collaborative Filmmaking.

The Interview with Alvaro Aro and Brian Cooksey

by Neil McDonald All photos courtesy of Alvaro Aro

Alvaro Aro was born and raised in Peru, and immigrated to Riverdale, New York in 1999 to attend Manhattan College. He dropped out of college to spend time with his family, then joined the Marines in 2005.

After an infantry deployment to Iraq and a couple of Marine Expeditionary Unit tours, he reenlisted and became a Combat Correspondent. He attended Defense Information School at Fort Meade, MD, and in 2010 became the Marine Public Affairs Representative for the Recruiting Command in St. Louis, at the same time taking online film courses from the Academy of Art University of San Francisco. He is the founder of Vimage Films, and he co-founded

o

Vimage Studios, specializing in photography and video. He was honorably discharged in 2013 and was transferred to Webster University.

Brian Cooksey and his brother own a siding/construction company, and for a while owned a Cecil Whittaker’s Pizzeria. A lifelong film and writing enthusiast, he started writing stories as a child, graduated to writing a novel, and discovered screenwriting after reading a screenwriting book at Barnes and Noble. Since then, he has collaborated with Ozark Films, and had three screenplays shot by Aro. Of two other full-length screenplays yet to be produced, one is called Delivery, about his experiences as a pizzeria owner.

Neil McDonald: Alvaro, your biography sounds like a film script in itself.

When did you become a US citizen?

Alvaro Aro: The citizenship came just before I was deployed (to Iraq).

President Bush had a rule that if you were a legal resident and were about to deploy to a combat zone, then you automatically became a US citizen. My immigration officer knew I was in the Marines, and we were talking about other things. Then I told him I was deploying in two weeks, and he did a couple of things in San Diego, and about a week later he said I had to come in and take the oath. It was very expedited, and I had never heard of such a thing before that.

NM: And that was one tour in Iraq?

AA: Yes, in the infantry. I deployed a couple times after that in what we call Marine Expeditionary Units. They put us on a vessel, and we’d sail to specific areas. We went to Asia and trained with a lot of countries. And then I went into Public Affairs. action.

NM: How did you get into Public Affairs? That was at Fort Meade, wasn’t it?

AA: Once you become a Marine, you become part of something bigger than yourself. I had to make a decision whether to get out [after my first enlistment] or reenlist. I kind of wanted out, but I didn’t want to just become a cop or work in security. At the time, those were two of the few careers you could get into after the Infantry. I was looking for something that would go along with media and film, and I found a Military Occupational Specialty called Combat Correspondent. There was one spot open, so I decided to apply for it. I was fortunate to get it, so I began writing for The Scout, the base newspaper for Camp Pendleton. It was very different, because I had never really written in English. Now I had to become a diplomat, to know how to approach people, deal with the chain of command. The higher you got, the harder it was. And I got to use a camera. For someone from the Infantry, we didn’t get to interact much with women. So now I got to work with women too and my boss was a female, and she was great.

NM: How did you pick The Academy of Art in San Francisco?

AA: (Laughs) Because it was the only one that offered film classes online. I was still in the transition period, but still in the Marines. I didn’t want to waste any time, because I’ve always thought school was very important.

NM: And then you got out of the Marines in 2013 and transferred to Webster University to study film for real. Brian, your bio is pretty interesting too; one doesn’t typically associate the construction industry with scriptwriting. How did that come about?

Brian Cooksey: I always wrote short stories, even as a little kid. When you’re outside, working on a building, you have a lot of time to think, of characters and storylines. As a kid, I was always the Dungeons and Dragons “Dungeon Master,” thinking up weird riddles and ideas. I always liked to write things, get ideas down on paper. I had an idea for a novel, and started writing that, and started doing research and found it’s practically impossible to get a first novel published. One day I was in Barnes and Noble, and I found a book called the Screenwriter’s Bible. I read through that, and I checked out a couple of screenplays online, and it seemed a lot simpler to write a screenplay than a novel. I’ve always

NM: How did you and Alvaro get together?

BC: One day I Googled filmmakers in St. Louis, and I found a group. I went to a meet-up and met Shane Ferguson there, and we threw around ideas. One of my ideas got picked, and we started our own group, Ozark Films, which filmed People Are Stupid. We had to reshoot that film, and he brought Alvaro in to help with that, to show us some of the ropes. Then Shane came up with the idea to enter the Jewish Film Festival, for which two of the criteria were to be “thankful for your blessings” and to come in under five minutes. I wasn’t initially interested in that, but I was lying in bed, thinking of an idea, and those guys weren’t interested in it. So I went to Al and said I was interested in submitting to the Festival, and I sent him two ideas. He thought The Drive would be shootable. What did we do, about three rewrites?

AA: We went through a few revisions, one, to make it cheaper to film, and to still have an impact. That’s what drives every film: the story.

NM: And The Drive won at the St. Louis Jewish Film Festival. And you had Sanctum as well. Both of those were really well-received at the recent St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase. People in the audience really seemed to respond. Are there future plans for either The Drive or Sanctum?

AA: To me they’re done. I want to keep learning and do other things.

That doesn’t mean if someone comes along and says they want to make a feature of one of them, I would be interested because they are really solid stories.

NM: The Last Hand was kind of an experiment, wasn’t it?

BC: Al wanted to practice with his new camera, so we were going to just shoot something around a card table. Al asked if I knew anyone with a card table, and my buddy Brian [Spear] had one. A day or so later we thought, why not make a film out of it? So we needed actors, and Al contacted you (gesturing towards NM), I contacted John Reidy,

actors, and Al contacted you (gesturing towards NM), I contacted John Reidy, who is an actor who had wanted to get into films. Brian told us his uncle (Ken Nuspl) would be great. Eric Warrington we knew from People Are Stupid. Everyone was really gung ho about it.

AA: And Deanna Schmidt, she’s just a trooper. She was so sweet and helpful the whole time, patiently waiting on the side for her scenes.

BC: I was really worried about how we were going to throw it all together; I thought we weren’t communicating too well. Then we found we had exactly the same idea for the whole thing.

AA: I think sometimes I have a little bit of a language barrier, or the way I say things. Sometimes it comes out a bit different from what I am thinking, so I’m still working on that. We went back and forth for a whole day. And I

day. And I was shooting on Saturday, and also on Monday, so I only had that Sunday open for The Last Hand, so I was like “We gotta have the script or we have nothing.” So it was like one of those endless fights on Facebook, until Brian sent me some sample footage of his idea and I’m like “Dude, that’s exactly what I’ve been trying to tell you!” I said that we were now done, I’ve got this, we’ll send the script out to the talent. We were still making script adjustments the day of shooting though.

NM: So Brian, The Last Hand was largely your idea then.

BC: The first treatment, yeah. I wrote the script. At first I thought we were going to do a comedy though, and Al thought we should have a drama. So we went back and forth, writing a drama that had some comedy in it. I was blown away at the final product. The acting was fantastic. And I couldn’t believe we could get that cast together on such short notice.

NM: Now Al, you have a bigger project in the works.

AA: Yeah, just a little bit bigger. It’s called Sophie, sort of a sci-fi drama, or a fantasy drama. I’m also a photographer, and I really love visuals, and when things come out right, it’s just awesome. So I thought of doing something that was visually compelling, but also had a great story to tell. I hope it speaks for itself, but it has a lot of visual, intriguing, bizarre elements. It’s a big goal we’ve set for ourselves. We already have the technical team, and I’m writing the script for this one. It’s actually my senior film for Webster, but I want to treat it as a real, industry-type project.

NM: You got an amazing response to the casting call.

AA: It was overwhelming. I really didn’t think it was going to be that crazy. So I had to turn that all over to a casting director, Sean Nielsen.

So far he’s been great, and I’m really excited to have him on the team.

He’s taken a big weight off my shoulders.

NM: So Brian, what’s next on your horizon?

BC: I’m still working with Shane, and Ozark Films, Benjamin Thomas’ group, still writing and sending them stuff, see if they or Al want to shoot any of it.

NM: Al, You used Dennis Saldana in both The Drive and Sanctum. Is there a special connection there?

AA: Yeah, both films, and he has a special place in my heart. We just had good chemistry. Brant Hadfield, a great local filmmaker told me that when you have good talent, you keep it around. Dennis wants to audition for Sophie too.

NM: Dale Ward said pretty much the same thing (in Play Channel Issue #5).

AA: It’s great to know people who are devoted and committed and hardworking. On the set of Sanctum, it was so freaking cold – December. We had a hard time just trying to stay still, holding the camera and all, and he came into the project and gave it everything he had.

BC: Watching him in the final scene of The Drive, it was like watching someone prepare for a boxing match. Al’s direction after that scene was “No need for a redo.”

AA: Yeah, that was one take.

NM: Anything new happening, beyond Sophie?

BC: I have a dream project I still need to talk Al into shooting, about an evil orb that tricks people into their own deaths. It’s got a twist ending.

We’ve been sending ideas back and forth, but I don’t want to shoot it until it’s ready.

AA: It’s going to cost. Unfortunately, this little love we have for film doesn’t come cheap. If you want to do it right, there’s going to be some investment.

BC: It’s like my Sophie.

some investment.

BC: It’s like my Sophie.

NM: And the more you get out there and get your films into festivals, the more people are going to see your work.

BC: That’s why there’s been such a huge response to Sophie; people are seeing his work.

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Determination I just won my second Florida Golden Glove title in two years. I am also the number one fighter in the state at my weight class (Heavyweight) for the second year in a row!

My next fight is in Las Vegas May-7-11, 2014 in the National Golden Gloves. Only the best fighter from each weight class in each state is invited. Last year I won two fights at nationals in the SuperHeavyweight class.........I won't give up.

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