K.I.M. Magazine August 2011 by K.I.M. Magazine

K.I.M. K E E P I T M OV I N G

Magazine Kindred The Family Soul

August 2011

Love Has No Recession

Klyde Jones

Average White Band Member

Top 10 Secrets For Married Couples

Comes Home

BISHOP T.D. JAKES

Brian Pruitt

Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Sweep Love Under The Rug!

A Village On Fire

EDUCATE * EMPOWER * ENTERTAIN

Eddie Griffin www.kimmagazine.com Complimentary Issue

Verizon

Empowers the K.I.M. Magazine.comCommunity! August 2011

Kierra Sheard 1

K.I.M. Magazine.com August 2011

Editor-In-Chief

Monique Riley

Letter From The Editor Marriage is work. If you want to succeed in it you must be persistent and always evolving. It’s not something that you start and quit. Too many people take the easy way out. There is so much going on in the world today that threatens the very idea of marriage like the economy, unemployment, social networking, etc. I could go on and on. Some people say when the money gets tight, the patience dries up. Things can get ugly when you hit hard times. When that happens, all hell can break loose in and out of the home. In this issue of K.I.M. Magazine, we talk about love, life, and marriage. We talk with Bishop T.D. Jakes, pastor of The Potter’s House in Dallas, Texas. He shared with me some golden nuggets about looking at the bigger picture. I also had an opportunity to talk to Fatin, who is a member of R&B, neo soul group Kindred the Family Soul. He talks about their new album, Love Has No Recession and shares some tips on how to balance marriage and career.

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When you get done reading this issue, I want you to think about things worth fighting for, working out, and looking at the bigger picture. Relationships are like investments. In the long run you have a friend, a lover, and a teammate, that should want success and prosperity as well. Roll up your sleeves and get to work. May this magazine educate, empower, and entertain you. Most of all, may it inspire you to Keep It Moving.

K.I.M. Magazine.com August 2011

CONTENTS 6 Kindred The Family Soul Love Has No Recession 8 A Village on Fire Brian Pruitt

10 Don’t Sweep Love Under The Rug! Bishop T.D. Jakes 14 Kierra Sheard Joins the Club 15 Top 10 Secrets For Married Couples Andrae Sweeney 17 Eddie Griffin: Legends of Comedy Tour

Kindred the Family Soul

20 Klyde Jones Comes Home

22 Verizon’s How Sweet The Sound Community Empowerment Tour

K.I.M. Magazine.com August 2011

Credits President

Editor-In- Chief Monique Riley

Vice President

Senior Art Director Clover Riley

Publishing & Design Riley Media Group

Business Development & Marketing Riley Media Group

Distribution

Riley Media Group

Interns

LeVandis Gray, Isaiah Riley, Terrance Riley of TLI Group

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Here is what K.I.M. readers had to say about the May/June issue. I appreciate Kim Burrell sharing that it is okay to love music and be a Christian! We need to quit picking and choosing who to share Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s message with. His love is for all. Kyle - Saginaw, MI I love KeKe Wyatt. Her story was so inspiring. I am glad that she chose to leave her abusive relationship and take a stand against domestic violence. It encourages women who are being abused to leave bad relationships and keep it moving. Thank you K.I.M. Magazine for sharing relevant topics that show strength. Meagan - Grosse Pointe, MI Tell us what you think. Visit us on facebook.com/K.I.M. Magazine.

K.I.M. Magazine.com August 2011

So what is it like to work with your spouse I had a chance to catch up with Fatin, who is ½ of the music group Kindred the Family Soul. He talked to me about their new music and marriage. Kindred the Family Soul consists of the married couple, Fatin Dantzler and Aja Graydon of Philadelphia, PA. They are the world renowned neo soul duo that is coming once again with their real life lyrics and great music with their new CD, Love Has No Recession. These days it is not typical to work with your spouse but this couple in love is doing it and has been making hot music for your soul since the 90’s. Looking at the world around them caused them to pull inspiration for this project. Fatin says it’s not hard to see

that the country and the world have been going through some changes. “One of the major issues is the recession; we find that a lot of families are having to adjust to the circumstances. We wanted to time capsule the time period in an audio form. We wanted to create something that people could go back and listen to understand this time period. While money, jobs, a friends may fail you, love surpasses them all,” says Fatin. To assist them with their music message on the new project were artists like Snoop Dog, Raheem Devaughn, Bilal, Lady Alma, Ursula Rucker and more. Kindred the Family Soul started out with Hidden Beach Records in 2003. They are now with a new record label, Shanachie Records. With the new label they were able to develop an even greater energy with adding these features.

K.I.M. Magazine.com August 2011

Kindred first hit the scene in 2003 with the album, Surrender to Love. They have been making their imprint on the world with through their music like our current day Roberta Flack and Donnie Hathaway or Ashford and Simpson with hits like “Far Away” and more. They have continued giving us electrifying soul music. How has their music evolved since their 3rd album, The Arrival? Fatin says that as a couple and a team, he and Aja have become much stronger in their roles with one another and more defined as songwriters. “I think that we know each other inside and out and we are making some of the best music we ever made. It’s like a basketball team or football team trying to get to the championship. They have to have a certain rhythm and momentum. It just gets better with time. We are in a rhythm together. In this album, we did a lot more live instrumentation that our fans were familiar with in our first album. Love Has No Recession represents moments, like your favorite scene in a movie. For that reason, Fatin said it is hard to pick a favorite song on the album if he had to pick one “Magic Happens” is one of them. It really speaks to who we are as a couple and reminds me of the music that we have made in the past, Fatin expresses.” Fatin and Aja are the proud parents of six children. How does a married duo balance music careers and family? Fatin and Aja give credit to their family, who are a major support system for them. “Our family allows us the opportunity and the freedom to achieve our dreams. Without them, we couldn’t be all that we are. Our family is just like any other family where the parents work 9-5, the difference is that we work at night to provide

for our family,” Fatin adds. “And just like every other mom and dad that get’s out and works, we have to go out every day and work to provide for our children, we are doing the same thing.” With their thirteenth wedding anniversary coming up in September, I asked Fatin what advice they could give other married couples. “You need a lot of prayer, patience, and perseverance. Communication is important. I think that is something that Aja and I have is great communication. You hear it all the time but that is how Aja and I get through. We see value in each other and value in what we are doing. We are working towards making that a success at all costs. Our family is always first and we see it as such. We work towards making sure they have everything that they need and that we have everything that we need”, Fatin expresses. “We just try to do our very best. As a husband, as a wife, and an individual, I think that is all that can be expected of you is your best.” How do Aja and Fatin fit in their time together as husband and wife? Fatin tells me that the joy of their career is that they get to travel all over the world. They could be in Paris one night, Europe or California in the next. These are the type of getaways that couples desire and are looking for and need. They make it a point to have some couple time within the job time. Being in nice hotels and exotic places, Aja and Fatin take advantage of it all to keep the marriage hot and spicy. To read the latest on Kindred the Family Soul, visit their website www.kindredthefamilysoul.com. You can also see footage of their web reality show called, “Six Is It”, to see how they balance family and career on a daily basis. If you want to hear great music, pick up Love Has No Recession today!

What’s Your Love Language? Do you need some help understanding you husband or wife? Here is a great book that can give you some insight on their love language. Author, Dr. Gary Chapman has helped millions of couples express their feelings and learn how to meet the needs and wants of their spouses. This New York Times bestseller is a must read for every couple. For more information, visit www.5lovelanguages.com The 5 Love Languages Words of Affirmation * Quality Time * Receiving Gifts Acts of Service * Physical Touch

K.I.M. Magazine.com August 2011

A Village On Fire Village Voice

Motivational Moments For Men Mission: Encouraging, Helping & Challenging Men

We have all heard, “It takes a village to raise a child.” If this is true, what do we do when the village is on fire? Over 500,000 fatherless youth live in the state of Michigan. 52% of women say fathers are no longer relevant in the raising of children. The village is on fire! Our society is filled with family relationships that have burned to ashes. So what do we do? That depends on who is trapped in the burning buildings of our village. If adults were screaming from the windows of this burning village, most of us would at least call 911; however most of us would not risk our lives for another adult. On the other hand, if we saw a child in danger, we would go a little further than just calling 911. Similarly to me, you would be willing to risk it all for a child. I got news for you; the village is on fire. Our children are screaming from the windows and scratching at the doors as the smoke pours in. They’re frantically asking how do I get out of here. They’re hoping & waiting for their dads to risk it all, kick the door in and rescue them.

tors, educate these children into a path of success. Statistics say that these children are more likely to go to prison, get pregnant, live in poverty, and less likely to graduate from high school or college. We need your help! Will you push your way through the smoke of our burning village? Rebuild: Once you develop a process in helping kids become successful, you must rebuild and teach this to others. The village can be restored. It takes only one person, YOU.

Brian Pruitt is CEO & Founder of: Brian Pruitt Motivational & Power Of Dad Organization. He is the author of book, The Power of Dad. www.powerofdad.org powerofdad@gmail.com www.twitter.com/powerofdad (989) 249-0951

Now that we know that our children are in trouble, we must implement the 3 R’s: Respond: Recognize this is a serious problem. If we are going to save our kids, time is of the essence. Rescue: Recognize that you are the only one that may be able to save these children. Organize programs, help find men8

K.I.M. Magazine.com August 2011

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Movies

Cover Story

K.I.M. Magazine: There have been some great reviews on the movie Jumping the Broom? How do you feel about that? How are you taking that all in?

Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Sweep Love Under The Rug! By: Monique Riley I had a chance to speak with Bishop T.D. Jakes who one of most renowned spiritual leaders of this day. He is pastor of Potterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s House in Dallas, Texas. There he is the shepherd of over 30,000 members. He is one of the most influential spiritual leaders of our time. Not only does Bishop Jakes pastor, he is an entrepreneur, author, speaker, and spiritual advisor even to President Barack Obama. One of his latest projects was the recent film Jumping the Broom and a compilations CD, Sacred Love Songs 2, which is inspired the film. Both have had great success.

Bishop Jakes: I absolutely love it. I have gotten a lot of love from a lot of people from a lot of sectors of our community and beyond our community. They really felt the movie touched on a lot of issues and that we did it in an entertaining way. Folks like BET, Sony Pictures, Tracy Edmonds, Salim Akil, and me all worked very hard to make the film what it was. Salim, who is the producer of the TV Series, The Game, was the director. We were all thrilled with the results. To get the response that we did from the public confirmed what we suspected that there is a need out there for different expressions of the African American community. What we see in film is often too narrow in scope for the diversity that exists in our community. We felt like we were not trying to replace any of the other genres, but to add another perspective and look at African American life. K.I.M. Magazine: Well you all did a great job on the film. I know a lot of people cannot wait until Jumping the Broom comes out on DVD. Do you have any other films in the works? Bishop Jakes: Well, actually right before calling you I was looking over some material. We are getting ready to start filming in New Orleans for a made for television movie called, The Seventh Day. We will be on the set in a couple of weeks doing that. So we are just tying up a few loose ends on that and then we should be ready to go. I have been green lighted to co-producer for Heaven is For Real. It has been on the New York Times list a

K.I.M. Magazine.com August 2011

little over 10 weeks. It is about a little boy, who died on the operating table and came back with information about relatives that he never met, which blew his family’s mind. It’s a true story. He gives his depiction of what happened to him while he was gone.

Love and Marriage

K.I.M. Magazine: Now Bishop Jakes, I recently interviewed Kim Burrell about her new album and she spoke about her album concept of love, what is your concept of love? Bishop Jakes: I think love is of God. Love is beautiful and I think that God often loves us through people. Love is real. In a wholesome relationship, in spite of our flaws that we all bring to the table we find someone that loves us in spite of them and that is a wonderful thing. Because it mirrors the reflection of God, who knows us thoroughly and yet loves us intimately. And yet while those words sound romanticized and perhaps a bit euphoric, the reality is that love is also hard work. I mean hard work. You have to be prepared to punch the clock and work through those deficiencies, insecurities, and vulnerabilities that each of us bring to the table and find a way to harmoniously move forward. That part is the part where people often fail to get the right synergism that is necessary for a lifelong committed relationship. K.I.M. Magazine: So I read that you recently celebrated your

wedding anniversary. Bishop Jakes: On May 29th, we did. K.I.M. Magazine: Congratulations! Can you tell me how do you keep the spark going? Bishop Jakes: Well the thing about marriage is that it is forever changing. You marry someone and you lock down to be partners for life and into the partnership comes the kids. Depending on what stage you are in parenting, the whole house changes. It’s totally different raising teenagers than it is toddlers. Then there is the stage of where my wife and I are at now, the empty nest stage. We just had our daughter, Cora, get married June 4th. My other daughter, Sarah, has been married for three years. So both of my daughters are married and that is going to be a different dynamic. My sons are all out except for one, who is 16. The relationship is forever changing with life, love, sickness and the death of our parents. All of that is a saga. It’s a novel. It’s different every day. It might be the same person but, the backdrop changes every day. K.I.M. Magazine: So with you having daughters that are married, what is some advice that you give them or that you can give a young married couple? Bishop Jakes: I think the advice has to start before you get married. Seventy percent of the battle is choosing the right per-

son. So if you lose in the choice, it makes the marriage much more difficult. I can not stress that when you wait until you have chosen someone, to start thinking about this then it is too late. One of the most important things is to know yourself. You can’t know what you want, if you don’t know who you are. The first relationship begins with a good understanding of who you are and what you bring and do not bring to the table, so that you can choose somebody that completes you and does not compete with you. To me that is where the advice begins. If you marry somebody thinking you are going to change them after you get married, which is what most people think they can do, then you are wrong. It’s not going to happen. You can’t change anybody. People have to want to change themselves. And even when they want to change themselves, it’s a difficult life long process trying to bring the best of yourself to the forefront. You have to be prepared to love people with their imperfections and understand that they are loving you with imperfections. And you don’t get to choose what those imperfections are. Before you say I do, think it over. Think about whether or not is this is something you can live with. Don’t go thinking you are so wonderful and amazing that you are going to change this person into an image of you.

Music

K.I.M. Magazine: Speaking of and marriage, you do have a ( Bishop Jakes’ story continues on page 12)

K.I.M. Magazine.com August 2011

new CD that just came out called “Sacred Love Songs 2” right? Bishop Jakes: I absolutely do.

Cover Story

K.I.M. Magazine: Can you tell me what motivated you to put out this CD? Bishop Jakes: I think historically, the church has been silent about love and marriage. The only time we really speak about them is to tell them what they can and cannot do. We don’t arm couples with tools to enhance that part of their lives. We spend a lot of time producing music that talks about their relationship with God. And they are doing quite well in that area. We spend no time at all singing, talking, or teaching about a relationship with each other and we are doing horrible in that area. According to statistics, church people are worse when it comes to divorce versus secular couples. That is embarrassing and it is disappointing. While we are so emphatically religious, we don’t want to talk about it. We carry a bible around every day that has an entire book called the Song of Solomon. It has nothing but love and intimacy in it. Given the fact that we have so many failed marriages and even those that survive are often riddled with infidelity, domestic violence and problems that get shoved up under the carpet of the vestibule of the church. I think that we need to talk about it, sing about it, and teach about it. I am not suggest12

ing that Sacred Love Songs 2 is going to cure those statistics, but it does open up a format where we give spiritual people permission to address the lives they lead with other people. We don’t want our faith to be a distraction to our family. We want it to be an asset to our family. So we thought it was good. Given the rate of HIV/

Aids in the black community, given the extreme amount of divorce that exists in the black faith community, we thought it was good to pick out some songs that did not sexualize love but really brought it back to songs like “Let’s Stay Together” that Ledisi sings on this track. We have Bishop Paul Morton doing a song called, “Finally” meaning finally someone to love. I think it is great to hear a man singing about wanting to find somebody to love. One of my favorite songs on the album is “Don’t Go to Bed Mad”. I don’t see why anyone would have a problem saying don’t go to

bed mad. It is right out of the bible. Songs like “Inseparable”. This is bible when it says til death do us part. This is gospel too. See gospel is about truth. These are the ideals to which we aspire. We may not all make it. None of us living today or married today know that we will make it all the way to the end but this is what we aspire to. And if we don’t get those goals out then the only place couples have to receive fortification and validation is from the world. I think the church should take the lead in a discussion about marriage. K.I.M. Magazine: Speaking of church, I know that there is such an –ism when it comes to gospel versus secular music. What is your view on music as it pertains to gospel versus secular music? Would you consider your album to be secular music or just music? Bishop Jakes: I think it is just music. My son is going to a music conservatory where he plays all types of music. He can’t just play gospel music. His curriculum includes classical, love ballads, and more. I think that people who are really informed and really think through the notions that we have should know better than to think that if a person sings secular music they could not be saved and yet you work in a secular profession and you’re saved. You work in a secular profession at IBM and you’re

K.I.M. Magazine.com August 2011

saved. You work in Krogers where they have liquor and cigarettes and you’re saved. I think that someone who works in a secular music environment can be saved. I think someone can sing about love, which we say God is and be saved. And I know that there are bad representations in the secular music with horrible backgrounds in the past but that could be said about the gospel industry if the truth were ever told which it isn’t. We can’t judge people by their professions. We have to understand that salvation has to do with your commitment to Christ and not necessarily what you do for a living. Some professions are not right. But let me say this to you, I think that the body of Christ is big enough to have diversity. I have right now nearly 100,000 people on Twitter alone and I am moving towards 300,000 to 400,000 on Facebook which is just a small part of the body of Christ. There is nothing anyone could say that somebody won’t take issue with. And the idea of us trying to please everybody turns us into politicians. What we need is lead-

ers. If you’re going to lead, somebody is going to agree and somebody is not going to agree. If you don’t like it, don’t buy it. Don’t say in a free country that I don’t have the right to do it because I absolutely have the right to. You have the right to buy it or not buy it. Like it or not like it. There is diversity in the church. Some people love it, embrace it, and enjoy it. The first Sacred Love CD sold a half million copies. People loved it and they were writing and asking about the next project. I am not trying to change the person who wants to sing “Amazing Grace” in their bedroom. And if that works for you, do that. You don’t want music. You don’t believe in sex. You only want sex for procreation. That’s your conviction. I will respect that but all of us don’t feel that way and we should all not be penalized by your opinion. People are going to have issues about everything. This is nothing new. What we really need to have issues with is the high rate of HIV/Aids. We ought to have issues with

child molestation and spousal abuse. We ought to have issues with the high rate of divorce in the pulpit and in the pews. And anything that we can put in the hands of our people whether books, music, counseling, and ministry that enhances people to live out their faith in their home like they do in the worship service at church, then I think it is time for us to do that. Buy the CD, Sacred Love Songs 2 today and rekindle the love with your spouse. Hear music by Fred Hammond, El Debarge, Karen Clark Sheard, Joe and more. For more information about Bishop T.D. Jakes and upcoming projects, visit www.tdjakes.com.

Available on Blu Ray Disc

“The idea of us trying to please everyone turns us into politicians.” - Bishop Jakes The latest book by Bishop T.D. Jakes

K.I.M. Magazine.com August 2011

Kierra Sheard Congratulations to Kierra Sheard, who is joining the married club. She is taking life to a new level not only in ministry but in love. She is currently engaged to Pastor Welton T. Smith IV, pastor and founder of New Life Family Church located in Detroit, MI. They are soon be married before the year is out.

generation. We want to let them to know you can live boldly for Christ and not compromise. Don’t back down. Stand on the word, read it, and live it.” This is Kierra’s first album release on her parent’s, Karen Clark Sheard and Bishop J. Drew Sheard, label Karew Records. Her Brother J Drew Sheard II is over music production. It is indeed a family affair.

How does she feel about becoming a first lady? Well she has a great example to follow in that of her mother, Grammy award winner singer, Karen Clark Sheard, who is the first lady of Greater Emmanuel C.O.G.I.C. in Detroit, MI. Although a little nervous when first excepting the proposal of Pastor Welton Smith IV, she says God has prepared her for this step and she wants be accessible to the church members of New Life Family Church. They have been so nice to her and have made her feel completely welcome. Because she is a Kingdom builder all the way, she is excited about this transition with Pastor Smith.

When asked about her view on how music has evolved verses gospel music having an R&B sound and if the message has been watered down to win the younger generation, Kierra replied, “I do agree that gospel has evolved. I do thing that we have to change because we have gotten stuck on the idea that people have to come to us. We have to be “go-getters” of the Gospel. In order for us to go get them, we have to be strategic in our approach of how to win souls. Young people like good sounding music, chilling music. I have to say that I appreciate the transition that music has taken because it is music that I enjoy. We want to draw them with the music but also want them to know that you should not just depend on the music but also create a lifestyle from it.”

Her new album Free is featuring her new group Bold Right Life Choir. They have a great sound and most of all great energy. The group consists of young adults who are really sincere about To get more information on the latest with Kierra their message. Kierra says, “We are sold out for Sheard, visit www.KarewRecords.com. Christ and the goal is to be an inspiration for our 14

K.I.M. Magazine.com August 2011

Top 10 Secrets for Married Couples Clearly there is nothing new under the sun; only what married couples have known since Adam and Eve: “Pay attention, be kind, and be loving”. But the following Top Ten List might be a useful reminder! Enjoy! 1. Husbands: Great sex starts in the kitchen! Wash the dishes, take out the trash, give her a break, and let her know she’s appreciated. Romance and exhaustion do not mix — think about it! (Besides, standing there, side by side, washing and drying those dishes, hands could get to roaming and motors could get to ticking …the most amazing things do happen!) 2. Wives: Tell your man just exactly what you’ve been waiting for! Most males are notoriously poor mind readers; they just don’t “get it”. So tell him! “A little softer” or “let me show you” goes much further than, “How come you never know what I want?” 3. Husbands: Take time! Sex is about fun, relaxation, laughter and love — this is not a competition or a 50-yard dash to the finish line! Start slow, let it build, then finish strong. Some music, a backrub, even a few minutes of silence can shift the mood and make things verrrry interesting!! 4. Wives: Make Time! How often does sex happen last thing at night, with two exhausted people trying to find each other in the dark? Or; first thing in the morning, half asleep, with bad breath? If sex is important, why not treat it like getting your haircut or picking the kids up after school? In other words, schedule time, put it on the calendar and treat it as a key part of keeping yourself and the family running smoothly. 5. Husbands: Think about the time that

you first fell in love, after you were well acquainted but everything still felt new and exciting. Remember thinking about it, scheduling time together, and making dinner reservations? Remember being on time? Did you bring flowers; maybe plan something romantic or special? Remember taking a shower and using cologne? Well, guess what — she’s still special and she’s still deserves your pursuit! 6. Wives: If you want great sex, seduce him! This is not rocket science! Most guys are sooooo easy. They’re “visual” — show him what he likes. They’re easily flattered — whisper what he wants to hear. You’re MARRIED! Don’t be afraid to go there! 7. Husbands: Surprise her. Women love that. And, the beauty is, almost anything will work. Surprise her with flowers, with a card, get a baby-sitter for the evening, and put a note on the windshield of her car. Even surprise her by cleaning the bathroom! Almost anything will work, just be kind, be gentle, and put a little thought into it. 8. Wives: With all the talk about “size”, remember that a man’s biggest sex organ is his imagination — so use your own! 9. Husbands: I just told the ladies you have a great imagination — don’t make me a liar! Use it! 10. Explore, experiment, lock the bedroom door and try something new! As they say, “Just do it!”

K.I.M. Magazine.com August 2011

Andrae Sweeney is a motivational speaker and life coach. Read his marriage blog at www.themarriage4lifeblog. wordpress.com 15

As Seen In Saginaw, MI

Klyde Jones playing with Average White Band

Maze featuring Frankie Beverly

Comedian China Man about to hit the stage

Comedian Chalant telling jokes

Eddie Griffin and Monique Riley after the show

Fans enjoying Maze & Frankie Beverly

Frankie Beverly wooing the crowd

Fans enjoying the music and vibe

Maze fans getting ready for the show

K.I.M. Magazine.com August 2011

Eddie Griffin: A Legend of Comedy Is he leaving the stage for good?

Eddie Griffin graced the stage at Saginaw’s Dow Event Center in his Legends of Comedy Tour. He talked about his life, his kids and many other things. But the most memorable part of the show is when he talked about religion. It was edgy, controversial and many of the Christians in the audience started to turn against him. It was all jokes but it certainly rubbed some people the wrong way. But Eddie Griffin being Eddie Griffin, he was unapologetic. He just speaks the truth as he sees it. K.I.M. Magazine had the pleasure of previously talking to Bishop T.D. Jakes and Kim Burrell; both have a religious footprint in the black community who gave us their perspective on God and Religion. We sat down with Eddie Griffin after the show and the comedian gave us his view as well. K.I.M. Magazine: I noticed you spoke a lot about religion, are you an Atheist? Eddie Griffin: Did you hear anything that sounded like or eluded to that I was an atheist. If you were listening I said I believe in God. K.I.M. Magazine: Yes I heard that. Eddie Griffin: I don’t believe in religion. People don’t know how to separate the two. Religion is a business. Gather the flock and get the money. Rather its Christianity or scientology as long as it’s structured, it’s a business. K.I.M. Magazine: So you do believe in a higher power or what? Eddie Griffin: Higher Power? I believe in God. I’m not going to give it a false name. It’s God. And I believe God wrote his scripture in our essence. No one ever told you that it was wrong to kill your mama. Somehow, you were born knowing that’s not right. That means you’re born knowing right and wrong. Religious doctrine just confuses people. You know what’s right you know what’s wrong, innately.

K.I.M. Magazine: So no organized religion? Eddie Griffin: Every scripture in the Bible is written by man. And does it not say put your faith in no man? It doesn’t matter rather that man’s name is Paul, Peter, Joseph or whatever. (lol) K.I.M. Magazine: Now you have nine kids right? Is it six boys and three girls. Eddie Griffin: Yes, that’s right. And a lot of them have religious or biblical names for those that think I don’t believe. K.I.M. Magazine: Well I asked those questions because your comedy reminded me of George Carlin because he made similar jokes about religion. Eddie Griffin: George Carlin was an agnostic which is not a non-believer it’s a questioner. A questioner of the dogmatic poison that has been inundated in the human mind through the multimedia because the only thing they promote is Christianity. K.I.M. Magazine: Do you pray? Eddie Griffin: God is within, you have to meditate. Prayer is the same thing rather you call it prayer or the Buddhist call it meditation all of it is driving within to pull in what was already there. K.I.M. Magazine: So with this being your last comedy tour, when it’s over are you going to be officially retired are you having a retirement party or what’s next? Eddie Griffin: The beginning is the end the end is the beginning and they are all omnipresent in the present. So it’s 360 degrees and each point has to come to the center called self. So when you’re living outside of a thing called time how can you say what the beginning was and what the end was when they were both always there. K.I.M. Magazine: So by that you mean….? Eddie Griffin: It means I will be taking my comedy somewhere else. Eddie Griffin has a movie in the works called Mojo that will be written and directed by him. He will also be playing about seven different characters in the movie. He recently finished an album that you can buy at his website www.eddiegriffin. com. Eddie Griffin plays the Guitar, Piano, Drums and the Saxophone. He told us music was what he did long before he ever told a joke.

K.I.M. Magazine.com August 2011

Embarrasing stories I bought my first car when I was in high school. I was very glad to have a car, no more asking for rides and being stranded. The only problem was that the car was a hoopty. It had rust spots and bullet holes all over it. It was hard to tell what year it was because the entire body and everything in the car all came from the junk yard and yes it was about five different colors. Needless to say, when school was out I was planning on being the first one to the parking lot that day so I could get in and out without anybody seeing my car. I was kind of late but I still made good time. I was sure they would be able to see my car but if I drove fast enough they would not be able to see who was in the car. So I floored it on my way out of the parking lot and all of a sudden I heard a loud clonking noise that sounded like someone had dropped a heavy piece of metal. I smashed my brakes and looked in my rearview mirrors and I saw some large unidentifiable metal object that had apparently fell out from under my car and rolled through the parking lot for about 10 feet, making so much noise that everyone was looking at this point. I looked back at the object, debating rather or not I

should go get it. Then I looked at all the other kids who were watching from about 40 feet away and I said no way I can’t let them see me get out of this car and go pick up whatever it was that fell off of the car. So I put the car back in drive, I was ready to pull off and it was girl standing there looking at me with one of her eye brows raised when she saw me about to leave. She said, “Um, I don’t know what that was that fell off of your car but it looks kind of important.” I’m sure it was but I didn’t care at the moment I drove off without anybody seeing that it was me in the car. As for the car and the object that fell out of it. I never found out what that object was. All I know is that it was gone when I came back to school the next day. The car lasted about two weeks before it broke down. My friends did eventually see me in the car. They made fun of me but it didn’t last long because they needed a ride home. So I won in the end but the first few days of driving that car were extremely embarrassing.

Young Black Professionals “Knowledge is the key to everything. The more you know, the more powerful you become”, says Saginaw native, Erin Austin. She has accomplished a lot in her education and life. Erin received her Bachelor’s degree in Fashion Marketing and Management and Masters of Business Administration from Indiana Wesleyan University. For the last two years, she has been working in customer service at RCI. She also teaches business courses at Brown Mackie College. These jobs allow her to help people. Erin enjoys being able to introduce her students to things in the world. In her spare time, she writes. She enjoys it so much that she self-published her first book and is currently working on a second book which is soon to be released in October 2011 through her company Esaana Ink. K.I.M. Magazine asked Erin who and what helps her to keep it moving. “My family inspires me to keep it moving. I have some amazing people who I am trying to keep up with. They are the greatest and I want to be just as great”, replies Erin.

Do you have a story you would like to share? Send it to info@kimmagazine. com.

K.I.M. Magazine.com August 2011

Klyde Jones The Homecoming

By: Monique Riley

Klyde Jones singer, songwriter, and multi instrumentalist of The Average White Band returned to Saginaw the place where he was born and raised to perform in a concert with Maze featuring Frankie Beverly in July. It was his first time playing in Saginaw, since he left in 1986. When he was a senior in high school he knew he didn’t want to work at the plant so two years after he graduated he took a huge leap of faith and bought a one way ticket to New York. He was friends with musicians in New York who played for Luther Vandross. With no place to live in the big city he spent his first few nights sleeping on the floor or couch in their apartment. “It was a really rough start but when you’re focused on what you want to do and what you want to be you don’t see it as hard as it really is.” Most of his early success was20in the jingle business. He did

jingles and record production for a while but his first big break was with Hall & Oates back in 1993. He played with the band, Hall & Oates ,for five years doing gigs all over the world in places like Europe and Japan. Klyde Jones credits his Church of God in Christ roots as a big part of who he is musically. “My peers recognized it and I wear it as a badge. Members of Rick James Band would be sitting up front while I’m playing a show and they would say, “Oh he took it to church”. Klyde has been playing with the Average White Band for over 15 years now.

Vincent aka Klyde Jones was really excited to spend time with family and friends that he has not seen in years. He said he would be in town for a few days before he had to get back out on the road. It was a huge homecoming event for him. Seeing Klyde after the concert with his family, it was clear that he was happy to be in his hometown, Saginaw. Klyde Jones has a CD out entitled, Waltz of the Wild Rose. To purchase it and to find out more about his career visit www.klydejones.com.

Klyde Jones was born Vincent Jones. The name Klyde came from two guitars he made in wood shop class in high school. He named one Bonnie and the other Klyde. When he was in New York people saw the name Klyde on his Klyde Jones after the concert guitar case so they just start calling him Klyde andMagazine.com it stuck. K.I.M. August 2011with some of the family.

Be A Leader. Grow A Leader.

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Verizon has toured the country this summer spreading knowledge, empowerment, and most of all great music. They recently stopped in at the Millenium Center in Detroit, MI for their Verizon’s How Sweet the Sound Community Empowerment Tour, which featured national radio personality, Corey “Coco Brother” Condrey of the BET television Lift Every Voice. Although How Sweet the Sound is a choir competition, Verizon saw fit to educate, empower, and entertain local communities in hopes of spreading awareness about health, wealth, owning businesses, and more.

Kierra Sheared singing with her group Bold Right Life

Selected of God Choir were winners of How Sweet the Sound 2010Competition

Recording artist Issac Caree

Sponsored by Radio One affiliate Detroit 105.9 FM, the day was lead with workshops speaking on health and wellness living, cancelling out debt and gaining financial wealth. Special guest panelists included Detroit radio personality, Mildred Gaddis, Dr. Deforest Soaries, who is a pastor and author of the book “Dfree- Breaking Free from Financial Slavery”, Warren Ballentine, who hosts a nationally syndicated radio show and is also a prominent lawyer, and Ellis Liddell, who is a wealth manager and president of ELE Wealth Management, LLC. in Detroit, MI. Musical performances included recording artists, Issac Caree, Brian Courtney Wilson, and Kierra Sheard and the group Bold Right Life. The day was filled with great information and seeds of motivation to learn how to make wiser choice in the way we eat, live, learn, and manage our finances.

Panelists speaking on health and wellness

Detroit 105.9 & Verizon awards winner with $1,000

Verizon also took the time to share information on new careers being offered and the latest phones and technology through interactive booths. Kudos to Verizon for to taking the time to impart and in communities across the country. The How Sweet the Sound competition is on September 24th in Detroit, MI at Joe Louis Arena. To get more information, please visit www.HowSweetTheSound.com

K.I.M. Magazine.com August 2011

Recording artist Brian Courtney Willson

K.I.M. Magazine.com August 2011

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