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Jitsu Gaiden
Charles E. Bonamy
Young Mac
Chad Cox
In This May Issue... THE BUSINESS SIDE Improving Your Live Show Set
Critical Steps of Business Development 11-year-old Entrepreneur Success without the record deal
CONTROVERSY CORNER
EXCLUSIVE! MYLEZIA
Sexy singer & songwriter Mylezia gives MacTunes readers the inside look into her life and career.
If hip hop isn’t dead, it’s surely on life support! Can the rapper of today even compare to our pioneers? Or is rap just one big gimmick now? Read this month’s Controversy Corner by Sheree Jaye!
MACTUNES TOP TEN
Check out the top ten songs voted by listeners on MacTunes Radio! Cover photo credit: Tyrus Davis Visual Arts
Our Sta C. ReneÊ Mangum Senior Writer & Editor
Destiny LeFlore Staff Writer & Producer
Yvette Lee Staff Writer
Sheree Jaye Staff Writer
Imari Obadele Staff Writer
Marguerite Clevidence Executive Assistant
Allen Redmond Promotions Director Contributing Writers Dr. Victoria Brown Marcus Taylor
Marcus A. Clarke Founder
About MacTunes The Movement MacTunes is a media outlet that is dedicated to showcasing and educating independent artists. It is our mission to provide a global outlet for artists and entertainers to unite, network and expand their reach. Being an independent artist is being a part of a movement. MacTunes' visionary Marcus A. Clarke is a trailblazer in this movement, helping indies stay indie, therefore keeping their profits in their pockets. We are here to help push the music industry more towards individualism, real talent and proprietorship, instead of monopolization by major labels and publishers. MacTunes aims to show the general public of music fans how much they've been missing out on in the underground music world. It's time to become household names without the use of gimmicks and record deals. Real artists. Real music. Join the movement.
Voted By Listeners www.live365.com/mactunes419
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
On Fleek by Branden Vader ft. Michael Donatello Weekend Lover by Metal Roze Get That Money by Yung Ro ft. DO Groupie Love by Young Mac Bay by Crown Young Quet
6. Goin Up ft Tyran Brown ft. Gene Noble 7. Friday Night by Teenear ft. Sage The Gemini 8. Just Say No by Tamara Bubble 9. Green by Story Teller 10. Whip It by Solo Lucci
Photos: Founder of MacTunes in New York at the World Famous Apollo Theater
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MacTunes Poetry Café Enjoy the delightful and entertaining written word from poets everywhere... For The Poetry Lovers...
MacTunes Poetry Café
MacTunes Poetry Cafe To add another touch of flavor to MacTunes Magazine, C. Reneé brings to you the MacTunes Poetry Café. For those of you who delight in the intellectual and sometimes mysterious flow of poetry, this section was designed with you in mind. Take pleasure in the deep-seated lyrics you will find in the MacTunes Poetry Café. Be sure to let C. Reneé know your favorite poems. Send her a note at mactunescrenee@gmail.com. Calling All Poets...
MacTunes Poetry Café
Submit Your Poems If you are an aspiring poet or simply an individual who wants to share your voice and thoughts with the readers of MacTunes, submit your poems and be featured! Send your name, original poem with title, associated photo (yourself or poemthemed), and city to mactunescrenee@gmail.com. !
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!"#$%&'()(*+'$,-+./$ 0112$/-$31$4(5+12$/-$ 31$4&))1''6&7 Written by Marcus Taylor
What is it that holds unsigned artists back from achieving the widespread recognition that’s all too often reserved for the signed artist? Is it the advances poured from the pockets of record labels? Is it the connections that labels facilitate? The reality is that whatever it is, unsigned musicians might be better off without it. Unsigned musicians are the music industry’s equivalent of David in the biblical account of David and Goliath. They’re the equivalent of the selffunded startup in the business world, or the outnumbered army in a one-sided battle. Unsigned musicians are often relatively weak in comparison with musicians who are backed by a label, or at least that’s what we’re led to believe. But just as many of the weaker forces mentioned above have defeated their stronger combatants, unsigned musicians have the potential to become just as, if not more powerful than the behemoths of the music industry. It just requires a slight change of mindset.
If you want to
punch above your weight, get creative. Bombarding journalists with demos and performing the same old gig circuit won’t make you stand out — you’re a small fish in a very, very big ocean. If you want to punch above your weight and manifest power, you’re going to have to get creative and go where few other musicians have already been. For example, take ReverbNation artist Linda Chorney, who secured a nomination at this year’s Grammys by introducing herself and her new album to voting members of the Recording
Academy through its Grammy365 website. Linda also funded a nomadic tour across the world by trading her performances for flights, scuba dives, ski passes, health care, and other travel expenses. Or take Merton,!‘the piano guy’ who got wide acclaim for his innovative use of Chatroulette. And Arcade Fire, who released their album using a Google Maps integrated HTML5 music video that blew the technology industry away, getting home page features on almost every popular tech blog.
Linda Chorney
Macklemore is an example of an artist who reached success while being completely independent.
industry at his own game. What is Jon’s secret? Attack at the point of weakness. In a report from The New Yorker, political scientist Ivan ArreguínToft studied the instances throughout the past 200 years where weaker combatants have defeated stronger forces with their creativity. He found that “the Goliaths” (the more powerful forces) won 71.5% of the time.
There’s been no shortage of case studies in the past few years where DIY musicians have punched above their weight and achieved mainstream success, but what every one of those case studies has in common is that the artist was willing to put forth great effort, get creative, and go where few musicians had previously been, thus putting themselves in a position to stand out and attract attention. As the saying goes, “the hardest place to sell a book is in a bookstore” — the hardest place to get attention as a musician is where the other musician’s are already playing their music. This creative route to success may not be easy — but getting to the top requires hard work, just as getting good at writing music takes practice.
Jon explained to me how did it: he read the chart guidelines back to front several times over for weeks, found a tactic to become the administrator of thousands of Facebook Pages with millions of followers and then message those followers about his campaign, amongst many other ways to get extra votes for songs and trigger people’s desire to join his movement. By getting creative, Jon (an ordinary computer programmer from London with little involvement in the music industry) beat one of the most powerful men in music
Attack the point of weakness, not the point of strength. Last year I met up with Jon Morter, best known as the activist behind the Rage Against the X-Factor Campaign where he got Rage Against The Machine’s controversial song ‘Killing in the Name of’ to Christmas #1 in The UK. Is this really a necessity?
What he found, however, was that when the underdogs acknowledged their weakness and chose an unconventional (often more difficult) strategy (as Linda, Jon, Arcade Fire, and Merton did), their chances of winning increased from 28.5% to 63.6%. In other words, when a weaker force gets creative, and is willing to put forth great effort, they have a higher chance of winning than the stronger force. Let me rephrase that in context — when an unsigned artist with little budget and few music business connections gets
creative with their approach and works harder than their signed equals to succeed, they’re more likely to succeed than a signed musician with a large financial advance and a label to facilitate connections. “When underdogs choose not to play by Goliath’s rules, they win, even when everything we think we know about power says they shouldn’t.” – Ivan Arreguín-Toft
Remember this:
The point that I’ve hoped to get across in this post is an incredibly important one — power is a catalyst that can propel you towards success as a musician, and more often than not signed artists receive their power through the conversion of money and connections into opportunities. However, two of the most underused resources that we (musicians) can convert into power is our creativity, and our ability to work harder for ourselves than any label or manager ever could. You don’t need a large advance or a pocket book full of highflying music business contacts to be successful; you
just need the creativity to acquire the same results in an unconventional way. If you have any thoughts or questions about this post, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below, or you can send me a tweet at @TheMusicGuide. This guest post was written by Marcus Taylor, founder of The Musician’s Guide!— a website that helps DIY musicians learn about the insides of the music industry, and download useful resources including music contracts and music contact lists.
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Artwork by Jordan Evans
Jordan Evans
:
! Born and raised in the small town of Sandusky, Ohio Jordan Evans always had a passion for art at the young tender age of 3. The first sign of that was him drawing on anything he could get his hands on."
Hip Hop ARTrepreneur
While growing up though he faced many obstacles to reach all of his goals he had set for himself. Beginning with, being cut his Jr. year from the high school basketball team to figuring out his real purpose in life. Yet, he managed to keep striving for greatness. After graduating high school, Jordan followed his passion
and went off to The School Of Advertising Art in Kettering, OH. While being in school he was focused and determine to graduate, but along the way he picked up another talent and started producing songs with a music program called "Garageband". He began practicing day by day and eventually went back
Artwork by Jordan Evans depicting University of Michigan basketball players.
home to show his friends which later formed a local rap group named "Mulah Gangg." After leaving school the summer of 2009, he and his friends began recording and putting songs together everyday and eventually grew a local buzz around the city and surrounding areas. By 2013 they had put out 3 official music videos, 4 mixtapes and a radio appearance on 95.7 FM with DJ Koolaide of Cincinnati, OH. After working all those years on music and trying to figure things out leading to one last cohesive effort at putting out a mixtape in the fall of 2013, the group eventually separated and went different ways. Jordan then packed up from Sandusky and moved to Cleveland with the help of his parents. Still trying to figure out the next step in life Jordan began to brainstorm and started designing again which spawned his initial passion back in college."
Not only did he start using his cartoonish ways in clothing but also as self portraits of local and world-wide celebrities. In August of 2014 , Jordan put together a art piece for Lebron James & his four friends (Dru Joyce, Willie McGee, Romeo Travis, Sian
Cotton) and ended up meeting them to present the art piece to them. After doing this things took off and he began to get recognized, leading towards opportunities with jobs & celebrities like Meek Mill, Ray Jr., Power 105.1 The Breakfast Club, MGK, Espn Sport Analysts, Shy Glizzy, Jazzy Pha, Berner (Taylor Gang), Trinidad James, Rocko, Wave Chapelle, and Lantana.! After receiving recognition from those celebrities, Jordan woke up with a big surprise when Grammy nominated Rick Ross posted his artwork on his official Instagram page which received over 30,000 plus likes to this day. This was a big motivation booster for him and not only that, it brought in a long list of customers who wanted his work. To this day, Jordan(24) is still perfecting his work and is still striving for greatness to become a successful entrepreneur in the game.
Artwork by Jordan Evans
While keeping a close bond with a couple group members and with the help of his close friend Dashun Ferrell they put together a clothing line called "TENRAXS" which is beginning to grow in OHIO. As months went by, learning steps everyday in the clothing business, Jordan and his good friend Dashun took a trip to the "City of Dreams" New York, where they became more inspired by seeing a lot of fashionable things and other art forms. After leaving New York, things changed and he began to take the clothing line more serious and began to really get creative with his work, which started catching the eyes of a lot of people. His creative skills started to cater to more of a cartoonish style and people became attracted to it.!
The Art of Baking A Business
Dr. Victoria Brown
I was once asked by a radio personality of a talk show a question that challenged my passion for business development. The question, though it should have been easy to answer, required some thought and personal persuasion to secure the thought that millions of people around the world have asked themselves. Now the question that was asked wasn’t as important as the answer that was delivered to an audience of about 300,000 listeners. On the day of this interview back in 2011, I made a deliberate decision to become the trendsetter for pushing potential business owners to self-evaluate their personal capacity for business development. Let’s face it, no one wants to waste the time, finances, and efforts running towards a goal of business development and ownership when you are never going to catch it. Now you may have the motivation, but let’s think realistically; a person may have the strongest motivation to become a professional athlete. However, if the capacity to compete as a professional athlete is limited, then there could be a limitation to becoming a professional athlete. Now I could be totally in error to tell others and suggest that motivation is not the main ingredient of building a successful business. Or I could be totally on target when I explain to many across the nation through workshops and trainings related to business development that motivation 101 is not the first class for business success in business development. The first class should be in exploring your
capacity to start or grow a business. Now I am not referring to exploring your capacity by suggesting that you weigh your financial ability to start a business. Sometimes financing the business can be the easiest part of business development. I find this especially true for the clients that we work with through my company Jireh Business Consulting. Jireh or JBC is a new and innovative model for the use of a business incubator. The non-traditional business
incubator is an organization that works with individuals as non-traditional business owners to develop and grow business concepts into community businesses. The non-traditional business incubator provides innovative services for non-traditional business owners such as Creative Financing Programming, Credit Restoration, Therapy, Business Consulting, Business Development Education, Accounting Services, Business Plan Development, Marketing, Business Counseling, Business Assessment Testing, Legal
Support, Mentorship, Wealth Development, Minimizing of tax issues, and fiscal sponsorships. Now with support as strong as the ones we have built through JBC funding projects through our business incubator have never been so easy. Now let’s talk about this challenging part of business development. The biggest mistake new business owners fail to do when starting or growing their
depression I found that they lacked the ability to explore their personal mental wealth, which is equivalent to personal worth in most cases. Failure to know what their personal mental wealth involved continued to drive wedges between who they were as an individual versus who they would like to be.
business is exploring their capacity for being in business. As a mental health practitioner for over ten years it became prevalent to me that the best way to overcome your barriers of seeking happiness is to explore your stumbling blocks for identifying what you describe as successful. We all have our idea self that we either enjoy or would like to do something different with. In many of my patients that were dealing with
with single fathers, married couples, firemen, wayward youth, and ministers of a church. The common denominator of information all fractioned down to the same brick of personal knowledge: what is my role in society? Well your society may be your community, family, or social club. Some people’s society is their ability to make a difference in the lives of whoever they are destined to impact. The moment therapy sessions
Now I would have these same conversations during therapy sessions
turned into the world of exploring their capacity to be more than they currently are in society, I experienced a clinical shift in their depression. I really enjoyed being able to see single mothers find out that their grandmothers recipe for cupcakes would fit well in a beautifully decorated mason jar (their idea of course, not mines) and then sell for $8 per item. The increase revenues from cupcake sales, networking,
marketing, and setting up a corporation really did wonders for her self-esteem and depression. After our seventh week of therapy sessions, I had to wonder if we were getting ready for the Dr. Phil Show or Shark Tank. It became very clear to me that this client no longer needed therapy. She needed business consulting. Through our weekly
sessions she was able to find her personal mental wealth that transferred to financial wealth and most importantly, she found her role in society. Though societal roles can change and they frequently do and should, the best foundation for business development success is exploring your capacity to be in business for yourself. With over ten years of experience in business development and various other success stories such as the one that my cupcake client experienced, the art of baking a business is essentially having the tools made readily available for you to explore your talents and explore your capacity at the same time. Are you aware that many people have gifts and most do not understand how to access those gifts for the sake of
developing a personal economy, or personal mental wealth? At Jireh Business Consulting, we consort licensed professional counselors to administer assessment tools that evaluate each client for their strengths and weaknesses.!The DBC Business Readiness tool will help you to identify!participant’s readiness to start a business.!! This assessment!identifies work-related interests, job appropriation and the natural ability to explore each opportunity according to the attributes. With this powerful combination of query, assessment and discussion, the client is able to transition smoothly into roles that complement talent and leadership keeping while maintaining objectives like projected risk and
challenges. The results of this assessment are imperative to projecting a well-rounded successful business model and are suggested to everyone whether in business or otherwise.! If you are reading this and would like more information on how to contact me and my team just visit the website at www.jirehbusinessconsulting.org or call 305.209.3985. By the way, are you still wondering what question the radio personality asked me that challenged my passion for business development? Just contact me on Twitter @detroitbiz1 with any questions AND I look forward to sharing this information in my next article The Daze of Business Talk Radio.
Dr. Brown is the President of Jireh Business Consulting (JBC), a non-profit 501 c 3 business incubator for start-ups and existing business projects and placement. JBC is instrumental in developing, managing, and partnering with programming for budding and existing entrepreneurs. Her passion to provide business development to the non-traditional business owner has increased her interest in providing information and resources for individuals in the music industry. Check out her new Podcast Show Bizlife with Dr. Victoria Brown http://www.bizlifeentertainment.com
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Meet
Je始Karee Crawford Scott 11 Year Old Entrepreneur, Owner of Crawford Family Creations
Written by Yvette Lee
When Je'Karee was in kindergarten, his teacher labeled him a troublemaker. "He'd finish his work and began to talk with his classmates" explained his mom Yolanda. Then a teacher's assistant took notice and explained that Je'Karee wasn't being challenged enough in his classes, and recommended that he be promoted to first grade and be tested for the gifted learning program. This was the start of Je'Karee's path to success. Raised by his single mother Yolanda, Je'Karee is best described as an introvert. Even at home he was always independent and reserved. His mother can recall trying to read to him as a baby and Je'Karee letting her know that he'd rather read the book by himself. At that time, no one knew that this was the start of Je'KAree's already successful career as an entrepreneur. Now 11 years old, Je'KAree has accomplished things that many adults
have yet to achieve. For starters, he scored a perfect score on his state's Comprehensive Assessment Test for two years in a row. As a result, Je'Karee was promoted to 7th grade. During his
helping elders and always giving women a kind word or compliment. Last year, Je'Karee started his own computing services business Crawford Family Creations. His services include custom websites, games, browsers and cellphone app building. This business spawned because of Je'Karee's love for computers. In the future Je'Karee would like to become a doctor so that he can find a cure for diabetes and cancer. When asked what keeps him on the right path, Je'Karee credits his God, mom Yolanda, sister Je'Kayla and grandma Rosie for his success. We are looking forward to great things to come for Je'Karee Crawford Scott.
entire academic career, Je'Karee has always obtained a perfect 4.0 g.p.a. He also plays 4 instruments, the viola, guitar, piano and violin and is a green belt in Jiu Jitsu. In addition, Je'KAree is the perfect gentleman, opening doors,
For inquires email CrawfordFamilyCreations@gmail.com
Getting Signed What You Need To Know
Written by C. ReneĂŠ Mangum
Deal or no deal? If you choose deal, meaning a record deal, there are some things you should know. In order to land the deal and then understanding the deal you get, read on and decide for yourself if this is what you want and can handle what comes with the territory.
Competition is stiff. Stand
Understand that the record label’s
your contract without permission. This
out.
objective is not to help you follow your
also means that anything you do record
dream as much as it is to make money!
under their contract is the property of the
C.R.E.A.M. Cash rules everything
label, not you.
One of the primary reasons why it is so hard to get the attention of a major label now is because entertainers come a dime a dozen. You are no longer a rare commodity. There is an entire world of performers at the label’s fingertips with the use of social media. While you may be wildly talented and believe immensely in your own abilities, hundreds of talented others are in your same situation.
If you are hoping to gain the attention of a major A&R, you need to stand out from
around music. Money talks. If you can prove that you are capable of making
In a recent chat with R&B artist Tank, he
them money by making money on your
told MacTunes that one of his best
own without them, they are much more
albums is no longer available for sale to
likely to invest their time and funding.
the public because his previous label that
Approaching them with a speech about
will not authorize the sales owns it. Fans
how your lyrics are so real and how
have been asking for it, but he is unable
people love you is not nearly as
to give them the hard work he created
compelling as, “I’ve sold 5,000 copies of
because he does not have the right to do
my new album and sold out my last few
so. This is the sad truth for many artists.
shows.”
The record label’s exclusivity agreement means that, in simple terms, they own
the rest. However, the focus should not be on man-to-man competition, but in
They own you.
you and your work.
competition with the number system.
No, really. It’s not a joke. When you sign
This means gaining followers, getting
your name on the dotted line of a
It’s an advance, not free
post activity on social media, selling your
recording contract, they technically own
money.
own albums, booking consistent gigs,
you and everything you do under that
In the past, record labels used to give
getting your songs on multiple stations,
contract. All legitimate record companies
new artists signing bonuses to live from
and have people looking for you. If you
require contracts that agree to exclusivity.
as well as an advance on their first album
focus of the numbers, the A&R will
This means that you will not be able to
to complete the necessary recording and
eventually come to you.
record for anyone else other than that
production. However, many artists would
record label during the term, or length, of
blow their bonus and
Money talks.
then go over-budget
Get your record and
on their production
ticket sales up. When
advance, their
you are capable of
production advance,
selling your own
causing the label to
albums and getting
have to spend more
fans to buy tickets to
money than they
your shows, that
allotted. Because of
speaks volumes to
this abuse, many
record labels.
labels now will roll
the two into one, giving new artists a recording fund. This means that you take the money and do your recording. If you
Success is not
end up under-budget when it’s finished,
instant or
you can keep the left over money for yourself.
guaranteed. If you are among the “lucky
Either way, understand that the money given is an advance, a loan. A recoupment. Recoupment means that you have to pay it back. This money is paid back from your artist royalties before you make anything for yourself. For example, if the record company gives you $500,000 to record your album, you have to first make that $500,000 in royalties to give to the label before you can take a check home for yourself. Statistics show that about 80% of albums never reach the point of breaking even on their advance, meaning the artist never receives any royalty checks in that deal. So be ready to work hard and promote until there is no more fight left in you. Then find some more fight and keep promoting! It’s the only way you will make money in your record deal.
ones” that get a major recording contract, do not be fooled into believing that you are guaranteed to be successful. Also, do not be naïve enough to think that the success will come overnight. If a deal is reached, you will still have to work hard for yourself to ensure any kind of success with the label. There are more than likely many other artists signed to the label as well in different lanes, genres and places of their career. That being said, you are not the only artist the label is investing in. This means you still have to go above and beyond to garner fans, acquire shows and market yourself as an artist, continuing to build your reputation. Having the deal will most likely put you in better circles to market within, but the work is still yours to complete. The indie grind does not stop right away. It’s always a race for the top spot on the label and in the industry, which comes with risks of falling short and potentially getting dropped from your contract.
Also, in this business, timing is everything. This is not an instantaneous process. Most major contracts are for the purpose of completing a specific amount of albums, not a specific amount of time. Do not confuse a four-album deal with a four-year deal. And just because it’s a four-album deal doesn’t mean that they MUST do four albums with you. It means that they have the option to do so. So, upon completion of your first album, the label may not feel that it’s a good time to release it. Or they could release it and it could flop, or not do so well. Either of these scenarios could cause your albums and other projects to be put on hold based on the timing, needs and current trends in the industry and the label. Some refer to this holding period as “getting shelved.” Getting shelved by the label does not give you the right to release your own projects either; you simply have to wait your turn again or wait until they drop you. In that time, it’s best to continue doing shows, be patient and keeping yourself relevant.
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Rockin’ Out
!"#$%&"'(")*+,(-."/(0," 12$3."4,.&.56. Written by C. Reneé Mangum
Good stage presence can make or break your career. Live shows have so much potential of drumming up business, sales and new fans. The merchandise selling power, the personal effect you can leave with your audience, the future business dealings with good promoters. All of this comes from putting on a great live show. Let’s make sure you know how to put on a great show with these five tips.
It’s All About The Audience, Not You.
As the artist on the show, of course the people are there to watch you perform. However, as a performer, it’s important to make the audience feel that it’s all about them. Don’t be the narcissistic artist that thinks only of yourself and how amazing you are. As Christine Occhino suggests on sonicbids.com, consider these points when attempting to wow your audience. “What can you do to bring their innermost emotions to life with your sound? What can you awaken inside them with an honest
performance through a lyrical portrayal of your genuine life experiences? What can you physically do to make sure that their eyes don’t come off of you for a second, even in a society polluted with handheld technological gadgets? It's your responsibility as a performer to give your audience the gift of transporting them somewhere else for the full three minutes and 32 seconds of your song.”
Large or small, that whole stage is yours: use it! Downstage. Take a stroll Stage Right. Back to center. Upstage. Are people in the forgotten seats? Play to them. Downstage–maybe head Stage Left. Hang out there for a few. Back to your mark at center. If there’s a loft or balcony, look up. Is there Industry in the loft? Surprise the hell out of ‘em by acknowledging them like any other audience members. They may not respond, but that’s OK, it’s your stage not theirs. Go back and see the people Stage Right. Mix it up.
For Goodness Sake, Give The People a Show! Often, the best concert moments are during a sad song when the singer hits the zone so deep, he finishes with wet eyes. When American Idol’s Simon Cowell says, “it’s about ‘creating a moment’” this is part of what he’s talking about.
Fill The Whole Space Don’t be afraid to use the whole stage and make everyone feel included in your performance. If you are in a small setting, make eye contact with as many people as you can and use gestures that invite the crowd to draw closer to the atmosphere of your music. Touch people’s hands. High Fives work well and things of that nature. If you are in a large setting, make broad gestures to invite the crowd and plan your performance all over the stage. Make sure that everyone feels included. Make yourself larger than the room by playing to
every nook and cranny of the crowd. The people way in the back paid money to see you as well. Make your presence fill the whole room; don’t be a distant figure standing in one spot of the stage looking in one direction making halfhearted movements.
If the fans only wanted to hear you sing or rap, they would have just popped your CD in their car or plugged in their headphones and played your music on their phone. Give your fans more than music; give them an experience to talk about for months to come. If you dance,
live performance is where you can shine most. Leave the crowd speechless every time, no matter how many times you have performed the same routine. Perform it like it was the first time, even if it’s the eighteenth time. If you don’t dance, you can still have fun with your audience. Along with using the whole stage, let your audience play around with you. Ask for crowd participation. “When I say party, you say people!” We all know how that goes. Maybe pull someone up on stage to dance with you or sing into the mic with you. Talk to the crowd between songs. Engage with them so that they feel apart of the show. If you play instruments, play them all at some point during your show to give more pizzazz to your performance. If you perform
with a live band, let them jam out while you dance along and lead the crowd in a simple dance with you.
and fun. Mix the show up a little to give your audience a roller coaster ride that they never want to sit down on.
Giving a worthy show will impact your career tremendously. They will tell all of their friends how amazing you are in concert, they will want to come to the next one, and so will their friends.
Sincere Thanks
Keep The Energy Up People are fickle and can become bored easily. You have to keep the energy up. If you snooze them, you lose them. This doesn’t mean you have to keep the tempo up at all times. If you choose to do slow songs in your set, give them everything in you and make it intense. Follow a couple of ballads with a kick into high gear with something upbeat
When you set is done and you’ve rocked the crowd thoroughly, be sure to thank them sincerely. Let them know that you’ve enjoyed your time together and thank them for coming to see you. Make sure you know what city you are in! There is nothing worse than yelling out the wrong city name when you thank them. They may never forgive you and social media will eat you alive. Don’t be too long-winded in your thanks. Make it warm and sincere, let them know again who you are and exit the stage.
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Controversy Corner:
The Power of Hip Hop... Diminished
Written by Sheree Jaye
Hip Hop is a genre of music that is international. It has created movements that no other genres have done. Along with inspiring different dance and clothing styles, hip hop has also inspired people of different races, creeds and nationalities to take part in several movements for the betterment of the society. Once upon a time, hip hop had meaning, it spoke about the real life scenarios that people as a whole struggled with, or it encouraged us to remain strong because things would get better. Somewhere along the lines, hip hop became a joke, lyrics became meaningless, women became objectified and looking like a confused cross dresser became the new fashion statement. Hip hop moguls, such as Run DMC, LL Cool J, Common and many other greats have paved a road that many would be proud to follow. Run DMC broke the mold with collaborating with Aerosmith on their Iconic song “Walk This Way,” while LL Cool J had the hardcore look but wasn’t afraid to express that he needed love. And Common, well his name speaks for itself, he rapped about Common sense. For a while hip hop was on a roll! Public Enemy voiced their concerns about police brutality with “Fight the Power” and let’s not forget Queen Latifah’s “U.N.I.T.Y (who you calling a bitch?)” song that demanded respect for women of all races. Ahhh!! That’s the hip hop that was like a breath of fresh air! When the radio can play the song in its entirety without all of the weird plugin sounds to block out the vulgarity.
Artists seem to have forgotten what hip hop is about or the power that it holds. No there’s nothing wrong with producing a turn-up song every now and then. But let’s be real, hip hop is definitely not the same. No one really cares that you don’t have a type and bad bitches is the only thing you like. No one cares that you came from the bottom to the top (insert what you think he says here because no one really knows) and you are living the lifestyle. I understand that music is a career and stupidity sells, but isn’t there anyone brave enough to be the Dr. King of Hip Hop? Tupac Shakur was another great, who spoke about the truth and crossed boundaries that others were afraid to cross. He spoke about real life situations. He spoke positivity and how important it is to “Keep your Head Up”. Tupac was far from perfect, he definitely had his beefs and runins with the law, but he didn’t let his hardcore image stop him from showing how even the manliest man can love their mama. Hip Hop had artists that others aspired to be and work with. Today it’s filled with disrespectful, careless individuals, who only boast about the fame and fortune of it all. In an interview last year at the BET Hip Hop Awards, new rap artist Young Thug was asked to voice his thoughts on police brutality in America following the events that happened in Ferguson as a result of the Michael Brown murder. He simply answered by saying, “Leave that up with the critics and the laws and all that
other shit. We having fun, we iced out, we having money. That’s how we doing it.” That response is beyond ignorant. These are the ones we have to choose from to indict in a Hall of Fame years from now? He is definitely no one to be proud of! Hip Hop even had great women role models such as MC Lyte and Yo-Yo to name a few, who didn’t thrust their kitties all over the screen, boasting about giving the best oral sex and being “THOTS” as the new generation would say. I respect Nicki Minaj and her grind, but I’m a bit tired of seeing her naked, silicone ass posted across my TV screen every day! How about rapping about respecting yourself as a woman and use your talent to climb the ladder of success and not your body parts? It seems as though hip hop has become all about the next big publicity stunt. The power no longer resides in the hip hop community. It once was a selective process and now anyone with a beat can be made into a star. Don’t believe it? White rap artist Riff Raff is a prime example! He is famous for what reason? He dresses like a thrift store threw up on him and his music is atrocious. Honestly I think his whole character is a new form of the “Black Face.” When whites painted their faces black for theatrical shows, they often portrayed black people to be ignorant and acted out many stereotypes. Instead of painting his face black, he dresses in ridiculous clothes, wears several chains and flashes his grill and money every
Controversy Corner:
The Power of Hip Hop... Diminished
Written by Sheree Jaye
chance he gets. It’s pure mockery! This man has never probably lived in the ghetto and he has a college degree, yet he walk around being this character that many enjoy. When will these artists wake up and realize that there is more to hip hop than just platinum teeth and chains, “f*ckin hoes” and being the baddest bitch! Hip hop has a voice. It can move people and all the while be just as entertaining. It just takes the right
person to decide that they have had enough. Hip hop has power, we’re just waiting for the inhabitants to realize that.
Sheree’s Opinion: Hip Hop has changed and definitely not for the better. It can be a voice that so many do not have but it seems as though having a voice is no longer important. This has been Sheree Jaye and I am over and out!
What are your thoughts? Discuss with us on www.mactunes.org Pictured left and center: Young Thug Pictured right: Riff Raff
@Mylezia
www.soundcloud.com/mylee-3 www.reverbnation.com/mylezia Management: Music4Mylezia@gmail.com
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Mylezia
King Like A Queen Written by C. Reneé Mangum !"#$#%&'(")&*+,-&./+0'12/+32/.'4+5&$/+F+6'2&+7+8'9)+:(*+;&)<)+8)<=)>+F+?$-42/$/*+@#4'<+A)44/+'<=+;&)<)+8)<=)>
From Delaware to everywhere, Mylezia is on the verge of taking the music industry by storm. Artists like Mylezia are like shooting stars; they only come about every so often. Thank your lucky stars that this one landed during your lifetime. Sexy yet wholesome, loves to laugh and play but makes moves like a boss. Mylezia is a rare commodity in the industry that many labels are currently trying to claim for themselves. While her fierce managerial and legal teams are handling the legalities, she continues to bless her 12,000 plus Twitter followers and 8,000 plus Instagram followers with all things Mylezia. Mylezia King grew up in a family full of love and music. As she grew, she watched and learned the art of singing and musicianship, which developed into a
passion and desire for her own life. Although her original plans as a girl included sports and the possibility of becoming a veterinarian, her talent blossomed into something beautiful as a young entertainer. Her mother took notice of her daughter’s abilities and latch on to her dream with full force, as only a loving mother should. She started taking Mylezia to the studio for recording at age 17. “Going to the studio was the first thing I ever did. I had no idea what I was doing (laughs),” Mylezia explained as she reflected on her early experiences. Momager Jackie King eventually landed Mylezia her first gig. But not just any gig. One that is unparallel to the beginnings most budding artists experience. One that seasoned indie artists can only hope for.
“My first ever performance was opening up for K. Michelle,” Mylezia told us. “It was crazy.” We’d say so too! R&B songstress K. Michelle is one of the trendiest female artists of our present day. The opportunity to connect with a major artist and share the stage with her was an indescribable experience for novice Mylezia. In discussing this union with MacTunes in a previous interview, Mylezia told us, “[K. Michelle] showed me a lot of love. She also would encourage me on Twitter.” Another major artist who made a tremendous impact in Mylezia’s career was Grammy nominated and award winning artist Missy Elliott. “It was my social network mentor, Missy Elliott, whom I’ve never personally met, that gave me the most advice,” Mylezia explained to
- Mylezia, commenting on her possible record deals
Now that she has gained some tenure and experience in the industry, we asked her if she has any studio mood-setting techniques to get into her zone in the booth. While some artists like candles lit or bubbles blowing or doves flying around (yes, this has honestly been reported by some artists Mylezia has now had opportunities to work who shall remain nameless), Mylezia has a with other notable artists such as Meek different approach to the studio. If you Mill’s artists Lee Mazin and Guordon want to record with her in her session, it’s Banks. She has also been able to best that you learn your words before you collaborate with one of the industry’s most come. “Every time I get in the studio, I sought out production teams, The want them to turn off all the lights. I feel a Dezperawdos, whose producer credits lot of pressure when everybody’s staring at include Dru Hill, Lloyd Banks, Blackstreet me and I don’t like it (laughs). So I like to and Freeway. turn the lights off.”
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MYLEZIA EXCLUSIVE
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MacTunes. “No one would have ever known me if Missy Elliott didn’t recognize me and follow me on Twitter. She shows love and support to all of her faithful supporters and pushes us to strive for excellence.”
“I want the right contract and the right label.”
With the amount of success Mylezia has had independently, it’s no surprise that labels are looking to sign her. “I have deals on the table as we speak, so I had to meet with my lawyer to weigh the options. I want the right contract and the right label,” Mylezia stated. “I want to be signed to a label but I’m not really pressed on it with all the bad things I hear about being signed.” She is a firm believer that what God has for her will be what manifests, so she is unbothered by the thought or pressure of chasing a deal. Mylezia credits her supportive team as the reason she is able to focus wholeheartedly on her craft and trusts that they will help make her career a success. She told
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that King Like A Queen will be giving us life for months to come. Her single “On Purpose” is spinning on As an independent artist, having a solid FM and machine working behind you is something Internet that many indies don’t have. It can be radio what sets you apart from the rest. Your everywhere. craft is that much stronger since you don’t It talks have to worry about the deals, the show about the bookings, the promotion, the marketing woes of and the host of others responsibilities that dating a guy come with advancing your career along. who just Mylezia spends a great deal of time won’t take perfecting herself as an artist and a your songwriter. And that hard work shines purposeful when she needs it to most, which drives hints to go home the importance of finding the right away. Her team. Having a team also garners more newly respect from those in higher places. released remix cover Along with her craft as a singer and to J. Cole’s songwriter, Mylezia has been presented “G.O.M.D.” with many acting scripts. With the goes hard, versatility of her look and personality, describing Mylezia does have an interest in acting. her Most don’t believe that she is a day over overcoming 16 years old. When she does high school story of tours, she is easily mistaken as a making classmate. The 20-year-old beauty can moves in easily see herself being casted as the this young and vibrant teenager or the young industry, adult, doing movies, commercials, plays despite the obstacles and opposition she and television shows as the opportunities received. And now, Mylezia drops a come. bombshell exclusive through MacTunes, announcing her new summer cut that will With the incredible moves Mylee is be released within weeks. It’s called “Boy making, it’s hard to imagine that the rising You Ain’t Shhh” and is bound to be the star has time for any social life or down new ladies’ anthem. time. “I’m not really a party girl, I like to chill and hang with my friends. I take time Mylezia and her team are charging to enjoy myself and my friends through the industry with the force of a understand that I’m in the music industry, wrecking ball, determined to knock down so they don’t try to get in the way of that.” any walls and break any barriers that attempt to stop her flow. But first, she Mylezia has a new EP coming out entitled leaves her fellow indies some advice. King Like A Queen, which is set to debut “Don’t give up… because it IS a roller this summer. With cocky and versatile coaster. Some people will like your music, tunes that Mylezia is known for, we know some people won’t. Don’t get
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MYLEZIA EXCLUSIVE
MacTunes how, “It started with me and my mom. God blew my mind as He began to add and remove people from my journey. Now I have: The Dezperawdos from Virginia, Court Digga, Kristin Schloesser, Jontae Willingham, Sonny, Jorge Perez, Will Simmons and my mother, all committed to making sure I succeed.”
discouraged. Follow your dreams, use social media, pray, and be yourself.” She attributes her successes to prayer and hard work, knowing that they are the reasons things have fallen into place for her career. Visit Mylezia’s soundcloud page, call your local stations to request her single “On Purpose” and be on the lookout for her new website coming in July (www.mylezia.com). A word of caution when listening to her music: she will always leave you “Anxious” for “More.”
MYLEZIA EXCLUSIVE
Hot Seat with Mylezia Check out how cover artist Mylezia answers these fun hot seat questions...
Chocolate or Vanilla? CHOCOLATEEEE! Drive or fly? Fly because we drove sooooo much and it’s so tiring sitting in the car all day long for hours. We will be in the car for more than 8 hours sometimes.
Favorite time of the year? I like winter, because it’s so hot during the summer. So I’d rather be where it’s cold and you can get heat. You get to wear all the cute coats and stuff. You can play in the snow and get snowed in. Spend the day with Nicki Minaj or Beyonce? I think I love the snow. Can’t deal with the sweat lol Nicki. I love Beyonce, but I see Nicki more on social media. She seems goofy and fun to be around. Dating or no? Yes! (laughs as interviewer C. Reneé Beyonce seems more reserved. I’d probably laugh a lot teases about her boo.) with Nicki and the Barbz love me.
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Spend a Morning, Evening and Night with
Written by Yvette Lee
Young ! ! ! ! ! ! ! Mac
MacTunes caught up with Young Mac while he was in the studio working on his new album. Young Mac’s latest single “Groupie Love” is currently available on iTunes. Check out the exclusive interview where we learn about him. We also have a little fun getting UP CLOSE & PERSONAL. Check it out...
Yvette: Thanks for meeting with me, so what have you been working on. Young Mac: I'm working on my new album that's in progress, the album is gonna be called "Good Morning, Good Evening , Good Night". Yvette: So what's the significance of that title? Young Mac: It's basically summing up an entire day, if that makes sense. It's gonna be 14 maybe 16 tracks and I'm gonna take you from sun up to sun down. It's like touring, doing shows, photo shoots, making appearances, stuff with the family. It's basically like me in an entire day, but in album form. Yvette: So what is a day in the life like for Young Mac? Young Mac: Man, it's just optimistic. It's filled with trying to succeed, opportunities; far, wide, high and low. It's the good and the bad, sometimes its all smiles sometimes its like "all man, we gotta get this done or that done." I'm very family oriented. It's non stop man, especially because I'm an independent artist. Yvette: Were you born and raised in Indianapolis? Young Mac: Yes, born and raised in Indianapolis Indiana. My family background starts in Mississippi so I kind forgot that southern style in me. But yeah, born and raised in Indianapolis [East Side] all day everyday so yeah, I really know about that Naptown life. Yvette: Did you grow up with both parents? Young Mac: I would say that my pops was never around, but I'd see him from time to time. I didn't have a relationship with him or nothing. My mother was my rock, my jewel that's my best friend. She basically played both of my parents. My pops wasn't really around, he was a rolling stone. I'm thankful for my mother, and I have five sisters. Yvette: Are you the only boy?
Young Mac: I have a brother too. I can say I have 4 blood sisters, I say I have more than that because I treat my cousins the same. I have 4 blood sisters and 1 blood brother. Yvette: Are there mostly girls in your family? Young Mac: Oh yeah (chuckles), there's a lot of females in my family. Yvette: What was it like being one of the few guys in the family? Young Mac: It was great, because I learned so much information about ya'll. Without sounding too cocky, I learned the true definition of women. It's weird to say, but I've learned the woman's cycle, kinda better than
themselves. I know when you're down, or how you need to be lifted up. I know just how to compliment you. I know how to assist you in the right manner. I've learned so much about women whether it's physically, mentally or emotionally. Yeah, I got that on lock. Yvette: Do you have any kids? Young Mac: No I do not. Yvette: Do you have a girlfriend? Young Mac: No I do not have a girlfriend. Yvette: What makes your music unique? Young Mac: No matter what the track is about, whether its an uptempo, slow, medium, I put realistic lyrics in every
content and in every genre. I think people need to stop looking over the obvious and start stating the facts about what's really going on. For instance, my latest single "Groupie Love" a lot of people can relate to that song. What I'm saying is "Show that groupie some love," because at one time this girl, this woman, this guided female was not a groupie. She was once a basic female with a life or a career and then something happened that made her a groupie. As men, we don't pay attention to that. I actually caught on to that. Yvette: Have you ever encountered groupies? Young Mac: Of course! Yvette: Do you have some groupie tales to tell me? Young Mac: I ain't got no tales to TELL you (laughs), but I can definitely say that I've encountered groupies. I've got some guys around me that may fall into that, but me, I'm not the type that's gotta take a groupie to my hotel room, or pick 6 groupies to come with me after a show. I don't do that. Yvette: Do you think its harder to be an independent artist. Young Mac: I wouldn't say it's harder but it definitely takes a lot more effort and it takes being more business minded. If you're not business minded and you're independent...Quit today! Yvette: Tell me about the NTF Movement. Young Mac: I started that at the end of 2010 which is my label Naptownâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Finest Productions. I released my first project under this movement. That project got me a lot of shows. That's when I knew NFT just may be something that made a stamp in the city. My next single is called â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hallelujahâ&#x20AC;? set to be released this month.
UP CLOSE&PERSONAL with YOUNG MAC Now letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s get some juicy stuff... Yvette: Have you ever had a threesome? Young Mac: (Laughs) No Yvette: Would you ever do a threesome? Young Mac: (Still laughing) No Yvette: How old were you when you lost your virginity? Young Mac: (Laughs) Oh man, (Laughs) I don't know. Yvette: Have you ever been arrested? Young Mac: No, no man, I'm a good child. Yvette: Whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s your industry crush? Young Mac: Do I have to have just one? Yvette: Who are your top three?
Young Mac: Queen Latifah, she's a dope MC and she's sexy. Lauryn Hill, if she walked up to me right now I would propose. And let me see if I can go new school, KeKe Palmer. Yvette: What kind of music do you listen to when you're gettin busy? Young Mac: Wow, where are these questions coming from (laughs). I'm gonna take the safe route and say, if and when the time is presented it would be a majority of my R&B songs. Yvette: When you get busy, do you like the lights on or off? Young Mac: Oh my God, I feel like you're doing something else right now (laughs), um, either or.
Yvette: Do you like your women skinny or curvy? Young Mac: I love women in general. Yvette: Do you believe in any secret societies, like the illuminati? Young Mac: That's deep, whats up with these questions yo! Um, I think that there are a lot of different societies in the world. Yes I do believe in many different societies. Yvette: Ok last question, do you wear boxers or briefs? Young Mac: Oh my Lord, are we really doing this (laughs), ok briefs.
Who Got Next? Some of the most promising independent artists and producers that we think are next to make it big...
Evan Dupri
Jitsu Gaiden A producer, Omega man and former athlete, Jermaine Dave is known as Jitsu Gaiden released his mixtape, "The Fast Life," on October 31,2014. Jitsu Gaiden is also Co-CEO of the organization, "NoRedLights, Inc." He has put in hard work into this project over the summer to make it success by reaching out to his fans and family. Jermaine Dave was born on June 10,1993 in a small town called Bridgeport, Alabama but moved to Murfreesboro, Tennessee to follow his goals. His motivation is his mother and little sister. He is sponsored by the clothing line "Dope Dreams."
Evan Murry is a rapper, songwriter and performer who is known as Evan Dupri. He released his EP, “Off Top,” on September 30, 2014 with various features. He has gained a positive start for his music career by performing in various places such as Club Social, Rocket town, Sigma Talent Show and etc. Evan Dupri lived in Chicago, Illinois. He knew what he wanted to do with his life. But things changed on July 17, 2009, where he started freestyling with his friends. He knew he had a God gifted talent which was to be an artist. His first single, “Round,” was a major hit giving great exposure on the radio station, 101.1 the beat, by his friend, Sticks. As well as, performing the single at a house party to bring the whole neighborhood out to hear his music. What keeps him motivated to pursue his music career are his parents and siblings.
Chad Cox
opportunity to perform “All I Know” at a festival in Atlanta, this weekend to reach more fans. Goody was born and raised in Chicago. He attended Rich Central High
Living most of his life on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, Chad Cox has been influenced by various talented musicians and songwriters. His creative side began to start. He has performed at on-campus events and night spots. "My music tells a story of an evolving adult in transition. Many who hear my music can relate," Chad said. Chad wants to invite his fans by displaying his thoughts with a creation
of great music. He creates a platform to change what he wants to see the world. Chad won a single deal in Jackson, Mississippi at a showcase. His debut LP,"Lusting for Better Days," connects with younger adults about a powerful message of real-life situations which are thought provoking and soul-stirring decisions. The album will be available late summer early fall.
Goody Charles Goodrich is known as “Goody.” He has successfully become one of the top indie artists bringing a familiar and refreshing sound to Chicago’s rap scene, performing from Chicago, Illinois, to Atlanta, Georgia. Goody recently had a radio interview in Rhode Island for 94.3 FM to talk about his EP and any upcoming shows. He will release his EP “2ONANY1” this fall. Goody has the
social media or promotions, just performing around different environments. Goody says, “If you really want something, you’ll find a way to get it."
MDubb Michael Wilkins is known as "M-Dubb" the artist or "Prince Dugan" the producer. Earlier this year, he opened up for August Alsina at Kentucky State University. On
School. He started rapping after he saw a performance from Jay-Z during his junior year and it uplifted him to be an artist. After graduation, he went to Middle Tennessee State University to pursue his music career. His senior year was successful because he met and performed with upcoming artists. His inspirations are Jay-Z, Nas and his father because he looks up to them as individuals with positive music to the young generation. His first single, “All I Know,” was released on February 26, 2013, which buzzed social media as a hit with 1,630 plays. The single was inspired by artists to comply with popular trends. His music provides listeners with a window seat into the life of a young male growing up on the streets of Chicago. His second single, “Shawty Swing,” released in August 2, 2014, has 1,000 plays in the past two months. The single was inspired by the Atlanta-based 1998 hit song, “Shawty Swing My Way.” He creates an authentic sound of ’90s R&B and adds his Chicago style. Altogether, both of these hit singles reached out to 5,000 people in seven months with no
July 30, 2013, he released his mixtape, "I Crowned Myself" on livemixtapes, which had 8,000 plus plays in the past year. With outstanding reviews, Michael was interviewed on Middle Tennessee State University's radio station, 88.3 WTMS. He was born and raised in Dayton, Ohio. At the age of eight, he discovered his talent. After graduating from Stivers School of Arts, he took his talent to MTSU to pursue his music career as an artist and producer.
Chrono Releases New Single ! ! ! ! ! ! “All We Do” S. McCauley Lead Press Release Writer www.MondoTunes.com
The rapper from Chicago known as Chrono has released his latest hip-hop single, “All We Do.” The track has been released in both a definitive version and one edited for public radio, both of which are available to the public online. It has been proudly published on the Laconic Music Group independent record label. Rowdy, aggressive, and full of thumping, pounding bass, “All We Do” is evidence that Chrono is a name to watch in the global hip-hop underground. Chrono cites as main artistic influences such names as Tupac Shakur, Dolla, Eminem, and Chance the Rapper. “My influences are a small portion [of my sound],” Chrono writes, “but they matter to me.” He also makes particular mention of his older brothers. “I wasn't much of a music head when I was little, but when my older brothers would rap and record in the basement in
my house, they inspired me to check hip hop out. They would always rap and I was just around them, soaking it in at the age of seven, but I didn't think it would make me be involved in what they're still involved with now.” Chrono's “All We Do” has beats to spare and plenty of space, in which Chrono's rhymes and lines take center stage. He raps with tact and patience, always razor sharp, never letting up the attack. His single is a party anthem which is highly danceable and endlessly exciting, a catalyst for explosive Friday nights. Describing his new track's main themes, Chrono writes, “The single is a fun, club banger meant to be played in the club or while driving, just having fun. It's meant to make people feel good while they are hanging out together.”
“My Producer, GL, went HAM [Hard As a Mother--] on the beat. He also produced 'Girls Gone Wild' by Montana Da Mac which was a club anthem.” Performing hip hop isn't any new thing to Chrono, either. Though still young, himself, he's already a veteran of the mic. “I've been rapping since I was 13 years old,” he relates, “but at the age of 15 it became something I wanted to take serious. I knew there was always something in me that was special and every time I would converse with someone that was interested in me, they would say something along the lines of 'You're going to be something one day.'” The day is now. “All We Do” by Chrono is available online worldwide.
A key line from the song goes, “Ballin', yeah, that's all we do.”
“All We Do” by Chrono http://www.amazon.com/All-We-Do-Single-Chrono/dp/B00O9X9CLC/ Website www.laconicmusicgroup.com
Charles E. Bonamy The Man That Canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Be Beat Written by Yvette Lee
Never one to back down to injustice, Charles E. Bonamy made it clear that he did not like the southern racial segregation during the 50's and 60's. As a result of his continual battle of racial injustice, Bonamy's family sent him to Detroit. "My family was scared that I was gonna end up killed or in jail, so they sent me to live with my uncle Charles in Detroit" said Bonamy. "That's where I did most of my schooling" he added. In Detroit, Bonamy attended Northern High School, where joined the choir and befriended a young Melvin Franklin who later became a member of the legendary Temptations. "In the beginning, me, Melvin and a few other guys started a group. We would rehearse in my uncle's basement. My uncle heard us rehearse and said that everybody sounded good except for me, he said I sounded like a bullfrog"
Bonamy recalled. Of course, he didn't let his uncle's criticism affect his quest for success. While in college Bonamy's life took a turn. "I became an alcoholic, I forgot about singing and alcohol took over my life. I was a good alcoholic though, I was working and going to college. That's where I met my wife Judy" he said. As a "functional alcoholic" Bonamy put his singing on hold to take care of his growing family. After a few years, Bonamy received an offer he couldn't refuse. After hearing about his singing abilities, Teddy Pendergrass asked Bonamy to go on tour with him and the Bluenotes in Philadelphia. Bonamy agreed and off to Philly he went. Unfortunately, the tour did not work out as planned. After one week of touring Bonamy and the group parted ways. "I didn't agree with the things that they were doing" he said. When asked about the "things" that
made him quit the tour, Bonamy did not want to share on the record, but did hint that heavy drug use was one of the factors. Bonamy went on to record the hit single "Let Me In" with the group Yvonne Baker and The Sensations. At the age of 51, for fun, Bonamy decided to take acting lessons. One day his acting coach called him into her office and suggested that he get an agent. Once he got an agent, Bonamy's first audition was for the Wesley Snipes 1994 movie Drop Zone. Nailing the audition, Bonamy landed a speaking part in the hit film. From there Bonamy went on to land roles in films such as Striptease, Moon Over Miami, Any Given Sunday, Miami Vice and Ali. He's also landed numerous national commercials for brands such as Verizon Wireless, Faygo Soda, Heinekin Beer and Snickers Candy. In addition Bonamy has acted in many stage plays.
In 2000 Bonamy was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Undergoing radiation treatment he beat the cancer. All seemed well, Bonamy continued to book acting roles. In 2008, while performing in a stageWritten play inby theYvette Bahamas, Lee Bonamy lost his voice. Upon further observation, he was diagnosed with stage three throat cancer. "The doctors wanted to remove
my vocal cords and put in one of those voice boxes, I could barely speak but I let them know that I was an actor and they couldn't do that," said Bonamy. Doctors advised that the only other option was to undergo both radiation and chemotheraphy at the same time. This was very risky, but Bonamy wanted to do whatever it took to save
his voice. Today Bonamy is cancer free and still landing acting roles.
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Charles Bonamy
For inquiries contact: CBonamyActor@aol.com
UPCLOSE&PERSONAL with Charles E. Bonamy Yay or Nay
Fake Butts and Breasts:! ! Women Who Show a Lot of Skin:! Overweight Women:! ! Gay Marriage:! ! ! Twerking:! ! ! ! ! ! ! Sex Before Marriage:! !
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Would You Rather...
Whitney Houston or Angela Bassett? That's a hard one I love them both, but I'd take Whitney because that's my baby. Michelle Obama or Condoleeza Rice? That’s another hard one, but I’d take Michelle. Whoopie Goldberg or Oprah Winfrey? Whoopie! That’s my girl.
Yay Nay Yay Yay - to each his own Is that when they move their butts up and down? Yay, I like when women do that. I like to look at it. Yay
Would You Ever...
Go Skydiving? ! ! Marry For Money? ! Do a nude sex scene? !
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No No Yes