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issue 009 Editor in Chief Mason Taylor Editorial Assistant Jared Quick Mens Fashion Analyst Earvin Sulapat
CONTENTS
4................................................................................................................................................................................................................... ZAE 6..............................................................................................................................................................................
Jasmine Veasley
8........................................................................................................................................................................................................... Hadar ‘ 12................................................................................................................................................................................................................. Rose
16..................................................................................................................................................................................... Kayla Brianna 20..................................................................................................................................................................................... Myiah Lynnae
MUSIC
@ikeomothakid
@ikeomothakid
What inspired you to start making music? I always would sing just for fun, even at a young age , but didn’t really start taking music seriously until early last year. I would definitely say in the past three years, Bryson Tiller has inspired me the most to pursue my music career. His background and his story really resonates with me. How have you grown as an artist since then? To be completely honest, I’m still in the early stages of my career, and I’m still trying to figure out exactly who I am as an artist, but I definitely feel like in time I will know for sure. In the meantime I’m just putting in work, strengthening my pen game, and trying to develop my sound. Who did you grow up listening to? How can you see their influence(s) in your music today? I’ll never forget the first time I was introduced to John Legend by my Uncle. It was at that moment at the age of nine, riding shotgun in my Uncle’s Honda Accord, when I 4
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heard “Save Room”, where I really felt a deep connection to music, and knew in the future it would play a big part in my life. So I would definitely say John Legend played a big role in sparking my aspiration to create music, and ultimately becoming an artist. What do you do outside of music? Whenever I’m not doing music , I’m usually working out, chillin with friends, on social media, or binge watching Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Who in your life has been your biggest supporter? Honestly I would say all my fans/supporters on social media are the ones that really are there for me the most, so shout out to y’all. What’s one thing you think you could change about the state of the culture right now through your own music? I feel like artists with real talent don’t seem to get enough recognition, whether it’s because of number games, or not being fortunate enough to have a platform where they can really shine and share their gift with the world.
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Our culture tends to accept people that blow up or go viral from other things aside from music, and then decide to become “artists” randomly, not for the real love of music, but just because they know they can profit from it. Who’s your dream collab and why? Dream collab? Definitely would have to say Bryson Tiller, and for a lot of reasons. Honestly I really respect him, as an artist, and a human being. I can tell he comes from a sincere place. He isn’t worried about the fame, he’s dope, and he’s humble. I feel like he’s really just trying create the best life for the people he cares for the most, and I commend him for that. All his songs are a vibe too. What’s next for you and where can people find your music at? I’m currently working on my first EP which will be dropping this year, no confirmed date yet, but will be announced soon. You can stream my music on all streaming platforms: Spotify, Apple Music, Google Play, Tidal, etc. You can follow me @ikeomothakid on all social media.
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POETRY
@jasminelisav
Who are you, and where are you from? My name is Jasmine Lisa Veasley, and my artist name is JAS-MINE. I am 22 years old, my birthday is the first of November, I am a Scorpio. I describe myself as a writer, artist, and r&b singer. I’m from Honolulu, Hawaii. I was born on the island of Oahu and raised in Texas, Rhode Island, and Virginia. My dad was in the military, so I moved around a lot, but Hawaii has always been my home. How did you get your start in poetry or writing, what made you want to be a poet? I always loved the free-write sessions in my English classes growing up, and I always loved writing whatever was on my mind. During my junior year of college at University of Hawaii West Oahu, I took a creative writing that focused on writing and reading poetry books. I never thought I could write poetry the way the poets we learned about in class, but I gave it a try. My professor really enjoyed reading my poetry, and I received a lot of great feedback from the people around me so I continued to embrace my passion for writing.
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When did you discover you had this special gift and love for writing enough to want to pursue? I discovered my gift and love for writing when I’d write things for my friends and family to uplift them during their tough situations, and even birthday cards; I noticed that people around me were getting inspired by my writings, and they would tell me that it helped them a lot throughout the years. Everything ranged from a simple birthday post to a 3 page letter. No matter how short or how long my writings were, I always felt like the words came easy to me. With music, I’ve tried songwriting and it takes a really long time for me to construct a song and I even get writer’s block. But with writing, it comes naturally for me. Would you say that you have a style, how would you describe it? I don’t think I necessarily have a style, I just try to be myself. But if I had to describe my style, I’d say that I’m very open and vulnerable in my writing. Especially in my long blog posts, I’d write whatever is bothering me in complete detail. I think that’s what makes my writing
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more personal and it allows my readers to travel inside my mind. Who would you say influences you, what inspires you to be different and to want to create? My aunt has been a huge influence in my writing growing up. She is also a writer, and she also draws. I loved the way her words flowed on paper, and it made me love writing even more. To be honest, I got a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting but I realized that it wasn’t something I was passionate about. I majored in Accounting to pay the bills, but I knew I had this creative side in me. I couldn’t escape it or hide it anymore. I think what really pushed me was the conversations I had with my Philosophy professor after every class. He also had a love for poetry, and he would show me poetry books and a poetry app. I told him that I didn’t think that writing would even get me anywhere but he truly believed in me. On the last day of class he gifted me a stack of poetry books and told me to never give up. After that day, I started getting a lot of followers who were poets. I began reading their work and getting inspired. I eventually realized that I need to just go out and try it. I think creating things is amazing, and I just wanted to embrace that part of me. Have you ever been inspired to create a poem that was based off a social or political influence? Yes, I’m usually more so inspired to create a poem based off of social influences than political. I do think that both are very important to stay connected to the world and respond to what’s happening in society.
What happens when you can’t write? Do you do other things besides poetry, such as short stories, lyric writing for musicians If I can’t write, I’ll listen to music or watch motivational YouTube videos to help me get creative. If I’m not writing poetry, I usually just free-write; I let my thoughts move the pen. I haven’t written a short story since college, but it is something that I wouldn’t mind going back to again. I’m not really good at songwriting right now, but maybe one day in the future I’ll start making music again. What is your process for creating? My mind usually wanders every now and then throughout the day, so I always make sure to have my journal and pen with me at all times or if not then I use my phone. I can be anywhere and my then something inspires me or my thoughts inspire me to write it down. It usually happens when I’m sitting down somewhere, and I get in my head and the words just flow out of my mind and onto paper. I try not to ignore it because I believe that once those thoughts escape you, and you haven’t written them down on paper, there’s no way you can get them back. Are there any upcoming projects that we could be looking forward to in the future? Yes, I plan on creating my own poetry book and giving music another try.
Where do you come up with your content for your writing? A lot of times it’s whatever is on my mind at the moment. If I don’t have anything truly bothering me or nobody to write to or about, I often just don’t write. Usually if I haven’t posted anything on my blog for a while, I’ll just sit down and write or type random things like how I’m feeling and how’s the weather. Eventually, the things that are lingering in my subconscious mind will come to the surface and I take bits and pieces of that to create a post.
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MUSIC
@hadaradora
Who did you grow up listening to? How has their music inspired you through your creative process? I grew up listening to everything from rock to pop to middle eastern music. I definitely listened to a lot of hip hop I think just being from New York. My dad always played blues and old school rock on his guitar around the house. There was always music in my house when I was growing up. Artists that have inspired me supremely would be Janis Joplin, Beyoncé, Amy Winehouse, Etta James, Michael Jackson, Jim Morrison and Freddie Mercury. I listened to these people primarily through my life and it’s just developed my vibe. I have all of them in my sound. I’m just inspired by those human beings who express their deepest desires and fears through melodies and words. Passion inspires me. Fearlessness and truth makes me feel like there’s a reason to be alive.
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@hadaradora
hadaradora
How has your upbringing, and the city around you, influenced your creativity? I grew up with a magical mother and the coolest dad. My dad is an amazing artist in every sense of the word and the best guitarist I’ve ever heard. My mother was the most captivating performer I ever saw. I saw them performing all the time. I was on the road with them in a sense. Get picked up from school, get in the van, go to a show. My dad had a dope band with his brother and my mom was a really successful children’s music singer. It was the best way to grow up. High school was crazy and that developed more of my character. I went kind of wild, just did what I wanted and it gave me some great material to write about so I don’t regret a thing. New York really just always feels right and good to me. You can hop on a train and be in another world and see people you’ve never seen before and will never see again. It’s absolutely the greatest place in the world. I can always find inspiration there. I can be whoever I want.
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What is your writing process like? My writing process depends on where I am and who I’m with. When I’m alone, it’s easiest. I converse with myself and just work. When there’s other people in the room, my energy is different and I can feel more pressure just depending on the person. Which is good sometimes, pressure makes me move.
If you could trade your ability to sing for a superpower, would you? What would it be?
like I stand on my own though. My music is unique because of my blend of melodies and how I flow. I’m sharp and smooth. I’m pop and rock and blues. I have something to say and people want to listen to the way I say it to them. I make you feel up and down whenever you need whichever.
What is your favorite thing to do creatively outside of music, and why? I love reading. I used to read a few books weekly. In high school, I would go to Barnes n Nobles whenever I wasn’t doing shenanigans after school and stay there till they closed. It’s an escape for me. I have fallen in love a million times and made so many friends. Characters still pop up in my head all the time. I love a good series more than anything but my guilty pleasure is teen sci-fi series. I’m slowly getting back into it, balancing finding new worlds and working. I can binge on books and get really obsessed so I must be careful.
Never. It’s my most precious gift from God. But I always wanted healing powers. To bring a flower back to life or touch someone and make anger or pain go away. I would think that that’s the most powerful thing I could be.
Who is Hadar, behind the music? There’s so many different moods I have. I’m quiet and loud, up and down. I feel everything really deeply. But mostly I’m just a person who wants to create. Actively work on being there for the people who want to listen to my music and my words and ideas.
Who’s been your biggest inspiration?
What about you, and your music, sets you apart from other artists? I love the new artists on the rise. I genuinely am in awe of the women on the scene. Absolute disbelief at how unapologetic girls are being. It makes me feel like I can truly be me. I do feel
Beyonce. She is just the greatest of all time. Bey is so on it and so into it. She’s just a hard working woman who believes in her damn vision. I push myself to be the greatest me with the example of women doing the same. I believe we all can learn from each other. Men and women. Just humans in general are inspiring you just have to surround yourself with the right ones.
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MUSIC
@iamrosepetal
What drew you to music? When I was very young, probably seven or eight years old, I remember listening to Britney Spears, Destiny’s Child, TLC and Madonna. I would watch MTV and VH1 for the Top 20 Video Countdown and dream of what it would be like to be an artist. I was completely fascinated by performance art, music videos, and or course voice. I would sing in my room and write lyrics; Then, sing the songs I wrote into a tape recorder that my parents bought for me. As I got older I would perform on stage as much as possible. It’s interesting looking back because I was always very shy and introverted, I didn’t particularly like being the center of attention. But when I would perform I felt very sure and very confident in myself and my capabilities. I loved entertaining people and it was really exciting to know that I was good at it naturally without intensive training under my belt at the time. I was involved in choir all throughout school, switching between Soprano and Alto; While in High school I stud12
@ iamrosepetal
iamrosepetal
ied primarily Voice, Music Theory, and English which really helped me to learn technical skill along with writing technique. After graduating my passion for music continued. I originally wanted to be in a band, but due to everyone’s busy schedule I had to find another way to express myself musically. I found out that I could produce music digitally from home and that is when I began learning about FL Studio and music production. Music has always been a major influence on my life and I have always felt drawn to creating and expressing myself through sound. What do you do when you’re not feeling inspired? I find that typically if I’m not feeling inspired the key reason is because my mind is racing and I’m focusing on too many things at once. To counteract that, I usually meditate. I find that meditation brings me back to center,
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and back to my true self. Sometimes I will listen to music that inspires me, or I will read. I like to paint, sometimes the colors and textures will inspire new music. When I’m producing I often try to visualize what the beat would look like so that I know what it’s missing. The color could be different pads or keys, and the texture could be drums or noise in the background. Sometimes it will sound too dark, and need something bright, like a bell or some type of percussion maybe even a cymbal. I find that journaling about my day or whatever is on my mind helps too. I like to run and workout, and I notice that when I’m active I feel more energetic and in turn I feel more inspired. I think that when we are not inspired the key is to nurture our mind and body so that our thoughts can flow freely. I try not to be overly concerned with what others think of my art. I used to constantly ask for feedback and approval from others. Over time I found that seeking confirmation was actually limiting my creativity and my inspiration. It’s always good to get feedback from peers, but no one knows or understands your art as well as you do. It can be limiting to have different opinions floating through your mind while trying to create. I try to only compare myself to myself. To always try to write a better song, better production, better lyrics in comparison to what I’ve created before. I remind myself that it is about MY personal growth. Of course, I hope that my music will resonate with others. But, to stay inspired I try not to limit myself, or feel in any way confined to any type of box others might put me in.
about Contemporary while giving the leeway for experimenting with other sounds. When I first started producing, my main influences came from trap music along with witch-house, shoegaze and future-garage. I notice the way that I write my lyrics and song structure comes from a combination of pop influences but abstract in the same way that indie, post-rock or experimental music can be. My inspiration also comes from my life in general. I’ve kept a diary since elementary school; my book case is full of them. Most of my lyrics are based off of entries both new and old; some phrases have stuck with me all my life. I’ve kept a journal in my car the past five years, and I find that in my car I have wrote some of the most honest entries which have also turned into songs. A lot of my diaries contain poetry; I have a deep love for spoken word. As far as vocal structure, I’m definitely influenced by my chorale background. I love harmonizing with myself and layering my voice where I find necessary, or however possible to create a fuller sound. To keep elevating my sound, I will simply keep listening and evolving. Even throughout the past few years that I have been releasing my own independent music, I can see how I’ve changed with my environment. The experiences in my life have had a great impact on how I express myself
What inspires your sound? How do you plan to keep elevating it as you grow as an artist? My sound has been picked up from all different types of music, for sure. I love so many different genres and I feel that they have all contributed to my sound. As soon as I started learning production it was quite obvious to me how influenced I was by my eclectic musical background. I’ve gone through a lot of phases musically throughout my life. There are times where I want to chill and listen to ambient music like Sigur Ros, and sometimes I want to throw down in my apartment to post hardcore or metalcore like La Dispute or Norma Jean (to name very few). I have always been highly influenced by R&B music and I love Alternative R&B because it takes what I love energy
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musically. It would be difficult to plan how to elevate my sound; I feel that is something that comes naturally with time, experience and personal growth. I plan to continue my journey in music with an open heart and an open mind; to sharpen my skills in production and song writing, while continuing to gain any knowledge possible. There is always something new to learn, and there is always room for growth. What has been your most creative collaboration so far and how did it come to be? I would say that my most creative collaboration would have to be the music video for my latest single “Coming Down”. It was the first visual representation of my art besides photos and single covers. I had a lot of fun planning the creative direction for the video. When I write music, it’s usually just me. So, to have others to coordinate and work with was really different but also really inspiring. I was looking for a videographer that was local to my city, that’s when I found Alex Sandoval. I sent him the track and he agreed to shoot and help direct the video with me. My main goal for the video was to capture the vibe of the song and also show who I am. On the set I brought a lot of different props with me: Roses, a bubble machine, Japanese folding fans, candles, balloons, paint and of course glitter. Those are all objects that inspire me for one reason or another. It was really cool to take the sensuality that I express in my music and display it in a playful way. Who are you listening to right now? I listen to so much music. Right now I’ve been vibing to a lot of different female artists: Banks, FKA Twigs, Tinashe, Kilo Kish, Doja Cat, EMI, Kali Uchis, Grimes and Sabrina Claudio. I’ve also been listening to A$AP Mob, A.CHAL, Kendrick Lamar, Tyler The Creator, 6LACK, Crystal Castles, Young Magic, Bon Iver, Night Lovell, The Weeknd, Gucci Mane, BONES, Balam Acab, Shlohmo, Purity Ring, Death Cab For Cutie, and Drake along with many others! What’s next for you? I have singles lined up along with an EP and more visuals. The EP has been in the works for the past year, but I’m waiting until the timing feels right. I want to be sure that it is the perfect example of where I’m at and what I’m capable of, especially because it will be my first project. I’m a super perfectionist about my sound, especially my mixes. I have shows lined up this year and I’ll be doing some traveling. One of my favorite parts about music is that it brings people together; I’m stoked that I know people all around the globe through creating and sharing my art. The world has never felt so small and I’m really excited to get out there. I’m incredibly competitive with myself so this year I’m planning to go as hard as possible with promotion and new releases to try and reach more potential fans and gain more experience. I’m really thankful for the small successes that I’ve had after only releasing music for one year, but I’m always looking to one-up myself and reach new heights. It’s going to be a good year.
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ENTERTAINMENT
KAYLA BRIANNA @kaylabrianna
@ kaylabrianna
kaylabriannax
Who is Kayla Brianna, when the cameras are off? When the lights are off, I’m super chill. Usually in no makeup, sweats and hanging out with friends or family. What got you into acting and creating music? Growing up having family members in the industry, my mom decided to put me in musical theater, which made me grow a natural love for it. You’ve got some pretty heavy features under your belt. What has been your favorite collaborative experience so far? My favorite collab so far has been with Dreezy because we definitely vibed in the studio and have become really good friends outside of that as well. If you could choose one superpower to have what would it be and why? I would love to read minds. I mean, who wouldn’t love to know what everyone was thinking?! [LOL] What can we be expecting from your new album? You can expect a lot more honesty and vocal tracks on my EP. I’m excited for everyone to really understand my sound and have everything be in one cohesive place that everyone can listen to. How would you describe your style? I would say my style is very versatile. I love wearing sneakers more than heels. But I still love being a girly-girl at the same time. So you can find me somewhere in between. Can you tell us about your fashion line and what that means to you? K.M. Fem is my fashion line I have with my sister. It’s definitely something that we’ve always wanted to do since we were young, but we want it to be perfect and truly us, so we are working on making sure that comes across in our line.
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MUSIC
MYIAH LYNNAE @myiahlynnaemusic
@Myiahlynnae
Who is Myiah Lynnae, behind the music? I ask myself this multiple times everyday because I’m in a constant state of self exploration/evaluation. But, even behind the music I’m just a physical reflection of the feelings in the music.. Tender-hearted, feminine, a little edgy, and fun! What is your creative process like? When i record it’s very private.. Erykah Badu said it best, & just like her - I’m sensitive [‘bout my ish lol]. I record in my room and engineer myself because I feel most free in my own space. As far as creating a song some days i write lyrics out with pen and paper and other times I’ll lay some melodies, then fill the melodies with lyrics, it just depends on the vibe. Who in your life has inspired you the most? My family as a whole is a huge source of my inspiration! On a personal level, I think my family is full of love, power & resilience and i feel so blessed to be cut from that cloth! My Inspiration in relation to music really sparked from my Aunt Ashley. As a little girl my Aunt was (& Still is) a wonder to me. She exposed me to artists like Coldplay, RadioHead, & Dave Matthews Band, she could go from playing alternative rock to Soul/R&B seamlessly. She also played the piano by ear, was a beast on the clarinet, & could school you on all things dealing with black excellence & systematic racism. To me, she was 50% Music & 50% activist [lol] she just made me feel like life had no boundaries & there was nothing I couldn’t do.
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Can you tell us about the story behind your newest track “Step Inside”? “Step Inside” for me was all about having fun and letting loose. I’m really ‘bout business when I record [lol] like, I can be real hard on myself so I decided I was going to do the opposite and allow myself to have some fun & i feel so happy with how the record turned out! Who is in your current Top 5? In complete honesty I got a record player from my mom on Christmas and with the exception of listening to Oshea’s music and my own, I’ve only been listening to vinyl [lol] but you can never go wrong with Beyonce, SZA, Solange, H.E.R, or Thirdstory What’s next for you? Well, I have a lot of new music ready to be released, I’m working on new content like official visuals and live cover videos for my YouTube page, & I have a handmade jewelry line called “Songbird Jewelry” that I’m relaunching at the end of March! I’m just gonna keep working, keep exploring, expressing & inspiring! Thank you so much for reaching out, I really enjoyed answering these questions!
In your own words, what about your music separates you from other artists? I’m the only one responsible for processing life from this vantage point and that is what sets me apart, my perspective. Being yourself is the key. No matter who you are, or what you do once you’ve found your balance of transparency & creativity you’ve found your space. energy
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