R.A.W Magazine Summer 2019 : Intuition by rawmag

Summer 2019

The Team

Editor In Chief

Fashion & Food Editor

Editorial Assistant

Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Fashion Analyst

Mason Taylor

Earvin Sulapat

Jared Quick

Nelanie Turli

Cover Image: Model - Yasmin Ray Photographer - Jeremy Jude Lee Makeup - Miel Enage Stylist - Isabella Valdez AD- Donnel Garcia

In This Issue

8 JAG

Visual Art

Music

4 Nailah Howze

22 Cover Story - Yasmin Ray

12 Phresh Laundry

38 Kaylan Arnold

26 Naomi Huff

44 PaceOBeats

Poetry 18 Theresa Tha Songbird 32 Maya Grantham

Photographer // Los Angeles, Ca

Instagram: @cloudnaiii / Twitter: @cloudnaii / cloudnaii.com

PHOTOGRAPHY NailahHowze Tell us a little bit about yourself and your background with photography. My name is Nailah Howze and I am photographer / videographer based out of LA . I Fell in love with photography while being on a path to becoming a director. This is just one of many stops for me. How have your surroundings influenced your creative vision? My surroundings have had a huge influence on my creative vision. I’ve moved to several places and been forced to adapt. I just want to show people of color in the most beautiful light. We have so many shades of people and so many places with the history, and I like to combine the two . When did you first pick up a camera? When did you decide to pursue photography? I have always been into taking pictures, but while I was in the Air Force I saved a bunch of money in 6 months and bought my camera in 2015 and I have been shooting ever since. I was in a hard place in my life and I wanted to document how I was feeling. This eventually connected me with others and brought me to the hundreds of models I’ve worked with now. It was an outlet for me .

Does your military background affect the way you look at places and people when it comes to creativity? Absolutely. Iwas stuck in a box when serving in the Air Force... I had so much I wanted to say but couldn’t get out due to the integrity I needed to keep for my job. So now I feel an overload of expression spilling out everyday through my photos . You’ve gained quite the following in a short window of time. What’s your secret? I have no secret except to continue to be consistent. A lot of times people get discouraged as soon as they see the numbers not matching. That’s ok, social media is changing daily. It will get in the right hands eventually . My favorite quote is, “the sun and the moon both shine, just at different times” What’s next for you? Whats next for me is creating my own media company / agency. Create more opportunities for Black and brown People, especially women . Curate events and work with artist to help them get the recognition they deserve.

Do you prefer to shoot in studio, or in the field and why. I prefer to shoot on location. I am a true believer that you can’t capture the same exact photo twice when shooting outside. I also love just shooting in new places. Summer 2019

photographed by Nailah Howze

Rapper // South Central, Los Angeles, CA

Instagram: @jag / Twitter: @southcentraljag

MUSIC JAG Can you tell us a little bit of your story, as well as what your background with music is? I grew up in the West Adams district of South Central LA. I got into music via battle rap. There was one battle rap spot in LA called The Pit. It was me Daylyt, Disazter, Gizzle to name just a few but I was vicious. Really made a name for myself there and then went out to NYC and battled some people out there as well. I was in a label meeting and they weren’t really [messing] with battle rappers like that, so I knew I had to teach myself how to start making songs. How have your surroundings influenced your style and sound? Growing up in South Central, you’re forced to become grown at an early age. So obviously being around gangs, drugs, poverty that all played a role in influencing my sound and what I was rapping about but I was never a “west coast” rapper like that. I never did the party music that LA was known for so I was always kind of contradictory in that sense. What was your creative process like in picking the features for your newest project Loren Miller: Act 2? To be honest, my team and I didn’t decide to split the project into 2 parts until a few weeks before we were dropping it. So a lot of the features were just picked based on who I wanted on this body of work. But as far as deciding what went on act 1 vs act 2, we really tried to make sure there was a balance. Every feature on this album is really doing their thing or already a legend-

ie Crooked I. When you look at every feature they’re not the most popular artists out from a mainstream standpoint, but they’re beyond nice and have wild fan bases. I just wanted to make sure everyone on here could really hold they own and bring a vibe that was different than mine but still fire. Speaking of Loren Miller: Act 2, is there a track that sticks out to you personally based on its content? West Adams Flows no question. I was talking! How do you use your music to speak on issues going on in society? Man thats something I’ve really been trying to do for the last 3-4 years. Me being a Black dude from LA and being old enough to remember the LA riots and then just seeing where America has gone over the years, I always make sure to speak on the subjects that impact my life most. On Loren Miller you got How It Feels To Be Black with Reason and the last project I had Black Boy Rise with Reason and Cozz… and then of course there was Kapernick Effect which changed my life so I’m never going to stop speaking on those things - it’s too important. Who’s in your current top 5? Me, Drake, Cole, Kendrick, Boogie.

Summer 2019

What is one thing you want listeners to get from your music? I’ve always wanted listeners to get what I call “that feel”... If you hear my music and you don’t feel something inside that evokes some sort of emotion whether it’s deep or turnt, I always want people to get that feel when they hear it. What’s next for you? A major tour, my first mainstream HIT, possibly a record deal and the Grammys.

Visual Artist // Indianapolis, IN

Instagram: @thatlaundry // Twitter: @phreshlaundry / phreshlaundry.com

VISUAL ART PhreshLaundry Can you give us a little bit of your story, and your background with art?

How have your surroundings influenced your creativity?

First off, thank you for reaching out to me to do this interview, it means a lot. Me in a nutshell, I was born and raised in St. Louis Missouri. We’ve moved around the city a lot, to other bigger cities. My father was a manager of a company so we moved and traveled a lot to bigger cities because of that. I’m the oldest of four boys and I just found myself gravitating to art. I’ve been drawing since the age of 3, professionally, since the age of 13. I just love art. I used to go to art museums, seeing colors, seeing sounds, and seeing people - and just people. I love being among creative people and just the community that comes with it.

Just loving on people from all walks of life. It gives me that synergy I need to create and pump out everything that I’m absorbing, to give back to others and to the canvas as well to articulate what I’m thinking and just my heart at the moment - so it’s pretty cool.

It’s all in a name. Where does “Phresh Laundry” come from? My name was birthed out of pain. I was a young man, kind of depressed, who did not know what I wanted to do or be in life. If you don’t know your purpose you feel worthless and times and I definitely found my way gravitating towards painting. That was the only time I would feel good about myself, about being alive and the whole nine. So I found myself sobbing in a load of dirty clothes. There’s a scripture in the Bible where David is talking to God saying, create in me a clean heart and renew the right spirit within me. The only time I felt that enjoyment was when I was talking to people, praying, or painting. So anytime I’m painting, that’s me hanging my laundry. So that’s the story behind the name Phresh Laundry. It’s spelled with PH so that it’s different.

Who is Phresh Laundry, behind the art? I’m a married father of two. When I’m not making art I am a banker full time. I’m a dad full time. I’m a husband full time. So those are the different elements of me. I love my family, I love being married. My wife and I have been happily married for going on 5 years now it’s been a blessing. Who in your life has been your biggest creative influence, and how? My dad. He’s given us the luxury of being children. He gave us the luxury of seeing him work for us and go hard and grind for his family. He was an artist as well. He did oils and acrylics, he’s still around he just decided to focus more on family life versus art life. That was appealing to me so I kept going. He’s my biggest influence. He’s a silent force, he doesn’t say much but his actions literally speak louder than words.

Summer 2019

What do you enjoy doing outside of painting? Outside of painting I love cooking, I can cook my tail off. When my wife comes home, she gets a hot cooked meal from me. I like being with my brothers, like I said I have three younger brothers so just being silly with them. I like being with my kids. I like flying kites. I like smashing on some tacos- can’t ever go wrong with tacos. I’m just an everyday dude, believe it or not I just enjoy life. Sitting around chilling relaxing, you know have a good cocktail maybe a glass of wine and I’m good. How do you use your art to talk about things that are going on in society? Man, my art is my voice. I’m really a quiet person, I’m a shy person by nature. So my art, if there’s an injustice or something not promoting equality and if it’s something that’s pulling at my heartstrings to do and portray then I’m going to say it. It’s not for likes, it’s not for getting money out of anybody to see my art, it’s a genuine care that there should be awareness to things. Whether it be dealing with African American issues, politics, equality for other walks of life, really anything you can think of - if there’s an injustice and something that isn’t bringing a better good I will address it. What’s next for you? I plan on hanging laundry in other cities and countries and just taking my art, my laundry, around the world. Hopefully I’ll be able to have a good dose of life and just enjoy something positive something reinforcing, and different perspectives. My name is Theopolis Smith III, and I am Phresh Laundry. Be good. works by @thatlaundry

works by @thatlaundry

Poet // Atlanta, GA

Instagram: @thasongbird Real Artists Wanted : Intuition

POETRY TheresaThaSongbird Can you tell us a little bit of your story, as well as what your background is with spoken word/poetry. I’m Theresa Tha SONGBIRD, a classically trained vocalist and self made spoken word artist. I have been professionally performing, teaching, consulting and coaching artists for 21 years. I’m the oldest of three daughters born to a Mississippi couple living in the suburbs of Chicago. My parents moved us to a small quiet neighborhood which allowed me room to dream of a life under the lights. I have always been on stage in one way or another as a singer, but I didn’t start writing poetry until I was 14. What got you into writing, and how did the spoken word aspect of that come about for you?

favorite Chicago poets to Millikin to perform, and established myself as “the” spoken word artist on campus. I even executive produced the poetry society’s first spoken word album as a collaboration between the student organization and the school of music. How have your surroundings influenced your creativity? Because my poetry comes from such a personal place a lot of my inspiration is based on my experience or the experiences of people that I’m in close proximity to. However there is also a part of me that desires to address people’s emotions in my poetry. And in doing so I really see to make people of color feel excellent about themselves when they hear my poetry. What has been your biggest accomplishment so far in your career? Biggest setback? How have the two together helped shape who you are today?

Initially I started writing poetry as an alternative to journaling. Journaling for public consumption, I guess. I would share pass my poems around my lunch tables and let my homies read my work. As years progressed I found my art constantly putting me in elevated and distinguished spaces. I was a state Champion poetry reader in high school and the only black student to graduate from the Millikin University School of Music in 2004.

The biggest accomplishment I’ve had in my career so far without a doubt has been watching my appearance on the Trumet Awards go viral. Hearing stories from all across the globe of black people in love with themselves through my words has really put my purpose into a grander perspective. I have found it to be a truly life-changing experience and I am so excited for what my future holds.

College is really where I flourished as a spoken word artist. I would explore the art culture in Chicago and bring pieces of that culture back to my campus as the president of the poetry society. I was able to bring my

My biggest set back has been fear. Being a full time artist is a nerve wrecking endeavor. Every day or event isn’t always a profitable one. There was a time in Atlanta where I was homeless and couch surfing. But I pulled

Summer 2019

myself up out of my situation with poetry, and my hustle. I have learned how to live with little to nothing and manage to still find enough to share. Take us through your Trumpet Awards experience, and what it’s been like since that night. Being at the Trumpet Awards was a surreal experience. It was so awesome seeing so many influential artists that I admire up close and personal. Once it was my turn to perform I was absolutely nervous, excited and extremely focused. If nothing else I knew that I wanted to impress and impact all of the people that were in the room. I hadn’t really given any thought to the cameras or to the filming happening. I was more caught up in being transcendent in the moment with the audience in front of me. To finish the poem to a rousing standing ovation was quite overwhelming to my spirit! After the filming of the award show a few of those same celebrities that I was in awe over earlier were looking to me to congratulate me on how moving my performance was. Since the award show I have been extremely books and busy. I’ve had the opportunity to perform with Robert Glasper, and soon I will also share the stage with pillars of the activist and poetry community, The Last Poets! What is one thing you want people to get from your work? When people hear my poetry, if nothing else I want them to go away with a sense of amplification. I want people to feel better when they leave than when they arrived. And I specifically want to direct that feeling towards people of color first. What’s next for you? Coming up next for me is my one-woman show! That will be running later this summer, in Atlanta and a few of my other favorite cities. You can also look out for me in a few other theater productions. In the meantime I am booked doing poetry all over the country and always happy to do more poetry anywhere people want to see me perform!

Real Artists Wanted : Intuition

Summer 2019

Last time we talked you had just released your EP, Blank Canvas. What has been the most memorable moment on your journey since? It’s been a windy path, but one that has also been rewarding, nonetheless. The saying that “you get what you give” stands to be true when it comes to accomplishing all of your goals and seeing how they can come into fruition if you set a clear intention. One of the most memorable moments has been travelling to Atlanta, Georgia to record. The city’s culture and soul has played a heavy influence on me. Also shoutout to my big bro JC for always looking out for me and mentoring me on this journey. Tell us about your latest show at Portside! Portside was such a big vibe and given that it was almost an all female line-up, there is so much weight that is carried within that statement. Although we each had our own story to tell, each artist was a powerhouse in their own right. There is so much beauty that comes with connecting with other artists because by working together we can create a stronger imprint within our community’s culture.

From looking at the BTS clips you’ve shared, it looks like shooting the video for Dreams was a lot more involved than most indie videos. What was shoot experience like for you? Shooting this music video has been one of the biggest highlights of my career and year thus far. It’s particularly special to me because it was Tamara Black’s directorial debut, who has been a good long time friend of mine. Getting to be a part of each other’s journey at such a pivotal point has made this process all the more rewarding. The cast & crew that was curated for this project was nothing short of amazing and the energy each person had was fire! I could not have asked for a better team to bring the visuals to life. When can we check it out? Currently we are finishing up our final edit and from there on we will have a better gauge on the release date! I’m thinking August.Will keep you posted!

Can you tell us the story of how your upcoming release, Dreams, came to be as far as the collaboration, as well as the story behind the song itself? When my friend- producer Matty Busco- first let me listen to the beat for “Dreams”, I was immediately drawn to the familiarity and sauciness to it. The concept for the song was a theme that I wanted to write about for awhile because it is directly inspired from my life and the lives of all the fly women that I’m surrounded by. This record is about fearlessly going after your dreams regardless of how intangible they are and being in the midst of that process where you’re almost so hungry that you get tunnel-visioned. Yet it also plays on the fact that despite being a go-getter we understand and acknowledge that we still need some love too.. but then it’s back to the grind!

Real Artists Wanted : Intuition

Summer 2019

Instagram: @nhuffstudio

Visual Artist// Palatka FL

VISUAL ART NaomiHuff Give us the elevator pitch version of your story. So, I remember creating at as young as seven years old. I used to draw all over the walls in my house (and got spanked frequently for doing so [haha]!) From about 7 all the way to high school I would say that I was making things that I thought were “art” and what I thought other people wanted to see. I would copy references of other drawings and get frustrated when what I was doing didn’t turn out like what I was copying or if something wasn’t perfectly spot on in detail. I was never really formally trained until college so I spent a lot of my time not knowing how to really approach art and what to create. Being in art school has allowed me to really showing my style and figure out that I want to create and deliver to my community. Being a black woman in America and the position that the country is in right now has inspired a lot of my work. I wanted to start creating things that would allow me to be prideful in my blackness and love who I am and this series has allowed me to do that. When did you realize art was something you wanted to pursue? I knew that I wanted to pursue really when it was the only thing that I could see myself doing long term in a career. I honestly haven’t ever pictured myself in another career path other than art. I don’t have the drive to do anything else. What inspires your work?

music and looking at visual art often changes the perspective of a piece so, I tried to marry the two together in my gallery show. I listen to all genres but mostly Hip Hop. My commute to school is about an hour so I usually spend that time jammin’ and coming up with new ideas for pieces. For those that have never been to a gallery with your work on display, can you explain how you incorporate music into your pieces? It was actually way easier than I thought it was going to be. So, almost every piece had a song or a poem that went with each one. I use QR codes. I took a QR code generator and put the finished code into the description of each piece if you scanned the code on the title card next to the piece the song would come on through Youtube or Itunes. How do you use your work to speak on events going on in society? As an artist do you feel a responsibility to do that? I do my research and I usually add text to a lot of my pieces in order to touch on issues in society. Whether it’s with song lyrics or script writing I make sure that real life issues are always included. I feel like people connect the most through song so I always have that as an element in my art. I definitely feel like I have a responsibility to tell not only my story but the stories of people who came before me and also people who cannot speak for themselves.

Music. I feel like the music is the next best form of expression next to visual art and I feel like listening to Summer 2019

Who as an artist inspires you the most? It constantly changes but at this time in my life its Kendrick Lamar. His music is just raw and uncut and untamed and he doesn’t give a damn what anyone else thinks about him or his stuff, he’s still going to speak his truth no matter what it is. That’s really the type of energy that I’ve been on recently. If you could give creative advice to your 12 year old self, what would it be? Keep practicing. There is always an opportunity to improve and don’t put so much pressure on yourself. Nothing will come in a night and you won’t always understand why things happen the way that they do, but just keep pushing and speak your truth to everyone who will listen. What’s on deck for you? Ever since I was a kid I always said I wanted to design clothes at some point and I’ve always put it off. Fashion is the one field of art I feel like I haven’t really touched yet so I’ll be starting a certificate program at THOS Fashion School in Boca Raton, Florida. In the meantime ill be graduating Florida School of the Arts with my AS in Studio Art and trying to practice creating everyday.

Real Artists Wanted : Intuition

works by @nhuffstudio

Queenstown Public House // Little Italy, San Diego

by Earvin Sulapat

I don’t know about you but these days I prefer Sunday brunches over a night out at the club. A Saturday night at Club is cool and everything but it’s just not for me anymore. Ohhh god I think I’m getting old but what’s a better way to start off your Sunday with a amazing brunch at your favorite spot. Where is your go-to Brunch/Lunch place? Queenstown Public House in Little Italy definitely would be my choice. It literally is this cute house on the corner of Cedar and Columbia you cant miss it ! The ambience and vibe of the place is just so welcoming With so many brunch places to go to something about this place makes me feel at home, No pun intended. Queenstown is also dog friendly so feel free to bring your doggos are welcome ! I usually start off my meal with a mimosa and or coffee, yea basic as fuck right? You can have your choice or Blood Orange, Orange Pineapple or a classic orange mimosa. Not feeling the mimosas? How about Sangrias? They have too many to name so you’d have to check that out yourself when you stop by! Now fellas maybe you’re not feeling those girly drinks a beer perhaps? If you don’t feel like having any alcoholic beverage they have great selection of fresh house made lemonade you an also choose from! Now this is not your typical breakfast spot Queenstown Public House is a full service restaurant that serves brunch. I don’t want you guys coming in here expecting them to have pancakes and breakfast burritos. has a New Zealand inspired menu with a little bit of American influence. Queenstown Brunch Menu is broken down by sections: Family style, Main entrees and On Buns. Again there’s too many to write on here so I’d leave that up to you to check out on your own. For me I got another typical thing to order on the menu, A american classic chicken and waffles. Come on, you can’t ever go wrong with chicken and waffles! Chloe was date on this brunch and she ordered the Sliders with a side of fries. Definitely one of the best fries I’ve had and thats coming a lot from me I’m kind of a fries connossiseur. What’s next after a amazing brunch you may ask? It’s never a bad idea to take a walk off that meal around Little Italy. If you end up going on a Saturday they usually have the farmers market going on! On a perfect day a walk through the farmers market would be ideal. Little Italy’s Mercado farmers market is filled with 150+ vendors offering fresh produce, meats, and Arts&crafts. I hope this gave you an idea for a date one day and If you end up going to Queenstown tag us on the gram and share your experience!

Summer 2019

Poet // Somerdale, NJ

Instagram: @iam.mayajae // Twitter: @iam.mayajae

POETRY MayaGrantham What’s your story? I grew up in New Jersey. I lived with both of my parents, and one out of two older sisters. Before writing I was a dancer. I danced for my church most of the time, which then got me opportunities to study and dance other places. I started writing in sixth grade, and modeling in the ninth grade. So a majority of my life was spent ministering (dance and poetry), modeling and going to school. I was also acting then, and a regular co host on the radio. So my childhood wasn’t particularly normal, but I loved being involved in so many things that I loved. Over time, I decided to focus more on writing and modeling. I graduated high school, never attended college, although I was accepted. Now I am where I am. What drew you to poetry? When did you decide it was something you wanted to fully pursue? I started writing poetry in middle school as a requirement, and I absolutely hated it. Eventually, we had to write our own poem about whatever we wanted. I decided to write about the toxic relationship I had with my mother at the time. My teacher thought it was really good and encouraged me to share it with her. After seeing the response, and seeing how it changed the quality of our relationship, I thought this was something I wanted to do. Make change creatively, through poetry. How do your surroundings influence you creatively?

on in my personal life, on social media, the news even. I constantly have inspiration for my writing. I just take from whatever is on my mind the most and run with it. Who is Maya Jae, behind the pen? Behind the pen, Maya Jae is a goofy, family orientated, modeling Jersey girl. Beyond writing and ministering I’m honestly pretty basic. I work in a group home with adults with mental and physical disabilities. I spend a lot of time with family and friends, and I just go with the flow of things. I am what most would call, a free spirit. It’ been a little over a year since you published “My Little Black Book” , what has your experience been like since then and what was it like self publishing a book of your work? When I self published, I honestly didn’t think that many people would support. I knew family and really close friends would buy it, but that’s it. Never did I think my peers from middle school and highschool would buy it, or strangers. It’s definitely one of my greatest accomplishments. Self publishing was a lot, very tedious. Sometimes I just wanted to put it to the side for another year. But once it was done, I got that first copy in the mail and I held it, the only thing I could do was cry. I was so proud. My parents didn’t even know I actually did it. I showed my dad, he looked at the bottom and saw my name and said “I am so proud of you Maya”. Something I hadn’t heard from him in a long time. It was surreal.

My family is actually very creative in all different aspects. So poetry and different things actually came pretty natural to me. Besides that, with everything going Summer 2019

Who or what do you turn to when you need inspiration and why. When I need inspiration I turn to the world. I look at what’s going on. What bothers me about society, especially my generation. I feel like that’s one of the best ways to write about something people can relate to. I turn to myself, what’s heavy on my heart and my mind. Writing has been helping me deal with a lot of things for a while. Sometimes I’ll ask my social media, what they want from me and what they would like for me to talk about. I have a lot of inspirations. What is the main message that you want people to get out of your poetry? Most of my poems have different messages. Overall, I want people to feel motivated when they see or hear my work. I want people to feel liberated and free. I want people to relate to my writings, to see themselves and hopefully with that motivation they’ll find a solution. What’s next for you? With me being involved in so many things, I have a lot in store. More photo shoots to add to my portfolio. I’m thinking about writing my first poetry EP, a second book is definitely coming soon, and I’ve been given the opportunity to start an Open Mic of my own. I still want to go on tour, and really start traveling with my poetry.

Real Artists Wanted : Intuition

Cut & Sew Chronicles // Pharrell

by Earvin Sulapat

power moves.

If Nigo is Micheal Jordan who would be the Scottie Pippen? Pharrell Williams has to be Scottie Pippen if this duo or vice versa. They got to be the best one two punch Fashion has ever since as Jordan and Pippen was being the best Duo to ever play the game. Pharrell Lanscilo Williams straight out of Virginia Beach is a jack of all trades. Producer, Songwriter, Singer just to make a few tricks he’s got up his sleeves. I’m sure everyone is aware of his dossier so feel free to do your research on his other accolades. Not to take way from al the things he’s done for the cult but Obviously this is a fashion write up so we will be digging into his Fashion

The ice cream era “I’m a nice dude with some nice dreams, see these ice cubes? See these ice creams?” Probably one of the most quotable raps Pharrell has ever given us. What does this even mean? As a kid I literally thought he was talking about ice cream, you know from the ice cream truck. Then I started putting two and two together with his visuals. In 2005 Pharrell Williams partnered up with Nigo to release Ice Cream. Originally Ice cream was supposed to be released alongside Reebok with an idea of revealing a sneaker line and a clothing brand as well. Pharrell’s way of seeing colors is just out of this world putting that together with the genius Nigo was just insane. Pharrell had the street buzzing, Rappers wore the clothes and he even had a Ice Cream Skate team. It seems like the brand was ready to take off right? Wrong for some odd reason the deal with Reebok didn’t plan out as it supposed to. Although the sneakers made the release in 2005 with a few limited threads but that was the end of the Ice Cream era. Billionaire Boys Club When Ice Cream didn’t really pan out as planned, Pharrell and Nigo teamed up once more to launch Billionaire Boys Club. The BBC astronaut logo successfully launched almost right after the Ice Cream situation failed and the rest was history. The streetwear duo kept working on their formula and eventually caught momentum. BBC made it’s mark and officially in the game at this point nobody was stopping the duo. Just as we thought it couldn’t get any bigger, In 2011 Jay-Z reportedly invested in the company and following that year the company grossed from 12 million to 30 million. Starting in Tokyo now a days you can find Billionaire Boys Club in a few flagships all over the world. Their Website is also updated consistently with products and content for us to consume on the daily. Human Made Real Artists Wanted : Intuition

Hunan made has got to be one of the next brands to take over the streetwear culture. Moving on from ‘A Bathing Ape’ in 2015 Nigo released its debut collection. At this point is unclear what really Pharrell does for the brand, although we’ve seen him in so many Human Made apparel/Collaborations. There has been so many collaborations such as: Coke, KFC, Studio Seven, Adidas just to name a few. The Adidas collaboration by pharrell has been the one thats caught fire in the community and from the looks of this they still have a few in the works. If you follow Nigo and Pharrell enough you’d see the similarities in their brands. From the looks of it they’re still using the ‘Bape’ formula and I’m not even mad at it one bit. It’s so inspiring to see our OG’s constantly evolving and creating. This article was low-key difficult for me to write only becuase Pharrell has done so much for the culture. From Music to movies, Streetwear brands to humanitarian moves its just so many things to list. The main purpose of this article is so highlight his fashion background and accomplishments for the community. I hope this gave you a better understanding of his power moves and inspire you to create. In conclusion, I’d like to thank Pharrell Williams for all of your contribution for the culture we can’t to see what else you’ve got in stores in the future for us!

Summer 2019

Musician // West Palm Beach, FL

Instagram: @kaylan.arnold // Twitter: @kaylan_arnold

MUSIC KaylanArnold Who is Kaylan, behind the music? Kaylan and the music are one, she IS music. It is in her veins. I started singing when i was in pampers. I’m someone who rarely takes no for an answer. I am someone who refuses to CHANGE who I am for ANYBODY because I am both the soul and the physical being behind the story-telling and the most personal perspective of the reality that is my life. Behind the music lies the energy - one that goes through experiences that allow me to be creative and help others feel how I feel or how THEY feel, but deeper. I love God. I was born in West Palm Beach, Florida. My mom is Haitian and my dad is Belizean. My mom came to America when she was 8. My dad came to America when he was 17. My dad is my best friend. He introduced me to reggae, jazz, bachata, soca, reggae, dancehall all that. My mom introduced me to Kompa (a dance music and modern méringue in Haiti with African roots) & Marc Anthony. My Brother introduced me to Outkast, Slim Shady (probably a little too soon), Tupac, Biggie, Nas, Lil wayne, A Tribe Called Quest, The Fugees & Lauryn Hill. My sister put me on to Missy elliot & Justin Timberlake. I love all kinds of music. I can make all kinds of music. I don’t have a genre to conform to. I can listen to everything, but some country makes me cringe a little. I’ll take someone’s ankles on the basketball court. I also am obsessed with puppies, hot tea, traveling, and meeting new people. I love hard. Amy winehouse is my favorite artist of all time and will be -forever - no matter how many come and go. I also love Erykah Badu, Outkast, Anderson .Paak, Lauryn Hill & too many more to count. I’m a sagittarius.

Who in your life inspires you the most? How do you use that to fuel your creativity? My mom and dad inspire me the most because once I became an adult I realized how hard it can be to take care of yourself, so I can only imagine what it was like to raise a girl into a woman, especially a girl like me [sorry guys]. I use that inspiration to keep me focused. I also imagine what opinions and advice they’d give me in certain situations where I feel like I’m stuck. I use them to fuel my desire to want to be one of the best things they’ve built in America. What drew you to music? My dads insane record collection. Music has always been an intrinsic part of me. John Mayer inspired me to learn guitar & John legend inspired me to play piano. Amy Winehouse made me pick up a pen and start writing about serious stuff though. I also had crushes on Aaliyah andCiara growing up and thought it was cool that they were talented too. If you aren’t making music, what is your favorite thing to do? Eat. Travel & Try new foods with my wife. What has been the biggest hurdle you’ve had to get over creatively up to this point? How has that experience shaped your vision or how you create? Being afraid to be myself! Having homophobic parents! Coming out! I was in a toxic relationship and stayed in it because it was a secret I thought I could keep forever.

Summer 2019

I wasn’t ready to come out and she was and it was hard for her. I had to learn the hard way that you can’t save people from themselves too. I had to break that thang off because it took a toll on my mental health. Once I was ready to come out I realized how lit life was though “EAAAOWWWW”. My parents still love me and would do anything for me. I was finally out of this mental maze. I knew God still loved me. I finally loved myself how I was supposed to - I mean I’ve never hated myself but growing up I was one of like 4 black kids in my class & nobody ever talked about being gay either. It was “weird” to be gay growing up. I thought I was supposed to hate myself. I went to the same private school for the filthy rich for 14 years. Needless to say I was an outcast. Whenever I tried to hang out with the kids from the complex my dad worked at, they told me I talked and acted too “white.” I was looking for comfort there and didn’t find it. I got picked on by them too I felt stuck in between - like I was floating. Existing but not living. I FOUND MYSELF WHEN I GRADUATED & GOT OUT THE HOUSE! I peeped that there were smart, powerful, inspirational black people everywhere we go and that we’re awesome. I peeped that there were gays everywhere and we’re awesome too. Once I graduated and went to college I was able to create and express freely. I now understand how important it is to LOVE yourself and others unconditionally. Now I can say whatever I feel without fearing the consequences. Now all kindsof ethnicities and people of all different backgrounds can vibe with me and i can vibe with them because I vibe with myself. My vision now is to let go and let God. I still do what I got tp do though, don’t get it twisted.

What’s on deck for you this year? BIG TINGZ. BIGGER THAN I CAN IMAGINE. GOD IS COOKING. STAY TUNED.

If you had to choose one color to describe your music what would it be and why? It’d be a RAINBOW because versatility is key :) Who’s in your current top 5? 1. Amy winehouse 2. Anderson .Paak 3. Erykah Badu 4. Lauryn Hill 5. Slim Shady (not Eminem) (Specifically the Slim Shady LP)

Real Artists Wanted : Intuition

Summer 2019

photographded by @dlgital

Musician // Phillidelphia, PA

Instagram: @paceobeats_// Twitter: @paceobeats_

MUSIC PaceOBeats Who are you, and where are you from? Pace OBeats, A producer, songwriter, artist manager and strategist from Philadelphia,PA. How did you get your start in music, what made you want to be an artist? I got my start in music in grade school, learning classical piano (Shoutout to my instructor Kathleen!) but what made me want to become an artist was the N.E.R.D. -Rockstar music video. Something about the energy in that visual sparked a fire in me to want to create my own stuff. When did you discover you had this special gift and love for music enough to want to pursue it? Soon after I saw that video I started rapping with my friends, we had a group called “Takeova.” We would write raps over instrumentals and record them in my Mom’s living room. I would say I was a half decent rapper but once I discovered this program called “Fruity Loops” I was all in. I would make beats everyday after school. Soon after I got introduced to a few artist from my city through some friends, a popular group called “State Property.” Peedi Crack would let us come to his studio in South Philly and listen to our beats and he even used a few for one of his projects. After that I was super gassed and everything just started to go up from there.

Would you say that you have a style, how would you describe it? I have a lot of styles. I tend to switch up my sound based on who I’m working with. It’s all about being inspired. I don’t like boxes, boxes are boring. Who would you say influences you, what inspires you to be different and to want to create music? I get inspired by legends of the past, like listening to their stuff and watching documentaries. Reading books inspires me. Conversations with interesting people inspires me. I don’t think I ever made a conscious decision to “be different..” If you really think about it, everyone is different. Like even if you try to duplicate someone else you’re always going to end up sounding different, that’s just the law of nature no two thing are exactly the same. So I don’t try to be anything I just create my stuff with a clear mind and just let everything flow. Being in a flow state is very important. Do you do other things beside your songs, such as produce beats, ad lib, or ghost write for other artist? I write stuff for artist I work with, that’s a part of being a producer that some people don’t tap into. Some “producers” are just beat makers. I like to be involved in the song from start to finish.

Summer 2019

Are you doing any projects or collaborations currently? I have a few artists that I’m working on projects with, but the next thing would be Arthur Thomas’ - Neo Funk EP. I’m also working on expanding my business with “The Standard Management Group,” as well as my media company. Being in this industry what challenges have you been faced with that have helped you grow as an artist, would you share those lessons with other artist or allow them to find out on their own? The most challenging part of all of this to me is staying the course. A lot of people are going to let you down. People will promise you things and won’t deliver. Sometimes you feel like it’s all for nothing, but the key is to stay down and always believe in what you’re doing.

Real Artists Wanted : Intuition

Summer 2019

Real Artists Wanted : Intuition