WHO’S HOT? & WHO’S NOT! WHWNMAGAZINE.COM
8
Autumn 2012
Recipient of the
WHO’S HOT!
AWARD
“FREEWAY” RICK ROSS
CAYENNE S HYBRID 380 hp @ 5.500 0 - 60 mph: 6.1s Top Track Speed: 150 mph Consumption (Highway): 24 mpg MSRP $ 69,850.00
With lengthy service intervals and long-life components, vehicle maintenance is kept to a minimum. In the case of the oil filter, for example, all that’s replaced is an easily recyclable paper element. The oil filter casing remains on the car. All moving parts inside the engine are fully self-adjusting. The valve clearances, for instance, feature automatic hydraulic control. Thanks to single-spark coils on each of the cylinders, the entire ignition system on the petrol-engined models, with the exception of the spark plugs, is maintenance-free. These modest service requirements mean less waste disposal and fewer demands on natural resources. They also lower the cost of ownership while keeping your car on the road.
Service intervals for the Cayenne models are dependent on a range of factors, including local fuel quality. For full details of service intervals in your country, please consult the relevant price list or contact your Porsche Centre. Owning a Porsche should be a lasting pleasure with minimal impact on the environment. This Porsche principle can be summed up in one word: sustainability. The lightweight exhaust on the Cayenne models, for example, is constructed from long-life stainless steel. Every Porsche model is entirely free of CFCs and components manufactured using CFCs. All legal requirements in respect of recoverability are fulfilled. Materials are clearly labeled for subsequent identification and sorting to facilitate efficient recycling. While more than 95% of the car can be recycled using current technologies, the chances are your Cayenne may never need recycling at all. After all, two thirds of all the cars we have ever made are still on the road today.
A Note from the Editor This magazine is published on 100% recyclable digital materials and leaves no carbon footprint. We pride ourselves at expanding minds while minimizing waste on the planet. Yes, we get flack for not creating a printed magazine, but our motto is, “Let’s be around forever!” We hope you enjoyed reading and that your mind was filled with useful ways to keep our planet green. We only ask two things: that you share our site and publication with others and you ask yourself before throwing something away, “Can this be reused or recycled?” namaste, mia
Special Thanks to Our Supporters Byzantine Flower Dr. Lorraine Johnson DJ E.F. Cuttin Latoya Simmons Broome Family Foundation (BFF) Baby, Bump & Beyond, LLC Outstanding Jazz Newcomers (OJN) Rumpeez Nika Water American Awards TRIPL3 THR3AT Dannelle Kelly ARapperNamedBilal Starbucks, Lemon Grove, CA Annikia “KeKe” Moore James “Sugar Bear” Cole
Location
PO Box 151160, San Diego, CA 92175 Copyright © 2012 by Who’s Hot? & Who’s Not! LLC. All rights reserved . Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Who’s Hot? & Who’s Not! ® is a registered trademark of Who’s Hot? & Who’s Not! LLC. Published electronically all over the world.
WHO’S HOT? & WHO’S NOT!
____________________________ EDITOR AND PUBLISHER: Myeshia “Mia” Abdul-Hakeem ASSISTANT DESIGN DIRECTOR Bilal Abdul-Hakeem ____________________________ CONTENT SUBMISSIONS & INTERVIEWS: Byzantine Flower LaToya Simmons FORBES Jill Peters E.D. Nix Liberal Arts DJ E.F. Cuttin Monique Blandon NLAH ___________________________ Photographers: Jeanine “Jade” Brown mia Bilal Abdul-Hakeem ___________________________
Advertisers:
American Awards A.D.O.O. Productionz Nika Water, Jordan Mueller Baby, Bump & Beyond Leon Marin Rumpeez Byzantine Flower Porsche Rady Children’s Hospital Tierrasanta Unit Starbucks, Lemon Grove, CA Byzantine Flower E.D. Nix DJ E.F. Cuttin FORBES
CONTENTS
WHO’S HOT? & WHO’S NOT! ISSUE 8 // SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2012
•
FEATURE STORY: The Real Boss, “Freeway” Rick Ross// pg. 28
• The Spotlight is On: Beyonce & World Humanitarian Day, www.whd-Iwashere.org // pg. 16 • FREEZE FRAME of 09.20.12 I’M NICE Showcase // pg. 20 • Forbes’ List of Living Roof Homes // pg. 24
ON THE COVER: “Freeway” Rick Ross accepting his WHO’S HOT? & WHO’S NOT! award, September 9, 2012. Right: Mr. Ross’ view of Belmont Beach, Long Beach, CA. photo by Jeanine Brown, all photos are copyright protected, with all rights reserved©.
WHWNMAGAZINE.COM
• From Farm to Menu: The Return of Normalcy // pg. 22 • What is Goatscaping? //pg. 11
Please
do not forget that the Broome Family Foundation (BFF) has two programs that are currently in need of funding. The first is the “At Risk for Success 2015 Initiative” which educates and places the youth of LA with entrepreneurial businesses to give the youth a head start on how to succeed in running their own business. The second program is “Hope4Families.”Hope4Families serves low-income Special Education students who have been denied their right to an appropriate public education. Through advocacy and legal action, Hope4Families equips poor, urban families with the tools to access the education that is crucial if their children are to have lives of purpose. To make a donation or for more information, please contact Conley Broome at conley.broome@gmail.com Namaste
In the Spotlight: Beyonce
...Credits Cover, “Freeway” Rick Ross, photo by Jeanine “Jade” Brown. EDNix 2012 iTunes cover for, “Can’t Go Wrong.” DJ E.F. Cuttin and Mystikal at the Hookah Lounge, New Orleans, La. taken from DJ E.F. Cuttin Flickr, page 4. Forbes, “Living Roofs” series published by Forbes.com, page 24.
Guest photographer Jeanine “Jade” Brown
Article, “From Farm to Menu: A Return to Normacly,” by NLAH., page 22. Cover Story, “Why ‘Freeway’ Rick Ross IS the Real BOSS,” by mia, page 28. “DJ EF Cuttin Austism Awareness,” taken from his website, www.djefcuttin.com, page 36. In the Spotlight: Beyonce & UN reaches 1 Billion for World Humanitarian Day, www.IAMBEYONCE.COM www.WHD-IWASHERE.ORG, page 16 Article, “What is Goatscaping?” by Monique Blandon, page 11. FREEZE FRAME of I’M NICE Showcase photographer, mia, page 20 Lemon Grove “Lemon” photo by Bilal Abdul-Hakeem, page 12.
What is
GOATSCAPING? by Monique Blandon
It seems like every time man decides to make a step forward, he is
actually stepping back into a time, where doing things were a lot simpler. Take for example, Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport where instead of hiring people to landscape the airports most inaccessible locations, using Department of Aviation sustainability initiatives, they are now doing what man did when things made more sense: they are looking to using about 30 goats and a herder, which will probably be a dog, to landscape large areas of the airport that are difficult to access. In this pilot program, the Department of Aviation boast that “goats not only never ask for a pay raise or take a vacation; they can also get to those (hard)-to-reach spots.” Instead of burning fossil fuels and emitting pollution, these animals “do not have emissions associated with them, at least to the same extent that heavy machinery would.” This is hardly a new formula, as “goatscaping” has been used in San Francisco for years and Atlanta’s airport just started. So why is this on our radar? Because this is bigger than just airports. Homeowners, businesses, city halls and towns are finding that goats are well worth it as they are gentle, easy to manage and often less expensive than humans, leaving behind natural fertilizers while exposing soil and seeds, that can encourage grass to grow. Goats have become very popular workers!
LEMON GROVE COMMUNITY CLEAN UP PROJECT ********************************************************** In an effort to create a clean and safe environment for our neighborhood Lemon Grove Starbucks would like you to join us to clean the sidewalks of Broadway Avenue.
********************************************************** WHEN: The Last Sunday of the Month 2pm to 4pm WHERE: Meeting here at the Lemon Grove Starbucks ********************************************************** Last month with the help of 40 volunteers from St. John’s Cross, Golden Avenue Middle School, St. Rita’s, local city officials, regular customers and Starbucks employees were able to remove graffiti, clean store front windows, pick up trash and connect with our neighbors. I hope to get to know even more of our community while we beautify our neighborhood. Snacks and refreshments will be provided. Special thanks to WHO’S HOT? & WHO’S NOT!® Magazine for media support.
PR IN T M
E!
We believe that your journey into parenthood should be an enjoyable experience, not one of stress, worry, and anxiety. We are here to help you, whether you just need a little help to take the edge off, or if you are ready to throw in the towel, because even super parents need backup. Welcome to Baby Bump & Beyond! Baby Bump & Beyond, LLC. San Diego, California (760) 317-9819 info@babybumpbeyond.com
STOP
Before You Throw Away Try Recycling Everyday Items
SAVE OUR PLANET
HE POTLIGHT
Beyonce!
In honor of World Humanitarian Day, she reached over 1 billion people thru her performance of “I Was Here.� Goal: simply asking for us to do something good for another person.
Dear Friends and Family, U-T Kids’ NewsDay is just around the corner on Tuesday, October 23rd. This special edition of the paper features life-changing stories of children cared for at Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego. Last year more than 1,600 volunteers sold more than 42,000 papers. To date, U-T Kids’ NewsDay has raised more than $2 million, averaging $130,000 a year. This year we are hoping to increase these numbers specifically through pre-ordering these special edition papers. Each paper costs only $1. We are reaching out to friends who work in or own businesses or offices that are willing to pre-order newspapers for Kids’ NewsDay. The papers must be ordered in bundles of 25 and will be delivered to you on the morning of the 23rd. They can be either re-sold or donated to your clients or co-workers. We sincerely hope you will join our U-T Kids’ NewsDay team! Please return the contact Samantha Bouman at 858-243-5250 or sambouman@yahoo.com if you would like to place an order. Sincerely, Samantha
W
elcome to Rumpeez! We specialize in organic & eco-friendly cloth diapering solutions. Rumpeez offers a full line of onesize diapers, one-size covers, fitted diapers and organic diapers creams. While a lot of our products are ready made we do also have a lot of listings that are made to order. Please be sure to fully read each description for details. Made to order products will be made and shipped within 3 weeks while ready made will ship within 2 business days. If you need an item quicker or would like a special custom order please convo me and we can set up a custom listing for you. Be sure to check us out & “LIKE� us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/rumpeez for special offers and shop updates! Thanks for stopping by! Blessings! ****ONE SIZE DIAPERS BACK IN STOCK*** Danelle Kelly San Diego, CA Shop at etsy.com/shop/Rumpeez
PANAMERA S HYBRID 380 hp @ 5,500 rpm 0 - 60 mph: 5.7s Top Track Speed: 167 mph Consumption (Highway): 30 mph MSRP $96,150.00 The Panamera models are equipped with advanced emission control technology. The figures are exemplary: vehicles manufactured by Porsche demonstrate that even high performance sportscars can achieve comparatively moderate exhaust emission values in their respective category. This has been achieved in part by state-of-the-art engine concepts, including the hybrid drive and diesel and petrol engines. In addition, a fast-heating catalytic converter system ensures that the optimum operating temperature is reached quickly after the vehicle is started, thereby further improving emission control system performance. The petrol models and the hybrid feature stereo Lambda control. Each of the two cylinder banks has a separate Lambda control loop. This determines, via the engine management system, the optimum quantity of fuel, thus ensuring efficient emission control. On the V8 engines, this is assisted by an air injection system where a compressor pumps extra air into the exhaust tract during the catalytic converter warm-up phase for faster heating and, consequently, lower emissions. The exhaust gas recirculation function on the Panamera Diesel returns some of the exhaust gases to the combustion process. This has the effect of reducing combustion peak temperature and, as a result, nitrogen oxide emissions. Of course, the engine also features an oxidation catalyst and a diesel particulate filter. Other measures for improving fuel economy are the Auto start/stop function and electrical system recuperation, whereby the vehicle battery is charged predominantly under braking. Under acceleration, on the other hand, the charging current of the regulated alternator is reduced so that the engine does not need to work as hard to charge the battery.
WN
WH #8 | SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2012
FREEZE FRAME
OUR CELEBRITY PHOTOGRAPHER, mia, SHOOTIN’ PICS FROM THE “I’M NICE” SHOWCASE. YOUR FAVORITE ARTISTS REPPIN’ LONG BEACH, CA. PEEP WHO’S POPPIN’.
2
WHWNMAGAZINE.COM
1
3
4
5
1. Peeps out supportin the show 2. F.A.M. (Free Agent Management) always bringing the crazy to the party! From the left: Kraze, IVO, AND KD. 3. Parker Lewiz doing his thang! 4. Lars Young of Lars Young Music & Photography, looking just like his avatar and being charming as usual. 5. Well between paying for parking and performing, we didn’t catch his name! In the end, he was a true gentleman making sure peoples’ cars weren’t ticketed!
6. CaliRadio’s Partyman James posing with the super fly Dare 7. Kandis & A.D.O.O. Productionz owner, KeKe. Need fly beatz? Hit her up! 8. ARapperNamedBilal straight coolin, bringing in that New Orleans funk to LBC 9. LADJSupreme and his friend 10. LADJSupreme, friend and F.M.G. (Freeway Music Group), LilMont3 11. Dare being hostess with the mosttess!
7
8
10
9
WHWNMAGAZINE.COM
6
11
#8 | SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2012
From Farm to Menu: The Return of Normalcy
by NLAB
It is not uncommon for restaurants and people to grow their own food outside the US, with the UK boasting 24% of its people growing their own food. Are we doing this in the US? The trend is growing here! It is about time. As The Columbus Dispatch stated, “A number of chefs and restaurants are adding farming to their resumes.” Once a trend that was initially in a few higher-end eateries, “the practice has taken wider root in the industry,” it continues. Why the change from highly processed to grown foods when dining out? Well it is quite simple: as people’s tastes changed, they are now seeking restaurants that cater to these changes. This should not be a surprise as we have seen the growth of stores like Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Baron’s, Henry’s - now Sprouts, and many more who pride themselves on organic, local grown foods from your vegetables to grass fed to no hormone meats, milk and eggs. Michael Ty, president of the National Culinary Foundation, puts it best, “Locally sourced foods and a focus on sustainability is not just popular among certain segments of consumers anymore; it has become more mainstream…Diners (want) to know where their food comes from and are concerned with how their choices affect the world around us.” As we consumers become more and mroe savvy, we know that ingredients that are grown on site or locally, ensures its freshness and delivers a bigger, stronger punch of flavor when taking that delicious bite after bite! We are concerned what goes into our bodies and we want our children to get real, not processed foods. Wolmack of Dragonfly Neo-V states it best, “The proliferation of processed foods in the past few decades has really been a glitch. It’s not healthy, and it’s not good for the environment…in a way, (we are) getting back to the right way of doing things…Now, we’re all getting back to a sense of normalcy.”
We applaude this way of thinking, living and believing. It can be done, one bite at a time.
NLAB is a journalist, writting exclusively for Who’s Hot? & Who’s Not!® magazine and web. None of this article maybe reproduced or used without prior consent. This and all materials are copywrite protected, with all rights reserved ©. Follow her at @whwnmagazine.
LET’S WHITE OUT AMERICA. End Junk Food For Babies!
“What’s in this book could change the trajectory of children’s health.” Julius Richmond, MD Former U.S. Surgeon-General Buy Feeding Baby Green!
Forbes.com
Homes with Living Roofs
Meera Sky Garden House, Singapore
“The top roof of this modern home on the island of Sentosa (adjacent to the main island Singapore) is slow growing and easy to maintain carpet grass but still keeps the residence cool, according to Guz Wilkinson of Guz Architects. Wilkinson designed the home in a new development where the plots are not large and homes are built close together. A solid wall provides privacy to each side and the home’s layered effect makes each story feel like a single-story dwelling with a private outdoor garden.”
Forbes.com
Homes with Living Roofs
Continue on page 27
Introducing Hip Hop Artists
E.D. NIX
Forbes.com
Homes with Living Roofs
The Pierre San Juan Islands, Washington
“Literally drilled and dynamited into a rock outcropping, this home by Seattle’s Olson Kundig Architects was named the “Pierre,” or “stone” in French. The bunker-like home has a green grass flat roof that blends from above and behind like a carpet into the surrounding foliage and landscape. From certain angles, it practically disappears into nature. The glass-walled front, however, provides a full view of a deep lake and broad sky. The roof isn’t the only natural feature -- the interior and exterior fireplaces as well as the master bathroom sink and powder room, were carved out of the rock that extrudes into the home.” Continue on page 30
o
Why “Freeway” Rock Ross IS the Real BOSS
n a beautiful Sunday at Belmont Shores Beach, in downtown Long Beach, CA, I was granted the honor of interviewing a man who has continued to change and touch the world; to FINALLY present to him the WHO’S HOT? & WHO’S NOT!® Award for excellence and outstanding community work. Mr. Ricky Donnell Ross, but to the world he is known as “Freeway” Rick Ross, or the moniker he was given back in 1982, “Freeway Ricky.” Yes, that guy. In the 1980s he was a Los Angeles cocaine kingpin. He repaid his debt to society by serving 20 years in jail and now as he puts it, he “is nowhere near done with life” and has dedicated it to uplifting the youth and rebuilding his community. WHWN: Here recently, you were on the cover of the Costa Rican, on SPIN, F.E.D.S., other magazines and had a show on you on American Gangster. I’m like how can I be down? But not like that as I was thinking, some folks still haven’t really seen or know your story and the man behind it. We see people using you and your image to get cred or ideas. And yet he’s the one who paid the price, literally. The one who did all the work, served the time just to get ripped off by the likes of the rapper Rick Ross, who I can’t stand... Freeway: It is funny the way he’s carrying it. Because me and him could do so much stuff together. WHWN: That’s what I’m saying; like it could be so positive. Freeway: Yeah. It’s like even when I first talked to him and I told him, “You know what? You don’t have to be me. You could be yourself and just support me and the people that love me would love you too.”
WHWN: Yeah a collaboration would be great and get so much love!
“You know what? You don’t have to be me.”
Freeway: And I had ideas I thought we should do even when I was in jail. Like, I thought that when he was doing a show, I could call into his phone and he could play it over the speaker and I could speak to the crowd. If we would have did something like that the crowd would have went crazy! WHWN: MAN! Like I tell folks, “You were there before. He’ll come in and get his 15 minutes of fame, but you will be there long after he’s gone.” You see God is working it out His way, because if he was the right type of person he would have collaborated with you, he would be doing it with you. But there are so many people who don’t have the right mindset. Freeway: I was talking to my attorney the other day and he made some interesting points. He was like, “Blacks have given away everything. They really don’t demand nothing for their support. For their vote. For their money. It’s like we just give it to them for free.” You see I don’t pay attention to elections and stuff because I don’t think none of those people are going to do anything for me. Obama, Romney or any of them are not gonna make my situation better or worse. WHWN: Or anybody’s situation who’s not in their own little circle of friends or influence. Freeway: {Chuckling} You’re right. It’s like he made some good points. He said, “It’s like these people don’t value us because they say, ‘Well they already gone give it to us.’” WHWN: And if you don’t give it to me, someone else will and it will be exactly the way I want it. But we all know it’s isn’t authentic. Freeway: Right! WHWN: It’ll be the watered down version or something. Freeway: Well Blacks as a whole, we are giving our stuff away. We giving so much to people for free and not holding them accountable or not saying, “I just can’t count them in. I’m gonna have to go and earns theirs.” WHWN: Having some value, self-worth. Our community doesn’t understand worth and how much we bring to the table. From fashion, inventions, better ways of doing things, the list goes on. I mean just think about it! Freeway: Yeah, we created this country! WHWN: Yeah! I was going to say, we literally built this country off our backs! Freeway: And to see these people don’t address us as a group… WHWN: Equals, period. Freeway: Right! Continued on page 32
Summerhouse, Litchfield, Connecticut “The green roof installed on this modern home last year reduces its heating and cooling costs and provides sound insulation. Green roofs also reduce storm water runoff and filter pollutants and carbon dioxide. But mostly, said John Kruzshak of Evergreen Environments, the installer, ‘it looks beautiful.’”
Forbes.com
Homes with Living Roofs
DJ E.F. Cuttin & Mystikal
WHWN: It’s like Africans do not want you to consider yourself an African-American. Freeway: {Laughing} Right! WHWN: They look at you like, “I don’t know what village you came from!” and “You don’t sound like me!” Even as I remember back to being in college and asking some of my African friends, “Why do you feel that way about Black Americans?” To have them be real about it and say, “Because you all have sold out! And still selling out!” I was like MAN! I wanted to cry but it was so true. Freeway: Yeah, that’s true and it’s really sad. And like our entertainers, you see some of these people and they say, “Oh I made this many millions or I own that,” and I don’t know if they really making that much money. I don’t believe that they are. But they’ll get up and say, “I made $150M or $120M this year.” And I was like, “Wow! You made $120M this year but you ain’t done nothing for your people?” You don’t have no hamburger stand, no shops, no nothing in your community... Everything you do, you have to earn money for it when it comes to your people. But when it comes to these other people you just give so much away! You know? WHWN: When it should totally be the reverse. One should be reinvesting in their community, helping others out anyway they can. Which is why I’m here talking to you. Spinning one’s HOTNESS and saying, “You’re HOT because you are paying it forward, you are doing something for someone else.” Freeway: And THAT’S what I’m building my whole motto off of. Even though I was selling drugs…and when I first started selling drugs, I didn’t know the damage that drugs were going to cause. I didn’t know. I had never saw cocaine before and it was my first time seeing cocaine. And the only thing I knew about cocaine was what I heard the people talking about. What I used to hear was that it was great! WHWN: {Laughing} Well, yeah cause they were probably doing it. Freeway: {Laughing} yeah, they were doing it! {Both of us laughing} WHWN: And they were happy! Freeway: So my perception of cocaine was totally different than what I had been hearing other people, my friends say. Because these were the people I looked up to. These were the people in my community. I admired them. I looked up to them. You know, I wanted to be like them. So when I heard them talking about cocaine and I they saying, “Cocaine is GREAT!” I trusted them. WHWN: It’s crazy even still today, that coke is acceptable; it’s OK to be doing it! It’s still widely accepted among crowds…
Freeway: I mean look at what the rappers are rapping about! WHWN: It’s like it’s OK to do it! I’m like REALLY? Freeway: You know they let this guy go on Monday night football. The guy that raps about nothing but drugs, killing and gangs and he’s on Monday night football, one of the premier sports events, and they got him on there rapping with probably one of the world’s greatest singers of all times, Mariah Carey. Now Mariah Carey, she’ll back him but she won’t come down here where I’m at in the hood and say, “OK I’m gonna go talk to these kids” and let these kids know that they can be something special too, but you gotta do this and that. See a lot of the times, our kids don’t do what it takes to do it [to be famous] because the ones who done it won’t come and tell them. They won’t even talk to them. It’s one of the things I tell these kids when I go to their schools, “You know what? You like Lil Wayne? But Lil Wayne don’t care shit about you. How do you know that? When was the last time he came to your school? Or helped you out?” So we have these people and we just support them. We just give them and don’t hold them accountable. I think they all should be held accountable.
“You like Lil Wayne? But Lil Wayne don’t care shit about you.” WHWN: You’re right! For me, I just one day woke up and realized I had to get over it. I see people going broke buying this or that emulating others and they are the ones who end up in worse off shape than before. You are so right! So exactly what are you doing to help? You mentioned mentoring kids in the schools. What else? Freeway: Just living my life! I mean I feel that just living my life is going to be just like a board, a map where these kids can take it. Because I’m living my life open for them; I not going to lie to them. You know like a lot of times my handlers tell me, “Man don’t tell’em you’re broke!” I’m like it’s OK for them to know I’m broke because they don’t care! It ain’t about the money. You see they like me because they really like me! They don’t like me because I’m wearing a pair of Air Jordan’s, or an Armani suit, and all this superficial stuff. I had to let them know that if you take all those clothes off, you’re still that same person. So I believe that me just living my life [like an open book] and doing the things I think that I’m supposed to be doing and try to become successful are going to help the kids because they’re watching, they’re paying attention you know. We got the internet right now and man, the internet is so amazing and wonderful! WHWN: It’s crazy how much information you can find on the internet now and it grew seemingly overnight. I told my mom to Google something, you just literally ask it a question. We’ve seen this change in our lifetime, the power of knowledge being a mouse-click away! We’ve seen how it’s shifted from no internet to life being on the net. Freeway: {Laughing} Yeah! The power is seen now because you can fight back! Continued on next page
WHWN: You can! Now, we can really talk about stuff, look up stuff, we can really come together and have a voice. Freeway: Yes. That’s what really surprises me about our politicians is that they aren’t really paying attention to what they were able to do in Libya and these other countries to get these people out. With the internet people were mobilizing and the people are taking the power into their own hands. Because now a mass of people can come together and figure stuff out and they gone figure this government out! These big corporations and the way they running the payola with the radio stations, I mean if you a regular artist, you can’t get on the radio. WHWN: That’s serious because you can pay and if you don’t have the right connections, and somebody promised you something and doesn’t fulfill it, your money just went down the drain. Freeway: {Laughing} And you won’t get it! WHWN: {Laughing} I mean back in the day Ike will come and slap you up! Now you just shit outta luck! And that’s just how it is! Freeway: {Laughing} WHWN: I mean it’s like you’re running in a rat race, that you aren’t even competing in…you’re just a hamster on a wheel going nowhere. Freeway: Yeah! WHWN: Like Kayne’s new album, “Clique,” the world is run by cliques and it has been. Freeway: Yeah, did you see how Nicki Minaj just came out saying she’s a Republican? WHWN: Yes! I saw that and thought, “Of all people?” Freeway: Not only her, I think L.L. Cool J and 50Cent. WHWN: Well I can see that for 50CENT cause he’s not the persona he puts in his music; he’ll tell you that and as he has in many interviews. He raps about smoking and drinking but says he doesn’t smoke or drink. He’s like Jay-Z in that he wants corporate money. Like, “I’m from the hood but I’m gonna make that corporate paper.” That’s why he’s into producing and making movies, endorsing stocks, energy drinks and Vitamin Water. Even if you’ve noticed that as his movies improved where he now bills top actors, like Robert De Niro, Forest Whitaker, Bruce Willis and Ryan Phillippe. His old image got him heard and on the scene, now he is pushing away from it, trying to [keep] making serious money. Freeway: Well they say he already got serious money. WHWN: Well he made $100M on the Vitamin Water alone. Freeway: Yeah, so when you’ve made so much money it shouldn’t be about that any more it should be about helping your people; my uncle, my auntie, cousin, brother, etc. Your immediate family then your community, that’s where the money should go. You see when you’re rich the people around you should be too. I had a motto when I sold drugs and was at my peak, that I was only as wealthy as my lowest guy.
WHWN: It also showed in that you never focused on what you wore; meaning you didn’t get flashy. It’s reported that when you were making $2M to $3M a week, a person could walk right past you and not even know. That you’ve always been humble and it wasn’t about showing off your wealth.
“...if you Freeway: Yeah, because it don’t matter what you’re wearing. It’s about what’s in your pocket. I believe that all these guys work for dollars don’t have what they say they have. then you still a slave.” WHWN: If you did, you wouldn’t brag about it. I mean what I have ~L. Farrahkan ignorant of me to brag about it.
learned is even when I made a little bit of change is that it was really
Freeway: {Laughing} I remember hearing Farrahkan say, “That if you work for dollars then you still a slave.” Because they can just keep printing the dollar bill; “Oh, you want more dollars? Then here, here.” {Doing the making it rain motion} But now you taking the dollars and the dollars don’t do nothing for you! I mean what difference does it make if you got $100M or $200M? What is $10M gonna do to change your standard of living? You’ve got every car you can buy. You got houses all over the world you’re not living in. WHWN: And you just maintaining them; that’s all I can think about is the wasted money just in maintenance. WHWN Photographer: And we have a big homeless population. WHWN: I mean how can we have such a huge homeless population in America? It’s a slap in the face. Looking from the outside, it’s like, “Do we really believe what we are saying in America?” I know others don’t believe us. Freeway: It’s really sad that people are functioning the way they are. Society has gotten it twisted and so backwards, it’s like people have gotten really selfish right now. I mean even with just giving you an in-lane on the freeway. They don’t even want to do that anymore. Like the other day, I had a lady that when I slowed down, she slowed down. When I sped up, she sped up. It was like MAN. WHWN: Crazy, like you were going to somehow make her life smaller by getting over. People really need to be more positive and just get over themselves. Freeway: And that’s what I’m trying to do: set a tone for change. WHWN: That’s exactly why I wanted to meet and interview you, because when I saw your story I thought, “Here’s a guy who trying to do drastically better than from where he started; from destroying lives to rebuilding them” and he is actually doing it! {Presenting him with the WHO’S HOT! award} Freeway: Awww, you’re giving me an award? Now that’s HOT! I gotta put this on my Twitter today!
“That’s what I’m trying to do: set a tone for change.”
Continued on page 38
DJ E.F. Cuttin’s
Autism Awareness I’m writing this 2 make you aware of the issue of Autism. This is very important to me for a variety of reasons, most importantly the fact that my youngest son is on the Autism Spectrum. Autism is a neurological disorder that affects one’s ability to socialize and assimilate into “normal” society. Right now the rate of children diagnosed with this disorder has skyrocketed to 1 in 100 children, and more alarmingly 1 in 70 male children are diagnosed with Autism. Older doctors tend to shun the diagnoses and will say things like, “Oh, he’ll grow out of it.” and things like that, but I urge all parents who sense something is “not quite right” to seek help. If detected early, you can implement things that will help your child as he/she gets older, as opposed to ignoring it and then becoming angry or frustrated with the child. Most children on the spectrum often have unique gifts. For example, my son is a natural drummer and plays scarily good without as much as having a single lesson. The key is to find a way to link with the child using his/her interests, as they will be few, and nurture those to the max. The hardest thing of all is being able to afford the schools that specialize in educating autistic children, as public schools are rarely equipped to do so. Sadly, it’s going to take some high ranking official with an autistic child to introduce legislation to help combat this problem, but until that day comes, it’s on us to do what we can for our children. It’s important to make sure your child meets the “milestones” during the first 2 years of life and to have him/her checked if you notice that they have not. It’s a fight for the long haul, so expect lots of disappointment in the system, but never take it out on the child, for their fight is a helluva lot harder than ours. April is Autism Awareness month, please educate yourselves on this epidemic, even if you have “typical” children, so you will be able to identify and even help an Autistic child or adult. — Thomas Edwards (DJ E.F. Cuttin)
WHWN: Now that’s what’s up! We will be as big as the Oscars and you will have to come back for another interview. But we wanted to let you know that we appreciate you sticking to your word, to rebuild your community and uplift others. Freeway: WOW! Somebody recognized me! WHWN: You know the whole world is watching you and you should have gotten more awards. Like we said before, we’re not in those circles, playing the horse and pony game. If more people did what we are doing then change would truly come to pass. We are uplifting people. We are paying it forward. We are doing things where it counts and matters. Freeway: That’s what I want to keep doing. I’m not selling out for money. I could be rich right now. You know they offer me money. They want me to do some cigars, do some alcohol. I’m like, I don’t drink liquor, I don’t smoke and I think people who drink or smoke cigarettes, something is wrong with you! You got issues. And I don’t think you should smoke. It says on the pack of cigarettes that it’s killing you. So I’m not going to promote killing my own people. Not again! I did it with drugs and I learned from that lesson cause they didn’t have on there that is causes cancer! {Laughing} WHWN: Nah, they were too busy talking about how good it is and how the party is getting crumped! Freeway: Yeah! You won’t trick me again and if you do, it won’t be the same way! So this is HOT! Thank You for the award. To know that I’m HOT! WHWN: No, thank you for being so down to earth that I can give it to you! People really are looking and learning from you; at all your past, present and future actions. Thanks for making the right change and lending a helping hand. Freeway: No I appreciate it! I really do. Like I was telling my attorney the other day when we were trying to do the interview with the Sentinel Paper, where we had to fight to get into these schools to speak to the kids. But they’ll let these rappers in there telling these insane messages and they just invite them on in. WHWN: Where are the values? The standards that will help push forward the next generations to make our planet a better place? That’s why we partner with you and others who have the same, like minded goals. Thank You, Mr. Ross. He nor this interview is in no way attempting to minimalize the pain inflicted on people during his reign as a kingpin, but by far he was not alone and is truly repenting for his past actions. It is well documented that once he realized the devastating effects that cocaine had on people, in his last deal the goal was to use the money to finish funding a community center he purchased for at-risk youth. Instead he was set-up by the US government, CIA and one of his suppliers, Oscar Danilo Blandón—who was the link between the CIA and the Contras during the Iran-Contra affair. Blandón was given a 24-month sentence for drug trafficking, while Mr. Ross was given life which was eventually commuted to 20 years. Where all other non-U.S. citizens and or nationals were deported following a conviction, the INS was ordered to give Blandón a green card and to allow him to work for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), with a $42K annual salary. While the real Rick Ross was in jail, a rapper, William Leonard Roberts II, an ex-correctional officer with no street cred, stole and created the stage name Rick Ross and has top Hip Hop music charts using it, exploiting and making millions off the old image of the “Freeway Ricky” getting rich off of selling drugs. The real Rick Ross is trying to reclaim his identity, specifically the rights to his own name, to use it as a positive image of change to uplift people and not as an image that continues to stifle our community. You can follow us at @whwnmagazine. Who’s Hot? & Who’s Not!® is a registered trademark and this interview with Freeway Ricky Ross is copyright protected, with all rights reserved ©. No portion may not be duplicated or reprinted without prior consent.
Before You
Throw Away That Soda Bottle
R
emember that NIKA is a social business. That means that the more successful we are, the more we can give back. It also means that for our cause to gain awareness, our supporters need to be social and speak up about it. Are you a supporter? Have you told your friends to check us out online and in stores?
A cause is only as strong as the carriers of its message.
A Thirst for Change, by Nika Water co-founders, Jeff and Linda Church, was just released in both hard cover and soft cover! This book chronicles the Nika story from idea to fast growing company. It also shows through “Do’s” and “Don’ts” how YOU can participate in the new wave of social entrepreneurialism. Nika wants to offer it as a special to you, just for the holidays. Find the soft cover at amazon.com and20% off the hard cover at nikawater.org
“Linda and Jeff Church are compelling examples of how NIKA has certainly not “waited” their turn to make a difference in the world. Through a combination of a passion for water sanitation worldwide and a gift for making change, Linda and Jeff’s book sparks each reader’s imagination for a better world. A Thirst For Change serves as the perfect addition to any leader’s toolkit for social entrepreneurship, as well as encouragement for making their dreams a reality. We are proud to stand beside NIKA as they tackle their creative solution for clean water for all.”
MARC and CRAIG KIELBURGER Founders, Free The Children