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From L-R: Timi Dakolo,Wizkid, Sasha,P-Square, Ice Prince & JesseJagz
THE MUSIC ISSUE!
ISSUE 6: APRIL 2010
Cover price: £1.50, N350, $3.00
For beauty tips and beauty advice, visit www.stylemeup.com
SIDE VIEW
CONTENTS
Fashion & Trends
20Summer Girl 24High Street Fashion 18The Boys Are Back In Town 08Objects Of Art 51Jewellery: Maria Lau 15Clutch Appeal
Beauty & Travel
55 Mane Attraction 57 How To Get Celebrity Inspired Looks 59Las Vegas Strip
Home & Shop
44High Street Shop 53The It List 60Get Your Home Back In Shape For Spring
Features
30Wizkid 32Timi Dakolo 34P-Square 37Sasha 42The Other Side Of Music 48The Choc Bois-Ice Prince and Jesse Jagz Follow us on twitter: twitter.com/sideviewmag SIDE VIEW MAGAZINE IS DISTRIBUTED QUARTERLY IN LONDON AT FAAJI, FINCHLEY ROAD; SHOKI SHAKES, HENDON AND EMMANUEL, EDGWARE. SIDE VIEW IS ALSO AVAILABLE TO PURCHASE ONLINE AT WWW.SIDEVIEWMAGAZINE.COM
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Dress by Zebra (POR) Accessories, Stylists own
SIDE VIEW EDITOR IN CHIEF Dumebi Agbakoba EDITOR AT LARGE Debola Ayodele FASHION AND BEAUTY BEAUTY EDITOR Eugene Davis FASHION DIRECTOR Helen Adegite FASHION EDITOR Ronke Fashola FASHION CONTRIBUTOR Akudo Abengowe
The Music Issue:Front Cover From L-R: Timi Dakolo, Wizkid, Sasha,P-Square, Ice Prince & Jesse Jagz Photography: Seyi Charles George & Dumebi Agbakoba Wizkid styled by Olamide Adedeji, Sasha styled by Maxxy, P-Square styled by Femi, Ice Prince & Jesse Jags styled by Dumebi Agbakoba
BEAUTY WRITER Imelda Ladebo LIFESTYLE & CULTURE EDITOR Fred Nwonwu PHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Seyi Charles George CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS D’Andre Michael Karl Lake DESIGN TEAM Ella-Louisa Romain
STYLEME-UP.COM STYLE TEAM askthestylist@styleme-up.com E-SHOP ENQUIRIES eshop@styleme-up.com ADVERTISING adverts@thebulbideas.com PR AND MARKETING MANAGER Claire Elbrow press@sideviewmagazine.com
OFFICE 17 St Andrews Drive Stanmore, HA7 2LY Tel (+44 2081338954) Email: info@thebulbideas.com Suite 7, 21 Biaduo Street, Keffi, Off Awolowo Road, Ikoyi Tel (+234 8024453388, +234 1 7765642)
Back Cover:The Music Issue Talent: Sasha Photography: Seyi Charles George Make up: Omobola Bolaji Hair: Ola @ Bobbys Signature Styling: Maxxy Sasha wears Jumpsuit, £55, Warehouse Accessories, Stylists own Photography: Seyi Charles George & Dumebi Agbakoba Wizkid styled by Olamide Adedeji, Sasha styled by Maxxy, P-Square styled by Oluwafemi, Ice Prince & Jesse Jags styled by Dumebi Agbakoba
SIDEVIEW is published by Blue Bulb Media (The Bulb Ideas Group LTD)
SIDE VIEW
CONTRIBUTORS
Karl Lake Creative photographer has been working as a Beauty and Fashion Photographer since 2005. He actually discovered his interest and love for photography soon after beginning a career in Digital Media Arts; he has not looked back since. Karl has had a variety of his work published worldwide and is quickly establishing himself as a reputable photographer with exceptional creative vision and superb attention to detail.
Tola Olateju Dr. Dr. Olateju Adetola Olawunmi (MBBS) is a graduate of Medicine and Surgery from the College of Medicine, University of Lagos. He is the Managing Consultant of XQUIZIT CLOTHING, a clothing line that specializes in crafting bespoke tailored suits and accessories for the exceptional gentleman. Adetola’s strength areas include Public relations and Networking, Leadership, Corporate branding, Creative designing, Interpersonal relations and Fashion consultancy. He loves to indulge in playing golf, swimming, lawn tennis, scrabble and reading.
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EDITOR’S NOTE Welcome to our 6th issue In this issue, SIDEVIEW will be taking a side-view/focal point on Music. Pop culture plays a huge role in our daily lives and being a new Art lover I was inspired by Andy Warhol’s 1960s poster of Marilyn Monroe. Pop art, a visual movement that emerged in the mid 1950s in Britain and in the late 1950s in America, coincided with the youth and pop music culture. It became very much a part of the image of fashionable, ‘swinging’ London that brought about a cultural revolution. So, what comes to mind when you think of pop art? Colourful, Fun, and Bold, - if those words come to mind then that’s exactly what we thought. With a booming Entertainment industry, there are a lot of influential African artistes making waves in the music industry at home and abroad, injecting their personalities through the colourful and bold styles that Pop arts display. What better way to showcase them than by creating this special pop art cover of a strong visual link between the African artists and popular culture. We interview West African Idol winner, Timi Dakolo, Hip Hop artist Sasha, R ‘n’ B duo P Square and The Choc Bois (Minus MI) and found out their likes, dislikes, and how they have manage to keep their feet firmly on ground with all the hype and fame, as the entertainment Industry continues to grow rapidly. You must be wondering how we do it, let’s just say it was great working with all these talented artists. From J-town to London Town, the Choc Bois talk about life as artists, why they love fashion and producer/songwriter, Jesse Jagz talks about what gets him fired up. The talented Sasha gets personal as she reveals plans for her fashion label “Eclectic by Sasha” and what inspires her as an artist. (Page 37) We are very excited as our readers enjoy the benefits of reading 8 extra pages. This issue is packed with our favourite high street shops, style advice and some pictures from our Launch Party. Our Beauty Editor and Celebrity hair stylist, Eugene Davis, will be giving our readers a detailed guide on how to achieve catwalk inspired hair; like the textured quiff. Beauty Writer and Makeup artist Imelda Ladebo will show you how to get the look like Rihanna at the Grammys. (Page 58) Again, SIDEVIEW magazine would like to express our appreciation to our guests, who helped raise money towards the Haiti appeal. We are very excited to announce our Issue 6 release party for “The Music Issue” and live photo shoot on the 1st of April at Faaji Finchley Road. This will give our readers a chance to see the SIDEVIEW team in action. Proceeds from the night will be donated to Marie Curie to provide nursing care to terminally ill people. You really don’t want to miss out on this. And we haven’t forgotten Mother’s day, which is just round the corner. Fashion Editor Ronke Fashola answers your fashion dilemmas on the best gift to show great appreciation to our mothers for all they do and stay beautiful doing it. (Page 54) Hope you enjoy reading it, as much as we enjoyed making it. Have a great month,
Dumebi Agbakoba, Editor
Contact me at:editors@sideviewmagazine.com
Nigerian/American rapper & Producer, El dee with Rap artisi Ice Prince of the Choc Bois Rap Artist, Ice Prince, Editor - in-Chief, Dumebi Agbakoba and Music Producer/singer/ songwriter, Jesse Jagz Styleme-up.com Fashion correspondent, Ada Ogunkeye and Beauty Writer/Make up artist, Imelda Ladebo Financial Consultant, Funmi Oyetunji & Real Estate Manager, Lilian Agbakoba Guests: HH Time Publisher Umberto Di Zenzo, Clothing designer Yetty D and friend Afro Pop artist, Ace and Stylist, Helen Adegite Editor in Chief, Dumebi Agbakoba and Afro Pop artist, Ace
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Fashion Editor, Ronke Fashola
Side ViewQ&A
BeautyConfidential Q & A with Lauren Baker Make up artist and body painter
1 coat of YSL false lash mascara creates long luscious lashes and is my day to day saviour when I am in a rush.
Best look of the season: I loved Christian Dior’s take on spring- clean pastel lids and show stopping matte red lips. Modern and fresh with a 50’s twist.
Biggest skin care dos: Treat your self to a great skin care regime like Liz Earle. Looking after your skin is an investment! Cleanse tone and moisturise moisturise, moisturise…
Biggest skin care don’ts: Overtanning and orange skin. The summer months will creep up quickly (we pray!) but tan sensibly and protect yourself. You won’t see the damage immediately but the sun causes pigmentation and breaks down collagen causing premature aging. Over plucked eyebrows and thin eyebrows are unflattering, out of date and ageing.
Yves Saint Laurent Mascara, £21.50 available at Boots
Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish, £17.50, available at John Lewis
Features you love to accentuate: Eyes are the usual favourite but I love everything. I love to create perfect, glowing skin, I love enhancing great bone structure and bringing out beautiful colourings. Call me greedy but everyone has their best feature and part of the fun is bringing out their individuality.
Lip gloss or Lipstick? Lipstick- I love intense reds and plums. Inglot does fabulous pallets with cheap paraben free refills so you can customise and replace the colours season to season.
Brands you are addicted to: I can’t get enough of Liz Earle’s skin care products (www.lizearle.com). They are amazingly priced for such high quality ingredients. Gentle yet highly effective; they contain natural ingredients many of which are organic. Since using them I have had compliments on my skin-I am addicted.
What you love most about your job: The flexibility and being able to work with different people in different locations all the time. Every week is different.
Must have products for the everyday chick:
Whose face are you itching to work on? : Kylie, Lady Gaga, and Tyra.
What surprises you most about working as a makeup artist? That this is classed as work! Who thought a job could be so much fun! Also I have really learnt that less is more, I notice that many people put on lots of make up to cover “flaws” that any one else would see as character and it isn’t flattering. The natural glow of skin or a clean mascaraed lash or a gently glossed lip is understated gorgeousness!
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Ren Mayday Mayday rescue balm, £20, available at Harvey Nichols
Ren Mayday Mayday rescue balm- it’s a great multi purpose product. The natural equivalent of the cult 8 hour cream you can use it on dry lips, elbows and knees without unnecessary parabens. It creates a gorgeous dewy shine for highlights or blends beautifully with lipsticks to create more natural, moisturising wash of colour.
SIDE VIEW
FASHION Photographer: James Bell Hair Stylist: Eugene Davis (FTWS) Make Up Artist: Alison Cameron (FTWS) Stylist: Ihunna Eberendu Art Direction: Freelance The Work Space (FTWS) Nails by m2m damorejon
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OBJECTS OF ART Think GRACE JONES, she was at the forefront of the futuristic icon movement. But yet she was a fashionable strong woman of the 80’s. So taking her most unforgettable looks and style statements, we decided to interpret her essence with a new and modern twist, think fashionista meets superheroine - pushing the boundaries to edge of art and fashion.
Side ViewFASHION
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Side ViewFASHION
Star by Julien Macdonald Mia Studded Clutch Bag £30
CLUTCH APPEAL!
From box clutches to studded clutches. Side View rounds up stylish fashion clutch bags perfectly on trend for this season and before we forget- its for all budgets.
Print clutch bag, £40, Faith Footwear
Butler & Wilson Gold Swarovski Crystal Clutch Bag, £255, Lily Wigglesworth
Snakeprint oversized clutch bag £25, Marks & Spencer
Animal Clutch, £3, Matalan
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Side ViewFASHION Multi Aloha Festival Fever Clutch £35, Accessorize
Turquoise Silk Stitch Box, £80, French Connection Patch boutique clutch bag, £6.00, Primark Coral raffia frame clutch, £22,Therapy at House of Fraser
Envelope Clutch £25, Accessorize
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The Style Boutique Creating. Styling. Designing.
www.thestyleboutique.com
Side View MEN’SFASHION
The Boys Are Back In Town Style is all in the detail. Take a look at our Spring/Summer must haves and just remember less is more.
Grey trilby, £18, Linea
Natural Brogues, £50, Burton
Grey and Navy belts, £20, Linea
RayBan Wayfarer, £120 available at John Lewis
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Grey trilby, £18, Linea White slim fit shirt £65/€92 & blue stripe tie £35 Kenneth Cole Navy ‘Shine’ blazer £190 Cold Method, Grey leather belt £45/€54 Hugo Boss Grey trousers £90/€110 Diesel
Multi coloured gingham check shirt £40 Gio Goi Red and navy fine knit tie £35 Kenneth Cole Green woven leather belt £20 New & Lingwood Red trousers £140 Ralph Lauren
Sunglasses, £14.99, River Island
Grey and Navy belts, £20, Linea
Canvas, £25, Burton
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Large tan leather tote, £550, Mulberry
Side View MEN’SFASHION
Aviator, £15, John Lewis
Watch, £29.50, Marks & Spencer White leather hi-tops £39.99, River Island
Boat shoe, £65, Ben Sherman
Classic converse, £35, John Lewis
Leather Racer Jacket £199, Marks & Spencer, Shirt, £22, Burton, Ripped Jeans, £35, Burton Purple Print Tee, £15, Burton Main image Grey, White Collar Shirt £25; Grey Ribbed Cardigan £35; Raw Dark Jeans £35; all Burton
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Side View FASHION
Summer Girl As winter slowly fades, we bid adieu to heavy coats and dull greys and say bonjour to beautiful skin tones and colors of the summer
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Lace vest, ÂŁ28, Topshop Vest top, Stylists own Slashed leggings, ÂŁ16.99, River Island, Accessories, Stylists own
Jacket, £19.99, H & M Rings, £10, Aldo Body suit, £19.99, River Island Belt, Stylists own Shorts, £29.99 , River Island Shoes, £120, Kurt Geiger
Side ViewFASHION
Racer back Vest, £15, Dorothy Perkins Denim Corset, Stylists own Harem pants, £29.99, River Island Snake print shoes, £130, Kurt Geiger available at The Style Boutique Accessories, Stylists own
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Lace vest, ÂŁ28, Topshop Vest top, Stylists own Slashed leggings, ÂŁ16.99, River Island, Accessories, Stylists own Photography: Karl Lake Art Direction & Styling: Dumebi Agbakoba Assisted by: Helen Adegite Hair: Eugene Davis using Mizani Products Make up: Imelda Ladebo using MAC cosmetics Model: Mariam Ogunsanya Retouching: Karl Lake
Side View HIGH STREET FASHION Trends and key pieces we are loving right now
Denim, Bright Whites,Ruffles & Tribal
Main Image Denim shirt £15, Breton top £8, Wide brown belt £5, Hoop earrings £3, and gold metallic sandals £15 all by F&F at Tesco
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Wooden & acyrlic bangles, £8, Dorothy Perkins Ash Leather 4 Buckle Wedge Boot, £110, Yogoego.com Stud shorts, £30.00, Next Black Denim Cuff Sandals, £28, Evans Denim duffle bag, £34, River Island
White summer dress, £60, Pied A Tierre
Bright Whites
White Cotton Pleat Bib Shirt, £55, Mint Velvet
White t-shirt £12/€15 Linea Turquoise three facet necklace, £95/€114 Angie Gooderham Navy & grey pleated skirt £65/€78, Untold Orange trim canvas tote £69/€73, DKNY Active
White bow shift dress, £115/€138, Untold
White fitted blazer, £120, Pied A Terre
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Ruffles
Ruffle Flower Brooch Dress; £25, Oli.co.uk
Ruffle strapless playsuit, £35, Dorothy Perkins
2 in 1 ruffle dress, £20, boohoo.com
Main Image One shoulder dress, £35, Cut-out waist belt, £25, Platform sandals £38, Jet pearl ring £10, All Next
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Side View HIGH STREET FASHION
Tribal
Monochrome tribal earrings, £10, Wallis
Dress, £35, John Rocha
Black Metamorphosis Jumpsuit, £40, Monsoon
5 Buckle Wedge, £79.99, Schuh
Main Image Jacket £65, Skirt £28, Vest £32, Shoes £75, Necklace £40 All ASOS.com
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Side View FASHION
Colour injection
Lace up heels, £50, Miss Selfridge
Sandal, £50, ASOS.com
Suede peep-toe, £85, Moda in Pelle
Platform, £75, Asos.com
Red peep toes, £65.00, Faith
Shoes, £90, Dune Autograph Purple Platform Shoe, £39.50, Marks & Spencer
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SIDE VIEW
THE MUSIC ISSUE Wizkid-Timi Dakolo-Sasha P Square-Jesse Jagz-Ice Prince In our Music pages, Side View interviews West African Idol winner, Timi Dakolo, Hip Hop artist Sasha, R ‘n’ B duo P-Square, The Choc Bois and New kid on the block, Wizkid-we found about their likes, dislikes, and how they have manage to keep their feet firmly on ground with all the hype and fame as the entertainment Industry continues to grow rapidly. Photography: Seyi Charles George
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Side View COVER FEATUREE
EW THE N THE N KID O K BLOC Once in a long while an artist comes along with talent that appears to belie their youthfulness, well, Wizkid is one of those. Gifted with a well sculpted face and a prodigious talent that makes his word play seem like child play. He is one of the fastest rising stars, winning fans of hip hop over with the easy way he spins dancehall vibes. Skull T shirt, ÂŁ20, available at The Style Boutique Opposite Image Yellow t-shirt, ÂŁ15, available at The Style Boutique Accessories, Stylists own
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The fact that the kid has more than youthfulness going for him has been noted by already established stars who appear to be falling over themselves to get him on their tracks. For a new comer, his collaboration record reads like a collection of the “who is who” in Nigerian music industry. He has featured with artists like MI on ‘Fast money and fast cars’, Banky W on ‘Omoge you too much’ and Kel on ‘Turn by turn’. Though his style reminds one somewhat of Sean Kingston, he still manages to hold his own he on the vergeof reviving Dancehall music in Nigeria. Wizkid is currently signed on to Banky W’s label Empire Mates Entertainment (EME) and his singles ‘Holla at your boy’ and ‘Mamiwata’ are currently receiving good reviews.
Name: Ayodeji Balogun a.k.a Wizkid How did you get the name? I got it from a very funny incident, I won’t go into all the details but let’s just say my friends and family teased me with the name till it stuck. Style of music: I have a major problem trying to describe my style of music. Let’s just say I make good music Music influences: Everybody influences me, from M.I, D’banj, Banky W, Wande Coal to T.I and Jay Z. A lot of people inspire and influence my style of music Who are your fashion icons? Hmmm...don’t think I’ve got any, weird right? I know I’m just cool like dat… (Laughs) What’s your must have item? My blackberry and my cash card. Any challenges? Getting my parents to believe in what I do What do you do for fun? I sleep! (Laughs) I love to sleep really. What’s one thing we don’t know about you? I really don’t like to go out, it’s just because of what I do. Tell us about your most embarrassing moment if you care to share it with us? I was performing at an event a while ago and I forgot my lines - it was bad..(laughs) Do you have any video links where people can see you? No official videos yet, I’ll be shooting real soon but I’ve got a cameo in Banky W’s Lagos Party video. If you could perform with anyone in the world, either dead or alive who would it be? Why? 1. Kanye West because he’s a good performer and an entertainer 2. Chris Brown...I’m a big Chris Brown fan. Do you have a website of any type? My Face book fan page http://www.facebook.com/wizkidmusic
From winning the 1st Season of West African Idols to controversy with the SONY BMG contract- Timi Dakolo is back and back with a bang. His highly anticipated sophomore album is finally out and the video for his single ‘I love you’ featuring Jesse Jagz is receiving huge coverage. In this interview with Side view, he talks about the journey so far and the road ahead.
is
nd we back-a
a re h e
r heels ad ove
for him
You have come a long way from winning West African Idols, what has the journey been like for you? It’s being a journey of self-discovery, personal growth and so much more. What were the high points of winning West African Idols? The opportunity I was given to show the world what God gave me, my voice. And Low points? The loss of privacy, my inability to do the everyday normal things I used to do, but took for granted until I couldn’t do them anymore. If you could collaborate with one other musician who would it be? Internationally, it would have to be Jay Z and John Legend and back home in Africa, Tuface Idibia, Asa, or Femi Kuti. You recorded a track with M.I, Sasha, Banky W, Omawunmi - what was it like working with them? Are you involved in any charity projects? They are all super talented artists and it was quite an honour working with them; especially for the cause we were singing for. It was good fun and wouldn’t hesitate if the opportunity presented itself again. I’m currently not involved in any charity work but I lend my support whenever I can. I support the Light Up Nigeria cause and the Walk Against Rape initiative but in the future I’d like to be more actively involved with charity work.
Cravat, £15, Clothsense Shirt, £55, Xquizit Clothing Blazer, POR, Xquizit Clothing Opposite Image Shirt, Blazer, £80, Oluwafemi Clothing
Other than being an amazing singer, do you have any other hidden talents? (Laughs) Does being able to play fantastic table tennis count? I’m learning how to play the piano though.
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Side View COVER FEATUREE What has been the biggest challenge for you? It would have to be working independently. It’s tough but I don’t let it bring me down or take away from my objectives. I’ve got a good management team and they make it less stressful most times. Does anyone in particular influence your artistic/ musical talent? I listened to different musicians growing up, a lot of reggae actually and as an adult, the music of Seal, Michael Bolton played a role as well. So what next? Well, the album is finished; we are just putting finishing touches to it. (Laughs) We can’t seem to make up our minds if to release another single or the album. With the forthcoming album, there’s something for everyone- I don’t want to brag but it really does has something for everyone. You just released the video for “I Love you”, what was it like working with Jesse Jags? Who thought up the concept of the video? And was the song written for anyone in particular? Jesse Jagz- He’s so cool. I know both of us had a lot of fun shooting the video, we nearly drove our managers and the director up the wall. My manager and I thought up the concept-we just wanted something different. Oh yes! The song was written for someone in particular, just like many of my songs are written based on a true-life incident. What does your family think of your performance and do they support you? My family? Well they are my number 1 fans! (Laughs) They support my art; they’ve been there from the beginning. My brother, Elvis a.k.a Mr Shawn is on a Yoruba song on the album called L’atomode (means from childhood) with Yemi Sax as well. So, the family supports me and is huge part of the dream. Fashion plays a huge role in music, who would you say fashion icons are? Personal Style? It might sound miles apart...but I love the style of Maxwell...it’s so easy...simple and classy. I like Kanye’s style too- playful and relaxed. My personal style when my stylist isn’t dressing me up? (Laughs) Easy, I’d wear anything as long as it is comfortable. If you had one wish, what would it be? To be the biggest Singer from Africa- where peace, love, equality reigns and corruption is zero ... (The last bit would be the wish. (Laughs) What do you do to relax? I’m a PS3 addict! But also love reading books. I find both to be very relaxing especially when I’m not writing songs. Do you have a fitness or skincare regime? Well, once in a while I go to the gym -I try to stick to cardio more. For skincare, well, I try most nights to wash my face (I hear that’s really good for the pores), that’s about it.
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Side ViewCOVER FEATURE
The Boys
you love
to hate
RnB duo P-Square also known as Peter and Paul Okoye are arguably Nigeria’s biggest music export; they have garnered fans from Gambia to Cape Town where they have an almost fanatical following. The twins, whose third album ‘Get Squared’ still holds the record for the highest sales recorded by any Nigerian Musician–the album sold over 8 million copies worldwide. The twins, who started out as dancers are known for their well choreographed dance routines. Though initially dismissed as copycats by the sceptical Nigerian media they have had to deal with diverse issues ranging from the sampling of beats from other artists to insinuations of arrogance, P-Square have managed to stay at the top long enough to convince even their more serious detractors that they were doing something right. With musical influences from P Diddy to R Kelly, Usher and the King of Pop Michael Jackson (R.I.P), the boys seem to know what their fans want and serve it to them hot. For the vocal twins, life as super stars is not really a bed of roses; they have been stalked by fans and have had things thrown at them by excited fans.“(Laughs) we were performing on stage when the fans out of excitement started throwing their underwear onto the stage. It was a very funny experience. It happened a few times but really we don’t think much of it.” says Paul. P-Square are known to not joke with finances, the boys who say they have considered modelling as a career: ‘I would actually love to model. I think I am the right height to model, right?
(Laughs) But my musical career doesn’t give me time to pursue that but definitely some day,’ says Peter, have also admitted that companies have approached them for product endorsement: ‘Not at all we are not endorsement shy like some people say because we know this industry pretty well and how to run it. Every endorsement you can think in Nigeria has crossed our table but wasn’t implemented due to the figures and certain clauses that don’t go well with us.’says Paul. Not known to shy away from questions or blowing their own formidable trumpet when the need arises. ‘We know as the biggest act in Africa, a lot is expected of us as all eyes and attention are on us. No matter what we do, whether it’s going to the movies or clubbing, people would always see you as P-Square and not Paul and Peter. It’s hard to enjoy freedom in such instances but we signed up for it, so we have to carry it all,’says Peter. On the kind of girl we like:‘I would say a good looking and God fearing girl and someone that can differentiate between Paul Okoye and P-Square.’says Paul; The twins admit they are very close and tell each other everything but still manage to have distinct personalities, which they exploited when creating their personas.‘Being twins and having a very close relationship we can’t really read each other’s mind but we can tell what the other feels at a given time,’says Paul. Most people expect Paul, to be the hot headed of the two, but it seems to be the other way round, Peter is actually the ‘bad boy’ of the two. As far as celebrity nightmares go, P-Square say they have had so many and now they’ve lost track but the rumoured affair with former Miss Nigeria Munachi Abi somehow warranted mentioning. Denying the allegation Peter laid the whole misconception on the feet of soft sell magazines that are out to make money by peddling rumours about celebrities.
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Do you care, at this stage of your career, about piracy? Of course we do care about piracy. In fact that’s the major problem the music industry is facing right now globally. I believe in Nigeria, the only way to combat piracy is getting the government to help implement laws that would guide and punish offenders. So what are you driven by, Money, Fame or Success? We don’t think any of the above drives us, we are still who we are, down to earth in as much as the public doesn’t like to separate Peter and Paul from P-Square. What was it like to work with the amazing group of producers you had for this album? It was great; it’s like having a different touch of production on the album.Only two songs were not produced by P-Square which were ‘’E no easy’’ by J Martins and ‘’Super fans’’ by Frenzy. What do you do to give back to the community? We do a lot. We have our new baby foundation HAF (Heal Africa Foundation) that mostly looks into taking care of the less privileged, motherless babies and the sick. We even spent our last birthday with the orphans and the less privileged. You know what they say ‘’to whom much is given, much is expected’’. Your videos always have an interesting concept around it, who comes up with ideas? Everything that has to do with our videos and their concept come from our manager/director Jude‘’Engees’’ Okoye. He is the mastermind of all our videos. How long did it take to come up with the choreography for the video ‘Roll it’? Took about three months to choreograph it was tough because we hard to goover and over the routine till it was perfect and there were no mistakes. It was also brilliant working with Kaffy and her dancers. They brought that ‘Jene sais quoi’ to the video
Personal Style? We keep it pretty simple we both have a very laid back style when we are not working sweat pants, racer back vests works for us. Designers you love: We don’t have any particular designers we love but if we have to suit up then we go for Hugo Boss and if its leather jackets then it would have to be Burberry. Must have items: Jewellery, sunglasses and cologne Would you consider merchandising and selling a P-Square clothing line? Yeah definitely, but it’s not something we will do locally, the name P-Square is now an international brand so when we are ready to go, it’s going be on a global level. (Peter) What did you do to celebrate the birth of your son and how has fatherhood changed your life? I celebrated my son’s birthday in grand style. Well fatherhood hasn’t changed my life style that much because I’m still me but with serious responsibilities now (laughs). When asked if they would love to change anything the boys had this to say, ‘Well there is nothing we wish to change. God has blessed us so much. If we asked for anything else that would be asking for too much (laughs) we are cool with everything as it is.”
P-Square is set to tour in London this April.
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P Square wears blazers by Oluwafemi Clothing (POR) Accessories, Stylists own
www.houseoftara.com
Side View COVER FEATURE
Harnessing the advantages of being the last of eight siblings wasn’t a big deal for Sasha, born Yetunde Alabi, she used her large family as a platform to develop her talent as a rapper. Sasha has come a long way since she emerged as the first runner up at the Girl’s nite out annual talent hunt in 2001. Later that year, she was signed on to Trybe records and was featured in the single ‘Work it’ alongside 2shotz, Eldee, Del and Timi. ‘Oya’, another hit track released by the same group saw Sasha’s reputation blow up. Her first individual single ‘Emi Le Gan’ dropped in 2003 and Sasha was on her way to becoming ‘Africa’s Queen of rap’. She is the first female rap artist from West Africa to be nominated for a Kora Award- she has opened for International acts such as Dru hill, Boyz 2 Men, Akon, Ja Rule and appears to be diversifying her interests. She reveals that she just delved into fashion, and her label “Eclectic by Sasha” is set to rule the fashion industry. Not one to ‘have and hold’ Sasha is the founder of Pink Ribbon Foundation which raises awareness for breast cancer. ‘The first female of African Rap’, reveals much more than her music in this interview with Side View magazine.
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How did you start your career? Fate definitely had a lot to do with it, I called Eldee of the former Trybesmen about 9 years ago to say how great I thought their music was and I mentioned that I rap as well, he asked me to come by the studio and sent me a recording contract two weeks later!! The first mainstream single was “Oya” which showcased all the artistes on Trybe Records at the time a year later my first Single “Emi le gan” was released and the rest they say is history (smiles) Have you always wanted to be an artist? hmmm well I’ve been entertaining family and friends for as long as I can remember, so although I had a natural flare for the arts, my dream is and has always been to make an incredible mark in my generation so far that journey has begun with my music. Who inspires you as an artist? I’m mostly inspired by hard working people who are truly passionate about something and with that said positivity is key for me, also life itself and all its complexities is my spring board for creativity. How did you come up with the name ‘Sasha’? This story is surreal actually but I’ll give you a short version, I started making music with a group of close family friends and at some point they asked what my stage name would be, now I have a nickname that my family and friends call me by but I wanted to separate the individual from the entertainer, so I’m trying to take a nap one afternoon and I keep hearing the name “Sasha” like a whisper I tossed and turned for a bit and was finally able to sleep after I wrote the name down, in recent times however I’ve discovered its a nickname for Alexander/Alexandra which happens to be one of my names. How would you describe your music for the public audience if they have never heard it before? My music is driven by positivity with a message of encouragement and a mission of empowering young women like myself, so I guess you can call it “feel good music”, there’s a lot of energy and when it comes to live shows I love to add a bit of drama to keep things interesting (laughs) If you could collaborate with another singer who would it be and why. Internationally I’d love to work with Kanye West or Lauryn Hill because their music inspires me. In Nigeria I’ve worked with most of the people I’m loving right now but a song with Da Grin would be really hot because he’s just amazing with the vernacular word play as a Yoruba girl I find it very challenging. Do you have other interests you would like to share with us? Well, at the top on my list right now is my clothing label “Eclectic by Sasha” , the dream is to have retail stores so I’m currently working on ways to make that happen.
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Make up: Omobola Bolaji Hair: Ola @ Bobbys Signature Styling: Maxxy Dress, £30, Dorothy Perkins Blazer, £ , Oluwafemi Clothing
Side View COVER FEATURE So you’ve got your own fashion label. Would you say you are fashion obsessed? Hmmm obsessed is a bit extreme but I’m unapologetically a fashion junkie – so sue me! (Laughs) Its amazing how sometimes I get so excited when I’m thinking about a new design and seeing it come to life is one of my constant “me-victories” (that makes sense right?) Hope it does! So, who is your favourite designer? That’s easy!!! SASHA!!! (Wink) Everyone loves a celebrity so what advice do you have for the youth of today? Well I have to say “Celebrity” isn’t all happy go lucky, there’s definitely a lot of hard work required to be successful just like with everything else you aspire to, but the only constant thing is “Change” so let’s welcome it but never let go of our values! Any plans to settle down and start a family of your own? Well, it takes two to tango (giggles)- but although I don’t discuss my personal life I’m like every girl my age, daydreams about that knight in shining armour and my gorgeous white dress but I’ll cross that bridge when I get there (wink) What has been the biggest challenge for you? I can’t really think of one BIG challenge, but I suppose we all fight our little battles from time to time, I see them as strength builders so I haven’t met a mountain I couldn’t climb... Yet! Do you have any regrets? None at all! I love my life whatever doesn’t kill me makes me strong. What do you do to relax? Lazing around, watching DVDs in bed (Laughs), sitting still is relaxation enough for me because I get very restless if I’m not busy. Do you still go to your family for advice? I lost my dad real early but yes, my mum is still my “go-to person” when I’m faced with a difficult situation, she’s always been a pillar of support. In the course of your career, who’s given you the best advice? Actually my sister! She’s not in the industry but I’ve based my approach on what she said to me once “ Nobody owes you anything, so be grateful for those that spare you the time and don’t sweat the ones that don’t”! Seems pretty simple yeah? But its been invaluable! Finally what can we expect from you later this year - tour dates? Album? Definitely the album titled “Sasha Speaks” more videos and tour dates will be updated on the storm360 website and all my fan pages.
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Side View FASHION
Cuff Sandals, £85, Steve Madden
Multistrap Gladiator Sandal, £25, Evans
Love it: Warrior Queen This seasons hot new sandals to get your feet looking pretty for Summer.
Knee Sandal, £59.99, Schuh
Red Herring Metallic Snakeskin Sandal £25, Debenhams
High leg leather gladiator sandal, £32, Littlewoods
Sandals, £75, John Lewis
Black/white print skin, £110, Pied a Tierre
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Seyi Charles George Photography Aerial Photography. Documentary. Wedding & Events. Fashion.
The Bulb Ideas Group Email: seyi@thebulbideas.com + 234 805 131 8051
The other side of music by Fred Nwonwu
Music is a part of human Culture, culture itself is universal and one aspect of culture that best exhibits this universality is music. All over the world; from Lagos to New York; from Manila to Rio; from the icy deserts of Greenland to the tiny islets of New Zealand, musicians, just like others involved in the arts, shape the way the world is viewed. Be it through the captivating moves of Michael Jackson, the mind numbing guitar tunes from Carlos Santana or the soul stirring vocals of Sade Adu, the world feels music and music fills the world. Like world shapers, artists mould culture. Consciously or not, they manipulate the choices of their subjects, shaping what we wear, where we sleep, what we eat and even in the extreme, who we marry. Since Human minds are attuned in different ways; the artist, being human, give into diverse idiosyncrasies that have a bearing of their creations. This character can either be infused with good or suffused with the dark side that we all obviously have. Pop culture appears to be interpreting the times through lyrical content and visuals -the disturbed imagery of accompanying music videos that some have interpreted to somehow glorify the darkness, personified by a Judaeo-Christian Satan. Artists like Jay-Z, his wife Beyonce, Rihanna, Lil Wayne; to name a few, personify this drift. Undoubtedly, Jay-z is one artist that has over the years delved into the occult, if not in fact, then by insinuations. Jay-Z, who has long been rumoured to belong to an occult order such as Freemasonfuelled more speculations with the use of occult imagery in his latest video “On to the next one’ (featuring Swizz beatz) But this is not the first time Jay-Z is showing signs of occult affiliations. Years earlier he propagated the massively popular ‘Roc sign’ that incorporated a widely known symbol of the Illuminati cult, the left eye within a triangle. Wild fans usually throw the salute during Jay-Z’s stage performances, probably not knowing the origins of the sign or perhaps not caring. Jay-Z also has appeared
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Side View BLOG
in public wearing a black hoodie with the words “Do What Thou Wilt” engraved on it. Though the words are suggestive in themselves, the fact that they are the official dictum of the Ordo Templi Orientis (O.T.O.) and of its reformer, occultist Aleister Crowley, leaves a whole lot to imagination (The O.T.O. is a hermetic order modelled after Freemasonry and German Illuminism). Truth is, Jay-Z knows a lot about occult imagery and seeks to either make their use more mainstream or just wants to build an aura of mysticism around his persona, thereby tapping into the slant of the west’s teenagers to the dark side. A phenomenon that has resulted in the cult like following of various vampire movies of which Twilight is a very good example. Both Beyonce and Rihanna have done songs that centre around evil possession, with Beyonce taking it further with the naming of her possessed/possessing persona, her alter-ego Sasha Fierce, who she affirms is the fun, sexual and aggressive side of her . She says: “I have someone else that takes over when it’s time for me to work and when I’m on stage, this alter ego that I’ve created that kind of protects me and who I really am”. Sasha Fierce is at times depicted wearing a dress adorned with an occult symbol of a goats head, otherwise known as Baphomet’s head. Rihanna explores the bleak world of mind control and demonic possession in the video of her song Disturbia. Not only does she play with the dark side, she appears to have recently embraced it completely as her recent videos show. Though this use of occult imagery in the videos did not start with rap and Hip-hop acts, they appear to be taking it to the next level. If they do this because of recognition, then they have definitely succeeded, the awards the artists mentioned above won at the recent Grammy awards proves this assertion to be right.
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Side View FASHION
High Street Shop Each month our Stylizer and Fashion editor Ronke Fashola will be giving a fashionable thumbs up to a high street store that is offering something for everyone at a fantastic price. This month is all about HIGH STREET STORE, NEXT. If you haven’t been into Next this season then here are 10 reasons why it should be on the top of your list.
SIMPLE YET SEXY
Lingerie set £18.50
Sequin vest £50
STUDS
CITY SHA
KER
AND SE
QUINS
Be ready to get your toes out for the summer sun with these metallic / brown leather sandals. Try wearing them with some simple dark blue denim jeans and adding this amazing sequin waistcoat to finish off your outfit!
A perfect outfit for looking fashionable in the office when worn with some back tights and can easily be worn to meet the girls for a few cocktails after office hours!
Sandal £32 Military jacket £ 60 Playsuit £28
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HOXT ON
GIRL
Quilted bag £20 Denim shirt £20 2 in1 Dress £40
3 Must have items for summer should be these 3 fantastic pieces. Layer your denim shirt over some leggings and accessorize with the quilted bag for a feminine finish.
High heel sandals £50
coloured bag £30
RIG SUMMER B
HTS
Brighten up your outfit with this fabulous bag and sexy high heel sandal. Wear with a skinny jean and a bright top to compliment the shoes and bags for a WOW outfit that’s sure to turn heads.
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Side View FASHION
Wear it:
Sunglasses Nothing spells “H-O-T”, like a pair of super sexy oversized sunglasses. Take a cue from Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis this season and add a pair of sunglasses for an instant chic look. It won’t matter if you’re out shopping with the girls or on the beach. Words by Akudo Abengowe
Square sunglasses, £125, Miu Miu
Brown two-tone square frame sunglasses, £180, Chanel
Main image Crop black jacket, £25; Ruffle swimsuit, £15; Pink oversized sunglasses £7 all by F&F at Tesco
Tortoiseshell oversized sunglasses, £210, Balenciaga Pink oval frame sunglasses, £175, Balenciaga
Purple rectangular sunglasses, £89, Ralph Lauren
Black geometric sunglasses, £175, Givenchy
ing in v o l e r a e w s tist View It: Ar
Side View MUSIC
2010
NNEKA
JAY SEAN
Jay Sean debuted in 2003 and was widely accepted by the critical pop fans. Now he is one of the leading faces in the Rap/Hip-hop genre and one of the top ten artists to watch in 2010. He already has in his kitty, Asian Music Awards or AMA’s “Best Urban Act”, “Best Album” for My Own Way and the “Best Male Voice”. A British singer-songwriter, rapper and record producer of Indian ancestry who debuted in 2003 as a member of the Rishi rich project, whose debut single ‘dance with you’ reached number 12 on the UK singles chart. He was signed on to Virgin in 2004 and had two top ten UK hits as a solo artist (Stolen and Eyes on you). His album ‘Me Against Myself ’ sold over two million copies across Asia. He is one of the pioneers of Bhangra-R&B fusion. By 2006 he had his own label Jayded Records. The artist who is now signed on to Cash money records in 2009 became one of the few male acts whose songs (10) simultaneously appear in the hot 100 since Chingy in 2003. He is set to release the US versions of his songs ‘My Own Way’ this year. The collaboration he had with Esmee Denters and Justin Timberlake was off the hook. After ranking number 35 in billboard’s top artists of 2009, he is definitely an artist to watch in 2010.
SISTER FA
Sister Fa recorded her first demo-tape in 2000. She took part in “Rhythm et Melodie” a rap festival in the Centre Culturel Blaise Senghor, Dakar, Senegal. One year later at the age of nineteen she was invited to perform at the Senegalese Hip Hop Awards. In 2002 French producer Philipp Mogan made a film documentary on Sister Fa. Following the success of this documentary she was introduced to the Senegalese Rap Scene and was invited to participate in a musiccompilation called “Art City” with French and Senegalese Rap musicians, produced with the help of ENDA Tiers Monde, a French organization for development and environment. In the same year she represented the Senegal at the festival de rap feminine international in Guinea Conakry. She was signed to FN’F (Fight ‘n’Forget) in 2003. On august 8th, 2005 her long awaited self produce debut album was released in Senegal and it earned her the best new comer award in the fifth Senegalese Hip-Hop awards. She will release her international debut ‘Sarabah’ under her new Piranha. She is set to make raves in the male dominated rap genre.
Nigeria’s brand new singing sensation Nneka strummed her way into people’s consciousness with her hit song heartbeat, a mix marsh of Soul Afro-beat and Reggae with her fresh sounding vibes. She may come across at first like a younger version of Lauren Hill or Erykah Badu. Nneka has it all looks, youthfulness and stage presence. Her verses resound with prophetic prose and protests. Some of her songs may ring somewhat Gospel like, but the thumping drums and pianos make you take notice. Her first single “Uncomfortable Truth” shows more than the depth of her roots. As for her voice, one only has to listen to understand her appeal. She could be so bold one moment and frighteningly fragile the next. Nneka debuted in the US on February 2nd with the release of ‘Concrete Jungle’.
NEON INDIAN
This band from Austin, Texas is set to take the world by storm this year. Using the now increasing popular online posting to promote their music, it worked brilliantly as music blogs and websites gave them very favorable review. They released their debut LP ‘psychic Chasms’ in 2009 and like before, music website pitchfork gave them sweet reviews, designating the album ‘best new music’. This is by no means a fluke for that album is full of dance beats and vocal melodies that appear very carefree. The music composer Alan Palomo who is also the solo artist named VEGA is joined by guitarist and vocalist Ronald Gierhart, Drummer Jason Faries and keyboardist Leanne Macomber. This is a band that may make serious headway in 2010. I can only describe their sound and synch infectious.
J. COLE
The fact that J. Cole is the first artist to be signed by Jay-Z’s new Roc Nation label speaks volumes of the young rappers rep in the streets. It is not just mere granting of status, that he dropped a verse as a guest artist in Jay-Z’s ‘blueprint 3’, that the track is titled a ‘star is born’ is also a loud statement. This Fayetteville, North Carolina native graduated from St. John’s University will release his debut album this year. He has previously released two mix tapes, ‘the come up’ in 2007 and ‘ the warm up’ in 2009, following which he release the freestyle ‘back to the topic’ He is toured with Jayz on the ‘Blueprint 3’ tour and is expected to tour with Young Jeezy this year. His debut album will drop later this year.
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Who is Ice Prince? Ice Prince is a laid back, easy going, very focused on my music.. I like to think of myself as a bad guy. But not in the way you might be thinking (laughs) And how did you get the name ‘Ice prince’? I was named Ice by a friend when I was in secondary school. I went to school one day and I was wearing a very big ruff ryder dod tag-all iced out which was in the ‘in thing’ back in the early 90’s and the name stuck afterwards. ‘P’ came from the initials from first name (Panshak) which later became to Ice Prince. My style of music is.... Hiphop- I do a lot more of rapping than anything else. I began writing rhymes in ..... 1999. Before I go on stage I.... Pray. It is really a Choc Boi culture What gives you inspiration every day? It could be anything, inspiration comes from everywhere. Mostly nature though, a forest, a person, a colour, a movie, a travel, a beat, a sermon, a club, a game or even a song How did it feel winning Hennessy artistry in 2009? It was great, as cliché as it sounds but that was the feeling I had. Coming out as no 1 amongst such great and talented artists felt good. I felt like I was King Kong after I won that title. I don’t know why it would be King Kong, it could have Superman or Jack Bauer-but I am random like that sometimes. (laughs) Most people think artists have it easy-the fast life, the fans etc but what is it really like an artist? It actually is a sweet job. It opens a lot of doors and you get to meet a lot a great people but
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bakob
a
we do go through the normal hurdles - there is a lot stress, hustling, disappointments and all that. It can be demanding and stressful most times. When everyone is on holiday, we have to work and when we want to spend time with our family we can’t because we’re working, travelling, doing shows or in the studio trying to create music. So it has its advantages and disadvantages. Any regrets or anything you would like to change? I have no regrets but regarding change, if I had the chance, I’d change how the music system is been operated in Nigeria from the production to the business aspect. My aspirations would be ...... To play on world stage with great people that I have looked up to and also be able to help other people achieve their dreams in life like young aspiring rap artists. You have been featured on M.I’s track ‘Blaise’, Make it better with Mo’Cheddah which are two very different sounds and messages? Do you pick and choose which tracks to feature on? I don’t pick tracks to be on. I just jump on a track when I’m called to do it no matter the genre or style. I believe in trying and failing rather than not trying at all. As long as the message of the song is not out of context, I will do it because I believe I can make a track sound hotter with my spin on it and if I can’t at the end of the day I won’t do it.
Main Image Ice Pince Cardigan, £29.95, H&M Stripped suspenders, £5.99, H&M Shirt, £34.99, Zara Jeans, Models own left;Shirt, £14.99, H&M Scarf, Stylists own Cap, £5 available at The Style Boutique Main image Jesse Jagz Jacket, Stylists own T - shirt, £3.99, H&M Aviators, £25, available at The Style Boutique Jeans, Models own
Interv
Dum iew by
Jesse Jagz may not quite be a household nameyet. But it’s a name you should remember. Not only is he a music producer, having crafted songs for M.I, Shank, Faze, Djinee, Eve, Majek Fashek, Ice Prince, Mode 9, Sasha, Kel and Dekunle Fuji, among others, but he also is a songwriter and a recording artist himself. Read our exclusive Interview with the man himself about what gets him fired up, the long awaited album and his thoughts on evolution of digital music. I grew up in… Jos, which is in Plateau state but I was born in Taraba State. All my experiences and memories I owe to Jos or J town as we like to call it. Funniest childhood memory... I remember playing drums in a band when I was 7. M.I was on the keyboards and we were jamming and got the whole crowd on their feet. It was truly amazing I never thought we were that good to get people to listen to us. Working with my brother, M.I is… CRAZY but a lot of fun!! He is very focused and knows what he wants to hear and won’t settle for less. I’m a bit more spontaneous when it comes to making music and he’s more calculated so we balance each other out. On the whole it’s been an amazing experience. He’s absolutely one of the brightest minds we have today in music. What gets you all fired up? I guess anything that sounds good to me. It could be the harmony on a song, or the strings on a guitar or the beats of drums, but once I hear a sound I like, I need to reproduce it or I can’t get it out of my head. Which do you prefer-working as producer and working as a Hip Hop artist? Both I guess. I write my songs as I produce them. I enjoy performing as much as I do producing. So I’d say a bit of both.
The last time I cried was…. When I watched the movie “Seven pounds”. (laughs) I’d love to work with…. Tuface and I would definitely love to do a beat for jay z.. If I was invincible for a day I would.... Most definitely - Rob a bank. I’m sure it’s crossed a lot of people’s minds. One thing people don’t know about me is.... I talk a lot. Most people think I’m quiet but I’m not. Which artists should we expect on your forthcoming album ‘The Jag of all Tradez’ ? Okay expect. MI, Ice Prince, Banky W, Da Prince, Da Grin, Soul E Baba, Praize and Mo Cheddah What was the experience like working as a producer of Hennessy Artistry? It was great, exciting and unpredictable. I was honored to be picked alongside other great producers. It was tasking because you didn’t know what the other producer would come up with.
What makes you more excited-working with established artists or undiscovered talent? That’s a tough one. Well I guess it depends on how talented and versatile the person is. I definitely have had more freedom with up-coming acts and I think the songs ended up sounding better as opposed to established artists who already know what they want. But like I said it depends on the individual.
Would you consider setting up your own production label? And why? I already have my own production outfit. M.I and I own Rytchus Era Productions (R.E.P) and I own “Pushing Keyz”. Well it is necessary because after a while you have to feed off other producers for inspiration and freshness. Also, I’m of the opinion that when you produce you shouldn’t really mix a song yourself.
What sets you apart from other producers? I’d like to think it’s because I have had a very long and strong musical background. Real music I mean, as opposed to just doing the digital stuff. I understand what chord progressions are and how they can change the mood or feel of a song. I do harmonies well and understand drum patterns and their variations. But also I’m very spontaneous and creative so that gives me sort of a double advantage.
I absolutely love ‘Jargo’, but wonder what does ‘Jargo’ mean? What was the inspiration behind it? Jargo is my nickname and alter ego. Everyone calls me Jargo so I was in the studio, made the beat and was like “hey, that sounds indian”. So I just put some gibberish together and that was the chorus. I think I completed the song in an hour.
Personally I listen to…. M.I, Ice Prince, Pharoahe Monch, Fred Hammond and Kirk Franklin oh and off course Timberland. Pretty much what I listen to professionally is Jay Z, Kanye West, Drake and Maxwell. But generally I like to keep an open mind. My biggest achievements to date would have to be…. MI’s album... we put everything we had into it, body, soul and spirit and it was a classic.
What are your thoughts on the future of the industry and digital music revolution? I think we’ve got to keep aiming for the top and aiming to set a new standard; the sky is the limit for us. The digital revolution has brought a down turn on the sales of cd’s but has opened a whole new medium for music to be sold. I’m for the opinion that life itself is an evolution so everything must change and evolve and music is right now. Join or get thrown out! (Laughs)
Fashion trends you love right now: Skinny jeans… I know it might not necessarily be a trend but I absolutely love the “all back everything” look. So, are there any trends you follow as a producer? As much as I need to stay original and fresh I really do look up to Timberland. I think he’s been able to re-invent himself and his sound over and over again.
And what are your thoughts on social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook? Good or bad? I think it’s good. It has definitely made the world a real global village and has brought a lot of people, family and long lost friends together. It does have its negative sides but on the whole I think social networking is good. It’s made advertisements and marketing a whole lot easier.
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Studio 7, 44 St Paul’s Crescent, London, NW1 9TN (By Appointment Only) +44 (0)20 7424 8832 designer@kosibah.co.uk twitter.com/yemikosibah
Side View JEWELLERY ‘Mange Collection’ - made from magnetically charged hematine cubes. Two double strand necklaces magnetised together and worn asone.
Designer Spotlight: Maria Lau Jewellery Where did your interest in jewelry making begin?
I studied a BA (Hons) in Textile Crafts at The University of Huddersfield and went on to hone my skills as a designer-maker on the Masters in Mixed Media Textiles at The Royal College of Art in London. Experimenting with diverse materials and forms, together with my inspirations to create for the body naturally led to creating jewelry and accessories. How would you describe the style of your jewelry?
The style is refined experimentation and playfulness, which is best seen within the creative pieces, as I am using unusual materials such as tights to create luxury items, however it is also classic, succint and elegant as best embodied by the more minimalist pieces. The best place for inspiration is:
Inspiration can come at any moment, but it tends to be when I’m traveling, whether by car, plane or even on foot - accompanied with music of course. There is much to be said for taking time away from the studio, to open the mind and relax. Favorite piece from the collection:
The more dramatic pieces are usually my favorite because they are more closely connected to the original stories, which inspire the collections. I love the ironic piece ‘Nude Twisted Collar with Petals’ from the first collection ‘A Skin Less Ordinary’ because it was made entirely from tights twisted together on the mannequin in an artful manner, without a single stitch. The idea was to create something that could capture your attention - a romantic collar enraptured in twists and petals, only to turn out to be tights with toes all-a-dangly. What are your biggest inspirations for your creations?
Music and film are huge inspirations for me, which can be the starting point for creating my own imagined pieces of fiction, from which a central heroine emerges to
inspire the direction of the collection right through to the photoshoot which I style myself. Materials are also hugely influential, I’m very much inspired by the natural beauty of semi-precious stones, but am drawn to the potential of working with familiar materials and pushing them beyond convention. Materials go hand-in-hand with the stories and music that guide me. Any fashion trends that influence your design?
I do love the works of architectural and futuristic fashion trends, such as that of Hussein Chalayan and Christopher Kane for their sharp and dramatic dimensions. However I try to not look too closely to trends because I strive to create fashion within my own jewelry, they can be statements within themselves. Your designs are playful but elegant, would you say that was a reflection of your personality?
I am definitely playful, but I see my customer as being perhaps more elegant than I am!! You could say that I am introducing the element of play to a refined customer, who otherwise may not discover this through precious jewelry. For example, in ‘Dark Tales’ the single long fringed earring gives the wearer a beautiful reason to play with the jewelry as the fringing feels like cool strands of hair. If you had one wish what would it be:
Oooh, I wish I could transcend time and space, and move as I wish! Who would you love to see in your jewelry?
Creative expressionists such as Roisin Murphy, Bjork and Bat For Lashes who could make their own interpretations of the pieces. I would also like to see my pieces on anyone who has an eye for style and drama. What inspired the 2nd collection ‘Dark Tales’?
Several influences steered ‘Dark Tales’ including memories of harsh winters, ‘Seven Swords’ a film of
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Side View JEWELLERY
ancient Martial Arts heroes and I have to thank ‘Burial’ for the very dark and atmospheric tunes he created which filled my studio and created my own story of a Japanese Samurai Princess who becomes the last one standing in an ancient midnight battle. The last thing you did to have fun was:
Celebrating a friend’s birthday with fizz. Two craft tools you cannot live without:
My pliers but my hands are pretty crafty!! Next three things you’d like to achieve with your jewelry?
I would like to show in Paris next year and meet international buyers and press to work with. Working with the right fashion designer is also on my list. Favorite places to shop in London:
Vintage stores so I can find my own gems and I love Uniqlo for basics and convenience. I tend to shop online now, which isn’t as exciting! The longest time spent making a jewelry piece was:
Three days for a Groundhog day scarf with 33 pairs of tights!! What other projects are you working on this spring?
I am working on AW10, which will be a surprise for now because I have two stories battling with each other! Either way it involves a heroine who embodies spirit and strength.. Keep watching this space on www.marialau. co.uk “As the light returns, the sky transforms to ethereal lilac dusk. Her armour becomes silver, her cheeks the colour of blossom .The now lucid waters awaken her to dawn”-An insight into the story behind Maria Lau’s SS10 collection ‘New Dawn’. Maria Lau’s third collection entitled ‘New Dawn’ follows on from her previous collection ‘Dark Tales’ but moves to a more colourful and playful side of the brand. The collection still contains some references to traditional Japanese armour and braiding; however pieces have a more organic feel and a brighter colour palette, updating the collection perfectly for SS10. Her trademark use of tights become less of a central point in this collection, making way for use of new materials such as mini-branches of pink sea bamboo and semi-precious stones in blue lace agate and rose quartz triangles.
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Chunky braided and frinded necklace with black hosiery and hematine beads
Side View SHOP
Bobbi Brown Cabana Corals Shimmer Lip Gloss, £14
Restorative Hair Treatment, £39, Ojon Power Plate, £1,495, John Lewis
Weighted Skipping Rope, £17.95, Reebok
Nail Lacquer, £9.95, OPI Nails
Laura Mercier Lip Stain, £16 each Nars multiple Colour Stick Colour Orgasm £27
Love it: The It List
Our round up of what’s hot this month in beauty, technology and fitness accessories
Boxing Gloves & Wraps, £39.95, John Lewis
Lancome Hypnose Waterproof Mascara, £19.50
Bobbi Brown Earth Metal Eye & Lip Palette, £48
No7 Stay Perfect Nail Colour, £6.75 each, Boots
Marc Jacobs ‘Daisy’ EDT, £42.09
Ipad, £499, Apple
Prescriptives Traceless Skin Responsive Tint, 30ml, £22
Camcorder, £349, Panasonic
Lancome Le Vernis Orange Flurorama, £14
Cowshed Udderly Gorgeous Leg & Foot Treatment
Tote Bag, £30, Nike
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Side View FASHION
Side View Fashion Q &A By Ronke Fashola Q: I’m looking for a party dress to wear to my sister’s birthday party. I don’t have a great deal of money to spend and also want to be able to wear it again to other events. I have a small waist and want something to show this off. Can you help suggest something? A; This dress is from one of my favourite high street stores ‘Next’, and its only £40. The waist band detail is ideal as it will show off small waist. You’ll also be able to wear this seasonally in the evenings as the splashes of colour make it vibrant and exciting. I would suggest picking a colour from the print and accessorising around this chosen colour. For example; I love the hint of red in the print, so why not try wearing red shoes and black tights. Another alternative would be to pick out the purple within the print and work around this. Try wearing purple tights and shoes and complete the look with turquoise earrings.
Q: Where can I find a vintage looking sequin jacket? All the ones I have seen on the high street have a tailored look and I want something more 80s. A; I recently came across a new and exciting online fashion site called Bunnyhug.com. This amazing jacket by Maurie & Eve Gold/ Black Sequin Bomber Jacket is everything you need to ensure you arrive at all your parties in true style. Wear it with a denim shirt and black leggings for a true Hoxton girl look. Now for the best news; its only £80.
Q: Its Mothers day soon and I want to get my mum a necklace to wear. She loves flowers but all the flower necklaces I have seen are too old looking. Where can I find a fashionable style flower necklace? A; This season flowers on both clothes and accessories are a hot off the catwalk trend. I’ve spotted this fantastic necklace in Next for only £18. It’s a neutral colour, which means she’ll be able to with a large array of things in her wardrobe. From a simple V-neck jumper, white blouse or denim dress, it’s a true understated, fun, young and funky necklace to purchase any mum for Mother’s day.
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Side View BEAUTY
Mane Attraction Beauty Editor and Celebrity Hair Stylist Eugene Davis’ looks to rock this season. Today’s hairstyles don’t have to be complicated, using the right styling tools and products you can achieve catwalk inspired hair at home. By Eugene Davis & Imelda Ladebo Photographers: Tracer Ital & Karl Lake
Assistants: Jarmaine Grey & Squiz Hamilton Hair & Makeup: Annam Tariq using MAC & Yves Saint Laurent cosmetics. Model: Thyria H
The make-up was kept very clean and feminine. If you’ve got good skin, this summers must have is a tinted moisturiser or light covering foundation with an eye-liner to accentuate the eye-shape and a bright lip. For a bigger impact fill in the eyebrows according to your natural shape.
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Get the look: THE QUIFF- The hair is inspired by Rihanna’s popular short cut with a high quiff-the models hair was mid length so we sectioned off the two sides, meeting them in the back of the head and secured with pins and Mizani silk finishing gel, £15.99. I took the hair that was left on top and used a medium cutek crimper by Wahl, £29.99 , to create texture and volume. Once the crown was done I pinned the hair in place to create an almost sudo mohawk, and with a few sprays of Mizani shimmer effects spritz, £14.95, the perfect Quiff was moulded.
Get the look: THE WAVEInspired by Cheryl Cole. To get this look the model’s hair was set on sponge rollers with Mizani setting lotion, £13.99. When hair was dry, Mizani gloss veil, £14.99 was applied to hair and the curls were separated with the fingers to give a retro 1950’s free flowing wave to the tresses.
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Side View BEAUTY Get the look THE FRINGE- or as we say in my native lingo in America the Bang!! It’s always a fashion statement whether you side sweep, or you do a blunt fringe. It always makes a statement! To find out which one or if any works for you, visit your local hairstylist and discuss your options. Nothing worse than cutting a fringe and it does not suit your face. So check first.
Top, stylists own Harem pants, £29.99 available at The Style Boutique Shoes, £120, Kurt Geiger
With volume being the next big thingsetting the hair on bendy roller with Mizani foam wrap will help achieve this throwback to the early 90s. The key is to not comb out curls but to use your fingers for a softer effect. For this style, we used Studio line by Eugene Davis for Shuly wigs New York.
1. Start by applying a liquid foundation like M.A.C’s Studio Fix Fluid SPF 15 (No.19) with a sponge or a foundation brush and blend properly into your skin. 2. Fill in your brows using a pencil that matches your brow colour like Rimmel professional eyebrow pencil black/brown (£2.72) 3. Apply eyeshadow primer from your lid to your crease and to your bottom lash line. 4. Using a flat eyeshadow brush, gently apply a black eyeshadow (MAC’s black tied No.11) to your lid and blend into the crease. You can build the intensity by applying some more eyeshadow until you get it as dark as you want. 5. Draw a thin line below your bottom lashes starting from your tear dot, using L’Oreal Liquid eyeliner in black £4.99 or any liquid eyeliner. 6. Highlight your dear dot using MAC’s eye kohl (fascinating) £12.50 or any white eye pencil and run it through your water line. 7. Finish off the eyes by applying thick coats of mascara to your top and bottom lashes or stick on a pair of your favourite false eyelashes. 8. Fill your lips with Bobbi brown’s essentials lip gloss (Buff 04) No.14 to create that pale nude glossy finish. 9. Finally, add some definition to your cheeks by sweeping on some blush (always wear a shade that suits your skin tone).
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Side View BEAUTY
How to Get celebrity inspired looks
There’s no doubt that Rihanna looked stunning at this year’s Grammy Awards. She appeared on the red carpet with her funky hairdo, popping silver- rimmed eyes, beautifully glowing cheeks and glossy nude lips. Here’s how to create this dazzling look in quick and easy steps.
by Imelda Ladebo FOR THE FROSTY LIDS Prime your eyes with the Urban Decay Primer Potion (£11.50), all over your lid and crease. To get the Silver shimmery glow all over the eyelids try M.A.C Eyeshadow in Forgery or Electra (frost) £11.00. Apply the shadow with a stiff shadow brush all over the eyelid to the brow bone. Using a small eyeliner brush apply some of the shadow on the bottom of your eyes. Alternatively, Urban Decay’s Dime metallic silver eye pencil (£11.00) will create the same effect for the bottom line. With the black liquid eyeliner, draw a thin line on your top lid (as close to the lash line as possible). Finish this off with the super long lashes(£8.50), sticking them on very close to the lash line; go over this with one more stroke of the liquid eyeliner to create a smooth finish.
What you need: TO GET THE GLOWING CHEEKS Using the blusher brush, lightly sweep on a bronze blusher like NARS Love Joy (£19.50) to the apples of your cheeks. Then using a face blender blush, create that shimmery bronzy glow by brushing on Bobbi Brown’s Bronze Shimmer Brick Compact (£29.50). To highlight those cheek bones, forehead and chin, dot on Benefit’s High Beam (£17.50) on these areas and blend with your finger tip. The purpose of this luminescent complexion enhancer is to highlight the areas of the face that it is applied to.
Urban Decay Primer Potion M.A.C Eyeshadow (Electra or Forgery) Urban Decay 24/7 Eye pencil (Dime) Black Liquid Eyeliner Eyelashes (Sacred lashes’ Trisha) Nars Blush (Lovejoy) Bobbi Brown Bronzer (bronze shimmer brick) Benefit High Beam M.A.C tinted lipglass (Lust)
AND FOR THOSE SUPPLE, GLOSSY NUDE LIPS Apply a few cotes of M.A.C’s Lust tinted lipglass (£12.00).
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Side View TRAVEL
Las Vegas Strip THE THRILLS OF SIN HAVE NEVER BEEN CHEAPER
What else can I do? The most amazing city tour is at night by helicopter. Vegas is also ideally placed for day trips. Sign up for a jeep tour of the nearby Red Rock Canyon conservation area or, further afield, visit the spectacular Hoover Dam on the Arizona border and cruise the Lake Mead reservoir. And don’t miss a trip to the world famous Grand Canyon.
Brash, bright and outrageous, Las Vegas, Nevada, is the show that never closes-credit crunch. At the same time, the hotels on the strip are slashing their prices to tempt us to splash out. With rooms from as little as £11 per person, this is the ideal time to join the party. What is there to do? Everything in Las Vegas revolves around The Strip, a 312 -mile boulevard that runs through the city. After you’ve joined the breakfast buffet line at Le Village in Paris Las Vegas, get your bearings with a stroll past the jaw-dropping casino resorts that line the strip. There’s Luxor, a 30-strorey bronze pyramid based on the Egyptian city with awesome temples and pillars. Excalibur is a 4,000-room resort that’s a theme park in itself. Then there’s the Venetian, where you can rent a reproduction gondola and travel along a winding canal; and Caesars Palace with its Greek columns and cocktail waitresses in togas. Each resort boasts a spa-Mandalay Bay hotel has the smartest-and a pool where you can soak up the sun, while Circus Circus has fairground rides such as roller coasters and bumper cars. Where can I shop? The Forum Shops in the grand mall close to Caesars palace have a mix of designer and high-street names, or you can browse through the Grand Canal Shoppes in the Venetian. Tr y Las Vegas Premium Outlets (premiumoutlets. com) for US labels such as Ralph Lauren and Armani Exchange and check out the Belz Factory Outlet Mall, which sells names such as Levi’s and Nike with minor faults, reduced by up to 70 per cent.
What can I do in the evenings? Start off with cocktails at Blush at the Wynn (wynnlasvegas.com), then head for dinner at the hotel’s Encore restaurant. If you want to get dressed up, head for the bars and casino at the grand Bellagio (Bellagio. com); if not, check out pool party at the hard Rock Hotel (hardrockhotel.com) on Sundays. And there’s no shortage of shows to catch- The Lion King at the Mandalay bay (mandalaybay.com) is the hot current ticket. Where’s the best place to stay? Hotels all over town are cutting prices. For the best bargains, visit discount site priceline.com where mid-level hotels have rooms for £20, equivalent of $40 (USD) a night and five star hotels have cut prices to around £70, equivalent of $135 (USD) a night. Check Airline Flight Availability and prices online or at your Travel Agents.
FACT FILE Currency US dollar: £1=$1.45 Language English Flight time from the UK: 1012 hours When to go : Jan-June-expect temperatures of 16-39˚C (61-102˚F). Getting there : Fares start from £330 return with Virgin Atlantic (virginatlantic.com) Age Restrictions: You must be over 21 to visit the casinos. For more info: check out visitvegas.com
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Side View HOME
Get your home back in shape for Spring Choose from a wide selection of home accessories to add a hint of colour and texture to your home
Jewel’ charger plate £12; ‘Jewel’ dinner plate £8; ‘Jewel’ teacup and saucer £8.50 / €10.50; ‘Jewel’ espresso cup and saucer £6.50; ‘Persia sapphire’ side plate £5; Pink mock-snakeskin placemat £7; Mock-snakeskin coasters (set of four) £9; ‘Odette’ gold 24 piece cutlery set £130; ‘Elise’ napkin with pink band £4.50; ‘Elise’ pink silk napkin ring (set of four) £10; ‘Celina’ champagne flute £5; Celina’ wine glass £5; Medium black candlestick £16; ‘Josephine’ black lacquer dining table £679; Plum velvet dining chair pair £519; all by Pied a Terre
Flower Canvas, £50, Next
Bold Bloom Cushion, £10, John Lewis
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Josephine’ black lacquer bookcase £899; Medium black candlestick £16; Large black candlestick £20; Medium diamante vase £30; Small diamante vase £25; Silver vase £15; Medium gold vase £35; Diamante starburst 8” x 10” frame £25; Diamante starburst 5” x 7” frame £20; Diamante starburst 4” x 6” frame £16; Pink mock-snakeskin 5” x 7” frame £14; Pink mocksnakeskin box £25; Pink mock-snakeskin journal £10; ‘Louisa’ duck egg chaise longue £1339; ‘Sophie’ pink lacquer floor lamp £155 / €185; ‘Carina’ side table £399; Pink button detail round cushion £30; Boxed diffuser bottle £26 / €32; Cream flower tea light £16; ‘Celina’ wine glass £5; all by Pied a Terre
Antiqued Bronze Mesh Ball, £13, John Lewis
Side ViewQ&A
Q & A with Dj Jam Jam Dj jam jam might seem unusual; his stage names will definitely ring a bell to the average street Nigerian music lover. In this interview with Side view, he talks about how he got hooked on African music and his big break with Artquake.
Home is .....
London and I feel I have a second home in Ikeja, Nigeria
If I had my way I would....
Clamp traffic wardens!!(laughs) I’m on the road a lot, DJing all over the UK so parking is a real issue especially in London.
Favorite artist?
Wow this changes every day but right now i’m feelin Timaya, Wande Coal and Dagrin. And Bob Marley is an inspiration.
The trick to getting the crowd going is ...
Make the girls dance, the dudes will follow lol
I would most like to party with....
Terry G....he could ginger my oyinbo swagger!
My first breakthrough as a DJ was....
When Artquake (Alanta) spotted me DJing in London. They saw potential in me and I guess there aren’t many white DJs’ playing Afrobeats. So they quickly flew me out to Lagos to DJ the soldout Alanta Carnival.
The last trip to Nigeria I....
Rode on an okada, visited Fela Kuti’s shrine, ate Egusi, shopped in Shoprite, partied in Caliente and DJ’d for the Alanta Carnival... I miss Lagos!
Influences?
I can’t really name one person, I like to learn at least one thing from everyone I meet. They can have walked with Kings or common people. Everybody has something to give.
My DJ buddies are....
I’m in danger of leaving some names out here but I am honored to say Jimmy Jatt, Abass, Neptune, Edu, Sose, Fresh ThaDoktor, Xclusive, Unbeetable, Larizzle and DJ K....Big Shout out to them all!
When I’m not DJ-ing....
I’m reading or surfing online, usually buying something off ebay which I don’t need lol. I’m a bit of a movie geek too.
The best thing about being a DJ is....
The feeling of energy from the crowd when you’re rocking the place!! Also the achievement of helping up and coming artists blow up, I think it’s important that we help spin those tracks.
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STOCKISTS A Accessorize: www.accessorize.co.uk Apple: www.apple.com B Balenciaga: www.balenciaga.com Burton: www.burton.co.uk Body Shop: www.bodyshop.com Bobbi Brown: www.bobbibrown.co.uk C Chanel: www.chanel.com Cowshed: www.Cowshedonline.com Clothsense: Email:clothsense@yahoo.com D Diesel: www.diesel.com Dune: www.dune.com E Estee Lauder: www.esteelauder.co.uk Evans: www.evans.co.uk F Faith: www.faith.co.uk F&F: www.clothingattesco.com French Connection: www.frenchconnection.co.uk G Givenchy: www.givenchy.com Gio Goi: www.gio-goi.com H Hugo Boss: www.hugoboss.com J http: www.johnlewis.com John Rocha: www.johnrocha.ie John Lewis: www.johnlewis.com L Lancome www.lancome.com Littlewoods: www.littewoods.com Lily Wigglesworth: www.lilywigglesworth.co.uk Linea at House of Fraser: www.houseoffraser.com Liz Earle: uk.lizearle.com M Marc Jacobs: www.marcjacobs.com Mac: www.maccosmetics.com Matalan: www.matalan.co.uk Miu Miu: www.miumiu.com Marks & Spencer: www.marksandspencer.com Mulberry: www.mulberry.com N Next: www.next.co.uk New & Lingwood: Nike: www.nike.com O OPI Nails: www.opi.com Oluwafemi Clothing Email:opeoluwafemi@yahoo.com P Panasonic: www.panasonic.co.uk Philosophy: www.philosophy.com Pied a Tierre: www.pied-a-terre.co.uk Primark: www.primark.co.uk R Ralph Lauren: www.ralphlauren.com Reebok: www.reebok.com www.johnlewis.com
S Schuh: www.schuh.co.uk Steve Madden: www.stevemadden.com T Therapy at House of Fraser: www.houseoffraser. com Topman: www.topman.com W Wallis: www.wallis.co.uk Warehouse: www.warehouse.co.uk Z Zebra www.zebraliving.com
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Side View 63
Akinuo y
e-Agbaje
SASHA
ON FASHION, MUSIC AND STYLE
THE MUSIC ISSUE!
WWW.SIDEVIEWMAGAZINE.COM
ISSUE 6: APRIL 2010
Cover price: £1.50, N350, $3.00