LETTERFROMTHEEDITOR “THE NEW ERA FOR A NEW GENERATION OF DREAMERZ” Music or the Art to transcribe emotions through melodies, sounds, words... Some notes on a piano, some drums on the MPC, a few words on paper ... and suddenly ... the magic happens. From Paris to Miami, NY to Tokyo, London to L.A, Mr Dreamz captures the urban art in all its forms in order to let the street talk. Cultures, languages differ but the message remains the same. With the social networks and new technologies, the magazine aims at openning the door to all these underground artists whose the talent just waiting to be put in front of the stage.Success always comes from dreamz. Working from Paris to Miami, via Montreal, Mr. Dreamz has developed over the years an extensive international network involving all the continents. Travels, cultural experiences and discoveries made all over the globe, are the starting point of the adventure. Working with more than 50 professionals worldwide, the magazine plays its card on the international field. Art... beyond the borders. By providing opportunities for younger generations, the mag has created the movement to help underground talents to get a real exposure and acquire a solid presence through medias, digital and print. Mr Dreamz is positioned as a new springboard for a whole new niche of artists, rappers, singers, producers, models etc ...
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Editor in chief DREAM KAYRIS Contributing writers Joha Brown Winnie MC French Vouvou Photographers Christophe Levet Fotos by Dall
08|SPOTLIGHT ON 10|THE POWER OF WORDS 16|SUNSET ALEY 18|MEET THE CHALLENGE 21|BEYOND BORDERS 24|LET THE STREET TALK
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Alisa Sharp x Interview by French Vouvou
“I am a citizen of the world!”
“Everything I went through because of my scars - moving to a different country, undergoing very invasive operations, learning to blend in a new culture and standing up for myself when hearing nasty remarks - made me way stronger woman. Today, i love myself...” We recently heard your fantastic song “InYou participated in Israeli Idol few years looks on the way up. Gwen Stefani, Adele and “Just always be yourself and never that you that Anansie as females areamy nocence” feat. Demrick and we absolutely ago.stop Was itbelieving. a decisive timeIts for funny your career? Skin ask from Skunk just to name few. loved it! How did you hook up with him? Yeah, it was in 2007. This show helped me biggest supporters but my music is catered to the hustla within every one out there.” Tell us the story! realize that not only that I want to do this for Who was Alisa, the teenager? Can you exI was looking for a rapper for this version of the rest of my life but that i actually CAN do plain the word “Chubby”? “Innocence”, but stumbled upon Demrick toit, and not bad at all :) It was a great expe- I was a bit bigger, wasn’t the prettiest girl at tally by coincidence and glad I did! I met his rience. I learned a lot, especially about how school. I was kinda weird when you think mixing engineer Alon Aeda at some restauthese shows work, and the whole TV produc- about it. But good weird. Artistic weird. I rant in LA and we started talking, It all came tion. One advice I’ll give artists who are look- studied fashion design and often made my down pretty quickly to “you should come ing to participate in those shows is to don’t own clothes to wear them at school and parcheck out my studio, come to record… let’s forget that, at the end of the day, the produc- ties. Sometimes, they were a hit and somework” so I did. When i came in, Demrick was tion team, as sweet as they are, have one main times a miss. But i didn’t care much. I had there and they were working on one of his interest: the show ratings! You have to find a great friends and there were a lot of laughs at tracks. Right away, i loved his talent and vibes way to make it work both within their interests school. I wasn’t an extremely popular girl but and just asked him right there if he wants to as a tv show and your own artistic ones. not an outcast either. I did always write songs. rap on my song. We played “Innocence”, he One time, I even performed a song about my went into the booth and in less then 1 hour his Who are the artists that made you want to high school crush at school. It became a hit. part was written and recorded. He’s extremely sing? I don’t think there was ever that “one You can say i did “Taylor Swift” way before talented and such a humble person. I love it artist”, or that moment when I heard some she was famous. when artists are like that - no bullshit, straight artist sing and i went “oh my i wanna do it up “if i like it, i’ll do it” and come through. It too”. I just remember singing my whole life. Were those scars a nightmare for you when was one of those beautiful spontaneous moSince i was little, i went to piano lessons and you were a kid? ments in my music journey that i can only my biological mother was a singer too. But if There were a few “i feel sorry for myself” mohope will happen more. I will add that he just you’re asking me who my role models are, I’ll ments. From the beginning, i remember my released his album “Losing Focus” so you all definitly say strong female artists, especially grandparents treating the whole situation as a should grab a copy now! those who didn’t compromise their art or problem that needs to be fixed. Like it’s some-
8 - Fresh Edition - 2015 8
“I’m finishing up my depute EP with new material, a bit more cohesive sound and more personal writing. All i can say is there’s a bit of 80’s flavor to it and I’m very excited to have it out soon and start performing with those songs. I am going to release it through bandcamp.com giving people the option to name their price for the EP, including a 0$ option. I just hope that people love it and spread the word. That’s all I can hope for the future right now.” thing that needs to be treated, and until it is, it needs to be covered. I was always wearing a closed neck shirts even to the beach/pool. It made me question my looks and think that I’ll never have a boyfriend as a teenager. I’m not mad at them for doing it because they just didn’t know any better. It took me 23 years and a simple moment of clarity to understand there’s nothing wrong with it and i should never cover it again. Did it make you grow faster as a person and into the woman you are today? Definitely. Everything I went through because of my scars - moving to a different country, undergoing very invasive operations, learning to blend in a new culture and standing up for myself when hearing nasty remarks - made me way stronger woman. Today, i love myself and my looks and am promoting a healthy image for women and girls. I wear my scars proudly and i think i am more beautiful with them on me. I hope young women who are reading this take an inspiration from it. Love yourselves ladies, you are perfect the way you are. Don’t let any magazine or stupid trend tell you otherwise. It sounds like your move to Israel was a blessing for you! What did it bring to you as a young girl? And artistically? We moved to Israel because the health system there is one of the best in the world, and a lot of very expensive operations are free in Israel. Initially, the reason to move were my scars but i think my grandparents also visioned a better
future for me in Israel. I remember not knowing anything about this new country, sitting in “Ulpan” (a school for new immigrants to learn Hebrew), realizing that you’re supposed to write from right to left. I was shocked but picked it all up rather quickly. in 6 months i was fluent in Hebrew including the Hebrew slang. I think any person exposed to new languages and culture can only benefit from it. It makes you a better person in every way. You become more tolerant to other people and their beliefs. As an artist, hearing all theses new sounds and that new language is broadening your horizons as a songwriter, you become more versatile and in a way more interesting. What can you tell about Israel that people, through the medias and negative reports, can’t see? What people don’t understand or just don’t know is that Israel is one of the smallest countries in the world- its population is a little over 7 million people, its size is about 1/5 of California, it’s smaller than New Jersey and is the only Jewish state on the planet. To put it in perspective, there are about 19 countries whose government officially declares Christian religion as their official religion and about 26 Arabic sates who declare Islam as their official religion. There is no other country like Israel and it’s extremely important to the world as it is preserving the jewish history. The place itself is sunny, the people are warm, sometimes loud but extremely welcoming and fun. The food is incredible. The party life is like no other. You have to visit Israel at least once in your lifetime.
To the haters of Israel, I will only say the following: it is the only Democratic country in the middle east and pretty much the only place in middle east where you can be openly gay and not suffer a prison or death sentence. Regarding the conflict between the Arabs and Israel, if Arabs will put down their weapons there will not be any war but if Israel will put down her out’s weapons there will not be any Israel. Have you been back to Ukraine so far? Have you kept contact with your family over there? Unfortunately, I have not, but I also don’t have any family left there. Just some very distant cousins. My biological mom lives there but we never had a real relationship. It is intriguing to follow what is happening there in the media. Only time will tell the future of this country and i hope it will be a good future. It’s so beautiful there. Can you tell us more about “Heya hands up”. It sounds like a big Summer hit! You know, Heya was like a little colorful bird that came out of nowhere. I was never aiming to write that kind of music but it just happened. I was jamming in the studio in LA over a beat with my super talented producer Gemini (Hagai Mizrahi) which is something i don’t normally do - usually i write a full song at home and then come in to the studio. The whole song just came out of nowhere and was a warm ray of sunshine. I hope people enjoy it :) Follow Alisa on Twitter : @alisasharpmusic
Fresh Edition - 2015 -
9
Heather Hahn x Interview by Klos Barinsky For those who don’t know you, can you tell us more about your life? I was born & raised in Cleveland, Ohio. I am the only child, so it was just me, my mom, my dad, and my dog :). I grew up in a suburb outside of Cleveland, where everybody knows everybody. My grandparents & rest of the family live on an island in the middle of Lake Erie in Ohio, so I spent my winters four wheeling across the frozen lake with my dad, snowmobiling, and just hanging out on the island. In the summer, we went boating, jet skiing, tubing, etc. I’m very close with my family. When I graduated high school, I wanted to be more independent, so I took the risk, and moved to San Francisco for a year and a half and went to college for fashion, and then moved down to Los Angeles and finished college with my Bachelors. “Chiffon Soufflé”... I’m French so I am really curious to know how did you choose this name? There was actually this one cafe by my house and I would always go there every morning and get their bacon & egg
“I actually want to start my own foundation that gives funds to kids with disabilities, that supports their dreams and hobbies.” - Heather
10 - Fresh Edition - 2015
souffles, and I remember they would always be sold out within like 15 minutes. I obviously love fashion too, so the day I knew I wanted to start my blog, I was literally sitting on the sofa eating a souffle, and the name ‘Chiffon Souffle’ just came to my mind, and within seconds, I just stuck with it. Who would you say is your number one inspiration? It will ALWAYS be my mom and dad. They push me beyond belief, and they are always the first 2 people that will always be there for me no matter what. What made you decide to start blogging? I started out styling when I moved to L.A in 2009, and then I started taking notice that people actually had these ‘blogs’, where they could write down their inspirations, and thoughts, favorite things, and then soon after, I started Chiffon Souffle. What are your other talents? As far as other talents, I love designing. I just
designed a line for “My Jewel Bar”, which will be on their website soon. What is one thing your readers would be surprised to hear? I actually want to start my own foundation that gives funds to kids with disabilities, that supports their dreams and hobbies. Where do you see the future of your blog going? When you write a blog, your opportunities are endless. I want to design a clothing line, write a book, do some acting, start a foundation. Who knows, it opens so many doors. Favorite Quote? My favorite quote would have to be that no matter how much you doubt yourself, as my grandma use to say, “You Can Do It.”. Nobody can’t stop you from doing anything that you want to do, you’re the only person who can stop yourself. Official blog: www. ChiffonSouffle.com
Jennifer Rose x Interview by Klos Barinsky Your twitter is all about Art and inspiration... What is your definition of Art? To me, Art is anything that allows for expression of your soul. Walking your dog can be art. Creating spreadsheets is just as much of an art form as painting a portrait. I find it much easier to define what art is not. Art is not repression, or living a life that doesn’t reflect your authentic self. I feel that art is best found living outside the status quo. Where do you tend to buy your clothes, and why? I’m often looking for different places to shop. I prefer items from boutique or lesser known companies, and love discovering new stores and websites. I buy non-synthetic and ethically-made clothes when possible.
“It’s probably cliché, but I see life as a classroom. The simple visual of stirring cream into coffee can be the catalyst of inspiration for an artist’s painting.” Hello Jennifer, could you start by telling us a bit about yourself? I’m a writer, dreamer, idealist... I’m an Italian, who grew up in Canada, with a global mindset. I’m creative, deeply empathic towards the world, and the type of person that questions everything. I also find it difficult to define myself (haha!) Can you tell us more about your twitter account, and what inspired you to start it? My Twitter account basically started out of boredom almost a year ago. It’s actually quite strange that I have a Twitter page at all, because I’m very private. Rose is actually my middle name -- I’m kind of incognito like that. Perhaps due to my private nature, my page sometimes feels like a personal journal, where people can comment on my entries, and share how they relate. And I absolutely love that. There’s something magical about people taking the time to remind you. It’s a place where I share random thoughts on art, poetry, ramblings on society, snippets of writing, etc. I feel we all have much to say, and it’s a medium for expression and community. How would you describe your own personal style? People that know me personally might say my style is a smorgasbord, and difficult to define. It varies from modern minimalism, to vintage, bohemian, classic chic... I love clothes and see fashion the same way as I see design in general. I’m very visual and love mixing things that don’t usually belong together.
Where do you find the inspiration for your posts? Life. It’s probably cliché, but I see life as a classroom. The simple visual of stirring cream into coffee can be the catalyst of inspiration for an artist’s painting. Sometimes random thoughts through real life situations turn into my Twitter posts, which is likely what Twitter is mostly comprised of. Last week I saw a drunk, homeless man beg for money, and had the thought “as a society, we should be responding to peoples’ needs, rather than solely on why they have them.” And that became a Twitter post. Social media functions well as a mirror of our minds and lives, and a place to join our thoughts together. And as a writer, I see it as a place to poetically share our thoughts. You have a lot of followers! how do you keep them entertained? It’s amazingly bizarre to me that people are interested in what I have to say. But I don’t try to entertain anyone, really. What I like about posting on Twitter is that I can share words from my heart. If I start posting things for the sole purpose of entertaining, I will quickly lose interest in it. I’m drawn to authentic people, and try to be as real as possible, no matter how absolutely strange I am. What are your dreams as a woman? And as an Art lover? I’m very fortunate to live in a time and place where I’m allowed to have a voice, as a woman. I believe we’re coming to a time where the potential of women is becoming beautifully expressed and more known. We are the creators - we literally create life, which is the greatest project of all. We hold infinite creative power that can really change the world, and as a woman, and as a human, I just want to be a part of that. My greatest wish is for my passions to help people in some way. I think deep down it’s what most of us want worldwide, and what we all should strive for. Follow Jennifer on twitter/ @SeeTheRoses
“I’m very fortunate to live in a time and place where I’m allowed to have a voice, as a woman. I believe we’re coming to a time where the potential of women is becoming beautifully expressed and more known.” 14-- Fresh Edition - 2015
Chantal • InterviewbybyWinnie Joha Brown SunsetKreviazuk Aley x Interview M.C
“I have loved every moment working with Kendrick Lamar. He is the voice of a generation, and it is such an honor to be anywhere near his project. He speaks about meaningful things, and has incredible values and ideas.” Follow me on twitter @ChantalKreviaz www.ChantalKreviazuk.com Photos by Alex Evans
16 16- Fresh Edition - 2015
“Desperation is a necessary ingredient to learning anything, or creative anything. Period. If you ain’t desperate at some point, you ain’t You have also been featured with “I have to say thatinteresting” it hurts me - JimdeepCarrey Drake... Will you be doing any more hip hop cross-overs in the future?
hop and urban is so incredible. I find ly to seeWhere that here is STILL, in 2014, Hipinfluence do you come from and Who was Sunset Which actor/actress really you? this creative freedom in this genre and I as a kid? Actor- Jimand Carrey has been hopeanto influence continue in to my build upon my amazan issueAley looming between blacks I was born in a small town in Bell Flower, Calilife. His sense of humor ising theexperience most enjoyable and with Drake/40 and of course fornia. At the age of 4, my family moved to NY. you have to understand itKendrick/Sounwave. in order to know it. I’m whites for example. I actually find it As a toddler, I was very rambunctious and misfamiliar with that because my sense of humor is chievous. I loved to explore around the house. I quite like his (lol). I recall a great said by thanquote an artist, you are also a thinkquite awkward and ain mytotal of More would rip wall paper off the wall room and waste Jim Carrey : “Desperation a necessary er. is What are the ingretopics that concern you I even threw my doll into the fireplace. Coming dient to learning anything, or creative today? If youanything. could change the world, my childhood years,Kreviazuk I began to enjoy music. Period. If you ain’t desperate someyou point, you energy” into -Its funny Chantal whatatwould do? because I can remember as if it was yes-
ain’t interesting”. He never gave up and finallyissues, and am very I think about so many would middle ofstrong the floor met aand greatfeelings. success. He made countless films causes, that curious about their effects and soWinnipeg, Canada terday…I is where you are stand from in thedifferent emotions in the living room this rocking back anddo forth have enjoyedtoand meLiving both laugh lutions. half and in the US and half in originally... How can you describe Where youwhile find theI inspiration be have made Kenny G’s “ Song as my father cry. Actress- I love Zoe Saldana. Canada, She’s I see abeautiful, much greater issue regardarea in three wordslistening for our to readers? sobird” productive? watched. Until this day, i still listen to it aand it bee’ sexy,type andofsmart. To watch in the Co-in the US. I have to ingher living in movie diversity Cold. Isolated. Inspiring I think I have ‘worker gene or warms my heart every time i something... hear it. I alsoIplayed lombiana strong, daring role to see that here is sayathat it hurts me deeply possibly got it fromand my take dad, on such the clarinet andCanada i liked fashion. Dreams me and gave meSTILL, gooseinbumps. Seeing 2014, and issue looming between How was the music scene in who comeswere fromjust a longamazed line of hard workdreams according to my parents. They believe it a lot hotofwoman weapons throughout blacks and whites for example. I actually while you were growing up? ing farmers. I just have energyfire andmultiple is aboutI feel. schooling and finding a good afterthat aI movie is awesome! actress. and a total waste of findanitamazing quite awkward Everyone is very creative We were strong workjobethic can never really She’s a kid, I never really energy. I am trying to be tolerant of the hisall busy at our craft college. and the As district I grew turn had off dreams for veryand long. I just naturally get thatthe may have stemmed me not feeling like thoughts How did hook up with Blast? toryMoka involved here, so to understand where up in was really into classical “royal fromtriggered to manifest andyou feelings i was good enough and do or become whatever mutualI am friend it comesa from. hopeful, with people conservatory of music of Canada” curricuinto something tangible.Moka Blast and I met through it is i wanted to or be.vioI was a shy little girl. Otherand they let me know thatstanding he was the guy. up “go andto” demanding change, using lum for skill development at piano I had my to keep workand ethic and ability tovoices, conquer say a will lot finally get nipped their that this lin or whatever yourwise, instrument wasvideo (I didgamesYou seemme to going. be a veryHis simple down Deep downThen i just junior enjoyed whatever mywoman, heart washowever, about him a human being. in the bud. I see this problem elsewhere in singing and piano and theory). to earth whataswould set on. Canada, within our Aboriginal problems. I high and high school was all about “battle you say “bugs you” most in today’s muthethe«He’s My Drug» your first ofam single from the first generation, I believe of of the bands,” joining a rock band, and all sic industry? Auto tune.Was I love nuances How did you choose the stage name “Sunset feature? not having shame. My grandmother was that good stuff. of everyone’s voice and ficial the more auto tune Aley”? wasuniquemy very firstMetis, feature.and I was exhervery children, like her, were or pitch correction I hear,YES, I loseitthat I didn’t actually choose Moka cited just song about with her roots. I love taughton to this be quiet Tell us 3 things youWell, love about Canada... nessthein name, the tone of the artist. Thisbeing leads able to to work Blast gave me the name. I awas doing a photo Moka itand theme. outcome was incredible! to shout it from the rooftop because I think 1. The north/polar bears generic thing in a vocalist... bugs it’s completely dope to know your history, 2. Cottage country shoot in Yonkers, NY and there is always a specific time of day when he would shoot my be pics. What is your recurring and dream? I think everyone should be so proud of 3. John Candy If you could in the studio working The way the sun hit me, gave me thisand auburn/ You’lldoing neveraknow until youcome experience where they from, and everything that on music have anyone duet true fear orange/golden Moka said, waswho as ifwould my it sleep paralysis. my It is a state where you our ancestors hadare to neifight for and through to How is living in Los Angeles nowglow. differwith“It you, be? Absolutely i lookedRaine astonishnorwith awake and you’re half butin time. bring us to hisasleep moment ent than where youbody grewwas up?one with the Sun and husband, Maida. Ither loveasleep working ing” so he started me We “Sunset Aley” of your I love LA because of its and expansive naturalcallinghim! started a projectconscious called MOON VSsurroundings. It’s like there’s anddifferent it stuck. than home a weightofweighing andyou youtell have con-about your recent Can usno more landscape, but it’s SO SUN and I love every moment bringing on you trol. This is what I’ve experienced hardhit single, “I Will video for and yourIt’snew because of the “access” to absolutely eveit with him! Doup, youweregard yourself more as an actress, a to wake up from. It is the mostWhat’s horrific,the intense Be”? concept, the story berything. Where I grew were always model singer? thing you canNight ever imagine hind it? the last to get anything hiporora new to the You just performed on Saturday I would I find myself act- Lamar & Jay Rock I think we’re all so hard on each other. We pop cultural landscape... likehave lasttotosay getana actress. Live with Kendrick ingoron a daily basis, it is funfor to your be silly and get We that arewith about needyou to stop the to judgement, and start Starbucks or Walmart whatever. collaboration trackread Pay somewhere For It... feedback from random people. The was idea that of being worklike on aworking new pilot. Yes, i am. guy song is me feeling with theUmmm…A tolerance. This What experience an actress really excites me. Iwith can that do great things by the name of incredibly Lambo Smooth decided empathetic and forgiving of myAfter so many years in the industry, show and thethat twogoes of them? and I’d be able to become someone else. that he’d like towith create this pilot he wants self andand others. It’s ame promise to be a giant what is the secret of your longevity? I have loved every moment working to be of it. He feels like I will be a great love ball. I prioritize my authentic life experience.... Kendrick. He is the voice of aapart generation, As an actress, are your goals? to this project/production. The project itself Nurturing my relationship with what all the and it is such an honor toasset be anywhere near goal is tokids, “FOLLOW always basically about him wanting to put2015 together What does hold afor you? things/people I loveMy - husband, rela- MY hisBLISS”. project.I He speaks isabout meaningful haveand to remind goodand enough and song and and a music video. I play his bestie SUam always so the busy with music. I would tives, close friendships, servicemyself in mythat i am things, has incredible values ideas. never give stay encouraged and remain PERMODEL/SINGER, the one hethat comes to for imagine won’t change too much in community.... that to spawns, as a up, natural I loved getting to do SNL with them bothhaveinspiraalways looked to my father. and advice etc.with We’ve eachI will otherkeep for writing years. and keep on keep2015. biproduct, all of mypositive. creativityI and theyupwere so gracious patient me! known He’s my motivation. have learned roads production come jealon! tion. Once in a while, thatalways leads tobeen success! I was Inervous! Not sureAlong if theythe knew that,of thising that I need to be my own motivator. To beit fine ousy,on drama, excitement and romance. but I am sure was written my face! I with anyou ordinary ? Hell no! Thatimagine is not who i better circumstances What is your ultimate goal and dream All along your career, have life writcannot much am.placed i was born Get connected ->these Twitter @Sunset_Aley days? ten a lot of songs on extraordinary. movies under which to play SNL at this stage in my My dream is to get to sing “I Will Be” for soundtracks... It also underlines the fact life and career, honestly. What an amazing the whole world! I love singing it so much! that your music is very powerful, mixing gift!
“It was as if my body was one with the Sun and i looked astonishing”17
Fresh Edition - 2015 - 17
Kevin Tuohy x Interview by Joha Brown
“We saw the passion, intensity and loyalty of NHL fans as a natural fit for the history and tradition of the challenge coin.” Let’s talk about the American History... When did the Challenge Coins tradition begin? The most widely accepted story of the origin of the challenge coin dates back to World War I, when a young American pilot had the unit’s logo made into medallions for all pilots in the unit. The pilots wore these medallions around their necks. One of the pilots from this unit was later shot down behind German lines and taken prisoner. A short time later, during the confusion of an artillery battle, he escaped and made his way into France. At the same time the French had been warned to be on the lookout for German spies posing as escaped prisoners. A French patrol came across the pilot and, thinking he was one of these German spies, took him prisoner and scheduled him for execution. The Germans had taken his identification, and the only thing he had left to show identity was his medallion. One of the French captors recognized the in18 18 - Fresh Edition - 2015
-signia on the medallion as that of an American unit and postponed the execution while they looked into this man’s identity. The medallion enabled the French to verify he was an American, and they returned him to his unit. The story spread throughout the unit and soon pilots were “challenging” each other to see if they had their medallion on them. The price for not having your medallion on you was to buy a round for the challenger and everyone who did have their medallion...and the challenge coin was born. Can you explain us why is this tradition so important for American people nowadays? Challenge coins have grown well beyond the military, to show membership in organizations, teams, companies, schools, etc. They Interview GeeneinVodka have become verybypopular police and fire departments and are rapidly becoming the goto item as a collectible, an award, a trade item,
JBRE x DOUGIE KENT
recognition and more. With the current wave of patriotism and military support sweeping the country, challenge coins have also become a way to show support...most professional sports teams have military and/or police, fire and first responder events. Several now present team challenge coins to those being saluted. We are licensed by the NHL and every team has their own challenge coin, available in team stores and on our NHL Challenge Coins website. Every American president since Bill Clinton has had their own challenge coin, one of the most highly sought after coins because they are presented directly by the President of the United States.
Interview by Jean Glass As a retired firefighter, what Paul has been your biggest challenge so far? The biggest challenge most fire, police and military personnel will tell you they face upon retirement is adjusting to the loss of camaraderie and the day
If you could change one thing in the world as a person, what would it be? Wow...how do you answer a question like that? World peace, end hunger, cure cancer...I’ve spent my adult life surrounded by people who are willing to show up at a moment’s notice, face any challenge, risk everything to make things right for people they’ve never met, then go home and take care of their family, get up tomorrow and do it again. What if we all took that approach? to day interactions we’ve enjoyed for so long with the people who shared our professions. But at the same time, you form lifelong friendships in such high intensity occupations, and I’m very lucky to have a group of active and retired firefighters I get to spend a fair amount of time with. There is also a lot of overlap in these professions...a lot of military people go on to become cops or firefighters, and there is no shortage of sporting competitions that bring us all together. You might think that starting up a business would be the biggest challenge, and in some ways it is, but I am lucky enough to have started a business that deals with something I love, and it keeps me dealing constantly with the kind of people I’ve always enjoyed working with. The crossover that challenge coins are making into all walks of life only expands that group. What is the most precious coin amongst your personal collection and why? That’s really tough to answer...there are so many challenge coins that carry great personal meaning. I don’t know if I could pick one but some of my favorites include a “firefighters support our troops” coin that many of us give out when we run across members of the military, one we made for the U.S. Men’s Hockey Team for the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia, one given to me by the Commissioner of the New York Fire Department and now that the Stanley Cup playoffs have started I am always carrying my Anaheim Ducks coin. There is a coin that has a great deal of meaning to me... September 11, 2001 was a Monday. A lot of young people who lost one or both parents that day were overwhelmed at the worldwide support they received. They later formed a charity of their own, aptly named Tuesday’s Children. We were asked to make a challenge coin celebrating their 10th anniversary.
Basically, each coin tells a story... Do you remember the first one you got? What did you feel the day you received it? The first challenge coin I got was a coin commemorating an annual St. Patrick’s Day celebration between members of Orange County (CA) and New York City fire departments. We (members of these two fire departments) have gotten together either in New York, California, or both for every year since 9-11-01. It’s a time we celebrate old friendships and create new ones, and remember the bond that brought us all together. That was my introduction to challenge coins, and I immediately fell in love with the tradition. My company now creates those coins each year. Every St. Patrick’s Day coin we make for this event bears the number 343 (the number of New York firefighters killed on 9-11-01) somewhere on the coin, as well as other words or symbols that carry special meaning to us all. Why did you choose the NHL to first align your coins with? We saw the passion, intensity and loyalty of NHL fans as a natural fit for the history and tradition of the challenge coin. NHL executives quickly embraced the idea and granted us licensing for all teams. Challenge coins are also a great way to raise funds for charities, and the NHL has several charities they support. There are some other sports teams that have created their own challenge coins for special events, but the NHL is the first to have challenge coins for every team available to all fans. Did you expect such a success when you created your company? To be honest, no. I really started this company as a way to provide high quality challenge coins at a low price to my friends and co-
workers. Soon I was receiving calls from people who had been given on of our coins, asking if we could make challenge coins for them as well. As the popularity of challenge coins continues to grow, so do we. When I retired from the fire department, I had a 5 year plan for Adrenaline Challenge Coins. With great word-of-mouth advertising from so many of our customers, we surpassed that plan in less than 18 months. What is your next challenge as an entrepreneur? And as a man? As an entrepeneur, I would like to continue to expand the popularity of the challenge coin, while maintaining a solid respect for the tradition. As a man...I’m a husband, a father, a step-father and a grandfather. I’ve served in my country’s military and enjoyed a 34 year career as a firefighter. I feel pretty fulfilled that way...but I could always improve my golf game!! Do you think your concept can reach new markets abroad? In Europe for example? Is it something you have in mind for the future? Besides the United States, we have already made challenge coins for organizations and teams in Australia, New Zealand, Brunei, Ireland, Columbia and more. We have recently been approached by a major professional sports league in Switzerland, a huge casino in Asia and a large “adult beverage” company in Canada. While challenge coins are most popular and well known in the United States, they are catching on world wide. Official website www.adrenalinechallengecoins.com www.nhlchallengecoins.com
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Edidion x Interview by Joha Brown
“I believe in honing your craft and finding ways to improve. I definitely can’t be put in a box because my music is diverse much like my taste in music.” - @Edidion2012 For our readers, where do you come from? Where were you born? London, my heritage is Nigerian/American. How did you get into music when you were younger? I was born with the love of music. Music and Entertainment were something that I had a passion for and genuine enjoyment of, it was something that I always wanted to know more about. It never bored me and it became a way of life for me. I knew every album release date, I was glued to MTV, I purchased every music magazine you can think o. I often asked my grandmother and mom to buy me CDs and video games. The first CDs I ever got were “Can’t Take Me Home” by P!nk , “Born To Do It” by Craig David and “Turn” by Travis. I used to dance a lot as a young child, my auntie and my mother used to play music all the time, my mother recalls a time when I was three or four years old, I was watching the music video to “The Floor” by Johnny Gil and I was imitating their dance moves. I danced at weddings and parties all the time… When the music comes on, something takes over my body and I make my way to the dance floor, I’m usually very shy. It took me a while to discover that I was actu-
ally good at singing and that I have potential to be a recording artist. I always danced, I knew that I had talent in that area but singing and song writing was an area I was unsure of but I self-taught myself how to write songs. I watched many YouTube vocal exercises and paid for singing lessons so I could not only be professional but be confident in knowing that I have developed the skills to be a good and lasting recording artist.
material for the fans to listen to but my manager loved the song and he decided to promote it so that’s what I have been doing and the rest is history. Sonically “Turnin’” is unique, nothing on the radio sounds like it so I’m thankful that people are enjoying the song. I want to give a big shout-out to all the radio stations that have been playing “Turnin’”! You guys are the coolest. I’m so thankful because every radio station has embraced the song and they keep it in rotation.
How did you find your artist name? My artist name Edidion derives from my actual birth name Edidiong-Abasi. It was a name given to me by my grandmother when I was born. It means “The Blessing of God”. My name is of Nigerian origin. Edidion is pretty much my actual name some people call me Edi for short.
Can you tell us more about the song “One Life”? Thank You! “One Life” is an uplifting song that inspires you to live your life to the fullest because you only have one life so rather than living your life trying to please other people, do what makes you happy. I didn’t plan on doing a dance song, I never thought it was my lane or that it would suit my voice but I wrote one for fun just to see if I could do it and that’s how “One Life” was created.
Tell us about your current single “Turnin”! Turnin’ tells the story of a guy who has an infatuation with this girl and he finally gets the courage to tell her how he feels. He hopes that she feels the same way about him and asks her out on a date. The song has been very well received, which was surprising for me because I never had the intention of promoting it, I recorded it because I wanted to have some new
Can we expect new videos for 2015? Yes of course! I’m actually planning a video shoot right now for a song I did with an international producer called “Heart Won’t Cry”. I’ll send it to you guys first, so I can get that Mr Dreamz Mag video premiere! Fresh Edition - 2015 -
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www.CREAMSQUAD.COM
El Capitan x Interview by Joha Brown How did you get into Music? At the age of 12, my parents bought me an old iBook G4 laptop and it came with Garageband. I started to make remixes and record with my laptop mic. At age 17, I picked the guitar and learned to play keyboard and eventually the ball kept rolling. I began to produce much well as the years passed. How did you meet? Do you remember that day? Slightly, I remember meeting Foster through our mutual friend Shane at the college I attended, CLU. I distinctively remember him looking like Asher Roth. Foster was very shy and reserved. We collaborated on some tracks the next day and that’s when I knew our creative forces would be explosive as a duo. His flow is something different, and I’d just been making music for years so it worked out. El Capitan... It sounds curious for a duo stage name. I’m sure there is a crazy story behind it. Can you tell us more? There’s not much behind the name really, we just had an idea of us in a pirate ship, sailing the seas and blasting bangers out the portside. Quite the enjoyable image.
Kyle Trattner
What is your opinion about the Californian hip-hop scene? Relevant enough or not? Only partially relevant, there’s artists like Kendrick Lamar that really hold up the fort for the coast. The East Coast and the Midwest are melting pots for some of the biggest and most influential hip-hop artists ever. I take my influences mostly from rap artists based in either Chicago or the East Coast. Oh, and the whole Odd Future movement is really up my alley, Tyler and Earl are both making moves.
Kyle, can you tell us what does TICKLD exactly means? Tickld can mean many things. It depends who you ask! It can mean “friendship” and “acceptance” to a community member who frequents the site to socialize with others. It can mean “leisure time” and “diversion” to an individual who simply visits the site to catch up on the day’s content. It can also mean “no sleep” and “hard work” to a co-founder and full-time professional Ticklr! How did the adventure begin? My co-founder James and I spent the vast majority of our leisure time at university consuming content on the Internet. We often discussed ways our favourite websites could improve their substance and functionality. We built Tickld, and within a couple weeks I found myself spending many enjoyable hours developing for the site instead of reading judgments and legislation in preparation for tutorials. James, throughout university, didn’t own a single pen! He lived on his laptop. The Internet, and Tickld specifically, became our calling. Did you expect such an incredible success when you started? Of course not! We set out to build a basic website that could host a small community of university students who shared in our mission. Tickld quickly took on a life of its own as its community members began to contribute fantastic, creative original content and ernest discussion.
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How are you building your fanbase daily? Do you have some tips for young artists, beginners who want to build their career online? It really comes down to content. Putting stuff out there for everyone to hear, and social media has definitely helped reach more people. Soundcloud and Facebook have been a great way to reach more listeners and other artists. Collaborating with other artists can expand your reach to brand new listeners, which leads to more followers. Let’s talk about the “Vanilla Chocolate” release... Three words to define it? Abstract, Bold and New-Age (I don’t know if New-Age is one word, but it is what it is). Do you plan to shoot a visual together soon? We have shot two visuals, for our songs “Off (Prod. Rejjie Snow)” and “64 (Ft. DJ Rusan) (Prod. Dom$olo)” and our video crew is currently editing one of them. They will be released later in the month. Your projects for the end of the summer 2015? Obviously pushing the new album as much as possible, and currently our manager is building a tour for the summer. We want to get out more visuals to keep our listeners engaged with what we are doing. We are definitely looking to start putting together some merchandise to have at our shows. According to you, what are the top 3 best (current) emcees? Kendrick Lamar, Chance The Rapper, Earl Sweatshirt. Official Website: www.abhithenomad.com
Is laughter the best medicine to face our society’s problems? I think the best medicine to face our society’s problems is a strong dose of quality education. Although everyone learns in their own way, education through entertainment is relatively universal. It’s never good to laugh off a problem, but there’s nothing wrong with a lighthearted approach to problem solving. Hard question... Can we laugh about everything? Or are there some burning topics to avoid? What is your opinion? Our world is populated by billions of people from varied backgrounds, beliefs, and cultures, who differ in their views about what is considered offensive and acceptable. With such global diversity there will always be differences about what is considered offensive and that someone somewhere in the world may be offended by the opinions, perspectives and creative expressions of others. Tickld aims to be an inclusive community. Humour should be inclusive. A joke is always funnier when you’re enjoying it with friends. If the intent of your humour is to marginalize an individual or group of individuals, it’s no longer humourous. Which comedians are your top 3 to see/watch and why? My answer to that question is always changing! Chelsea Peretti, Nick Offerman and Ricky Gervais are at the top of my list as of late. Their film, television and standup characters borrow so much from real-life personas, which gives their brand of comedy a special truthfulness and relatability.
www.tickld.com
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