Twenty4Seven Magazine: Issue #56 by Twenty4Seven Magazine

ISSUE #56 2019

SAMMIE +

Kai Wener. Johnny Orlando. Nikki Era. Balogun Ojetade. Lauren Sweetser. Charles Malik Whitfield. Dale Godboldo. Onyx. Etana. #MichaelJackson.

Editor/Publisher: Tyrone Davis Graphics: Brightwood Entertainment Photography: Brightwood Entertainment T4S Staff Contributing Photography: Schure Media Group Sky Rizzo Ogunbakin Smallwood Joe Bryant Blair Devereaux Charles Malik Whitfield Birdie Thompson Dale Godboldo Hair/Makeup: Kat Lieberkind (Make Up for Lauren Sweetser) Marketing/Sales: Jus Mi Luck Promotions DJ Sixx20 Indianapolis

Greetings, We are gearing up for some big things in 2019 and as I’ve mentioned over the last few months, we will start making announcements during 2nd quarter. I’d also like to take the time to tell you aspiring entrepreneurs to keep at it. Anything worth having is definitely worth fighting for and even I want to quit at times. No matter how hard things have gotten, I never actually have. The goal is to find your “why”. Once you’ve done that, things get a lot easier. P.S. Check us out on our website. We can be found at www.twenty4sevenmagazine.com for news, interviews and other great content. Tyrone Davis

GRIND.

Contributing Writers: Christina Garvin (Schure Media Group) Lucky Smith Corletha Norman, MSW, LCSW Tamara York (Tamara York PR) Contact: twenty4sevenmagazine.com twenty4sevenmagazine@gmail.com youtube.com/twenty4sevenmagazine Twitter: @twenty4sevenmag Instagram: @twenty4sevenmagazine Facebook: Twenty4Seven Magazine Editor Contact: brightwoodentertainment.com brightwoodentertainment@gmail.com youtube.com/brightwoodent Twitter: @brightwoodent Instagram: @brightwoodentertainment Facebook: Tyrone Brightwood Davis Phone: 404-409-6553

CONTENTS JOHNNY ORLANDO NIKKI ERA ARE YOU A SACRIFICIAL LAMB? BALOGUN OJETADE LAUREN SWEETSER SAMMIE CHARLES MALIK WHITFIELD BEAUTY OF THE MONTH #MICHAELJACKSON KAI WENER DALE GODBOLDO ONYX PICS: SB LIVE LIII ETANA

4 5 7 8-9 10-11 12-15 16-17 18 19 20-21 22-23 24 25 26

www.Brightwoodentertainment.com

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JOHNNY ORLANDO

NIKKI ERA PHOTOS: SKY RIZZO ALBUM ART: MIKEY POP

(Toronto, ON) – Singer-songwriter and fan favorite Johnny Orlando shows no sign of slowing down. Set to share his first solid musical statement in the form of his debut EP, Teenage Fever, out March 15, followed by a headlining North American tour this spring, the recent JUNO-Award nominee for Breakthrough Artist of the Year also drops his dreamy new single, “Sleep” today. Tickets for the Teenage Fever Tour are on sale February 18 at johnnyorlandomusic.com. To pre-order Teenage Fever, click here. See full track listing below. “Sleep”, co-written by Orlando, his sister Darian and Swedish collaborators Linnea Södahl (Zara Larsson, Anne-Marie) and Hampus Lindvall (Zara Larsson), is the second single from Johnny’s upcoming debut EP. The pop Swedish-influenced song about living in the moment and not wanting that moment to end showcases Johnny’s maturing sound and songwriting skills. “We wrote ‘Sleep’ for anyone who’s ever experienced that feeling of never wanting to be apart from someone who you love to spend time with. I felt that it was a very real and relatable thing that people experience at some point in their adolescence,” said Johnny. “Linnea first came up with the concept for ‘Sleep’ - it’s almost like there’s a word for it in Swedish, or it’s a common feeling, that we don’t really think about in English, and that’s why I think it’s so unique.” Out March 15, Teenage Fever marks Orlando’s biggest release since signing with Universal Music Canada and Island Records. Emanating confidence and charisma over danceable electronic grooves and a subtle hip-hop bounce, Orlando levels up his take on pop. The EP highlights his ever-evolving songwriting skills as he co-writes all six tracks with his sister, Darian Orlando, and a range of acclaimed collaborators including Mike Wise (bülow, Dvbbs, RALPH), Linnea Södahl (Zara Larsson, Anne-Marie), Nick Ruth (Ryan Tedder), Jordon Manswell (Daniel Caesar) and Matthew Burnett (Jessie Reyez, Daniel TWENTY4SEVEN MAGAZINE

Caesar). The EP also features previously released single, “Last Summer” which sits at over 17.3 million global streams (and growing) across all platforms. “I’m very excited and so grateful that I have this opportunity to share my debut EP,” added Johnny. “‘Teenage Fever’, represents those experiences and feelings all teenagers have while trying to navigate their high school years. It tells the story of my journey, and I hope it will give people a more personal insight into my life and experiences. We spent about a year making this project and it means so much to me. I worked with so many cool people with different backgrounds and from different places, which gives it a lot of character and makes every song unique. I’m so happy to share new music with fans and hope they love it as much as I do - I can’t wait to see the reaction live on tour!” Stay tuned for much more to come from Johnny Orlando at johnnyorlandomusic.com. About Johnny Orlando: Johnny Orlando first expressed his passion for music when he was just eight years old, posting his first YouTube cover with the help of his older sister. The video, created as a fun Christmas break activity and shared online for family and friends, racked up several thousand views in a few short weeks, so the pair continued to post. Johnny’s fan base grew, then exploded into massive growth, netting him multiple Teen and Kids Choice Award nominations and a combined social following of 16 million dedicated fans. He’s come a long way since that first post - touring the world with co-headlining and sold-out North American and European tours, signing a recording deal with Universal Music Canada / Island Records, releasing new music (“What If ” and “Last Summer”) and now, ready to release debut EP. Media Contact: Christina Garvin (Schure Media Group) cg@schuremediagroup.com

Words + Interview By Lucky Smith Nikki Era is a singer-songwriter from NY who has had her songs placed on the Disney Channel, FOX’s “The Four: Battle for Stardom”, the film, “What Men Want” starring Taraji P. Henson and more. Are you from New York originally? How was childhood? I am! It was pretty much a dream come true. I’m an only child and I spent a lot of my time going to concerts and Broadway shows with my parents. I feel like when you are from New York, you are jaded about every other city. It’s like “yeah that place is cool...but it’s just not quite NYC”. That’s such a Sex & the City thing to say, lol. How did your music journey begin? I genuinely don’t remember a time I wasn’t consumed by music. When I was 2 years old, I started to put on “shows” in my living room for my parents, family, babysitters...anyone who would watch, really. I don’t know how great those shows were back then but I would put on my mom’s heels and lipstick and belt songs and mumble words and make them up. My parents were never stage parents so I kind of surprised them and sang at my Kindergarten graduation. They didn’t know I was singing and afterwards everyone was like, “OMG, Nikki can sing! What are you going to do now?” What was the first record that opened some doors for you? The first record that opened doors for me was a record called, “B.R.A.T.”. It was off an unreleased EP I worked on when I first got together with my management team. Radio Disney premiered it and that kind of opened the door for me to meet all of the amazing artists and people I’ve worked with since. Thanks, Phil! What was it like working with rapper, Zak Downtown and how did you feel about your record, “Won’t Stay Down” being chosen as the featured song for season 2 of “The Four: Battle for Stardom”? I love working with him! He’s a great guy and we’re both from New York so we have a lot in common. When we got the call we were like, “Yay, we did it!” I probably said “Yay” not him, ha! We were hoping to land a cool competitive spot and nothing was cooler than having Diddy, DJ Khaled and Meghan Trainor use our record for their season 2 premiere.

Explain the process of a songwriter. Are you writing records and then sending them out or are you collaborating with artists in person while putting the words together? It’s always different! Maybe some people have more of a method but for me it’s like organized chaos. It’s also a constant process. I’m always writing down ideas in my phone for lyrics and making voice notes. Then, I go into a session and try to look through and see what we need to make THAT record. Obviously every artist is different. Every film requires a different soundtrack. Every show has a different vibe. So, it’s really an opportunity to wear a bunch of different hats when you’re a songwriter. I try to just constantly be thinking of new fresh ideas and applying them in the moment. Which was your most enjoyable big project? My favorite project that we worked on was Mickey’s 90th Theme, for sure! One of my managers, Ali Dee is super nonchalant and humble about big things and when he first told me about it, I guess I didn’t understand the gravity of it. It wasn’t until I heard my voice on Good Morning America with an entire ensemble of characters dancing to it that I was like, “Oh! This is huge!” My mom called me and she’s like, “I HEAR YOU!” That was a special moment because she definitely doesn’t understand everything I do. It was just a super universal success everyone in my life could feel good about! What was your experience like as a contestant on season 16 of “American Idol” and what do you feel your defining moment was on the show?? Fun! I love that I got to be a part of the reboot and meet Katy Perry. My best friend came to the audition with me so that was a super special moment we’ll always remember. My defining moment was when I did an impression of Britney Spears on the line waiting to go into the audition. Ryan Seacrest thought it was pretty accurate, lol. I danced like I had a BOA around my neck like her VMA performance. Break down your single, “Fantasy Boy”. It’s a song everyone can relate to. It feels good. It’s about living in a fantasy world and creating you’re own reality in your mind. I love blurring the line between reality and fantasy in my art. The production is super retro 80’s pop and when I made the record, I found my next chapter. Follow Nikki Era on Instagram @TheNikkiEra. TWENTY4SEVEN MAGAZINE

ARE YOU A SACRIFICIAL LAMB?

COMING TO THEATERS. CATCH A FLICK.

BY CORLETHA NORMAN, MSW, LCSW

You’re so happy, lost in love, floating on clouds, etc. You don’t pay attention to the fact that you are slowly but surely sacrificing yourself away. It starts with small things, like putting off maintenance of your things such as oil changes. Then medium things like sacrificing the things that you like to do for what they like to do. Then large things like your own maintenance. You don’t keep up your own medical appointments or appointments for your physical upkeep. Eventually you are sacrificing your own upkeep, not speaking up about your own desires, nipping away at your non-negotiables, out of touch with your goals and aspirations, letting everyone else’s needs come before your own all of the time. All in all you are reducing your own worth! One day you come to the realization that you aren’t as fulfilled as you once were. Your once vibrant life has been reduced to one of simply going through the motions. You begin to search yourself to determine why you feel that way. You realize that you are no longer in touch with who you are, due to stepping away from yourself for the love of your significant other (SO). You begin to play back various moments in your mind where you let go too much, should have spoken up, and minimized the importance of particular things to yourself. Maybe you even minimized your own importance. You are determined to fix things and get back in touch with who you once were. Here are some barriers to reconnecting with yourself that you may face:

DJS UNITED RADIO

1. Your SO may have never asked you to do any of the sacrificial things that you did, and now expects the sacrificial behaviors. 2. Systems and entire lifestyles have been created based on the existence of your sacrifices. 3. If you add children to the mix, the sacrifices you made could become semi- permanent to permanent. 4. The sacrifices you have been making may now be integral to the functioning of your family unit.

As soon as you notice that you are sacrificing integral parts of yourself for the sake of your union with your SO, STOP! Whether it is that you notice it, or someone else points it out to you, do something about it immediately. Want to read more about this topic? Go to www.bonhomiellc.com/blog for the full article!

THE HOTTEST STATION ON THE NET DOPE SHOWS ★ LIVE DJS ★ 24 HR MUSIC CORLETHA NORMAN, MSW, LCSW

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is Owner and Clinical Director of Bonhomie, LLC. She has over ten years of experience in the world of social work. This includes mental health therapy, intensive in home therapy for high risk, foster and DFCS/DCBS clients, family and individual therapy, couples therapy, trauma focused therapy, juvenile justice intervention, case management, advocacy, and mentorship. She can be reached at www.bonhomiellc.com.

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Why is mental health in the Black community important? “Anybody who has been around me for any length of time has heard me say, that I feel like all black people in the diaspora have some mental issues. We have suffered up under white supremacy, up under colonization, our enslavement and we are still dealing with those scars. What do you think is one of the major determinants that will push more black men to seek therapy? Education. We are ignorant of therapy because we have been taught you just need to tough it out. I think we need to be educated that that’s not enough. That we have to come to the realization that nothing has worked for us, so why not try therapy? PHOTOS: OGUNBAKIN SMALLWOOD

BALOGUN OJETADE “Blacktastic” Author, Priest and Martial Artist. Words + Interview By Corletha Norman, MSW, LCSW The following is an excerpt from our interview with IFA Priest, Obatala Priest, Afrikan Martial Arts instructor, author, game creator, and cocreator of Blacktasticon Balogun Ojetade. We spoke about IFA, mental health, Afrikan Martial Arts, Black Science Fiction and his many works as an author and game creator. His books and games can be found on Amazon. To read the interview in full, log on to PHOTO: www.bonhomiellc.com.

For those that are not familiar with it, how would you explain or define IFA? IFA is a spiritual tradition, culture, and lifestyle originating with the Yoruba people. It includes a system of divination, of spiritual offerings, of protective medicines and herbs to enhance a person’s life. Most of all IFA is a study of the mind. There are three levels of mind when we are talking about IFA.

How has the IFA enriched your life, personally? Well one, it’s introduced me to different people from different backgrounds all over the world. It’s made me know myself. So you learn your Ori, yourself. It’s your destiny. So I have been put in alignment with my destiny. So for me, I gained more knowledge, wisdom, and understanding.

There is Ori, which is your physical head/mind; Ori Inu, which is your perfect self that knows no doubt and has no fear. That’s your inner self. Then Ipori, which is your higher self. Your [higher self is the] self that is still connected to the creator or the source.”

So you grew up in Chicago. What area? “I grew up on the Westside of Chicago in an area called South Lawndale. That’s considered the roughest and poorest side of Chicago. I never realized that we were on the poorest side because I never really wanted for anything.”

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Do you have any projects that you are currently working on that you would like to tell us about? Yes. Right now I just brought out Steamfunkateers, the Steamfunk Role Playing Game. I’m also working on the Ice Cold Carter comic book. I call it a photographic novel. This has comic book art, but done with photography. Then the photographer. I’m dealing with one of the best photographers in the world, Kecia Stovall. She has manipulated the photos to look like art, to look like illustrations. Then we decided we are going to make it a feature in a film.

that we get compared to so many things? Could it be that the Afrikan Martial Arts are the mother and father of all martial arts? Now I know Bruce Lee said ‘a punch is a punch a kick is a kick.’ I can say a dog is a dog, but a Rottweiler and a Chihuahua have a different bite. Afrikan Martial Arts is the Rottweiler. If a person wanted to come to a class, what would they need to do to prepare? When and where are the classes held? They have to be, number one black, and ready. Black and ready. That’s the main thing that they need. Then they would come to our martial arts school, The Afrikan Martial Arts Institute. We are in Atlanta. We have branches in Atlanta, Ghana. If you’re in Atlanta, you come to 9 Gammon Street starting February 10th. Our hours on Sundays are from 2:00pm -4:00pm and on Mondays from 7:00pm to 9:00pm. We train in what’s called cyclic phases. So in Afrikan martial traditions, there’s no belt system. Phases can last anywhere from three months to a year, depending on what I’m teaching. What other projects or ventures do you have your hands in? Anything that comes to my mind, I make it happen. Right now I’m working on anime. A friend of mine wrote a novel called From Here to Timbuktu. We’re doing an animated series

First, let’s make a comic book out of it, because 70% of films are made from comic books or graphic novels now. I’m also a filmmaker. I’m right now, about to finish up The Tao of Ice Cold Carter to go along with the comic book. That is an instructional martial arts book, but with Ice Cold Carter as the host. He’s co-writing it with me. There’s some funny antidotes in there and our real techniques, but from funny scenarios. That is coming out, probably before the comic book because I’m done writing that. We just have to do the photography for that to bring that out. Tell us about your ventures with Blacktasticon. What is it? How did that come to fruition? Blacktasticon is a fan convention. We started in 2016. Me and Milton Davis had a conversation and said we wanted to do a Con, a convention, where all of these people would come together. In between we are doing different events. Right now it’s hot to do it because of what’s called the ‘Black Panther Effect’. The Black Panther movie came out 2018, and now people are clamoring for different stuff with Afrofuturism. You know black speculative fiction. I normally stop doing conventions, other than my own, going to them. I do a couple of black conventions. Since Steamfunkateers has come out, everybody wants me at these different conventions again. So I’ll be doing about 5 or 6 conventions this year. So you are also an Afrikan Martial Arts instructor. How does Afrikan Martial Arts differ from other forms of Martial Arts? “I always tell people the difference between Afrikan Martial Arts and Asian Martial Arts is like the difference between Asian dance and Afrikan dance. They’re like night and day. People look and say; it’s funny. They’ll say well that looks like Brazilian Jujitsu, that looks like Ween Chun, that looks like Koli, that looks like Judo, that looks like Greco Roman Wrestling, that looks like Boxing. How can that art look like all of those things right? Well no other art can look like all of these arts. So how is it possible

for From Here to Timbuktu. I’m the script writer for that. We’re working on a video game that I can’t really talk about right now, because that’s in the contractual phase. Once that’s done we’re bringing out a video game based on our role playing game Ki Khanga and working on a virtual reality game with this virtual reality company based on one of our intellectual properties called The City. Do you have any last words for us? Anything you put your mind to, you can do it. Do what makes you happy because that will keep you sane. I work for myself. I’ve been working for myself since I was 30 years old; so for 20 years. If I was working for somebody else, I wouldn’t be able to do all that I do. I wouldn’t be doing what I love, and I think it would cost me my mental faculties. Follow Corletha Norman, MSW, LCSW on Instagram @bonhomiellc. TWENTY4SEVEN MAGAZINE

What was it like growing up in Arkansas? It was amazing growing up in Arkansas. Fayetteville is nestled in the Ozark mountains so it is an incredibly beautiful part of the country. I grew up on 12 acres so my brother Blake and I were always outside. We had horses that my mom would break and teach us how to ride. Our dad taught us about camping, fishing and hunting. They helped shape our love for the outdoors and also taught us to have an immense amount of respect for nature. We recognized early on in our lives that we essentially had an outdoors playground around us, so we took full advantage of that. How did get into acting? I somewhat fell into it! I was carpooling home with my friend Grace in high school when she said that she was going to audition for a play before her mom picked us up. She suggested I audition too since I would just be waiting otherwise. I had no idea what to do or what went into an audition but I decided it would be more fun than sitting around. She gave me a few minutes crash course on what to do and I just went for it. The play was Rumors by Neil Simon. I ended up booking one of the leads. I had danced since I was 3 so I understood and enjoyed that type of creative expression but acting thrilled me in a way that dance never had. I was hooked from the first rehearsal. Break down your experience while making your debut in the film, “Winter’s Bone”. That was such a crazy experience looking back on it. I was in college at the time and I had booked the table reading for the project after learning about it. It wasn’t until two years later that they started the real casting process for the film. I loved the script and knew it was a story I wanted to tell but I was also very green and new to the business so the thought that I was going to get my SAG card was such a big deal. We couldn’t have predicted or expected that it would do as well as it did. It was and still is such a big honor to be part of that film and is even more wild that it was the first film I ever did. Were there any memorable moments on set? I had never been on a film set before so for me I just remember learning as much as I possibly could about everything that was happening around me. It was incredibly thrilling for me to be able to see first hand how it all worked. You can read every book or take every class about acting or film production but there is nothing like actually getting to work on a set.

L A U R E N S W E E TS E R

NATURAL Q + A By Lucky Smith

PHOTO: JOE BRYANT

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HAIR/MAKE-UP: KAT LIEBERKIND

Jennifer Lawrence starred in that film and I read you two became friends at some point. What do you like most about her and what is your favorite film that she has appeared in? I love that Jen is unapologetically who she is, no matter what. Her honesty is so refreshing in a business where everyone is trying to be someone else. She taught me so much about acting while we were on that film. I had taken so many classes and workshops up until that point that I had begun to over think and over analyze every move I would make. She had such a natural understanding of the material and how to bring that to life with a scene partner. When we met we were fast friends and I think that came thru in the casting process since we were supposed to be playing best friends on screen. She also taught me to run straight towards the fear, that if you’re scared it’s probably because you’re in the right place and just need to go full force. Her favorite performance for me would be her as Rosalyn in American Hustle. She was so hilarious. I probably watched that scene with the microwave over 50 times. When playing a character that is much different than yourself as a person, how do you approach it? I do as much research as possible. If it’s something I haven’t experienced, I try to educate myself as much as I can about whatever that is. You’re inevitably going to have to play someone who has experienced things that you haven’t and the only way I know to do that is be as educated and prepared as possible. You also have to be open and fully trusting of the director and of the collaborative process to bring that character to life.

Is there any particular film genre that you prefer acting in? Its less about the genre for me and more about the story, writing and character. I have to have a passion for telling the story and living in that character whether its comedy or drama. I take pride in how hard I work and what I bring to the table so I’ll never be able to do that if I don’t fully believe in the project. I would love to expand into more comedic roles, since that’s not something I get to do a lot, but again it would need to be the right fit. What can you tell us about your role in HBO’s “True Detective”? I think viewers are really going to love watching Isabele and seeing how she folds into the narrative of the season. It was such a joy to play her and I’m looking forward to watching it all come together! It airs on Sundays on HBO. What has been your favorite acting experience to date? Probably this film I got to shoot in Hawaii a few years ago called Pali Road. I got offered the part because I knew one of the line producers as well as the assistant director. I was their bartender when I worked at this Irish pub and they thought of me when they began casting my character. Doing what you love in Hawaii for a month? I’m in! In your opinion, what is the biggest misconception about the entertainment business? That it’s easy and that there’s not a lot of hard work involved. I will have people say things to me like why don’t you just do this show? Or, why don’t you just do a Spielberg movie? Well that would be lovely but there’s not a sign up sheet and it doesn’t work like that! You’ve got to have an incredibly thick skin to survive this world. People see red carpet photos and think that an actors life is all champagne and sparkles. At least in my experience that is not the case. I’ve had to fight and work for every opportunity I’ve ever been granted and I continue to do that. I’m going to throw a few names out there. Say whatever comes to mind. A. Celine Dion Absolutely obsessed. My ex took me to her concert in Vegas and I sobbed the ENTIRE time. I couldn’t even make it thru the opening montage video. Her voice is unreal and she is possessed by the musical Gods. B. Macy Grant I loved this role on NCIS! Mark Harmon and Emily Wickersham were so welcoming and lovely to work with. C. Boo Radley My angel fur baby from Heaven! Boo is my maltipoo and I know I’m biased but he is truly the best dog on planet Earth. His paws smell like corn chips and I’m obsessed with him. After caving to tons of pressure from friends and family, you can find him on instagram as @imyourboyboo. What are your “Top 5” favorite films? In no particular order: Some Like it Hot, Monster, The Shawshank Redemption, V for Vendetta and Christmas Vacation. Tell us something about yourself that most don’t know. Not sure why this was the first thing that popped into my head but I was on the bowling team in high school and our coach had one arm. I always use that for the two truth and a lie game because no one believes it! Follow Lauren Sweetser on Instagram as @howsweetseritis and “Like” her fan page on Facebook: Lauren Sweetser. TWENTY4SEVEN MAGAZINE

EVERLASTING S A M M I E

Words + Interview By Tyrone Davis

R&B singer, Sammie just released his latest project, “Everlasting”. The 20 year veteran and I discussed his first single “Times 10” featuring Lil Baby, the importance of pleasing his partner, how he feels about being left off of the “Millennium Tour” and the current state of R&B. First off, let’s talk a little bit about your single. “Times 10”. Yea, it just dropped the 18th of January and it’s available on all digital formats. It’s featuring Lil Baby. Coming back around this time at 31(now 32) years young, I’ve always had the love records or the records about messing up and trying to fix it and being more remorseful about it. I just wanted to do something more risque, bold, direct and confident. Records working like Tank’s “When We” have opened the gate for Adult Contemporary R&B to go back mainstream and my record is just a bold, honest and sensual record and the feedback has been crazy. Salute to the QC family for rocking with me and shout out to Lil Baby for being a part of it. Break down the concept of the record. It’s about providing pleasure. It’s a sex record, of course but it’s saying that I’m going to provide that service times 10. I’m a Pisces, so I’m a pleaser in that realm of my life. It’s a different side of me that I’ve never really showcased to my fans. I have sex records on all of my projects but they never were rollout records. Alright, so on the way down here, my team and I were talking about pleasing your partner. You know, “do’s and don’ts”. When you’re in a relationship or married, sometimes lines get drawn. For you in particular, what are some things that you may say “no” to, if any? In the department of sex? Absolutely. Umm, now...really, I’m a pleaser so if I’m in a relationship, it’s whatever. I’ve had a threesome before and all that. It’s cool. I wouldn’t want to do that with the girl I’m with though. You know? I don’t want her to ever have to envision me sexing nobody or bearing witness to that. Umm, I’ve had a lot of fun. I’ve been singing my entire life and traveling the world and just experiencing life. You know what I’m saying? Natural things and encounters with women but the only don’t is I wouldn’t bring nobody else in the bedroom. I think that’s disrespectful to her. Even if she was okay with it, I wouldn’t want her to ever have that in her head and I wouldn’t want her to think she had to do that to keep me.

PHOTOS: BLAIR DEVEREAUX

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As somebody who has been in the business for a long time, there is a lot of controversy going on right now, talking about entertainers and things that entertainers are able to do. With you coming into the game as early as you came in, how has your experience been with older women in particular? Is that a thing? You’re a guy and they talk about young girls being in the mix amongst adult entertainers.... Well, my preference when I was a younger guy was to mess with older women. I’ve always just been a little ahead of my time and a little more mature, even mentally. So, a lot of women my age at that time from a mind standpoint couldn’t stimulate me. So, I always talked to older women. My mom did cosmetology her entire life had her own salon so I spent a lot of days after high school listening to grown women conversing about just grown shit, you know what I’m saying? That’s what I was around so I gravitate to the more mature type. Also, I was raised the right way so I keep my name clean, you know what I’m saying? I stay out of things that could be detrimental to not just my career but just to me as a man and as a black man....we got it hard enough so I try to stay out the wind and make my path as smooth as possible.

So, when you were coming up there was a period of time you took off from the business. What was life like during tha time? From 1999 to 2001, that was the duration of time where I gave you, I Like It, Crazy Things I Do For Love, From the Bottom to the Top, Hardball, etc. Success came so fast for me, thank God but there’s a gift and a curse to that. I wasn’t able to go back to my school and be a normal kid. I wasn’t able to go to the mall by myself or kick with the homies because there’s this thing called “fame” that comes with music and being successful in the music industry. So, it was as normal as possible, high school, for me. I played basketball two years. I was the homecoming king. I was part of the renaissance program. I was also in the choir, but my peers couldn’t understand how they could go home and watch me on “106th and Park” and then tomorrow, we’re sitting next to each other in Geometry. You know what I’m saying? It was a lot for them to accept but I wouldn’t trade those four years for anything because that’s what taught me the significance of life, which is love and passion and a unification of spirits and souls, you know what I’m saying? It’s bigger than fame and monetary things for me. I need both. I love to sing and create art. Really, at this point, I don’t care about fame. I’m only famous because I am the talent, but that’s not something I seek. It just comes with the job that I’ve chosen. But, my brotherhoods and my relationships that I developed back in my high school days are the ones that I hold close til this day. You came up around a time where I was on the tail end of high school. During that era there was Bow Wow and a lot of other artists that were coming out during that time. “The Millennium Tour” is about to happen. How you feel about not being included on the tour? I feel disrespected for a few reasons....One: I was the first, not the second, third or fourth, but the first child star of that generation. So, if it wasn’t called “The Millennium Tour”, I really wouldn’t give two shits. But, because it’s called The Millennium Tour, I felt like I opened the window for executives to go find a Bow Wow, who I feel should be a part of the tour. You have rap acts on there. You have Chingy and the Ying Yang Twinz, those are the big homies. You got to have Bow. Bow was the biggest thing of life at that time. I also believe on the spiritual side that what is for me, is for me so if I’m not a part of it, it’s just not in the Sammie cards, you know what I’m saying? If I had to guess, maybe some guys on the tour feel like I would take some shine away because my following is like an organic following. There might be an argument where some of those guys have bigger records but I had bigger moments. You know where you were when I Like It, Crazy Things, From the Bottom to the Top and Hardball came out. You know where you were when You Should Be My Girl, Come With Me and Kiss Me thru the Phone came out. These are records I sing as a 31 (now 32) year old man and now women who were young girls who used to have me on their walls and their lockers, they sing those words, verbatim like it came out yesterday. So, that’s really how I felt. And, I’m mad cool (or so I thought) with everybody on there. You’ve never seen me in a scandal, no beef. TWENTY4SEVEN MAGAZINE

“ALL MY MUSIC IS STILL CHARTING CURRENTLY. SO, I HAVE CATALOG FROM 1999 TO 2019. SO, THAT’S 20 YEARS OF MATERIAL AND MAYBE SOME PEOPLE ARE INTIMIDATED BY THAT.” - SAMMIE

I don’t do the Rah Rah. I show everybody peace and love and support for what they do and I wish all of them success. I hope that the tour is successful. I hope it goes all the way through with no drama and they sell out these arenas. But, it’s definitely something that you shouldn’t have had without at least....give us the option. You know what I’m saying? Give us the option to turn it down. Nobody reached out. I know Lottie. I know Lloyd. You know what I’m saying? I know Pleasure. I know Pretty Ricky. I was on the Scream Tour with Omarion. So, if I had to guess, I think that some people are a little intimidated by, they call it a comeback, but the new love I’m getting as an adult entertainer. It’s hard to cross that bridge from being a child star, a teenage heartthrob and then the man you are today and it be taken seriously. But all my music is still charting, currently. So, I have catalog from 1999 to 2019. So, that’s 20 years of material and maybe some people are intimidated about that. Speaking of hits, Soulja Boy has been in the news a lot here lately. (Big Draco! That’s the homie.) One thing that people might’ve forgotten was the “Kiss Me Thru The Phone” record. I even forgot but as soon as they mentioned it and people started going back and listening to the old records, that was a really big record for you too. How did you guys link up? Was that part of the label situation? Let me say this, I’ve been independent like 90% of my career. The only album that came out under a major was Capitol Records, my first time. After that, Rowdy Records with Dallas Austin and everything from that point on was Star Camp Music, which is my entity and I have an amazing partnership with EMPIRE out of San Fran. I went to a video shoot to holler at DJ Khaled, actually. I was trying to get that Florida/Miami alliance because I was raised there for six years. I never even ran into him but Soulja came up to me at the shoot was like, “Yo, I got this record. I sung my little version on the hook but I don’t like how I sound. I need you to come to the studio”. Once our schedules aligned (it took about two weeks), I pulled up on him, did it and I still didn’t know it was that big of a monster record. I thought it was cool and catchy and Collipark reached out to my team at the time, we did the video and they leaked it on Youtube. This is before digital streaming platforms and it had like 500,000 views in like a few hours and you know, he’s the king of the internet before the industry became so internet driven. Next thing you know, it’s the top three record in the nation. We had Jay Leno and Jimmy Kimmel Live view. So, shout out to Soulja...he made that play. He came up to me personally and was like, “I need you to pull up on me”. Soulja Boy is one of those guys that did a lot of stuff on his own. You just mentioned that you’ve been an independent artist for a majority of your career. What are some of the pitfalls and some of the positives of being independent? Well, the pitfall is it takes a financial burden on your pockets and your livelihood. There were many times where I was like, “Ah, I’m going to have to catch up on his mortgage because I need shoot visuals, I need artwork, I need to pay the stylist, I need to pay this publicist, my manager is getting whatever he’s getting. So like, I got grown men bills, you know what I’m saying? I have a house. I went straight to a house when I got my checks. I didn’t get an apartment or a lease, nah. I was real deal adulting it at 20 years young at the time. I guess the pitfalls are you’re going to have to take some L’s and some years of not being financially comfortable where you would like to be because no label was fronting these millions or these hundreds of thousands or however much it takes to get your project off the ground. But then the purchases, the return is all you. You take care of your team but the profit is all you. And then I think also, I was saying this earlier...I like to have creative control over my project and that’s not just musically. It’s from how I want to talk, look, be perceived as to the messages I want to convey. I have a disdain for people telling me what to do. You can advise me what to do cause I don’t know it all. I’m forever learning but suffering the consequences of another man’s decisions is the worst thing. It’s a lot of artists that are without money and without deals because they listened to that A&R or CEO and the CEO isn’t going to give you a do over. They go find another you or something that’s working or you’re a tax write off.

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I understand that. I understand the business part of it. You can’t even take that personally. So, when you’ve learned that, when you go for those things, I need destiny in the fate of my own hands. I’m not giving it to nobody else. You know what I’m saying? I am the talent. I have the vision. So, that’s the blessing that when it works, it was something that you believed in before anybody else believed in it and once you see it all the way through and it starts to manifest and win, you’re forever in control of your own destiny. Being someone who came up around the time when the internet really started picking up and from then to now, seeing how things and people have changed, how do you feel about social media being an artist? I love it. That’s what brought me back. It wasn’t the typical, “Yo, management or lawyers set up this meeting with this A&R. We’re going to play them three songs and they’re going to love it and we’re going to get signed”. That’s not how it happened for me. The Shade Room gave me their platform for a few hours and that led to an onslaught of opportunities and now that’s led to three consecutive chart topping projects and a tour with my idol, Tank. I’m on my fourth project and I’ve just been kind of floating. It doesn’t even feel...I mean it’s work, but it’s not hard work. First of all, I’m doing what I love to do and then secondly, I see it so clearly like this album, I’m already thinking about the fifth. I’m already thinking about the next business venture because my mind doesn’t stop clicking because I’m nowhere near where I want to be. People would think that I’m supposed to be satisfied. Hell no. I used to think once I got this amount of money, I’ll be cool. Nah, I want more. Or, once I hit number one on the charts, I’ll be cool. Nah, I want to do it again and I want Grammys, not just the nomination. So, every day I’m hungry and social media is what brought me back. I got direct contact with my consumers. They let me know how I need to look, what songs work, etc. They rock with my tats, the beard, the braids...they made me this, you know what I’m saying? Although I was just becoming, they OK’d it, they stamped it and they are your direct feedback. They are your A&Rs, they help you with your imaging, you know what I mean? If you really, really pay attention to it like that, if you study it, I don’t post just to post. Do you ask for advice from fans when working on music? When I first came back, yes because they chose the record, I’m Him as the return single from a mainstream standpoint. So I was like, “what made them gravitate to this?” because I’ve been leaving snippets on Instagram. Well one was the platform that was allotted to me, The Shade Room but two, I knew people still want it real R&B. They didn’t want just this autotune, Hip-Hop oriented stuff that’s going on. That’s cool too but all women want to be loved or if you fuck up, all women want you to be sorry about it. Not like “Well, ah man...” you know what I’m saying? They really want to see some type of remorse and some compassion. That’s what we’re built of but men started feeling like they’re not masculine if they show the emotional side. Drake can do it though and we see huge he is. If he was an R&B singer, that would be the epitome of what R&B is supposed to be. If I was a rapper, I would be Drake. So, why do we have to go to Drake, who was a Hip-Hop artists to get that emotion and that message across? So it opened up a lane for me and that lane has been open for over a decade because every interview I do they ask, “How do you feel about the state of R&B?” It’s just now getting back to a great place with Ella Mai and H.E.R. and Daniel Caesar, When We working in for Tank, etc. So, feedback initially from a creative standpoint when I first came back was about the fans being included. Now I genuinely know and I still think there’s an art of having some mystique exclusivity with my material. So, this album I didn’t share any snippets. I am 100% certain what they want from me and then the success and just the feedback in a weeks time from Times 10, let me know I’m on the right path. Follow Sammie on Twitter and Instagram @sammiealways, Facebook: Sammie and on Snapchat @SammieLeighBush. TWENTY4SEVEN MAGAZINE

VETERAN ACTOR, CHARLES MALIK WHITFIELD TALKS BOUNCE TV’S “LAST CALL” AND TYLER PERRY’S “IF LOVING YOU IS WRONG” Words + Interview By Tyrone Davis Charles Malik Whitfield is a veteran actor who is widely known for his portrayal of Otis Williams in “The Temptations”, a film in which he won an NAACP Image Award for. The veteran actor has also appeared in “Tales”, “Lincoln Heights”, “Notorious”, “Behind Enemy Lines” (one of my favorite films) and more. He can currently be seen in Bounce TV’s “Last Call” and Tyler Perry’s “If Loving You Is Wrong”. During our interview, we went in depth about him growing up in the Bronx and how he got into acting, various film and television roles and his current projects. We’ve focused on those current projects alone here but to read his full interview, visit us at www.twenty4sevenmagazine.com.

PHOTO: CHARLES MALIK WHITFIELD

Tell us about “Last Call”, man. It’s so interesting because I’ve done a few interviews and people go, “It sounds like a black Cheers” and I’m like, “Okay. What’s wrong with a black Cheers”? When I sat down and thought about it, in our neighborhoods, economically challenged neighborhoods or economically growing identified areas as we have them coming up in Atlanta and DC and all of these happening places, why not have a black Cheers, you know? The proprietor who owns this establishment is black and what’s so cool about it is there are these wonderful cast of characters that work in the neighborhood, the community and it’s their go to spot. They can either go home and maybe be with just mom or whoever, but it actually is their social waterhole.

I love the little niche of the platform of the show that it has where we can also highlight and accentuate a comedian outside of the guest stars. Maybe they’re the guest stars, maybe they’re not but to have a comic that could come up and do a couple of minutes of their spiel when I think about not necessarily everybody else but when they think about The Ed Sullivan Show when back in the day, they were like, “Hey, you get two minutes to do some comedy” and they go, “Oh my God, we found Richard Pryor!” It’s those moments that kind of help people to stand out and bellow out not only their talent, but also be received with a different capacity. So, I think it’s got some cool variables to it.

It’s not the waterhole because they have to go there to get drunk and fall off the stool, but they go over there to vent. Everybody gets to vent. Everybody gets to release, everybody gets to kind of reguide, refocus and recenter themselves in a way. My character is an ex NFL player and I think you get to play with the perceptions of what an NFL player is and how when people say “Hollywood”, you know what I mean? Growing up on the east coast, people would go “Ay man, don’t go Hollywood on me.” It doesn’t mean don’t make it in Hollywood. They just mean don’t change up where you would ever think that we can never sit at the same table and all of a sudden you feel a little pretentious, precocious or feel better than me.

Now, when does “Last Call” air? It airs on Mondays on Bounce TV at 9PM. Sometimes, in California it airs at 9PM and 6PM. Sometimes, I double watch it, lol but east coast, it’s rocking at 9PM. Anyone having trouble finding the network on their service provider, there are also some Bounce and Brown Sugar apps that also allow you to tap in and see the show. We want as many people as we can to not only see this show but to support this show. Hopefully that insight and their responses are hopefully all positive they can allow us to keep growing because that’s what we want to do. We want it to be the nucleus and something that we can really, really grow with. Then, we can hopefully look back and go, “Wow, we’ve gotten to mature and grow up and do something worthwhile but so far, it’s been a fun and great experience.

Here are these perceptions with this young cat who owns this thing and in his mind, he has definitely drank some of the sauce. I mean, everything should be cool. It should be good but it’s not. The reality is when we get caught up into falling asleep at the wheel, you wake up and realize somebody took over the wheel and you either ended up in jail or you ended up with a business manager who took all your money. Now, what are you going to do? So, it’s a good platform and a good starting point that not only introduces all of these other wonderful characters played by Carl Anthony Payne, T.C. Carson, Brele Evans, Mission, Erica Page, etc., that you realize that they could be a lot of other places.

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Not only that, but they are all actively either the working, taking care of their businesses, doing their thing or even as T.C.’s (Carson) character, he’s living his life and enjoying his time and he can be enjoying it anywhere. He just likes to enjoy it there with a group of the other people that he kind of hangs out, hooks up and communes with. I dig it. It’s different for me from drama but I think the learning curve never stops. I’m always learning and I’m learning so much. Roger Bobb has been so giving, Carl, T.C., Brele, Mishon and everybody. It’s really a great core group of wonderful, wonderful actors. They are really talented and really funny. I get to find my funny moments in between enjoying them, sometimes even watching them because I’m just enjoying the time with them and I really hope we get opportunities to grow on it and to solidify it even that much more. It’s been a really, really awesome process.

Let’s talk about Tyler Perry’s “If Loving You Is Wrong”. New season coming? Yes, brand new season (Two-night premiere on March 19 & 20 at 10pm/9pm Central) and you know, Tyler comes with so many twists and turns. I like to read some stuff and go, “Oh, I know where we’re going. Oh, okay” and then I go, “Really? You’re going in that direction, really?” So, Tyler does that to me all the time. So, after the second and third season, I just submitted and was like, “you know what? I’m not going to just pretend I know where you’re going” and then I laugh because every time I read anything that he’s written, I had no idea he was going a certain way. But you know, that’s the fun part for myself. So, a lot of people get to take in the show and be taken in by where it’s going, what’s happening, the messiness and the craziness and I’ve been fortunate to play this character that kind of walks in the middle of the road in many aspects, but he might be tipping a little bit of left now and maybe a little more right. Who knows? But, you just never know where Tyler is going and of course, having a show with Oprah and OWN and what they’ve done and been able to do, you’re grateful to be a part of the process with this show. The same way with Last Call.

I don’t want to forget the great guest stars that come through.

Follow Charles Malik Whitfield on IG @malikwhitfield. TWENTY4SEVEN MAGAZINE

BEAUTY OF THE MONTH

EBONYDICKERSON

THE

BARBERSHOP

TWEET DAT!

HOMETOWN: INDIANAPOLIS, IN MEASUREMENTS: 32-25-41 EBONY IS OWNER OF RUNWAY DIVA BOUTIQUE IN INDIANAPOLIS, IN. SHE HAS A PASSION FOR FASHION AND HELPING WOMEN FIND THEIR INNER BEAUTY SO IT WILL SHINE OUTWARD.

@OfficialPryce: All good girls done got played now all they do is watch Netflix & ignore people

@therealmikedean: Wonder who’s getting peed on in jail tonight. @OfficiallyIce: Just remember. I don’t have a brand or sponsors or anything. Keep playing wit me.... @CrookedIntriago: Sometimes you have to redesign yourself @trevorjackson5: Quit trying to make everyone else happy, it’s impossible

PHOTO: ANTONIO RIDGNAL IG: @OTBGRAPHICSLLC MUA: KWANZA DICKERSON IG: @KWANZARD SWIMSUIT: RUNWAY DIVA BOUTIQUE IG: @RUNWAYDIVA317 BOOTS: SHOEZ GALORE IG: @SHOEZ_GALORE EBONY CONTACT: FACEBOOK: EBONY DICKERSON INSTAGRAM: @EBONY2807

@Itskendad: @WS_Boogie most relatable no cap really be feelin everything he say from the baby momma stuff to the shit he be sayin how he feel bru shit run deep to me @ChriStylezz: That late night “wyd” text got a 10 minute window. @ThompsonScribe: Buddy Hield, who hit a 30 footer not that long ago, passed on an open game-winning look for a 3 and drove into traffic. Interesting choice

#MICHAELJACKSON

@PrettyMill1: My sweet Michael Jackson was a kind compassionate loving person never said an unkind thing about anyone. Leave him alone! This documentary is about nothing but money. The man is dead let him rest. I love Michael. Ms. Winfre why, why would you continue to defame Mr. Jackson name @GeraldoRivera: Covering #MichaelJackson molestation trial in 2005 I recall effective testimony from #WadeRobson that Jackson had Never molested him. After Jackson’s death, Robson tried to get job w Jackson estate projects. They didn’t hire him. Now-in #LeavingNeverland-Robson claims he molested @mpc_xetts: Why didn’t Jackson have any young girls as friends? Why do they sleep over in his bed? Why pay out millions to an accuser if innocent? Scumbag is guilty #MichaelJackson @Kitty8079: #Oprah comes out of retirement to do a interview on the accusers of #MichaelJackson who btw recanted & said their parents forced them to lie. Meanwhile she is friends with real predators like #HarveyWeinstein? It’s really is a whole agenda. Who is gonna be the next black person? @RideTheBoogie: Day after day, battle after battle, betrayal after betrayal... I honestly don’t know how you did it. And you did it with a gracious smile on your face, so as to please us all. You never owed us anything. I will be forever grateful that you ever existed, #MichaelJackson. @MJloveCK: Together we can make a change of the world. Together we can help to stop racism. Together we can help to stop prejudice. We can help the world live without fear. It’s our only hope, without hope we are lost. #MichaelJackson

R.I.P. HAWK MICHAEL “HAWK” HARRIS APRIL 7, 1968 - MARCH 30, 2014

@Ericthomasbtc: We think sometimes that poverty is only being hungry, naked and homeless. The poverty of being unwanted, unloved and uncared for is the greatest poverty. *ALL CONTENT HAS BEEN PUBLISHED EXACTLY HOW IT WAS WRITTEN. SUBMIT MATERIAL FOR THE “TWEET DAT” SECTION TO TWENTY4SEVENMAGAZINE@GMAIL.COM OR @TWENTY4SEVENMAG IN YOUR TWEETS.

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Tell us a little bit about yourself. I’m Kai Wener and I’m pretty much your average 10 year old in the 5th grade that has been lucky enough to work with some really cool people and on some really cool projects. I’m from Southern California and I live with my parents, my big sister, our family dog and my pet tortoise. How do you balance school and work? I still attend public school where I’ve had a great group of friends since Kindergarten. Balancing acting, school and other extracurricular activities takes a lot of work, but with the support of my parents they tend to work all of the details and scheduling out for me. On the other hand, I make sure that my academics come first. There are so many hours of schooling I must put in before I can even step foot on set. My teachers at school and my set teachers have been really great in working together which makes things a lot easier for me to be able to do both, as well as transitioning back and forth between filming and non-filming days. How did you feel when you landed the role of Ty Finn in FOX’s “The Orville”? Booking any role is exciting and gives you such a happy rush, but knowing this role was to work on a FOX network show created by Mr. Seth MacFarlane was the icing on the cake for me. Words can’t even describe how excited and happy I was when I found out but let’s just say there was a lot of screaming and dancing going on. What is “The Orville” about? The Orville is a Science Fiction show on FOX that was created by and stars Mr. Seth MacFarlane. It takes place 400 years into the future and is about a space ship called “The Orville” and it’s crew. I play “Ty Finn” who is the youngest son of the ship’s head medical doctor, “Dr. Claire Finn”, played by Penny Johnson-Jerald. In what ways has actress Penny Johnson Jerald been helpful to you while working with her on the show? Oh my gosh, I can’t even begin to tell you how helpful she’s been to me while working on the show! Miss Penny is such a “Mama Bear” and always makes sure that my on screen brother and I are having fun more than anything else. Filming on set can get pretty long sometimes, so she keeps our energy up by dancing with us, playing games and being silly. On top of that, Miss Penny will even take the time to pull me aside to help me get into character for our dramatic and emotional scenes. But, my favorite thing of all to do with her is when she helps me raid craft services for snacks! Have you learned anything from her in particular that stands out to you? Yes! I learned that being nice and welcoming can go a long way! My first day on set was for a table read with the whole cast, producers, writers, etc. I was so nervous because I found out I would be working with actors like Adrienne Palicki, who I always watched on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Scott Grimes, who I know started out as a kid actor like me, and not to mention Mr. Seth MacFarlane. On top of that, this was a huge episode for me too! Miss Penny was so welcoming and treated me like one of her own kids from the first minute we met that I immediately felt comfortable and my nerves began to go away. So to this day because of Miss Penny, I always try to make it a point to introduce myself and welcome new people on set, especially when they are kids. Have you had an opportunity to watch anyone go through the make-up process to become an alien? If so, what did you think? Yes! I have been lucky enough to sit next to some of the cast while their special effects makeup is being applied and the transformation is unreal. Some cast consists of Peter Macon, who plays Bortus, Halston Sage, who plays Alara Kitan, and Jessica Szohr, who plays Talla Keyali. Howard Berger and his team are amazing! So amazing that one day, I had to go into the make-up trailer to have some special effects make-up taken off. I sat next to Howard and someone he was applying blue make-up on. After having a long conversation with both TWENTY4SEVEN MAGAZINE

Howard and the blue alien, I get up to leave and the blue alien shakes my hand and introduces himself as “Rob.” I didn’t realize the blue alien was Rob Lowe until after I left the makeup trailer. I wanted to scream! The show reminds me of a comedic version of “Star Trek”. I know that show is before your time, but has anyone ever shown it to you? Yes, as a matter of fact after working with Brannon Braga and Andre Bormanis my parents showed me some episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Voyager, and Deep Space Nine so that I can understand the inspiration behind The Orville.

KAI WENER

What is your favorite scene from the show and why? I think my favorite scene from the show has been Episode 8 from Season 1, “Into the Fold” where my family’s shuttle crashed on an alien planet. The crew set up one of the shuttles on this huge mechanical lift that shook the shuttle back and forth like it was out of control! We were inside and it threw all of us around like we were really crashing. On top of that, I got to do all of my own stunts in the scene!

Q + A By Tyrone Davis

Name a moment on set that made you laugh hysterically. When we were shooting the last episode for this Season 2, J. Lee, who plays John Lamar on the show, decided to make a workout video using things that we had around the set, like wood boxes and sandbags. While J. Lee was filming the video, Scott Grimes, who plays Gordon Malloy on the show, walks by and J. Lee asked Scott to hold his feet while he does some kind of hand stand push up. Long story short, I don’t think Scott knew exactly what he needed to do, but he agreed to help and the next thing you know, there were a lot of feet flying around while J. Lee tried to catch his balance. I don’t think J. Lee ever posted the video, but those two together are just as funny off screen as they are on screen!

SHINING STAR

PHOTO: BIRDIE THOMPSON

What do you enjoy most about being an actor? The coolest thing for me is meeting so many creative actors, directors, and fans. I also get to travel to places I’ve never been before. Being an actor has also given me the chance to work on a spaceship with all kinds of different Aliens. It’s a 10 year old’s dream! You met the legend, Steven Spielberg recently. How was it? I was so star struck that nothing would come out of my mouth for the longest time! But, I was finally able to tell him how big of a fan I am of so many of his films! I even told him how when my Dad coached my sister’s softball team, we named the team, “The Goonies.” Most of all though, I felt that it was so cool that someone as big as Steven Spielberg is still down to earth enough to take the time to stop and talk to little ole’ me! Definitely made my day! What is your “Top 5” favorite films that he has created? The Goonies, E.T., Jurassic Park, Gremlins and Back to the Future. How long have you been playing the keyboard and what is your favorite song to play? I’ve been learning to play classical piano now for about one year. I even try to teach myself to play songs by ear. My favorite song to play is John Legend’s, All of Me. What do you like to do when you aren’t acting? When I’m not acting, I like to play my favorite game which right now is, Fortnite. My family and I are also huge Disney fans, so you can almost guarantee that if I’m not auditions for a new project, that I’m standing I line for a ride or churro at Disneyland. What can we expect from you in the near future? My fingers are always crossed that you’ll be able to see me on a third season of The Orville, but I would also love to be able to work on a feature film in the future. Other than that, you can always expect me to be practicing, working hard and doing my best to be involved in more projects. Follow Kai on IG @kai.wener and Twitter @kaiwener and tune in to “The Orville”, Thursdays @9pm on FOX! TWENTY4SEVEN MAGAZINE

“The All-New Mickey Mouse Club” produced some pretty well-known talent. As a young man, did you think people like yourself, Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera and Brittany Spears would be where you are today? There was a tremendous amount of passion and hope on all of our parts. Most of us believed that we would be doing this for the rest of our lives and would pursue it as far as we were able to. However, there’s no way to really know what your career will bring and of course we could have never imagined the level of success that many of us have achieved. What do you remember most about being on that show? The training and hanging out between shooting skits and dance numbers. It really was more like an arts academy with a one million dollar production budget that put on weekly, sometimes daily recitals. Disney did such a great job of providing an atmosphere of creativity and learning, both from the producers/executives and from each other. Many times the rehearsals felt like play, I feel this is still an important part of being open and prepared for performances. We had a ball during the rehearsal process and by the time the cameras were rolling, we were prepared and ready to deliver.

DALE GODBOLDO PHILANTHROPIST EXTRAORDINAIRE Words + Interview By Tyrone Davis Actor, Producer and Philanthropist Dale Godboldo is best known for his portrayal of attorney Carl E. Douglas on the FX series “The People v. OJ Simpson: American Crime Story”. He was also a member of “The All-New Mickey Mouse Club” in the 90’s and has founded a few organizations that raise funding and support other organizations focused on education, arts, mentorship and entrepreneurship. He is executive producer of the upcoming “Mickey Mouse Club Reunion”, which will celebrate the show’s 30th anniversary. We discussed his time on the show, working on Marvel’s “Thor”, his foundations and why he is being the change he wants to see.

You’re an executive producer of “The Mickey Mouse Club Reunion”. What can we expect from this reunion? Many of us haven’t seen each other in up to 30 years, so fans will be experiencing with us our own reunion in real time. There will be laughter and a lot of nostalgia during our panel moderated by Joey Fatone. There’s also a special performance of Lindsey Alley’s a hilarious one-woman-show called, Blood, Sweat, and Mouseketeers. In the after party, a live band will be backing our musical performances of songs we were known for on the show. We’ll also have performances during our Soul Sunday at the Hyatt Regency Orlando. We’ll be spotlighting our charity partners, having a live silent bid on an incredible VIP experience and we’ll have some amazing surprises that we’ll be announcing very soon. Have you kept in contact with any members of the club or will you be seeing some of them for the first time in awhile? I’ve kept up with most on the show. However, there are a few from Seasons 1-3 that I’ve actually never met. I started in season four so I am looking forward to meeting them. What was your experience like working as Agent Garrett in Marvel’s “Thor”. Incredible! Working with Kenneth Branagh was a dream of mine, coupled with the fact that I was in a movie about a comic book hero that I love. I’m a Marvel fanatic! I have over 2,000 comics…all Marvel. So, it was really special for me. There are 2 big Marvel projects coming up soon. What are your “Top 5” Marvel movies thus far? Black Panther, Iron Man, The Avengers, The Avengers: Infinity War, Captain America: The Winter Soldier and of course, Thor. About a year ago, we spoke with actress Asia Monet Ray, who starred as Sydney Simpson in “The People v. OJ Simpson: American Crime Story”. She is much younger, so she wasn’t around during the actual trial. Being someone who was of age during that time, how did starring as Carl E. Douglas impact you? That was an amazing experience for me and it was an honor to play Carl. I was on The Mickey Mouse Club watching the Bronco chase in our dressing room with other Mouseketeers during that time. Although I was old enough to follow the basics of the trial, it wasn’t until I began research on my character that I truly understood what it was all about. Ryan Murphy did an extraordinary job with it. What was really great was that I became friends with Carl Douglas. We even watched episode five together at his house…that was probably as strange for him as it was for me. When I was growing up, black sitcoms like “Moesha” and

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“Smart Guy” were some of my favorite. Explain the process when in pursuit of acting gigs and how the roles grow as time goes by. I landed in Los Angeles in 1996 and Moesha was my first gig post Mouse Club. I was excited to be working on a black show for many reasons and I was a particular fan of that one. My team knew that if I was going to build a career, I would need to make myself available to these shows. So, we pursued them as much as we could. It’s unfortunate that we don’t have the breadth of shows today like that, but we do have new shows that are different in tone and wonderful in their own right. Tell us about your Always in the Club Foundation. Inspired by my time on The Mickey Mouse Club, I wanted to start a non-profit program that would help kids with education and entrepreneurship, with a particular focus on leveraging and supporting the arts. I always say there is a reason that so many of us have reached success and I believe it’s directly related to the foundation laid during that time on the show. Several of the Mouseketeers helped me launch it, as well as Presidents Bill Clinton in programmatic development and George W. Bush in fundraising. We’ve partnered with incredible organizations like The Stan Lee Foundation to promote literacy through the reading of comic books. Arvada K-8 Schools in Denver has also helped us with our Project:NOW. which services learning programs for kids in underserved communities and we’ve provided funding and promotional support for INROADS by, preparing underserved youth for career success. Our website is www.AlwaysInTheClub.org. What/Who inspires you and why? Socially Conscious Art, Business and Philanthropy. I’m really inspired by people like Richard Branson, Blake Mycoskie (TOMS), Jordan Peele, Ava DuVernay and Oprah Winfrey. What made you get involved in philanthropy? How fulfilling is it in comparison to acting? I would say it is as fulfilling, just in a different way. I began focusing my energy on it after volunteering for a couple of fundraising galas. I began to truly understand how important the money was to the benefitting organizations and that, in many cases, it would lead to life and death of the people these organizations serve. I decided to dedicate my life to helping organizations get the funding they need to address the global challenges we face. Specifically, I launched International Arts & Philanthropy Foundation that helps to end poverty, fight inequality and stop climate change. This organization promotes the Sustainable Development Goals that world leaders agreed to for a better world by 2020. You can learn more at www.iaphilanthropy.org. What is your favorite role to date and why? Easily Carl Douglas in The People v OJ Simpson: American Crime Story. Primarily because of the experience working with Ryan Murphy, Sterling K. Brown, Courtney Vance, John Travolta and the rest of the cast. Also, for the opportunity to play a real person. Before this role I had never done that. It was very scary, as well as thrilling. I just hoped Carl approved of me. He told me he did, which was a huge relief. In your opinion, what is the biggest misconception about Hollywood? That it’s not about business…solely. There’s this idea out there that decisions are made for socially relevant reasons. I do not believe that is true. Of course there are many creative filmmakers and television producers that are driven by activism, but if it cannot make money, it will never be seen. That’s unfortunate. That’s why I’m committed to building the bridge between the two (art and commerce) and supporting art that makes some kind of social contribution while also making money. It can be done. Black Panther is a clear example. Follow Dale Godboldo on Twitter and Instagram @DaleGodboldo and on Facebook: OfficialDaleGodboldo. TWENTY4SEVEN MAGAZINE

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TECH TALK BLACK WOMAN RELEASES ENTERTAINMENT TRAVEL APP, “MC REGISTRY”. About Music Conference Registry Music Conference Registry was designed to act as an entertainment hub for all upcoming events. Our participating brands will offer registered users promotional offers or special access.

Mission We provide a network for prospective panelists, sponsors, performers and attendees to review ratings and testimonials on events of their interest. We house a centralized feedback and directory portal to help those seeking opportunities best maximize their efforts.

Music professional, Onyx ‘Queen of Killeen’, releases the first mobile app that allows users to rate & review networking events in Entertainment. MC Registry (Music Conference Registry) was founded in 2018 & released January of 2019. It provides a directory that sections listings by conferences, festivals, seminars, and more. A forum and social tab for users to correspond with one another is included to encourage pre and post meetings. Also provided is the annual calendar feature, which features events from all over the globe. We couldn’t be more excited about this new review company which models the likes of others, yet still innovative and the only of its kind. For more information and insight contact mcregistryapp@gmail.com.

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CHECK ME OUT ETANA REGGAE FOREVER

Wet Wet and international media.

Via Tamara York Etana’s album Reggae Forever was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album. She is the first female in 21 years to be nominated for the Grammy Award in the Best Reggae Album category. The last time that a female artist was nominated in the category was in 1997 when Sister Carol received a nomination. Her Grammy nominated album, Reggae Forever debuted at number one on the Billboard Reggae Album Chart. Shauna McKenzie better known as Etana has five albums that have all rocketed to the Billboard Reggae Chart. Jamaican born, Florida-based Etana is featured in national

About Etana Shauna McKenzie, better known as female reggae sensation Etana is a soulful singer and songwriter. She has achieved international and national stardom with her fifth album Reggae Forever that debuted the Billboard Reggae Chart at number one and her fourth album I Rise that debuted the Billboard Reggae Chart at number one and her album Better Tomorrow debuted the Billboard Reggae Chart at number seven. Her album Free Expressions and debut album The Strong One all reached the Billboard Reggae Charts. The Strong One garnered many awards including the Album of the Year honors at the International Reggae and World Music Awards (IRAWMA) in New York City and at the Excellence in Music and Entertainment (EME) Awards in Kingston. Etana was also nominated as Best New Reggae Artist at London’s annual MOBO Awards in 2008. Etana makes history as the first female with back-to-back top albums on the Billboard Reggae Chart. Her standout sound blends Roots Reggae with flavors of Folk, Soul, and Jazz. Etana’s Reggae Forever album was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album. The album is distributed by Tad’s Records. Etana is the first female in 21 years to be nominated for the Grammy Award in the Best Reggae Album category. The last time that a female artist was nominated in the category was in 1997 when Sister Carol received a nomination. Jamaican born, Florida-based female reggae singer Etana is featured in international and national media. For more information on Etana, visit Facebook @OneEtana, Instagram and Twitter @EtanaStrongOne and her website www.etanathestrongone.com. Media Contact: Tamara York Tamara York PR tamara@tamarayorkpr.com

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ISSUE #56 2019

KAI WENER + Sammie. Johnny Orlando. Nikki Era. Balogun Ojetade. Lauren Sweetser. Charles Malik Whitfield. Dale Godboldo. Onyx. Etana. #MichaelJackson.