Lenox+Parker Summer Issue 2016

LENOX+PARKER HUMANITY | LIFESTYLE | CULTURE

SUMMER 2016 | LENOXANDPARKER.COM

INCARCERATION NATIONS

A NOTE FROM BAZ DREISINGER PAGE 6

SEVENLY

RAISING CAPITAL AND AWARENESS PAGE 1 0

FOOD ON WHEELS THE FUTURE OF FOOD

THE COLOR OF

LOVE

A CONVERSATION WITH O’NEAL AND MIRIAM ON LOVE, LIFE AND FAMILY PAG E 12

PLUS: DJ CASSIDY MISS DIDDY | KENNY BURNS AJA HITOMI

PAGE 1 8

BRAND NEW JAYLIEN WESLEY DJ MARLEY WATERS JOSIAH HAWELY PAGE 23

LENOX+PARKER HUMANITY | LIFESTYLE | CULTURE

LENOX+PARKER | SUMMER 2016 The Color of Love | O’Neal + Miriam PUBLISHER Blueprint Publishing and Media, LLC 300 North Dean Road, Suite 5-108 Auburn, Alabama 36830 CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER | PARTNER Steven Johnson | sjohnson@lenoxandparker.com CREATIVE DIRECTOR | EDITOR IN CHIEF | PARTNER Victor Flavius | vflavius@lenoxandparker.com

EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS Jarrid Wilson Nisarg Shukla Christie Michel Aiden Tylor Victoria Machin Tobias Samuel Mutahi Damir Mujezinović

EDITORIAL Contributing Editorial Director | Beverly Floyd editoral@lenoxandparker.com

BLUEPRINT PUBLISHING AND MEDIA, LLC Lenox+Parker is published quarterly by Blueprint Publishing and Media, LLC. Reproduction or use of the contents of this magazine in whole or in part without the written permission of the publisher is prohibited.

Lenox+Parker is a registered tradmark of Blueprint Publishing and Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved. BPM, LLC assumes no liability for the return of any unsolicited materials and may use them at its discretion.

WWW.LENOXANDPARKER.COM FACEBOOK | facebook.com/lenoxandparker INSTAGRAM | instagram.com/lenoxandparker TWITTER | twitter.com/lenoxandparker

Lenox+Parker was born out of a desire to bring to the forefront from a global perspective – Lifestyle, Humanity and Culture. We reach across all genres and borders to unearth new talent and reveal the people who are impacting our world positively.

Patterned after the tenacity of Charles Lenox Remond and his sister, Sarah Parker Remond in their fight for freedom and equality of slaves, women, and all people; we at Lenox+Parker believe that everyone should have the opportunity to advance themselves and humanity.The story deserves to be told!

Lenox + Parker

CONTENTS WWW.LENOXANDPARKER.COM | SUMMER 2016

06

Note from Baz Dreisinger by CHRISTIE MICHEL

08

Three Keys to a Successful Project

10

SEVENLY | Raising Capital And Awareness with High Quality, Limited Edition Awareness Products by SEVENLY

16 Why Most Relationships Don’t Work?

by MALEK MOQADDAM 17

The Top 5 Romantic Getaways In Florida

18

Food On Wheels – The Future Of Food

20 Victor Matthews – Art in the Street

and Street in the Art

by DAMIR MUJEZINOVIĆ 22

Food and Fitness Tip by AIDEN TYLOR

23

Brand New | Future Hitmakers

27

A Life Behind The Lens – A One on One conversation with LA based photographer Aja Hitomi by TOBIAS

28

The Trendsetters

12

THE COLOR OF LOVE

A conversation withO’neal and Miriam on Love, Life and the Pursue of a Happy Family Aja Hitomi Photography www.ajahitomiphotography.com or @visionsthroughmyretina Hair and makeup by Nadia Mohammadpour Shot at Jeremy David creative Oneal: Tuxedo: Topman Watch: Rolex Shoes: Calvin Klein Miriam: Dress: Issa London provided by Albright Fashion Library

6 | HUMANITY | EDUCATION |

A NOTE FROM BAZ DREISINGER

by CHRISTIE MICHEL | Photography OTHERPRESS

I

ncarceration Nations is the story of my journey to prisons around the world, beginning in Africa and ending in Europe. The idea for this global journey was born behind bars in America, where I launched the Prison-to-College Pipeline program, which offers college classes and reentry planning to incarcerated students in New York State. I had started the program hoping to make some small dent in the American mass incarceration crisis. The world’s largest jailer—with some 2.3 million people incarcerated—the U.S. has 5 percent of the world’s population but nearly 25 percent of its prison population. More African Americans are under criminal supervision today than were enslaved in 1850.

But I was troubled by the fact that the public conversation rarely turned from America’s incarceration calamity to the global prison problem—a system the U.S built and then foisted on the world.

Between 2008 and 2011, the prison population grew in 78 percent of all countries. Some 10.3 million people worldwide are behind bars, many convicted of nothing, waiting years to be tried and lacking access to adequate legal assistance. I began to envision a global journey, one that would offer a chance to rethink one of America’s most devastating exports. On a basic level, I felt an urge to be a witness, to expose the hidden places and forgotten people that exist in every country. Such a journey seemed, for me

and for my readers, a moral imperative. After all, justice should be loud and proud, a transparent system endorsed by all citizens. Yet prisons are invisible spaces, places most people never see, yet dimly accept as real and right. How can we endorse what cannot be seen?

The final inspiration for my journey was a terrible realization: I was so routinely inside prisons, so often immersed in analyzing prison issues, that I was beginning to lose perspective. I needed a shock to the system, to ask myself anew what I used to get asked all the time: Why care so passionately about the so-called wrongdoers of the world? I would find fresh answers to this question, seeing prison anew by seeing it around the world. Nelson Mandela famously said, “No one truly knows a nation until one has been inside its jails. A nation should not be judged by how it treats its highest citizens, but its lowest ones.” In recent years, there have been plenty of calls for prison reform, many of them driven by arguments about economics and public safety. But what about fundamental moral arguments about prison, as an ethical concept? I decided that it was time to go back to the theoretical drawing board. I chose nine countries— Rwanda, South Africa, Uganda, Jamaica, Thailand, Brazil, Australia, Singapore, and Norway—that would defamiliarize foundational concepts about justice and prison, concepts we too often take for granted. I would re-ask the big questions about punishment, redemption, forgiveness, second chances, racism, and capitalism that had made me a prison activist to begin with. And perhaps I might convince others—as voting, thinking citizens of a democracy—to become agents of change, too. L+P

AVAILABLE ON AMAZON.COM

8 | HUMANITY | ADVICE |

THREE KEYS

TO A SUCCESSFUL

PROJECT Many people are always discussing what they are going to do, what they might do, or what they should do; but very few actually do something. In order for a difference to be made, there has to be a beginning point. Forget about the “what ifs” and the fear of failure and just start. You will never know what you specifically need to improve upon until you start.

ONE | Never Forget the Process |

We often want to win a championship on the first day of practice or training camp because of the mindset of mainstream society. Everything has to be the best right now with no time for progress or reflection. How can one write a book or make an album without the experiences that only happen with time. Even God took six days to create the world. He could have been like us and done everything at once with very little quality. He instead partitioned various tasks for specific days. He might have worked for six days, but he spent seven days in reflection. Give your deep thoughts and your personal experiences time to catch up with one another.

Those easily overlooked hardships and interactions with people are saturated with inspiration and wisdom.

TWO | Embrace the Random and Unexpected |

We often have a long list of things we don’t do because we fear that they will stop us from achieving our goal. The “don’t” list might also be a pseudo-refuge for flaws that you prefer no living soul to know about. Stop living in denial.

Re-evaluate that list and do some of the random things you usually wouldn’t do. There are paradigm shifts, opportunities to grow, and revelations hidden in those unexpected experiences. We tend to rob ourselves by thinking that our project in question is only for the benefit of our audience. In actuality, a project should refine its maker as well, bringing out beautiful character traits that could only be revealed in the face of trial and comfort zone abandon.

THREE | Pray |

Prayer is truly the glue that holds the previous 3 keys together. Therefore, prayer should be considered a key-ring. Prayer brings greatness to the surface and helps you properly evaluate each stage of the success process. Prayer also gives us a greater awareness. Prayer should be at the beginning, the end, and in the midst of each scene. Most importantly, it will lead you into a greater opportunity to understand and relate to God, who also had to follow these same four points in order to restore this world back to the united peace and harmony that it once was. L+P

10 | HUMANITY | CAUSE |

RAISING CAPITAL AND AWARENESS FOR THE WORLD’S GREATEST CAUSES & CHARITIES WITH HIGH QUALITY, LIMITED EDITION AWARENESS PRODUCTS.

Sevenly

by Sevenly.org | Photography SEVENLY

LENOXANDPARKER.COM

Our purpose is to learn the issues that break God’s heart, engage with the people who are called to the issue, and create awareness & a funding movement that supports them in their efforts. Get informed, Get involved.

THE STARTUP STORY What We Believe In January of 2011, two young Entrepreneurs Dale Partridge and Aaron Chavez got together with the mission of leading a generation toward generosity.

With a belief that people mattered, they began a journey to change the world. On June 13th 2011, Sevenly was born. By creating weekly cause campaigns where customers could purchase products that gave $7 to a weekly charity, Sevenly successfully unlocked not only a way to crowd-fund for causes, but to drive massive social awareness as well. _______________________________ HOW OUR MODEL WORKS Giving Funnel Our overall goal is to activate intentional generosity and love for others, but it’s a process. Our model is a funnel. There are millions of people who have never supported a charity before, so asking for a monetary donation might be weird :/ So we thought, let’s encourage people to donate their social influence first. Next, let’s allow people to purchase a product that gives money to a cause they support, and last, let’s encourage these donors to connect deeper with these charities. _______________________________ HOW MUCH PROGRESS WE’VE MADE Live Totals How have we done? We’ve seen millions of people donate their social influence, and hundreds of thousands buy awareness products for the causes they support.

Overall, we’re witnessing our mission unfold before our eyes. A generation moving toward generosity & a world beginning to realize that people matter.

THE MISSION OF SEVENLY

Team Up With A Charity

Every week Sevenly (and its customers) teams up with a charity, helping raise funds and awareness for 7 full days. The campaign starts on Mondays at 10am PST with the release of limited edition products.

Make A Purchase

Each purchase made gives $7 to the charity partner of the week. Whether you purchase a campaign specific shirt or something from our curated vendor selection, $7 goes directly to making a difference with the charity.

Change Lives

With over 2.8 million dollars raised and counting, the purchase with Sevenly makes a difference!

With the help of people like you we have already improved the lives of tens of thousands of people around the world and look forward to affecting thousands more.

12 | LIFESTYLE | COVER FEATURE |

THE COLOR OF

LOVE A CONVERSATION WITH O’NEAL AND MIRIAM ON LOVE, LIFE AND THE PURSUE OF A HAPPY FAMILY As soon as you see them together it becomes obvious O’Neal McKnight and his wife Miriam are soulmates. These two people are made for each other. If you had to paint their love on a canvas, you’d need a rich palette of colors. Because the color of their love is rich and glowing. They have come a long way and they continue to inspire. This is their story.

by TOBIAS | Photography AJA HITOMI

O

’Neal’s zeal and determination are striking and inspiring. The comedian, actor and stylist has a certain magnetism about him, which makes his aura even bigger than you might think and his presence confident, relaxed and calm. His mind is always sharp and it’s pretty obvious that this is a person who can think quick on his feet. “I’ve always wanted to be a part of the entertainment industry” is what he will tell anyone who asks about his humble beginnings.

Aja Hitomi Photography | www.ajahitomiphotography.com or @visionsthroughmyretina Hair and makeup by Nadia Mohammadpour | Shot at Jeremy David creative O’Neal All clothing ( white jeans, tuxedo blazer, tshirt): Topman Shoes: Calvin Klein Watch: Rolex Miriam Tylynn Nguyen slip, $250.00 Shoes: Brian Atwood

14 | LIFESTYLE | COVER FEATURE |

H

umble Beginnings in South Carolina

O’Neal grew up in South Carolina and, even though he is proud of who he is and where he’s from, he doesn’t shy away from saying that he moved to New York, around 95., to get what he wanted - to get closer to the entertainment industry, the music business to be precise. It definitely didn’t hurt that his cousin was Motown records’ Andre Harrell, who discovered Mary J. Blige, Puff Daddy and Heavy D, among others. To this day, he insists that he doesn’t regret moving because, as he puts it: “My ambitions were much bigger than the town I was living in.” One thing is particularly evident - McKnight would have gotten where he is today with or without anyone’s help. He went from being a dancer in Lil Kim’s music videos to working behind the scenes, mainly as a wardrobe stylist, with the likes of Snoop Dog, Ludacris, Usher, Robin Thicke and Penelope Cruz. Moving to New York allowed him to explode creatively and, at the same time, explore his multidimensional artistry.

Defining Moments and Life-Changing Experiences

O’Neal’s career didn’t really take off until he got a call from Emil Wilbekin who, at the time, ran Vibe magazine. O’Neal still remembers vividly how Emil surprised him with the opportunity to work with his latest client, an 11 year old kid, named Lil Bow Wow and Jermaine Dupi needed someone to style him. O’Neal jumped at the chance and soon enough, after styling Bow Wow and a few of his music videos, he ended up working more with Jermaine Dupri, who introduced him to Ludacris and dozens of different artists that came through Atlanta at the time. Around this time McKnight’s personal life changed, when his future wife Miriam walked into his life. At the time, he was working for Puff Daddy(Sean Combs) and Penelope Cruz - promoting Puffy’s new clothing line. “I remember getting back on the elevator, to get Puffy’s white poodles, and seeing this beautiful girl who looked a little like Tinkerbell. It was just something about her, her face, her style. I knew I had to get to know her better, so I went back to the floor where she was

and gave her my business card.”

Slowly but surely, their relationship grew from strictly professional into a romantic one. O’Neal and Miriam are now married and it’s evident, from just looking at them, that there is a very special bond between these two people.

They finish each other’s sentences, talk about each other with love and respect and, essentially, share everything. They are now expecting a baby. The couple’s faces light up when O’Neal talks about his grandmother, his father, his family and passing down family values to his child. No matter where he is or who he is working it, O’Neal doesn’t let himself get carried away. His family comes before everything else.

I KNEW IT WAS SOMETHING ABOUT HER, I HAD NEVER FELT LIKE THAT BEFORE, WHEN I LOOK HER FACE. I’M JUST SO HONORED AND HUMBLED THAT NOW SHE’S MY WIFE AND WERE GETTING READY TO HAVE OUR FIRST CHILD AND EMBARK ON A WHOLE NEW CHAPTER.

Soulmates and Partners Friendship and Business

Miriam shares O’Neal’s values. Family and friendship are everything to her and it’s safe to assume that she has really turned mixing business and friendship and love into an art form. She is proud of her Jewish background and speaks highly of her mother who instilled family values in her, just like O’Neal’s father did to him. Her mother is her inspiration because of her fierce independence, drive and unmatched work ethic.

When it comes to Miriam’s personal and professional life there is a certain someone that tie it all together - her best friend and business partner, fashion stylist Micaela Beckwith. “We are one”, Miriam

often says. Their bond is strong and their business is booming. Together they work amazingly well and make a force of nature-like business entity.

A Word Of Advice

O’Neal and Miriam are both strongly opinionated and outspoken individuals, although they don’t throw advice around, they make sure to share what they’ve learned with anyone who asks. “Personal style is innate and although the fashion industry is hard to break into nowadays, with drive, hard work and motivation you can achieve anything” is their personal philosophy. Another important part of their lives is Judaism. Since O’Neal’s conversion, he has become more focused, more fulfilled and much happier. The couple are deeply spiritual people with strong family values and incredible work ethic. Their spirituality is an integral part of their success and they hope to continue growing as individuals from it, just as they hope to pass down those values to their child. Kindness, love, generosity and humbleness is what they hope to teach their child, or as O’Neal puts it: “Treat people the way you want to be treated.”

When asked about the most important things people should do in 2016. the couple again talks about love, kindness, selflessness and charity work.

Kosher Soul and Working Together

O’Neal and Miriam say working on their hit TV show Kosher Soul together has allowed them to see each other in a different way and to appreciate each other’s creativity on a whole new level.

It has allowed them to further grow spiritually and even romantically, while at the same time providing them invaluable insight into each other’s creative minds.

Kosher soul and kosher love is maybe what their next project should be called, but they already have a few projects in mind that will, without a shadow of a doubt, be equally as successful as this one - that much is obvious, because these two people are too determined, too smart and too humble not to succeed. They can only grow more and, speaking from a spiritual point of view, that’s what we are all here to do - we are here to grow and transform.

Seems like O’Neal and Miriam are doing very well when it comes to that. L+P

Aja Hitomi Photography www.ajahitomiphotography.com or @visionsthroughmyretina Hair and makeup by Nadia Mohammadpour Shot at Jeremy David creative O’Neal All clothing: Topman Boots: Timberland Watch: Rolex Miriam Jeans: Rag and Bone Blouse: vintage Shoes: Brian Atwood

16 | LIFESTYLE | RELATIONSHIPS | when trying to have a dialogue with each other may have a communication problem because they do not understand each other well. Virginia Satir was an expert in family therapy, mainly because she was successful in removing those communication obstacles and teaching couples how to use certain words for different personalities.

Different Personalities - men & women think and behave differently which is a result of their different personalities. Dr. Clare Graves has classified human personality according to the values level. Usually women are more value 6 level which is peaceful and more sociable while men can be level 3 or 4 or 5.

Usually level 6 women are attracted to level 3 men who are macho and more self-oriented. Level 5 women who are independent and business-oriented may not feel comfortable with level 3 men.There are other differences in personalities such as selfish, arrogant, etc.

Different Education Level - successful communication needs common factors and references. When the partners talk to each other, and they don’t have common points or references, the conversation would turn negatively. A psychological/mental barrier would result, and gradually the two partners would realize that they are different. They have different minds.

Different Common Interests - Love is in the heart, not the brain.

Sharing and experiencing similar things would strengthen the emotions coming from the heart. Common interests activate the similarities in feelings which means positive mutual emotions will be generated, that ultimately can lead to love and long time relationships.

WHY MOST RELATIONSHIPS DON’T WORK?

by MALEK MOQADDAM | Photography ANH TU NGUYEN

M

ost people are interested in some sort of relationship. However, the majority of them don’t work. Why?

Broken relationships is a cause for major stress and in some cases a cause for major financial loss. There are many reasons for this world trend, which seems to be increasing rather than decreasing.

These are my reasons.

Different Human Needs- According to Tonny Robbins, we humans have 6 needs: 1. Ceratinty, 2. Uncertainty/Variety, 3.Significance, 4. Love/ Connection, 5. Growth, 6.Contribution. If a person wants a relationship out of a variety need, and the other person wants it out of love/connection, this relationship is destined to be short lived. The two persons have different intentions behind same relationship. The second person in this example wants a long lasting one while the first wants it for a short time. Even if the two persons want it out of the same need, but the degree of need is different, it may not last. This is why sometimes we hear that one partner did not try enough to make it succeed.

Wrong Communications - According to Richard Bandler, people have 4 main types of personalities: visual, tonal, Auditory Digital (thinker), & Kinesthetic. People communicate according to their mode of personality.

A visual person would use words that are not quite understood by a tonal person. Example: a visual partner would explain to the other partner that they should “See” the point. The other tonal partner, would like to “Hear” about that point, so as he/she can determine if it “Sounds” right. Partners

Sexual Dissatisfaction - Whether in marriage or outside it, sex remains a very important reason for relationships. Unsatisfactory sex is for both men & women, but more women are not getting sexual satisfaction, for many reasons. Research shows that men are more sexually satisfied than women. Many women even do not reach orgasm, and in some countries the numbers are very high.

According to Elisabeth LIoyd, in her book “The Case of the Female Orgasm, 33 studies conducted during the past 80 years show that only 25% of women reach orgasm!

High Stress Level - If one of the partners is experiencing high stress because of past bad experience – usually in childhood- or what is called Severe Emotional Experience (SEE), and could not get rid of it, the relationship may fail, even if the other partner is sympathetic or helpful.

Changes in Energy - The energy of both men and women is changing rapidly. The man’s energy which used to be masculine is becoming more feminine, and the woman’s energy which used to be feminine, is getting more masculine. Current lifestyles are behind this energy imbalance. It is interesting to realize that the same factors that make men more feminine are the same that make women more masculine.

Fact - men want women, women in physiology and also personality. Women want men, men in physiology and also in personality. This difference between the two is a major cause for attraction for the two, and once this difference is shrinking, the attraction will also shrink, and ultimately, we have a relationship imbalance. Once this energy imbalance continues, men become attracted to men and women attracted to women.

One more thing: a macho man does not mean an abusive or chauvinistic man. A feminine woman does not mean a weak or inferior person. Long lasting relationship needs both parties to acknowledge their rights and respect them. Masculine and feminine are not about superior/ inferior relationship, rather it is the natural energy balance. L+P

www.miriamsternoff.com

18 | CULTURE | FOOD |

FOOD ON WHEELS THE FUTURE OF FOOD A TASTE OF SOME OF THE BEST FOOD PLACES ON WHEELS ACROSS AMERICA

by SHIRLEY BROWN | Photography Various

CLOVER FOOD TRUCK BOSTON

EAST COAST | Vegetarian

W

e’re here to make food you love, the kind you talk about and look forward to eating. The Clover Food Truck is going to be serving up a new type of fast food. This food is local, it’s just-cut, when we can it will be organic.

We’re going to be opening fast food restaurants soon.

I always loved the food trucks at MIT when I was a student. September 2008 I thought: what better way to kick things off pre-restaurant than with a truck of our own. A bunch of things fell into place and here we are.

Our food philosophy is driven by simplicity. I’d rather have you shocked by how delicious our turnip soup tastes than impress you with an exotic ingredient or fancy technique or flowery menu description.

We try to keep everything very simple, but very careful. If you eat with us for breakfast you know that we’re making the soup or salads in the morning and prepping for lunch. We don’t make ketchup. We don’t make Mayonnaise. We make just about everything else every day.

This is Fast Food. We’re obsessed with speed and constantly time ourselves. Our average serve times are around 3.5 minutes, which makes us a little slower than McDonald’s.

The menu will be changing with the seasons, and we’ll keep the latest posted on this site. You can expect french fries made from just-cut PEI potatoes, fresh juices like you’ve never had before, perfect sandwiches, and we’ll be ladling out just-made soups in the winter, salads in the summer. www.cloverfoodlab.com L+P

LENOXANDPARKER.COM

KOMODO CALIFORNIA

WEST COAST | ASIAN FUSION

T

he Komodo Dragons in Indonesia are the largest lizard species in the world. They are rare endangered species that are highly lethal. However, they have a weak sense of hearing and sight, so they go about the world tasting their surroundings using their powerful sense of taste.

Our business started with the Komodo truck, one of the largest trucks roaming around in LA; hailed by Roaming Hunger as one of the top trucks in California.

We believe in being adventurous with our flavors; if it takes combining unique and unlikely ingredients together to achieve the ideal composition- we will. Chef Erwin Tjahyadi’s classical French training, combined with his passion for Mexican food and his Southeast Asian heritage- help create a unique perspective of cooking parallel to Los Angeles’ melting pot of culinary heritages.

Komodo stands for Dangerously Good Food- get your taste buds ready for a flavor adventure. Book us today for your upcoming catering, private events, weddings and parties. See more at: http:// komodofood.com L+P

SWEET AUBURN BARBECUE ATLANTA

SOUTHERN | BBQ

B

orn out of a love of smoked meat, Sweet Auburn Barbecue is the story of three friends coming together and fulfilling their dream of learning the art and secrets of delicious barbecue. It all started when, on a whim, they purchased a smoker, and began experimenting and discovered the romance of smoked meat. Pairing traditional southern flavors with hints of modern eclectic influences, they created dishes that are reminiscent of classic home cooking, yet have a sophisticated twist.

With the recipes perfected and their smoker ablaze, the team behind Sweet Auburn Barbecue began to debut their culinary expertise at food truck events around Atlanta. L+P

20 | CULTURE | ART |

VICTOR MATTHEWS

ART IN THE STREET AND STREET IN THE ART

by DAMIR MUJEZINOVIĆ | Photography KM FINE ARTS

T

he streets are his canvas. Life is his inspiration. His studios are his sanctuaries. His name is Victor Matthews. He was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1963. and ever since young age he loved to paint. He loved to paint so much that it drove his parents crazy. To paint is to live, to this unique artist. His paintings reflect that. Victor’s paintings are life in itself.

They don’t depict life, they are life. They are the streets, they are him, they are his mind and his soul. When he paints, Victor pours his insides out on the canvas and, he doesn’t paint with his brushes, he channels reality and paints with his imagination.

Bringing Art To The Street and Bringing The Street To The Canvas His work has been greatly influenced by street art, but at the same time Victor is your typical eccentric studio painter. He walks around his apartment, all smeared with paint, completely immersed into his work.

His paintings are beautiful, simple, bizarre and daunting. He paints the street. Water hydrants, bricks, sneakers, abstract shapes - they all find their way into Victors imagination and end up being a part of his art.

He paints them like Jackson Pollock painted his famous drip paintings, he paints them like Banksy draws his graffiti, he paints them like JeanMichel Basquiat and Andy Warhol painted their eccentric insanity.

Matthews is an internationally exhibited artist who divides his time between his two studios - one in Los Angeles and the other one in New York. He graduated from the New York High School of Art and Design and went to the Fort Lauderdale Art Institute in Florida. He set up his first studio back in 1984. in the East Village neighborhood in New York city and ever since then, even though he has been moving about, he has managed to keep drawing inspiration from his beloved city - New York and it’s scandalous, sad and captivating street life. He has successfully transcended and translated that life into his art. That’s what he has been doing all these years and doesn’t plan on stopping any time soon. His visually complex canvases exude depression and optimism at the same time. These two opposite polarities explode in his imagination, which he pours onto his canvases.

Critical Acclaim and Public Admiration Victor Matthews has had numerous solo exhibitions in the United States (arguably the most famous one being the one in The Sculpture Center, in New York), but he has also made quite an impact worldwide. His works have been exhibited at the Venice Biennale, the Roman Museum Sala Umo and the Boca Museum of Art, among others.

VICTOR MATTHEWS | THE L O N G E S T ROAD May 21 – July 9, 2016 x KM Fine Arts | Los Angeles

LENOXANDPARKER.COM

Not only that Victor’s work has been exhibited all over the world, a lot of his art is in the permanent collections of famous institutions such as the Amsterdam Museum Overholland, The International Center for Contemporary Art in Italy, Cornell University(also in Matthews’ home state of New York, in Ithaca) and the German Ludwig Museum in Cologne.

His work is also present in private collections of the crem de la crem of our society. People such as one of the wealthiest men alive Nathaniel Rothschild, hip hop sensation Jay Z, famous actor Edward Norton, English actress and dame Helen Marden, controversial New York Businessman and current presidential candidate Donal Trump, character actor Forest Whitaker, business magnate Russel Simmons, the famous novelist Salman Rushdie and many, many more have Victor’s work hanging on their walls.

When you watch Victor paint you can see that he is somewhere else. Almost like he isn’t one of us, like he’s not from this planet.

He’s in his own magnificently artistic reality and yet, he manages to stay connected to the reality we live in and not only that he manages to stay connected to it - he manages to soak it in, digest it and paint it. He paints the streets and the streets paint him. Victor Matthews is everything true, raw art is supposed to be. Victor Matthews is me, you, himself, your street, my street and every street in the world. He is the filthy dumpster in the back alley, he is the magnificent mountain you see through your window. He is a true artist and his paintings are true art. Now that is something to be celebrated and admired. L+P

22 | CULTURE | HEALTH | Another year is going to start, now is the right time to make resolutions and add some positivity in life. You can begin work out from now also, to get in shape by January 1. What could be more ideal gift than getting yourself a well toned body this New Year?

Striking the right parity between food intake and workout is determines the effectiveness of a weight loss program.

Diet tips SNACK BUT WISELY A large number of people can’t get over the enticement of snacking. Infact, nutritionists don’t think about snacking as an unhealthy habit. What is vital is that you should snack intelligently. Substitute weight adding nourishments with food items that doesn’t lead to weight addition. Fast food is seer no-no for individuals on weight reduction program. Fruits, green vegetables, peanuts and other protein rich food items make an incredible menu for snacking.

DON’T STARVE YOURSELF Most individuals, who need to get in shape in less time, make the blunder of starving themselves throughout a workout program. This is an exceedingly awful thing to accomplish weight loss objectives. In the event that one fasts or consumes little, he/ she might be low in energy level. This could be impeding to your health. Furthermore, you are liable to consume progressively in one go that will make you to put on weight.

HAVE BALANCED MEAL You must eat meal with perfect balance, three times each day. In addition you can also enjoy some healthy snacking. Your menu must not have an excessive amount of sugar and fat content. Protein and mineral must likewise structure an imperative part of your menu. Protein helps in boosting the body’s Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) which helps in smouldering heaps of calories. You should likewise drink 3 litres of water in a day.

Warning - Water doesn’t mean sweetened beverages and liquor.

Fitness tips BE REGULAR You should enrol in a workout program, in the event that you are not enrolled in an exercise centre. You must visit exercise program regularly if you are truly determined about your weight shedding.

PICK THE RIGHT KIND OF EXERCISE You should pick the right kind of fitness exercise equipment. Aerobic and kinetic band exercises are most effective for smouldering fat tissues. Running, sprinting and aerobics are quite effective in losing weight. This kind of activities improves the core muscles (abdominal muscles). Stronger abs enhances stamina and fitness level of an individual.

Food and Fitness Tips

by AIDEN TYLOR | Photography STOCK

TRY NEWER EQUIPMENTS Some individuals find exercise centre sessions exhausting. Such individuals can try different sports equipment. Some of tools that give diverse practicing feel are heavy tyre, sand sack, rope and resistance stick. Such sticks are fitted with kinetic and resistance bands.

You should additionally give satisfactory breaks between sessions. Working out at long stretch might increase the chance for injuries that may unnecessarily delay the results from a training program. L+P

BRAND NEW MEET THE FUTURE OF MUSIC successful. While Jaylien’s inherent talent (his parents both wrote & recorded their own songs, while rearing the youngsters in the Church) lays in vocal arrangement & song writing, it’s his ability to get the most out of his musical peers & collaborators that keeps him in such high-demand.

JAYLIEN WESLEY L+P

J

aylien Wesley doesn’t write & produce songs for popular artists – he creates moments in time, admired by millions around the world. The term talent doesn’t do Jaylien justice – that’d be akin to calling Superman just a man from a different planet; you forget his ability transcends his peers. Beginning his career on Akon’s acclaimed 2008 album, “Freedom”, Jaylien has since worked with such A-listers as LL Cool J, Chris Brown, and Kacy Hill. His writing & production credits further extent to Cherly Cole, Cody Simpson, and the legendary Quincy Jones. One of his biggest singles, Britney Spears’ “Beautiful”, featuring will.i.am, was widely regarded as the best of her comeback singles, while one of his most recent productions is the Chris Brown single “4 Seconds”.

In 2015, he made a major shift in his career and began working on his

solo project. Some of the songs in his project include Little Bit Of You, Summer’s Over, Hotel Costes, Black Rose and We Fcuk. Jaylien describes his breakthrough moment when working on his latest album as when he realized he was working on his solo project. It is a complete project with single releases, videos and live shows. His first live show since he began working on his project was at The- Dreams Genesis Tour 2016.

When asked about his success formula with other musicians, Jaylien brightly claims not to have any successful “formula” – it’s all in the feeling.

With good intentions and soulful vibes, he leaves his heart in the booth, similarly advising his collaborators to write songs that are true to them.

According to Jaylien, artists should write songs that they themselves can listen to – regardless to whether or not the songs become commercially

Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones are some the music legends who have influenced Jaylien’s career and talent. He also learned a lot about songwriting from Lionel Richie. Other artists who continue to influence Jaylien’s musical journey to date include Bebe and Cece Winans, Babyface, Timbaland and Pharrell.

If you ever interact with Jaylien Wesley, you’ll no doubt experience the sense of humility & peace he so graciously projects. Unsurprisingly, Jaylien credits his daughter as his greatest accomplishment, in spite of his numerous awards & public achievements.

Jaylien uses his social media platforms to market his music, videos and self-owned record label. Many people look to music as inspiration to pull themselves out of otherwise unsurmountable circumstances, and Jaylien’s social media profiles are like personal pages of upliftment, open to the public. Jaylien himself, however, turns to his mother and his daughter as his first inspirations when writing new music, and his social media profiles are a testament to this.

His second greatest inspiration? His self-assessed “inconsistent” love life.

Jaylien considers women to be the most important individuals on earth and wants to communicate the same message through his songs. He wants people to learn to respect and love women. According to Jaylien, women make the world go around. They surely do make his world go round! L+P

24 | CULTURE | BRAND NEW |

JOSIAH HAWLEY

J

osiah Hawley is essentially your modern-day James Dean -complete with old-fashioned charm and a magnetic persona.

Josiah was born and bred in Fort Smith, Arkansas, where small town family values and a persistent work ethic run strong.

Leaving everything he knew in his early twenties, he packed little more than his guitar and a

dream for Nashville, and eventually, the big city –Los Angeles.

Since then, the 31 year-old singer/ songwriter/ model has become what some say a “burgeoning bad boy.” Mentored by Usher on The Voice, Josiah captured hearts worldwide with his stripped-down musical performances and classic good looks.

With the attention he received from his work on The Voice, Josiah’s few hundred followers on Twitter and Instagram skyrocketed to more than 82K+ followers on Instagram and 60K+ on Twitter in a matter of weeks. Josiah’s YouTube videos have hit over 1.04M+ overall plays and his incredibly loyal fan base continues to grow. USA Today says that Josiah “Matches his good looks with a bevy of vocal talent and a burgeoning bad-boy

image.” And The Today Show noted that Josiah is a “talented pop-rocker.” Josiah has made appearances on a variety of TV shows: The Today Show, ENews, Access Hollywood, New York Live, MTV News, OWN and Extra to date.

Josiah currently lives in LA and is working on releasing his next album. He has upcoming engagements in Miami, Toronto, Oklahoma, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton and LA. Since his appearance on The Voice, Josiah has released nine YouTube music videos featuring original songs that have gained traction with his audience and nurtured his loyal following.

Josiah is collaborating on new work with well-known songwriters in the industry, including writers for Jeremih, Demi Lovato, Lupe Fiasco and Big Time Rus. L+P

LENOXANDPARKER.COM

DJ MARLEY WATERS

D

J Marley Waters (Previously known as Genesis) is known for creating worldwide sound. Progressive, electronic, trap, and super bass 808’s that hypnotize the listener to the beat of his drums and abstract melodies. DJ Marley Waters welcomes all to take a journey into Marley’s World. Best described as a renaissance man, DJMW first expressed himself to the world through dancing. He and his dance crew, “Status Quo” performed on several major network stations and shows such as Randy Jackson presents “America’s Best Dance Crew” and ABC’s “Good Morning America”. DJMW made his first major film debut appearing in Oscar winning actor, Cuba Gooding Jr.’s new movie, “Life Of A King” directed by Jake Goldberger. Progressively evolving, he continued to excel in songwriting and producing records for platinum, award winning artists, who now give him exclusive unreleased content for his mixing and our listening pleasure.

Starting the year 2014 with an impact, DJ Marley Waters has gained industry respect by producing some of the hottest major label singles on the radio charts today. DJ Marley Waters introduces a new sound with producing RCA Record’s Tinashe “2 On” (ft. Schoolboy, Co-Produced by DJ Mustard). With the song taking over radio and clubs by storm, Shazam has already tallied over 1,000,000 hits on the popular music app. DJMW has created a signature sound that has become significant in mainstream radio. With a passport almost stamped completely, DJMW has successfully leaped into the mainstream international market. The most recent tour appearance in Hong Kong, China showcased the extreme, trap mixer DJ Marley Waters, performing on the same stage alongside, World’s popular DJs including rising EDM star, Avicii.

All who are a witness to Marley’s World describe a party experience like no other. Justin Bieber even personally invited DJMW to his private home to provide the sounds of a classic night. Between the music that creates ear orgies as he mixes and scratches the turntables, to the beautiful women that can’t get enough of his music (and him); wherever he goes he provides the “turned up” ambience of the party. Let his music lure you into getting lost in his sound waves Then when the beat drops, the tsunami of bass will hit you on impact like you’ve never experienced before.

Feel good about life. Party with DJ Marley Waters. L+P

LENOXANDPARKER.COM such talented friends of mine and shooting them has been nothing more but just pure creative fun. I’ve worked heavily with model/ actress Nazanin Mandi for several years, because of our close bond I’ve been able to see both our growth as artist. International singer YUNA who is currently about to drop her 3rd album this May. R&B singer Miguel. Many music producers, Brian of fisticuffs, deputy of Roc Nation and so forth. I’ve worked with clothing brands such as USA fencing Olympian Ibtihaj Muhammad’s Muslim woman’s clothing line Louellashop, Yuna Zarai Malaysian clothing brand November culture. LA designer Stephanie White of Odylyne the ceremony, akid brand, several online boutiques and bridal engagements and weddings.

“IM GOING TO MAKE EVERYTHING AROUNDME BEAUTIFUL THAT WILL BE MY LIFE.” PASSION

A LIFE BEHIND THE LENS

A One on One conversation with LA based photographer Aja Hitomi

by TOBIAS | Photography AJA HITOMI

PURPOSE Tell me about yourself and your journey to becoming a photographer? My name is Ajarina Hitomi Lampkin known as Aja Hitomi. Im a photographer based out in the Los Angeles area. My interest in photography started when I was heavily into blogging which was about 8 years ago. I had my first blog which was called Phresh Produce.

I was taking my tiny flash camera to flea markets while taking photos of fashionable trends and people shopping. Traveling up north was my favorite thing to do because I loved capturing landscape photos while traveling up to the redwoods, big sir, monterey and San Francisco.

Also going back to where I was born which is Japan was another motivating force for me to take many pictures there. As I got older I decided to shut down the blog and really concentrate on portrait shooting which I used my best friend as my model several times. This is when I knew I wanted to be a full time portrait photographer... Creating simple concepts yet making people look and feel beautiful.

Who are some of the people/brands you’ve worked with?

I’ve always been surrounded by the most talented people which have had such an impact on my creative side. Being able to create with

How would you describe your style?

My style is very bright! I love light!! I want to express my photography in a way that brings light to someone’s inner soul, life or smile. I just want to make sure that I can bring something positive to someone’s day showing them the light that God has gifted them with.. Allowing them to be able to search deep down within and see and feel that God has created such beauty and light in them. I want to create all things beautiful! I live by this quote “ Im going to make everything around me beautiful-that will be my life” Is there a particular working photographer who you enjoy or have a special respect for? I really love photographer Rog Walker. The man behind Solange wedding photos. I’ve been a huge fan of his work for some years now. When I got a hold of Solange wedding photos I knew immediately that he was the one that shot it. I really respect his work because its very authentic, raw and real. His unique style of still portraiture exudes real emotions with a dark vignette mood that pulls you in and allows you to feel a story through each persons portrait.

Like I feel what is going on in the picture! Even though it’s on a dark and moody tip I feel the light! It’s tells me a story. It shouts a story out to me which can also bring forth an emotion in you. Its deep.

PROCESS If you had to choose your one, favorite place to shoot where would that be and why? I would definitely choose New Orleans.

So much history and so much culture! The architecture there is like no other city or state. There is a lot to be celebrated there even after the natural disaster that left behind thousands dead or homeless the people seem to constantly look at the brighter side of things celebrating life and even death. It’s just unique there .. It is somewhere that I definitely would love to shoot at on ever corner.

What do you consider to be your proudest accomplishment as a professional photographer to date? Shooting my first wedding! The pressures of being in front of hundreds of people and trying to capture that moment when you only have one time to do it can be a lot of pressure. However, it makes me so happy inside that I can be a part of someones special moment. It means a lot to me and sometimes thats all that matters is being able to make others happy with taking great photos of them. I live for creating beautiful photos just to be able to see how excited someone can get once they get a hold of it. L+P

28 | TRENDSETTERS

THE TRENDSETTERS | a person/company that creates, popularizes a trend or trends |

MISS DIDDY

www.TheBrandGroup.LA Icons tend to have more than one title. The Ambassador of LA, a Marketing/ Branding Genius, and an inspiration to her community; Miss Diddy has earned every title and more! A true leader of her generation, Miss Diddy has broken through barriers in a male driven industry from the moment she figured out it was lacking something... Her! She currently sits as the Only Woman Promoter in Hollywood, CA the capital of the most important force to this culture, The Entertainment Industry. She became the pulse of this city, where she was born and raised, and now is the talk of the town for all that she’s done and continues to do. She’s the go to woman in Hollywood for artists to showcase their talents, DJs to continue to prove why they are needed in the music industry and street brands to gain visibility while connecting to the people who keep them in business, Night Life. Miss Diddy has resurrected what it means to party LA style! Diddy is the only female promoter to actively work in the music industry and promote at the same time, just as the great Sean “Diddy” Combs and Kenny Burns did. She’s the first promoter to implement brand infusion in nightlife, allowing street brands to host parties and music. Additionally, Diddy is the first in Hollywood to consistently gain media attention for her events and the most efficient at keeping it “cool” to promote. L+P

DJ CASSIDY

www.djcassidy.com DJ Cassidy is a trendsetter, as if there was any doubt.

Cassidy wears a wide-ranging array of hats (not to be confused with his much-acclaimed hat collection), from DJ, to trailblazer, to party host to the stars. From being called “my favorite DJ” by Jay-Z, to being complimented on his networking abilities by Russel Simmons (hip-hop’s #1 networkers of all time), Cassidy is a name that’s here to stay – but left we forget, he made his name off his taste in music. From Usher, to Oprah, to Obama – no one, celebrity or not – is exempt from Cassidy’s influence.

DJ Cassidy’s love for all-things-80s predates hiphop’s new all-retro-everything phase, and, if you look inside his rolodex, you’d be wise in thinking he had something to do with the resurgence of 80s and 90s gear in modern-day hip-hop. (Cassidy does, after all, influence all the rest of the influencers.) A 2014 Forbes article lists his bachelor pad as filled with WWF figures (presumably the 80s-era LJN one), and Run DMC shelltop Adidas. His Columbia-records magnum opus (nee debut), Paradise Royale, was an homage to all things late-70s and early 80s. So while your kids may not know who DJ Cassidy is, chances are, he’s a big reason they’re bugging you for the retro Jordan II’s. Be on the lookout for DJ Cassidy ENTER NEXT PROJECT L+P

LENOXANDPARKER.COM

KENNY BURNS www.studio43.com

featured TRENDSETTER “The Lifestyle Specialist,” Kenny Burns, is a huge influencer to pop culture and constantly surrounded by the best in the industry, yet he has remained grounded. One of the biggest failures he’s noticed in the music industry is how uncomfortable some people are with themselves, in spite of fame and wealth. He has secured his place in pop culture without sacrificing his integrity and by managing his expectations during the climb to the top. Burns lives by that motto, “Never let your expectations exceed your efforts.”

These words only scratch the surface of who Kenny Burns is. The list of outstanding accomplishments goes on and on, including work across various fields such as music, fashion, lifestyle marketing, television and radio.

Kenny launched his own promotions company, 2620 Music, known for introducing some of the biggest names in music to the Atlanta market in the mid 90’s. (late Notorious B.I.G. and Jay Z. Kenny Burns’ notoriety for “making things happen” skyrocketed his music career. He started by promoting R&B singer Monica’s debut album Miss Thang and Jay-Z’s highly acclaimed Reasonable Doubt. Kenny then stepped out on his own, orchestrating the double platinum girl group, Dream and helped them secure a #2 spot on the Billboard charts.

It was clear that Kenny had the formula for success as he grew to be amongst executives - serving as Vice President at Mariah Carey’s Monarch Music and at Roc-A-Fella Records.

Kenny’s experience in the music industry has taken him all over the world and has allowed him to further develop his innate ability to identify the best trends in Pop Culture and solidify his brand as the Lifestyle Specialist.

Kenny has evolved into an international style maven and a distinguished young man within the entertainment industry. Inspired and motivated to materialize ideas into reality, he delved into the world of fashion with partners Ryan Glover and Derek Dudley to launch the high-end menswear line, Ryan Kenny. Ryan Kenny was the second African American designed and owned apparel line sold in Saks Fifth Avenue since Willie Wear. His influence can be felt across the Entertainment Industry and his ability to inspire and influence change is undeniable. Rising to every occasion and surpassing all goals and expectations has been his objective since the start of his career, and through his hard work and dedication, Kenny Burns has proved that what you dream you L+P can achieve. The Dream is Real!