WhereItzAt Jan. 2016

AKON

TROY CARTER

PRR RECORDING STUDIO PRIVACY | PROFESSIONALISM | EXCLUSIVITY 21ST CENTURY TECHNOLOGY (See page 35)

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JANUARY

Contents

Vol #14 1st edition

Articles

Feature Articles

8 Who Comes First: Client or Candidate?

22-23 10 Rich Caribbean-Born Sports Stars

10 10 Clueless Stacey Dash Comments

24 An Entrepreneur’s Lucid Dream

13 You’re Building Walls, Andrew Not Bridges 14 J amaica National Continues Building Relationships 16 Inspiring Black Leadership 20 A Dominican Woman: Perfectly Imperfect

AKON: LIGHTING AFRICA

pg 17 Akon

26 New Year’s Resolutions Don’t Work...Lifestyles Do

pg 18

TROY CARTER: A REAL GENIUS

28 I Speak That Language 30 Patrick Sterling: Income!!

Lady GaGa

32 An Early Weekend: Trip to Jamaica

John Legend

Troy Carter

34 WIA Classifieds Meghan Trainor

CHAIRMAN & PUBLISHER

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

PHOTO JOURNALIST

LEGAL COUNSELOR

PHOTOGRAPHERS

CLIVE WILLIAMS

ADIKA BUTLER

MARJORIE FLASH

GARNETT H. SULLIVAN, ESQ

MARJORIE FLASH OF MY FLASH KEN/UNIVERSAL

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

ART DIRECTOR

NEW MEDIA INITIATIVES

MEDIA

CHRISTOPHER C. WILLIAMS

CHRISTIAN X. JONES

ROCKSTONE MEDIA GROUP

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT

MANAGING EDITOR OF ONLINE CONTROLLER MAGAZINE MICHELLE WILLIAMS

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS ADIKA BUTLER - DR. CLIVE WILLIAMS CHRISTOPHER C. WILLIAMS - SHERRY MORGAN KAY-ANNIE REID - JIHAN JOSEPH NATASHA JOSEPH - PATRICK A. STERLING ARLENE MENDOZA

ANNETTE GORDON

CHRISTOPHER C. WILLIAMS

ON THE COVER IMAGE AKON, TROY CARTER

INQUIRIIES

Clive Williams (917) 749-7613

editors@whereitzatmag.com clive@whereitzatlive.com

www.gowhereitzat.com fame@gowhereitzat.com www.facebook.com/whereitzatmagazine twitter.com/gowhereitzat

WhereItzAt Magazine is published monthly by WhereItzAt Media Group Inc. All Rights Reserved. WhereItzAt Magazine is a registered trademark of WhereItzAt Media Group Inc. Reproduction in whole or in part without written consent is prohibited. Views of editorial content do not necessarily reflect the views of WhereItzAt Magazine, WhereItzAt Media Group Inc. or its advertisers. For questoins, comments and concerns address your letters to: WhereItzAt Magazine • 219-10 S. Conduit Avenue • Springfield Gardens, NY 11413 or email:editors@whereitzatmag.com WhereItzAt Media Group Inc. 461 Elmont Rd. Elmont,NY 11003 Phone: (917) 749-7613 4 | PULSE OF THE CARIBBEAN PEOPLE

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PUBLISHER’S VIBE

SMALL BUSINESS REVIEW:

A Reality Check

Clive Williams, CEO/ Publisher _________________________

A

s we hear talk, then, see for ourselves the widening wealth gap between middle-class America and the wealthy, grave concerns arise, not only about the larger economy, but about the survival of small business. Whether they are family owned, individually/ independently owned, S-Corps, C- Corps, LLC’S, small businesses in America has and will continue to be foundation or backbone of the American economy. It is fundamental economic doctrine that if you reduce the buying power of the masses in any society the production of goods and services will fall, concomitant with that reduction.

inspires its owners with pride while offering a share of the American pie - sadly for the past nine years small business owners have only been living off the crust.

The reality is that small business has been reeling on the ropes, much like the housing market since 2007 and scant little has been done to stimulate it. Who or what do you blame for this mess? Was it the recession of 2007, the President, Government bureaucracy, the Congress or big business? I assure you it was and is, all the above. Why didn’t the President and congress exact an agreement from those “too big to fail” Banks and Car companies, in order to resuscitate and stimulate so many homeowners who were victims of fraud as well as the small business economy? Why didn’t government limit the outflow of capital to places like China, Philippines, Indonesia, India, Mexico and a host of other countries from whom we received shoddy and unsafe goods in return? Why was little effort made to repatriate the jobs lost and the capital outflow through incentives - in order to hire people at home?

are trapped in this restrictive and inhospitable space between myopic bureaucracy and unconscionable corporate business interests.

If there is reassurance, it comes from the fact that there are so many of us out there, (in the words of Bob Marley) “fighting for survival.” A recent report on sba.gov reminds me that: since the 1970’s small businesses provide 55% of all jobs in the U. S. while accounting for 66% of all new jobs. The 28 million small businesses in America are responsible for 54% of U.S. sales.

So what is the story of Black and Latino businesses? How well are we doing in light of the above?

According to the U.S. census reports, between 2002 and 2007 Black owned businesses increased by 60.5% to 1.9 million, an impressive increase by virtue of the fact that the national rate of increase for the period was 18%, but misleading because we are still under-represented in the overall business sector. Competitively, there are approximately 3.2 million Hispanic owned businesses in the country, almost doubling since 2002. My conclusion is simple, if Hispanics and My real concern is that American Small business Asians who very often contend with a language owners now bear the brunt of over-dependence problem can grow their businesses almost on our capacity to continue providing jobs, exponentially, what’s our excuse? products and services that fewer consumers can afford, coupled with the fact that, new business ‘Cause that’s WhereItZat! trends predict fewer traditional workers in the future as robotics and other new technologies America has long depended on the enterprising begin to emerge. growth and success of small businesses, it is “the little engine” that fuels economic growth and Although small business is BIG in America, we It is my opinion that the supply and demand theory (more so in recent times) has been so manipulated by Government bureaucrats and powerful business interests that fundamental economic theory needs to be re-written so as to make economic prognostications credible once again. How in God’s name can you have a robust economy when real wages are in decline, sapping the spending power of workers while decimating their savings? Why are rents so high while homelessness increases, and, there is a glut of housing stock all over the country?

The once vaunted belief that home ownership represented the American dream is no longer true for most, but for many it has instead become their worst nightmare.

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URBAN BUSINESS

Who Comes First – The Client or The Candidate?

By Christopher Williams

I can’t tell you how many times I have spoken to colleagues engaged in a job search who walked away from the process believing that their recruiter didn’t value their contribution. Their calls weren’t returned promptly, they didn’t get timely feedback after an interview or they got a call from the recruiter’s assistant who failed to give them a clear understanding of the next steps.

they forgot to help that candidate when he/she needed it.

According to Linkedin Talent Solutions 2015 Talent Trends, “94% of talent wants to receive interview feedback.” That says a great deal doesn’t it? By taking the time to get the feedback from the client and sharing it with the candidate you’re doing two things. One, you’re ensuring that the candidate understands their interview performance: mistakes made or things they did well. You’re also making sure that you are crystal clear on what the client wants. If you sent a “rockstar” candidate and the client was

The bottom line is whether you are in a retainer or contingency based recruiting business, the candidate is just as important as your client and essentially should be treated equally well. Today your candidate “Jane” may be an associate, but 2 or 3 years from now, she could very well be the hiring manager or running her own company.

So by establishing the relationship correctly in the beginning, you have ensured yourself a possible seat at the table when the time comes for the next recruiting opportunity.

What now? How do you, the recruiter, move forward? You don’t. Not unless you are willing to own your misstep. Show that candidate that they are a priority and focus on what you can give instead of what you want to get. Even then it might be too late to salvage the relationship. still undecided, then you might need to revisit the job specifications and get on the right page.

Then there is the recruiter who calls a prospective candidate and it’s only about the client and what that candidate has to say gets tossed into a blackhole instead of noted for follow up. Fastforward a few months later and the recruiter is in a bind and needs help, so they call the one candidate they know can help. The problem is

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“ ”

ENTERTAINMENT

10 Clueless Stacy Dash Comments B

ronx-born actress Stacey Dash may claim roots

in Mexico, Africa and Barbados, but her consistent contentious and “Clueless” comments on the Fox News Channel suggests anything but immigrant/ black roots!

The 49-year-old’s latest comments comes over the lack of diversity in this year’s Oscar nominations in which she inanely suggested the solution is to do away with Black History Month and BET. Here are some of the most ridiculous comments from the actress:

1: The crown jewel from Wednesday January 20, 2016: “I think it’s ludicrous. We have to make up our minds; either we want to have segregation or integration. If we don’t want segregation, then we need to get rid of channels like BET and the BET Awards, and the [NAACP] Image Awards, where you’re only awarded if you’re black. If it were the other way around, we would be up in arms. It’s a double standard […] Just like there shouldn’t be a Black History Month. We’re American, that’s it,” she stated.

2: Her number two “crazy” moment occurred On December 7, 2015, as Dash was asked for her reaction to President Obama’s comments on terrorism following the San Bernadino attack. “It’s ridiculous. His speech was an epic fail. It was like when you have to go to a dinner with your parents, but you have a party to go to afterwards, that’s what it felt like. he was just trying to get through it because he wanted to go to this event afterwards. I did not feel any better. I didn’t feel any passion from him, like you said Andrea. I felt like he could give a shit– excuse me, like he could care less! And here we have fourteen people dead,” Dash stated. She was suspended by Fox for a use of profanity on air.

3: Last February, Dash actually commented on the political atmosphere at the 2015 Academy Awards, 10 | PULSE OF THE CARIBBEAN PEOPLE

saying she was “appalled” by the 2015 ceremony and slamming Patricia Arquette who used her acceptance speech as the Best Supporting Actress winner to call for equal pay for women. On Fox and Friends, Dash said: “Patricia Arquette needs to do her history. In 1963, Kennedy passed the Equal Pay Law, it’s still in effect. I didn’t get the memo that I didn’t have any rights.”

4: At the same time, she was also asked about the snub of Selma star David Oyelowo and director Ava DuVernay for an award. To which she responded: “I do know that if it were something conservative and there were not any black people in the audience or on the stage getting awards, there would be a lot of problems. “[It’s a] double standard. They’re hypocrites.”

kill people. Alcohol doesn’t get you drunk, you get yourself drunk.”

6: In January 2014, Dash last lashed out at rapper Kanye West for comparing the paparazzi’s constant attention to rape.”For Kanye to say rape, maybe he needs to spend some time on Rikers Island… Go to Rikers for a little while and then he’ll know what rape is,” Dash said.

7: Back in June 2013, after the Food Network and many other endorsers dropped celebrity chef Paula Deen when allegations of her racist antics and words surfaced, Dash elected to extend her and her daughter’s support, tweeting: “God does everything for a reason @Paula_Deen Only God can judge your heart. BTW my daughter loves your show (only way she can get me to cook).”

8: In 2013, Dash added her voice to the political persecution of Jay Z and Beyonce for their trip to Cuba that year. She took to Twitter to blast the power couple saying, “Do you care that The JayZ’s have taken the capital you have given them and funded a communist oppressive regime?”

5: After the University of Virginia urged female students last summer to avoid parties in order to prevent rape and other sexual misconduct, the actress addressed the new development by voicing her controversial opinion on the topic on Fox’s ‘Outnumbered.’

“I think it’s a good thing for the good girls to be told to stay home, be safe,” she said. “The other bad girls – bad women – are the ones who like to be naughty, might go out and play and get hurt. The other thing about this is that it then blames the alcohol instead of the person who overdrinks. It’s like, the same thing with guns. Guns don’t kill people, people

9: When both the ACLU and the NAACP filed lawsuits challenging North Carolina’s voter ID law, believing it undermined the political effectiveness of Blacks and other minority groups in the state. But Dash took to Twitter to disagree stating: “Of course.

VOTER ID. Common Sense.”

10: When Oprah Winfrey drew a comparison between Trayvon Martin’s 2012 killing and that of 14-year-old Emmett Till’s in 1955, Dash tweeted a link to a Fox News article deriding the media mogul for making the comparison. “Shame on you @ oprah,” she tweeted, before quoting activist Malcolm X. “If you aren’t careful, the newspapers will have you hating the people who are being oppressed and loving the people who are doing the oppressing.”

Courtesy of NewsAmericasNow.com

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CALL CLIVE WILLIAMS AT 1-800-301-5817

SERIOUS INQUIRES ONLY

FROM THE MANAGEMENT AND STAFF OF TROPICS SEAFOOD MARKET, WE WOULD LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATRONAGE. WE WISH YOU AND YOUR FAMILY HEALTH, HAPPINESS AND PROSPERITY FOR THE NEW YEAR!

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INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY

EDITORIAL

YOU’RE BUILDING WALLS, ANDREW NOT BRIDGES. REALLY MR. HOLNESS! REALLY? HAVE YOU BEEN DISCUSSING WALLS WITH DONALD TRUMP? DIDN’T YOU KNOW THAT WALLS ARE EXPENSIVE? ASK DONALD, HE’S FIXING TO BUILD ONE, DID YOU CALL HIM FOR ADVICE?

WHEN IS ELECTIONS? DO YOU FIGURE YOU’LL KNOW FOR SURE AFTER THAT? ONE LAST QUESTION – CAN WE STAY AT THE ESTATE WHEN WE VISIT? NO! NO?

ANDREW, IS THAT WHY YOU BUILT SUCH A BIG WALL?

LET ME GUESS – IS IT GOING TO BE A CASINO? DID YOU DISCUSS THIS WITH MRS. HOLNESS? SO IF YOU WIN THE ELECTION – WHERE ARE YOU GOING TO LIVE? DON’T YOU PLAN TO WIN? DID YOU BUILD IT FOR THE VICTORY PARTY? OH SHUCKS, YOU’RE JUST KIDDING US –YOU BUILT A RETIREMENT HOME FOR PORTIA? YOU DIDN’T? DOES SHE LIKE IT? DID YOU DO A POLL TO FIND OUT IF JAMAICANS LIKE IT?

“The party knows that it will be one of the biggest advertising tools against us in the next election,” one JLP insider told the Jamaica Observer.

PULSE OF THE CARIBBEAN PEOPLE | 13

URBAN BUSINESS

Jamaica National Continues Building Relationships

By Melissa Rawlins

I

took a quick jaunt to Jamaica, which comprised of many things, both business and personal. The amount of time between buying the tickets and being in 80 degree weather in a November, was about 4 days, so who was I to complain.

Being in Jamaica, Land We Love, made me realize that I could make an attempt to open a bank account at Jamaica National Bank, as it was now Jamaica’s’ third largest bank, and I was just about a stones throw from the Mandeville Branch, while staying at Aunty.

There were times in the past where I had made this attempts to establish myself, financially, in Jamaica, but due to so much of the deadly scamming and the bureaucracy processes in place, it has proven difficult at every financial institution that I went.

This brought to mind the forum that I attended in October of 2015 at the New York Hilton Midtown where Jamaica National Bank conducted a public forum, moderated by the General Manager of Jamaica National, Mr. Earl Jarrett, “Developing Successful Jamaican Businesses in a Challenging Economy”. So I armed myself with the many documents I would be instructed to bring to any financial institution, either in New York or Jamaica, including utility bills, passport, photocopies of my birth certificate and social security card, 2 references, 2 relationship letters from MY bank in New York, the TRN receipt that I received the day before from the tax office, as well as the latest copy of “WhereItzAt” magazine.

“Hello Fren! I am here to open a bank account today”.

More teeth.

become a member and open a JN savings account-as per young dude at Customer Service.

The young gentleman was very helpful to me and provided me with a list, and I mean a list, of the necessary requirements to open up said account. I countered with my avalanche and the process began.

1. Valid Photo Identification 2. Taxpayer Registration Number (TRN ya’ll) 3. Proof of your (residential) address no older then 6 months 4. Proof of employment 5. Name and Telephone Number for Two Referees 6. Completed Customer Information Form 7. Completed Source of Funds Form 8. Opening Deposit $$$

Finally and eventually I was able to sit down with Ms. Senior inside the Mandeville Branch of Jamaica National Bank, and build a relationship. This lady was not only helpful but very pleasant and most efficient with the accumulation of papers, as Jamaica’s’ process involves physical original copies of everything. Even the impossible papers, you must bring them in.

Since I had attended that forum of Jamaica National and due to the socio-cultural context of which we know Jamaica to be, these procedures, however odious they are, are in place to thwart the evil doers who steal people homes, identities, barrels, lives, trust and hope. How many times have I myself, known of some individual losing their lives earnings sent back a yaad, intending to build and/or maintain their homes, stores, children school fees, chicken coops, but when they reach, the home is rubble, the store is empty, the pickney dunce and dem nyam off the chicken.

We proceeded paper by paper, reference by reference, down the required list. Most of the things I had in hand, however the one paper I did need would be emailed to me within the next two days. We continued.

We arrived at the bank, as it opened. There were about 4 people ahead of us, some very much like my Aunty, who appreciates (and demands) a quick in-and-out handling of the days business, with everything done by 11:45am, and the rest of day stretches endlessly before you.

At the end of that day, or actually, an hour later, I had everything set up so that the account process had begun, and when I would return in the next few days, with the rest of papers, I would be finally established, financially, in Jamaica.

As we entered, we were the only ones headed to the Customer Service desk, as everyone else filed away mysteriously. I approached the young dude at the desk and laid down my avalanche of papers. Then I displayed all my teeth.

As there are many in the diaspora that would like to build create and/or stabilize their financial presence in Jamaica, Land We Love, I am going to highlight some of the necessary papers you will need when you start that great enterprise.

Here are (some of ) the necessary paper work needed to

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There are some special requirements for non-Jamaicans who reside overseas, so they, or anyone who has any questions about the process or the forms, can call Jamaica National Bank directly at 1-888-GET-JNBS (1-888-4385627).

It was such a great joy to me to be able to leave JN bank, to leave Jamaica, Land We Love, with my own bank book filled to the brim with the barest of minimums amounts necessary to open, in my own name!! I would’ve taken a picture, but who stands outside a bank, in Jamaica, with bank book in hand taking pictures? Foreigners!

As is the unspoken tradition of most Jamaicans in the Diaspora, I plan to build a house back home. For some reason it seems easiest for the supremely determined, born in Jamaica-living abroad, than for any second generation, born in the land of milk and honey and spoilt due to it.

Jamaican tenacity. There’s noting like it. But that’s another story…..

Hopefully you will be able to make that trip home and open your account in person, and if you do, please look up Ms. Senior and tell her hello! Thanks to Mr. Earl Jarrett, GM for all of his helps as well, pointing me in the right direction.

I will continue to watch for the ongoing upcoming developments of Jamaica National Bank, now as a member, that will surely benefit Brand Jamaica, at home and abroad, in commercial and consumer business.

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FEATURE

INSPIRING BLACK LEADERSHIP

By Clive Williams

J

ohn’s future was secure; barring illness, a major misfortune of an unforeseen nature, or just bad timing, he was destined by virtue of his academic achievements and diligent work ethic to succeed in almost any position of leadership he was assigned. Yet he failed to deliver on the potential he possessed and left his backers disappointed. Why did he fail to deliver on the early promise he displayed?

as the first step is completed a SECOND STEP is made, it’s a steady progression. The pace of this process must only increase or accelerate if, and when, you begin to respect and understand the process: NEVER ATTEMPT TO RUN, BEFORE YOU’VE LEARNED TO WALK!

I sincerely believe the Paradigm must be reset in the “Context of the Black Family,” to reject the notion of ‘instant gratification,’ in favor of one that promotes, ‘consistent and Judy was fiercely competitive, detail oriented lasting satisfaction,’ this better choice catalyzes and dedicated to her assigned task.

She possessed an assertive but pleasant personality. She was proudly conscious of her educational attainments and made them known. Her ambition to succeed was never in doubt. Yet when given the opportunity to lead, she struck out badly, while, at the same time alienating her sponsors.

These two brief anecdotes are symptomatic of a generational paradigm shift, which states uncompromisingly that: “my college degrees, my youth, and the adulation I receive from my family, validates my achievement and, indeed my entitlement to whatever I seek to attain – THIS INSTANT! I have no time to wait. You old people waited way too long to get yours.”

Let’s revisit Charles and Judy for a moment of clarity – these two people are well educated, possessed engaging personalities and are willing to work hard if necessary. So what were their Achilles heels? I will answer that with a personal story; I have spent a good deal of my life in helping people understand how to harness and use their emotional intelligence to unlock and maximize their potential. By doing so, they come to realize that their journey is “a process,” a process which begins with the FIRST STEP, 16 | PULSE OF THE CARIBBEAN PEOPLE

the powerful spiritual values of service and fulfillment. There are millions of John’s and Judy’s out there who epitomize the notion of “gotta get mine now, before someone else does,” the question is, what’s the RUSH? Shouldn’t

basic common sense and intelligence dictate that a smooth and seamless transition of leadership works best for everyone? Quite similar to a smooth baton change in a relay race, a smooth and patient leadership transfer is a win/win for all the participants. Be mindful that Universal law is immutable: good luck or a big break is only achievable when - Your Preparation meets with an Opportunity. Preparation however comes with a condition – that of Patience. The roles of Patience, Introspection and Contemplation have been reassigned by some to religious or spiritual pursuits, yet they are the pillars of success and achievement in any business or professional pursuit one may undertake.

My stake in this discussion should be made very clear; I have perceived for a very long time the decline in organic and authentic Leadership models in our communities – in particular, communities of color. I am more determined than ever to address this deficit, because I am convinced that if our communities are exposed to real images and models of leadership, men and women to whom they can relate, then we can earnestly begin the journey of rebuilding the dignity, legacy and posterity that was viciously and unceremoniously ripped from the repository of our ancestors.

Allow me to share two incredible stories of young Black men who have overcome great adversity, failure and discouragement, yet have risen to the top in their chosen fields of endeavor. They represent a beacon of hope and inspiration promising for those who dream of SUCCESS and ACHIEVEMENT.

FEATURE

AKON I

LIGHTING AFRICA

By Clive Williams

believe we are living in one of the most

dramatic and exciting periods of human history; I know, the awareness of that reality is lost on far too many people living in their silos, bubbles and comfort zones, boxed in by their superstition and ignorance. They still “judge a book by its cover,” they still see things in “black and white,” the circle of their cynicism and absolutism is so complete they are missing the tidal wave being created by the dynamics of social and cultural change as we speak.

producer. The same Akon, who exaggerated his legal problems in order to hype his tough guy persona, has embarked on a mission of mercy in West Africa, with a program to transform the lives of millions of Africans living without the benefit of electricity.

Can you imagine the doubt and cynicism that accompanied Akon’s announcement of his adventure in Social Entrepreneurship? In the now famous TV interview, Larry King Live, King asked him somewhat suspiciously whether he was embarking on his mission alone; to which Akon replied that he had partners, men whom he grew up with, young men, who are going to help him change the lives of their people forever.

But how does a guy who has had serious brushes with the law, leading to his incarceration flip the script to showcase a message of human development, quality of life and uplift for others? We can never judge what’s in a man’s heart, but it was clear that Akon’s heart was filled with the prospect of initiating powerful and positive change in the lives of the poor and disenfranchised in West Africa.

Much to the disbelief and consternation of many, a growing number of young Black men and women are empowering themselves and their communities, “THE CRABS ARE LEARNING TO HELP EACH OTHER OUT OF THE BARREL.” So the phenomenon that is Akon might be as much of a surprise, to the Hip Hop/ R&B community where he enjoys the reputation of ‘bad boy’ entertainer, songwriter, hip hop/R&B performer and big time

Did this evolution - this new awareness come from experiencing adversity, trials and tribulations? Who is this Akon anyhow? Born Aliaume Damala Badara Akon Thiam in St. Louis, Missouri of Senegalese parents, Akon moved back to Senegal with his parents and had the opportunity to connect with his roots, but soon realized that the commonplace American amenity of electric lights was missing.

It is only in recent times that the impact of that experience became evident. He returned to America with his parents and soon began high school where his love of music began to flourish – no surprise, since his Mom was a professional dancer and his dad a renowned percussionist. It became clear as he matured, that music was his passion, so it came as no surprise when he dropped out of college, (Clark Atlanta University) to pursue writing music and making records. His decision and passion paid big dividends in 2004, with the release of his debut album titled Trouble, when singles from it, like Locked Up and Lonely became big hits, other artists and the industry took notice and Akon’s star began to shine brightly. He followed up with his biggest

album success to date with the release of, Konvicted, which launched him into the musical stratosphere, as several cuts from the album became big hits on the Billboard charts. The album featured cuts like Smack That with Eminem and I Wanna Love You with Snoop Dogg. This success set off a number of collaborations with not only Snoop, but with Gwen Stefani, Lionel Richie, Whitney Houston, Lady Gaga and yes – Michael Jackson.

Akon’s enormous success helped him to create clothing lines like Aliaume and Konvict, several real estate investments, as well as the Konfidence Foundation, which he founded to empower disadvantaged youth in the U S and Africa.

AKON - LIGHTING AFRICA Now Akon has raised the bar, he remembered well his early impressions in Senegal growing up with his friend and current business partner Thione Niang, the absence of electricity stuck with him, so now he is addressing the needs of millions of his countrymen through the technology of solar energy; using this technology with the partnership of Thione Niang and Samba Bathily, Akon is “Lighting Up Africa.”

This ambitious, life changing project was launched in February, 2014 and will initially impact eleven West African nations; an Academy has also been established in Mali to ensure that the young are trained in the production of solar panels in order to sustain the project. Imagine the increase in productivity, education, socio-economic and overall quality of life for these West Africans and you will realize, like Akon - despite your doubt and uncertainty, YOU too can make a difference in the world in which you live.

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FEATURE

TROY CARTER: A REAL GENIUS / INNOVATOR / ACCELERATOR / DISRUPTOR

By Clive Williams

I

f you’ve not heard of this young Black leader,

then I am on my way to extricate you from under the rock you’ve been hiding. So, haven’t you seen him on Shark Tank or on Bloomberg Business News? If you’re still clueless, WhereItzAt will update you on Troy Carter soon enough. I am going to fix that right now. In the meantime, I am still puzzled by the fact that this skinny little kid from Philly (who dropped out of West Philadelphia High and still looks like he should be in school) made it, in a business model that spawned people like Sean Puffy Combs, Notorious B.I.G and a school of other sharks?

He’s got to be brilliant. When Carter first appeared on Shark Tank, my first question to my wife who is a big fan was, “is that college kid doing some sort of special internship on the show”? She responded, “no dum dum,(lovingly) he is a millionaire 30 times 18 | PULSE OF THE CARIBBEAN PEOPLE

over,” I took a seat and watched the show intently and wondered what the hell I had done with my youth. Carter is 43 years old going on 19 and already this wiz kid has earned the reputation as an innovator/disruptor; meaning this kid has exploded myths about packaging and marketing entertainers and entertainment products in ways that researchers at M.I.T and Harvard have not even processed.

He has created new markets and new products more efficiently and with capital and is laughing all the way to the bank. So you worry warts out there, stop worrying about your little princes and princesses, just make sure that if they drop out of school they possess the tenacity, talent and passion of Troy Carter. So in ten years, this young man has managed to make such an impact on the Media and Entertainment industry, he is now a Henry Crown Fellow at the prestigious Aspen Institute – remember now, he dropped out of High School.

What’s really is his claim to fame, you ask? Oh! Now you’re interested hah? How about him sneaking out with his high school rap group to a recording studio in Philly to hopefully get discovered for their teenage lyrics and harmonies, then, fortunately bumping into, none other than Will Smith, that’s right, the Will Smith and James Lassiter who both owned WilJam Records. Troy’s High school rap group eventually got signed, but, didn’t last long, so he landed a job with DJ Jazzy Jeff doing studio work, while being part time assistant to James Lassiter who eventually moved out to L A. By age 23 Troy began promoting Notorious B.I.G in the Philly market, which is where he met Sean Puffy Combs of Bad Boy Records, who gave him an internship which lasted a year and a half.

Troy was now ready to move to L A and re connect with James Lassiter, who after a short time fired him and sent him packing back to West Philly – the reason – James was unhappy with what he saw developing in Troy, he felt Troy began to have an entitlement attitude and was unwilling to work his way up in the hierarchy. Later, Troy would describe the ensuing years as some of his “darkest times.”

Darker times was yet to come, after some limited success with signing the artist Eve, he started the artist management company called Erving Wonder with Jay Erving son of legendary basketball player

Julius Erving. Erving Wonder soon attracted the attention of the British Artist management company Sanctuary who agreed to buy them out; as part of the deal Troy stayed on as Executive Vice President, but the deal fell through, Eve fired him and Troy Carter was now facing really dark times.

His home was foreclosed, his car repossessed and there was no deal waiting. Now as he faced eviction, record producer Vincent Herbert who had just left Universal Records introduced Troy to a new artist, her name, Lady Gaga who had just been dropped

by Def Jam Records. The next year 2007 was spent touring California with Gaga and Vincent Herbert

on a shoestring budget and it was also the year that Coalition Media Group was launched.

Carter’s success with Lady Gaga culminated with the production, “Gaga Presents the Monster Ball Tour at Madison Square Garden,” the show received an Emmy nomination in 2011, by then he had launched the Atom Factory in 2010, then Backplane, a Silicon Valley start -up that redefines Social media in its application to celebrity/fan relationships. The year 2012 ushered in further expansion with the launch of A/IDEA, product development and branding, then AF Square, an Angel fund that directed investments to Spotify, Warby Parker, Songza, Dropbox, Fab and Uber.

Troy Carter’s success attracted clients like John Legend, Meghan Trainor, Priyanka Chopra, Mindless Behavior, Lindsey Stirling and more. The 30 million man is reinventing himself as he continues to innovate and disrupt his industry. Success runs in our Race!

RESPECT THE PROCESS.

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vs Soca At Bb BB Kings Times Square Reggae Fest Vs Saturday, February 27, 2016 at 11:00 PM Sunday, February 28, 2016 at 4:00 AM

PULSE OF THE CARIBBEAN PEOPLE | 19

URBAN CULTURE

A Dominican Woman:

Perfectly Imperfect

By Arlene Mendoza

I

grew up in Washington Heights, the Mecca for all migrants from the Dominican Republic in NYC. I can remember my mom going to school, first to learn English, then to college.

My mom was always working to better herself and achieve the American dream. My dad, well he was always working, period. While my mom went to school and my dad worked, my neighbor often babysat my younger brother and I. My neighbors were like my second family and I spent most of my childhood with them.

I learned about all of my flaws from them. My hair was too kinky, I was too fat, my nose was too wide. I remember my neighbor would pinch mine and my brother’s noses to make it finer. It was during the vital years, between the ages of 4 or 5 to about 10 or 11 years old, that I was made very aware of my physical imperfections and I believed them.

My neighbor who took care of me, let’s call her Maria, had two daughters, who were much older than me. I would watch as Maria’s beautiful daughters would get cat called in the streets and I would be made to feel like I was less then. But, I admired and looked up to them. I wanted to be them, well one of the daughters in particular.

Let’s call her, Jessica. She was the younger of the two and the one I used to spend the most time with. When I was hanging out with them, I learned a different aspect of the Dominican culture that I did not get from my parents, as they were much more conservative then my neighbors. I learned to dance bachata, which at the time my parents considered to be “Musica

20 | PULSE OF THE CARIBBEAN PEOPLE

para prostitutas”, which translates to music for prostitutes. They didn’t know it would become so popular today. I also learned about what was important at the time, your body image and looks. Having a nice curvaceous body (small waist and a big butt) and having all of the men want you. As you can imagine, I felt incredibly insecure throughout most of my youth, I never felt I fit the mold. I went to school in Washington Heights and all of my friends were from Washington Heights until High School. So that was the culture, at least in my perspective.

The cute guys never really looked at me. Their idea of beauty was the woman with the more refined (White) features.

What it meant to me to be a Dominican woman and a Caribbean woman, as well as for a lot of people to this day is the outside appearance.

How small your waist is, how big your butt is, how large your breasts are and how long and straight your hair is. The Caribbean has to be one of the most diverse places to come from when it comes to physical appearances. You have whites, blacks, Indians and a mix of all races. Some of us have bone straight hair, some extremely kinky and everything in between.

Some are smaller and some are thicker, but all of us are beautiful just the same. We are a melting pot of diverse beauty that can be compared to no other place. We weren’t created to fit one mold and that is something to be proud of. I It was not until High School that I learned a wish that I was taught to focus on being proud different perspective of myself. Guys looked at of my genetic makeup and all that I was back me, they flirted with me, and they thought I when I was a child. was pretty. WOW! I was shocked. Who knew that the world outside of Washington Heights Today, I am absolutely proud of who I am and would be this different? I was more accepted of all of the lessons I have learned throughout and embraced. Finally, I was in a place where my struggles with my outside appearance. My I saw and got to know more diverse ethnic hair is curly and frizzy and my body is thick backgrounds, and even the Dominicans who and beautiful. I say all of this to say “You are were at my school were different than the people beautiful just the way you are.” Love yourself I grew up with. I became a little more secure as you are and for who you are inside and out. and confident with who I was, but those ideals Don’t allow outside influences to dictate what that I grew up with were still engrained in me. you are supposed to look like or what your I relaxed my curly hair to tame the curls and children are supposed to look like. We are frizz and image was still everything to me, so I perfectly imperfect and unlike no one else. Be compensated by always having nice clothes that proud. were in style so that I could fit in, rather than focusing on my studies. Needless to say, I wasn’t Courtesy of Lucid Dreams Entertainment (www.lucidreamsent.com) the best student in my school.

PULSE OF THE CARIBBEAN PEOPLE | 21

SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT

10 Rich Caribbean-Born Sports Stars T

hey have or continue to make millions from the career of their choice – sports – and all are united by one other factor – they were all born in the Caribbean. Here is the News Americas top 10 list of rich Caribbean-born sports stars.

1: Tim Duncan: Taking the number one spot on the list is the U.S. Virgin Islands-born basketball star, Tim Duncan. Duncan of the San Antonio Spurs, has a reported net worth of US$150 million. He earns a comparatively paltry sum of $10 million a year, ranking him 60th in top NBA salaries. Duncan also earns $2 million from endorsement contracts, according to Forbes.

defensive player is considered one of the greatest players in the Knicks’ storied history, as well as one of the greatest in NBA history. He is now an assistant coach with the Charlotte Hornets.

ever graced the game and is most widely recognized as the greatest batsmen of his era.

He holds several world records for high scoring and other cricketing records; including the record for the highest individual score in first3: Sammy Sosa: Dominican Republic-born class cricket. After multiple other scores in the former Major League Baseball great, Sammy sport, Lara announced his retirement from all Sosa’s net worth is put at US$70 million. Sosa international cricket in 2007. Five years later, he played baseball from 1989 to 2009, ending his was inducted to the ICC’s Hall of Fame at the career with the Texas Rangers. He achieved fame awards ceremony held in Colombo, Sri Lanka. for his hitting the 600th home run of his career, becoming only the fifth player in MLB history Usain Bolt comes in at number five. to reach the milestone. Sosa retired from Major 5: Usain Bolt: The World’s fastest man, League Baseball in 2009.

Jamaican-born Olympian Usain St. Leo Bolt, sits at fifth on this list with a reported net worth of US$30 million. Bolt makes the majority of his money from endorsement deals with brands like Gatorade, Nissan, Visa, Hublot,

4: Brian Lara: Trinidad-born cricket great, 2: Patrick Ewing: Jamaican-born certified hall Brian Lara’s net worth is put at some US$60 of famer and retired NBA star Patrick Ewing’s net million. The former West Indian international worth is put at US$85 million. The Kingston- cricketer is one of the finest players that have born, Jamaica former New York Knicks

Virgin Media and Puma. Out of $20.3 million in earnings, $9 million came from Puma alone for him to wear their brand of shoes. Bolt also makes money through appearance fees and prize money. He charges between $250-300,000 for a track meet appearance.

6: Dwight Yorke: Trinidad and Tobago former professional soccer player Dwight Yorke may be

22 | PULSE OF THE CARIBBEAN PEOPLE

SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT events at the Olympics. Nicknamed the “Pocket Rocket” for her petite frame and explosive starts, she is ranked fourth on the list of the

retired from soccer but his net worth stands at some US$25 million. Yorke, nicknamed “The Smiling Assassin” for his goal scoring ability, finished his career with 147 goals in 479 appearances. He served as assistant manager for the Trinidad and Tobago national team and gets paid by sponsorships, ads, endorsements etc.

7: Al Horford: Dominican-born Atlanta Hawks NBA star Al Horford’s net worth is put at US$20 million. The 6’10” center and power forward was drafted by the Atlanta Hawks in 2007 and has gone on to become an NBA AllStar three times. In 2011, he was named to the

PepsiCo and Royal Challenge for endorsements worth US$3 million per year while his salary is estimated to be around US$4 annually.

9: Asafa Powell: Jamaican Olympic sprinter Asafa Powell has a reported net worth of US $6.5 million. Powell who specializes in the 100 metres and held the 100m-world record between June 2005 and May 2008 with times of 9.77

fastest 100-m female sprinters of all time, with a personal best of 10.70 seconds, set in Kingston, Jamaica in 2012. and 9.74 seconds; like other top athletes, gets paid by sponsorships, ads, endorsements, etc.

Courtesy of NewsAmericasNow.com

10: Patrick Chung & Shelly-Ann FraserPryce: Kingston-Jamaica, NFL star Patrick Chung and Jamaican track star and Olympian All-NBA Third Team and was the NBA Shooting Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce tie for the tenth spot Stars champion. Horford has also represented on this list. the Dominican Republic in international competition, winning a Gold medal the 2012 Chung’s net worth is put at $4 million. He Centrobasket and Bronze medals at the 2011 signed again with the New England Patriots in FIBA Americas Championship and the 2008 2014 after playing for the Philadelphia Eagles Centrobasket. In 2007 he signed a four-year and has won two AFC Championships with deal for $17.53 million and in 2010 he signed a the team. Chung’s salary though is worth only US$2 million. five-year deal for $60 million.

8: Chris Gayle: Jamaican-born West Indies Fraser-Pryce’s net worth is also estimated to cricketer Chris Gayle may get into hot water be US$4 million. Fraser-Pryce became the constantly for his mouth and the things he posts first Caribbean woman to win 100-m gold at on social media, but his net worth is put at a the 2008 Olympics at age 21. In 2012, she whopping US$15 million. His sponsors include successfully defended her 100m title, becoming the third woman to win two consecutive 100m PULSE OF THE CARIBBEAN PEOPLE | 23

INSPIRATION/MOTIVATION

Lucid An Entrepreneur’s Lucid Dream for 2016 Lucid

By Jihan Joseph

2015 was an amazing year for my business partners, Natasha, Arlene, and I. Despite our doubts, we pushed ourselves and launched Lucid Dreams Entertainment, LLC and oh yes, there were some hiccups and missteps but there were also a whole lot of good times. We are finding our way, and have so much to give in 2016.

some inner junk to clear out. That means more strong love for myself will help build stronger, meditation, better food choices, and more quiet more open relationships with the people in my time to get my creative juices flowing. life. Who doesn’t want that??

2. Respect

R-E-S-P-E-C-T, what does it mean to me?

Everything! However, that’s not always how it works out. 2015 was a year of spending my On a personal note, in 2014 I wanted my life time doing activities I really didn’t want to do, situation to be unrecognizable in 2015. Looking whether it was out of loyalty or not wanting to back on 2015, I can say I definitely made that hurt someone’s feelings. Somewhere along the happen.

So how am preparing for 2016? I’ve decided to look at some overall themes that I should focus on that will ensure my continued progress.

1. Clarity So many thoughts have been rummaging through my mind throughout this year. The ideas are always rolling around, screaming to escape. I’ve already come to acknowledge that all the tools I need to bring my ideas to fruition are already at my disposal.

So what do I want to achieve? In 2016, I will become clearer on who I am, what I want, and how I plan to get there. Often the focus is on the external clearing out of the junk, but I have

3. Consistency Although, I’ve made some great strides in 2015, I struggle with follow through on some areas of my life. I had grandiose plans that haven’t come to fruition. I could blame many external factors but I won’t. With the 365 days that I had, I could have taken some time everyday to take one small action with each of my goals and I would have made great progress. So that’s exactly what I plan to do in the New Year. Each day I will take out at least 15-30 minutes to focus my attention on my reaching my big goals. While it doesn’t seem like a lot of time, when it adds up I will have made a giant leap.

Looking back on 2015, the theme that I will be taking with me is Gratitude to keep me grounded no way I taught myself it was okay to put aside what I wanted for what others wanted from me. matter the challenges I encounter in 2016. I’m That is definitely not respecting myself. So, for excited that I am entering an uncharted year the New Year I will respect myself by respecting with my eyes and heart open and ready for my time, being selective of who I allow in my whatever may come my way. space, and being honest with people in my Hope to share more with you all as it unfolds. life by saying “no” when necessary. Building a Courtesy of Lucid Dreams Entertainment (www.lucidreamsent.com)

24 | PULSE OF THE CARIBBEAN PEOPLE

PULSE OF THE CARIBBEAN PEOPLE | 25

HEALTH & FITNESS

New Year’s Resolutions Don’t Work...Lifestyles Do

E

very year around this time, people the world over make promises to themselves about the things they would like to change over the coming year. They resolve to “save more”, “drink less”, “quit smoking” and the ever popular “lose weight”.

Evidence shows, however, that the average life-span of a New Year’s resolution is about a month for most people. While it is great that millions of us wake up on January 1st, reflect on our lives and decide... “this is where the ‘new me’ begins”, the reality is that it is unrealistic to expect that we can all change at the same time, or that most of us are really ready to.

Most of us approach resolution-making as merely an age old tradition with no real goals for actual change in mind. The key and often missed piece in accomplishing real and lasting change is that we do not even know our intentions, understand the “stages of change” for each of the adjustments we are promising ourselves to make, or what “success” looks like for us at each stage. Without knowing these important factors, we have already set ourselves up for disappointment. In the words of Ben Franklin “those who fail to plan, plan to fail”.

Take the weight loss resolution, for example. The University of Rhode Island conducted research focusing on the “stages of change” in weight control. Individuals were placed in four stage categories, based on assessment of their intentions and current activities. The findings were as follows; Pre-contemplation – represented those who had no intention of controlling their weight in six months; Contemplation – were those who were not actively trying to lose/control their weight, but who were seriously considering doing so within six months; Action – included those who were actively trying to lose/control their weight, or had been successful in doing so within six months; and the Maintenance stage – represented those who were successful in maintaining their weight loss for at least six months.

But, what does all this mean? It is really very simple, if you set a goal and have not figured out the steps, and resources you need to get accomplish it, and you 26 | PULSE OF THE CARIBBEAN PEOPLE

are not practicing the activities complimentary to the goal, it is unlikely you will accomplish your goal.

Therefore, if weight loss is your goal for the New Year, ask yourself these four simple questions to see what stage you are in.

By Kay-Annie Reid

1.In the past month, have you been actively trying to lose weight? Y/N 2.In the past month, have you been actively trying to keep from gaining weight? Y/N 3.Are you seriously considering trying to lose weight to reach your goal in the next 6 months? Y/N 4.Have you maintained your desired weight for more than 6 months? Y/N Scoring:

Now that you know your category, rethinking the feasibility of your resolution is next, and asking yourself “Am I truly committed, ready and motivated to get this done?”

The other reason resolutions do not work is psychological, and has to do with our subconscious mind. The subconscious, believe it or not, has significant authority in the control of the beliefs on which we have built our lives. According to Psychology Today, for every “conscious resolution there exists a pervasive unconscious resolution not to change, associated with our cultural norms which reject our ideas, by destroying our ideals of personal and moral responsibility”. Does this then mean that our self-destruction is due to our being weak, or habitual, or is it hereditary? Not really, it is actually due to our unconscious beliefs and needs, and their links to the foundation on which we build our

Certified Fitness Professional E: bustamovefitnesspt@gmail.com www.bustamovefitness.com

identities. Therefore, in order to overcome, we must understand truly what is motivating our behaviour, and those that restrict or inhibit our development.

So, while New Year’s resolutions are a “do or die” tradition, trying to modify our behaviour when we are not ready is a non-starter. It is better to weigh your decisions by engaging in a goal setting activity – comprised of listing the goal(s), their pros and cons, their obstacles, the resources needed, and how you foresee working around the challenges to achieve the goal. If you find you need to give yourself a pep talk and find your willpower, then you are most likely not ready and it would be wise to choose another resolution or to postpone.

“A talented person is often merely a person who has done all his/her homework”...Thomas Edison. Have a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year, for the health of it.

PULSE OF THE CARIBBEAN PEOPLE | 27

URBAN CULTURE

I Speak That Language

By Natasha Joseph

I

t was third grade. I won’t lie and tell you I remember the month, let alone the season, but as usual I was in class, bored. I noticed my new friend raised her hand with a very worried look on her face. When Mrs. Farkas called on her, bashfully she said, in a fresh-off-the-boat Trini accent, “Ma’am, I would like a plaster, please?”

Mrs. Farkas and the whole class were in a slight uproar. “What’s a plaster?” “What language is that?” “What is she talking about?” All this time my mind was running a million miles a minute, “Shit, what do I do?” “Do I help her???” “Do I tell them?” “They will make fun of me!! Shit!”

After what felt like forever, I finally slowly raised my hand and waited for Mrs. Farkas to call on me, almost hoping she wouldn’t. “Yes, Natasha?”

Mrs. Farkas said, “She needs a band-aid”. The room went silent until some dummy said “you speak that language?!!?” I felt humiliated, but I helped a friend. The rest of the day my classmates harassed me, asking what other words I could teach them. I hated that I opened my mouth to say anything that day. It was not the first time I had slipped up and let the cat out of the bag. I wasn’t like everyone else.

Being born in Brooklyn, New York, and raised in a Trinidadian household was a joy and, at the time, sometimes felt like a curse. I couldn’t get away with what other children got away with and I had to mask parts of myself while in school. I guess it would not have been so bad had I gone to school in my neighborhood, but instead my 28 | PULSE OF THE CARIBBEAN PEOPLE

siblings and I commuted to and from Crown Heights to Park Slope to be closer to my mother’s job, and attend a “better” school. Park Slope meant I was around a lot of Caucasian children who were very American. There were some Hispanic children who considered themselves white, I guess because they had straight hair.

The African American children were just all around cool or the ones who made me feel that more different because I clearly did not live in their world. I didn’t understand things like going to see grandmothers and cousins “down south”. I had one grandmother who lived two floors above me in Crown Heights and made things like coco and fish, not corn bread and grits. The other lived in Trinidad and never set foot on U.S. soil because she never cared to. As an adult, these are all traits about myself that I love. Just as much as I love my culture, my heritage and the fact that my parents raised me in a household that embraced, not only my Trinidadian culture, but also my African roots. I am still weird and awkward in many ways and I accept that. In many ways I think I can, because of the grounding I received from my parents who instilled in me that you have to be proud of who you are. Yes, my dad didn’t know it wasn’t okay for me to bring even a butter knife to school to assist with my lunch prep, but he learned when he got the call from the school. Yes, my mom “spoke funny” and my dad talked fast and the students and teachers couldn’t understand them all the time…that was their problem. I was the

uber quiet, kinky haired, weirdly dressed black girl who was the outsider in more ways than one.

I LOVE my culture and my childhood experience, and the strength of my parents has shaped me to be the proud American Trinidadian woman I am today. While I must wear many hats - in my opinion, more than those born in the Caribbean and who transplanted here in America or those born here and do not relate with their ancestral heritage. Give me soca over ratchet (although I do love the ratchet), give me Carnival over Halloween, give me Labor Day weekend full of fetes and color over Thanksgiving and the Black Friday deals that follow. I do not deny my American-ness; I just know that I cannot always relate to it because of my upbringing.

I live in two worlds and it’s deeper than many realize. I am never fully Trinidadian because I wasn’t born there but long to “go home” as if Trinidadian air was the first breath I took.

At the same time, I am never fully American because I could not relate to listening to Hot 97 in elementary and junior high school; it was old school American or Calypso all day in my house. Yes, I speak “that” language but I am also an American. I speak both languages with pride.

Courtesy of Lucid Dreams Entertainment (www.lucidreamsent.com)

IF YOU FIND THIS INFORMATION AS LIFE-CHANGING AND POWERFUL AS I DID – TAKE THE FOLLOWING STEPS:

STEP 1 - LISTEN TO THIS RECORDED #: 1-701-801-3088 STEP 2 - VISIT WWW.NOUPFRONTMONEY.COM THEN PLEASE CALL ME ASAP AT 1-800-823-2093 PULSE OF THE CARIBBEAN PEOPLE | 29

URBAN BUSINESS Income!!

As the tax season approaches, many tax payers are asking the question, what is Income?

Income is any funds you receive from any source for any purpose. The better question is, what is Taxable Income?

Generally for most tax payers, taxable income is easily identifiable through receipt of a W2 for wages paid to an employee, or via a 1099 for being an independent consultant. There are of course, many other forms of taxable income - these run the gauntlet from interest income, dividend income, social security income, rental income, business income, unemployment income, capital gains, pensions and annuity, et al.

But let’s review the quandary for tax payers who operate as consultants, and may, or may not receive a 1099. If you receive a 1099 from a business where you performed services, the business is treating you as a sole proprietor.

If you have a LLC or Corporation and the payments were in the business name, they are not obligated to provide

a 1099. If, however, the payment(s) you received were either in cash, or checks written in your name, you should receive a 1099 with your social security number.

If you were not issued a 1099, this does not exempt you from filing. Remember, all income is taxable; so if you are a consultant/business person, you have an obligation to declare the cash you received on Schedule “C” form 1040.

Further you don’t know what will happen to the business that paid you the cash. They may be audited in the future, and implicate you for not filing the income they paid you.

Let’s say you received $300 cash every week for 40 weeks from a business for consulting. That is $12,000. This amount would be entered on your schedule “c”. The good thing is, you simultaneously will input your business related expenses. These expenses are not limited to the amount of your income. Many new businesses will find that their expenses, in fact, exceed their income. This will result in a loss, and therefore, lead to no Federal Income Taxes. If your income is more than your expenses, you

Patrick A. Sterling

BS, MS / Business/Tax Advisor I can be reached via inbox on Facebook: The Sterling Group Inc. or by phone: 917 250 1746

would have declared a profit. This amount is transferred to “Line 12” of the 1040.

In this scenario, if you also receive a W2 from being an employee within the same tax year that you performed consultancy services, the losses will offset your W2 income. The effect will be that you pay lower taxes. If however you have a profit, the profit is added to your income. This will result in your paying a higher amount of taxes.

Many enterprising tax payers do find themselves in this situation; that of working as an employee whilst working at their own business. Ask your Tax Preparer how to proceed prior to moving forward. This is only prudent tax planning.

THE STERLING GROUP INC

PROFESSIONAL BUSINESS/PERSONAL TAX PREPARATION

PATRICK A. STERLING BS, MS Email: psterlingp@yahoo.com

Tel: 917-250-1746 / 516-442-3312 / Fax: 516-442-3311

BUSINESS TAXES

Incorporation of new businesses: ‘S’ Corporation Status / ‘C’ Corporation Status

Filing : 1120, LLC, Partnership • Sole Proprietorship • Sales Tax • 941 Quarterly Taxes Business Dissolution Income Statements Balance Sheets Small Business Accounting Bookkeeping Audits – Reviews – Compilations Tax Planning, Preparation and Compliance IRS Representation

PERSONAL TAXES 1040 / 1040A / 1040EZ ITIN Filing Schedule ‘C’ All State Taxes IRS Representation

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URBAN CULTURE I recently took an unexpected trip to Jamaica WI and jotted down some of my thoughts on the new perspective that Jamaica gave me.

Here I go.

I. An Early Weekend.

I recently took the scariest trip (yet again) to the home of my Father, Grandfathers (and mi granny dem too), to Jamaica, the Land We Love.

The day before I arrived, the world was recoiling from terrorism in France. The day after a 6-year old boy was killed over $6000JA. A next youth found $100,000JA, and after giving it to its rightful owner, was ridiculed and taunted by his peers and community. I was highly informed that a lady was dragged behind a church, down the road from my Aunty, and raped. The crime, the unbelievable crime was unrelenting, and everywhere.

For my returnee Aunt, it was a frightening culture shock, coming back from London after decades, returning to a Jamaica that resembled “Beruit”. Jamaica is a different place when you’re visiting, compared to when you reside there permanently.

Yet almost every night I cried before I went to sleep, and after I said my prayers, thanking the Most High, marveling, that I was there.

-Melissa Rawlins/Zorabird@yahoo.com

of my youth. When Jamaica was safer and gun crimes were less. Everyone raced handcarts with no brakes. And you had to go to Christiana to use a pay phone and tell Daddy you reach safe. And you “Snap it up Shazam, Snap it up”, somewhere close to Lime Tree Lane.

My mother is one of eleven. The cousins are countless like kittens.

We always had a good time, as a unit. We traveled in a rollicking caravan of fun and genuine laughter. And because my mothers’ parents married and lived in the same community that they grew up in, I have generations of her maternal and paternal relatives in front of me, behind me, and inside the of tombs in the burying grounds behind their homes. The people I grew up with who are friends with my family, were so with my greatgrand parents, and will probably be as familiar with my grandchildren, as well. Everyone is the same. Therefore, I Am because We Are.

A lot of the love, however, is apparently lost in translation.

The Jamaica I return to is so entwined to that lush and fertile county land. It nestles the tangible past of grandparents, plus two sets of great grand parents. It nourishes with nuff yam and banana and coco and cabbage and carrot and beans. And when I get there and take it all in, standing beside my grandmothers’ mother, the DNA remembers.

I do not romanticize Jamaica to be the idyllic place seen on commercials, beckoning Stella to get her Groove Back.

The recessive becomes dominant. And I realize that I am visiting myself.

I fully understand that Jamaica is a place where you don’t just pull out your iPhone, wear blinged out accoutrements, have too many bags in your hand, etc. It is as if you are somehow accomplished, or are in possession of desired material trappings, you are a target. Straight. And I am reminded to not go away with anybody, any taxi, down the road, to the store, on the sidewalk, at the street light, in front of yuh yaad, to acknowledge any persons and vice versa because they will kill me. Kidnap me. Chop me.

Rob me. But mostly kill me.

The best and brightest, the sustaining and nutritious, Jamaica’s’ everlasting to everlasting comes from the Earth.

And that is us.

I had made it home, safe, yet again, to Jamaica, Land We Love. Amen!

Constantly. Reminded. Constantly.

However…

The Jamaica I am pining for, running to, walking down 32 | the PULSE PEOPLE roadOF in THE all ofCARIBBEAN my Jamaica/yaad dreams, is the Jamaica

So often it gets overlooked and forgotten from the Jamaican point of view, especially if you’ve never had the opportunity to leave Jamaica. So much is centered on a constantly stressed destination of material wealth and vanities glories, and the many many ways to attain them, so much so that the love for even the physical beauty of Jamaica is lost.

However, when you know better, when you have to live and work in mixed company, and the winters cold burns hot like the Sun, and bills are non-stop and you can’t even

wear a hoodie now around the way, Jamaica then becomes the reprieve of the grandest sorts. The Sun unbelievably life sustaining and the best source of Vitamin D, period.

The food tastes so much better. Sweet things are not as sweet but yummy just the same. Without a major allenveloping presence of the western rat race, and a greater attention paid to its agrarian culture, the pace is different.

The people move different. Your dinner digest differently.

You have to leave Jamaica to see it. You’re frustrated when in Jamaicac, but anxious when outside of it.

Everything, however, gets eaten up in the hustle.

So often we, at home and abroad, can look at these recent atrocities and shake our heads and reason it off as it being just Jamaica. A so it go.

However, if you are from the Root, if you are from the land of Wood and Water, if you love rice with any pea, how do you justify it to yourself?

My Aunt’s door is shut. The grill is locked. The lights are low. And it is 8pm on a weekend.

I, however, am peeking through the grilled and screened window, looking for the “Crazy Lady” van to take us to Dunns River Falls on a local trip where no youths come home dead, you carry your own food in the cooking pots, same way, got hot bread and cheese in Albert Town, ‘cause no KFC no dideh…

The reality was, however, there was no chance for escape.

The New York in me refused to believe that this is how a weekend goes, while the part of me that wants to stay alive gratefully clutched my iPad, sipping an apple Bigga soda, wondering about the next three weeks looming crazily ahead of me.

All along knowing why the caged bird sings.

This very real piece, meant to highlight the very real overenveloping crime in Jamaica, is in memoriam of my little cousin Alex, age 20, murdered in Montego Bay, a little boy in a mans body.

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