Power Moves
Last Winter, I had the pleasure of meeting Chelsea Grayson who was a featured panelist at American Sesh. Our brief conversation was extremely informative which led to this conversation below. We spent over an hour speaking on a late March afternoon. The celebrated deal maker, attorney, CEO, Crisis Management Expert multi-hyphenate gives us insight into her experiences and keys to success.
You’ve held a few CEO positions at True Religion and then American Apparel, what went through your mind, and what were a couple of things that you wanted to make sure that you secure for yourself in order to be able to accept the position?
I love that question—so, initially nothing else went through my mind other than you absolutely have to say yes to this, you cannot say no, and you can’t hedge when you say yes. It can’t be a yes/but, or a yes/and. They are looking at you already as if you’re in that seat, so you need to act as if right away. When somebody is offering you a CEO role, they have to have full confidence in you going into that role.
What are a few things you considered once you accepted the role?
Once you’re there, and you’re in a first time role as a CEO, you have to start thinking about what resources do I have that are already around me? Whether at this company, or on my personal board of directors behind the scenes? Who can I lean on for advice, guidance, get shit done, GSD, whatever?Who’s a weak link and who do I need to start peacefully exiting, and who should I start recruiting? Because putting aside everything else in a business, the most important “assets” are the people. So, that’s the very first assessment you have to make. Most boards, when they put in a new CEO, will give you 90 days, that’s an actual thing. They’re going to ask you to have a full accounting. the most important thing towards achieving what you’re laying out in your 90-day plan are going to be the people, and how you treat them, and how they see you. Because by the way, being a CEO is the loneliest job on the face of the planet, you have a whole team under you, but you can’t show too much weakness or vulnerability.
You certainly want to lean on them. You ought to be hiring people that are smarter, better, faster, stronger than you. You’ve got to lean on them, but you can’t show them too much vulnerability, you can’t ask too many questions, because they’ll start to lose confidence in you as their leader. And similarly, you have a board which is above you, and the board is also stacked with incredible scions of business or whatever your industry is, and they’ve all got platinum Rolodexes, etc. etc., that’s why they’re on the board, and you would hope they’d all be incredible to be on that board.
It’s a very, very lonely job. And so, you’ve got to surround yourself with folks that you trust to run the business without you having to hover and micromanage and ask questions of too much. First first thing I did was look at the lay of the land. Who do I have? And who do I need?
What other things are on your mind?
As a CEO, the very first thing you’re looking at, is usually EBITDA, because that’s how the market judges you. If you’re a public company, you always have to be watching out for your stock price. And the second thing they’re looking at is cash on hand, so I can make sure that I can pay my debts when they come due. So, it’s very, very different from just, well, are we pulling in money? Are we generating revenue? We had to turn everything on its head, because I knew that’s how we had to generate revenue, but that was a very expensive and inefficient way to generate revenue. So, you’ve got to look to the ways that you generate revenue and figure out how to do it cheaper with bigger margin, and more efficiently. Lastly, you look to what’s the debt? And is it the cheapest debt that I can have or do I need to restructure this? You can’t forget about communication, which is really the key to good leadership, communication internally, so that’s obviously to your employees and to your board. American Apparel, we went through a bankruptcy obviously, and I had to be really clear with my customers. The communication with the customer on whatever you’re going through is always going to be really important. And you can’t forget social media in that regard.
Tell me more about the 90 day board meeting, have you ever went into it thinking, okay, I got this, and then it not turn out the way you expected? Whether it was positive or negative. How did you recover from that?
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It’s definitely a very formal process, 90 days in, but generally, you want to go in there and give them what you got. It is a formal presentation, it’s really almost like a mini strat plan - strategic plan, which is high level, here’s the five pillars that I want to focus on. And by the way, you’re giving them that 90-day plan at that time. The board is definitely in the loop in terms of what you’re doing, they’re going to want to hear a report on all of that. You might do a SWOT analysis, where Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats, they love that, and that’s a really good way for you to orient yourself.
Here are the KPIs that you can judge me by. Here’s the KPIs that I’m going to judge my C-suite by, just so you know, because this CEO’s boss is the board. The CEO is the boss of everybody else. You’ve got to show the board that you’re also laying down KPIs for the C-suite, and for the folks that are imperative for implementing that strategic plan. A lot of times the board will say, and it’s definitely happened to me - you’ve given us five pillars or five areas. We actually don’t care about this area, we’d rather you do this. It’s a very serious and very formal and sometimes very intimidating process.
As as the first time CEO, did it turn out the way that you wanted it to? I feel like a lot of people want to learn from success, but there’s also a lot to learn from failure. How do you recover if the presentation doesn’t work?
Obviously, I didn’t create this phrase, but you want to fail fast, that’s the best way to fail. Fail really, really quickly, so that you can pivot and move on to the other thing, you haven’t dumped too much money into one thing, before you figure out you’ve got to spend those dollars elsewhere. So, if you’re going to do it, figure it out really quickly, this isn’t working. Which is also sometimes a really delicate balance. At the end of the day, the buck stops with the CEO, period, end of story. And that’s just what a hot seat it really is. But not all mistakes are that critical, and sometimes you just have to fall on your sword and go to your board and just say, look, I made a mistake, I need approval to go spend an additional X amount of dollars in order to fix it, and move in the right direction. And usually the board is behind you, you know, you can make a few mistakes before they start to really doubt what’s going on, so that’s okay. Again, the key is to get to them as quickly as possible after you’ve really tried to solve the problem, and before you get too deep in it.
You are one of the people that are considered the go to expert for crisis management. Can you talk to me a little bit about crisis management and your approach:advice on keys to consider?
Just remain calm and keep your powder dry, because everyone around you is going to be freaking the hell out. recall at least five of the situations that are similar to this, think about all the different ways you pulled yourself out and put a pen to paper and start writing that down. As people come into your office, don’t let them see you flustered. Get people starting to focus on those smaller trench level problems, so they’re not focusing on the huge crisis at hand.
If you’ve got a lender that’s about to call in a huge debt, get people focused on, well, where do we have cash? How can we put some cash together? What things can we sell in order to gather more cash? Should we call a bankruptcy lawyer and start to consider the possibility of filing for a chapter 11, so that we can negotiate this debt repayment peacefully in a courtroom? never hesitate to consider the possibility of some sort of a workout in court, which we’ll just call now a chapter 11 bankruptcy, a restructuring and bankruptcy. People are really scared of that concept, and people tend to lose their minds when they hear it. But all it really is, is just a peaceful, logical, in a linear way, kind of orderly working out of and restructuring of your debts and liabilities. It’s a pause button for everything, so you can immediately get financing to make your payroll.
We all know that it’s illegal not to make payroll, that’s the one thing that hits personal liability, is payroll, it goes beyond all corporate shields. So, you can get financing to make your payroll, you can have a judge oversee the negotiation of the restructuring and payment of your debt.
The third point is, always get advisors on board. It feels like you’re doing the wrong thing because you’re spending money that you probably really feel like you need, or don’t have on advisors. But you want your people in the company to be running the company, to be operating the business while you’re in a crisis. Otherwise, you’re just digging yourself deeper into the hole. They need to be there at their desks doing their jobs, you can’t have them as your crisis team, also managing the crisis. you for sure want to hire some advisors, whether it’s outside lawyers, whether it’s a financial advisor, usually you want a PR person, maybe an investor relations person. Depending on what your issue is, you want comps people, so start to think about what are the advisors, who are the advisors that can help me through this? And you can negotiate various different ways to have payment structures with them as well. So, that’s another point I would say is, load yourself up on a team externally so you can keep running the business.
You were honored as one of the top deal makers in the country. What did it feel like to make the list and what are three things that we need to consider when a deal is presented to us?
I loved getting that award, because based on my deal junkie, for sure. that’s how I came up as a lawyer, and I sold—but ultimately when I was the CEO of American apparel, I beautified that, went to market and sold that. I sold Sugar Fina, Morphe Cosmetics, Precision Surfacing Solutions. I’ve sold many, many of the companies that I’ve either run or been on the board of. So, even past my lawyering days, I’ve still remained a deal junkie.So, to be recognized for doing what I love was really special.
What are some keys to a successful deal on the seller side?
It depends on which side you’re on. I think on the sell side¸ you’re looking to say, well, am I ready to sell this, to do this deal, to sell this company, or take an infusion of capital? if I’m selling the company, am I really ready to do that? Or would I like to remain on as the CEO? Do I want to stick around as a shareholder, because I actually am selling this company. I’ll take a huge amount of cash, but some of the cash I want to convert and roll over into equity of the company that’s buying this company, so that I can continue to be a shareholder and continue to be invested, and participate in the upside of this company growing. if I’m doing a deal, which is just taking on investors, am I ready to do that? Do I want other people in my boardroom, do I want to answer it, if I’m taking the company public. Am I ready to have a bunch of shareholders who don’t know me from Eve, who buy and sell my stock like it’s candy, am I ready to be treated like that? That’s on the seller, the company side.
If I’m on the other side of things, you know, it’s of course the flip, right? I’m thinking, is this an industry I want to get into? Do I see growth in this industry? Is this an industry where I see it’s overcrowded? It’s oversaturated, is this company ready to compete? you have to on the buyer, the investor side, you have to always be thinking about, what are the liabilities that I know about in this company? And am I ready to take on those liabilities? Do I want to have some of those liabilities be the continuing responsibility of the sellers or the current investors in the company, so I can structure it that way, so I can get some, what’s called indemnification for those liabilities?
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There’s two different ways you can structure a deal, there’s a stock deal, and there’s an asset deal. Stock deal, you’re taking all those liabilities head on, but it’s a really easy way to structure a deal, because I just step into the shoes of the current shareholders. Asset deal, you can leave some of those liabilities behind and get better protection. It’s a complicated structure, and you have to make sure you’re getting all the things that you thought you were going to get, list out all the assets you’re buying. So, there’s pluses and minuses to both sides.
Best piece of advice - What is the best piece of piece of advice that you’ve received, that you would want to share with others?
Well, I’ve received so much advice over the years. I guess, I’m going to cheat a little and wrap a few pieces up into one piece. you’re going out there, be bold, speak, and because nobody will ever remember…If you’re with somebody for a certain period of time, and it takes you a long time to speak, and be bold, they’re not going to remember it in the end. So, don’t be scared to speak up. And I would say, part and parcel with that, as you’re venturing out there and conducting yourself, always remember to conduct yourself first and foremost, honorably, whatever that means to you, whether that means ethically, whether that means within your social values, whether it means according to a certain moral code, I don’t know, you have to define honorably for yourself, but conduct yourself with honor. So, be bold and be honorable.
All the things that you’re doing, the speaking engagements, the news that’s getting ready to break about your new board seat and all of that - How does our audience keep up with you?
Chelsea Grayson on Instagram and LinkedIn. If you’re on Instagram, you could hop over and see my threads. I do have my own website, www.ChelseaGrayson. com where I update. And I’ve got deeper dives into the press and all of that. And then of course, during COVID, I had my YouTube channel, where I had a couple of different shows going, one of which is, I really am proud of, it’s called From the Office of the CEO. And these are kind of 15-minute blurbs on a different subject for each episode, kind of executive skills training at its most basic form.
I’m just talking into the camera, telling you how to walk in and ask for a promotion or raise from your boss. Or I’m telling you 10 pieces of corporate jargon you need to know right now, and how you use them in conversation. How to put a PowerPoint together, how do you speak to your board of directors for the first time. What are the 10 things you should do on your first day on a new gig, or how do you think about transitioning to a different gig, without burning bridges. So, I’m really proud of that series, and so, folks can go back and watch old episodes of that, and I’m planning to start that up again.
If anybody wants to talk to me directly, I definitely do consulting sessions. You can, the easiest way to find me is on this app called Intro. So, if you can book me through Intro, or you want to just reach out to me separately, my email address is all over the place. You can DM me on LinkedIn for it as well, and I’m always happy to do coaching session with folks about whatever they want to talk about.
Editor’s note: There were so many gems we immediately decided to make the full conversation a podcast episode which is available now.
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Korey Felder better known as KoreyWitaK has been a friend to the platform for over a decade. Over the years, we’ve watched him grow as a philanthropist, community leader, father and a highly respected entrepreneur. We caught up with him for a brief discussion on all the exceptional work he’s doing.
Over the years, you’ve been involved with so many business ventures, philanthropy, and more. When you enrolled at Clark Atlanta University, what was your original dream and plan and is there anything you would change?
My original dream was just to be a change agent. Wasn’t money or anything of that nature. I wanted to be impactful and remembered. I wouldn’t change the outcome for the world. I feel I succeeded.
You were recently awarded for your achievements in business from your Alma mater CAU, tell us about how you were notified and why the recognition matters so much to you.
Yes, The Second class of Clark Atlanta University’s 40 under 40. It meant a lot to be nominated and voted in by my peers. It validated my dreams and goals and showed me I’m still on the right path. I got the pleasure of opening up a congratulatory email. It felt like I won the lottery reading it. Bold letters. My School. My name. Just felt complete that day.
As a serial entrepreneur, when you are evaluating a new business venture - what 3 things make you say yes to the opportunity?
Sustainability, purpose, alignment with my brand.
You are a proud husband, father, brother and highly regarded entrepreneur, what have been a few of your proudest accomplishments so far over the last decade?
Easily our son being born and watching a few million dollar ideas become million dollar businesses.
As a City of Atlanta Mayoral ambassador, what changes would you like to see in the city in the hospitality, nightlife and cultural sectors?
Togetherness. While competitive nature drives our business, I feel like the lack of community and accountability is tearing the city apart. Everyone is for self and because of there being no code it’s destroying the magic that made people want to move here. And the lack of originality. We are becoming a copycat city.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve received that want to share with us?
The Universe always rewards the believer.
What would you like your legacy to be?
My legacy is already here. Korey Felder Jr. so my prayer would be that he can finish what I started. Improve on my ideas. Carry our name on for decades to come. And most importantly achieve in any field of endeavor he chooses.
What can we look forward to from you and your brands?
Growth and Expansion. New ideas. New opportunities. New concepts.
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Korey Felder
We first met at your celebration event for the launch of TheIll Table. I saw not too long ago that you are now - you’re back into doing the Ill Table. So can you share with my readers what the Ill Table is?
I’m not doing the Ill Table anymore, it was a show concept that I came up with to just kind of highlight my friends. And so I did it for a few years, but I ultimately always had the idea of having the Ill Group, where I actually manage and do curated events and things like that.
But in hindsight, it just prepared me for the position that I’m in now, which is Head of Production for Collective Gallery and working closely with Cam Kirk to do production and oversee and logistics. So, I’m not back doing it, but I still am working in that space as far as production and things like that.
What made you decide to pivot from doing the Ill Table? I saw that you have God’s Favorite Homegirl, and you just have spun off and pivoted in so many different areas. So can you tell me a little bit about what inspired the pivot?
Well, I got a new job as a personal assistant for a very high profile, mainstream client so I just didn’t have the time. Also, just resources and kind of I was self funding it. I didn’t really understand back then YouTube and ads and just it was just something I did out of fun. So, just naturally it kind of just dwindled out and I went on to do other things like produce the Super Bowl Live show with DJ Holiday. Trap Museum, Motel 21. So, I just kind of got my feet wet into other things that kind of allowed me to really just use those skills I was using there to really go and do some other really impactful cool things.
Yes, let’s talk about your curated events because you have been doing so much great work. You mentioned Super Bowl Live. I know recently you were a part of the team for the premier party for BMF’s new season. So, tell me what those experiences are like for you. And what’s the biggest misconception we have about what it is we see you doing?
Well, I can’t take credit for that BMF event, I was more so just like a liaison for Cam and making sure that the checklist was handled. So I think that sometimes I am a person that like to get things done. I like to provide support.
We brought in Hannah Kang , of course, who is like a BMF legend into that. We just made sure we were there to follow up for photography and we had the photo activation. Ultimately, my job day to day is just really bringing ideas to life, especially Cam’s and just his vision. The misconception could be that it is glamorous all the time, but it’s not always glamorous. It’s rewarding and it’s something I’ve always been doing. I guess the misconception is that it’s easy or that it’s something that you can kind of just hop into. But it’s very much relationship based and really time consuming. You have to have patience. You have to be a problem solver. It’s not all pretty. You have to set up, you have to break down, you have to talk to different people, vendors. It’s not all just like, oh, hang out with the celebrities or bottles or you know, stuff like that. It’s real work. I feel like that can also be a misconception that it’s not work, when it is.
Let’s talk about your relationship with Cam Kirk, the Collective Gallery and you being the President of his foundation. How did all this come about? Is it a situation where you all grew up with each other?
I’ve known Cam for a while, ten plus years that I’ve known him. He was on The Ill Table, always just a really good friend to me, someone that, you know, just is my guy. When COVID was going on and people were starting to get back into their realm of work - I just told him I really loved what he was doing with Collective Gallery. Asked him how I could I be a part of it? Me and my friend Crystal honored him for, like, a friends giving. So I always try to make sure he got his flowers. And then from there, we kind of just cultivated the relationship. I put an initiative forward to get the foundation with John Rose, verified 501 C3. I just asked Cam “Hey, I would love to run your foundation. What does that look like?” And from there, just continued to build. He’s a problem solving guy, he’s a big dreamer, he likes to think big, and that’s his thing. He likes to be around that type of energy, and I do as well. We have a really good camaraderie. He’s a good friend. He’s a good person and always looking to empower. So it just naturally was a relationship that kind of cultivated into its own and we just continue to grow daily.
Tell us about Collective Gallery and what you and what Collective Gallery offer.
Collective Gallery is a photography label. It’s the first of its kind, the only time where we run it like you run a record label. We are helping photographers get placement. We are providing opportunities for them. And then we also have our agency side, which allows us to work with clients like Nike, Amazon, Athletes Foot, etc.
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Shelly Andrews
It’s a photography agency that showcases the importance of photographers and how important they are to the culture and how you really can’t do anything without photographers or videographers. It’s about helping them get the respect that they don’t always get in the industry.
Making sure they are compensated fairly and credited fairly as well. I see that you all have done a lot of major brand campaigns, like the ones you’ve mentioned, it’s been such a pleasure to watch everything grow with that. I know you mentioned the conference. So, tell us a little bit about the annual conference that you all host.
Yes, Yesterday’s Tomorrow Conference is our conference that we hold every Martin Luther King Day. We are now an award-winning conference. We won an Anthem Award for education and literacy programming. It’s volunteer based, you must volunteer to attend. It’s just our way of giving back. We cover arts, fashion, technology, and community. The community is a very big part of just like the Cam Kirk brand overall.
Can we talk about God’s Favorite Homegirl really quickly? I’ve always loved the name. I’ve always loved what I’ve seen you do with it and everything. So can you please share with me how this originated for you.Tell us what you offer as a part of this, for this brand of God’s Favorite Homegirl and why it’s so important to you?
So God’s Favorite Homegirl was birthed from just me going through a traumatic situation when I was 22 surviving it and realizing I’m still being blessed and getting certain opportunities. Going through something I thought I wouldn’t be able to make it through. I coined the term myself, like, I’m God’s Favorite Homegirl.
I always wanted it to be an app, a community for women on the journey to really find their group and be able to lean into that and follow what God and Jesus has for us. So that’s what it is. I really led a lot with merch and pop ups and stuff. I’m really getting back into the root of it, which is a subscription based app that is a community for women to spiritually grow and get the resources they want and love, and the spirit of God, honestly.
In the time that I’ve known you - you’ve become a mom. How do you balance the work life harmony, being a mom, being an entrepreneur, and also being a philanthropist? What are some of the things that keep you focused or that you can share that would help us refocus and recenter?
I think everything is just about intention. Prioritizing what’s important to you. I think it’s about being in a workspace or whatever field that is that supports whatever your cause is and what you find important. I value being a mother so that everyone knows that that’s probably, like, the first thing, but also having a village and being able to tap into the support that people give when it comes to that. You’ve really just got to do and you can’t really think too much about it. Of course, the calendar organization, and just really ironing out that time and maximizing your day and sometimes doing things you don’t want to do.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve received that you would like to share with the readers?
I feel like it’s okay to change your mind. That’s the best advice, is to change your mind and to pivot. The best advice I’ve gotten is to do it for God. Everything you do is not about yourself, it’s about God and whatever He’s leading you to. The more you make it, less about you and about him, the more the blessings. The easier everything is. I would say that - being rooted in God and my spirit and being moved that way versus how do I benefit? It’s more so, like, how am I able to show Him through me?
Wow. That’s very profound. Wow. I know you have some other things getting ready to come up, so can you share with us some of the things that you’re excited about for the future?
I am super excited about everything that’s happened with God’s Favorite Homegirl. I am getting ready for an app to launch, that’s like the biggest thing, and everything with Cam, the foundation and the studio. We are really growing and it’s amazing. I’m super excited for some of those announcements to come out soon. But I think I’m just looking forward to just the future and being able to shine my light and do the things that really bring me purpose and empower other people and being able to help other people fulfil their purpose as well.
Can you tell us any more details about the app? Will it be paid subscription based?
It’s going to be subscription based, for sure. It’s just going to be a network of resources: mom stuff, fitness, beauty, health, mental health. It’s going to be all the things that you would need support in but still have a spiritual grounding for your spiritual community. It’s a lot of unworldly things going on out here so being able to help with that grounded and focused and rooted, that app will bring all of that to you. I’m super excited to get in that space and really give it a go and really put my all into it.
I’m so excited for this and I’m extremely proud of you. How can our readers keep up with you and everything that you have going on?
Oh, yes, please follow me @ShellyNicole and also at God’s Favorite Homegirl, I post there all the time. That’s where you can find me. You can stay updated with everything I’m doing there, and I’m just really super excited!
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I’m so excited to talk to you. I’ve been a fan of yours for a while now with the Hopeless Romantic Society. What the origin story of how Hopeless Romantic Society?
Okay, there’s so many origin stories that I lived through. I had decided not to go to law school and I working heavily deep in politics. I worked on the 2020 election and everything. I had this scholarship opportunity and I was interviewing for it and during the interview, I just really decided that I didn’t want to go down that path anymore. When I left —I was like, “I’m going to move to New York and I’m just going to figure out a way that I can basically get my original goals and dream as if I was like a kid.” And I started writing again and I started really trying to develop real stories. Because there’s this whole thing about ‘woke’ is in the news in the media, and digital television, but I kind of wanted to just tell real, honest stories, from people who are often hidden and not really shown.
I have been developing this script, I would say probably since 2021-ish. How can I get there, get seen before I try to really launch my future career as a writer, aspiring director. When you talk about like queer stories, we talk about queer Black stories, just really trying to find those real honest people in truth out on the street. New York City just has so much to offer. I just really picked up a camera, and I just started asking people questions, and it went from there. I always knew I was pretty messy and can get some good questions. There’s a good mess and there’s a little bit of a bad mess. Sometimes the good mess will get people to really open up to you and tell you all kinds of things. And I really like to look at that and explore it. So yeah, that’s how it started.
You have a really great knack for getting down to the real tea of someone’s story - who they are and the characteristics. Your platform is a really good insight into human behavior and psychology and pathology, too. I call you my favorite investigative journalist all the time. As the audience, we have a lot of record scratch moments watching your conversations with people. You ask great follow up questions, it opens the dialogue for more conversation. I love your comments sections so much.
The comment section, sometimes it gets a little hectic. It’s really honestly just me trying to find those quirks and the inner workings. I try to really understand other people’s human behaviors and how it applies to myself at the same time.
Let’s talk about what Hopeless Romantic means to you.
I feel like people have the definition of a hopeless romantic, completely warped and inverted. When I started Hopeless Romantic, people think: if you’re a hopeless romantic, you are terrible at love. You don’t think you’re ever going to find love. You think it’s always going to be terrible. There’s never any other side of it. I feel like I really actually align more so with that. But a hopeless romantic, the real definition is basically believing that love will always overcome and conquer anything. You won’t let any fear of a past relationship or your connection with your parents or connections with exes or family or friends, whatever, stop you from loving anymore. I definitely think that I was on the opposite of that. I really was also trying to find connection and create real movement and passion in the world. I also was really trying to find it within myself, even when everything was really shaken up for me and I was really uncertain.
That’s deep.
Yeah, I feel like I don’t really get to share a lot of my deepness. One day, I will, but it’s definitely a lot deeper than just memes and hilarious sound bites.
I was able to watch you work in real life in when you came to Atlanta. You put us all in a group chat and asked where the shoot should happen. I was like, “Why don’t you just do it in front of OutKast mural, there is nothing more Atlanta than that.”
Look what you did.
Shoutout to Wish Boutique & Jonathan Mannion for the iconic mural. Iwatched as so many people only wanted to meet you, take a photo and share a short story of your impact. You were so warm and welcoming. You say you are always nervous before shooting. Take me through your process.
I was definitely doing a lot of outreach that way online, aggregating people, connecting everyone and put them in the group chat for communication, times and events. I might start bringing those into some of my future content. I really like to be very still and very calm and very quiet. I listen to Beyonce, if I need to boost my energy. I think what makes me very different in terms of an interviewer is one, I went to therapy for active listening, at one point in my life. I like to go into my interviews with a very slowness and a very calmness, because that just allows people to really feel validated. we all have our specific insecurities and specific things about ourselves, that make us feel less human, make us feel less alive, make us feel less deserving of happiness, and whatever it is.
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Jahad Carter
People’s sexuality oftentimes make them feel very human, very unworthy of love and care and connection for a specific thing. I try to go into my interviews, free of my own personal guilt, upsetness, anger, whatever it is, to really allow people to paint their own canvas inside of my brain, or inside of our connection, and allow me to dive deeper into their truth and not offering up too much, unless asked, or unless it’s almost like hand holding of my own self and really getting deeper into that. It’s a real like study and opening of people’s truth and validating the truth and the process. I really try to bring that into that that space and just really provide a blank canvas for people.
That’s so dope, I kind of feel the same way going into certain interview situations. Beyonce definitely helps. Speaking of powerful women in music, you’re transitioning the platform a little. Please take me through your day with now Grmmy winning Victoria Monet. I really loved watching you two.
I had connected with her through a brand sponsorship opportunity. I got hired actually, to go to Howard University through Procter and Gamble. We’re going there for a specific thing I knew I was coming out of it with. The deal was signed, I got a text message from the coordinator she was like, “Hey, are you interested in interviewing Victoria Monet?” I was like, you should just tell me I’m talking to Victoria Monet.” Because mind you, I’ve been a Victoria Monet fan since 2018. I know Victoria Monet, the greatest singer and songwriter, mostly of probably the modern day. If you listen to Ariana Grande at all, some of Ariana Grande’s best work and performances is because of Victoria Monet, they have a great relationship. She writes all of her things, a lot of her vocal inflection and how she sings in certain tracks is Victoria Monet. I don’t necessarily put this in there because the girls could get mad.
Clock it. It doesn’t matter. It’s tea. We’re standing in truth today. As Katt said, “the truth doesn’t need motivation.”
Specifically the album Thank You Next by Ariana Grande, Victoria Monet has a lot of work on that One of the first things I said to her I was, “Well, first, I want to thank you for your contributions to Thank You Next, because it got me through a lot.” And she was like, “It got me through so much too.” I just remember being so nervous, but when we spoke and hearing her voice when she talked about Thank You Next, I just was like, “Okay, well, I can just be myself now, and just let it all out there.” But I definitely wish I had more time to chat with her and definitely less sterile, the amount of brands and PR people that were in the room. But it was one of the greatest experiences and greatest challenges that I’ve had in this business so far, and I just can’t wait for more opportunities like that.
I talked to Victoria Monet, Ari Lennox video came out first because I had to do some brand integrations and approvals. But after I talked to Victoria Monet, I think it was like a week or two later, someone reached out to me was like, “Do you want to talk to Ari Lennox?” I was like, do I? I absolutely do. And it was, it was great. It kind was like a great moment for me. So who knows who I’ll talk to you next.
What has been the most surprising thing that you have come across in your speaking with various people about their experiences?
I think the most surprising thing happened off camera. I was approached by two girls while waiting for someone. Her friend came up, had no idea who I was and she was like, “Hi, my friend is a little nervous, but she really wanted to see you and say hi.” We started speaking, we took a photo and she just said a bunch of things, I got really choked up. She was like, “From watching your videos, I decided to come out because of that.” I guess I never really expected that. Talking about honesty and living in your truth and being authentic, that it has those kinds of real-world impact. On camera, biggest surprise, is how great I meshed with Ari Lennox when I talked with her. Our conversation together was so beautiful and it’s just so truthful. Even without the fun edits and everything that we had, when she sung to me like, “Oh, you get paid for this.” She serenaded me and I was like, I need to keep going until I’m able to just say hey to Beyonce from across the way.
Even when I started this platform, I was so nervous and scared and still even to this day. But I do a lot of things scared. It’s one of my favorite interviews I’ve ever done. It wasn’t messy, it just was lovely. It wasn’t like an expose; it just was like real human interactions and honesty, and connections and relationships.
What does power and influence mean to you?
To me, specifically, it’s basically changing the hearts and minds of people and audiences across the globe and exploring and experiencing people and others different from yourself. Really sit in truth that have not really been exposed to them and doing it in a way that’s humanizing, that’s not judgmental, but it’s open, it’s free, and it’s honest. So I think that’s what it means to me.
What’s the best piece of advice that you’ve been given that you want to share with others?
You’re in the right place. Everything is supposed to happen as it’s happening. You definitely can go harder. If you feel like you’re not, don’t push yourself too hard and trying to chase a dream over also being present and life and take your time.
That’s so perfect. I’m just so proud of you. How do people keep up with you and find out how to tell their story and share their experiences with your investigative journalism unit? And how can they keep in touch and see what all you’re up to?
You can follow me on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube at Hopeless Romantic Society. You can also follow my personal page, it’s J.C._Carters07, I believe. And if you’re looking to share your story, I will be at Washington Square Park throughout this whole spring/summer, like when it really gets warm, almost every Friday or Saturday. I’ll be outside this year. I’m coming back outside.
Editors note: For editorial purposes, this article has been condensed. The full conversation is available now.
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We’ve been friends for a while, and we’ve featured you before on our YouTube channel and everything, when you had the Artlanta gallery over at Metropolitan Lofts. Can you give us a brief catch up on where you are now with CHACE Village and CHACE Farms, and how this all came about with you acquiring the land for CHACE Village?
Since the Metropolitan Loft, a lot of things have happened. We left the Metropolitan Loft, we went straight to Fort McPherson from there. And of course, at Fort McPherson, I was put in charge of the 150 acres that Tyler Perry didn’t own. I was asked to lead the creative placemaking charge over there. So, for three years, I was over there, in just a testing mode, just trying out different things. It was going well, but the thing I realized there was, again, there’s a lack of ownership, right? Creating that ownership was important to me, instead of just building things for others and then being pushed out eventually. As a creative, I wanted to own something that I couldn’t necessarily be pushed out of. Since 2016 though, I’ve got tweets where I said I’m going to start a town. That’s always been on my mind, to create my environment. That’s something I’ve been good at, it’s just creating the world that I want to live in, and surrounding myself with that. Curating my surroundings.
I was just thinking about where I could go first. I was going to leave Atlanta and just go somewhere. In Georgia still, but it was far from Atlanta. I realized that I would just be adding on to the talent retention problem that Atlanta has. There are these amazing talents here and they leave to go to other places. I wanted to find something local, Fulton County still, but within a reasonable price range. In 2020, I found a property in Chattahoochee Hills, which is only 20 minutes away from the airport. I fell in love with it, that’s why it’s called CHACE, which stands for Chattahoochee Hills Arts, Culture, and Entrepreneurship Funds.
Wow! How did you source this piece of land, or was it something that was presented to you?
Through somebody that was working with me actually, a partner of mine, Asia. I told her what I was looking for, and she just went out there intentionally trying to find spaces, and this one came up. She said “There’s a space, 70 plus acres, and it’s for less than 2 million dollars.” And I was like, “Wow, that’s impossible, in Fulton County?” I came out here and visited, I met with the owner.
The previous owner’s name was Bruce, and I presented my plan to Bruce. Bruce was an older military guy, when I presented my plan on what I wanted to do with agriculture and arts. He loved it, and he allowed me to do owner financing. He worked with me for the first three and a half years that we were here, just working with us to make sure that we were in here.
We’ve had many talks over the years, You were saying, I want a farm, I want a space that I can create for artists and creatives. You wanted them to have a residence that they feel comfortable and can have freedom within their creativity, and feel supported and encouraged. I watched you speak all this into existence.
Before I did the owner of finance, before COVID happened, I had the idea. I had a proposal for it, I did a simple presentation for what I wanted to see in a space of multiple acres, and what I could do in there. My goal was to get a bunch of partners, whether it’s a Coca Cola, Home Depot, and different private industry people to partner up with me to make this happen. I felt like it was something that was needed. When COVID happened, everybody pulled back. I had already put down a deposit of good faith deposit for the space. By that time, I was like, I got to still figure this out. I wanted to show Bruce that, first of all, what I was doing was not going to be detrimental to the surrounding community. That I would be adding to what this culture was already here.
I knew that I have connections in this town. The mayor of this town, Tom Reed is a good friend of mine, and an alumni of the Regional Leadership Institute that I attended. I knew him already, so I had that in there, so I just knew that I had to just show this man that I had a plan. That’s the thing that I feel like has separated me from a lot of creatives, is the business, and putting it down on paper. Presenting decks so that people can see it, putting that quantitative with the qualitative. With most creatives it’s one side of their brain that they think with, which is the creative side. There’s the business side that we have to get better with. Thinking about how I could inspire, that business part is what’s important. I learned that from when I did work with the BeltLine. Watching the presentations that were presented while I was judging the art for the public art stuff with the BeltLine and with MARTA, just seeing the lack of proper presentations, proposals, and everything.
Tell me about the Regional Leadership Institute. Were you approached, or did you approach them?
I was approached. Every Mayor from Atlanta has been there, from the new one, Andre going down has been through this program. They gather different leaders from different industries.
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Tyree Smith
We go to Savannah at a hotel, and for two weeks we just learn about Atlanta, the issues that it’s facing, the interconnectivities of all the different counties that are Atlanta now, and how we can improve. I was invited by ARC, but it was like $3,000 to go, so I was like, “Hi, I don’t think I’m going to attend, I don’t really have that.” I told ARC about it, they introduced me to Lane a guy that runs MailChimp, and they paid for me to go. They felt like I represented what Atlanta was. I was the epitome of what Atlanta was. From the transplant part that is trying to invest back into the community, to better the space that I’ve come into contact with. To better the place that has done so much for me. So, they brought me out there, for two weeks I was there with future mayors of different counties, and different leaders and everybody just figuring out how we could make Atlanta better.
That’s a testimony to the power of a network. And again, it’s not always about what you know, sometimes it really is about who you know, or who knows you.
It’s who you know, right? To get into the room. But then it’s what you know once you get in there.
That’s true. So, tell me about CHACE Village and CHACE Farm. I actually was fortunate enough to come out and spend St. Patrick’s Day out there with you all, to take a look at the space and everything. You’re clearing some of the acres now. Tell me how you are transitioning the space, and the next phase.
Right now, currently we’re in our fundraising phase. We just got the first Agri Tourism and Farming permit in Chattahoochee Hills. We’re the first Black farm in Chattahoochee Hills. That just happened about two weeks ago. We’re the first Black farm. And just knowing that out of all the farms in America, only 3% of those people in America identify as farmers. Not people that grow food for themselves or their families, but farmers that feed America in the world. 3% of America does that, and out of that 3%, 1 percent are Black. There’s a lot of systemic reasons behind that. I’m not saying, in no way it’s our fault necessarily, but it’s just been pushed away from us. Just knowing that, I am a gap filler, like when it came to the arts, I knew that that was a space that was kept away, from us. I am a Black man that owns it, but I still want to create inclusive spaces that everybody can be a part of.
We’re raising funds right now to start an orchard. So, right now it’s really just a fundraiser where if you donate $250, we put a brick on the property on the driveway, with your name in it that commemorates what you did. And if you donate $500, we plant a fruit tree on the property in your name to commemorate your donation. Here at CHACE one of the first initiatives we’re going to be doing is providing rentable garden plots to creators, so that they can come here and grow their own fruits and vegetables on our space. If they would like to, if they grow what is under our umbrella, then they can package it up under the CHACE Farms umbrella and sell it as well in the stores that we’re going to be locking in.
Starting April 13th, every two weeks after, we will host a farmer’s and artist market. My goal is to just connect the surrounding community with local farmers and handcrafters.
Let’s talk about Artlanta Gallery. tell me how you decided to move it to Underground Atlanta, why you thought underground Atlanta would be a good fit.
I’ve had ties to Underground for years. I opened up my first business near the Underground across from the old Coca Cola space, I opened up a tattoo shop. I understood the rich history of Underground. A friend of mine named Eugene Byrd, who is an artist that I had given a gallery space to at Fort McPherson, he contacted me. He said, “Hey, I got a space here in Underground, they’re looking for artists and creators to come in here and help shape this place, and I thought about you.” I went down there, explored it, worked out something with the Underground to bring Artlanta gallery there, do some creative placemaking with them to bring out that vibe back that Underground used to have. We got there last year,
we were upstairs on Upper Alabama, the space was really small. The Underground was seeing the work that we were doing in that small space, and they offered me an even bigger space downstairs. So, we’re currently moving into there and it will be opening around Memorial Day in May. It’ll be at the art gallery and co-working space. So, creators will be able to come there, use our internet, do their work, that kind of stuff. Like a small Gathering Spot esque space for creators in the underground.
How do you describe creative place making to people? what are some of the key things that you feel like people need to know about creative placemaking?
It is the transformation of spaces into places using art, culture, and community. Placemaking is place keeping, which is preserving the already existing culture in there, by involving the community. I’m actually starting an agency, a creative placemaking agency this summer. I’m creating a certifiable program, and they’ll be able to get a certificate in this course, and then they’ll be able to go out and do what they do if they don’t come to work for us.
What does power and influence mean to you?
I want to be responsible for shaping the society I’m living, versus participating in it. I don’t want to solely participate; I want to be a shaper of the world. I want to be an Edison, an Einstein, I want to be one of those kinds of people that shapes the society, versus just participating in it. Our 10-year goal for CHACE Farms is to be in 11 states and 3 countries. There’s land all over the place going to like, and there’s places like Mississippi and Alabama, and places where there’s abundance of land and the industries have crumbled, the cotton industry, the steel plants, all of these have shut down, and they’re looking for new industries. I believe CHACE Farms is that new industry, it’s an old industry, it’s agriculture and farming, but it’s also adding art and creative stuff to it. I believe that it’s going to be able to change these underused spaces. America needs sustainability that we don’t have anymore. We depend on everybody else for everything, versus us creating this kind of system. In the next two years, our goal is to be opening up our high school, our freshman year of high school here for private arts and agriculture. If you know better, you do better. So, creating those environments where we can teach these creative kids. Because they’re the future, bringing them in here and getting them to work on building the entrepreneurship part of it. As soon as you come into your freshman year, we would help you start a business, we would help you do that and run that for four years, so by the time you graduate, you don’t even have to worry about a college necessarily. Because you’re already set up, and you already know how to run your own business.
You’ve always been a visionary, I’m just excited for you, and extremely proud of you. How does our audience keep up with everything that you’re doing and what you have going on?
Well, for me, as an individual, you can follow me on social media at Tyree Smith on all platforms. As far as my businesses, you can follow us at CHACE Farms and visit CHACE Farm, www.chacefarms.art to see more about what we doing here, how you can donate, how you can be a part of the fundraiser, the events etc. With our website, my last thing is just to tell you, with our goal is to make it an app for creatives. So, think Instagram meets GoFundMe, where we’re going to create a platform where creatives. They can come on there, get a profile, upload all of the work they’ve done, but also get projects funded through there. So, that’s what the goal for CHACE Village is. There’s a difference between CHACE Village and CHACE Farm. CHACE Farms is the space and it’s the agriculture, CHACE Village are the people within CHACE Farm that support the overall vision.
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What was the moment that inspired you to launch your brand?
The moment that inspired me to launch my brand came in 2014. I changed my Twitter name to “LifeAzISeeIt” and someone offered to buy it off of me. That’s when I knew I had something. So I protected myself & the name first, and then I leaned more into it.
As a creative who decided to combine all your creative interests, which one gives you the most fulfillment?
This question is a little tricky for me. I am a musician first. I am a percussionist. And I am most confident in my ability to play the drums/percussion instruments. However, my entire life has been a culmination of creative expression through music and media components/elements. Therefore, I believe that I am most fulfilled when I am expressing myself creatively; that includes all things music, media, and entertainment related.
Tell us more about your music, how you would describe your music?
I would describe my music as chill, soulful, and vibey. I wouldn’t consider myself to be a “turn-up” or “party” type of artist. And I wouldn’t say that my music is street. Instead, as a true student of music across all genres I get inspired (don’t mean to be cliche ) by however the music speaks to me. Often times, what comes out is something on the more chill side as opposed to the hype side of things.
What is a creative pursuit you haven’t yet achieved but you want to achieve?
Easily our son being born and watching a few million dollar ideas become million dollar businesses.
What would you like your legacy to be?
After it’s all said and done I would like my legacy to highlight a few things. I’d like for the individuals I’ve come across throughout my life’s journey to echo the sentiments of honor, integrity, genuineness, and authenticity. That is what’s MOST important to me. I hold those things extremely high because if I weren’t as talented as I am, those characteristics would still be important. Aside from that, I’d like for my contemporaries to acknowledge talent(s) as someone who is respectable in the space. I’d also like to make my mark in music/ entertainment history as someone who provided and added value overall to “the culture”.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve received that want to share with us?
The best advice I’ve ever received (cliche again) is to never listen to anybody. Don’t be afraid. Trust your gut and your intuition. And ultimately, JUST GO FOR IT ! You’ll learn something about yourself on both sides of the coin; through success and/or through failure(s).
How does our audience keep up with everything that you’re doing and what you have going on?
The best way to keep up is by Instagram
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Jerz
Inside The 96th Oscars Governor’s Ball
The 96th Oscars Governors Ball offered a night of tantalizing bites by Chef Wolfgang Puck along with his son, Chef Byron Lazaroff-Puck and team. Guests enjoyed signature cocktails by Don Julio, wine by Clarendelle & Domaine Clarence Dillon and champagne by FLEUR de MIRAVAL. Menu highlights by Chef Puck include: Black Truffle Chicken Pot Pie, Cacio e Pepe Macaroni & Cheese, Prawn Cocktail Roll with Caviar, along with other passed trays, plates, stations and more!
Clarendelle & Domaine Clarence Dillon wines was the exclusive red and white wines poured for the stars of Hollywood for the second year in a row. Clarendelle was created by Prince Robert of Luxembourg, representing the fourth generation in a family story that began with his great-grandfather’s purchase of the historic Château Haut-Brion in 1935.
Ahead of the event, Prince Robert shared his excitement “We are really looking forward to enjoying the exquisite menu from Chef Wolfgang Puck and his catering team, expertly paired with our wines.” The list of Clarendelle & Domaine Clarence Dillon wines poured at all the Oscars events, catered by Wolfgang Puck Catering, included: La Clarté de Haut-Brion 2017, La Chapelle de La Mission Haut-Brion 2010, Clarendelle Bordeaux Red 2016, Clarendelle Bordeaux White 2022
Don Julio offered four signature luxury cocktails co-created by globally acclaimed mixologist Charles Joly and Mexico’s Bartender of the Year Israel Baròn for the celebration: 1942 Encore, It’s Showtime, Round of Applause, and Playing the Part! Hollywood’s best also sipped on FLEUR de MIRAVAL - the only Champagne house exclusively devoted to Rosé founded by Brad Pitt. The nose is superb, with a beautifully complex and delicate aromatic palette that offers white flowers, mouth is fresh and vibrant with delicious white fruit and citrus evolving into more complex notes of candied fruit, soft spices, and toasted almonds. The perfect finish to pair with Chef Puck’s offerings and of course Oscars chocolate statues!
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savor
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Heavy Metal
Lexus LY 680
After ending production for the LY 650, Lexus is back with the LY 680. The LY 680 offers two Volvo Penta IPS 12.8 liter inline-six inboards that offers either 789 hp or 986 hp. There’s also a 1,060 gallon fuel tank. The LY 680 adds 55 inches to the length of the flybridge, and 27.6 inches to the swimming platform in back. In total, the LY 680 adds about 67.8 feet more than the LY 650 did. Italian team Nuvolari Lenard designed the LY 680 with their sleek, stylish flare. The LY 680 boasts three staterooms, three decks, along with the ability to comfortably hosts 15 people. At press time, the LY 680 is only offered in Japan with deliveries set to begin in 2026. Other markets are being considered based on demand, the LY 680 will costs around 5.1 million.
Maserati
Maserati’s all-electric SUV Grecale Folgore is fully made in Italy, equipped with a 105 kWh battery capacity and all the true Tridente performance elements. Capable of 800Nm torque, immediately at your feet thanks to the 100% electric propulsion, Grecale Folgore will give you above 500 CV and more than 200km/h as maximum speed.The Grecale Folgore hits 60 mph in 4.1 seconds, maximum speed clocks in at 137 mph. Combined/City/Highway: 83/90/85 MPGe Range: 225–255 miles Maserati offers four driving modes: GT, Sport, Max Range and Offroad. Pricing starts at $69,995 for the gasoline powered version and around $100,00 for the electric version.
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Grecale Folgore
2024 Lamborghini Revuelto
Lamborghini’s highly anticipated plug in hybrid is sold out and not available again until 2026. Delivery of the hybrid began late 2023 after being announced in March 2023. Revuelto (aptly named after a Spanish fighting bull) features a top speed of 218 mph, 0-60 in 2.3 seconds, reaches 100 mph in 5.1 seconds, combined gasoline & electricity fuel range of 35 MPGe. Base price starts around $608,358 and offers a front & rear motor with all wheel drive. With a wait list growing exponentially, Lamborghini is planning to offer special editions and variants once demand stabilizes.
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The Lucid team debuted their highly anticipated all electric SUV - Gravity at the Los Angeles Car Show. Officially set to launch later this year, here’s what we know so far. Gravity will be offering 3 driving modes available: Smooth, Swift, and Sprint which can transport all 7 seats including those in the third row comfortably. Battery range maximum is reportedly around 440 miles. All wheel drive is standard as well as two motors to transport your passengers safely. The pricing for Gravity will start under $80,000 and depending on the model can go up to $250,000 for the high performance Sapphire trim.
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2025 Lucid Gravity
OSCARS 96: Favorite Moments of Hollywood’s Biggest Night
This year’s Oscars was quite a time! Hollywood’s biggest stars networking and celebrating each other the full week leading up to the live telecast. Here’s some of our favorite moments from backstage, during the commercial breaks and from the nominee luncheon! Thanks to our friends at AMPAS, can’t wait for Oscars 97!
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visivo
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Jeffrey Wright was honored with the Montecito Award at the 39th annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival. The evening was moderated by Roger Durling, John Ortiz presented the award.
Jeffrey Wright is a Tony, Emmy, AFI, and Golden Globe Award-winning actor who has enjoyed an illustrious career spanning the worlds of theatre, film, and television. Wright was most recently seen in the critically acclaimed role of ‘Bernard Lowe’ in HBO’s WESTWORLD, for which he earned three Emmy nominations. He can currently be seen in the George C. Wolfe-directed Civil Rights pic, RUSTIN, portraying ‘Adam Clayton Powell.’ In discussing the difference between a fiction and non-fiction role, Wright explained that “There’s an additional responsibility of yours going to recreate the story of someone’s life. I kind of tend to take that reasonably seriously. And try my best to at least find the essence of who they were. And research as much as possible who they were.” Wright also shared a bit about his experience on Westworld, saying, “It was a lot, but what it taught me was something that I use to this day on sets. We shot the equivalent of 5-6 movies in 6 months. We shot long hours. We loved it, and it was complex - we were working toward a high goal. But it taught me to work efficiently.” Talking a bit about the complication of shooting The Batman around Covid, Wright explained that, “The length of time that it took us to shoot Batman was so extreme that there’s a scene…when I get up and shoot, that’s March of 2020. When I drop back down, that’s March, 2021. Within a cut.
Speaking to his core connection to American Fiction, Wright noted that, “For me, the heart is the family. That’s what drew me in. That’s what plucked all of my emotional and psychological strings.” Diving into his most recent work, Wright talked a bit about why the film was so widely impactful: “It’s a family that’s recognizable, because it’s a family that’s as crazy as everyone’s family is.” Congratulations to Jeffrey Wright, we cannot wait to see more of your work.
Jeffrey Wright Awarded The Montecito Award
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Bradley Cooper received the Outstanding Performer of the Year Award at the 39th annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival. Cooper was honored for his critically acclaimed portrayal of Leonard Bernstein in MAESTRO from Netflix. Brad Pitt and Carey Mulligan in attendance to present Cooper the award. The evening was moderated by Pete Hammond. On whether he always wanted to be an actor, Bradley Cooper stated:
“Always, since I was like 11. There was a movie theater, my backyard was train tracks and a movie theater. I watched movies like The Godfather, Popeye, and I just knew then. and television. I always knew I wanted to do it, but I was terrified, I was shy. But I knew I wanted to do it.” “I don’t know if you need to have empathy [to play a character], and I can only speak for myself, but you have to get to a place where it doesn’t feel like acting. You have to believe what you’re saying. I don’t know if it’s empathy, or that you have to love your character.”
Carey Mulligan stated: “What might be too easily taken for granted is your innate gift as an actor. I don’t think acting is a 10,000 hour skill. I don’t think you can prep or practice, that’s something else.” Brad Pitt joked: “The first time I saw Bradley, I said to myself, one day I’m going to milk this guy for a free trip to Santa Barbara. I want to note for the record, I was this close to getting A Star is Born, but in the end the director went with Bradley.” When accepting his award, Bradley Cooper stated: “People made movies, I watched them, they changed me, inspired me, kept me alive. Now that I get to do these things, the thing I benefit from is the doing. Seeing these projects that I’ve been a part of, these memories, magical made up stories, it’s such a privilege. In life, I’ve been so privileged, so blessed.”
Bradley Cooper Awarded Outstanding Performer of the Year
Academy Award® and BAFTA nominee Paul Giamatti received the Cinema Vanguard Award at the 39th annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival. Giamatti was honored for his moving portrayal of curmudgeonly prep school teacher Paul Hunham in Focus Features’ THE HOLDOVERS.
The Cinema Vanguard Award recognizes actors who have forged their own path, taking artistic risks and making a significant and unique contribution to film. Speaking to his earliest screen roles, Giamatti said, “Those small roles like that are the hardest. Acting, all of it’s hard. And the big roles, you have a lot to carry. But those things where you have one line, or you have to come in for one scene and cry…you really get good, because you have to be.”
On auditioning for Sideways and meeting Alexander Payne, Giamatti shared that, “It was just an audition like any other audition. I was excited to meet him, because Election was a movie that I really loved… I expected nothing to come of it.” Giammati also shared a bit about how his life changed after Sideways. “It changed everything. The parts I got were different. And people’s reactions to me were different… I never had to audition anymore after that. In a weird way, sometimes I miss it.” Finally sharing the secret behind his one lazy eye in The Holdovers, Giamatti explained, “I’ve been joking a lot about not giving it away. But Christina Patterson made that eye, and she makes these eyes. She hand paints them. And they’re gorgeous little works of art. And she did an amazing, amazing job.”Weighing in on the debate over The Holdovers being a Christmas movie, Giammati stated, “Absolutely. I get a little - It’s a Christmas movie, none of this would happen if it wasn’t Christmas…what happens to the people in it is because it’s Christmas.” To close out the evening, presenter Virginia Madsen stated about Giamatti, “You are known as the actor’s actor, because there’s a mastery in you, and you honor the writers, directors, and actors, because you illuminate what they’ve done, and you bring it to life.”
Paul Giamatti Awarded Cinema Vanguard Award
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Art, Beats And Lyrics ATL
Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey came back to Atlanta to kick off their 20th Anniversary of Arts, Beats and Lyrics. The celebration features artists from all over the world and some of Atlanta’s own and best!. It was phenomenal seeing works of art by Paper Frank, Hiecue, Fabian Williams, Kevin Wak Williams, Oneil Scott, Stu, and more. We enjoyed specialty Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey cocktails while enjoying local food truck offerings. Attendees also enjoyed singing karaoke in the Jack’n Beats area, playing various games and even double ducting. We definitely have favorite art pieces like some of the ones here by (clockwise) Tim Okamura, Robert Moore and Mwanel Pierre-Louis, AD Kaya Clark and Matthew Curran. The evening ended with a high energy and vibes performance by Grammy Award Winner and Atlanta Native Killer Mike. Happy 20thAnniversary to the team and thanks for a great night.
I recently saw your phenomenal work at Art, Beats & Lyrics. Your piece of MC Lyte really stood out to me. Can you tell me a little bit about what inspired you to, to paint a tribute to MC Lyte?
The MC Lyte piece was, was one of four pieces that was a part of a series that was dedicated to Hip Hop 50, which was last year. That piece was selected by W for Arts,, Beats & Lyrics. The piece was an ode to the voice of female rappers and speakers, for our generation, in the hip hop culture. If you look at the piece - my work is mixed media work. If you look in the piece, there’s a lot going on. There’s a lot of hidden messages. Like there’s a picture of Assata Shakur, Afeni Shakur, Angela Davis, Queen Latifah, Queen Nefertiti. There’s a lot going on in the background - there’s some pictures of young black girls. The major picture is a picture of MC Lyte with a gold chain, the bamboo earrings. reminiscent of how, you know, women used to dress in the late 80s, early 90s, from hip hop culture. So, the MC Lyte was my female contribution to the whole Hip Hop 50 series that I did last year.
How did you come into working with the team at Arts, Beats and lyrics?
Arts, Beats & Lyrics has been around for 20 years. Out of those 20 years, I’ve known W, the partner of Jabari to put the events together at least 25 of those 20 years. Me and W have been partners in and developing the art scene here in Atlanta.W reached out to me because every time I would go to a show, he would say we’ve got to put your work into a show. So this year with a documentary coming out, he wanted some of my work to be a part of the ABL series. The film is now available on Hulu. So that’s how my work ends up being presented in the documentary.
You have coined the term Afro pop for the type of artwork that you that you make. Can you explain a little bit about why it was coined as Afro pop, and what you want people to get from your artwork when they see it?
For starters, I’m a big believer that style Trumps technique. I have a patent, I had to classify my style so it could have a name of its own and a genre of his own. That name is Afro Pop, is Afro Centric pop art. If you look at most of the art nowadays, contemporary art is very colorful, very popular. Most of my work centers strong Afro centric content. I took the time to patent it and classify it for what it is. Afro Pop is my signature style. I feel like I’m chronologically documenting what’s going on in the world. From 1976, from the time I was born to now, through the arts. That’s my mission even back to reference to the MC Lyte. That was just me documenting that whole 1989 to 1994 golden era of hip hop, the era in which I fell in love with hip hop. That era was a part of the hip hop culture movement.
I love the bright colors that you use throughout your pieces. I’m born and raised here in Atlanta. So you know, Outkast is my favorite. Can you tell me what inspired the Outkast piece?
I thought about the four pieces that I was going to put together for Hip Hop 50. I wanted to do something to represent the South. I could’ve done any artist from the South. When narrowing it down, I feel like Outkast was probably the best representation. And as statement from Andre 3000, The South has something to say - that statement was powerful. That’s why I decided to use the image of OutKast.
You were born to artists, can you tell me what it was like being raised in a supportive, creative household and how much that impacted you and your work throughout the years?
My dad was very creative, he wasn’t out selling art but he was a hustler. He’s older now, I tell him he needs to sit down and chill - he refuses. My mom, she went to school and got a degree in art, she was teaching art and one time before she became handicapped. My mom was the more technical, artistic type of person. So, when it came down to me; I used to fail art class. Having a mom that understood and appreciated the arts - she gave me a pass when I was doing graffiti and writing on the walls. I never got in trouble for my artistic expression. So it allowed me to explore, using different techniques to develop this down. Having a dad that taught me how to earn and sell, gave me the aspect of being able to close a sale. I’m self taught, everything from this point on in my art career is all self made. It’s all God. My dad taught me how to make a living on my own. My mom gave me the ability to turn around, go out and explore, and to be an artist.
You use the mixed media within a lot of your pieces? Can you tell me more about that?
I feel like in today’s time, we have technology. In earlier periods, they would have to actually make paint. They would have to eyeball, everything - the technical side of art was very different. Today, we have the ability to be able to use much more to create. There are differences between 1D, 2D and 3D. With the mixed medium, I just feel like it allows me to be able to say more and express more in the work. For example, MC Lytepiece wasn’t just a flat image, the other layers to it. I will often tell more stories in one piece. It just allows me to be able to explore stretch out more when dealing with, the style and the Afro populism and being able to just create.
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Hiecue
You were born and raised in Chicago, you also have ties New Orleans as well as ties here in Atlanta. How does your time in each city impact you as an artist?
I’ve never been to France, the layout of the New Orleans is similar to the layout of France. The ability of allowing the artists and the artisans to be able to capitalize off the tourists that comes to the city. I’ve heard about that in Paris- they have a similar square area for artists. The food and the culture it’s just like, it feeds my creative spirit. The architecture, the people, the second lines, everything about New Orleans feeds my creative spirit. Whenever I’m in a creative slump.I always take a good trip and it feels like home. Between Chicago and New Orleans, the world is mine. At some point, what I will be doing will be global. The art is speaking for us as a whole and speaks to the times we’re in. I just feel like that, just like the OutKast saying, or Andre 3000, saying: The South has something to say, you know, Hiecue has something to say,and I feel I have the time to be able to allow my work to say what I’m trying to say. I’m alive and well, with my paintings, it’s a miracle that I can survive. I’m gonna have a great life off of my paintings. All artwork, no job. Ijust told you, I can’t create this lifestyle and nobody but God, for the most part, you know, the mass of people that’s interested in the works. And that’s what I will continue to display.
Art Beats and Lyrics has grown so much over the years, can’t believe its been 20 years already!
The thing about Arts, Beats and Lyrics its very cool, but it’s become a party. Its become our party, and I like the party. In the documentary, Jabbar was explaining about how art galleries can be a little stuffy. I agree with that, but there’s still an experience that needs to be created between the art and the consumer. When it comes to just dealing with art -there’s different white walls, wine and cheese. So I get the layers of creating a different experience. My thing is creating an experience where people can really come in - study, understand and appreciate the works. Working with the brand is cool; like I said, me and W going back to day one. I have an upcoming event in New Orleans on July 3, it will be art experience, but we’re going to make it where you focus more on the art.
Your upcoming event sounds exciting! What does power influence mean to you?
Power and influence to me, if used rightly, is a good tool, good to have a source of inspiration for the masses. If you right, you know, the problem most men, you know, perfect for instance, know, the power go to our head, and sometimes we misuse it. I’m all about that but it just has to be done to us in the right way.
What is the best piece of advice that you’ve received, that you would want to share with our audience?
Well, the late great Radcliffe Bailey, may he rest in peace - was a close friend of mine, I used to call talk to him. I would just call to talk to him, just to get advice about our world. But the one thing he put on me, that resonates, that was given to me. He would always say:, keep producing, keep producing, always stay in production mode. The beauty of artists like Picasso, he was painted into his last day on earth. You can reference old styles, and you can create new styles, but always keep moving, so that’s the advice that was given to me I will give to any other creators stay producing.
How can people support you and keep up with your events?I like to keep things really simple, it’s all Hiecue. I have Good Dope Gallery and all my other things. If you follow my Instagram, I post everything to all my social media platforms.
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