Contributors & Credits T.L. Bishop - Currency Matters Contributor I was born and raised in South Carolina and is the oldest of six siblings. I graduated from Claflin College with a major in Communications and a minor in sociology. Shortly after college I landed my first job in finance. I helped many families with financial planning and dept restructure. After years of being in the field I began writing on my experiences to help others understand what I am now aware of. Anastasia Nicole - Fashion Editor and Writer Born and raised in New Orleans, Anastasia Nicole has always nurtured a passion for fashion publications. She has a degree in textiles and apparel merchandising from Louisiana State University and experience in both fashion pr and writing. Currently when not writing for Xposure magazine she can be found contributing to various online sites such as MissOmniMedia.com and her blog SeeinPinkElephants.com. Her philosophy is “Keep your eyes to the skies”.

Xposure Magazine is a bi - monthly magazine published on a bi monthly basis. Copyright 2009. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited. Views expressed by writers are not necessarily the views of Xposure Magazine. We welcome and accept unsolicited materials. Materials submitted to Xposure Magazine is the person’s guarantee that submitted items are not in violation of or infringing upon the rights of others and that said materials may be reviewed and subject to critique without any third party consent.

I can’t believe this issue is finally being released. It’s taken so much for this issue to reach you.2009 has been a year that I learned a lot about people. I’ve lost friendships and relationships that I thought were solid. I’ve gained new relationships with people that add a lot of positive energy to my life. It has taken a lot of tears, frustration, anger, rejection, insecurity, and persistence to make this dream a reality. First and foremost, I thank God for allowing me to still be here. I want to especially thank my first love and the person who never lost faith in me, my mama. Mama we MADE IT and I hope you are proud. To my family and all of the families that have adopted me and gave encouraging words, thank you. I want to also thank everyone who is featured in these pages for believing in me and allowing me to interview you and use your photos. To Brandie, you have been my friend for over 10 years, I love you and thank you.To Tinesha, thank you for EVERYTHING! Gigi, thank you for believing in and supporting me. L, there is no way possible I would be here in this moment, in this time and space without you. Trevis, thank you for all of the motivational speeches, and being a shoulder to lean on through all the madness. Anastasia, you are a life saver, there are not enough words to thank you. My Aunties Catherine, Rita, Barbara, Edna,Harolyn and Valerie thank you for believing. Mama Dee, I love you forever and I thank you for opening your heart and home to me. To the Customer Service, Data Entry and others at the AJC thank you for the support and words of encouragement. Eve, you are the best sister I could ever ask for thank you. To all of the people that I’ve lost; I love you and miss you every single day. If I forgot to thank you place your name here____________________ and know you are in my heart. To all of the backstabbers and haters, thank you for the supplying the motivation I needed to work harder, to prove you wrong and elevate my game. Finally, to all of the people reading this that have a dream; have the faith to step out and try. You owe it to yourself to give your dreams a chance to grow. Life throws us curveballs and obstacles but remember it makes you better prepared for success. I’m looking forward to what the future has to offer and I hope it will be a positive and productive future for all of us. Until next time.................................... Goldyn aka Mizz Relentless

Goldyn’s Touch

I was always told that the definition of insanity was to do the same thing over and over again expecting different results. If that’s true and we apply that to our finances; ask yourself if you are economically insane. Its not going to be Presidents Obama`s fault if you buy a car or a house that leaves you with no money left over to survive. And if that is your economic trend, then you quite possibly could be economically insane. Its time to stop the madness! We have got to be real about what we can and can not afford in our budgets comfortably. The truth is, we want what we want and we go out and buy it. This is the mind set of most Americans even myself. The reality is that we do serious harm to our financial long term picture. Never plan your income out to the very last dollar. If you find yourself in a situation that calls for your immediate attention, you will more than likely find that you will have to suffer the consequences. We pay thousands of dollars a month in late fees and penalties that we do not have to just because we refuse to look at our financial picture realistically. Reversing this behavior could mean more money to go to the movies, or more nights at the club. Here is a good idea, create a savings account. We don’t think about it until we are in the pinch. Avoid the pinch and avoid the habit of always ending up in the pinch AKA economic insanity. What is the cure you might ask? The cure is simple, take responsibility over the money you have coming in and budget yourself according to the things that are most important. For example your house, transportation, and food for you and your family. Also make sure that you have a few dollars left for any emergencies that we know will show up. Now this may or may not leave you with the funds for the kind of lifestyle that you would want. Your next job is to find a way to upgrade the income that you are making. More of the things you want to do will start to fall inside of your budget as more money is available to cover those expenses. Get a part time job or start looking for a new position that might pay you more. That will fix what you are missing out on. It’s all about you and yours. Now the girls can’t depend on the boys and the boys can’t rely on the girls. I’m talking to you as an individual because even if you are in a relationship, it’s still your responsibility to stand on your own two feet. Actually doing so will make your relationship much better but, that’s a talk for another time. You can impact the effect that the economy has on you by making simple decisions and sacrifices; whether the economy is in a depression or if it’s booming. The choice is yours, sit and complain about how bad things are; or make the needed adjustments to improve your situation. These are big boy and big girl decisions to make. Don’t get it twisted at all; you are not going to want to cut back on some of the things that you know you love to do. You have to make this work. Sometimes, we continue to give these establishments our money; come home and look in the fridge and it looks like a ghost town. It sounds like a joke but, there are a few of us that are making life decisions not only at the gas pump but at the club and mall as well. You know who you are. You can do your best to maintain until things improve, for you to see a brighter day. You have to want it to change. Don’t think reading this article will magically change it for you. Be cool, be real and stay sane. T.L Bishop

Currency Matters

USAA takes electronic banking to a new, innovative height. This past August, USAA have provided their banking customer with a more convenient way of making deposits. The updated application lets customers take a photo of the check front and back you wish to deposit with the iPhone, send the image to USAA where it is verified and deposited. The USAA application is the mobile banking addition for their customers. USAA customers have this service available to them from home with the Deposit@Home feature. USAA’s Deposit@Home lets customers scan and deposit checks using a PC and scanner. With USAA’s feature available to its customer base, they prove themselves ahead of the curve. The feature also allows the customers to have flexibility with mobile banking. Within the first three days of its launch, the bank received a total of $1.5 million dollars in deposited checks. USAA has decided to also make this service available to all Palm and Blackberry users in the near future. So far, this application has been a hit with customers, USAA has stuck gold and a great profit margin. In the long run, all banks will have to offer a comparable feature to allow their customers the same convenience. Technology is truly amazing and with customers wanting access on demand it’s a win – win for USAA.

USAA Makes Deposits Easier With Iphone App

Power Moves

When news first started to circulate that 50 had teamed up with Robert Greene for The 50th Law, a lot of people were intrigued myself included. The 50th Law according to Greene, is a new book and the latest effort for Greene who’s past works included 48 Laws of Power, and Art of Seduction and others. The 50th Law, set for release on September 8th has potential to be one of Greene’s best works. The foreword, release a few months ago, tells the story of how Greene met 50 and why he agreed to collaborate with him on this book. In the foreword, Greene recounts observing 50 as he moves through business deals, the neighborhood he was raised in, and his travels around the world. Greene calls 50 a “Hip Hop Napoleon Bonaparte” referring to his observations of 50 and the similar traits between the two. Greene, an expert strategist worked with 50 for almost 2 years to complete the project. With Greene’s past works, the anticipation is very high for this porject. Hopefully, this book will live up to the great work we’ve seen from Greene in the past. According to reports, the book’s theme is about fear and “the reverse power that you can obtain by overcoming it”. Greene shows 50 has traits of others including Fredrick Douglass, Malcolm X, Joan of Arc and other. This book should make for an interesting read and should open a dialogue between Greene and 50 fans alike.

Elevation

LCD is a producer I found once I heard some of his work with Ice The Villan. Once I heard the music I had to have him featured. This issue’s Elevation belongs to him. He’s truly taking his talent to the next level. Here is our conversation. When did you know music was something you wanted to do professionally? Probably about 5 years ago… that’s when I first starting realizing that the beats I was messing around making were starting to sound pretty good. At first I wouldn’t let anybody hear em since it was just stress relief more than anything… but bout 5 years ago I realized if I really worked at it I might be on to something. You have a lot of titles – Songwriter, engineer, producer and blogger. Are you really a jack of all trades and which role are you most comfortable with? Well first PLEASE take that “blogger” title off me lol. I do have a blog to keep people updated with my stuff though. (www.boutdatblog.com) But seriously, out of everything I’m most comfortable producing. I can write songs because I used to rap seriously til about 2 years ago but I just don’t have a rapper’s personality…. I got tired of tryna be that limelight dude. But with production I can just chill and do me, plus its nothing like the feeling you get when you’re making a beat and u first realize it’s about to be a BANGER. It’s like Christmas everyday. How would you classify your sound as a producer? I know 95% of producers say this nowadays but I don’t have one sound. But my primary lane is a southern sound with heavy 808s. I make ANTHEMS & HITS. I’m in the lane of cats like Drumma Boi, The Runners, Zaytoven, DJ Toomp

And I feel my tracks are in that same caliber. But also know I can do almost anything. Pop, rock, whatever…. and on the low, I’m really an R&B dude at heart. You have a your own company and brand. Tell me more about why you started the company and what type of business you conduct. Bout Dat Money Music is my production company. It’s pretty simple… I’m all about growth and development. There’s too much BS associated with the rap game right now… I’m not bout any of that. But I’m definitely bout dat money, ya know? So if you’re looking for quality production without the usual politics, holla at me! Plus like I said before I’m an engineer so I offer mixing & mastering services and package deals. As a producer, what would your dream project be? Let me start by saying R.I.P. Michael Jackson… my dream project would be for me to wake up from this bad dream and make an undeniable worldwide hit with him! But for what can be done I have 2 main goals right now. #1 I NEED to be on T.I.’s next album after he comes home. That’s one of my favorite artists right there and I think our sounds would be complimentary to one another. #2 Anything with Dr. Dre as Executive Producer. I’d just fall back and listen cause the man is a genius. Right now, you are working a lot with Ice The Villain, Lil Dee and others tell me more about your projects with them. I’m glad u mentioned them… those two are both incredible artists. Ice the Villain is the best lyricist I’ve ever met. Period. Soon the world will see… we’re working on this project right now called “The Relationship”. I promise the rap game has never heard anything like this. He’s incredibly versatile and genuine. Those 2 qualities are missing from the rap game right now…. Badly. Lil Dee is a certified hitmaker… he demands your attention when he gets on the microphone and you wanna talk about being versatile?? Maaaaan, we got tracks I can’t even tell u bout yet that’ll have u like “That’s the same dude?” We’re working on the FNFG mixtape and his solo mixtape that’ll be out soon. What more can we expect from you in the near future? If everything continues to go as planned, you should hear that “Bout Dat Money” tag on a lotta stuff over the next few months. I stay in the DC area but I’m about to move to Atlanta where my signature sound is definitely more welcomed. Be on the lookout for that new single called “White V” from Kia Shine and his new group The P.R.E.P.S. It’s already killin the south! Plus I got some things in the works with artists you wouldn’t expect me to work with. What do you know now that you wished you had known before getting into the industry? How shady it is! I mean, you hear the horror stories and you think you know… but until u start dealing with it first hand, you have no idea. From rappers all the way up the ladder to label execs. There’s a lot of falsehood in this game so you gotta choose your circle wisely. How do people find out more about you and the future projects you have coming out? Follow me on Twitter! Lol twitter.com/boutdatmoney That thing is amazing… the networking capabilities… I mean, it got me in Xposure! Also hit the blog up to hear new music and keep up to date. www.boutdatblog.com. Last words to the readers? “BOUT DAT MONEY!” Quick shouts to the whole FNFG and 368 Music Group… B. Lee what it do? T-Byrd what it do? Wale, wassup homie? Atlanta… get ready for me! Bout Dat Money Music is going to be a major player in this game very shortly.

Next On Deck

Do you feel being from Milwaukee helped or hurt your career so far? Its a toss up. I definitely know that being based in Milwaukee has limited me to alot of opportunities, because there is no industry based here in Milwaukee. On the same hand though being one of the for runners to the Milwaukee Music movement I am able to get a lot of work done here in my city that I know would take hundreds of thousands of dollars to do had I been in NYC, LA or ATL. What was the inspiration for the mixtape Victory: The Hunger For War? Respect! I just wanted to put out a project that kind of defined where i stand in this music. I wanted to also seperate myself from the other artists not only in the midwest but in the game period. What other projects should we expect from you in the near future? The Fresh Cut Collective will be working on releasing an album real soon. As for now we have the “Loveless” single that we are about to drop. I am also working on another mixtape featuring a lot of collaborations as well as a mixtape with Playboy Tre of the HAM Squad. What do you know now that you wished you had known before getting into the industry? I thought the music game was based on talent, I now know its all about the money. Everything costs. Had I known earlier I would’ve practiced to become a dj because they are the main one’s who get paid in the industry. How do people find out more about you and the future projects you have coming out? The net. My blog blaxlife.blogspot.com, myspace, myspace.com/adebisimusic. twitter, twitter.com/adebisiblaxceo or facebook, facebook.com/adebisiblaxceo . I’m all over the place. Last words to the readers? Music can be such a cruels mistress!

` When did you know music was something you wanted to do professionally? I started taking music more serious during my sophomore year of highschool when me and my best friend formed a group called Icons and we started battling other crews in high school. From then on we made a demo record that had gained a lot of popularity around the campus. After my sophomore year in school I moved to a town called Racine, WI where I interned at a local studio and met a bunch of other young rappers and producers. From then on I started to beleive that I could really succeed making music. How would you classify your sound? like to classify my sound as urban contemporary hip hop. I make music that all ttypes of people can feel and relate to. Not just music for the trap or for the hipsters per say. I have a mature sound thats reminiscent of the golden era of hip hop with a new school twist. The Fresh Cut Collective came together about a year ago when i met up with my guy Kiran. We had like ideas of what we wanted to do with music as far as live hip hop goes. From that point on we started rehearsing with me, Kiran on keys and an electric guitar player. Eventually we recruited another keyboardist to join the band as well as a drummer, a violinist and a bass player. After rehersing some of my older songs and creating some new ones we performed our first show as a band together last February and it has been on ever since.

I met MC at a local event and after hearing his music, decided to feature him in this section. Being from Augusta, how has that impacted your career? Augusta is considered the second A. Being that a lot of artists come out of Atlanta, it’s kind of hard for us in Augusta to shine. I respect Atlanta and all that it has but being from Augusta you kind of get put in the back of the bus. The market is great but we don’t have too many things like showcases and events that will help artists get to the next level. Tell us about the new mixtape you have out right now. This is the second mixtape/album that I’ve come out with. It’s all original material, it’s called Nothing To Lose. The first one was Against All Odds, which dropped in 2007. I was pushing that and went out to Vegas. I came back at the end of 2007, got with Big Ty and we got straight to work on Nothing To Lose. Nothing To Lose is very personal, you should be able to get an understanding of who I am. It’s not swag music, popping bottles and catchy hooks. It’s every experience I’ve had since 1998. What should we be expecting from you in the near future? The next project is called The Exception, everything is just about ready. The concept behind the title is I feel like I’m a distinguished artist from a lot of other artists out there. What makes you so different? The music I make is different from what you will hear in Augusta. I feel I do music for everybody.

I feel like I am a lot more humble than a lot of the other artist from Augusta. I reach out to a lot of people, and do things that most artists in Augusta will not. When can we expect to hear The Exception? It should be finished late summer, early fall. I’ve also heard you are an actor. I’m not one to toot my own horn or to boast, I just want people to see the movie when it comes out. The name of the movie is called Heart of A Champion, I’m working with Black Triad Entertainment in Florida. It’s an independent film company, due to a huge blessing it will be in the box office. The film is based in Florida, its centered around a boxer who is at the height of his career. Some things take place and he falls off, I’m one of the supporting actors. I play an 18 year old kid, growing up in the hood and having conflict with rivals. My character is a boxer as well for the Police Athletic League, they try to help him pursue a career as a boxer. The main character is like a mentor to my character and the story develops from there. Pinklin Thomas, a former heavyweight champion is also in the film. The film should be ready for release in the late fall. How did you get the offer for the part in the film? I met Richard Fitzpatrick through a mutual friend, he’s the owner of Black Triad. After some conversations, he presented the opportunity to me. I’ve always wanted to get into acting, never took it seriously. It’s a Black Triad Entertainment production in partnership with Silver Screen Partners. What’s the best way for people to find out about you and what you have going on? Call me directly at 706-414-7086, that’s my direct number. You can also email me mccce1@gmail.com or you can hit me on Myspace www.myspace.com/currencycommitteeentertainment. Last words to the readers? I want to thank you for the opportunity and thanks to you people will hear me and see me. Next year, I’m going to be all over the place so keep your eyes and your ears open.

Next On Deck

How did the name come about? I’ve tried a lot of different names. I was born and raised in New York at 18 I moved to Alabama, that’s where my family is from. I joined the Army at 22, traveled the whole world. I got my name because I’ve been all around the world and I want my music to reach people internationally. I don’t want to just rep for my block or New York. How long were you in Iraq? About 9 months, I did a lot of writing there. I actually wrote Just Relax while I was in Iraq in 2002/2003. I just recorded it a few months ago. Being over there was crazy. I’m glad you’re back, thank you for your service. I could not do that, people don’t understand the sacrifice it takes. It is a sacrifice but at the time, I was going through some things and I needed that worldly experience. I didn’t know I would go to war, What made you decide to do music on a full time basis? Music has always played an intricate part of my life. Basketball and music they both made me who I am. I started writing in the 6th or 7th grade. I didn’t take it seriously until last year, when I finally left Alabama and came back to New York. I started my own label, Face Faks Music and we had artist we were managing. While managing them, I would still be writing. I’ve always been capable, I made the decision to become an artist when I came back to New York.A lot of the things I was doing for other people, I figured if I do it for myself and it doesn’t pan out; I can’t be mad because I put it into me. If you put it into yourself, whatever you decide is on you. I got together with my management Keish and Black, put a few songs together. The day they heard it was the day they said you are now an artist.

With Face Faks, you decided to start the label, tell me more about it. I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit to put something like that together. The label started right before I joined the Army. I always knew that eventually, I would have artists. I decided to put the foundation down and get everything legal so by the time I get artists, everything would be official. The artists came after that and now I’m the last one standing. I found out about you and your music from Twitter. So tell everyone about the song you sent to me. That’s the record I wrote when I was in Iraq. It was just a piece I wrote, it was originally title I.D. It was me being in Iraq thinking if I don’t make it back home, how will anybody be able to remember me? I wrote that and that was me identifying myself. A close friend, DJ Tayrok of the Super Friends went to Panama City. He sent me a text saying he was on a beach with a Corona in my hand with Just Relax on repeat. Big shout to True Soul for producing it and Tayrok for believing in it. You have Just Relax and Speak My Language, is there a mixtape in circulation right now? Right now, we’re just making records the project that we are coming out with is Beats, Rhymes, Purpose. Hopefully with this feature in Xposure Magazine, Atlanta and everyone will show love. Once the foundation builds we will have people wanting a project. Talk to me about Grown Man Radio. How that came about? We linked up with matureradio.net and we do our thing every Friday and Saturday 9pm to 1am. We play whatever we feel. Great thing about the show, we have something called Sick 60 where the first hour of every show, we play only independent artists. As long as it’s clean, we’ll play it, we mix it in with established artists as well. How do people find out more information about you? www.facefaks.com, www.myspace.com/InternationalH and Twitter. I love Twitter, shout out to my Twitter family twitter.com/internationalH.

We’ve known each other for over 2 years and we are just being able to sit down and complete this interview. You have a new mixtape out called Avoiding the Cliché. Give the readers some background on that. It was my first major mixtape. I was trying to show people all the different sides of me. It features every kind of different genre. It’s called Avoiding the Cliché because I’m doing everything to show my versatility. You received some publicity from Gyant regarding the song Voicemail. Tell us about the song and the inspiration behind it. I found the track, came up with the hook. I was with my best friend and she told me to step out of my comfort zone. I don’t like talking about sex on tracks, she encouraged me to go ahead and do it. I sung with the melody on it and put auto tune to it. The song is about a girl that wants me to come over and I’m letting her know all the things I want to do. What else are you working on at this time? I’m working on my second CD called Karma. It’s going to show the growth and development I’ve been going through. Since dropping Avoiding the Cliché, I’ve grown a lot. Karma will show more of my lyrical ability. So you have a brand that centers around your music and parties called F.R.E.S.S.H tell me about that and will you ever define what F.R.E.S.S.H. means? There is a difference between F.R.E.S.S.H boy and F.R.E.S.S.H. is a brotherhood, the blog somethingfressh.blogspot.com is a blog we have showing different sides of us. It’s five of us; I’m not going to say what it means. It’s a brotherhood and we support each other and it’s us just trying to be responsible, young black men. I’m incorporating that into the parties I throw. How did you get into the party promotions that you are doing? I started throwing parties to play my own music, once I saw the money aspect, I kept doing it.

Everybody knows what you put into your career is what you get out of it. I started doing parties to support my music career. Has the release date for Karma been established? Karma should be done around October or November. I produced some of the tracks. If it’s 10 tracks on it, I want it to be the hardest 10 you’ve ever heard. What’s been the most valuable lesson you’ve learned so far? It takes a lot of dedication to be in this industry and you have to do your research. You have to have a goal and take it step by step. There are times when things may not go so well and I am still dedicated to this. How do people find out more about Jus Nice? My Myspace www.myspace.com/niceishere , my Facebook is Justin Jus Nice Grant. I’m on Twitter also. If you google me, voicemail will most likely pop up first. I’m everywhere. Last words to the readers? Shout out to Obama, thank you Goldyn we’ve known each other for two years and you came to my showcase. I love everybody, shout out to Gyant, F.R.E.S.S.H boys, everyone in S.C and V.A. I’m going to keep working hard.

Next On Deck

I first saw RE at a talent showcase in Atlanta. I listened to his mixtape Spaceships and Satellites and was very impressed. He is a great lyricist whose versatile style makes him a force to be reckoned with. Here is the conversation we had. How would you classify your sound? I would say I make music for people that are hopeless and the underdog. I make underdog music because that what I was the majority of my life. All of the people who were doing music in New Orleans were my influences.If it was not for Mystikal, I would not be rapping. I make music for the average Joe. I can’t rap about me being in the club with all these hoes because I know nothing about that. Brutal honesty is what makes a great artist. What made you decide you wanted to do music professionally? The mission has always been to get a deal. For me, it was in 7th grade and that’s how the Mystikal thing happened. Where I used to live, there was a guy who lived across the street who worked for No Limit. I used to always go by his house and tell him I can rap.He had a get together, and a whole bunch of No Limit dudes were there. Mystikal was there and we were playing touch football in the street. He was real down to Earth, I told him I could rap. He told me to spit something, I rapped and put my heart and soul into it. I still can’t remember what I said, people were laughing and Mystikal said y’all laughing but when he gets older he’s going to be so cold. That’s what made me decide to do music. What brought you to Atlanta? My parents decided to move to get out of New Orleans and all the violence. I did not want to come here; the only thing I liked was the girls. I got here and within my first week here, I completed a mixtape and met some people. My homeboy’s uncle is friends with DJ Toomp. I didn’t know who he was, I use to always listen to Trap Musik.

I’m from New Orleans so I thought Trap Musik was T.I’s first album. So he was telling me Toomp made beats for T.I. I met up with him right after he did You Don’t Know Me. I played him my demo which was a straight mixtape and one of the freestyles I did was to You Don’t Know Me. We maintained a friendship, it never was we’re going to sign you. I kept bringing him music and he would critique it. He would coach me on what I needed to do. I stayed consistent, I put together Spaceships and Satellites by myself. I hit up Toomp and let him know I was putting the mixtape out and wanted to know if I could use his name and he told me I could. I put the office number on it. If you hear it, you would be like okay he’s signed to Toomp, it wasn’t like that at all until people started calling the office. I got my situation on Nzone off of that. Tell the people about the mixtape. It’s called Spaceships and Satellites, the concept is whatever you want it to be. For the record, I don’t smoke, I drink on occasion. I might write a song and people ask if I was high or what was I thinking when I wrote it. The lyrics are some great lyrics. It’s a great mixtape. What else do you have in the works? I’m working on a new mixtape, and website. After the mixtapes, will there be an album? There are a couple of deals on the table with two big labels thanks to Toomp. They are basically waiting on the right records to play for the CEO. How do people find out more about you and the things you’re doing? Twitter.com/reisthefuture www.myspace.com/reload504, www.youtube.com/504 I’m going to be everywhere, people will get tired of me. Last words to the readers? . I’ve gotten this far off of Spaceships and Satellites, Don’t be afraid of what other people are going to say. If you are being genuine and authentic, no one can say you’re not being true to yourself.

How did you get your name? When I started out my name was just Crisis. It was around the time when 9/11 happened. People say I’m a problem with the music so I named myself Crisis. That’s also how it came about with the whole Terror Alert thing. I named my mixtape series Terror Alert. After I started using the name Crisis, I was hearing a lot of other people named Crisis. I put Mr. in front of it to show people I’m the grown Crisis. When did you decide music was something you wanted to do professionally? I’ve been a fan of music all my life. I grew up as a child listening to Marvin Gaye, Otis Redding, and other kinds of music. I used to play around in school making raps, that’s how it came about. In school, I used to do the beats on the lunch table, before I stated rapping. I let a whole year go by without telling anyone I was rapping. How old were you when all of this took place? I started writing down my raps when I was 13, I’ve been doing this for a long time. Tell me more about the Terror Alert mixtape series you have. I released 3 with different volumes of Terror Alert. The whole idea was like I’m here now, so beware. That’s how I came up with the idea, I decided to do. I’m a humble person and I like my music to talk up for me. How would you classify your sound? My sound is universal, I try to make music for everybody and music you can relate to. I have a song right now called I’ll Be Damned, the hook is I’ll be damned if I don’t get this money. Everyone can relate to that and visualize. I’m not just in one lane, I can do pop or whatever. You won a mixtape award. Tell me about that. I won the Justo Mixtape Award. Terror Alert Part 2 me and a friend were working on it, recording it ourselves. Me and him had a falling out and the CD was out. A couple of months went by. I was upset at the people who I recorded with.

A friend hit me up and told me about the submissions for the mixtape awards. I sent in my CD, I made it to the top 50, then the top 25 after that people were voting. I received about 9,000 votes and that’s how I got the award. I had flyers, T shirts and everything. So now you have Terror Alert 3, what’s the story on that mixtape? Each of them had titles except for Terror Alert 1. Terror Alert part 2 was called Line Them Up and I’ll Knock Them Down. Part 3 is called Dumbing Out that’s my word like going in. You can see the growth from part 2 to part 3. I have all kinds of joints on there, it’s classic material. You say it’s classic material. Define classic material. I can’t say it’s classic yet because I haven’t been around long enough. From the feedback I get, I have a thing I do called Every Week Heat and that’s how I got my buzz. I was putting out songs every week on my Myspace. It’s certain songs I put up and I take them down, people would ask me to put it back up. That’s why I say it’s classic, it’s main joints on here that people love. It’s been downloaded 100,000 times so that’s why I say it’s classic. I like making music and I like hearing great things about my music. What are you working on now? I’m trying to do an online video mixtape, not only do I rap, I also edit and direct. I’m trying to put together an online mixtape that everybody can get a visual of what I’m doing. I’m working on an album right now, I haven’t gotten a distributor yet but I have some good situations. How do people find out more about you and what you have going on? They can hit www.myspace.com/crisisworld . I respond to everybody. Youtube.com Mr.CrisisTV Twitter.com/mrcrisis. Last words to the readers? I’m going to keep putting out good music. Don’t just follow me on Twitter, I’m consistent and I put my all into my music. I want to thank everyone that listens to my music.

Studio Suite

We caught up with Ike Dirty to ask a few questions. Here is the conversation. His company, Chart Control started in 2001, just started as a producer. He’s worked with Tamar Braxton, Redman, Keith Murray, Sam Salter, Scrappy, Ying yang Twins, Chamillionaire, Mario, J. Holiday. 8 songs in A.T.L and new music for the ZacEfron film 17 Again. His process for soundtracks - It’s basically a license request, asking for permission to use the song in a film. It was little bit different with A.T.L because the Music Supervisor chose a record at random. It was a great opportunity, because I’m working on the Step Up 3 project as well. How he got his start in production and being from a musical family and how he separates from his father’s shadow. The name Ike Dirty is the first thing, somebody gave me the name so I kind of wanted to have a name that gave me a little separation due to me being named after my father. The primary difference is I came in on the rap side and I liked doing those kind of records. My early success came from doing Hip hop along with R&B. If you had to classify your sound, how would you classify it? I don’t know, I don’t want to say I have one sound when I have all different kinds of sound. I like the fact that you probably wouldn’t know I did a record unless I told you. I like for people to be surprised I did the record as opposed to knowing I did the record. At what age did you decide production was something you wanted to do professionally? Probably when I was like 17, I was getting ready to head off to college. I produced my older sister’s demo, she was looking for a producer and really hadn’t found the one she wanted. She gave me a shot and I did like 3 songs over a weekend. This was before Pro Tools and digital recording so it had to be right. I think that was when I got the edge to want to push forward and produce. Can you breakdown the difference between a producer and a beat maker? A beat maker is someone who doesn’t know how to continue forward with a record. The technical term for a producer is someone who brings a finished master back to the record company. Whatever it takes to get the job done, a producer is a problem solver and gets the job done. If you have to bring in a writer, arranger, or instrumentation you have to know how to bring all of those things together. . If you are a beat maker, that’s the extent of what they do, from that point on there is really nothing they know how to do.

There are successful beat makers and producers, you have to to be what a director is to a movie. Producing doesn’t mean being extremely hands on but you have to be able to direct the project. You have to know when things are wrong, you can make beats but not know how to arrange. Let’s talk about the YouTube video you made about the A&Rs. What inspired the video? Coming from the position of a producer that isn’t as successful as I would like to be, I got frustrated with the politics of the industry. First and foremost, I am a fan of music. I used to enjoy going to the store every Tuesday and getting new music and hearing new projects no matter who it was. I think music has gotten away from the creative aspect, that raw creative energy. It’s now become revenue based . The A&R’s in those positions only look toward the producers that generate revenue and consider them to be the answer for every new artist. Some superstar producers, just because they are superstar producers are not the answer for everything Unless you are on the level of put in 110% , that does not mean necessarily he is the right person for a Ciara record. He was the right person for Chris Brown but not Ciara. The A&R doesn’t really pay attention to the artist and is not paying attention to what the public wants from the artist. That’s where the A&R video came from was the fact that record companies need to get back to recognizing who is right for what artist. Timbaland and Missy were perfect for Aaliyah, JD was perfect for Usher but maybe JD and Aaliyah wouldn’t have made a good match because the chemistry wasn’t right. What are the other things you see wrong with the industry and how would you correct it? I’m not in the position of an executive like Jimmy Iovine, Kevin Liles or LA Reid, they run publicly traded companies so they have to generate revenue. The people they answer to want revenue. The music industry survives off of catalogs, the records my dad made still sell today. Records that are being made right now, will not be selling 10 or 20 years from now. A lot of record companies go after records that are disposable, it’s a mainstream culture. They will absorb everything they can out of it and throw it away. People can’t be upset with people like Soulja Boy, people like what they like. With records like Stanky Leg and others, the really great music gets lost. I love those types of records and I love really great music. There has to be a balance. So what has the response been like to the video? I’ve made a lot of new friends and probably a lot of enemies. Some are messing it up for the 15 year old kid at home that really likes music because they are not getting what they want. I do the videos for the kid that’s looking for the next Whitney Houston or the next Bobby Brown and that whole album which will change their lives. I do it for the kids that will listen to an album and want to do music for the love of music. When A&R’s see me, they say they don’t want me to call them out so they are getting on their jobs. I’m letting people know how it should be done, if it’s not being done that way don’t go to the record store and but anything. I think the public has had enough, after seeing American Idol they realize they control the industry. The public feels there is no need to buy the album when you have Limewire or can download the ringtone. The low album sales reflect that, the superstars that sell no records is the direct result of the record companies and artists not listening to the public. I hear you are working on a project incorporating your father’s music. I am currently working on a compilation that will allow younger and older fans to bridge the gap, come together and enjoy his music. How do we find out more about you and what you have going on? You can find me on Twitter www.twitter.com/issachayes3.

Allure

There’s Something About Gigi

She’s smart, beautiful, and she makes no apologies for who she is and what she does for a living. She’s Gigi Maguire, a Philly native Atlanta resident who just celebrated being in Atlanta for 4 years. In my conversations with her, she is surprisingly open about her life and has an unsuspecting warm disposition. I saw the photos in this spread and decided I had to have her as my very first Allure model. My first sit down with her, I went into it not knowing what to expect and having an open mind. Gigi immediately set my mind to rest and did her best to make me comfortable. The discussion turned to her occupation. I asked her about a motto she has of being “your favorite stripper’s favorite stripper”. She says that’s what she is told from others in her industry because of her stage shows and presence. She became a part of the Magic City family 4 years ago after trying out for amateur night and winning the contest. Gigi is no stranger to dance as it’s been a part of her life since she was a little girl. She is a classically trained dancer who made the decision after some life changing events to get into adult entertainment dancing. I asked her what the biggest misconception of strippers would be and she tells me without missing a beat. “The biggest misconception is people forget we are women with children, boyfriends, husbands, and we have lives. We cook and clean and live a normal life like most people. Instead of going to work to punch in on a clock, I go to work and take home someone else’s paycheck” Gigi will be the first to tell women who ask her how to get into dancing to find another way. “I admit it sounds hypocritical but trust me, find another way to do something else.” Currently she is working on releasing the first of her book series by Fall 2010 and has an instructional DVD and television show in the works. Gigi also has a company C.R.E.A.M Cartel Entertainment which currently manages Baker from Real Chance of Love 2 and she also has some other ventures in the works. There’s something about Gigi that separates her from anyone else you know and that is her brutal honesty, nurturing spirit and not to mention the confidence and self determination she possesses. Soon the world will come to understand there’s something about Gigi that can’t be denied.

Heavy Metal

Unchain My Heart

Heavy Metal

Allow me to introduce you to your new obsession. You may have caught a glimpse of her in Transformers 2 Revenge Of The Fallen, codename is Sideswipe®. This Autobot® is the latest sensation GM has teased us with. For now, this new Corvette Stingray is just a concept car that debuted this past February at the Chicago Auto Show. The original Stingray debuted in 1959 as the premier racing car from Chevrolet, this model unites the past with the future. Although we are a little less than 2 years away from the new generation of Corvettes (the c7 series) we can dream this model would be in the collection. While there has not been a lot of details coming from GM regarding the new series, the plan to have a mid designed engine was scrapped due to cost. GM also stated they would consider making the Corvette a sedan like Porsche Panamera® or Aston Martin Rapide®. As usual with concept cars, with enough public interest the Corvette Stingray will most likely be forwarded to production. The Bumblebee Camaro first was a concept and now is ready for purchase. Until GM makes a decision we only have these photos to keep the dream alive.

Dale Chihuly the man may not be recognizable but, his work is recognized worldwide. He’s a great businessman, who’s worth 29 million per year which includes profits from books, DVDs, retail store etc. Not too bad for a man that taught himself how to blow glass. In a recent interview Chihuly told how he found his calling “I had an oven where I could melt glass, and I knew something about blowing glass because I had a photograph of a glass blower on my wall,” he says. “So one night I just melted some glass in between four bricks, and put a pipe in there - not a blowpipe, just a regular old piece of pipe and blew a little bubble. It was pretty hard to do. I was lucky to have gotten it to bubble. From that moment on that’s all I really ever wanted to be was a glass blower.” A few weeks he blew his first vase, he graduated from Washington, he enrolled and completed his masters at Wisconsin and established the glass department at Rhode Island School of Design. While at Rhode Island, he received a grant that allowed him to study in Italy for a year. It was in Italy, where he saw in the factories how everyone worked as a team. Chihuly came back to the States and in 1974 debuted his first series of cylinders. Chihuly’s cylinders featured a Venetian style of drawing on glass. Chihuly used pieces of colored glass to create a pattern and rolled hot glass over the pattern to create a unique piece of art. Chihuly’s collections have included baskets, seaforms, installations, sculptures, and chandeliers. Chihuly has permanent collections in the United States, Canada, England and the United Arab Emirates. Due to two accidents, Chihuly can no longer blow glass, he stated in a 2006 interview “Once I stepped back, I liked the view” adding “ I’m more choreographer than dancer, more supervisor than participant, more director than actor.” His client list includes Bill Gates, the Clintons, Elton John and others. His work can be seen in various galleries worldwide and at various exhibitions or you can visit his studio in Washington. You can also own a Chihuly by visiting his retail store in Las Vegas at the Bellagio. Dale Chihuly was and is an artist that continues to inspire people to dream in color worldwide. For more information visit www.chihuly.com.

Art & Soul

Haute Plate

The Evolution Of Rihanna

It usually takes years for a starlet and her glam squad to perfect a paparazzi ready look that will help catapult them to superstardom, and Rihanna is no exception to this rule. When mentioning her sudden sartorial successes, so many overlook the journey that got took her from one of pop music’s masses to a household name. In four short years we’ve seen Ms Fenty’s look evolve from its humble beginnings. Starting with her once flowing locks of brown hair that were first cut into a razor sharp bob, then an asymmetric style that everyone asked for, eventually settling into some sort of Mohawk , pompadour hybrid, Rihanna has perched herself on fashion and beauty’s cutting edge. With her once cookie cutter image all but forgotten, she has embraced her inner Good Girl Gone Bad by way of risqué couture garments, displaying her newest tattoos, and going from sweet and girly one the red carpet to dominatrix chic in her performances. Since her newest style incarnation Rihanna has been recognized by everyone from People to Glamour to Maxim for her unique ability to seemingly do no wrong in the style department. We have to remind ourselves that she’s only 21 and it’s only been four years, and her style is still evolving. - Anastasia Nicole

Remember The Time...............

On June 25th, 2009 the world came together to mourn the loss of Michael Joseph Jackson. It was a sad, confusing, mournful, shocking afternoon as the reports started to circulate that MJ had passed. All the way up to June 25th, 2009, MJ had been the but of many jokes, looked upon with speculation, and had been accused of being a lot of things. After the initial reports of his death, the 24 hour news cycles began to speculate over what truly happened earlier that day. People asked if it was drugs, if it was possible suicide, if the pressure to do the upcoming 50 date tour had been too much. While most were celebrating the life of MJ and his contributions to the world, others were vilifying him. There were vicious attacks on his character, on his family and friends. There were some who praised him one hour and tried to continue tearing him down the next. MJ was a man who had to grown up in the limelight, we all know the story of how his music career got to the point it was when he passed. We all heard the stories of the allegations of abuse, we all witnessed the transition he made once he started his solo career. We watched as he moon walked across the stage at Motown 25. We also danced and celebrated the music, we watched with anticipation for the next new video. MJ was so creative with videos that it was an event every time there was news he was releasing a video. We also saw the compassionate side of MJ, we saw how he cared for others in need. While much has been made of the negative aspects and speculation around him, the positive in my opinion outweighs the negative. MJ was a man who was known to be a kind, giving person. He was a person who had his faults, as we all do. Since the funeral, MJ’s death has been ruled a homicide, Dr. Conrad Murray has been a person of interest. There have also been a lot of people talking about the problems MJ had with insomnia, how he needed a sedative. While I can’t say what really happened to cause MJ’s death, I will say that Dr. Murray took an oath to do no harm. The investigation is still ongoing and there is no telling how this will all conclude. MJ has left a legacy for all to appreciate and celebrate. He will always be the King Of Pop and we have great memories and stories. We Remember The Time…………..

Unscripted

Summer Rayne is a young lady a great friend told me about. He told me about her movie Sure Looks Good and after seeing the teaser, I had to interview her. How did you get your start in acting? Acting sort of fell in my lap. It was never something I gave much thought to as being a career. I have not gone to school or received formal training. It all started with me just wanting to help out a friend who is a union actor and is currently working on producing and directing his own films. The closest career I ever gave thought to exploring was becoming a voice over actor. As a small child I was always fascinated with cartoon character voices and impersonations. I often mimicked certain characters, people, family members and even came up with a few of my own. Sometimes I would call friends or family and they would have no idea it was me until I burst out in laughter. “Sure Looks Good” is a romantic drama that takes an introspective look into the lives of four black women as they go through a series of events that will change them forever. Staring Nicole Tucker, Merissa Kay, Kenya Banks, Leigha Mai-Ling, Skye Dennis, and Omillio Sparks Directed by Lionel Anthony Cook, Co-Owner/CEO of R.A.G. Productions. I’m good friends with the film director, Lionel Anthony Cook.

He mentioned that he had a small role he needed to fill and asked me if I would like to take a shot at acting. I play Deena, a fanatical fan of famed book author Jason (Skye Dennis).You can catch a glimpse of me in the bookstore scene at Jason’s book signing. Your readers will have to check out the movie for further details! In the meantime the movie trailer can be viewed on www.youtube.com , search by movie title to locate it. “Sure Looks Good” will be available on DVD and in stores to purchase sometime by the end of this year or early 2010.For more information please contact ragproductions@gmail.com . Your readers can expect to see me in another film real soon! Another good friend of mine, Matthew Raymond Merz, is an independent film director. His film is a short comedy entitled “Operation: Get Rid of Pinky.” I play the part of a getaway driver! I’m running for my life to get out of the path of the infamous Pinky. I’m not at liberty to disclose too much information about this film which is still in the early stages of production. The film trailer can be viewed on youtube. For more information about Matthew Merz or his film, he can be contacted at mmerz@temple.edu. What lessons have you learned that you would want to pass along to other aspiring actresses? I’ve learned that being an actress is no easy task. It takes a lot of hard work, dedication of time, integrity and being completely absorbed in your role. You must be determined to keep your focus on mastering your character, their personality, mannerisms and etc. While on set, it’s almost like you have to adopt a one track mind so to speak and actually become your character. I’ve also learned that sometimes you can be your own worse critic, but if the director likes the take, you should love it! How do people find out more about you and the future projects you have coming out? At the present time, I do not have an agent; therefore people can contact me directly at Jahsangel25@aol.com. They can also follow me on www.twitter.com/Jahsangel25 for the latest updates. Last words to the readers? In life, you may come across an uncharted path, do not be afraid to explore it. It just might lead you the fulfillment of a dream you never knew you had. It may inspire you to become more than what you are. Exploring the path may unearth a talent you never knew you owned and it could help you claim it.

Dedication

Ted Kennedy was a man that dealt with all the obstacles in his life in front of cameras. The Kennedy family had its share of tragedies as well as great accomplishments. Ted took on the patriarch role in his family as a result of all the tragedies. The Kennedy family fought for change to enrich the lives of all Americans. Meals on Wheels, The Special Olympics, Civil Rights bills and the like. Ted Kennedy entered into his Senate seat in 1962, and kept the seat all the way up until his death. He was a man who recognized his faults and tried his best to move past them. An interesting characteristic about Kennedy was once the events of 9/11 took place, he called the families of the victims who were Massachusetts residents one by one to offer condolences. He called and or wrote to the families every 9/11 to let them know he still cared. Kennedy did a lot of great things behind the scenes, away from the glare of the cameras. He was respected by both parties as a man who got things done by practical means. One of his last appearances was at the Democratic Convention, the night President Obama received the nomination. Mr. Kennedy looked far from ill; he gave a robust speech that had the crowd on its feet. Once President Obama was elected, people questioned if Mr. Kennedy would attend the inauguration. The pundits all tossed the idea of Mr. Kennedy being there and some doubted. As always Mr. Kennedy proved them all and was there to witness the event in person. That day was significant for many reasons, one of which was Mr. Kennedy worked tirelessly for Civil Rights and equal rights for African Americans. There was no doubt in my mind that Mr. Kennedy would not be in attendance on that historical day. Mr. Kennedy has left a legacy; some will debate if that is a good or bad legacy. One thing is clear; Mr. Kennedy’s great works will last forever and be remembered hopefully a lot longer than the negative personal things. Well done Mr. Kennedy, well done.

Thank You Michael Joseph Jackson. You will Live On In Our Hearts Forever