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M er c y Gang<br />
C h o p s I t U p W i t h<br />
M J S a v i n o<br />
l e t 's<br />
t a l k<br />
a b o ut<br />
Th e s e<br />
h o t<br />
Mo d e l s<br />
S p e c i a l F e a t u r e<br />
Mr . Vega<br />
T a l k s A b o u t<br />
H i s R e c e n t<br />
T o u r I n D u b a i<br />
Neecha Neechie<br />
M s . 1 S T O P S H O P I s<br />
K i l l i n g T h e s e 2 0 18<br />
P h o t o s h o o t s<br />
M amie King-Chalmers<br />
P l a y e d A M a j o r R o l e I n e<br />
B l a c k H i s t o r y A l o n g s i d e<br />
D r . M a r t i n L u t h e r K i n g<br />
B IG MIK E FR OM<br />
THE GETO B OYS<br />
D r o p s A N e w A l b u m , A l o n g<br />
W i t h A n Ex c l u s i v e<br />
I n t e r v i e w W i t h D a n n i<br />
B i l l i o n s " O f T e a m L e ' B l a n c<br />
I n d i e F i l m s<br />
Kandi Kane Enter tai nment
Taryn Mitchell<br />
by Lasuria Allman<br />
Tar yn Mitchell is a San Diego<br />
native wher e she was<br />
intr oduced at a ver y ear ly age<br />
to the stage. Tar yn's mother<br />
and gr andmother oper ated a<br />
community talent outr each<br />
pr ogr am called The Southeast<br />
Community Wor kshop, as this<br />
exposed her to dance, singing<br />
and acting. After her mother<br />
passed away when she was 7,<br />
she was independently r aised<br />
by her father who instilled<br />
r esour cefulness,<br />
independence, and the<br />
str ength to sur vive any<br />
situation; Tar yn had a gr eat<br />
combination of the Ar ts and<br />
Business. Tar yn's tr ue<br />
dedication, other than<br />
per for ming for other s her self,<br />
is to develop and manage talent<br />
with the full passion to believe<br />
in them.<br />
TARYN MITCHELL<br />
The Phoenix's model is str ong management which is<br />
per sonable, passionate with an above and beyond<br />
appr oach.?We seek uniqueness and pr ovide best car eer<br />
dir ection for the ar tists.?<br />
Management is the cor e of The Phoenix Talent and its mission<br />
to r einvent those skills that may have r ested within an ar tist<br />
aiming to pull out the best again; ther efor e our loyalty and<br />
belief in our talent is measur ed by the degr ee of passion and<br />
har d wor k, a unique str ategy to best r epr esent.
M r . V eg as<br />
Inter nationally acclaimed r ecor ding ar tiste Mr Vegas pulled out one of the biggest cr owds in<br />
histor y on New Year 's Eve at Reggae Beach Fest in Abu Dhabi, Dubai.<br />
Mr Vegas deliver ed his usual high-ener gy per for mance while belting out songs likeI Am<br />
Blessed,Nothing WildandG.O.A.T,to the delight of his r oar ing fans.<br />
"The feedback that I've been getting for my per for mance has been wonder ful. A lot of people<br />
have been telling me that the per for mance was gr eat. all of the r eviews wer e good," said Mr<br />
Vegas.<br />
This was the enter tainer 's fir st time per for ming at Reggae Beach Fest, which is held annually.<br />
"I want to thank the or ganiser s of the event, and my loyal fans for coming out to the show. It<br />
was a r eally good show and I came and I deliver ed," said Mr Vegas.<br />
Mr Vegas is cur r ently pr omoting two of his latest singles titledFollah Da<br />
LeadahandEver ything a Wor kfeatur ing Ding Dong. He said that he will be shooting a video<br />
for the latter.<br />
The multitalented r eggae ar tiste is busy in the studio, adding the final touches to his 12th<br />
studio album which will be r eleased ear ly this year.<br />
Mr Vegas said that fans can look out for mor e conscious and uplifting music on this album.<br />
Source- MIA Productions<br />
Tw it t er:@Mia_product ion/nst agram :@Mia_product ion
Kandi Kane Ent er t ainment<br />
Born Romal D'Sean<br />
Terrell-Melton, Polo Roe grew up in<br />
the streets of the Westside of<br />
Detroit. Raised by his mother &<br />
Step-father, Polo Roe was instantly<br />
addicted to music at a young age.<br />
After a little bit of legal trouble,<br />
Polo Roe & his family relocated to<br />
the downriver area where he<br />
started the music group Top Notch<br />
Thugz (TNT). Listening to various<br />
artists such as Tupac, Biggie, &<br />
Nas to Ludacris, Gucci Mane, T.I., &<br />
Lil Wayne, Polo Developed a<br />
mixture of their styles and created<br />
a style of his own. Now With The<br />
Help Of His Management Team,<br />
Kandi Kane Entertainment, Polo Is<br />
On The Verge Of Being A New<br />
Breakout Artist.<br />
Instagram: Poloroeofficial<br />
Facebook: Romal Polo Roe Melton<br />
Snapchat: Poloroetnt<br />
-Lasuria Allman<br />
Kandi- What city and state did you gr ow up in?<br />
Polo-Detr oit<br />
Kandi-What was it like gr owing up in Detr oit?<br />
Polo-What you see in the movies is not how it r eally<br />
is<br />
Kandi-Tell us a few things about your self ?<br />
IPolo-'m Polo The Bully, I'm Laid back.<br />
Kandi- What inspir ed you to become a ar tist?<br />
Polo- A guy gave me cassette and it was Maze<br />
"Looking at me"<br />
Kandi- What is your cur r ent single?<br />
Polo- Playing this game to win, I know, Cr anking All<br />
Week<br />
Kandi-How long have you been in the music<br />
industr y?<br />
Polo-Since I was 10<br />
Kandi- Ar e ther e any ar tists that you would like to<br />
collabor ate with?<br />
Polo- Kevin Gates, Ty Dollar Signs<br />
Kandi- Do you wr ite your own music?<br />
Polo- Ever y single wor d<br />
Kandi- So your fans can follow you what social<br />
media sites ar e you on?<br />
Polo- Instagr am, Snapchat , Facebook<br />
Polo Roe Official<br />
Kandi-Ar e ther e any challenges that you have faced<br />
and over came in the music industr y?<br />
Polo- Paying for slots, Not Paying for slots, Not<br />
getting paid<br />
Kandi- Have you ever exper ienced stage fr ight?<br />
Polo- Never, I Love It<br />
Kandi- What motivates and dr ives you?<br />
Polo- People watching and hear ing me per for m, my<br />
childr en, I Lost My Br other Br andon<br />
#LongLiveBGoKr azy<br />
Kandi- What advice would you give to aspir ing<br />
ar tists tr ying to get in the music industr y?<br />
Polo- Don't let anyone steer you away, fr om what<br />
you want to do.<br />
Kandi- If you could change<br />
your pr ofession what would<br />
you be doing?<br />
Polo- Football Coach<br />
Kandi- Wher e do you think<br />
you will be doingin 5 year s?<br />
Polo- Rocking somebody stage<br />
out<br />
Kandi- What advice would<br />
you give to young men about<br />
the impor tance of obtaining a<br />
good education?<br />
Polo- You can't do anything<br />
without<br />
Kandi- Zodiac<br />
Polo-Taur us<br />
Kandi- Favor ite food<br />
Polo- Stea<br />
Kandi- Childr en<br />
Polo- 4<br />
Kandi- Hobbies<br />
Polo- Wr iting, Music,<br />
Basketball
Reggae singjay Zyanigh will be<br />
releasing his anticipating album<br />
?Unartifitial?produced by Marko Jay<br />
from Jazhyah music group on<br />
January 12, 2018.<br />
The 14-track album, which features<br />
international acclimated recording<br />
artiste Sizzla Kalonji, will be<br />
released on iTunes and all major<br />
digital outlets through Zojak<br />
Worldwide.<br />
"I wanted this album to be based<br />
on life itself - my life and the lives of<br />
others. People can always relate to<br />
love and life, I covered all different<br />
aspects of both topics," said<br />
Zyanigh.<br />
The album boasts a total of<br />
fourteen tracks which include:<br />
Move wiser (intro), Better Days,<br />
Brain power feat. Sizzla Kalonji,<br />
Ghetto Youths, Take You Places,<br />
Love You More, Beat a mi Heart,<br />
Very Long Time, Times Get Hard,<br />
Most High, Beautiful Elegance, Over<br />
You, Have Mercy and Jah Jah.<br />
?The feedback has been great so far<br />
and a lot of people has different<br />
tracks as their favorite, however,<br />
the collaboration with Sizzla Kalonji<br />
has been creating waves and<br />
everyone thinks it?s going to be<br />
huge for my career,? said Zyanigh.<br />
With the attention the album has<br />
been receiving, Zyanigh released<br />
the official music video for ?Better<br />
Days?on December 29, 2017.<br />
The video was shot on location in<br />
Kingston Jamaica and directed by<br />
RD Studios.<br />
Among his other releases are; ?Love<br />
You More?and ?Most High?.<br />
Z y a n i g h<br />
Source- MIA Production
" How I f eel<br />
a bout my self<br />
is mor e<br />
imp or t a nt<br />
t ha n how I<br />
look. Feeling<br />
c onf id ent ,<br />
being<br />
c omf or t a ble in<br />
y our skin<br />
t ha t ?s wha t<br />
r ea lly ma kes<br />
y ou bea ut if ul."<br />
- Bobbi Br ow n<br />
magazine<br />
info@website.com
Host ed By<br />
Don Cr ack<br />
Kumasi Awar ds Night<br />
2017 kicked off on<br />
December 30th last<br />
month in Kumasi Ghana.<br />
The show took place at<br />
Vienna City Night Club,<br />
and was power ed by<br />
Ghana'a own Team<br />
NoLongage. One of the<br />
MC's was Don Cr ack of<br />
Don Cr ack Ent, along with<br />
Papa Kumasi & Emelia<br />
Br obbey. Of cour se some<br />
Ghanaian celebs had to<br />
come thr ough and show<br />
their love and suppor t.<br />
KUMASI AWARDS NIGHT HIGHLIGHTS<br />
The awar ds show had sever al differ ent categor ies, and<br />
social media had a field day with their highly opinionated<br />
comments. Categor ies r anging fr om The guy with the best<br />
bear d to Humanitar ian Of the year which was won by Zor o<br />
King. However I think it was genius mar keting fr om Team<br />
NoLongage. In enter tainment you do what you have to do to<br />
get them talking about you. Over all the event was a major<br />
success, and it's most definitely something for the youth of<br />
Kumasi to look for war d to each year..<br />
-Danielle "Danni Billions" Cr aig<br />
One was Hip Hop<br />
r ecor ding ar tist Flowking<br />
Stone, as well as Sista<br />
Afia. Sever al<br />
under gr ound ar tist<br />
gr aced the stage including<br />
one of my fav's Amer ado<br />
Bur ner, a young up and<br />
coming ar tist who's<br />
making waves<br />
inter nationally.
Kum asi Aw ards Night 2017
Civil Rights Activist Mamie King-Chalmer s<br />
Mamie King-Chalmer s was bor n Mamie Ruth King on<br />
June 19, 1941 to Ber r y King Sr. & Mattie Mar lowe- King in<br />
Bir mingham Alabama<br />
In 1960 one of the most r acial and volatile times in<br />
Amer ican histor y. Bir mingham was known as<br />
Bombingham. In 1963 Dr. Mar tin Luther King Jr ar r ived<br />
in Bir mingham at the r equest of Fr ed Shuttleswor th. A<br />
mass meeting at 16th st. Baptist Chur ch campaigning,<br />
against segr egation, injustices in public places and Texas<br />
Jim Cr ow Laws that binder them.<br />
When Dr. King finished his speech, Mamie knew this was<br />
her calling unafr aid Mamie joined the Alabama<br />
Chr istian Movement for Human Rights and became an<br />
active demonstr ator, Member, Par ticipant and<br />
Or ganizer and Demonstr ator in the Civil Rights<br />
Movement. Mamie was always in the for efr ont leading<br />
the way. Her father Ber r y, pr epar ed lunches and<br />
tr anspor tation to and fr om the pr otest sites for<br />
demonstr ator s. While demonstr ating she suffer ed<br />
attacks of police br utality and police dogs.<br />
Mamie was always tar geted by The Public Safety Chief<br />
Eugene "Bull" Connor s, who was a self pr oclaimed r acist.<br />
She was jailed on sever al occasions one time she spent<br />
five days in jail under hor r ible conditions.<br />
On Fr iday May 3, 1963, Bull Connor s spotted Mamie and<br />
sent the dogs after her. She r an acr oss the str eet to a<br />
doctor 's office seeking shelter. Fr om the vicious dogs, one<br />
was Bull Connor s dog whom he named "Nigga" was a<br />
black Ger man Shepher d K9. Mamie was cor ner ed with<br />
nowher e to go. Bull Connor s or der ed the fir e<br />
depar tment to tur n the water hoses on her. He stated<br />
"Tur n The Hoses On That Nigger So She Don't Have To<br />
Take A Bath"<br />
They began to hose Mamie, while she was pinned to the<br />
building and was alone. Sever al Childr en including her<br />
br other s Ber r y Jr, Clar ence King tr ied to help her, no<br />
one was successful. Two unidentified young men<br />
appear ed out of nowher e. They used their bodies as<br />
shields to pr otect Mamie, tr ying to absor b some of the<br />
water pr essur e.<br />
Many childr en used their bodies as tar gets and<br />
distr actions to help Mamie and the young men. The<br />
water pr essur e was so har d and r elentless. If felt like<br />
br icks wer e being hur led at their heads and bodies. Due<br />
to the pr essur e of the water, Today Mamie is deaf in her<br />
r ight ear.
Mamie King- Chalmers<br />
These events wer e captur ed by Char les Moor e Black Star Repor ter who later sold Mamie images to Time<br />
magazine which have cir culated the wor ld for 55 year s. Mr. Moor e followed Mamie thr oughout the<br />
pr otests, captur ing many images of her leading the way. Her photos featur ed in Time magazine gained<br />
national attention HEADER and spar ked The Civil Rights Movement and won the suppor t of other states. The<br />
pictur es r eached the desk of The Pr esident of United States, Lyndon B. Johnson which he was hor r ified,<br />
and disgusted by what he had befor e him. He signed The Civil Rights act 1964.<br />
Google Mamie King-Chalmer s<br />
-Lasur ia Allman
Danni Inter view s Teen M odel<br />
Danni- Hey, how are you doing?<br />
Shi- I am doing great thank you for asking.<br />
Danni-What is your current age?<br />
Shi- I am 16 year old...<br />
Danni- Soooo, do like school? And what grade are you<br />
in?<br />
Shi- I?m currently in 10th grade and I like school as much<br />
as any normal teenager does.<br />
Danni- Your pictures are beautiful, how long have you<br />
been modeling?<br />
Shi- Thank you, I actually never modeled before besides<br />
small beauty pageants or for a local store, but that?s<br />
about it - nothing big.<br />
Danni- Do you sing, act, write, or have any other hidden<br />
talents that you would like to share with us?<br />
Shi- I sing for fun, but I wouldn?t consider it a hidden<br />
talent.<br />
Danni- Do you have any plans after you have<br />
graduated?<br />
Shi- After I graduate high school I plan on going to<br />
college. I?m not sure [what for] yet, maybe for design or<br />
veterinarian.<br />
Danni- What do you want to be - long term?<br />
Shi- I just want to be happy with where I am in life.<br />
Danni- Who?s your favorite celebrity/crush?<br />
Shi- My favorite celebrity at the moment would have to<br />
be Kendal Kardashian.<br />
Danni- Who?s your biggest role model?<br />
Shi- This is kinda cliché, but my mom is my biggest role<br />
model.<br />
Danni- Tell us something interesting about you?<br />
Shi- Something interesting about me would have to be<br />
that I love decorating and styling things.<br />
Danni- Thx so much for your time. But before I let you<br />
go who would you like to shout out at this time?<br />
magazine<br />
www.website.com info@website.com<br />
Shi- I would like to shout out the photographer that<br />
made all of this even happen: JzR Photography, and my<br />
mom that took time out of her day to drive me 2 hours<br />
for my first photo shoot.
magazine<br />
www.website.com info@website.com
Sev<br />
Inter view By Lasuria Allman<br />
W h a t c i t y a n d s t a t e y o u g r e w u p<br />
i n ?<br />
D e t M i<br />
W h a t w a s i t l i k e g r o w i n g u p i n<br />
D e t r o i t ?<br />
I g r e w u p o n 7 m i l e a n d V a n D y k e<br />
W h a t i n s p i r e d y o u t o b e c o m e a<br />
a r t i s t ?<br />
A s a c h i l d I l i k e d p o e t r y , r a p i s<br />
s i m i l a r<br />
W h a t i s y o u r c u r r e n t s i n g l e ?<br />
B O M B B a c k O n M y B . S .<br />
A r e t h e r e a n y a r t i s t s t h a t y o u<br />
w o u l d l i k e t o c o l l a b o r a t e w i t h ?<br />
N e s h a N a s h a e , Je e z y , G u c c i m a n e<br />
D o y o u h a v e a n y s h o w s , v i d e o s ,<br />
t o u r s c o m i n g u p i n t h e n e a r<br />
f u t u r e ?<br />
B l a c k O r c h i d ,<br />
TA K E O V ER 10<br />
S u n F e b 2 5 @ S t a r L i f e 18 30 0 w .<br />
7 m i l e<br />
S o y o u r f a n s c a n f o l l o w y o u w h a t<br />
s o c i a l m e d i a s i t e s y o u a r e o n ?<br />
I n s t a g r a m , F B , S n a p c h a t<br />
D o y o u w r i t e y o u r o w n m u s i c ?<br />
Y e s , I m e m o r i z e t h e m , o n l y i f I ' m<br />
d r o p p i n g a b i g p r o j e c t .<br />
A r e t h e r e a n y c h a l l e n g e s y o u<br />
h a v e f a c e d a n d o v e r c a m e i n t h e<br />
m u s i c i n d u s t r y ?<br />
S h a k e y p e o p l e , l e a r n i n g t h e<br />
b u s i n e s s . N o t p a y i n g a t t e n t i o n t o<br />
e v e r y t h i n g<br />
W h e r e d o y o u s e e y o u r s e l f f i v e<br />
y e a r s f r o m n o w ?<br />
P r o m o t i o n<br />
H a v e y o u e v e r e x p e r i e n c e d s t a g e<br />
f r i g h t ?<br />
N e v e r<br />
W h a t m o t i v a t e s a n d d r i v e s y o u ?<br />
P e o p l e s a y i n g t h a t I c a n ' t d o i t . I<br />
l o v e t o p r o v e t h e m w r o n g .<br />
W h a t a d v i c e d o y o u g i v e t o<br />
a s p i r i n g a r t i s t s t r y i n g t o g e t i n<br />
t h e m u s i c i n d u s t r y ?<br />
N e v e r g i v e u p o n y o u r s e l f<br />
D o y o u h a v e a w e b s i t e w e r e y o u r<br />
m u s i c c a n b e v i e w e d a n d<br />
p u r c h a s e d ?<br />
Y o u t u b e<br />
W h a t a d v i c e d o y o u g i v e y o u n g<br />
p e o p l e o f t o d a y a b o u t t h e<br />
i m p o r t a n c e o f o b t a i n i n g a g o o d<br />
e d u c a t i o n ?<br />
Y o u m u s t k n o w w h a t y o u w a n t t o<br />
d o i n l i f e .<br />
Z o d i a c ?<br />
A q u a r i u s ?<br />
C h i l d r e n ?<br />
N o<br />
F a v o r i t e f o o d ?<br />
T a c o s<br />
H o b b i e s ?<br />
W r i t i n g , w o r k i n g o u t , p l a y i n g<br />
c a r d s
"Within my body are all<br />
the sacred places of the<br />
world, and the most<br />
profound pilgrimage I can<br />
ever make is within my own<br />
body."<br />
- Saraha<br />
Phot o Credit : JZR Product ion
Neecha Neechie<br />
Brand Am bassador For <strong>London</strong> Le'<strong>Blanc</strong>
Photo Credit: Team Neecha Neechie<br />
Hair & M UA : Neecha Neechie<br />
Styled By: Neecha Neechie
Photo Credit: Team Neecha Neechie<br />
Hair & M UA : Neecha Neechie<br />
Styled By: Neecha Neechie<br />
Wardrobe: <strong>London</strong> Le'<strong>Blanc</strong> & Co
Neeha Neechie
MJ:Let me begin by thanking you for taking the time to<br />
chop it up with MJ. Its an honor, you?re an amazing<br />
journalist, and poet. Let?s jump right in and talk about<br />
the new album M.E.R.C.Y. You have some of my<br />
favorite emcees on the album as features such as<br />
Chris Rivers and Ren Thomas. Give everyone the who,<br />
what, where, when, why, and how of M.E.R.C.Y. What<br />
does the acronym stand for? Talk about the<br />
production. Talk about the cover art. Talk about the<br />
meaning behind it. How was it creating music and an<br />
album without the core member Hefty (RIP)?<br />
MG:The acronym M.E.R.C.Y. stands for Murder Every<br />
Rapper Coming at You. It was an honor to work with<br />
some of the nicest lyricists in the game. Ren Thomas is<br />
like family, we have done plenty of shows with him<br />
and our brothers over at Sensi Starr so it was bound<br />
to happen. Our fellow Bax War brother Pryme Prolifik<br />
did the production on that record. As for Chris Rivers<br />
we chopped it up on the phone with him, sent him the<br />
track and he murdered it. We also have U.G from the<br />
legendary Cella Dwellas. He has been like a big<br />
brother and mentor to us since we went on tour with<br />
him, and Adlib in 2013. We wanted to work with some<br />
producers we didn?t get a chance to work with on our<br />
first album, but still keep that in your face sound that<br />
our fans were used to. We had some of the usual<br />
suspects like JL Studios, Level 13, U.G, Chris Fields,<br />
Nysom, and a couple of new producers like Holla da<br />
Schollar, Will Sully, and Pryme Prolifik. The artwork<br />
was done by the Soloist. We wanted to let Hefty know<br />
how much we miss him and that we know he is<br />
watching over us. This was a long and emotional 2<br />
years; a lot of tears were shed working on this album<br />
without him. He was very creative and had such a<br />
powerful voice that was a big part of our sound. We<br />
appreciate the amazing poem you wrote for Hefty on<br />
this album; it really meant the world to us and his<br />
family.<br />
MJ:What do you want fans to embrace most from this<br />
album? Tell us what three words would Hefty use to<br />
describe the album.<br />
MG:We want the fans to truly appreciate the blood,<br />
sweat, and tears we put into this album. The three<br />
words Hefty would use would be amazing, compelling,<br />
and honored.<br />
Mercy Gang<br />
MJ:Will there be a M.E.R.C.Y sophomore album or trilogy?<br />
MG:Yes, we?re constantly working on new material. Maine has a project with<br />
suspect from Marmel coming soon, and DJ Merc is working on a mixtape.<br />
MJ:I have to share that Mercy Gang is in my top 5 of favorite Indie Hip Hop<br />
groups for many reasons! To begin each of you share the same core belief<br />
that Mercy Gang is a reflection of a family and true brotherhood. To further,<br />
the group has an incredible know-how and skill to combine individual unique<br />
talents into fused perfection! So often you hear of groups that break up or<br />
call it quits after a few hits or an album. 2017 Mercy Gang is still thriving.<br />
Share the secret of a successful group. Also what would you say are some<br />
challenges?<br />
MG:Thanks MJ! That?s means a lot coming from you, being the Hip Hop head<br />
you are. We trust each other?s creativity and respect each other?s point of<br />
view as it comes to beats, rhymes, and life. We argue and bump heads like<br />
most groups do, but the love and respect that we have for each other and for<br />
our Mercy Gang Brand is stronger than our pride or any egos.<br />
MJ:Listening to M.E.R.C.Y talk about how the group has progressed musically<br />
from previous albums. How would you like to further progress as a group?<br />
MG:Just continuing to make the music from our hearts, and daring to be<br />
different. We?re not afraid to take risks, always giving our all on every song,<br />
verse, or hook. We don?t sit around trying to make a hit. We just let the music<br />
bring the best out of us organically.<br />
MJ:Mercy Gang has shared the studio and stages with several major artists!<br />
Talk about a memorable time in your career that still stands out to you. Also,<br />
who would you like to add to that list of collaborations?<br />
MG:We have had a few but the performances that stick out the most were<br />
the Staten Island shows where Method Man came on stage and started<br />
rocking to our song. We have also had the honor of rocking the stage with<br />
both Sean Price and Prodigy who sadly are no longer with us. May they both<br />
rest in peace. Our bucket list of artists we would love to work with, for Maine<br />
would be Redman and Nas. Paulie would like to collaborate with Eminem and<br />
Tech N9ne. We would also love to work with Philly?s own the 30 and Over<br />
League.<br />
MJ:As we move into the new year give us some inside scoop on upcoming<br />
shows or other projects you will be working on.<br />
MG:We?re working on some dates for a couple of mini tours in Canada with<br />
Marmel and with universal entities from MA, VA, and NC. We are working on<br />
another Mercy Gang album. Maine and Suspect are working on a project<br />
titled ?Cross Boarder Connections <strong>Vol</strong> 2?. DJ Merc has a mixtape coming out,<br />
and we have a couple of surprises under our sleeve as well, so stayed tuned!<br />
MJ:Let?s talk about support! I find it amazing how incredibly supportive and<br />
encouraging you are to other artists. I remember one show, our first time<br />
meeting in person, you arrived early, supported every single performance<br />
and performer, and even stayed afterwards to network. Why is that so<br />
important to you? How does that help you as artists?<br />
MG:Well first and foremost I?m a fan of the culture so I love to see other dope<br />
artists, and we are always down to do build for collaborations. Networking is<br />
extremely important when you?re an artist, dj, promoter, manager, or even<br />
just a fan. So many doors can open up through networking. We?ve met some<br />
great people who share the same love and passion as we do.
MJ:Play along with the quick 3? . Name three places you<br />
would like to tour. Name three artists in your playlist<br />
regardless of genre. Name 3 people who have influenced<br />
you both personally and musically. Describe in three words a<br />
Mercy Gang performance.<br />
MJ:I get called an ol?head quite frequently<br />
because I debate and critique music that so<br />
many are quick to categorize or label as Hip<br />
Hop. When I think of Hip Hop I think lyrics,<br />
boom bap, knowledge, delivering a message,<br />
instruments, poetry, art, etc. I think of a<br />
4-minute track with a hook. I think of catchy<br />
intro?s and outro?s. I think of longevity; I can<br />
go on forever. Tell me in your own words how<br />
do you define Hip Hop? Do you see Mercy<br />
Gang ever conforming to fads or trends?<br />
MG:We will never conform to fads or trends,<br />
that?s just not us. Hip hop is a way of life for<br />
us! we eat, sleep, and shit Hip Hop? Hip Hop<br />
is a feeling, Hip Hop is competitive, Hip Hop is<br />
beats, rhymes, originality. It?s being true to<br />
yourself, and not trying to fit in.<br />
MJ:I?m curious, how did everyone link up and<br />
create Mercy Gang? If it wasn?t for music<br />
where would you be right now in life?<br />
MG:Maine did a record with Sway one of our<br />
earlier members, and Hefty came to the<br />
session and the three of them hit it off<br />
instantly. I was part of a group called Unstable<br />
Minds when Hefty reached out to me about<br />
joining the group. The original group<br />
consisted of Hefty, Maine, Ace, Sway, myself,<br />
Paulie, and Bagz. Our name was ?The<br />
Mercenaries,? but Maine wasn?t feeling it so<br />
he started saying Mercy Gang and it stuck. We<br />
met DJ Merc at a show we did in Jersey and he<br />
was dope. Sothree months laterHefty<br />
approached him about being in the group<br />
and the rest is history. We still try to keep the<br />
essence of the original group by putting the<br />
former members on a lot of our projects. If I<br />
weren?t doing music I would probably be<br />
pursuing my interest in writing scripts for<br />
movies (Maine).<br />
MG:We would love to tour overseas like Europe, Japan, and<br />
definitely the United States. My playlist right now has<br />
Redman, John Mayer, and Conway. Paulie?s playlist right now<br />
has Twiztid, Wu Tang, and Benny from Griselda. My three<br />
influences would be my cousin Sudan who I learned how to<br />
rap from. My mom who made me the person I am today and<br />
I would have to say the culture of Hip Hop. Three words to<br />
describe a Mercy Gang show without a doubt would be<br />
energetic, raw, and amazing.<br />
MJ:Each member of the group has their own personal lives,<br />
where does the balance come in? How do you balance career<br />
and family? Sometimes in this industry to be successful in<br />
both is extremely difficult.<br />
MG:It?s a thin line, because one is going to effect the other.<br />
For Paulie and myself we both have wives and kids, and both<br />
of our wives are nurses and their schedules are crazy. So<br />
when it comes to touring we have to work around our<br />
family?s schedule. But the thing that makes it work is the love<br />
and support our family shows us when it comes to our<br />
music, they know how much it means to us.<br />
MJ:As we wrap up, is there anything else you would like the<br />
world to know about Mercy Gang?<br />
MG:We would want the world to know that we love what we<br />
do, and we try our best to give our all on every track we do.<br />
We love Hip Hop! We love our fans, and we love making<br />
music.<br />
MJ:I wish Mercy Gang a future filled with success and<br />
extraordinary accomplishments! Thank you for being true to<br />
Hip Hop, salute!<br />
MG:Same to you MJ. We want to thank you for being our<br />
voice for Hip Hop. Continue to hold it down for us<br />
independent and underground artists. We salute you and it<br />
was an honor to do this interview with you.<br />
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/m-e-r-c-y/id1280707071<br />
https://www.facebook.com/MercyGang/<br />
Follow MJ @MJsHipHopConnex
B<br />
illionaireK ia<br />
C o v e r M o d e l
Kandi- Do you write your own music?<br />
D Hall- Yes<br />
Kandi- Are you interested in making movies?<br />
D Hall- Yes<br />
Kandi- Are there any Challenges you have faced and<br />
overcame in the music industry?<br />
D Hall- Yes<br />
Kandi- What city and state did you grow up in?<br />
D Hall- Detroit<br />
Kandi- What was it like growing up in Detroit?<br />
D Hall- Good<br />
Kandi- What inspired you to become a artist?<br />
D Hall- I grew up around all types of music<br />
Kandi- What is your current single?<br />
D Hall- Can't wait<br />
Kandi- How long you been in the music industry?<br />
D Hall- July 2017<br />
Kandi- Are there any artists that you would like to<br />
collaborate with?<br />
D Hall- Rick Ross, T I<br />
Kandi- Who do you think is the dopest female hip hop<br />
artist?<br />
D Hall- Rhapcity, Kash Doll, Cardinals B, Remy Ma<br />
Kandi- So your fans can follow you what social media<br />
sites are you on?<br />
D Hall- D Hall The Queen on all Instagram, Facebook,<br />
Twitter, Snapchat<br />
Kandi- Do you have any shows, videos, tours coming up<br />
in the near future?<br />
D Hall- Every month I'm dropping 2 videos<br />
Kandi- Where do you see yourselffive years from<br />
now?<br />
D Hall- Distributing music<br />
Kandi- What advice would you give to young people<br />
of today about the importance of obtaining a good<br />
education?<br />
D Hall- Extremely important<br />
Kandi- What advice do you give to young men who<br />
are suffering from injustices?<br />
D Hall- Look out for yourself and others.<br />
Kandi- Is there a website where you music can be<br />
viewed and purchased?<br />
D Hall- DHallTheQueen.com<br />
Kandi- Have you ever experienced stage fright?<br />
D Hall- Yes when I first started<br />
Kandi- What advice do you give to aspiring artists<br />
trying to get in the music industry?<br />
D Hall- If you are passionate about it<br />
Kandi- If you could change your profession what<br />
would you be doing?<br />
D Hall- R & B song writer<br />
Kandi- Zodiac<br />
DHall- Cancer<br />
Kandi- Children<br />
D Hall- No<br />
Kandi- Favorite Food<br />
D Hall-Cajun, I like spicy food<br />
Kandi- Hobbies<br />
D Hall- Basketball
" T he bod y<br />
must be<br />
nour ished ,<br />
p hy sic a lly ,<br />
emot iona lly<br />
a nd sp ir it ua lly .<br />
We?r e<br />
sp ir it ua lly<br />
st a r ved in t his<br />
c ult ur e not<br />
und er f ed but<br />
und er nour ished ."<br />
- Ca r ol Hor nig<br />
Tanya B aker
Int erview ed By Lasuria Allm an<br />
What city and state?<br />
Dallas, Texas & Arkansas<br />
What was it like growing up in Dallas?<br />
Different<br />
Tell us a few things about yourself?<br />
Very chilled<br />
What Inspired you to become an artist?<br />
Family, Micheal Jackson, James Brown<br />
What is the title of your current single?<br />
STAND UP<br />
How long have you been doing your thing in the industry?<br />
Since I was 3 or 4 years old<br />
Are there any artists you would like to collaborate with?<br />
Kendrick Lamar, Change The RAPPER, Chris Brown, Ty<br />
Dolla Signs, Wiz Khalifa<br />
So fans can follow you what social media site are you on?<br />
Twitter Instagram Facebook<br />
Do you have any shows, tours, video coming soon?<br />
STAND UP video,<br />
Do you write your own music?<br />
Yes, I also collab<br />
Are there any challenges you have face and over came?<br />
The music industry was not what it seems.<br />
Are you interested in starring in Movies?<br />
Yes<br />
Where do you see yourself5 years from now?<br />
Having a successful household, touring over seas. I see Change<br />
Have you ever experienced stage fright?<br />
Yes, the adrenaline<br />
What advice do you give to inspiring artists?<br />
Learn the Business<br />
What motivates and drives you?<br />
My passion for music<br />
If you could change your profession what would it be?<br />
Sports, I'm very gifted<br />
Zodiac?<br />
Leo<br />
Favorite food?<br />
Pizza<br />
Hobbies?<br />
Instruments, Basketball
" A h e a l t h y<br />
b o d y me a n s a<br />
h e a l t h y<br />
mi n d . Yo u<br />
g e t y o u r<br />
h e a r t r a t e<br />
u p , a n d y o u<br />
g e t t h e<br />
b l o o d<br />
f l o wi n g<br />
t h r o u g h y o u r<br />
b o d y t o y o u r<br />
b r a i n . L o o k<br />
a t Al b e r t<br />
Ei n s t e i n . He<br />
r o d e a<br />
b i c y c l e . He<br />
wa s a l s o a n<br />
e a r l y<br />
s t u d e n t o f<br />
J a z z e r c i s e .<br />
Yo u n e v e r<br />
s a w Ei n s t e i n<br />
l i f t h i s<br />
s h i r t , b u t<br />
h e h a d a<br />
s i x - p a c k<br />
u n d e r<br />
t h e r e . "<br />
- St e v e<br />
Ca r e l l
MJ:Although you are ?Old School? in a sense with your music, you do<br />
exude levels of uniqueness and originality so you are not boxed in or<br />
labeled as only creating one type of sound or style. So besides<br />
capturing the essence of true Hip Hop, what else does your music<br />
offer to listeners? What can they expect from you as a recording artist?<br />
MJ here, your favorite Hip Hop Writer! Tonight we will get to<br />
know England?s well-known and established recording<br />
artist,CubanPete. First and foremost, thank you for connecting<br />
with me and taking time out of the studio for this interview.<br />
Before we begin, I must share that in terms of travel I live<br />
through the artists that I interview. With that being said, tell me<br />
what life is really like in England! I want to know similarities, and<br />
differences of course with lifestyles and the music scene. I?m<br />
also curious what it was like for you growing up in England. Did<br />
you fascinate about the states, like most of us here fascinate<br />
about other countries?<br />
CP:England?s different. It?s not as extreme as America. There?s<br />
always similarities though. I feel things are becoming more ?in<br />
your face? as people and society changes. A lot of kids are crazy<br />
confident now because of this whole, everyone is a celebrity<br />
culture we?re in. People aren?t scared to make money by being<br />
stupid. They think all press is good press.<br />
I can only talk about myself. I did always look up to America as<br />
the birthplace of Hip Hop, even though there is a great respect<br />
for the culture over here from most fans. When I started<br />
rhyming myself I was already involved long enough to know<br />
better than to try and copy the accent of it all. That?s been<br />
outlawed in the UK for years now! Although you still get the odd<br />
rapper, and more mainstream influenced who you would swear<br />
is from Atlanta but is actually from Sunderland. The ones caught<br />
up in the ?stuntin and frontin? lifestyle.<br />
A word to the US though; don?t listen to Westwood riding the<br />
grime wave to stay ?relevant?. UK Hip Hop has been strong and<br />
unique for years before grime hit. Shouts to Hijack, Blade, Katch<br />
22, Silver Bullet, Gunshot, MC Mello, Icepick, <strong>London</strong> Posse, Mud<br />
Fam, Task Force, and many others for paving the way and<br />
carrying on tradition.<br />
MJ:It is refreshing to learn that you are part of the emcee crew, a<br />
true Master of Ceremony. You take pride in creating music that<br />
gives purpose, and meaning. Why is that key for you? I mean<br />
there are endless rappers who simply create music to make a<br />
quick, catchy hit. What separates you from that lane?<br />
CP:When I was growing up it was about talent and skills and for<br />
most heads those are the real markers MCs are judged by.<br />
These ?mumblesexuals? today can?t compare. When they decide<br />
they are fed up of being wack and try and step up their game<br />
lyrically their fans will feel like idiots for liking their wack stuff.We<br />
all like having hits, and getting that recognition. To appeal to the<br />
mass public can mean a dilution. I think that?s changed<br />
somewhat. It?s not so much a dilution of the music these days,<br />
though obviously jumping on the latest trend helps, but it?s also<br />
a dilution of yourself. Doing anything and everything to stay<br />
?relevant?. It?s about finding a balance and being true to<br />
yourself.<br />
CP:I say I?m Old School because I?ve been into this industry for around<br />
30 years. I grew through the Golden Era and I have that inventiveness<br />
and originality inside of me. But I?m still fairly new as a serious<br />
recording artist. I?m working with several producers on different<br />
projects that I want to have different feels. I want to create music that<br />
people recognize through the saturation of the market.<br />
MJ:You mention that style is essential! Elaborate on that.<br />
CP:I?m an artist. That translates through the visual and the audio. As<br />
an artist, an original artist, you have to have style. Style that people<br />
recognize as you. It?s not about fitting in its about standing out.<br />
MJ:Talk about the fans and appreciation for music. I know the Hip Hop<br />
scene and culture overseas is incredible and intense!<br />
CP:Any artists from the US who has travelled overseas will tell you<br />
how the love for the culture is greater over here. The appreciation is<br />
great. The music really brings people together. Most of the backbiting<br />
is just between the artists. Obviously there?s people who?ll love a Lady<br />
Leshurr but not know who Craig G is but that?s par for the course. Not<br />
everyone who raps knows their history but a lot of fans do. Don?t piss<br />
off a UK rap fan though (or even a UK rapper) because you?ll be dead<br />
to them from that point on.<br />
MJ:Can you tell us what?s hot right now withCubanPete? Also what can<br />
we look forward to in the new year?<br />
CP:I?m working on my promotion more, to get my work out there. I?ve<br />
just started a new website,www.nomadsstreetteam.com, with another<br />
talented artist on the FNBG Records roster called Just Write. Were<br />
trying to make it the next thisis50! And I?ve still got<br />
mywww.c75live.comsite of course.<br />
I?m going to keep the singles and videos coming as well as my<br />
?Renaissance Man? mixtape, followed by my ?Capital C Capital P?<br />
album, and my collaboration album ?When Warriors Come Out to<br />
Plaaaaayyy?.<br />
I also have the ?Live Test?ep with OneMike (T.E.S.T Squad), an as yet<br />
untitled project with NY producer B.Dvinewww.bdvinemusic.com. I<br />
have several Gorilla Army projects and a joint album with the head of<br />
the army D.Original Mr.Bluewww.hoodiswatching.com. Also in the<br />
works is an album called ?A War Goin On Outside? with DJ WIZ (Wu<br />
Coalition DJ). That should keep me busy?<br />
I design clothing and merchandise for Krumbsnatcha?s label Mind<br />
Power Entertainment atwww.mindpowerwear.bigcartel.com, and<br />
Gorilla Army atwww.gorillagearshop.bigcartel.com. I?ll be putting<br />
together something with OneMike called Kings Ransom. Me and Mike<br />
have been working together for a while now. He?s part of my C75 Live<br />
Crew and I?m part of his T.E.S.T. Squad.<br />
I also have my hands full with my design work doing art covers, flyers,<br />
etc.
MJ:You have worked with many<br />
major artists, some of my top<br />
favorites such as Pacewon, Blaq<br />
Poet, and Krumbsnatcha! Did they<br />
share any words of wisdom, or drop<br />
any jewels on becoming successful<br />
in the music industry?<br />
CP:Those guys have done it all so<br />
yeah I pick up things, like I do from<br />
most people I work with. But the<br />
main thing I get from collaborations<br />
is that feeling of competition.<br />
Proving I can hang or be better than<br />
who I?m on the track with. My<br />
collaboration album will be crazy!<br />
MJ:Let?s play the 3 game so readers<br />
can get to know you a little better.<br />
Who is in your top 3 personal<br />
playlist? What 3 places would you<br />
like to tour? Who are 3 influences,<br />
personally and musically?<br />
CP:3? I had an 160GB IPod and filled<br />
it! My favorite album ever is<br />
?illmatic?. I have a best of M.O.P. I<br />
put together, and a best<br />
collaboration ever playlist. I can?t<br />
get it down to 3 artists, you?re crazy,<br />
lol!<br />
Touring would be America, Brazil,<br />
and? I?ve heard Germany is live out<br />
there with the fans.<br />
Personal influences come and go.<br />
Heroes are human and let you<br />
down. Musically though I?d say<br />
Redman, Wu-Tang as a collective,<br />
and the third is probably a D.I.T.C. or<br />
B.C.C. type collective. Only three is<br />
hard after 30 years.<br />
MJ:Lyrics or beats? As an artist do you have the opinion that one<br />
outweighs the other?<br />
CP:You can use either to make a dope track but the best tracks use both.<br />
But I came in the game loving lyrics and wordplay, which is why I emcee<br />
instead of making beats I guess. Although I?d love an MPC.<br />
MJ:Let?s talk collaborations. Who is on your list to share the stage or studio<br />
time with?<br />
CP:Tragedy Khadafi is a possibility right now. Redman and Method Man<br />
would be a dream. I don?t really think about it like that though. Most of my<br />
collaborations have come about through talking and vibing, or a trade of<br />
skills like artwork for a verse. It?s been a mutual organic thing, as opposed<br />
to me pursuing or outright paying someone.<br />
MJ:As we wrap up, is there anything<br />
else you would like the world to<br />
know about yourself?<br />
CP:I?m here to cut through the<br />
bullsh* t! You might not hear about<br />
me every day on these Hip Hop<br />
gossip sites but I will still be here in<br />
front or behind the scenes making<br />
moves. The race is not a sprint, the<br />
game is long.<br />
MJ:Thank you again for taking time<br />
out for MJ! I wish you much<br />
continued success, salute!<br />
w w w.c75designs.com<br />
w w w.c75live.com<br />
w w w.c75m agazine.com /<br />
@c75designs<br />
Follow MJ @MJsHipHopConnex
s<br />
ooo I had the pleasur e of chopping it up with the living legend Big Mike fr om the<br />
Geto Boys. We all know he?s famous for dr opping major solo hits such as ?Playa Playa?<br />
and Mr. Officer as a gr oup with Scar eface & Bushwick Bill. One of the things he<br />
accomplished was being nominated for lyr icist of the year alongside Biggie Smalls at<br />
the Sour ce Awar ds way back in 1995.<br />
Big Mike was signed to Death Row r ecor ds pr ior to being signed to Rap A lot r ecor ds<br />
with his par tner /br other Mr. 3-2. So when I asked him about his new single ?No<br />
Outages? he said ?it pays homage Mr. 3-2, it deals with our histor y as ar tists, our<br />
jour ney with Death Row Recor ds? and the conflict in the business. How we<br />
influenced Houston and other people?s r hymes but I AIN?T sayin no names and also<br />
wher e I?m going in music.? (end of quote)<br />
I asked him about his new album and he said ? the whole album is dope.? I asked him<br />
about any special featur es on the album and his r esponse was ? I don?t have any<br />
celebr ity featur es on the album, but I have sever al people who helped put this pr oject<br />
together ? and I r esponded saying a featur e is a featur e r egar dless if they wer e a<br />
celebr ity or under gr ound and he agr eed. He also r esponded with a shout out to the<br />
following ar tists featur ed on the album ? Lisa Love, Rodney Spencer, Tony Mac, King<br />
Dayly, Tr emendous, Lil Sin, Monae Hayes, Chr istal, and Don Wilson.? I also asked<br />
about the pr oduction of the album and he said ? I had a few pr oducer ?s such as Mike B<br />
(Micheal Banks), Don Q, Whiskey Br azil, Mar lon Mer r iweather, Rob Quest (I Squad)<br />
Hur r ikane RG, Patr ice Rodr iguez, Chr istopher Kingston & myself included.? (end<br />
quote)<br />
We talked mor e about the album and music in gener al and he said ?some of these<br />
songs date back 5 or 6 year s ago, and you can tell how r eal it is when you can r ecor d<br />
something, r elax and year s later it?s still r elevant.? He also stated ? a lot of ar tist who<br />
come back ar e still stuck in their er a, and it?s a pr ocess that r equir es balance while<br />
still allowing your self to gr ow. And he also mentioned I?m par ticular ly concer ned<br />
with the state of Hip Hop, the cultur e demands r espect.? (end of quote)<br />
The album is out ever ywher e ?OG Big Mike? go gr ab THAT!<br />
-Inter viewed By Danielle ?Danni Billions? Cr aig<br />
OG Big Mike
S A T U R D A Y " W h a t P e o p l e D o F o r L o v e "<br />
A novel written by Alant'e Allman and Partner Jaroe Hannibal<br />
You Always wanted to know what people do for love on aSaturday. This hilarious comedy is<br />
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W h a t P e o p l e D o F o r M o n e y<br />
Based off a novel written by LaSuria Kandi Allman.<br />
Mike ( Romel Polo Roe Melton) and Kelvin ( Maurice Poe)<br />
Growing up in Detroit, struggling to survive in a drug<br />
infested neighborhood. After watching his father FATS (<br />
Ralph K. Mabone) A King Pin monopolizing the west side of<br />
town, they decided open up their drug houses. A series of<br />
events occur which starts a war between friends, the feud<br />
lasted for 25 years. This is a tale of Murder, Betrayal, Sex,<br />
Lies. It's Action packed. There are two (2) different versions.<br />
Filmed by Eric Thomas and Hatari Thomas
Kumasi, Ghana