Letter from the Editor, Owned & Operated by Ford Johnson Publishing
Publisher
Ford Johnson Publishing
Crea�ve Director Rachelle Ford
Opera�ons Manager Amandalo Means
Writers Ladychelle DJ Samore
Cover Designed by 21K Designs
Contact Us FordJPublishing@gmail.com 239-823-8181 www.FordEntMag.com © 2018 by Ford Entertainment Magazine All Rights Reserved Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Ford Entertainment Magazine is a registered trademark of Ford Johnson Publishing, LLC. Printed and published in the United States of America.
As always, I had a blast putting this issue together. I was so excited to get to interview the legendary Ice Billion Berg, whose career we’ve all followed for the past decade. It was great to discuss his mindset on making the right investments in your career and his definition of having made it. Success means different things to different people, to me, when Ford Ent Magazine is in every barbershop, every gas station, every home, every prison, then I will relax and sip a drink with an umbrella in it at my mansion in Haiti. A girl can dream, can’t she? Whatever your definition of success, I pray you achieve it. Big shout out to a couple of people this month: Mel!!!! I love you girl, you’re an inspiration, truly. And Izzy, I’m so glad we have crossed paths, I feel like we’re in for a long journey and I’m happy to have #TrapQueen on board! Love you guys. - Ladychelle
This Month in Ford Ent Magazine MUSIC 04 DJ SAMORE TOP 5 05 NEW RELEASES BEAUTY/ FASHION 06 LIVEHOUSE 07 MELODY ROSE MAKING MANSIONS 18 BEAUTY OF THE MONTH:
LINDSAY
EXCLUSIVES 09 SPINMASTER VIANI 10 MALIK UNCENSORED
COVER
14 ICE BILLION BERG
GOSSIP/LIFESTYLE 20 IN THE MIND OF LADYCHELLE: I’LL TELL YOU WHAT I WANT 22 DEADBEAT BABYMAMAS THE SILENT EPIDEMIC 24 CALL ME DOMMY!
EVENTS 26 WHADDUPTV ON THE SCENE
www.fordentmag.com
INDIE PICKS 1. KISSIE LEE It Pours 2. PROJECT GIRLS CLUB Run Up 3. CHARLES REED Happy 4. BIGZAYMIAMI | ZOEY DOLLAZ | ALI COYOTE All Night 5. GREY Black Excellence 6. CHIVONNE SAYWHAT Utopia 7. K DOT NIZZLE Getting to the Top 8. AL BLAZE Got That Work 9. ATL BIZNESS Laugh 10. NEW YONKAZ Choosin IF YOU WANT TO BE FEATURED IN THIS SEGMENT , SEND YOUR TRACK TO URBANENTRADIO@ GMAIL.COM PUT FORD INDIE SPOTLIGHT IN SUBJECT TO BE CONSIDERED.
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DRAKE God’s Plan
We look at what’s hot on the radio according to Mediabase/BDS Soundscan, the streets, and Dj Samore, and what she feels is that next hot record. Most of the time when she says it’s a hit, it’s a hit!
Spotlight Tracks CARDI B
Bartier Cardi
MIGOS Stir Fry
LIL DICKY | CHRIS BROWN Freaky Friday
BALL GREEZY Nice and Slow
ELLA MAI Boo’d Up
BLUFF CITY Let Me Show You
For more on the Urban Experience and DJ Samore, Check out Sourbanentertainment.com, Da One Radio on Dadecountyradio.com (over 40k loyal listeners on the radio station, monitored Byradiowavemonitor.com)
Singles Mixtapes/Albums
SEIKO ALI Fine$$in
ICE BILLION BERG
Strickly for the Streets 4
DOOGIE
The Fat Boy Era
TEXACO MILLZ Trappery
LIL BURN EM Shooting for the Stars
KANVAS
Red Kanvas
BIGMANUFUNKYBISH Birdz Up in Here
THIRTY8HOT Pure Gold
MOOKBOY
Helicopter Handwritting
IG: @LiveHouseStore www.LiveHouseLife.com
Melody rose
Making Mansfons
“My journey started off with me being a little girl, with this little Ziplock bag full of used makeup from a garage sale, because my mom used to go to garage sales to buy stuff to send off to Haiti. And I guess part of the bundle deal came with a bunch of makeup. It was a bunch of shimmery bright colors and I was just like, in love with it. I spent my whole summer nights as a little girl, playing in the mirror, playing in makeup, looking like a clown. And then my interest grew further, and Youtube (tutorials) wasn’t a thing back then, so I went to the library. My first makeup book was Bobby Brown. It’s actually funny because back then, nobody knew about contouring, but contouring is nothing new. It’s something that’s been around for a while. I actually learned a lot in that book, like proper eyeshadow application. And by the time I was 15, I wanted to surprise my mom
with a photo shoot at Glamour Shots, and I did her makeup. I walked in as a customer, and by the time we were done with the pictures they had hired me as a Makeup artist. So I walked in as a customer and walked out as an employee. The application, W9 signed and everything, with a schedule of when to come back to work. At Glamour Shots I learned a lot, I learned the fundamentals of Makeup and different skin tones, and different skin types, and different techniques and I had the honor of being trained by some of the most knowledgeable makeup artists. I still haven’t met anyone who has the amount of knowledge these ladies had at Glamour Shots. By the time I was 18, I worked at Dillard’s at the Estee Lauder counter. While there, I learned about the proper skin care application, and the history of Estee Lauder so that was really inspiring. By the time I was in my 20s, I started doing makeup for celebrities. And the story with that is really interesting. I was always in love with the craft. I saw a flyer at a boutique and it was for an eye candy fashion show back in 2007. I called the number on the flyer and asked if they needed a makeup artist, she said no, they had
a Mac makeup artist but invited me to come anyways to be a part of the environment. So I get into this hotel room and there’s so much Mac makeup, it’s overwhelming. Never saw so much makeup. This girl had all the best products. And she was gorgeous, she was from Miami, and I’m thinking “woah, she’s going to be awesome! I’m probably going to learn something!” So she started doing makeup, she’s taking about 2 hours, and keep in mind, it’s for a fashion show. Fashion shows are a time of the essence type thing, very quick. So we’re in the other hotel room, she’s in hers doing makeup and the girls are coming out looking terrible. So, Shirley, the one who invited me, starts panicking because it’s crunch time and she’s like “Hey Melody, I need you!” And I was like “You told me not to bring my makeup kit!” The only makeup I had was the makeup in my purse. She says “I don’t know, just think of something. I need you.” And I said ok, and pull out my makeup kit, and mind you I’m a dark skin girl and we had some girls who were Caucasian, and I don’t know how I was able to do their makeup, but I ended doing their makeup and some of the girls were like, “Ooh I want her to do my makeup!” And the rest was history from that point. I had no idea that this girl Shirley Francis was so connected in the entertainment industry and honestly that Eye Candy Fashion Show was the key that opened me up to me being exposed to a completely different realm of makeup and that’s how I got the opportunity to do makeup for a lot of well-known celebrities.
“I’m hearing a whole bunch of nos. But somebody’s going to tell me yes!”
That was in my 20s, when I turned 25 I decided I wanted my own makeup line, so I started that, I decided to name it Implore Cosmetics. I started getting a very good buzz for myself, every weekend in Miami, sometimes weeks in Miami doing a lot of stuff, getting connected, people really started knowing about the brand. Then I was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome and was told I wasn’t going to be able to have children and I needed to get myself treated. A lot of women have PCOS and don’t know that they have it. When I heard that news, it really devasted me. I was in a previous relationship and was pregnant and the pregnancy wasn’t successful. So it was really heartbreaking to hear that. So I put everything on pause. I moved away. I was in a really dark place, I was depressed. Without notice, I moved away to my aunt’s house and got a regular corporate job. I was ok with doing that. Then I met someone, we got married and as soon as we got married, I found out I was pregnant. When I found out I was pregnant, I was really discouraged, I had spent the last year and a half not doing makeup, I kinda lost my buzz with my connections in Miami and I just told myself I wasn’t going to do makeup anymore. By this time, I’m 27. So I told myself I was just going
to focus on being a mom. It’s all I’ve wanted all along anyway. I didn’t just give up with my words, I gave up with my heart, gave up with my soul.I went to sleep that night, and I had a dream that I was on this private jet with my staff, we were in Europe, in Paris, and we were coming off of the jet and I walked up some steps into this beautiful laboratory that was all in white. The laboratory looked very futuristic. And I started mixing makeup and mixing colors. And in this other scene of the dream, I was inside of a store. And inside of the store, the intensity was very high, the same intensity you would feel on Black Friday when everyone is trying to obtain a product. So, in the dream, I saw a group of women fighting over a particular product, so I walked over, to see why they were fighting. Only to see that they were fighting over Implore Cosmetics. I woke up from the dream and realized, I can’t quit yet. God is not done with me. This journey isn’t done. And ever since I had that dream, I can’t stop. Because I had that dream, I know that I’m on the right path, I know that this my calling from God, and no matter what door closes, He has another that’s gonna open up. And after I had that dream, I started pursuing the makeup thing all over again. I had a small studio, in an executive center. It wasn’t the right location for me, there were a lot of lawyers, insurance salesmen, just very corporate. The location just wasn’t right for what I was trying to do. But still, I set it up and got started and started building my clientele again. I ended up closing that spot down and working from home because I realized I wanted to open up an actual location. So I found a small spot, the price was perfect, there were a waiting room and three different offices, and I thought I could create different stations, like one for eyelash, one for hair. So I started pursuing that. The name of that spot was going to be
Studio 256 because it was on the 2nd floor, the 56th unit. So I was excited about that. I went ahead and got a job at an A/C company that was paying me well, and on my lunch break one day I got a call from the Jewish owner saying he could not do business with me. So the whole deal fell apart. But because of the dream that I had, I was adamant about not giving up and not being discouraged. And I sat in the lunchroom and asked, “Ok God, what’s the next step?” And then I started thinking, and thinking, and thought how would I describe the next location? and the name Makeup Mansion dropped into my spirit and I threw my hands in the air and thought MAKEUP MANSION!! At that point and time, I had absolutely nothing, I didn’t have a lot of money, but again because of the dream, I was adamant. I was like “I’m hearing a whole bunch of nos. But somebody’s going to tell me yes!” -As told by Melody Rose
A�er countless hurdles, Melody was able to open up her store in Ft Myers on Fowler Street and a�er 5 years of hearing “NO”, she was finally granted a loca�on in the Edison Mall in Ft Myers, where she is now located. A true story of triumph through perseverance, Melody truly is an inspiring example that God will provide the calling on your life, but doesn’t promise that the journey will be an easy one. We would love to extend not only our admira�on to this phenomenal woman but also our congratula�ons on being the recipient of the Black Girls Rock Award that she is set to receive on May 12th in Ft Myers.
From LA to New York to Florida, no matter the coast, Spinmaster Viani reigns supreme when it comes to DJing. More of an art than a skillset, this collector of the finer things in life makes no exception when it comes to his craft. At first glance, Viani may appear to be just your ordinary man, as one reporter once described him “A little badass but a lot boogie”, a man who enjoys life’s many luxuries, cars, clothes, colognes, jewelry, electronics as he buys them like they’re your everyday items, but once he steps into a club and the lights dim and bounce from wall to wall, the bodies fill in the space, and the turn tables are put into place, this nationaly renowned, award winning DJ transforms into your musical savior for the night. With a selection that captures every mood, your night becomes anything but ordinary and is truly an experience to remember. Now imagine that same experience while driving home through traffic? Viani has taken his talents beyond the clubs and can be found on many radio stations, supplying the vibe for your 5 o’clock traffic ride. A DJ well versed and experienced in his craft is who deserves to reign in this game.
“ they don’t see the inside of the situation. They just see a mockery on tv. ”
Malik Uncensored: What really happened.
How do you feel today, now that you’re totally out of the closet? I feel amazing, I’m very happy. I’m very very secure with who I am. Don’t you feel liberated? That’s what every homosexual man says who’s come out the closet. Not that you’ve come out the closet, but totally revealing yourself to the public. They feel empowered and liberated. I do, I feel very empowered. It’s a new life, everyone knows, I don’t have to hide, I don’t have to sit there like “oh god...”, I don’t have to do that, everyone knows, my treatment from my all my friends, my circle, business people have not changed. They treat me the same. You’re gonna get more play now... My DM has been a little crazy, but I’m not even in that space to go there or talk to anybody.
Why? If you’re not in the space to bang a couple of guys from Instagram, get happy and have some fun, you’re in an emotional state where either you’re still in love with him or you’re not over him... In love with who? Who do you think I’m talking about? Are you referring to Jeffrey? Yeah, tell us about your relationship. Right now, I am single. This decision came about on February 5th. Still fresh? Very fresh, it’s over a month now. It was not an easy decision to make. I’m still healing through the process. It was a very long-term relationship, it was a year and a half with 8 years of knowing him.
Do you still love him? Of course, I still love him. I still love the person I knew for all this time, the person I met 8 years ago. And the person I spent my life with over a year and a half, who I gave my all to. And one question I get asked in my DM every day is what happened? And I feel like it was very one-sided, people don’t know what happened they just feel like I flew to New York and I broke up with someone I loved. And that never happened that way. Did they (VH1) do that for sensational purposes? Well, I never said what happened. I feel like we gave a lot to the show, and I felt that privacy was something we should keep for ourselves and it was so fresh, it was the night before the reunion that this happened. So I’m gonna get into what happened because I know everyone wants to know.
We flew to New York together, of course, we weren’t in the best state in our relationship, we arrived in New York City and he had issues with his outfit for the reunion, somebody custom made his outfit, some guy out of Atlanta. I knew he was very upset and overwhelmed with everything that he didn’t like. So I called my best friend to have him fix the issue.My job as a lover, as a best friend, is to make sure if I’m great he’s great. I felt as if it was my duty to make him satisfied and make him happy. So we fixed the issue and got an amazing suit for him, and we got back to the hotel. On the way back to the hotel, we actually watched the show that night, it was a Monday night, and we watched the show and he saw some scenes he didn’t like-the slap scene with Bobby-and there was a very sentimental scene with me and him in front of that red Porche when I told him I came out to Prince, and I said “it was a very sentimental scene for us” and he said “it was a very sentimental scene for you.” And I looked at him and said, why would you say something like that? I felt like we were in that scene together, it wasn’t just me there emotionally, we were there together, holding each other in that scene, holding me down. So that took me a left. So I didn’t really say much else in the car about it, I just left it alone. We got back to the hotel and my tailor was in the elevator with us to fit my suit this time, after I got him together, he was great to go. I went to the restroom to change into my suit, and he stepped out to use the phone to talk to his aunt. I said ok cool, I didn’t think anything of it, it was the night before the reunion, it was around 11:45 at night, and he walked out. About 15-20 minutes later, I asked where is Jeffrey? So I called him and said, “I would like to get a second opinion on my suit for the reunion.” And he was like, “I’m on the phone with my aunt, isn’t the guy there?” After you just looked out for his best interest, he couldn’t return the favor? And you always want that collective
support from your mate and his opinion, but I was like ok cool. So I let that go too. So it was 2 times I let something go. Next thing you know I took a shower and prepped things out for the reunion for the next day and next thing you know it was 1 O’clock, next thing it’s 2 am in the morning and I called him in rage and said “it’s 2:30 in the morning, where are you? You’ve been missing for hours.” He said “I’m up the street at a bar” and I said, “You’re in New York for the first time...” Here I am as a lover in panic wondering where my boyfriend is, tomorrow is a big day for us and I feel like I should know where you are. You should let me know where you are, no matter what’s going on. I asked him if he was drinking, he said: “no, I’m not drinking, I’m having a whoosah.”....I heard he said we got into an argument, but I know for a fact we didn’t get into an argument because my tailor was in the room. There wasn’t an argument, there was a back in forth on where he was. Any man or woman would panic if their man was missing for 4 hours in New York City, you don’t know where they are and haven’t heard from them. So we got into that back in forth on the phone, then he hung up on my face. I called back and called back, from 3 to 4 to 5, I called my best friend, I called his best friend that was visiting, and no one knew anything. So here I am calling all night. Literally, when you watch the reunion I had 2 hours of sleep, I never went to sleep, I stayed up wondering if he was gonna come back? Is he ok? Did someone steal his phone? It was out of love and panic. You handled your business on the reunion very well. I mean you didn’t get to see how emotional I was, but I was very emotional like I am now and I feel like, give an explanation for what you’re feeling. Doesn’t matter if it’s not me if it’s just something you’re going through. Just let me know how you feel. And I feel like, when he left me, when he walked out of that hotel room,*crying* I think
he abandoned the relationship, he abandoned me. So when people look at the show and they portray me to be this way, the person who flew to New York City to leave their boyfriend. That was never my intention to go anywhere, if that was the case we’ve been stopped filming that show, the show was wrapped a long time ago before we filmed the reunion. I could have done it a long time ago if it was my intention to only use him for a tv show. That was never my intention. We spent hurricanes together, that hurricane in Florida, we were locked in together and spent 3 days without water, that’s how our love was so strong. No one even knows that, that wasn’t even filmed. Every holiday, Thanksgiving, Christmas, I was the first guy to meet his dad, JT Money, as a gay man. I was the first gay guy to meet his grandmother. He was the first guy to meet my mom and be around her for the holidays, *crying* when people get these things mixed up, and they say these hurtful things, that “oh, they’re not real” or “Malik used him” or “Jeffrey used Malik”. Jeffrey didn’t use Malik, and I will always stand up for him for that. And I would never disrespect him. *Crying* Because of course I still love him as a person. But I just feel that people, they don’t see the inside of the situation. They just see a mockery on tv and I feel that people think that I broke up with him for no reason, I broke up with him because Jeffrey never returned back to that hotel room from 11:45 that night, I never saw him again. The producer came to my hotel at 7 am and asked me for his things and that told me, you don’t wanna be with me, you don’t wanna see me, you don’t wanna be around me. View the full interview online at www.WhaddupTV.com Interviewed by Scrappy at Fly 98.5
I’m most definitely still on my way. Like the great Jay-Z is still on his way...
ICE BILLION BERG Still On My way
{
My dad/manager Coach always tell me the game is to be sold, not to be told. But I will tell a little bit...
The one and only Ice Billion Berg! What’s up with you man? Just chillin, just chillin, just geting to it and running these plays and that’s it. You just dropped a new tape right? Let’s get right into it. Yea, I just dropped ‘Strickly for the Streets 4’, that’s the last tape I dropped. It’s 1 of 4 within 6 months. There’s alot of music set to come out from the LiveHouse Camp, in addition to my artist BushyB that we’re working with too. But the latest one is ‘Strickly for the Streets part 4’. It’s back to my freestyle roots. Got alot of originals on there, and we’re just building a catalog at this point. We ain’t too big with the promotion and marketing right now, we’re just trying to build the catalog, feel me. And I know you have songs with just about every major artist out of Florida. Is there anyone we haven’t heard you with yet, who’s on this new tape? The artist I’m working with closely right now is BushyB, coz he’s actually under my company, so that’s the Florida artist that I’m the most hyped about right now. I can always work and collaborate with alot of Florida artists, whether they are younger or older or new or more established. But the one I’m most excited about working is BushyB. Because he’s actually under the camp and reppin the camp with Livehouse. And I know at some point you were signed to some major labels, are you signed to anybody right now? Nah, I’m 100% independent. Started my Livehouse Imprint in 2012 and we released our first release under it in 2013 which was a single. But until recently, as of last year, I’ve been putting out a lot of projects under the imprint. Like I said we’re just building the catalog and getting ready for bigger things, bigger possibilities and situa-
}
tions through the Livehouse Imprint. I’m 100% independent. I’m not signed to no other company at this point. Being that you’ve been signed to major labels before, and now you’re rocking completely independent, can you tell us about both world. Which one is more comfortable to you as an artist? Of course being signed to a label as an artist is comfortable. But comfort doesn’t always mean that it’s paying off. Comfort doesn’t always mean a good payout. When you’re signed to a major you have people who handle the small and the big details for you. Far as getting your music mix and masteredthe best possible way, getting video treatments written up, rounding up your camera crew and your production companies and stuff. Handling your photoshoots. Planning out your tours, printing posters, designing posters. But when you’re independent you have way more to deal with, way more to do. But the payout is better, you’re not splitting up your profit too much and you don’t have to watch too many hands in your pot. You pay your staff accordingly, for the work they’ve put in and you really get to see the fruits of your labor in its entirety instead of getting bamboozled like 70-80% of the artists who are signed to major labels. And I could imagine you have more control of what happens with your brand as well, correct? Yes, most definitely. That’s what I love the most about being independent. I have full control. Even if it fails, I don’t have anyone to blame but myself. Whether it’s a temporary failure or an overall failure, I don’t have anybody to blame but myself. But with giving it 100% of myself throughout my day, I feel like I can’t fail.
Running your own company and being in charge of all those details, how to you find the time or balance out being an artist? Currently I’m just really focusing on the art right now. So you know, it just comes with the things I’ve been doing, even when I was signed to a bigger company. When I was scheduling my own photoshoots, linking up with my graphic designers, having good relationships with my printers, and my cd guys, all the different components it takes to run a label. So as long as you have a good relationship with those guys, they know your standard of work, and they know what you like, you don’t really have to manage them too much. But that comes with established relationships. So that gives me time to go in there and focus on the craft when it comes to recording and writing. And my recording process is so much faster than it was when I first started. That I actually do have a little more time to worry about the stuff outside the studio. I’ve been professionally recording for 10 years now. So, when it comes to me recording and putting together music, it’s not really that hard to me anymore. I always push myself to do better, but it’s not really that hard for me anymore. I don’t even write music anymore, it all just comes out my head. Like you said, everybody around you knows your standards so you probably know your own as well, as far as what you like to hear. It’s an assembly line for music almost, we record everything in house. All our production is in house. So everything is right there, my in-house producer/ engineer makes the beat, and while I’m in the booth, he’s already putting his pre-mixes on it and getting it ready to be sent to be mastered. It’s an assembly line. And once it goes to be mastered, all the duplication and the artwork gets done and we can have a project out in no time.
Being that you’ve been in the game for 10 years, what’s the secret to staying relevant? My dad/manager Coach always tell me the game is to be sold, not to be told. But I will tell a little bit, I feel like the secret is just keeping it real with yourself and dropping classic music, timeless music. Where you can withstand fans. Like my music I recorded 10 years ago, is still relevant to my fans and anybody who listens to it right now. For the simple fact that I didn’t piggy back off a trend from 10 years ago. I wasn’t doing trendy style music, ready to sell and eager to get on the radio with. I made music for me and the people who thought my music was cool. And I feel like if I stay on that same platform, and stay in that same lane, people will still relate to my music whether it’s a year from now or 3 years from now. As long as I keep making classic music they can’t say that’s it’s dead or washed, or old. Speaking of classic music. About 10 years ago you dropped “On my Way” which had all of
us vibin. Do you feel like you’re still on your way or do you feel like you’ve made it? I’m most definetely still on my way. Like the great Jay-Z is still on his way. Oprah is rumored to be running for president which means she’s still on her way. So I feel like, if anybody who feel like they’ve made it... When I picture someone making it, I picture someone who’s up on a saturday at the pool. I don’t want to chill until I retire from Rap. That’s when I’ve made it. At what point will you feel like “I’ve made it, I can retire now”? When I feel like my music is not in demand no more, and I can just reap the benefits of my career. The reason you don’t hear alot of artists talking like this is because they’ve never planned for a retirement. They just seem to hit a brick wall in their fame, where it catches up with them, where they’re assed out with no money but still famous. So they’re just looking bad in the light. My plan is different. My plan is to be able to call it quits and say “I can finally back away from the music,
and still live off of my royalties and investments I’ve made and I can still live a happy life and smile.” That’s why I’m putting so much work in, in the background, to make the foreground look good. So once I do say I’ve made it, I’m done. Speaking of investments, let’s talk about Livehouse, you’ve branched into the clothing industry. Why fashion? Because I always had a passion for it. I always had a passion since high school. Once I got the platform and the opportunity to push alot of music, to where people will support it regardless, I decided to take some time out and really do it the professional way and align myself with some professional graphic designers and tshirt printers and it did so good online and at the couple pop up shops we did at a couple different malls and stores, I felt like wow I’m gonna take this to the next level and open a retail store. So we opened the Livehouse store, and it’s been doing good. And it’s like why not start a brand that could benefit my
music at the same time of making extra money. Because you know alot of rappers, they get record deals and they go and buy drugs, or they get a record deal and open up a lawn service or car wash or car shop, or they make some kind of investments, but it doesn’t help their movement which is the music. So I feel like fashion and hip hop, fashion and music go hand in hand and all the greats told us that. From Jay-z with Rocawear and Puff Daddy with Sean Jean and Nelly with Vokal and OutKast with their clothing line, and even Tupac had a clothing line and Eminem had Shady and 50 Cent had G-Unit clothing and it’s like inevitable, so why not build my brand from the top and it’s working for me. Besides fashion, any other investments you’re looking to do in the future? Nah, not really besides fashion and music, and the smoking culture, the marijuana culture. I did a couple of things, like side endorsements deals with a company called Kronicles, we did a cigarillo company as well as a couple of things we got in the making,
so much work in, in { I’mtheputting background, to make the foreground look good. So once I do say I’ve made it, I’m done. with my people out of Denver Colorado. You won’t really see me placing my money into things I’m not familiar with. I gotta a passion for music, fashion, marijuana, why not put my money into something that I do, instead of something that somebody’s telling me. Aside from that, we’re just strictly about music and fashion and other artists that I got coming up under my imprint will be a form of investment. When people say investment, they automatically think housing, or food or whatever but as an artists, there’s alot of ways to invest the money, instead of buying clothes, or cars and houses and jewelry and other things that rappers tend to do so much, why not take that money and invest in another rapper or another entity within the music or fashion, or whatever you personally like.
}
And what do you look for in an artist when deciding to invest? What captures your attention? It’s all about the sound, I feel like alot of music executives are only focused on imagery and marketing, “he’s marketable, let’s put some money behind him!” But he sounds like shit, know what I mean? So I feel like, if I could find people that got a significant sound, that sticks out among the billion rappers that’s coming out of the United States then I would put my money behind him and push him, if they don’t really have a significant sound, then I can’t mess with it, feel me? IG: BillionBerg
BEAUTY OF THE MONTH
lindsay
Location: sarasota, fl
Lin_slayyyy_
Lin_slayyyy
in the mind of Ladychelle
I’ll tell you what I want, what I really really want best seller is h t , ” s u n e are from V ies. The p n o e c m n o o w li , il s r m 50 om Ma ly s sold over a h “Men are fr D ve different H lo P e , y v a ie r c G e r n . Joh and written by omen give relationship w a e r in a n n o e ti a m nic sts ove commu key is to identify and book sugge r p im o t s y e ts wa concept, th out of the s n and sugges t ig c e e r p x fo e a d s an in not ted) erson want p Happiness r e h t ’s complica o it e , h le t g t a in h s iw em n, understand en make fu I’m single (s ft t o a s h t d n y a ie s fr o t t My ou union. I like exactly wha on is, do y hat I want. s ti s w s e e r ly t u it c q a a x w e e u r r u t e yo nt now do you tell because I k ever, but th ? Well, I wa r t r r o fo e s ” s u le e o g d y in r s e u yo rpris l be and rice. I’d ay down to cook to “su saying I wil n w r e e o h c h t t f ll o ll e a e t r, id d tise ,as at an e of pie for heese on it o your appe c t c li go out to e , r s k a a d in r d d d n e a h r , c u s ck ith om yo ozzerella sti d potatoe w e m k you want fr e a h b t a h h it it w off done, w . rt my meal a t s steak, well ll to be exact I’ r e. d le n b a o , c e s h a c a le eals, precis p Pe . e m t it r y r e p m s s s e e a k d li e I k li ke d my man li n a s ip h s n o ti I like my rela
1- Pray with me and Pray for me
3- Be my biggest fan
Have you ever seen Jay-Z at a Beyoncé concert? He’s in the crowd, with his face lit up like a fan, he knows every word- and even does the moves. If you refer back to goal #2, you already know I’m your biggest fan if I’m asking you to be mine. If you’re a fashion designer, I’ll be your muse and your #1 model, like Kim is to Kanyeallowing you to style me, rocking your designs before I rock any other name. If you’re an artist- I’ll know every word, never miss a show, be front and center when you take that stage. I’ll even ask you to autograph my CD’s 2- Match my efforts When I love, I love hard. So, in a relationship, I’m going and be the 1st one to cop your songs on iTunes. In reto go hard. It will be my mission to keep you happy. I turn, all I ask is for you to be my biggest supporter. I’m will make sure that I put in full effort to keep us con- a writer. You better read my every word. You better be nected. I will make sure to put in quality time. Your en- the first one I send my articles to. Not because I need emies will be mine. Your burdens will be shared. I will you to help me edit them, but because I know you will be your rib. All I need is for your focus to match my stop everything you’re doing and lend me the 5 minfocus, and for you to go just as hard to make sure the utes it will take to read the words I’ve laid on paper. relationship is as great as it can be, and not just coast Be the Jay-Z to my Beyoncé, the Dwayne Wade to my Gabrielle Union. on autopilot. In a relationship, I need our spiritual goals to match. I need prayer to be our go-to for everything. We can’t get along? Let’s pray. Bills are due and there’s no money? Let’s pray. Can’t stand me right now, or I did something that pissed you off to the core? Don’t run to your boys and tell them, you better face East, talk to the one who made me, and ask Him for advice on His creation.
4- Respect my hustle
What I need from my man is to recognize my skills, and match my enthusiasm for my passion. I don’t need you to treat my dreams like they are mere hobbies. I should be excited to tell you about my dreams, my goals, my visions- and you should be just as excited to hear me spill ‘em. There’s nothing worse than to have to explain your dreams, or convince your partner to believe in you. Let’s hustle and work together. Let’s be Jay-Z and Beyoncé- combine our talents and go on the run together. Be the Clyde to my Bonnie. Let’s wear matching boss suits and sign these checks together.
tell you how wonderful it is to have someone at your side you can run to who you know will be there to uplift you, to wrap you in his arms and say, “Baby, let me guide you out of this funk.” No Prozac needed, my king is my medicine, and it’s a wonderful feeling.
7. Know that I’m a flight risk
Call me a runaway bride/girlfriend/friend, I don’t care. I don’t care. I don’t care. Because I’m a runner, it’s what I do. If it doesn’t make me happy, I run. This may not be the healthiest way to be, I’ll admit. But I truly believe that I deserve, and can get, everything it is that I want out of a relationship- and I refuse to settle for anything that doesn’t meet my standards, or even 5- Protect my heart No, my man is not always going to know how to pre- attempt to. I’m not perfect, but I chase perfection. I vent my feelings from being hurt. Especially with me want my love cup to runneth over. I chase joy, peace, being a Gemini. To be real, I don’t even know some- and love relentlessly, and by golly I will not cease until times that a particular incident or action might hurt or I get it. upset me. But, knowing your woman is knowing what buttons not to push unless you want to see that angry, petty, shady side of me. If I’ve specifically laid out the list of things that I don’t like, want, or particularly care for, and you, as my man, specifically do what I have just spoken against, I’m going to assume that you couldn’t care less about my feelings. This will cause a major rift in our relationship. I think as women, we get it from God. Being built us in His image and all. He gave Adam and Eve everything they could ever want, or need. In return, He asked them one thing: not to touch the Tree of Knowledge. What did Adam and Eve do? They plucked the fruit and ate it. That didn’t please God. In fact, he kicked them out of His garden and took away the sweet, easy, happy-go-lucky life He once had in store for them. Same scenario. As my man, you are in my Garden of Eden. In my garden, I promise you love and joy, to submit to you as my man, and to cater to Ladychelle is an author, host, you as my king. But, I will also have my own Tree of and all around Jane of all Knowledge (so to speak), that I will ask you to abstain from. You get the gist of my analogy...eat the fruits, Trades. Her newest project, a piss me off. It’s simple really.
6- Uplift my spirit
This world has a million and one ways to damper a person’s spirit. As my man, don’t be a part of the problem- be a part of my solutions. Be the person I can run to when my world is crashing, when my skies are grey, when it’s me against the world. Be there for me, armed with unconditional love, understanding, and encouraging words. I battle depression and anxiety, and let me
book titled “The Flower Girl” is available now at www.Ladychelle.com Follow her: Facebook: Rachelle Ford IG: Chelle_Ford Twitter: IamLadychelle
Deadbeat Babymamas The Silent Epidemic Murder charges filed in beating death of 4-year-old in Willow Grove
WILLOW GROVE, Pa. (WPVI) -- A mother and her boyfriend are now charged with first-degree murder in the beating death of a 4-year-old boy in Willow Grove, Pa. The murder charges against 19-year-old Lisa Smith and 26-year-old Keiff King were filed after an autopsy on 4-year-old Tahjir Smith was completed, according to the district attorney’s office. The child died after he was allegedly beaten by the suspects for spilling his breakfast cereal. According to Smith’s confession, she and King were disciplining the boy for spilling his cereal and made him get into
a push-up position. She said they then “laid the boy on the bed with his pants and underwear removed, grabbed a blue Levi’s sandal and repeatedly struck him.” She said King “punched Tahjir in the back of the head,” before putting him in a scalding shower and burning him. According to court documents, Tahjir became unresponsive in the home and went in and out of consciousness. Police said that’s when his mother called police and then began to walk down the street with the child. According to an affidavit, Smith, who was six months pregnant at the time, was found wandering around outside her house with the 4-year-old lying nearby. Paramedics arrived to find the boy limp and unresponsive. The boy was taken to Abington Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
24-Year-Old Mother Kills 2 Toddler Sons By Forcing Them Into An Oven Before Video Calling Their Dad To Show Scene
A young mother in Atlanta pleaded guilty to killing her two young sons and putting them in an oven last October. 24-year-old Lamora Williams faces 14 charges in connection with the killing of 2-year-old Ke’Younte Penn and 1-year-old Ja’Karter. Prosecutors believe the woman tried to cover up the cause of death by putting the boys in the oven, the Atlanta Jour-
nal-Constitution says. In February, a Fulton County grand jury indicted Williams on charges that included murder, aggravated assault and concealing a death. Her 3-year-old son, Jameel, was home at the time of his brothers’ murders, yet he remained unharmed. Jameel’s presence during the killings resulted in the woman also being indicted on three charges of cruelty to children. Her eldest child, a 6-year-old girl, was safe with relatives on the night of the incident. The boys’ father, Jameel Penn, reportedly learned of their horrific deaths via video chat from Lamora herself as she told him that their sons were dead and showed their bodies on the floor. Jameel then called 911.
Mother, friend accused of beating 5-year-old girl to death in Cleveland
CLEVELAND, OH (WOIO) Cleveland police say they are investigating the death of a 5-year-old girl. Ta Naejah McCloud was transported from a home in the 10700 block of Bryant Avenue in Cleveland to University Hospitals Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital. Police say the young girl had massive trauma to her head. She was pronounced dead by the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner two days later. At an arraignment hearing Wednesday, the girl’s mother, Tequila Crump, was charged in connection to her death. Crump is accused of fatally beating the 5-year-old. Police are waiting for autopsy results to confirm the girl’s cause of death, but prosecutors say the girl had signs of ongoing sexual and physical abuse. Crump pleaded not guilty at her arraignment. Her bond was set at $1 million. A second woman, Ursula Owens, was also charged in connection to the girl’s death. Owens’ bond was
also set at $1 million. Sierra Giles said her heart sank after learning that the girl had died. Giles said she and Owens dated several years ago. Giles adopted Owens’ 15-yearold son Rayvon after the relationship ended. She said she wanted to take him away from what she called an abusive environment. Giles said a court order still requires Rayvon to see his mother, and during a visit, Rayvon said he saw his mother and her girlfriend beating the girl. “I saw them whooping her like real hard. She was crying like real loud and it was something stupid, all because they thought she had plugged the fan up in the socket. I wanted them to call 911 but they just wouldn’t listen to me,” said Rayvon. Giles said she had suspicions of abuse because of the victim’s behavior and appearance. “I was scared for her. A 5-year-old girl is dead and she’s never coming back,” said Giles. At this time, both Owens and Crump are charged with felonious assault, but additional charges will be amended as the investigation continues.
Mother, boyfriend charged: Horrific abuse of slain girl, 4, documented since 2015
EUCLID, Ohio — Horrific details are emerging about the abuse sustained by 4-year-old Aniya Day, whose mother and boyfriend have been charged in her death. Home visits from Cuyahoga County Children and Family Services and injuries documented by Aniya’s daycare show a pattern of abuse dating back to 2015. The Euclid Fire Department found Aniya burned and unresponsive at the Cultural Garden Apartments. She was taken to the hospital where she was pronounced dead. An autopsy revealed she died of blunt force trauma to the head. A follow-up visit by children and family services was scheduled for the following Monday. Prior to the 911 call that brought EMS to Aniya’s home, children and family services had closed several cases of alleged physical abuse against Aniya, say police.
The girl’s mother, Sierra Day, didn’t have a criminal record in May 2017 when a report was filed by Aniya’s daycare, Harbor Crest Daycare, for “abusing a minor.” The daycare had been documenting injuries to Aniya since 2015 at that point. Police say that when paramedics arrived at Aniya’s home on Sunday, March 11, Aniya was in full cardiac arrest. When she was placed in the ambulance, medics told police that they saw Day and Lewis standing near the entrance of the apartment building showing “no emotion that the child was being placed into the ambulance.” At the hospital, police noticed abuse to Aniya. She had a black swollen mark on her left eye with a laceration, causing her eye to be completely swollen shut, according to a police report. Several burn marks were on her right ankle that appeared to have blistered, popped open and dried, police said. Aniya’s arms and legs were “very thin, and you could see every bone in her ribs.” It appeared she had been deceased “for some time,” and her skin was cold to the touch.
By Brie
Call Me Dommy!
The notion of me being a parent has been uncertain since I could remember. I got married earlier this year, and the thought has never been closer to actualization. There’s just one dilemma: what the hell are my children going to call me? If their first words were to be how they wanted to refer to me, what would that sound like? Mommy isn’t quite the title. I’d prefer they call my wife (of more feminine nature) Mama. And I sure as hell don’t want them calling me Daddy –- that’s just inapposite. I’m a semi-androgynous lesbian of dominant descent. My wife is what one would call a lipstick lesbian, if this were the 1980s. In the LGBT community, we are as
close to a gender normed structure as society is going to see. We are what our community would call the “traditional” lesbian family -- if there were ever such a thing. Allow me to focus the lens back on the more masculine woman. We are some special creatures, despite a handful of our strange habits. Some masculine women even go as far as to claim children that are not ours biologically; children that may have been conceived before they came along and committed to their six month pregnant girlfriends. Just like a man who doesn’t share the DNA of the kid, some masculine women provide and raise them as if the kid were their own. Then there are those like myself; that of the above which isn’t our style. We don’t want the readymade families. We prefer to court, commit, marry, and create a family of our own from scratch – that is, with a women who
don’t already have children. But we’re not fathers. And we could never be sperm donors. Label us dommies! For those of you that don’t know (which is basically the entire world), a dommy is a lesbian woman who takes on the dominant role of parenting and/or raising children (noun). No, this isn’t an actual word (not yet, at least). Yes, I invented the term – in efforts of contributing to a group of lovers who struggle with the awkwardness of being inappropriately labeled. Furthermore, our children will have clear terms to define who we are and the role we play in their family structure when outsiders badger and inquire. Don’t you think we deserve a word of our own, being as displaced as we are?
Brie is a writer/author currently living in New Mexico. Her first Novel “Wet Dreams Collection” drops April 28th.
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