RUKUS November 2012 by RUKUS MAGAZINE

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On The Cover

Photo by Andrew Gates Make-up and hair by Kimberly Hill

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Photo by Andrew Gates Make-up and hair by Kimberly Hill

November 2012 â&#x20AC;˘ RUKUS

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Andrew Gates Live & Loud Editor

Nicolas Bates Games Editor

Jesse Seilhan Art Director

Andrew Gates All Access Contributors

Dan Sinclair, Jeremy Weeden & Jonathan Hayes Live & Loud Contributors

Nicolas Bates & Dan Sinclair Pit Pass Contributor

Andrew Gates Game On Contributors

Jesse Seilhan & Josh Schilling Contributing Photographers

Andrew Gates & Nicolas Bates Contributing Videographers

Nate Olson, Dylan Pfohl & Toby Wilson Contributing Make-up Artists

Kimberly Hill, Lili Baross & Heidi Wagenbach Contributing Hair Stylists

Kimberly Hill, Lili Baross & Heidi Wagenbach Advertising

Andrew Gates

advertise@RUKUSmag.com Mailing Address

RUKUS MAGAZINE

3940 Laurel Canyon Blvd., Suite 973 Studio City, CA 91604 Copyright © 2008-2012 RUKUS MAGAZINE & RUKUSmag.com. All Rights Reserved! November 2012 issue, Volume 4, Number 11. ISSN 2161-4369 (print) ISSN 2161-4377 (online) Visit http://www.RUKUSmag.com for more images and content.

Elena Churikova Photography by Andrew Gates Make-up by Kimberly Hill

lena Churikova was born in Melitopol, Ukraine and grew up as a very shy and reserved girl. Elena came to the US when she was nineteen through a summer work and travel program, but fell in love with the country and its people and decided to stay. She first got in to modeling when a friend asked to take photos of her and helped her create a modeling page online. Elena didn’t really take it serious at first, although, within the last year she has made her best effort at making it a career and it’s really paying off. Elena has made the pages of eleven magazines, six of them being covers. This is the second time shooting for RUKUS and we’re glad to have her back. You can also find Elena traveling around the country for different events and modeling for a few bikini companies and an eyewear company. This girl is becoming quite the little Russian powerhouse. I guess you could say From Russia with Love and Russia we Thank You!

RUKUS • November 2012

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November 2012 • RUKUS

RUKUS • November 2012

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20 QUESTIONS 1.What’s your Ethnicity? Russian/Ukrainian. 2.What’s your zodiac sign? Taurus 3.Where are you from originally? I was born in Ukraine and moved to Russia when I was fourteen. 4.What did you like most about growing up in Ukraine? I loved the summers in the Ukraine the most. I grew up by the Azov Sea, it’s so warm there. My dad grew peaches, strawberries, pears, apples, raspberries and cherries, so I also definitely miss the home grown organic fruits and veggies. 5.What kind of mischief did you get into while growing up? I used to ditch school a lot, but that was in my high school years. Overall, I was a good kid. 6.What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done? I would say coming to America with only $700 in my pocket, not knowing anybody and barely speaking any English was the craziest thing I’ve done so far. [wink] 7.What’s your favorite hobby and why? I love aerial silks. I wish I had started doing it when I was younger. I’m naturally very strong, so it comes pretty easy for me. I’ve been to a Cirque Du Soleil show before, but I never thought I was capable of doing this stuff, it’s unreal. 8.What’s your guilty pleasure? European milk chocolate with hazelnuts. [smile] Also, organic gummy bears, cheese, especially truffle goat cheese. [laugh] 9.Who do you admire and why? The older I get the more I admire Natalia Vodyanova, she’s definitely www.RUKUSmag.com

a role model and we have a similar life story. 10.If you could change one thing in the world what would it be and why? I‘d like our world to be less materialistic and I’d love it if everyone had equal opportunities. 11.What’s one of your personal goals? To become a world known model and definitely have my own business. Also, my biggest goal is to travel the world and eat authentic food. I love trying different foods. 12.What do guys compliment you on the most? My eyes, my legs, sometimes my butt and my smile. [laugh] 13.What’s your favorite body part on yourself? My legs. 14.What do you look for in a guy? Sense of humor. I know it sounds cliché, but it’s the biggest turn on for me. 15.What’s the first thing you notice about a guy? His eyes and upper body. 16.What’s your ideal first date? Anything romantic. You can’t go wrong with that, just don’t get too cheesy. 17.What turns you on? Great sense of humor and sexy attitude. 18.What turns you off? Cockiness. And if a guy drives like an asshole I will never date him! You can totally tell someone’s personality by the way they drive. 19.What’s your biggest pet peeve? Slow drivers! I’ll definitely will never date one of those! 20.Who’s your celebrity pass? Russell Brand from “Get him to the greek.” He’s got that sexy vibe about him! RM November 2012 • RUKUS

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November 2012 • RUKUS

"" Great sense of humor and sexy attitude.

RUKUS â&#x20AC;˘ November 2012

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STATS: Birthday:

April 29

Height:

5’4”

Weight:

105 lb

Measurements:

32D-24-36

See more of Elena at twitter.com/ElenaChurikova www.RUKUSmag.com

November 2012 • RUKUS

SEMA 2012

Photos by Andrew Gates Written by Andrew Gates

Usually, when we cover events we don’t stray too far from Los Angeles. This year we made an exception and ventured to Las Vegas, NV to cover the Sema show. If you’re not familiar with this show it is the MECCA of automotive parts and accessories. If you’re looking for anything automotive or if you’ve ever wondered if a certain part exists, this is the place you will most likely find it. Every year in November the Las Vegas Convention Center plays host to Sema and every year it is packed with people who travel from all corners of the globe in search of new products and manufacturers who produce those products. We walked the show for two days straight and saw some of the newest products, dopest rides and blazing hot chicks. We will no doubt be making the journey out here every year, since it is a great place to meet and great and see what will be hitting the shelves in the coming months. One of the great things they had going on was a ride-along in a drift car, if you’ve never done this and you’re given the opportunity to go for a ride, don’t deny yourself the adrenaline filled thrill ride that is sure to put you back in your seat and keep you asking for more (Special Thanks to Rob Nish). I had a blast as we slid the ass end around some corners, heard the squeal of the tires as they broke loose and smelt the smoke from the rubber as it came off the tires. It brought me back to my youth when we used to play a game called cat and mouse; we would have a lead car and a chase car and try to loose one another in the city. I’m feeling the itch to get back out there; only this time it’ll be on the track. The show itself was HUGE and there is absolutely nothing like it. Although, we didn’t have a lot of time to cover everything, we did have a chance to see quite a bit which we’ve supply for you in the next few pages. Enjoy these images from the show and keep an eye out for the RUKUS drift car coming soon.

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Fresh Out The Box! Written by Jonathan Hayes

Lace Up is the debut release from Cleveland rapper MGK. This release follows a series of mixtapes with his first being released at age 16. MGK got his name from famous criminal, Machine Gun Kelly, and also his rapid style of delivery. He first gained local success and it wasn’t too long before he gained attention from Bad Boy mogul, Sean “Diddy” Combs, who signed him to a deal with Bad Boy. The album opens with “Save Me”, a rock infused track about his city, trials and his wanting to get out. The first single “Wild Boy,” featuring Waka Flaka, starts the party and is where most of us got our introduction to MGK. The song is all about living a wild lifestyle and partying. The album’s title track “Lace Up,” featuring Lil John, is one of the albums’ best tracks as Lil John does what he does best and MGK delivers in his best style, his signature rapid flow. “Dirty ass chucks and a bad bitch, lace up,” it’s all about your swag and game. “Whole world laced up, like some brand new sneaks.” Here he refers to his many fans that got the tattoo Lace Up. “Stereo” slows the album down a bit, but is still a worthy pop driven track. He compares his body, love and relationships to stereo functions. By now you can see how MGK effortlessly infuses a mix of not only rap and rock, but also keeps a pop sound, which is a formula I’m sure would work for many. “See My Tears” is one of the few songs which feature MGK alone. It is a track about how hard a journey can be. He addresses doubts from himself and his city and not turning his back on the place he called home. “D3mons,” which features DMX, is where things may get a little dark for some people. Most of the song references common things such as street issues, drug overdose and temptation, which is referenced as demons. “Edge of Destruction” features fellow rapid delivery rappers Tech N9ne and Twista. When you take the time to listen, you realize that they are talking about real issues in our society; the government lying to get money, his feeling on fighting for other countries when parts of our country still live in poverty and even social media and its effects on the urban cultures and the lies used to gain attention. The pop driven “Invincible” is the albums second single featuring Ester Dean. This is one of the albums best songs, it’s very reminisent of B.o.B.’s “Airplanes,” a huge pop lead hip hop track of 2010. The track is all about not failing, being invincible and strong enough to make it. The deluxe edition includes four extra songs. The rock driven “Half Naked & Almost Famous” is yet another stand out. The third single from Lace Up, “Hold On (Shut Up),” features Young Jeezy. He talks about his grind, lifestyle and his come up. Jezzy helps to make it one of the albums best tracks. Overall, the album has a lot of guest spots and a lot of good tracks for a variety to enjoy. For those who listen to more than one genre this would be the perfect mix of rap, rock and pop. Lace Up is a very solid effort from newcomer MGK. The album doesn’t seem to lag much at all, it’s smooth listening all the way through.

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November 2012 • RUKUS

Returning Legends Written by Dan Sinclair

Grab your black wigs and paint your fucking face, KISS Army. Your fearless leaders are back with their 20th studio album, Monster. Yes, that’s right. Let your mouths gape wide in amazement and your ridiculously long and freakishly misshapen tongues fall where they may. Don’t be afraid that Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer are now the ones banging the drums and playing lead guitar—they’re pretty good at what they do. Besides, Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley are still here rocking as they always did and they were the guys you came to see anyway, right? Stanley also produced the album and if that doesn’t scream KISS Army certified, I honestly don’t know what does. Monster kicks off with the first single “Hell or Hallelujah,” combining all the great ingredients that KISS fans eat up. It’s fast rock-and-roll, it’s loud and it’s pretty damn catchy. It’s the kind of song you’d play when you’re complaining about how poor you son’s taste in music is. Why can’t your electro-rock-indie-folk band put down their keyboards, stop whining about their feelings and play music like this? You see, KISS doesn’t care. They could go to heaven or hell. Doesn’t matter to them. They’re just gonna party and have a good time, man. You probably actually care about stuff, don’t you? Pussy. “Wall of Sound” is next and Gene Simmons takes over vocals for this one. It keeps the party going with some really great riffs. Actually, this one’s also got a pretty sweet solo from Thayer. See? You don’t miss those other guys at all now, do you? Come on, they’re wearing make-up. You can’t tell who they are anyway. “Freak” is my choice for best song on the album. “I pledge allegiance to the state of independence.” Right on, KISS. I’m with you. But seriously, this song rocks with the catchiest chorus layered with some memorable harmonizing all over an all-out rock fest. “Back to the Stone Age,” “Long Way Down” and “Shout Mercy” do a lot more of the same as the first three songs. This album shows no signs of slowing down. It’s just going to keep rocking, like it or not.

RUKUS • November 2012

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“Eat Your Heart Out” does something a little different with the band singing the chorus a capella: “Eat Your Heart Out, baby/Oh, won’t you give me something sweet?/Eat your heart out, baby/A hot mess is just what I need.” Nice refreshing change of pace. But just for a second…then it goes right back to rocking and the follow-up is even better, making it official for all those who called KISS “Devil music.” Kiss proudly proclaims, “The Devil Is Me.” Oh, wait. So they were right. Oh, good for them. The other highlights include Simmons and Stanley stepping back to let Thayer sing “Outta This World” and Singer take lead on “For the Love and Rock-and-Roll.” It’s kind of cool actually how the band can rotate the lead vocals and the album never sounds like it skips a beat. It’s impressive that KISS’ music has now come full circle. The same music their dedicated teenage fans blasted to rebell against their parents, they now play at a reasonable volume to piss off their kids. Though KISS may not be for everyone, their album Monster does exactly what it promises to do. It provides loud, catchy arena rock for those who love it, flicks a middle finger in the general direction of all those that hate it and makes absolutely no apologies for any of it in the process. The sound remains consistent and there is no drop off in quality or dedication in a single one of the tracks. Though this album will not move every single person who hears it, it will take certain people back to a better time—a time when they drank beer without beer bellies and they grew their hair long because they actually had hair to grow. But remember this: though you may get older, the music you love never ages.

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November 2012 • RUKUS

Facebook.com/OfficialFlo

Written by Jeremy Weeden and Daniel Sinclair

Flo Rida, Wild Ones

King of the party scene, Flo Rida returns with his fourth studio album, Wild Ones. Flo Rida has mastered the Euro pop genre and is one of the most played artists of the past few years, a trend that Wild Ones is guaranteed to continue. By now everyone has heard the hit singles “Good Feeling” and “Wild Ones” which set the stage for this feel good album. Flo Rida doesn’t pretend to have a purpose or deeper message with this album; he is simply here to get the party started. With upbeat rhythms and fun energetic rhymes, Wild Ones is a great CD for cruising, working out or just flat out getting your party rockin’. Wild Ones has only 9 songs; as Flo Rida noted that Michael Jackson’s classic album Thriller only had 9 songs, but each song was huge. While Wild Ones is obviously no Thriller, but the album does have the chance for all 9 songs to be singles. Wild Ones is a must have for fans of upbeat club music and it is sure to keep Flo Rida in heavy rotation for months to come.

Mumford & Sons, Babel

Facebook.com/MumfordAndSons

Babel is the folk-up to English folk rockers Mumford & Sons’ hugely successful Sign No More. Upon its release, this sophomore record became the fastest-selling album in the US of 2012. If you weren’t among the 600,000 people that bought the album in the first week, I honestly have no fucking clue what you’re waiting for. Not only will Babel gently massage your eardrums with its beautifully crafted folky artfulness, having it in your collection will almost certainly increase your chances with the ladies, too. Seriously, dude—chicks dig Mumford & Sons and that’s a fact. The hit single “I Will Wait” isn’t the only great track on here. It’s an album that works from start to finish. But if you want to skip around, try “Babel,” “Holland Road,” “Below My Feet,” “Hopeless Wonderer,” “Whispers in the Dark” and the awesome cover of Simon and Garfunkel’s “The Boxer.” What separates these guys from the rest? Perhaps it’s because these dudes all play more instruments than you’ve even heard of. They’ve got bass, drums and guitar, sure. But they also have ukulele, tambourine, mandolin, harmonium, violin, viola, banjo, fiddle, trombone, cello, trumpet, flugelhorn, piano, accordion, dobro and countless other percussions. And that’s not even mentioning the most powerful instrument used on any Mumford & Sons album: the lead vocals. Yes, it is Marcus Mumford’s voice that really makes each song memorable. Don’t believe me? Give it a try.

Facebook.com/LupeFiasco

Lupe Fiasco, Food & Liquor 2

The revolution may not be televised, but if Lupe Fiasco has his way, it will definitely be broadcast. The rap revolutionary is returning to his roots with the politically charged album, Food & Liquor 2. This album is a lyrical treat for those who like their hip-hop with a little substance. Lupe raps about many issues on Food & Liquor 2, from failed US foreign policies to the state of today’s youth. One of the album’s first singles, “Bitch Bad” is a perfect example of this. This song is about the misogyny and degradation of women in music and how it affects girls and boys outlook on females as they grow up. On “Around My Way” Lupe shows he can go toe-to-toe with any rhyme-smith with the clever lyrics “Say that we should protest just to get arrested/That goes against all my hustling ethics/A bunch of jail niggas say it’s highly ineffective.” This album is sure to stand as one of Lupe’s best as it has great beat selection, deep topics and excellent lyrical wordplay. Food & Liquor 2 is the perfect blend of social commentary, political awareness and artistic expression.

RUKUS • November 2012

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Toadies Photos by Nicolas Bates Written by Dan Sinclair

It’s been well over a decade and a half since The Toadies released their debut album Rubberneck, and a quick glance around the audience assures that everyone here in attendance at the House of Blues this fine October evening is in his or her thirties… probably. Yes, the best part about seeing a band live whose glory days coincided with your high school years is the almost certain guarantee that everybody in the crowd is the same age as you. Well, actually I guess the best part is to see the band is still alive and rocking and not resting silently in a nursing home or six feet under, but the crowd being the same age as you is definitely right up there. The band takes the stage after the PA system plays some song about loving Texas. Oh, right, The Toadies are from Fort Worth. If that song didn’t remind everyone of that fact, surely the Texas flag over one of the amps would. Well, even if they didn’t notice the flag, most probably did ask themselves, “Hey, didn’t these guys used to have a chick bass player?” Answer to that question would be, “yes,” but the key phrase would be “used to.” See, it was former bass player, Lisa Umbarger’s departure from the band circa 2001, that the band cited as the major reason that they broke up. The Toadies just couldn’t exist without her… well, until 2008 when they reunited and employed the talents of Doni Blair (a dude bass player) and have been putting out new albums ever since. Frontman (and longtime face of The Toadies franchise) Todd Lewis comes out donning his trademark nerdy glasses and somewhat reminiscent-of-a-flat-top haircut. He thanks everyone for coming out and then goes right into “Happyface”—one of the heavier tracks off their debut album from way back in 1994. Lewis sings, “I tried to wish you away,” and perhaps some had wished away the post-grungy sound of ‘90s bands such as The Toadies years ago, but those people did not include the hundreds in attendance tonight, so fuck you. They follow that with “Push the Hand” off of Feeler and the title track from 2008’s No Deliverance, before returning back to Rubberneck with the feedback and reverb-laden song “Away.” This tour is in support of their new album, Play.Rock.Music, which Lewis reminds us of by joking that the album is “still for sale.” Then they play their first single off that album, “Summer of the Strange.” The band apparently had a great time recording the video for that song as Lewis explained that it heavily featured “boobs and shotguns… a few of my favorite things.” They follow this up with their first selection off of 2001’s Hell Below/Stars Above, “Sweetness,” and lead guitarist Clark Vogeler has a great time playing with his whammy bar. But it’s when the band plays “I Come From the Water” that the crowd takes on new life. Everyone in attendance starts jumping around and singing along. Some dude in the front, complete with a baggy flannel, pumps his fist at the band and screaming every word at them with some much passion that it almost seems a threat. The song creates enough energy that the crowd continues to muscle through the lesser known “Little Sin” and “Hell in High Water,” before exploding back into more of their favorites off Rubberneck with “Mister Love” and “Tyler.” Soon thereafter, the Toadies play their mega-hit single “Possum Kingdom” and everyone is all in. Even the jaded writers at least mouth the words silently since they can’t get over their own pride and sing loudly like everyone else. Rumor has it that one of these writers actually performed a pretty-kick ass karaoke version of this song one night while drunk somewhere in Santa Monica… but alas, ‘tis but a rumor. As The Toadies finish their set and leave the stage, it is clear that they are genuinely grateful for all fans in attendance, especially those who passionately sang along to every song played. I’m sure they hope that these longtime fans will continue to support and buy the new records faithfully, so maybe the band can have even a longer run this second time around, chick bass player or not.

RUKUS • November 2012

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November 2012 • RUKUS

The Darkness Photos by Nicolas Bates Written by Dan Sinclair

There are bathroom attendants here at Club Nokia. That feels weird. But there are also a ton of long-haired metal types with beer guts trudging around the dance floor, so all is well. Lights go down, and there is darkness for…The Darkness. Cameras swing around from all angles as the band is recording a DVD of some sorts and bassist Frankie Poullain is first to take stage, donning a black and white jumpsuit straight out of Jesus Christ Superstar. Frontman Justin Hawkins proudly peacocks to center stage, with a similar white jumpsuit with multi-colored straps across the front. The cheers get louder. Justin’s younger brother, Dan, takes his guitar and drummer Ed Graham sits down behind his drum set and the band goes right into the first song of the night, “Every Inch of You,” the lead-off track to their new album Hot Cakes. Justin puts down the guitar and pretends to use his microphone cord in its place as he sings the first song off their first album, “Black Shuck.” The crowd eats it up and then they get more of their favorite album, Permission to Land, when the band goes in to “Growing on Me.” All fans in attendance know every word and sing along. Hawkins asks for a “D” and the crowd gives it back. “Give me an ‘arkness!’” Though some laugh, all give back an enthusiastic “Arkness!” all the same. During this set the frontman leaps up on the drum set to play the solo to Graham. The best thing about a Darkness concert is how much every member of the band is into what they’re doing. They play every song as if they’re closing out a live show at Wembley. No song just ends. The drums keep banging and the guitars keep on squealing on until they all find a place to explode together and each member of the band can strike a pose. The Darkness makes the audience feel they are witnessing the most important rock show in history, whether they like or not. Justin dedicates “She Just a Girl, Eddie” to the drummer and they follow that up with the lead track to their second album, “One Way Ticket.” After “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us,” Hawkins asks the crowd if they’ve ever experienced things such as jealousy, rage and negative things like that. “That tattooed guy knows what I mean.” Then they go right in to “Get Your Hands Off My Woman” much to the crowd’s delight. During this performance, Hawkins does a headstand on the drum set and claps with his feet as the rest of his band plays on. He hits all the high notes perfectly and it’s easily the best song of the night. Wanting the crowd to help him with the final “Motherfucker,” he teases us all with the microphone for a few moments, claiming that he knows we can do this, “because LA is a sophisticated place with operas and highbrow stuff like that.” He finally lets the crowd scream “Motherfucker.” He says, “Beautiful, thank you.” Next is “Love Is Not the Answer,” and it’s Dan Hawkins this time that jumps atop the drum set to play the solo. It’s during this song that I notice two guys in their mid-30s high fiving each other in accordance with the drum beat as they also drink beer and sing the lyrics to each other. It’s not weird at all. Dan asks the crowd to sway their arms from side to side for “Love Is Only a Feeling” and all oblige. Even the high-fiving lovers follow suit, but they make sure to give the sign of the devil while doing so. Next is “Friday Night” and then “Concrete.” The band gives every song everything they have and by the time they play “Everybody Have a Good Time,” everybody still is. They cover Radiohead’s “Street Spirit” without telling anyone they were doing so, before returning back to Permission to Land with “Givin’ Up” and “Stuck in a Rut.” Just when the crowd thinks they can’t handle anything more, Justin throws the microphone into the crowd like he’s fishing. A fan takes the bait and screams into the mic “I believe in a thing called love/Just listen to the rhythm of my heart!” Justin is impressed and then the band closes the show with their most popular song and the crowd goes nuts. If ever there were a question if The Darkness were, in fact, for real or not, seeing them perform live in concert answers that question with a resounding falsetto Ye-e-e-e-e-es! No matter how silly, cheesy, corny or dated outsiders may witness the British rockers, the band takes this rock and roll thing very seriously…in very ridiculous outfits.

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November 2012 • RUKUS

Claire Muzik Photography by Andrew Gates Make-up & hair by Lili Baross

laire Muzik was originally born in Prague, Czech Republic, but moved to Las Vegas in 2011. Although, she has been modeling around the world for quite some time she figured the United States was the spot to make a name for herself. Not only does Claire appear in magazine throughout Europe and the US, she also has a few TV commercials and music videos under her belt. When sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not modeling she enjoys spending time behind the camera as a certified Make-up artist, which she would also like to pursue after her modeling career. Her modeling career has definitely taken rise since moving to the US and we are expecting even bigger things from her in the future.

RUKUS â&#x20AC;˘ November 2012

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THE STATS Birthday: December ??? Zodiac Sign: Sagittarius Measurements: 34C-24-32 Height: 5’7” Weight: 108 lb Ethnicity: Caucasian Hometown: Las Vegas, NV Turn Ons: A bottle of wine and a sexy guy. There is nothing better when a nice guy brings a nice wine and finds my secret erogenous zones. Turn Offs: A vulgar guy wearing the same shorts he’s been wearing since he was fifteen. Ideal first date: A romantic dinner on the beach or by a fireplace with a glass of wine at a ski resort. Guilty Pleasure: I love mayo and fries! I can eat mayo with everything, although, my manager would strongly disagree with this. Pet Peeves: It would be angry and aggressive people. Also, people talking bad about you behind your back, but in front of you they say how great you are. Celebrity Pass: Eva Longoria. See more of Claire at twitter.com/ClaireMuzik

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Raichelle Viado Photography by Andrew Gates Make-up and hair by Heidi Wagenbach Stylist Rachel Gomez

aichelle Viado was born in the Philippines, but grew up in Burbank, CA. When she was just a teenager she had always dreamed of modeling, but never knew how to go about it. In 2009, that would all change, as she walked around Hot Import Nights in a sexy little blue dress she was approached by different photographers throughout the night who flocked to take her photo and created quite a crowd in the process. Although, she never anticipated becoming an import model, the path had paved its own way. After this experience she found herself being booked for different events and shows and quickly gained a fan-base that just keeps growing. Raichelle considers her fans to be friends and is very approachable so, if you see her at a show donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be scared of her good looks and cute smile; just say hello and introduce yourself.

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November 2012 â&#x20AC;˘ RUKUS

Swimsuit by J Valentine Inc.

RUKUS â&#x20AC;˘ November 2012

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THE STATS Birthday: November 9 Zodiac Sign: Scorpio Measurements: 32DD-24-34 Height: 5’1” Weight: 103 lb Ethnicity: Filipino Hometown: Burbank, CA Turn Ons: When a guy is treating me right, he’s an amazing kisser, kissing me in the right spots and it’s a plus if he can dance, that’s hot! Turn Offs: When a guy is a compulsive liar, cocky and tries too hard to impress others, just be yourself. Ideal first date: To be honest, I do not need to be flattered with an extremely expensive date. As long as we are both having an amazing time and we end the night smoothly then I’m content! Guilty Pleasure: Eating any and everything each hour. I get the munchies and random cravings. I think it runs in my family. My sisters and I crave like there is no tomorrow, especially before we sleep. Just talking about this is making me crave chocolate covered gummy bears and tater tots—random cravings. [laugh]

Swimsuit by J Valentine Inc.

Pet Peeves: Fake people! When girls purposely make their voice higher, squeakier and/or talk like a baby. Over exaggerating and talking louder just so people will turn their head. Celebrity Pass: Tyler Lautner, Chad Michael Murray, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and the amazing Justin Timberlake.

See more of Raichelle at facebook.com/raichellev

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November 2012 • RUKUS

Shaken and Stirred Written by Jesse Seilhan

James Bond is one of the most beloved franchises in all of fiction, spawning a legion of diehard fans and sadly, only one classic videogame. Goldeneye for the Nintendo64 was almost more popular than any other title of its generation, creating a reason to skip school and shoot your friends for hours on end. Countless games have tried to follow-up on the success Rare’s title had, all failing to do so, mostly due to the fact that they were tied to a single movie. As the films started going downhill, so did the games, until Daniel Craig breathed some new life into Bond and a hope for a brilliant videogame along with it. With 007 Legends, Activision and MGM are hoping to capture nostalgia by not only giving gamers another solid Bond shooter, but by picking five classic movies for the hero to romp through. With the nearing release of Skyfall, potentially Bond’s final outing, this game is a sort of “make or break” for the franchise. Sadly, it breaks in almost every respect. First off, you will be playing as Daniel Craig across all Bond movies, even those that came out before he was born. Secondly, you will be doing some cool spy stuff with cameras, explosive darts, hacking tool and the rest, but 99% of this game will be putting bullets into the head of your foe. You probably kill more people in the first mission than Bond has over his entire 50 year film career. Even worse, every single boss fight is a matter of moving the analog sticks either up or down to throw or dodge blows. Missions are broken down into stealth and action sequences, with the latter sometimes featuring some sort of vehicular chase. Both are straight-forward enough, but the part that should be amazing (the stealth sections) are by far the most frustrating. If you get caught or an alarm has been raised, there is no way to stop it and sometimes you have to reload a checkpoint. And since there is no way to hide bodies that you’ve quietly dispatched, there is little incentive to deal with them in such a way, other than to avoid the game’s simple and repetitive combat altogether. In a redeeming twist, this game lives up to the now classic Goldeneye in one important aspect: the multi-player. Online gives players a whole new world to explore, with a dozen variants, 50 levels of XP gain, and customizable loadouts to tailor your Bond experience. Games are fast and fun, with the various gametypes allowing players to take control over heroes and villains from across the franchise. As much fun as the online deathmatches are, a lack of a real single-player ending is the most criminal offense. The game asks players to suspend disbelief and trust that Daniel Craig was involved in all of this insanity and then presents the player with a “Free DLC next month!” screen instead of any sort of FMV or even a text-wall of resolution. So does this mean that the game was to be released alongside the film and the true ending sits behind that final level, or, even worse, does this package literally not have a narrative? Either way, the answer is ugly. Throw in sluggish load times and imbecilic A.I. and you have one of the biggest flops of the year. Unless you really loved your time with Goldeneye and are willing to look past all of these issues for a new multiplayer experience, spend your money on the new movie instead.

RUKUS • November 2012

www.RUKUSmag.com

November 2012 • RUKUS

RUKUS • November 2012

www.RUKUSmag.com

Keeping the Honor Written by Josh Schilling

What is this? Is it a heavily hyped game that doesn’t have a 2, 3 or XIII after the title? It is a good thing for us that Bethesda Softworks isn’t afraid to take the risk of backing an original title. With recent games such as Rage, Brink and Hunted: Demon Forge, Bethesda tries to create franchises and not just try to exploit them and Dishonored is their latest game that tries to establish a foothold in the highly competitive gaming world. Dishonored is a first-person RPG action adventure game that takes place in a pseudo-Victorian world fueled by whale oil, and you assume the role of the main bodyguard of the Empress. You play a highly skilled warrior named Corvo who ends up getting dishonored (go figure) who then embarks on a dark journey of revenge and redemption. The game has elements of magic that allows you a great deal of maneuverability when it comes to dispatching your foes. The missions actually get a little bit grimmer if you choose to murder your enemies rather than a more selective approach. The many different methods you may choose to eliminate the opposition is one of the standout features of this game, and if you so choose to spill blood, the combination of magic and steel create some very interesting kills indeed. The world in which this story takes place is a disease-ridden, sad place that is wonderfully interesting to experience. The overall art direction is among the best I have seen in a game, and the environment serves as a major character. The voice acting is also a major plus in this story, with such names as Susan Sarandon, Chloë Grace Moretz, Michael Madsen, John Slattery, and Brad Dourif all lending their talents in enhancing the overall feel of the game. With these factors in place it would seem that this would be a “must buy,” but there were a couple of issues with this game that left me wishing for what could have been. The overall story is way too easy and typical. I know I can’t expect a “would you kindly” twist in every title I play, but the foundation of this game is way too good to have such a bland outcome. I wanted the story to draw me deeper into this rich, dark world, but instead I was presented with a typical revenge story where the only curve was easily foreseen early on. The other problem I had was with the Fable-esque character modeling. For you PS3 fans, this includes figures in the game with humongous shoulders and hands, along with Jay Leno type heads, that do the same pose and arm movements every few seconds. This is not a completely horrible thing, but it pulled me out of the world and kept reminding me that this was just another video game. In total, the game is fairly short, but there is a great deal of replay value in this single-player game. You can redo any of the missions if you want to try a different approach, you can try and gather the many different objects that are available to discover, or you can find out how creatively you can kill an enemy like stopping time right when he shoots at you, then possess him and then move him into the path of his own bullet. That variety of action in addition to the overall feel of the world could have made this a Game-of-the-Year candidate, but instead it is just a bit shy of the mark.

www.RUKUSmag.com

November 2012 • RUKUS