ThaWilsonBlock Magazine Issue46 by Mistah Wilson

For Tha Revival & Preservation of Local Urban Culture

Magazine D e c e m b e r

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Manyang Reath Kher launches 734 Coffee to Empower people of Sudan Exploring The Intersection Of Hip Hop And Social Justice Dave Chappelle Snoop Dogg Colin Kaepernick A Tribe Called Quest Mos Def Mark Whalberg And so much more!!!

ALBUM REVIEWS EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS A Father And Son Explore Latino Culture Through Photography

re-releases Mystery Alliance: Evianâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Saga

1. Alive 2. Velvet Skies 3. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Look Back 4. Work of Art 5. Break Free 6. Never Know

Mina Wildcard Mina Wildcard is an up and coming multi-faceted native L.A. Artist, with a passion for self expression through various mediums. The Nickel Sack EP showcases her prolific sense of the human experience through song writing and vocal tenacity. Mina Wildcard aims to heal herself and others through the power

of song. She speaks to the youth by writing from her very own experiences growing up in the inner city and surviving a difficult childhood. Mina Wildcard comes soaring high with talent that can truly inspire audiences from any demographic.

Rey Avalon Southern California Independent Artist, Rey Avalon, releases his 3rd installment of his creation, the â&#x20AC;&#x153;California Blendâ&#x20AC;? series, which features sounds, soul, and groove, on his take of what California sounds like. In this Project you hear sounds from various genres including : Hip Hop, Electronic, Jazz, R&B, Old School Pop, Reggae, and many more! This version comes more advanced, hence the (3.0), and not (Vol. 3) or (Part 3).

The addition of Electronic in the project was exactly what took this album to the next level with the modern sounds, vocals, drums, and claps. Rey Avalon was also a big part of the production on this album producing 7 of the tracks.

Buy This Album 1. Intro 2. Heating Up 3. Maid 4. Came to Party 5. Am I 6. Shut Up ft. ShiftChanger & Jesse949 7. Broken Visions 8. Whats Left 9. Ups & Downs 10. Southside ft. Scott Swush 11. Is It A Crime 12. What It Means ft. Chulo 13. Mrs. Molly

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ThaWilsonBlock Magazine Issue46 thawilsonMAG Issue46 is a very special issue to us! Through our monthly #BringingItTogether mixer event, we are able to bring you content that is authentic and original while maintaining our inspirational aspect. This issue features music , exclusive interviews, artwork, humor, and so much more. We hope you find this issue of some use on your journey. Thanks for downloading! Please share & enjoy!

Publisher / Editor

Michael Taylor Layout & Design

Michael Taylor Content Creation

Michael Taylor Percy L. Johnson Distribution/Circulation

Michael Taylor Photographer

Percy L. Johnson Journalists

Michael Taylor ThaWilsonBlock Magazine is tha premier digital publication showcasing local urban culture. Articles & Advertisements are due by 5th of every month. Michael Taylor is commonly known as Bing Bing or Mistah Wilson, the man behind ThaWilsonBlock and the Pasadena Music Scene. ThaWilsonBlock Magazine 851 N. Oakland Avenue Pasadena, CA 91104 thawilsonMAG@gmail.com

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Little Byrd is still alive. Why? Anyways... The music comes from dealing with that. Born in Kentucky, raised in Philly, currently in Pasadena, Ca. Every genre of music will at

some point come into play if it has not already. Usually i did the music, art, mix, recording, writing, and everything else you'll see and hear. You can do the same.

Winter & The Wolves By Grieves Rhymesayers Entertainment 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14.

Rain Damage Whoa is Me Over You (feat. B. Lewis) Serpents Breath of Air Astronauts (feat. Slug) Autumn How’s It Gonna Go (feat. B. Lewis) Recluse Like Child Long One Kidding Me Shreds Smoke in the Night

Reviews of this Album “Known for a unique blend of hip-hop and alt-soul, Grieves has co-produced 14 new tracks with B. Lewis, combining organic pianos and guitars with synthesizers; a dramatic backdrop for his vocals. Reflecting on growth and maturity, Winter & The Wolves is about the instinctual fight for survival. Finding yourself alone, facing hindrances to your livelihood, and having the courage to overcome them. Tackling subjects like addiction and heartbreak, Grieves signature combination of humor & gloom depict the inner turmoil between abandoning the dreams of his youth, and carving a new path for himself.” –Editorial Review “One of the best hip-hop albums I've ever listened to. This album is absolutely amazing from beginning to end, even the bonus songs are amazing. I'd have to say my absolute favorite songs of the album is Serpents, Autumn, Breath of Air, and Recluse. I can really relate to everything Grieves puts into his music, he's just on another plane when compared to other artists because his music is so personal. He puts himself into every single line. Not to mention his voice is so unique, he should do more songs like Serpents. I really like the style. I love this album. I thought it'd be hard for him to top Together/Apart but he definitely did it.” –Tyler Silver "Rain Damage" alone justified my eager anticipation for this album. Awesome artist, Grieves brings something fresh to the genre, his tracks have serious depth and character. Going to have this album in the Spring rotation for a while.” – MJG “This is just a solid album throughout, every song is memorable, well written and well made. Rarely do I buy an album these days where every song is solid and flows well into the next, usually you get a few good songs and the rest are mediocre at best, this isn't the case here. Really looking forward to whatever Grieves comes out with next. Surpassed my expectations with this one.” –Thomas J. Colburn

A Tribe Called Quest

Disc One 1. The Space Program 2. We The People 3. Whateva Will Be 4. Solid Wall of Sound 5. Dis Generation 6. Kids… 7. Melatonin 8. Enough!!

Disc Two 1. Mobius 2. Black Spasmodic 3. The Killing Season 4. Lost Somebody 5. Movin Backwards 6. Conrad Tokyo 7. Ego 8. The Donald

“A Tribe Called Quest - Q-Tip, Phife Dawg (who passed away on March 22nd, 2016), Ali Shaheed Muhammad, Jarobi White the groundbreaking 90’s group that forever transformed the urban music landscape reunited on their first and last studio album together in eighteen years. Guests on "We got it from Here...Thank You 4 Your Service" include; Kendrick Lamar, Elton John, Jack White, Andre 3000, Busta Rhymes, Consequence, Anderson Paak, and Talib Kweli.” –Editorial Review “I don't write a lot of reviews but for all the real hip heads who grew up listening to Tribe this one needs to bought on CD, downloaded and put on repeat. A great way to end a great career. Hearing Phiff Dawg rap brought tears to my eyes. Much love to; Q-Tip, Ali Shaheed Muhammad, Jarobi White and Rest in Peace Phife Dawg.” –Charles “Last albums are the hardest things to do and A Tribe Called Quest did it with a bang. Their final album is brilliant, oh so brilliant, in every sense of the word. Not that A Tribe Called Quest intentionally foresaw it, but the timing of this album drop is so perfect that it's chilling - and just right. Like the album itself. Lyrical, poetic, hip-hop brilliance that spills every tea as it also bears its heart out with all its soul.” –Vanessa Clark “Love, Love. LOVE!!!!!! Got the same soul like their other albums, but new flare. This is how hip hop should sound. A breath of fresh air! Been FLIPPING waiting for this album. Thanks guys. It's amazing!!!!!!” –Alicia Craig-Ornsby

Usolosopher Usolosopher has been one of 2016’s hardest working poets. With his own Open Mic circuit to his poetry book “Diary of a Mad Uso”, tha Usolosopher continues to demonstrate growth & development. We look forward to seeing his vision unfold…

Rain Couldn’t Stop DENA Artists from #BringingItTogether After the success of the #BringingItTogether October 2016 Free Ar tist Photo Shoot, Mistah Wilson & Percy Johnson were excited for next month’s event. This time , they put a little more love into it. With only a couple of weeks to make it happen, they went out to get a photo backdrop with the logos of ThaWilsonBlock Magazine , Percy’s Por trait Photography, and a hashtag of #DEN A to represent where the movement is taking place . Before the October 2016 shoot, the news was forecasting rain on the day of the event. That would be tragic since ever yone is meeting up outside in McDonald Park. As the day grew in, it was almost cancelled. Mistah Wilson decided to go along with it and it turned out to be a beautiful sunny day. For the next event, the news forecasted rain. Mistah Wilson decided to call the weather’s bluff. But, this time , the weather was for real. After much preparation and money spent to put this event together, we were expecting a much bigger turnout than the first one . On the morning of the event, the sun beamed life onto La Pintoresca. But, by 2p at Jefferson Park, the clouds were coming in fast. It was unbelievable because it was such a sunny day to begin with. The event star ted at 12p it

hadn’t yet rained. DJ AJ was holdin’ it down with local, Pasadena music , neo-soul, & funk jams . The photo backdrop was against the sidewall of the restrooms and nobody had any problems coming together for the cause . Soon enough, it star ts to rain sideways! The people who came stayed through the rain for the most of the event. I mean, these ar tists were troopers . But, once it did star t raining, we believe it deterred a lot of people from coming out. “People were pulling up to the event, but kept going once it star ted to rain,” says an attendee . Although it rained, we were for tunate enough to have a few large trees over ever ything. We were still able to eat the BBQ & Teriyaki chicken wins , Pizza, Salad, & Cookies . “We strongly believe that the rain deterred people from coming out to par ticipate in the #BringingItTogether November 2016 Free Ar tist Photo Shoot. We’d still like to thank ever ybody who had interest and wanted to come out. We’d also like to thank all those who came out and those who won raffle prizes . We can’t do this without you,” Mistah Wilson says after the event. During the event, the backdrop was moved under one of the large trees . Even though it rained, a few people still showed up and par ticipated. It was truly amazing to see these ar tists battle through the rain to be a par t of their community. It still turned out to be a great event with about double the amount of photos taken. While it was going on, it felt

like a failure . But, in hindsight, it’s pretty admirable to see ar tists endure the rain for the cause . That’s a great milestone we achieved together that we can reflect on later to inspire us moving forward. Close to $1,000 was spent to put this event together only for their parade to be rained on! Mistah Wilson takes responsibility for the lack of preparation on his par t and says the next series of event(s) leading up to the Summer will be held indoors and will be taking place in the evening time . For this event, it wasn’t so much about who they were as individuals , but who they are as individuals coming together. Mistah Wilson’s vision for this event is slowly taking form. He knew that October & November’s shoot had to be done informally so that he could gain some momentum to brand the event through the Gold Carpet. On Friday December 30 th from 8p-12a, Mistah Wilson & ThaWilsonBlock Magazine will be bringing you the #BringingItTogether Open Mic Gold Carpet Photo Shoot & Drum Circle! Hope to see you there!

#BringingItTogether November 2016 Free Artist Photo Shoot

Artwork by Michael Jones

Manyang Reath Kher launches 734 Coffee to Empower People of South Sudan Manyang Reath Kher is nothing short of genius! Against all odds, tha young striver survivor continues to evolve into tha inspirational figure he's known to be. Through the Humanity Helping Sudan Project, Manyang Reath Kher has been doing some amazing things to bring awareness and sufficiency to the Sudanese region. From the #Feed50k campaign to Donate-A-Prayer, HHSP is proving to have a sincerely genuine concern for the displaced refugees who are/were victims of war. In a climate where refugees are often times categorized with the stigma around 'immigrants', it's challenging to hear tha voice of those who advocate for them. However, in this case, with Manyang's compelling story of adversity & triumph, he has clearly broken through tha spectrum. And Today, he is raising money to empower the people of Sudan through a new and exclusive coffee that is actually harvested in African soil. Let's not forget, South Sudan is tha world's newest country. With that said, tha things that Kher is doing for his people is critical. Not to discredit other activists and advocates for their people/country, but Manyang has put his entire country on his back. We're not talking a city block or state. We're talking a whole country to help bring to self -sustainability. It's a lifetime mission, but Manyang has definitely been taking all tha necessary steps in tha right direction. In an effort to stimulate fundraising so that tha people of Sudan may become self -reliant, Manyang launched 734 Coffee, a coffee harvested by the people of Sudan so that they may enable themselves to grow. When asked why tha name "734", it was explained that 734 (or 7.9220 Â°N and 34.1532Â°E) are the geographical coordinates for Gambela, a region in Ethipoia where over 200,000 South Sudanese citizens take refuge. The refugees of Gambela are in desperate need of aid, so tha Humanity Helping Sudan Project is dedicating excessive time and energy to provide a sustainable future for them. Every 8oz bag purchased provides funds to raise chickens, create fishing nets, and grow crops. Through the sale of 734 Coffee and your help, the refugees may be able to learn the skills necessary to live a life untethered from donations and aid. Humanity Helping Sudan/Ethiopia Project is a charitable organization that creates awareness of the refugee crisis. Their mission is to educate refugee groups and individuals to achieve self sufficiency so that camps can become communities .

Visit HHSP Make a Donation Buy 734 Coffee

Music Is

Universal

“I simply want to entertain lovers of adventure, fantasy, and any fiction literary works around the world and globe.” - Taffey Champion, Author of Mystery Alliance: Evian’s Saga

Taffey Champion, Author of Mystery Alliance: Evian’s Saga discusses the rerelease of her most esteemed project

Myster y Alliance: Evian’s Saga” best of all. I decided to Re -Release it in honor and in dedication of Actor, Keanu Reeves’ bir thday, since my protagonist or main character is the Mystic Fantasy Hero version of Keanu Reeves.

Mistah Wilson: Hey, Taffey Champion! We are so honored to have you back with us again for this exclusive inter view with ThaWilsonBlock Magazine! What's new !? Taffey Champion: Thank you so much, Mistah Wilson! I am delighted to be here again. Presently, I have launched a Re Release of my Action Adventure/Futuristic Fantasy E Book entitled, “The Myster y Alliance: Evian’s Saga ”.

Mistah Wilson: Will this re-release be longer or shor ter and why? Taffey Champion: This Re-Release has only minor revisions, so it is not a great deal longer than it was before. Now, it is impor tant to understand that my E-Book is an adaptation from the original copyrighted screenplay of the same name. My editions of ‘The Myster y Alliance: Evian’s Saga” are conjointly copyrighted through the U.S. Copyright Office located in Washington, D.C .

Mistah Wilson: You're re-releasing your book Myster y Alliance: Evian's Saga. For our audience reading this , could you please tell us a little bit about your book... Taffey Champion: “The Myster y Alliance: Evian’s Saga” is about spectacular beings born as Mystics. These beings are characterized with magnificent, ethereal beauty and which possess superhuman abilities. The Myster y Alliance (a secret and elite anti -terrorist group) was founded by their impressive leader, Exile Legend, and The Myster y Ar ts is a superb self defense technique created by Kayo Rasputin; the master instructor of all Mystics within The Myster y Alliance. And only prominent government officials have knowledge of their existence. Mistah Wilson: What made you want to do a re-release instead of releasing par t 2? Taffey Champion: When it was originally released, I used my own abstract painting entitled, “Paradise Underwater” as the cover. Due to its abstract appearance, not all of my readers understood what my E-Book was about. The current cover was created by a phenomenal digital ar tist by the name of FrinaAr t. And I believe that this cover suits “The

Mistah Wilson: Tell us more about Evian and how he was created as the Mystic Fantasy Hero version of the great actor Keanu Reeves ... Taffey Champion: Evian Magi is an unsuspecting young man who meets a mysterious beauty through an unusual encounter in Paris, France. After speaking with her, he agrees to live among a secret society of beings called Mystics. Whilst living among them, he learns about their secret alliance and their master y of a spectacular self-defense technique: The Myster y Ar ts. I created Evian as the Mystic Fantasy Hero version of Actor, Keanu Reeves. He even looks like Keanu Reeves; just a mystically beautiful version of him with laser-blue eyes. Mistah Wilson: What is the biggest sneak peek you could give us without telling too much of the stor y ? Taffey Champion: Well, there is the villain, Myth Vaga, and his cohor t, Fiend Dalliant; who reader s must guess which is the wor st enemy of the member s of The Myster y Alliance . Now, Myth Vaga has stunning turquoise eyes . Consequently, reader s will also have to guess which gentleman on the E-Book cover represents Evian Magi.

Mistah Wilson: What led you to your decision to re-release the book? Taffey Champion: For an indie author, it did well when it was initially released. Never theless, I knew that it could do much better ; par ticularly with a cover that truly showcases the E-Book as an Action Adventure/Futuristic Fantasy.

were gifts from God, so I went to work immediately on creating it. If anyone is aspiring to become a writer, they need to know that it could take many years to get a work of ar t ready for publishing. Sometimes a writer may have to go back to the drawing board multiple times before the work is complete .

Mistah Wilson: What did you do differently this time around? Taffey Champion: The E-Book was revised several times after it was initially released. But, as I said before, it only has minor revisions for this Re-Release. There are also more promotional campaigns created by exper ts to showcase “The Myster y Alliance: Evian’s Saga” for this launch.

Mistah Wilson: Will the re-release come with Digital and Hard Copies? Taffey Champion: Presently, “The Myster y Alliance: Evian’s Saga” is only available digitally. But, that makes it more cost effective for my readers. It costs only $.99 on Amazon.com

Mistah Wilson: Let's talk cover ar t! You sent us a promotional copy of the newly designed cover, which to us was like a breath of fresh air. Will you end up going with that design? Why or why not? Taffey Champion: Why, thank you ver y much. I give much thanks to FrinaAr t for this E-Book cover. Yes, this is the new Featured Cover for “The Myster y Alliance: Evian’s Saga”. I love it so much; as it perfectly matches the look I wanted for it. Mistah Wilson: Ultimately, what direction are you planning on taking this book? Will there eventually be a sequel and/or series in the future? Taffey Champion: This E-Book is par t of an E-Book series. And of course, par t II will be released next. Mistah Wilson: What have been some notable factors you've experienced when publishing your book? Taffey Champion: I had 3 dream visions which I had about my literar y work of ar t back in the year 1999. I believed that these

Mistah Wilson: What do you plan on accomplishing through this book? Taffey Champion: I simply want to enter tain lovers of adventure, fantasy, and any fiction literar y works around the world and globe. I am ver y thankful to God for all of the oppor tunities that he has granted me, and I feel ver y appreciative that He blessed me with those 3 dream visions which star ted it all; from screenplay format to amazing book adaptations. Mistah Wilson: When do you plan on releasing this book? Taffey Champion: As I have mentioned before, “The Myster y Alliance: Evian’s Saga’ was re released in honor and in dedication of Keanu Reeves’ bir thday on September 2, 2016, and the relaunch is in celebration of his long-term acting career.

Mistah Wilson: What methods and/or strategies did you use to come up with the stor y line , characters , and concepts for this new book? Taffey Champion: Well, Mistah Wilson, after having those 3 dream visions, I simply devised the way I wanted it written from there. I wrote outlines of possible characters, scenes, locations, etc. Some of the locations were inspired from my own travels around the world. Ideas would simply come to me when I was thinking about creating this literar y work of ar t, and I would write them down. I would discount any unsuitable ideas, and keep the best ideas to use. Mistah Wilson: What overall message do you want to get across to your readers who check out your book ? Taffey Champion: I think that Keanu Reeves’ Action films are where his best work is showcased; par ticularly, “The Matrix”. So, since my E-Book is an Action Adventure/Futuristic Fantasy, I would like readers to give it a tr y with the expectation that it is indeed an enlightening and enter taining read. And of course, I want readers to have fun whilst reading “The Myster y Alliance: Evian’s Saga”. Mistah Wilson: Give us 3 reasons why “The Myster y Alliance: Evian's Saga” is a MUST-READ! Taffey Champion: I can give you more than that. It is an Action Adventure/Futuristic Fantasy which features exceptionally beautiful and mysterious beings which possess superhuman abilities, showcased through a phenomenal self -defense technique called The Myster y Ar ts (an exciting blend of acrobatics and mar tial ar ts). The acrobatics alone should interest circus lovers around the world, and it is also delightfully

enriched with myster y, intrigue, and scintillating romance, as well. Mistah Wilson: Are you currently writing any other titles? Taffey Champion: I have ideas for other works of ar t that I began writing about ever since 1999. However, “The Myster y Alliance: Evian’s Saga” is a labor of love for me, so I give it my utmost attention. I hope to return my attention to the other works some years down the line . Mistah Wilson: Where can people find your book when it is released ? Taffey Champion: “The Myster y Alliance: Evian’s Saga’ is located specifically here . It is also located at Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, Kobobooks, and also via a host of online retailers. Please feel free to read about my E-Book in more detail here . Readers will find various links to my E-Book via that website page, thanks to the innovative genius, Ms. Theodocia McLean. Mistah Wilson: Hey, Taffey Champion, thank you so much for taking the time for this exclusive inter view with ThaWilsonBlock Magazine! It's been awesome! If you wanted to shout out anybody, let's hear it ... Taffey Champion: Yet again, I knew you would offer me the chance to give “shouts out”, Mistah Wilson. Yes, I especially give a shout out to God Almighty for always being there for me. I also give a shout out to Mr. Keanu Reeves for being the Special Muse and Inspiration of this little southern belle Author by the name of Taffey Tawanna Champion. I even give a shout out to you Mistah Wilson; as I always enjoy these inter views with you, and look forward hopefully to more in future. Thanks ver y much to you, and to your wonderful audience members !

10+ Stunning Animal Portraits By Ukrainian Photographer Sergey Polyushko

Sergey Polyushko is a Ukrainian photographer whose portfolio includes everything from architecture and fashion to commercial and street photography. His beautiful and intimate animal portraits are perhaps his most eyecatching works however. From domestic dogs and cats, to wildlife such as ducks, squirrels, and even an exotic caracal, Polyushko's pictures are as playful as they are captivating. Whether

he's snapping squirrels in the snow while they're out foraging for nuts, ducks basking on golden sun-tinted waters, or curious cows looking for their own personal close-ups, the photographer, who has over 40k followers on Instagram, has mastered the art of bringing out the very best in each and every subject he chooses.

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Exploring The Intersection Of Hip-Hop And Social Justice To understand the awesome shared histor y of hip-hop and activism you have to acknowledge that while music can shine a light on injustice , it can’t, on its own, heal the wounds of oppression. We’re not all waiting for that perfect anthem to save the day. The one that effor tlessly samples from the hear tache and the anger, the resilienc y, and the mistrust, and maybe even the wilting hope found in the black community. It’s impor tant to recognize that while hip hop is its own entity, it’s still just a par t of a greater movement when it comes to speaking out against those injustices . Nothing and no one can stand alone in this fight. People have long tried to reason with oppression. They’ve tried to shout at it, thrown bottles at it, cursed its name and lit the streets on fire beneath it. Hip -hop

is on the right side of things because it’s about thought and emotion, not a violent action. It is inspirational and it can galvanize . It can open people’s eyes and reach them in a way that words gloriously composed and passionately shouted cannot — it cuts through the noise of the politicians and the pundits who think they know what it’s like and what people want to hear even though they rarely come down face to face with the street. The beat penetrates and breaks down barrier s . The poetr y holds onto you and can be a dispatch to the outside world about the shape of oppression as well as a rallying cr y that can advance progress little by little when paired with passion and controlled, non-violent rage . But the signal needs a boost from time to time…