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Exclusive Interview
GUCCI MANE Classic City TAKEOVER W/Jess Lonon
Whats The Move tonight?
PROMO WARS AskTipClarke
THE RED EDITION www.bigindastreet.com
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Want Your Next Mixtape Hosted by BIG IN DA STREET??? EMAIL : bigindastreet@gmail.com You can also find us on twitter @thomascrown @bigindastreet
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Wow , its been one hectic year. I started off the new yew with the words “Grind or Go Home” on my mind , and i intend on doing just that! This is a joyous occasion for BIG IN DA STREET. Our FIRST EVER PUBLICATION. Two guys with a plan who set out to promote and get music to the masses, has evolved into so much more. We have BIG IN DA STREET mixtapes , management , and magazines now and we ai’nt even done yet. We hope to capture your hearts and tickle your minds to keep you coming back for more.We know with our new ventures we will gain new friends and lose old ones. We want to thank everyone who was apart of this issue and who helped to manifest the dream and ideas we had from the start. LIVE , LOVE , LOUD
Thomas Crown Thomas Crown Editor - in - Chief @thomascrown
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editorial
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WHAT UP The Beatkingz get their inspiration from their lifestyle. Their biggest inspiration is everything in general but they put GOD first for blessing them. They would like people to feel good from their music by relating to it and being inspired by it. The BEATKINGZ get their support from their hometown, family and friends. They would love to collaborate with the best of the best. Artist such as T.I., Jay Z, Kanye West, and many more....One thing for sure is, WE WILL KNOW THE (BEATKINGZ).
What type of artist would you say you are?
industy?
I been doing music for like 10 yrs I’m an all around type of artist I like maybe 12yrs to explore with it Are you seeking a deal? If so who Who would they compare you with would you like to get signed to? in the music industry? Yea I’m looking for a label deal. I’m I really can’t say who im compared still currently signed to a couple with but I like to be compared to Out of the artist thats out there now Dre, Swizz Beatz and Timberland. The great names of music someday name 3 artist you would like to work with and why? Where do you see your self in a year Really I like to work with any and or two from now? everybody In a year or so just stable and runWhat type of music do you do? ning my label helping others go forward with music The type of music I like to put out is How long you been in the music motivation yet good music anything 4 bigindastreet.com July 2011
good to the soul Are there any projects you would like to work on? R&B projects maybe pop etc Do you have a studio? If so how long you been producing? yea I have a studio currently in upgrading mode I been recording for 4yrs What are some artist you worked with in the past? I had a chance to work with yet associate myself with Jermain Dupri, Manish Man, Mackboney ,Baby D, Zaytoven, Yung Bean Big Body,Dirt Reynolds, Brian M.Cox and the list gose on...
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What type of artist would you say you are? I would say I am a hard working producer I am always trying to get the new and upcoming artist and sounds. I am very passionate about my work and would really like to make a career out of producing very soon! Who would they compare you with in the music industry? At this point I can not really say I think that I have my own style and swag(not being arrogant) just saying that I try to bring something different to the table that other producers don’t.But there are definitely a lot of producers in the industry that I look lup to
Where do you see your self in a year or two from now? Well first in the very near furture I plan to furthure my education in producing by going back to school for professional,certified pro tools user. Then following that I plan to have my own studio and hopefully become a well known producer across the world! How long you be in the music industy? Well I first started rapping but then I developed a desire for producing so altogehter in music period its been about 8 years.
Are you seeking a deal? If so who would you like to get signed to? I am definitely seeking a deal I wouldl love to be a part of the professional music industry. I dont really have a prefrence of who I would like to be signed to I would just like to be signed to anyone who could help me furthure my career.
magic! Last but not least Wayne who is very hard working and has came from nothing and built an entire empire I respect his grind and hustle it would be a honor to work with him!
What type of music your trying to put out? I am a diverse genre producer I am willing to work with all generes I am Out of the artist thats out multi talented and would enjoy putting out all kind there now name 3 artist you would like to work with of music! and why? I definitely would like to Are there any projects you would like to work on? work with Rick Ross he is very talented and I like I would definitely liked to his swag and style. I would be featured on some upalso like to work with T.I coming mix tapes and new we are both from Atlanta and upcoming artist. and I would love to share -Kei Laguins our ATL flavor and make bigindastreet.com July 2011 5
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WHAT UP
[[ ShootME ]]
BET AWARDS 2011 Shrine Auditorium Los Angeles , California June 26th 2011
On Tuesday, May 17, BET announced the nominations and host on its signature video-countdown show 106 & Park. Guest who announced the nominations include Waka Flocka Flame, J. Cole, Marsha Ambrosius, Chris Brown, Trey Songz, Miguel, hosts Rocsi and Terrence J. and the previously-unknown host. Also during the annoncement, the host was finally revealed to be comedian Kevin Hart.
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ollowing the announcement of the nominees on a special edition of 106 & Park on May 17, 2011, controversy surfaced on some of the categories.Rapper Trina, who released her fifth studio album Amazin in 2010, felt snubbed that she was not included among the nominees for the “Best Female Hip-Hop Artist” category, taking to her Twitter account to post “f*ck BET......”. Two of the artists who were nominated—Nicki Minaj and Diamond— also criticized the nominations via Twitter. Singer Keyshia Cole also felt snubbed for not receiving any nominations, and took to her Twitter account, saying “its like this. Been on the scene 7 years. I was 21 when I got signed. 7 # 1 records. No awards 4 none of them/ still touring. It is Wht it is.” She also tweeted, “These types of thing R the way they R. I’m not upset about any of it in any way. I hope everyone that goes has a wonderful time.” BET’s president of programming, music and specials, Stephen Hill, spoke about the matter in an interview with Billboard.com’s The Juice. In response to criticism over Trina for not getting any nominations, Hill said she did not submit a music video during the eligibility period of April 1, 2010 to March 30, 2011.Although she was featured in LoLa Monroe’s music video for “Over Time” in November 2010, Hill said being a featured act “doesn’t make you eligible”. He also responded to Cole’s nominations snub, stating “we simply had to go, as we always do, with the artists who got the most votes in that [best female R&B artist] category. The nominations consist of the artists that got the top votes in that category when put to our voting academy. If there is six nominations in a category that means there was a tie.” There was criticism that Beyoncé recieved a nomination, despite the fact that her last album I Am... Sasha Fierce was released in 2008. Hill stated, “Beyoncé submitted a video for “Why Don’t You Love Me” early May of 2010. She submitted one video remaining from her I Am... Sasha Fierce project. That was the last video she submitted and it was submitted during this year’s eligibility period. She was voted on the strength of that one video even though the bulk of that project was the year before.” Also, on the night of the award show ceremony, R & B artist Lloyd criticized the show. Feeling snubbed, Lloyd cited on his Twitter page how upset he was that his video, along with his record label mates, Lil Wayne and Young Money had the first R & B single of the Lil Wayne’s career to reach number 1 on BET’s 106 and Park, for the song Bedrock , yet were not nominated for an award. - W.P.
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WHAT UP
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WHAT UP
SOMONG
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S
omong(SO), which means HOPE in Korean, is an aspiring AfroKorean musical artist and the CEO of Sound Obsessions Productions. His rhythmic style, while unique and eccentric, is soulful, familiar, and enticing, a combination of heavy baselines over melodic tunes. SO has been in the game for a while. He started taking his musical career seriously when he was sixteen. He learned of his talents while playing around on his keyboard. As he started sharing music with friends, they became anxious, wanting to rap over it and urged him to start selling it. He started shopping his work around, marketing himself, and building the SO brand. SO shows his depth through his music. He recently released a song, Addiction, which is seemingly about a woman, but during an interview, Somong revealed that he’s talking about addictions in general, “whatever makes you anxious to get home. Addiction is about that thing that causes you to hurry through situations to get a fix.” His latest project is a compilation of mixed tracks in which he sings over popular hip hop beats. You can listen to his music at www.theycallmeso. com. And check the Big in da Streets website for a live interview with Somong.
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WHAT UP
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ASK TIP ? But just dont go to da b#%ch house let her come to yours, cause you cant act like you an all dat with a house full of roaches.So next time when yall hang out, just let da b#%ch know yall goin to your house not hers!
Relations Tip Clarke answers your craziest questions. get it fixed until monDear Tip Clarke, day. I had been dating I recently met this chick and shes super this chick for about a month and never cool , i mean i really dig her as a person. We stayed at her house because she would have fun hanging out always come to mines. and club hoppin and things of that nature. So i asked her could When ever she want to i come over to stay F#@K she come to my with her...BAD Idea!!! place and we get it in!! This B@#$H had So this one weekend mad ghetto roaches i mean roaches seemed my AC went out in my apartment and the to come from everywhere.She acted like landlord said he cant 10 bigindastreet.com July 2011
she didnt see them , i mean im from the projects so roaches dont scare me but this chick just had too many.How do i tell her i like her but not her roaches? -Mike G , 32 BX , New York KMSL....OK Now if you really diggin’ da b#%ch you can keep f#%kin her.
Dear Tip Clarke , Things were goin fine. New House , New Car , New Job. I was having a ladies night out and found the man of my dreams.This brotha was fine!!We exchanged numbers and agreed to go on a date the following week.He asked me to meet him at his house so i said yea(i keep my .380 on me all the time so i felt safe). When i stepped into his home i noticed it looked a lot like my mothers home kinda old fashion and all of the pics on the wall were of family members.He said he was almost dressed and instructed me to come into the room.I made my way down the hallway to his room and BAM!! Bunk Beds!!ugh...i told him i had an emergency at my work and jetted out of there pronto!He called me later and asked what was wrong and i told him i cant date a guy still living with his mom and sleeping in a bunk bed. Am i wrong for having standards? -LaKeshia H , 30 ATL , GA
GURLLLLL...IF U FEEL LIK DAT WUZ DA NI#%A 4 U....DEN DATS FINE BuT IF DIS MUTHAFUCKA STAYN WIT HIS MAMA ...DATS A FUCKN NO NO....CAUSE AT 30+ U SHOULD HVE UR OWN FUCKN SHIT ANYWAY...AINT NO FUCKN EXCUSE....BT IF U LIK HIM AN U FEEL DATS DA MAN 4 U DEN GO 4 IT....BT JUS SIT DAT NIGGA DWN AN LET HIM KNW WATS ON UR MIND....CAUSE TELL DAT MUTHAFUCKA WE CNT B N HIS MAMA HOUSE FUCKN LIK HELL AN SHE N DA NEXT ROOM LISTENIN 2 YALL AN S#%T LIK DAT....{MAMA B BUSTN NUTTS JUS LISTENIN 2 YALL}.....F#$K DAT S#%T....LOL Dear Tip Clarke , Im a single mother of six , with 3 baby daddies.I work when i can but its always hard to find a baby sitter for six kids.One of my baby daddy’s sold drugs and the other two i cant locate.The one that sold drugs took care of all of us , until he got caught and is now incarcerated.I recently found i guy that i like , but was scared to tell him i had six kids in fear he would take off.How do i break the news to him without scaring him off? - Keshia J , 25 Bellview , IL
OK KESHIA...ITS ALOT OF SINGLE U CAUSE U GoT 6 KIDS DEN SAy MOTHERS OUT HERE DOIN WAT FUCK IT AN KEEP IT MOViN... DEY GT 2 DO CAUSE AINT NO NI#%A FINA TAKE CARE OF U A SUMBODY ELSE KIDS...NOT BeiNg FUNNY OR NAN LIK DAT BuT DEZ DAYZ WHEN U TELL A NI#%A U GoT MORE DEN 1 CHILD DEY B Got a question you want Tip Clarke LOOKN LIK WTF...BuT U MAY FIND to answer? email: bigindastreet@ A REAL NI#%A DAT WILLN 2 TAKE gmail.com CARE OF U AN UR KIDS BT U GT 2 GT U A JOB WHERE U KNW U GNE STAY ...BT NEVA B ASHAME OF UR KIDS IF DA NI#%A DoNT WaNT bigindastreet.com July 2011 11
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ASK TIP ?
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GUCCI MANE
Classic City Takover The atmosphere inside and outside the club was electric as Gucci stepped off his shiny black tour bus with his entourage in tow.
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he music industry is laced with artists claiming to be thugs, but the industry’s realest bad boy, Gucci Mane, Radric Davis, recently visited one of Athens, GA’s most popular nightspots, Sky City Lounge. When news spread that Gucci was set to be released from jail, club owners and promoters scrambled to book him. With multiple songs in rotation and some of the year’s hardest headbangers, the demand for Gucci was outrageous. Prior to his release, Sky City’s owners, Anthony and Jessica Lonon, joined the competition and began contacting his managers to feature him as one of the most popular artists to visit Athens. After only a few months in jail, Gucci’s value skyrocketed. His booking prices were too much for many of the local club owners to consider, and with the often grimey competition amongst club promoters around the town, spending thousands of dollars to book him could’ve been the death of an establishment. The Lonon siblings knew they were gambling on the success of the event. They had no choice but to charge their patrons what some consider unreasonable prices to compensate for their investment. This ultimately could’ve been a failure. Once word got out that Gucci was coming the streets of Athens were set ablaze with excitement. Flyers and posters were made but word of mouth as well as street teams’ use of social media helped spread the news around Athens and the entire area of northeast Georgia. People came from as far away as Carrollton, a small town over two hours drive from Athens. Big Brother Ent, Mayham, and host, Da Infamous Tony Bradford, along with several other promotion teams, pulled together to make the night a huge success.
The atmosphere inside and outside the club was electric as Gucci stepped off his shiny black tour bus with his entourage in tow. Comfortably decked out in an old school red and white Adidas Superstar jumpsuit, Gucci could be easily identified by his iced-out ice cream cone medallion and matching facial tat. He received a welcome worthy of Barack Obama as he strolled redcarpet style from the door straight to the stage. He sank back into the cushy khaki-colored leather sectional that was in the onstage VIP as his label-mate Slim Duncan warmed the crowd up. His rider of Ciroc, Moet, Heineken, Hennessy, Coronas, Bud Lights, Grey Goose, and bottled waters went quickly while cigarillos were being broken down and reconstructed with high octane herbals. Throughout the night, Gucci watched the crowd, quietly bopping his head and enjoying the moment. His eyes lay low and his cup stayed full. As Jessica Lonon joined him on stage, the chemistry of the audience was entrancing. The bartenders at Sky City Lounge fought through 14 bigindastreet.com July 2011
crowds to bring him bottles of Ciroc after they ran out. There were about thirty people onstage in his entourage. Gucci didn’t speak much. But his eyes lit up when one of the club’s taller bartenders stepped on stage. After taking a few pictures with Lonon and the other bartenders, he asked her for her information and told her he wanted to keep in touch. He was adamant in his approach. He kept his arm around Ms. Lonon, forging somewhat of a bond between the two. His cool demeanor reiterated his recent explanation of facial tattoo of an ice cream cone, “because I’m cool as ice.” While the club was in full throttle, he calmly posed for pictures without hesitation with every fan who asked. When a girl mentioned it was her birthday, he gave her a hundred dollar bill. The Birmingham native showed his southern hospitality that night. Although Gucci is back in jail just a couple months after visiting us, we’re still waiting for his return, and we look forward to
bringing you that interview when he’s released. Stay tuned to the Jess Choppin’ it Up Show for celebrity interviews every Tuesday at 7:30pm on channel 23 Charter cable on. Until then.....chop-chop baby.§
When a girl mentioned it was her birthday, he gave her a hundred dollar bill. The Birmingham native showed his southern hospitality that night.
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The 90 Day Rule
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By Sharday Jones
may not be popular amongst the ladies for saying this, but I think the 90 Day Rule is garbage! When we take a second to analyze the true motivations for the creation of this rule in the first place, we realize that it’s a reactive move made on a woman’s part to manipulate and dominate a relationship. Yet, because she’s merely reacting to the perceived notion that having sex too soon makes her easy, she’s actually being dominated by societal standards that tell her she can’t think for herself. Sexuality becomes the one thing she can control as the relationship progresses, so she baits the man using sex as a reward. Many women create a checklist of all the things we must have in a partner, but we forget to include in that the recipe for a healthy relationship. One of the most important qualities in a healthy relationship is open and honest communication, the “keeping it real” factor. But how real are you being if you enter a relationship with restrictions and limitations that prevent you from exploring your own desires just so he doesn’t think you’re easy? Do you like this person? Are you curious about intimacy with him? Are you being real with yourself when you say you won’t engage when you really want to all because Steve Harvey told you that giving it up before 90 days will 16 bigindastreet.com July 2011
knock you out of the running for wifey? It seems that in searching for a good man, women tend to create new personalities in order to win approval. We follow these rules and read self-help books to figure out how to be the best fit for him, but when is the last time you heard of a bestselling book about making a woman will want to marry him? So, why are we really waiting? The simple answer is that we don’t
him. If she does, she loses the game because he tricked her into doing it and not because she actually wanted to do it. Instead of acting out her own desires, which may be to have sex early on, she has to prove how hard of a sell she is. Call this irrational, but if you have to sell me on the idea of having sex with you, shouldn’t you be insecure because that means I wouldn’t have otherwise wanted to have sex with you? Shouldn’t you feel as though I’m giving you pity p****y? Secondly, it reiterates the very notion that society spreads through self-help books aimed at women. It says that in actuality women are not the true catch here… men are. Now, how good does it make you feel to know that you are chasing a man who’s not chasing you? Yes, he may be courting you, but because you see sex as a reward want to be thought of as easy. When that’s given to him as a result of his a man is able to waltz financial and time investments into the va jay jay without investing over three months and not as a much time, suddenly, his perspecnatural enjoyment for both of you to tive of the woman changes, and share, he still has the dominant instead of becoming the next poten- position. tial Mrs., she becomes a quick fling. But considering that sex is supposed to be a mutual agreement between two people to share body chemistry, unless a woman is raped, isn’t it her decision to have sex? Being easy means that someone has sold you on the idea of having sex with him without putting investing enough time. The philosophy implies that a man has to convince a woman to have sex with
The 90 day rule is also garbage because it’s selfish. If you truly want to develop a healthy relationship, there are some fundamental needs that have to be fulfilled, and one of them is sex. It’s not fair to hold out on someone you’re dating because you want to dictate the progress of the relationship. You’re selfishly asking that person not to engage in intimacy and romance with you, yet you probably expect him not to share it with someone else. Sex is a necessity for healthy, adult relationships, and men need sex the way women need verbal reassurance. If having sex before 90days eliminates you from being wifey, then it should also eliminate him from being hubby. You are both equally qualified people, and your elimination is merely a reflection of his fear. Men are intimidated by a woman who is comfortable enough with herself to sleep with a man before society says it’s okay. This is evident in his lack of self-reflection as he’s judging you for engaging in the same sex he just had. If you’re not ready to have sex until after 90 days, let it be because you don’t yet feel connected to a person enough to share yourself and not because of a myth that says you will be disqualified from the wifey running. Sex is a beautiful experience that should be shared between adults, not a tool used to
dominate a relationship. If you really vibe with a person, the chemistry should guide you two naturally, and you should be mature enough to know that the success of your relationship should not be a onesided evaluation on whether or not you gave it up too quickly. Know
your worth, and so will he!
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The 90 Day Rule
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Trendin’ in da Street It’s the Trendsetta, Miss Mya Ali, keeping you informed and up to date on the latest hip hop trends in hair, fashion, and style. Swimwear: Ladies, let’s begin with us. Each year, we have many different styles and patterns to choose from such as the traditional bikini, a tankini, a one piece, or the new monkini. I’m going to help you select the right one for your body type and shape.
swimsuit such as a Tankini underwire is key. Make sure it has the right underarm coverage. For the tankini bottoms consider ruffles and or a skirted bottom.
When selecting the prefect bathing suit consider the bikini or the monkini. But typically, with the coke bottle figure, any style of suit works fairly well. These suits keep the eyes busy while accentuating the waist. Although the monkini became popular in recent years, it provides you with the front coverage enjoyed with a one piece swimsuit and features sexy side cutouts, It still looks like a twopiece from the back. Also, halter tops, V-necks, and designs that highlight your curves such as rings or embellishments compliment this summer’s swim fashions.
Things to Avoid: Bottoms with ad- Men, for a day at the beach or hitting ditional designs and embellishments the pool with your boys, simply such as patterns and rings. slip on some swim trunks such as broad shorts and you’re ready to go. Wine glass: Bigger top and smaller When selecting the right color or bottom pattern, neon colors should not be on your list.Think of more netural colors When such as navy blue, black, and selecting the prefect swimsuit, make brown. sure the top has a built-in underwire bra to provide you with the right sup- Things to Avoid: Speedos, unless port and coverage. The type of swim- your name is Micheal Phelps, you suit you wear is up to you. should definitely avoid these.
Pear Shape: Smaller top and wider bottom To provide balance to your figure out consider tops with an embellished bust line to draw attention towards your face and shoulders. A pattern on top paired with a solid bottom. If you have fuller thighs and Body Type: Coke bottle figure, curvy hips consider suits with skirted botbody and small waist toms and shorts.
Things to Avoid: As a curvatious woman, you should avoid solid colors, emphasize your body shape more with patterns such as animal print but avoid stripes and polka dots. 18 bigindastreet.com July 2011
Things to Avoid: Triangle tops, these tops are mostly for women who have a smaller bust, since are larger on top a triangle top won’t
Things to Avoid: Boy shorts, Tube Tops. Bathing suits made with a tube top do not provide enough coverage and generally slip and slide when jumping in and out the water and simply walking.
Sandals: Sandals are essential wear for the summer months for both women and men. And it’s prefect to pair with a pedicure. When showing off your feet, make sure they are preprovide you with adequate coverage, sentable. Ladies, you can never go and it will result in unpleasant wrong slippage on the sides and underarms. with a french tip. With so many sandals to choose from like Full figured: thongs sandals, gladitors, back off or Tankinis and a One Piece. When se- back on, it truly depends on lecting the the evironment. Flip flop style san-
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dals are not appropriate for the work place. Consider a sandal with the back on or either a wedge or heel. I know we all have those moments when we want to go club with our girls and just throw on some flip flops. That’s a big no no.Sandals are never approiate for the club. Throwing on flip flops display a lack of care for your appearance. When stepping out in the nightlife consider a pair of heels. When visiting the beach, or relaxing the day in a sun dress, a nice strappy sandal to match your swimsuit or dress really sets off your style. Always consider sandals with various styles such as snake skin or animal print. Also make sure you have the right balance between pattern and solid colors.
Lil Wayne, Kanye and even Drake all sport these shades when they are Out. The shades start at $110 off the official Ray-Ban’s website. If $110 is out of your price range, there are alternatives consider looking at your local malls, discount stores, and even flea markets. For women & men, shopping on a budget and want to keep up on the latest styles and fashions you can easily visit your local stores in your area such as Walmart, Target, JC Penny, Dillard’s, and Macy’s.
Shopping Online, visit sites such as: wetseal.com urbanog.com amiclubwear.com instyleswimwear.com Men, you all are guilty for wearing swimsuitsforall.com athletic sandals and socks. There is nothing wrong with owning a pair You can contact Miss Mya Ali directof open toe sandals. Consider wear- ly on Facebook at ing brands by h t t p : / / w w w. f a c e b o o k . c o m / Eastland, Ralph Lauren (Polo) and umayma.t.bilal Sperry. For those men who are skep- Follow Her on Twitter @Mya_Altical iMMI about wearing opentoe sandals, con- Got Questions? Email me directly at sider some closed toed sandals. askmya@gmail.com They aren’t just for your grandpa anymore. Sunglasses: This summer it’s all about Ray-Ban’s. Artists like Future, Fabulous, bigindastreet.com July 2011 19
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Trendin’ in da Street
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Street QUEEN
Name: Mikal Blair Location: Nashville Tn Nationality: White Stats: 34-27-40 Height: 5’4” Weight: 140 Bookings: blairp1113@gmail.com Websites: FB: Mz Mikal Blair Twitter.com/@MzMikalBlair ModelMayhem.com/1795478 20 bigindastreet.com July 2011
M
y original passion was behind the camera. I was approached about trying some glamor modeling, and was soon as I tried, I was addicted to it! I love all the feed back & support I get back from my many fans & admirers! I have been modeling now for a little over a year & hope to do many great things this year including my website, calender, posters, & many more treats for the fellas & ladies out there! I have been featured in many blogs, online features, & a few publications. I try to respond to all my supporters so please link up with me people! Facebook Fan Support Page: http:// www.facebook.com/pages/Mz-Mikal-Blair/147910755272405
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@MzMikalBlair
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PROMO By E.C. Jordan
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thens, GA is over 50 miles from the next largest city, Atlanta. Despite this fact, however, it is no stranger to big name acts such as Shawty Lo, Gucci Mane, Nicki Minaj,
Young Dro, Yo Gotti and Future. This is due in no small part to the efforts of a group of enterprising young promoters who have worked hard to help put Athens’ nightlife on the map. Anyone who wants to have a drink and listen to some loud music can do so any night of the week, but Saturdays are when Classic City really puts on. Athenians can thank promotional teams Purple Label Ent. and Team Take Over for keeping Saturdays crunk. Isaiah Natural Breed Stephens, Tekkel Parrish and Tony Da Infamous Bradford each had a big buzz in the streets before they came together to form Team TakeOver. Bradford started promoting as a sophomore at Paine College in Augusta because “it had no party scene”. He brought his act back home with him to Athens upon graduating. His first party was actually thrown in an abandoned daycare center with the help of DJ Blaze, a popular local dj. Boasts Bradford “I had da club scene in Athens on smash since ’05!” Although he enjoys the life a popular promoter lives (i.e. groupies, notoriety, rubbing elbows with celebrities, etc) Bradford is a man of many talents and plans on showcasing one of those other talents this summer with the release of his independent rap album. He has also put his B.A. in theatre to good use in independent films, commercials and as a voiceover artist. The next act for the multi-talented Bradford? “I plan on focusing on acting and my music”.
Isaiah Natural Breed Stephens
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Bradford’s Takeover teammate Stephens got into promoting because “With my degree in marketing, it was a natural fit”. Like Bradford, he has been promoting since his days as an undergraduate at Savannah State. His marketing background also serves him well on his daytime gig as a salesman at Nissan & Mercedes Benz of Athens. Having a stable source of income is a huge advantage to a promoter. Says Stephens “you need to have some funds to put into promotional tools such as flyers, posters, TV commercials, gas money to travel easy as it looks. and being successto work. You gotta withstand failures”. their partner Tekthe failures have catch Team TakeSaturdays
and
Team TakeOver, light with rival Label Ent. The 23 year old Chris partner Cassie Chyears ago because bringing people quickly came to
Anyone who wants to have a drink and listen to some loud music can do so any night of the week, but Saturdays are when Classic City really puts on.
to surrounding cities, etc”. It ain’t as Getting on ful takes a lot of effort and willingness be able to Thankfully for Stephens, Bradford and kel Parrish, been few and far between. You can Over winning on Temptation Thursdays at El Paisano. although very popular, shares the spotpromoters Purple masterminds behind Purple Label are Dowdy and his antel. Dowdy got into the business four he enjoyed together for fun without drama. He realize, however, that
drama is just a part of the business. A former member of the Polo Boyz, Dowdy formed Purple Label Ent when he parted ways with them. Chantel is also no stranger to drama. Says the well-known hostess “I look at it as a business, but egos get involved. Other teams might say that an artist is not showing up to hate on them. People take it outside the business realm and get personal because money is being affected. One night a particular promoter told people that the artist would be a no-show. Because of this turnout was small 24 bigindastreet.com July 2011
has also had her own personal drama. A misunderstanding with former partner Tony Bradford led to the split that caused her to take matters into her own hands. Says Cassie, “I felt like I had a large enough following and had created enough of a buzz for myself to go out and do my own thing”. When Dowdy hit her up and asked her to host his events, Purple Label Ent was born. Though the pair has been very successful, both are already thinking about their next move. Cassie plans to stop doing parties in Athens. A full time photographer since the age of 17, she plans to attend the Art institute of Atlanta to study photography and design. The multitalented hostess has been rapping since the age of 7 and
Tony Da Infamous Bradford
point guard for
is working on a mixtape due to be released in late July. Dowdy, a former
Benedict College, is just two and a half years from completing a degree in Business with a minor in History. Though he currently works as a barber he plans on owning his own club one day. Kick it with Cassie and Chris every Saturday at Sky City Lounge.
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and the artist became very upset and wanted to fight the promoter that was hating.” Cassie
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Though they have been very successful, both teams agree that the business of promoting is not without drawbacks. Social media like Facebook® and Twitter® have proven to be a double-edged sword for promoters. On one hand, these websites are invaluable tools as they provide a free and fast means of getting the word out. Says Cassie Chantel “I mostly promote online”. On the other hand, according to Stephens, “Sometimes other promoters have negative things to say on social media. You see negative things posted about you on social networking sites, saying that you charge too much, etc. It’s a lot of hate and envy.” Dowdy takes a dim view on the matter; “Folks take it too serious and try to make it a competition. I think other promoters have lost the real meaning of promoting; it’s not about beating other promoters, it’s about fun! You should never try to down grade the next party”. According to Bradford, brawls, complaints about entry fees, greedy artists and the occasional flop come with the territory; you have to able to withstand hard times if you’re going to be successful. Despite the pitfalls, these promoters continue to bring you the crunkest parties in the eastern North Georgia area. If you live in the area and haven’t experienced it, what are you waiting for?
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Chris Polo Dowdy , Cassie Chantel , and Tekkel Kellz Parrish.
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Hello Kitty Hosted By Miss B’ Havin ALL FEMALE MC’S Monday July 18th on datpiff.com and more!! Featuring some of today’s hottest tracks including the controversial hit “GIRL ON GIRL” by the lovely Miss B Havin’
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