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Meet the team at YCN. Editor-In-Chief Lisa Wilson Editor Rene Fisher Editorial Manager Shahrukh Zamir
TABLE OF CONTENTS Editor’s Note 3 Loaneski 4-6 And There Was Light 7 Spaceman Chaos 8-9 Pooh
Creative Director
10-11
Willie Holmes Jr.
Wayne P 12-13
Talent Host Kristina Gatus Media/Sales Director Tony Wilson Editoral:ycnmusic@ youngcelebritynews. com
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Rocket Life Ent 14-16 Juan Jones Jr 18-19 L.A. Eley 20-21 Athntc Pple 22-23 Is Janet Known As The One That Got Away 25
A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
WHO IS IN YOUR CIRCLE? by LISA WILSON
W
ho are the people you associate with? Who is in your circle? What type of crowd do you hang around? You may not want to answer this, you may even think it’s lame. Yet, the people you associate with have a lot to do with your success. Now am I saying get rid of all your friends? No. However, there will be cases where you won’t be able to keep hanging around the same people you did at one time for your own personal growth. With success, there is a lot of sacrifice and sometimes those you keep close to you are not helping you achieve the dreams you are striving to accomplish. In fact, they are doing quite the opposite. They are a hinderance, an extra weight that you continue dragging along or even distracting you from your vision and calling. I used to “turn up,” so much in college and I seemed to have friends all the time that wanted to party with me as well. Yet when I started to realize I needed to do more in life than just party with friends, I started to see who my real friends were. See there are going to be days where you just need to lock yourself in your room
to finish your music or whatever task you have set for yourself. There are days it seems I only go out to check the mail when there’s something important I need to finish. Not everyone is going to understand your work ethic and you don’t need to explain it everyone. There are times we choose not completing a task because we don’t want to be that person who never goes out or have fun. But you have to remember the path you’re on and what you’re trying to accomplish. Sadly, if your friends don’t understand your vision now, they probably never will. Millionaires hang out with other millionaires for a reason, athletes tend to hang around other athletes. Innovators and dreamers hang around those who are also on the same path as they are. It’s important to have the right people in your life, especially in your tight knit circle. You don’t want to look back and wonder, “what if.” I could have been (fill in the blanks) but I decided to (fill in the blanks). Take time now to reflect those around you and ask yourself if your friendship or relationship with that person is hurting or helping your dreams.
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Love At First Sight by YCN
L
oaneski is a hip hop artist from the UK. After watching 2Pac perform on television at the age of eight, Loaneski was inspired by the lyrics that he rapped and the sound from the piano. Now, this rapper is the one who is
inspiring those around him with his own music. With his EP in the works titled, Lone Wolf, Loaneski is steadily working hard in the studido while preparing to release new music for his fans. Check out his interview below!
When did you begin your journey in music and why?
I would say that I began my musical journey when I
was 8. I remember my mother flicking through chan-
nels on the TV and I think it was MTV showing 2pac
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performing “I Ain’t Mad At Cha.” I instantly fell in love with
the piano motive and even though I was very young at the
time, 2pac’s lyrics touched me and I remember once I finished
watching the performance I started writing lyrics, well what I thought were lyrics.
Can you take us back to that moment you realized you wanted to be an artist and pursue it wholeheartedly?
It was when I turned 16. I realized every time I went into my college studio (Gateway Sixth Form College) the sound engineer at the time who was known as Dubwise or K.A.N.E always
pushed me. Encouraging me to dig deeper and not to be afraid of showing my passion for
music. That’s when I realized I needed to hang on, if one person who I’ve only known for a couple of months is showing so much support then that means he believes me. I also quickly realized something which a lot of other people have as well and that is whenever I spit my lyrics to someone they are always paying close attention and are absolutely left speechless.
Who are some musical influences and other influences that encouraged you to pursue music? Honestly I have many musical influences but if I had to name my top 5 it would have to be in 4 | www.youngcelebritynews.com
this order: Nas, 2Pac, The Game, Crazy Titch who is a UK Grime artist and Klashnekoff who is a UK HipHop artist. The people that encourage me to pursue a career would have to be a majority of my friends and I’m not going to mention names because there’s too many to mention but the individuals know who they are, my parents and my younger brother, Dubwise/K.A.N.E, DJ DrumJunkie, RightBeatRadio, Oak, YEP and of course all of my lovely fans. What do you believe separates you from other artists today? What separates me from other artists would be my way of writing lyrics. A lot people have said that whenever they hear my lyrics, it reminds them of spoken word poetry rather than traditional hip-hop/rap music. I tend to break out of the tradition in terms of not always rhyming with the last word of each sentence like Chuck D from Public Enemy. I’ll say the exact same thing ‘I Don’t Rhyme For The Sake Of Riddlin’ because I believe overall music is an urban form of poetry when there’s wording involved. Another reason would be that I am a very conscious person and when I sit down and think of lyrics, I make sure that it becomes very personal, almost as if I am sharing my experiences or secrets with the members of the audience.
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Right now you’re currently in the UK do you feel like you need to push your music in the States eventually? Surprisingly I do have fans in the States that listens to my tracks. I would like to push my music a lot further into the U.S. I always seem to receive positive feedback from my fans over there and as an artist, it’s important to reach out to people from all over the world, gaining new fans every single day is my target. What have the responses been on your music so far and what are ways you’ve grown your fan base? The response towards my music has always been positive especially on my most recent project which was called ‘Black Thoughts.’ This was my debut EP that I released last November and the amount of exposure
that I am receiving from this particular project is more than I thought it would be if I’m quite honest. In terms of growing my fan base, I’ve had to jump out of my comfort zone and join certain social media websites such as
Instagram. In the beginning I wasn’t really keen on creating an Instagram account because I thought to myself
it’s just another social media site that is just like Facebook and Twitter, but once I started to upload footage of my songs and some of my performances, I gained quite a bit of interest so it turned out to be a good invest (Continued on next page) www.youngcelebritynews.com | 5
What are you working on for the new year? Any new projects that you can update your fans on?
I am currently working on a brand new EP which will be called ‘Lone Wolf’ and this will be released
sometime later this year. It’s going to be more of a
versatile performance from myself which includes
features. I am also planning to release an album hopefully by the end of next year, which I’ve been
working on for the past 2 and a half years. I can’t
ment. I am currently working with a PR company called reveal the name of this album but it’s definitely going ‘ForeverPR.’ I’ve performed at many events around to be something special. Whilst people are waiting
Leicester (my hometown) such as Oxjam and EMerge for the ‘Lone Wolf’ EP to drop, my debut EP called and I’ve got myself a manager who will give me that ‘Black Thoughts’ is available to download from my extra push. I’ve also been working with an American website www.loaneski.co.uk it’s free. producer called RightBeatRadio and a British producer
called Oak. They both have a rich experience of the
When will know you made it?
industry and this has helped me gained a lot more fans That’s a tricky question, erm… We all measure sucbecause they’ve shared some of their experiences cess in different ways. For example whenever I gain
which I’ve learnt a lot from and used to my advantage. a new fan or whenever I am performing and I receive Finally, I’ve also had quite a few interactions with local feedback, that’s success to me. I’m easily motivated radio stations such as EAVA FM and I’ve been featured so it’s hard for me to answer that question. Although on one of their shows which they host on Friday nights to give you an idea of when I’ll know that I’ve made called Friday Flex Show.
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Do you have a favorite track you’ve released so far and why?
Yes I do, at the moment my favorite track that I’ve released has to be ‘Black Thoughts’ and this is because
people have told me that they can relate to majority of the track as if I am describing their current life situation or decisions which they’ve also had to make. It’s
quite strange because I wrote ‘Black Thoughts’ at a time where my life was going downhill and I made some
pretty bad decisions which mentally isolated me from
the outside world. Another reason as to why I am partic-
ularly proud of this track is due to the fact that its gained
a lot of interest from local radio stations such as EAVA FM, DeMon FM and Radio2Funky, just to name a few.
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it, would be when I can tell my parents to retire from their jobs.
FOLLOW LOANESKI:
https://twitter.com/Loaneski loaneski.co.uk
And There Was Light by YCN
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ocated in Paramount, California, Emmanuel Reformed Church put on a hip hop and spoken word event, March 14, to help raise funds to plant churches throughout Los Angeles. They had many talented Christian performers come out that night to use their gifts for God. Some of the talent present were, actor Noel G (Fast and Furious, Bruce Almighty), who happened to host the entire show, KIDD, Hilary Jane, Braille and more. Check out some of the pictures of the event. If you would like to donate, or visit Emmanuel Reformed Church, check out how below. Emmanuel Reformed Church location: 15941 Virginia Ave, Paramount, Ca 90723 http://www.erc.la/
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Words To Live By by YCN
S
paceman Chaos started rapping at the age of twelve. He was inspired by his favorite artists to not just rap but to become a flashy “rap star.” Now, this Native American Hip Hop artist has other goals in mind and inspiring those around him with his words is one of them. Motivated by his family and daughters, this rising star doesn’t mind the time and patience it requires to take his music to the next level and become great. Be on the lookout for his upcoming project Noob 2bers and check out his interview below.
How did you get the name Spaceman Chaos? What’s the background behind it? When I was about 14, a friend of my brother’s called me Spaceman for spacing out while they were asking me a question. Don’t remember the question but I remember I liked being called “Spaceman,” (because I was into UFO’s and nerd stuff, plus I spaced out a lot and still do). I added Chaos as an older teen to reflect what life was like for me growing up, being different, and feeling awkward. These days the name still holds true (haha). My friends call me Space. How do you feel about today’s hip hop movement? I feel like mainstream hip hop is ruining hip hop. I really like what I’m hearing on the underground.
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I also feel that Native American Hip Hop is one of the true forms of Hip Hop today. Shout out to artists Drezus, Red Cloud, Supaman, Frank Waln. Tell us about your journey as an artist and when it began? I started rapping at 12-13 years old, but the first rap song I ever learned was T-U-R-T-L-E POWER by Partners in Kryme. But after I heard Ice Cube and Bone Thugs N’ Harmony I knew I liked rap music. Tech N9ne just enhanced that experience. I rapped with my friends grow ing up. I was always free-styling, sometimes it made people mad but it’s ok, I know they knew I was dope. As a kid I wanted to be a rapper for the stereotypical reasons, but now I like to make fun music like Noob Toobers. While at the same time, making life music to
keep a musical journal of things going on in my life. Thoughts, feelings, situations, love, hate, pleasure, and pain, current events world wide and local. I also had to teach myself over the years to make beats with help from longtime friend and co-founder of Too Chief Entertainment, Daniel Zimmerman aka KloQwYse. Too Chief Entertainment began 2003. Still grinding.
What made you want to get into rapping? And how would you describe your sound?
Beef is dumb. I tried to get exposure by dissing some of the big time mainstreamers (Stupid). I took the song down because I don’t want to be that kind of person. The song itself is pretty dope though. I would have to call it “TUFF,” it’s titled “Epic Ranting.” But yeah as far as other artists beefing, I do believe it is inevitable because beef makes sales. But I think it’s dangerous too because your fans take sides and they are the ones who can and will do the most damage.
What new projects can we look forward to that you’ll be releasing this year?
I wanted to be cool in school is the reason I started rapping. Then I realized I was pretty dope at it so I just kept it up. Ice Cube was the artist who made me want to rap. Tech N9ne was the artist who made me want to make being a rap star my dream. My sound is raw, fun, epic, real, Who were some of the key people in your devel- and overall just dope to listen to. opment as an artist? What do you believe makes you stand apart from My kids, Kloqwyse, NoNo. My Family, bros, friends, other artists today? fans, BrotherHood Nation *28.* All the Too Chief I am humble but confident in my talent. I am a member Family. PowWow People. of the LdF Band of Ojibwe. I want more Power of Love How do you feel about artists that beef with and not Love of Power. I’m not doing it for the money, one another. Example, Iggy and Azelia Banks? cars, clothes, women, or fame. I do what I do for the peoDo you feel it’s inevitable the further you get in ple, for my community, for my family and last but not the industry? least, the fans. Independent to the fullest.
I am working on a few new projects “Noob 2bers” and “What a World EP” (with NoNo). Also working on a web series for YouTube. What will it take for you to take your talent to the next level?
Time, experience, and a bunch of people saying “Howah What are you striving to accomplish in this in- that’s pretty Huckin Tuff Bey.” dustry and how will you make your mark? FOLLOW SPACEMAN: I want to help change the industry and the world for the better. I made my mark already, my beautiful daugh- http://www.reverbnation.com/thespacemanchaos ters. With that said, I just want to be recognized as an https://twitter.com/SPACEMANCHAOS artist and respected for my hustle (happy face).
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Something Out Of Nothing by YCN
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lthough hip hop artist Pooh didn’t grow up with much, he plans on showing those with similar upbringings
that you can “make something out of nothing.” Get-
ting his start in music from the influence of his Band
Brother$, this up and coming artist is on a mission to encourage
his listeners that you can succeed in anything that you put your mind to. Be on the lookout for his new mixtape and check out his interview below.
Tell us about your stage name Pooh. What is the background behind it?
Pooh has been my nickname since a youngin, it came from my family and it stuck ever since.
When did you get started in making music? What inspired it?
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I began making music about a year ago and really got serious about 6 months ago. I started making music to express the things that I’ve gone through. I was inspired by my life and from the struggles I have experienced.
Who was the first person to really recognize your talent and motivated you to go after it?
I really began to go after music because of my Band Brother$,
as a group we all encourage one another and push each other harder to achieve our goals. We believe in one another and will push each other to our max.
What are you hoping to accomplish with your music? To reach out to others who have gone through what I have gone through, to express my struggle. I want to show people that there’s more to life than just your city and to expand your thinking. Also to show people that even though you come from the struggle you can make it out, I’m an example of it.
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What makes you believe you have what it takes to succeed in this industry? I believe in myself if nothing else. I have the support I need and know that my music will speak for itself. I’ve been through too much to fail and I have what it takes to succeed. I speak the truth and know that people will be able to relate and if not they will want to hear my story.
What ways do you challenge yourself on getting better? I challenge myself with every song I make. I like to try new things and get a variety of ideas so that others can relate to my music.
With social media being as big as it is, how do you utilize it to gain new fans? Do you think it’s harder today or easier to gain new fans?
Social network has made things much easier to promote music and to get
yourself out there. I promote my music and clothing line through all of my social networks and plan to grow even more.
What new music are you working on that you hope stands out this year in order to get the recognition you deserve?
My first mixtape project “Welcome to the Campus” is dropping in a few
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months. Also me and Band Brother$ are producing a mixtape “Blood Brothers,” dropping this summer. Both of these mixtapes will be the beginning of something amazing.
Tell you about your track Man Up that you’ve been promoting heavily. What inspired this song?
Man Up is about stepping up and not allowing anyone to stop you. In the
world we live in, it’s key to not allow anyone to discourage you, there will always be people that will try and stop you from becoming successful.
At the end of the day what type of impact are you hoping to make with your music?
I’m hoping to show people that you can make something out of nothing. I want to show my experiences so
people can understand and see the other side that people may have never seen and to make music that everybody can enjoy listening to.
Follow Pooh: https://twitter.com/PoohBandz600 http://www.pooh600.com/
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Changing The World Through Music by YCN
E
ver single Wayne P was a young child there was something about the art of music that he was drawn to. Growing up, this artist remembers being glued to the television to watch his favorite shows such as, Video Music Box, Yo MTV Raps and Rap City. Now as an artist himself, Wayne P has been able to achieve many goals and is striving to create change in the music industry as well as his community. “Ultimately I want to be heard and help make a change to the music industry including making a change in our communities,” he told YCN. Be on the lookout for his mixtape releasing in the Spring and check out his interview below. What made you want to become an artist? And when did your musical journey start? Ever since I was young, I was drawn to music. Music videos were like watching short movies that brought the songs to life. I remember watching Video Music Box, the Box, Yo Mtv Raps, and Rap City. I used to get hype! The music was like therapy to me. I identified with the culture of hip hop. My musical journey really started after my first time recording. It was my first verse in the studio that inspired me to wanna explore the rap scene further. What type of artist are you striving to be? As an artist, I want the people to be able to say that my music helped them get through whatever trials and tribulations they were experiencing in life. Who are some of your musical influences today? And what artists did you grow up listening to? I have some artists that I listen to like Nas and 50 Cent which are a couple of my favorites. Others like Meek Mill, Nipsey Hussle, Lil Wayne, Jeezy, Kendrick and the whole TDE camp are dope. I grew up listening to late 80’s, TUPAC and B.I.G. and the whole 90’s era of hip hop and R&B music. What new projects are you working on this year that you can update your fans on? For the fans this year, I am set to release a consistent amount of material including songs, freestyles, collaborations, videos, mixtape features and interviews. I’m also planning to release my first mixtape this spring so stay tuned.
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Tell us about your track, Recognize Relate. How did the concept of that track come about? What were you going through at that time? Relate was the first track set forth to my mixtape release. I wanted to give the people a real taste of where my writing ability strength could take their mind. I wanted to create a song with strong points that everyone could basically “relate” to. I wanted to include references that reflected pieces of my life that others could relate to. How do you feel about the hip hop movement today? Are you impressed with the new artists? What do you feel is lacking? I feel like the hip hop movement is slowly coming back to being about the lyrics again. Music has changed over a decade and there’s only a few that stand out to me. I feel like the creativity and passion to be a dope lyricist is lacking in today’s hip hop scene. That’s why I want to provide that truth along with creativity in my music so the people can feel me. Take us into your creative process of coming up with songs and your writing process? As far as my creative process, I like to vibe out and listen to new music on hip hop sites, watch interviews and listen to new mixtapes. It’s kind of like when athletes watch classic sports footage. You study, get hyped and get motivated to be the best! That’s how I put forward some of my best music. With so many artists sounding the same today, how did you develop your own sound? I feel like my style is God given. I don’t really sit around and think about what my style should be. I’m just artistically inclined so it’s just in my nature to create. As an artist I just focus on perfecting my craft in hopes that people will listen and feel it. Ultimately what are you looking to accomplish as an artist? I have achieved several goals including creating timeless music to motivate the world to wake up, create and continue to motivate each other as a people. Ultimately I want to be heard and help make a change to the music industry including making a change in our communities for the better. Ending violence and struggle.
Follow Wayne P https://twitter.com/WAYNEPtheFuture Wayne-P “Recognize Relate” http://youtu.be/NI410Qb4pas WAYNE-P “Attraction” Featuring Mike Streets: http://youtu.be/ RwqR1olRdfQ
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The Movement by YCN
Throughout your social media there’s #RLFG. Can you explain what that means and the movement behind it?
LFG which stands for Rocket Life/Finesse Gang is a growing movement and community striving for excellence. With Cam Trilla and FreshEman leading the pack musically, these talented group of young men are striving to be the voice of their generation. Check out their interview to learn more from this rising group.
RLFG stands for Rocket Life/Finesse Gang. Rocket Life is everybody that helps with keeping things in order and the structure. That’s the business. Finesse is the movement Gang is the slang. Finesse Gang is you, it’s us, it’s the streets, the people and the foundation for our music. With FreshEman & Cam Trilla leading the march.
R
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When did you guys first get into rapping and what was your motivation behind it? FreshEman - I started writing at 13yrs old as an escape from my neighborhood and daily drama. It was the only way I knew how to express myself without violence or anger. My mentor then was The Bad Seed from Brooklyn, NY. He taught me most of what I know about the creative process, beat selection and most importantly the music business and understanding my worth. He’s worked with everyone from Jean Grae, Talib Kweli, Mos Def, and even got me my first big feature with MIMS. When someone with that experience talks, you listen and that’s what I did. Cam Trilla- Every since I can remember music has been my get away. Back when people still went out to record stores before the Internet, pops kept CDs ranging from Tupac, Bigge, to Jay-z and Nas. Which just made me fall in love with the craft, the art. What are highs and lows of being an artists in today’s industry? Some highs would be the obvious one. Hip Hop is taking over the world now more than ever. There’s a lot more education and knowledge from a business standpoint. Many artists are going the independent route and placing their careers in their own hands. Being apart of a culture that’s always developing and recognized around the world is dope. It’s become a platform for so much more than music. It compliments fashion, advertising, modeling, business, and promotes ownership to our community. Some lows would be a lot of music today is carbon copy and cookie cutter style. Everyone tries to sound like the last hit. In turn, the originality and rebellion isn’t the same as it used to be. We wouldn’t say we’re fighting the same fight we were in the 80’s and 90’s. We’ve come a long way since then. But we’re still fighting for our respect and voice in this world. Don’t get it twisted Hip Hop should be fun and enjoyed before anything else. It’s always changing and the rules are often broken. That’s the beauty of Hip Hop, but we just hope as a community we don’t lose sight of its roots and purpose until the fight is all the way over. What type of impact has music had on your growing up? FreshE - For me it’s all I ever wanted to do. I didn’t really have any positive parental structure growing up so everything I’ve learned has been all from TV shows like Martin, Fresh Prince, family matters and music. Especially Hip Hop. When you come up in the environments they’re describing and living the stories they’re telling, it’s hard to ignore and not be attracted to it. Music is my peace and Hip Hop is my religion. It raised me to be who I am today. If it wasn’t for music, I don’t where I’d be or what I’d be doing. Cam Trilla- Music is my life, I just hope it saves my life. From writing rhymes, poems, and actually studying the greats, this is the only thing I love. Tell us about your new album that came out, #ForeverFinessin and the concept behind it? What inspired this project and how did it come about? Well to be honest. FreshEman & Cam Trilla had their own separate movements prior to this project. Cam had RLFG & FreshEman had his own situation. We both knew about each other and respected one another’s work and grind. But It wasn’t until Teddy P (Co-Founder) introduced us two formally that we started to focus on #ForeverFinessin. It took about 2 and a half months of heavy grinding. First it was supposed to be an EP styled demo like 4-6 tracks. Our chemistry was so dope performing and recording that somehow it eventually turned into about 15 tracks on its own which we narrowed down to the 11. It really came together organically. I think that’s what we’re most proud of on this project. Nothing was forced. It was all very natural and the creative process helped the both us develop a lot. After it was finished, we got with DJ Alo & OG Ron C to host it. They liked the tape a lot and the rest is history. (Continued on next page)
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Did you run into any problems while recording this album? Absolutely! We believe any artist especially independent artists run into issues. As we said we’re two separate artists and we’re a group. Ego’s and differences in ideas get in the way at times. For our personal projects our visions are different. We’re very different artists separate then when we collaborate. So we have to compromise constantly and communicate amongst ourselves to figure out the best solution for a group project like this one. All in all, it’s apart of the experience and growing as artists. We appreciate everything we went through making this project, even the fights.
FreshEman - I feel like sounds, production, and vibes are different everywhere you go. I’m from NY so that aggression and swag will always be there. But I’ve traveled and lived a lot of places. I haven’t lived in NY in some years. I go through different phases depending on where I’m at. I don’t like to limit myself. My motto is, “nobody is more important than the music.” I never want to feel like I’m in a box creatively. I want to be known as having my own style. At the same time I like playing with other flows and patterns that other artists favor or are recognized for at times. Ultimately, what are you looking to accomplish with your music?
We want to be a voice of our generation. Staying true while motivating others in negative circumstances to stay positive and go for theirs. The world is so much FreshEman - My favorite solo track would have to be bigger than your blocks and neighborhoods. Once you “Or Whatever,” which actually started out as a female leave and step off the porch you don’t come back the oriented track. Somehow with the help from Teddy P same person. You’re more optimistic. We’re just some it turned into a club banger. As for collab record, I’d young boys hustling and recording. If we get rich in have to say Money and Power because it showed the process we’ll make it count. If not we’re still goTrilla’s versatility and it had the Houston feel on my ing to turn all the way up anyways. Finesse Gang da last verse. Squaaaaaaaaaaad!!! Do you have a favorite track on the project why or why not?
Cam Trilla- Solo track would have to be “Screwed up freestyle,” because I feel like the essence of a new Houston was captured to a T. For me that track represents me as the voice of a generation. As a collab, I’d have to say “Rlfg” was the most fun. It’s what sparked this movement to really take off and gave interest while ‘reppin’ the squad.
Hip hop is so diverse even within its genre, from conscious artists, religious artists and more. How would you describe your sound as artists?
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Follow RLFG https://twitter.com/CamTrilla_RLFG https://twitter.com/FreshEman_rlfg http://indy.livemixtapes.com/mixtapes/31724/cam-trilla-fresheman-forever-finessin.html
2015
is looking good for these artists. Check out their first week sales numbers and let us know which album has been your favorite so far this year. Who do you think will when a Grammy? #FavAlbumThisYear
Non - Fiction (Ne-Yo) 59,000 units sold.
Full Speed - Kid Ink
To Pimp A Butterfly - Kendrick Lamar 363,000 units in its first week
Sold 30,086 the first week. Wale TheAlbum About Nothing 100K units
Sremm Life - Rae Sremmurd 33,005,copies sold in the first week.
B4.Da.$$ - Joey Bada$$ 58,000 copies sold in the first week.
Ludacris – Ludaversal – 73K units
Dark Sky Paradise - Big Sean
The Print Pink Nicki Minaj
173,000 units in its first week
1st week sold 244,000 units.
If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late - Drake Sold 495,000 copies in its first chart week
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Artist First by YCN .
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& J Records is a record label founded by Juan Jones Jr. With his “Artist First” mentality, new artists can rest assure that Juan is out to see the success of his team and label. Striving to bring back that east coast hip hop culture he grew up listening to, this CEO is out to show the music industry he will bring the caliber of artists to change up the scene. Check out his interview below. Tell us about your record label, the name and some of your goals you have for your brand? My record label is called J&J Records. We are located in Connecticut. We have many goals, but when I decided this was what I was going to do, I was looking at everyone else dropping out of school or quitting their jobs, just to solely focus on music. To me, the industry is too full of people trying to be the artist and not enough people willing to build these labels to house these artists. Some of these artists are really good and I would love to bring them on. My other goal is a bit more ambitious: I can say I’ve been here for the rapid decline of east coast culture in rap and hip hop music. My goal is to bring it back. What sparked your interest in wanting to create your own label? Simple. I love music. And I’ve always had a mind for business as a whole. I also would like to give people their start in the music industry. There are so many people I know that have so much talent, but the over crowded industry makes it so much harder to get noticed. What type of artists are you looking for to build your team? And what do you look for in artists? Well I want a “multi genre” type of label (mainly because I listen to every genre and basically all artists). So it doesn’t matter what type of music you play. The common quality I’ve noticed myself that I’ve looked for recently is patience. If you do your job and you work on your music, I got the rest. I’m also a hands on type of guy, so when you’re in the studio, I’m in there with you helping in any way you need. You pull an all nighter in the studio, I will too.
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Have you been learning a lot of the business side of music from starting your own label? Yes from two perspectives; the classroom and out on the scene. I attend college and my major is business. We learn all the legal stuff. But the scene is great practice because you have to be out there and show people you aren’t just playing around with ideas. You actually have a game plan. What are some challenges you’ve had to face so far? Mainly financial problems and a limited roster because people think it’s going to be an easy ride. I’m telling you now, it’s not. But as I said before, you work, I will work too. Can you tell us about some of the success you’ve had so far as a label? Well with last artist I had, I showed people I wasn’t playing around. He gave me a single, and through promotions and stuff, he was eventually ranked 10 in Connecticut. Which is a nice feat for someone just starting out. Ever since, things have been pretty good. Are you looking to get your name out as an artist as well or focus solely on the business side? Well my main priority is the business aspect. But if any artist I work with asks for me to help them, I have no problem. The music industry is a hard one to get into, what makes you believe you have the skills to succeed in this industry? Mainly it’s the fact that I’m hard working. Also, I work with the artist. I’m in the studio as long as you’re there and you need me. I’m not focused on my own music career so you know that I’m all about the artist as well. What new projects are you working on this year? Well I’m working on getting more clientele. More artists, and a few singers, so if you think you have what it takes, you know what to do! What’s some of the best advice you’ve gathered so far on this journey that has stuck out to you? That business stuff you learn in school is the harder way to go about things in the music industry, and in order to make money you have to be willing to spend it.
Follow Juan Jones Jr https://twitter.com/eatyuhheartout https://soundcloud.com/jandjrecords
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God Given Talent by YCN
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ip Hop artist L.A. Eley doesn’t recall a time when he wanted to be an artist. “Well I mean
it’s a God given gift, there’s not really a moment I knew I wanted to be an artist. This is my destiny,” he told YCN. Being influenced by “wack rappers” around him, this up and coming artist is confident that his abilities and skills will take him far in this industry. Check out his interview below.
Take us back to the moment you knew you were going to be an artist? Well I mean it’s a God given gift, there’s not really a moment I knew I wanted to be an artist. This is my destiny. But if I had to, I would say when I heard Biggie’s Ready to Die. When did you get started doing music? And who were some musical influences that inspired you growing up? I started doing music when I was seven. That’s when I actually recorded and laid something down. And everybody influenced me, especially the wack rappers, they let me know I’m hot. What type of artists are you striving to be? I’m not striving to be a certain type. I’m just me, it’s only one Eley L.A. Can you tell us about your name, “L.A. Eley,” how did you come up with it and the meaning behind it? L.A Eley comes from my first two initials. Eley is my last name, people pronounce my last name as E-lee I pronounce it Illy because I’m so ill with my lyrics. Definitely love your music; you have a very polished sound. How would you describe your style and sound? Different, me, hard, to the point, action packed, fun, imaginable. It’s just the beginning, I’m not just a gangster rapper, I’m an all around artist.
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How do you know the right time to release your music? And what type of success stories can you share with us since you first started? Just got tired of listening to the “b.s.” I had just gathered a bunch of old tracks and threw some sh** together. When I say old, I mean from 2006 and 2007. I’m 24 now (Haha). So that project was nothing special, it was basically to grab your attention, now that I have your attention it’s time. As far as success, that’s what I’m working on now, so world, stay tuned for that real because that’s all I can give. I have fun with my music so if you want to work and the price is right lets do it. What challenges have you encountered so far that you’ve had to overcome? The only challenge I have is getting people to listen to my music. But once they hear it they always seemed shocked to be standing next to a potential star. That’s how it is.
What new projects are you working on right now? My latest project is a mixtape, it’s called “F**k Wit My Money.” The release date is April 14th, which was the day I got released from jail last year, look at me now doing an interview for YCN MAGAZINE. It’s going to be incredible. What are you hoping to accomplish as an artist? And what’s your end goal? I want the world to hear me. I want to be able to provide for my family using my talent and I want to be able to give back to kids, the sick and the old who are all in need of help. I’m a Real Ni**a.
FOLLOW L.A. ELEY www.twitter.com/la_eley www.Facebook.com/laeley https://soundcloud.com/la_eley
Tell us about your project The Referral? What was the central theme behind it and what were you hoping to gain from releasing it? I named the project The Referral because I wanted to grab your ear and once I got it, I wanted you to refer me to the next ear. That’s my goal. I want the world to hear me. Do you have a favorite track on the project? I really don’t have a favorite song to be honest. What do you feel is missing in Hip Hop today that you feel you have? Talent and lyrics. They spit hot B.S nowadays. But hey it sells, they should pay there producers more (lol).
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Modern Day Messengers
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by Lisa Wilson
thntc Pple (Authentic People) is an alternative band that blends in the sounds of hip hop, pop, rock and gospel into their music. The members in the group include, Shaun, Chloe, Garrett, David, Shadrach, AJ, Nick and lead vocalists Kyle and Willie who are the founders of the group.
Although the majority of the members got their foundation in music by playing or singing in church, Athntc Pple doesn’t quite fit the mold of being a Christian group but you will definitely hear messages of God in some of their songs. We talked to Willie, one of the founders of the band to learn more about who their group is and what they represent. Check it out below. How did you get the name Athntc Pple? Me and my brother were in the gym across the way from our church. First we came up with Athntc Pple Supplying Originality but when we became a band, we became just Athntc Pple because we wanted to reach everybody. And frankly it’s too long of a name. What inspires your music? Our life, you know, things that are around us, quotes, art pieces, scriptures, conversations. Pretty much anything that stops our train of thought, we kind of just go with it. Growing up in a church environment all your life, how has that played a role as an artist now, considering you don’t classify your band as a “Christian,” band but you talk about God in your music? I think what we’ve always tried to do is represent God to the best of our ability in a modern society. We’re modern day messengers, giving people pieces of a larger story that I feel like God inspires. Every lyric might not have God or Jesus in it, but it’s being inspired by Him. At the end of the day we just want it to reach people, that’s why we use the hashtag, “who are you reaching?” You can be as deep as King Solomon but not reach anybody. When you try to save the world, you go for what works.
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Everyone has their WHY and why they want to be successful, what is your why? Our why is honestly to show people real art, bring back real music, bring back real talent, bring back real messages and movements. Back in the day artists had movements it wasn’t just about how good you dress, or sing, they actually had a message and something that people could believe in and be inspired by. I think artists like Kendrick Lamar and J.Cole have shown people that those types of songs and messages can work. Besides music what are some of your dreams and visions you hope to accomplish? We hope to succeed in the acting field, fashion and even the technology market. We want to be a brand that’s in every product. We wanna be the first “zillionaires.” We want to give people the highest quality of product that they could ever have at a very minimal cost. What are you working on right now? We’re working on a mixtape that’s coming out pretty soon that’s geared towards the college market. We’re really excited about our hit songs, Fleek, College Life and My City, which showcases the city of Orange County. We are trying to urbanize as much as possible, building and solidifying relationships with people in the industry. When will you know you made it? When around else in my circle has made it. Follow Athntc Pple online: https://twitter.com/apso77 https://tatemusicgroup.com/epk/artist/34018 https://soundcloud.com/user9024477 www.youngcelebritynews.com | 23
Taylor Swift Releases Heart Felt Letter by YCN
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aylor Swift released a heart felt letter in regards to finding out about her mom having cancer just yesterday on her Tumblr page. We hope things get better quick for the Swift family. Check out the letter here:
Hey guys, I’m writing to you with an update I wish I wasn’t giving you, but it’s important and I’m used to sharing important events in my life with you. Usually when things happen to me, I process them and then write music about how I feel, and you hear it much later. This is something my family and I thought you should know about now. For Christmas this year, I asked my mom that one of her gifts to me be her going to the doctor to get screened for any health issues, just to ease some worries of mine. She agreed, and went in to get checked. There were no red flags and she felt perfectly fine, but she did it just to get me and my brother off her case about it. The results came in, and I’m saddened to tell you that my mom has been diagnosed with cancer. I’d like to keep the details of her condition and treatment plans private, but she wanted you to know. She wanted you to know because your parents may be too busy juggling everything they’ve got going on to go to the doctor, and maybe you reminding them to go get checked for cancer could possibly lead to an early diagnosis and an easier battle… Or peace of mind in knowing that they’re healthy and there’s nothing to worry about. She wanted you to know why she may not be at as many shows this tour. She’s got an important battle to fight. Thank you for caring about my family so much that she would want me to share this information with you. I hope and pray that you never get news like this. Love you. Taylor
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Is Janet Jackson Known As The “One” That Got Away? by Rene Fisher Janet & Todd Bridges He was her first kiss and Todd said she used to be his girl on and off the set. Janet & Bobby Brown Before I met Janet I would never drink hard liquor, I only drank beer. But after our break up, I started drinking hard liquor abundantly. I took the way our relationship ended very hard. Not to say we were head over heels in love, but she was someone I had a lot of feelings for. Besides, we were young and naive. I was only about 19 or 20 years old. Young love is no joke! Janet & Rene Elizondo Jr Janet Jackson and Rene Elizondo, Jr. were married in 1991 and kept the marriage a secret until he filed for divorce in 2000. They share songwriting credits on songs produced in those years. Janet & Tupac Tupac on doing the film Poetic Justice with Janet. “I practiced how I was going to kiss her. I would practice kissing with gum. I really thought I had made a friend for life with her. Soon as the movie was over, I mean the next day, she changed her phone number.” Jermaine DupreeJermaine will never be truly able to cut Janet out of his life completely. If you remember, he has a huge tattoo of Janet’s face on his rib cage, so she is with him wherever he goes. Jermaine has said that the Janet tattoo was just one of many that he has, and he got it on a whim. However, he does agree that Janet will always be a part of his life, whether he likes it or not. Janet & Wissam Al Mana Janet is currently married to billionaire Wissam Al Mana. She started dating businessman Wissam Al Mana sometime during the summer of 2010, but no one knew until September when paparazzi photographed the couple together. This could be the relationship that lasts.
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