CONTENTS 03 Dj Samore Top 5 04 BLou Note 05 Ford Certified 09 SnatchBlack 10 Face Off 3 or More. The Proverb 20 Chantel Rhodes
MODEL OF THE MONTH 12
NIA LONETTE
COVER 14
HOLLO TIP
You started on the scene not too long ago and havent taken a break since, was that a planned move for your career or are you just flowing with the wave? I fully intended to put my foot on the gas once I’d decided to step into this Performing Artist role & not let up as I’d waited so long to get myself to this point. What I admittedly didn’t expect was the effect my movement would have on others & how it would call for me to not only do more but be a sort of inspiration to so many. What has been your best experience so far in regards to your music? My best experience thus far has been seeing my children watch me perform. It has been a feeling that I truly can’t properly describe. They’ve wanted this for me for so long. To watch their genuine smiles as they’ve witnessed their mother finally step into her purpose has been a joy I’ll be forever filled by. Not to mention, my grandchildren can be the recipients of the legacy I’m leaving. Honestly, I’m proud of myself for me first but I’m even more proud of myself for showing them that everything I’ve tried to pour into them over the years regarding their pride & love of self, I’m actively exhibiting for them to grow from.
What new levels are you aiming for in music? If I’m honest, I truly want Blou Note to be a household name. I want to be listed as an accomplished Songwriter. I’d like to release not only good music that you can vibe to but to leave lyrics that withstand the test of time. I’d like to have songs released across all genres. I consider myself to be a soul musician. One day, you might catch me rapping. On another day, my music might have you either crying out in praise or respectfully amped up while talkin your shit, so to speak. Either way, I want Blou Note’s music to resonate with the listener’s Spirit, whether it’s from my voice or someone else vocally. I’m not in this game to compete or even to prove anything to anybody other than self. I’m here to walk in the purpose that God set out for me. I’m now convinced that as a Writer, it is imperative that I record my thoughts accordingly & release them into the world in hopes of acting as a vessel for someone else. I’m finally accepting the fact that I’m gifted. Now it’s time to share that gift as expected. Your daughter has also recently stepped into the entertainment world, would say entertainment runs in the family?
If you had a chance to really hang around my family, you’d know that we’re ALL pure entertainment without even trying. Lol. My daughter, Bae Be Girlll, is definitely destined for greatness in my opinion in whatever she chooses to put her mind to. She’s a beautiful young woman who’s currently pursuing her professional modeling career & prayerfully acting, as her TikToks are pure comedy imo. She’s naturally funny & has a charm that I’m proud of, as does the others. She’s just the most extroverted of my kids. I love a talented young lady who doesn’t act like she’s all that, is down to earth & most importantly, respectful. That’s the best way to describe my Babygirl. At this stage, I’m praying that she garners success in her chosen field. I think she has a truly bright future. Just know I’m doing EVERYTHING in my power to ensure these shoulders of mine are strong enough for my kids to stand on & soar from. What should we be looking for ward to from Blou this year? In 2022, you can be on the lookout for a wide variety of things from Blou Note. I definitely plan to have some visuals released here soon, so I’m excited about that. I have some book projects in the works, in addition to more
music & prayerfully, a full spoken word release as well. I’ve got a few unreleased collabs out there & am excited about partnering up with other Queens in the music scene. I fully intend to be more active with social content, as I have some plans for a few Blou segments that I think will be good for the people. I’ve recently created my website (www.blounote.com) & am more active on the #BlouTube on YT. Just know that I have no plans of slowing down anytime soon. With His will, The Blou Note Movement will continue to grow & more importantly, act as an encouragement to others to step into their purpose. Your energy is all about uplif ting, empowering and encouraging. What is the source of that energy. I’m the way that I am because I’ve been stepped on, degraded & discouraged along the way in this life. I know it might sound cliché but I very much live my life according to the Golden Rule. (Treat others how you want to be treated). I’ve been through a lot of unpleasant things in my life. I’ve never felt good having to endure a single one of those levels of despair. I do not want to be on the other end of misery for anyone. And like the great Dr. Maya Angelou once said, I’ve had some cloudy days but have been graced to have some rainbows in my clouds. There have been MANY people along the way who have acted as such for me. I’d very much like for my legacy to exhibit the same, if not greater light for others. Plus, I sleep better knowing I ain’t done nothin but do my best to love on folk. Trust me, with Blou Note, it’s ALWAYS gonna be real & raw but ROOTED in love. It don’t get no better than that.
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Split Image LLC - Daniel Ortiz
Becoming a business owner is trading in your 9-5 for a 24/7 position that will cause you to lose sleep, skip meals, and ask yourself a minimum of a million times what on earth you were thinking! But the rewards are so far greater than the hindrances. The freedom to manage your time, to forge your own path, create your own income and decide your own story. Using your skills, talents and gifts to create a life for yourself feels like poetry in motion, but most times, it’s hardly that. It’s an endless stream of deadlines, reminders to yourself to breathe, and a constant look at the bigger picture. Which in itself is a glorious sight if you stay the course. So in honor of that, why not take some time to celebrate these business owners, entrepreneurs, and dreamchasers. This month, let’s celebrate some of the business owners we recommend you should check out in Lee County Florida. These businesses were chosen based on personal experience by Ladychelle and #FordCertified. To recommend a business for us to check for our next issue, email us at Fordentmagazine@ gmail.com Subject: #FordCertified
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Since you jumped on the scene, you jumped in head first and have just been working. Did you plan it out before jumping in the game or are you learning as you go? Basically it’s a go with the flow type of situation right now. In this industry you have a window, once you get a little hot, a little buzz or something like that you want to push it, you want to catch it again. That motivation, you gotta keep that momentum going. That’s what I did, I just go with the flow. Make music, drop music, learning as I go. Everyday I learn something new and how to market it, how to push it. Right now, it’s just a go with the flow that of situation. And so far what have you learned? What’s the most important aspect of the game so far? Marketing and promoting your brand, pushing yourself. Knowing how to push it, knowing how to place yourself in the right environment, right audience, knowing how to find your audience. I’m just learning a lot. About the social media algorithm, stuff like that, and how to stay trending, just learning alot of stuff about the different platforms.
So how do you break it down between learning about the game and actually creating and pushing music? My creativity comes from, I got my own studio, I just get in there and turn it on and just go. It could be 6 hours, It could be one hour, it could be 10 hours, I’m in there just working. So when I feel like being creative, I just get in there and let the beat play, let a couple beats play, and then I just go. And whenever I get that feeling to where “yea, that’s the one right there,” I zone in on it and write the song. And what has been the feedback you’ve been getting so far in regards to your music? A lot of good feedback, a lot of open mics, some type of event like that, I always get noticed. A lot of people, a lot of fans I’m hoping, tune in and they feel like it’s genuine and they know where I come from, a different part of where I come from, my background, it’s basically when I do my music I can tell my fans really enjoy it. They can feel the emotion I put behind it. And you mention Open Mics, I’ve seen you perform before and you come out with a ball of energy and you always have your family there, so tell me first about the energy that you bring to the stage. Is that something you gotta get in the mood for? Everytime I hit the mic, anytime I hear a beat, like if I hear a beat right now that energy gon come. It’s just
normal to me. I can see a crowd of people out there and this and that, and I know I’m getting ready to do my thing. The energy is already there. I don’t have to trigger it, the music gon do that for me. It’s just part of me. I can be in the house by myself, I’ll have the same energy as I do in front of a crowd of 250-500 people. It just comes natural. And I also mentioned your family that always comes out, tell me how important that is. For me, it’s very important because you want to stay confident. In this music game it’s hard to stay confident, it’s hard to stay motivated. A lot of people have a talent they just don’t push it, they don’t keep at it. They don’t stay consistent. When it comes to my family and how they help push me, that gives me my motivation. I don’t give up that way. My family is going to tell me bro you made some good music, or I like your music, or this and that. So that’s going to always push me and motivate me. So what’s next for you? I got a new single that’s getting ready to drop. Valentine’s. A song called Zoned. I got a lot of things going on this year, I’m getting ready to drop an EP, I don’t know how I’m going to formulate it yet, but I got a couple more singles I wanna drop. By summer time, I’ll definitely have a body of work for my fans.
Face Off 3 or More? The Proverb.
Greetings All. First of all, thank you for taking the time to purchase our issues. We appreciate all feedback, positive or negative,we seek growth at all times. Which brings us to what I was thinking about in terms of what we know or think we know and how to be with self and with others. There is a Japanese proverb, very ancient, that shares about 3 faces. And this is something that is followed with the understanding that:
One face is what you show to the world. The other face is what you show to close friends & family. Then there is one that you do not show to anyone. My take on this is so deep but luckily, I was able to OnePage it, to hit on the stronger points of the proverb. A lot of times we have friends or elders that tell us about friends. They’d tell us we have too many or we have a spoiled apple in the basket but we ignore and continue to be around the person because we have not seen what they see, but life experiences will have you know that if someone showed you their friends, then no doubt, you know who they are. And that’s what the world will or will not do. This is one of the greatest points about becoming of self, is that you will identify
with who you are as a person and when you do you grow another confidence that others cannot pinpoint what makes you who you are. It’s a naturalness within us. Others call this “Motivation”. Talent does what it can, Genius does what it Must. We are built for this. The world will ask who you are, and when they do, you’d better have an answer for if you don’t, then they’ll TELL YOU WHO YOU ARE! This proverb has so much to do with identification. You can’t show what you do not comprehend in its entirety. The source of the proverb is that society organically ignores what is in the
forefront and they dwell into what cannot be proven. We know that to hide something you’d either place it in a book or just put it in front of those you wish not to learn it. So in the proverb, if two faces are already dedicated to servicing self in other aspects and you must HIDE one. And we are left with the face in the center. The very face before us. It’s Hidden! Thank You for Reading! Michael J. Forbes
Catching up with Ten Toes once again. I can’t remember the last time I interviewed you guys. What have you guys been up to?
Seenote: I’ve been chillin, I’ve been grinding, not necessarily with the music, but on the other end. I got more mouths to feed, I’m enjoying being a father. But I’ve been dibbling and dabbling with the music. Cuh definitely trying to get me out there, I owe him some music this year, I made a promise to Cuh, I’m get it together. How many I owe you Cuh? Hollo: at least 5. Seenote: a 5 piece EP, when I find the time to really dedicate my mind to that, I’m gon make it happen. What about you Hollo, what you been up to?
Hollo: I’ve been doing a little bit of everything. Working on getting me a lemonade, shout out to Ladychelle. I’ve been really focused on making music, trying to learn the business of the music. Just really been learning the business, staying low, letting every body get their shine on, waiting my turn, so this year you’ll get a little bit more Hollo. What I find interesting is when a group start individually focusing on different things, it usually splits them up, but how do you guys find the balance to keep the momentum going?
Hollo: We’re family, we’re really family so it ain’t no “I can leave him out” type deal, nigga I got you forever. We’re brothers, we got this. So even when he takes his breaks, I got him. I’ma hold him down, I’ma throw him on a track even when he doesn’t want to. Still getting things in order. Seenote: He’s always got my support. Just because I’m not on the track doesn’t mean I wasn’t there in the creative process. Doesn’t mean I wasn’t there in the studio. It’s also cool to pull up
on my cousin and just vibe with my cousin. When I get with Cuh it doesn’t have to always be about music. We can just vibe. And that gotta be there. It doesn’t have to always be about the music, I just miss my cousin. Personally I felt like I was forcing it, so it’s always good to take a step back and live life. And when I come back, use them experiences and I have more to work with. I know you’re taking the time out right now to be a father, but in this game there’s so much pressure to staying consistent, so tell me about the decision to say “I’m gonna focus on life real quick.”
Seenote: I’ve always been like that. I might have a time having a problem figuring out where to go creatively so I just take a step back. Live a little bit, and then when I come back to the process, I use what I’ve been through in that time. I just don’t try to overwork my brain. At some point it was all music, all music, and I was missing out on different aspects of my life. Missing out on time with family. So let me take care of them, then I’ll get back to taking care of the people. Now Hollo, even tho you’ve kept the grind going, you’ve kept the music going, but you’ve also been growing your family as well. So it’s really a contrast to see the dynamic of you guys living the same lives but choosing different ways to focus. How do you explain your drive?
Hollo: They’re really my motivation. I might be with my family all day everyday, and that’s just what I do. But I’m gonna take them to the studio, so you understand what daddy be doing with his time, where his money going, and stuff like that. Understanding. My girl understand that this is what I am and this is what I do. So we both got
“...letting everybody get their shine on, waiting on my turn...”
ten toes
Unscripted
an understanding, so there’s not time to not find a balance, we find the balance in between things. Somedays I don’t go to the studio, coz I gotta be a daddy. And I don’t care, I just go in there and write and keep my mind focused. And see how that plays out. Where are you trying to go with the music?
Honestly, I’m just trying to build something for my kids forever. The music is just one aspect of it. Getting in the music business, opening something that’s gon be the family forever. A legacy for the family. Something they can always go back to. Music is up and down. One day they like me, one day they might not. I just want to build a ground base, even if it’s housing, or more music. You never know how it’s gonna play out.
Let’s talk about beyond the music and about the lemonade. Tell us your degree of involvement with the recipe. One day I came in the shop looking for Lemonade, and Ladychelle offered me my own flavor. First thing I said I wanted anything with Pineapple. Then we tasted the pineapple lemonade, and my girl tasted it and said we needed oranges in it. So Ladychelle made a new batch and we ended up with Orange Pineapple Lemonade. Some of the best of the best if you ask me.
And speaking of Hollo, and beyond the music, I’m going to flat out ask you, what is it with this gun obsession you seem to have? Honestly, I’m just fascinated. I’ve always been a big gun freak. I always liked guns. And I ended up getting legal, so all my guns are legal. Once I got my gun license it was over with. You ever seen those movies where the White people got the mean gun collection? I said Ima have that, that was my focus. And I told them, that’s where my money be going.
From an artist perspective, why is it important to make moves beyond the music? Because the fans always want something they can gravitate to, they always can say I got some “Hollo Lemonade” even if they can’t get “Hollo Tip.” It’s always about that love that you’re giving back. They love you for you, and not just for music sometimes. And that’s where most of my fanbase come from, for me, the music is extra.
Any last words?
Ten Toes. Be on the look out for the Orange Pineapple Lemonade and the new single “Take my smile away.” Coz everybody really be trying to take a nigga smile away, but I refuse to let somebody do that. So I just focus on that grind and putting in that work. You’ll see it when you see it.
Why I’m Running For Ward 3
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I’m running for City Council (Ward 3) because I recognize the need for quality and reliable representation in the city that I call home, the City of Palms, beautiful Fort Myers. Florida. I played in these streets as a child and now I’m committed to revitalizing those same streets, making them safer and worth taking pride in. As a young adult, I often hear these words from the elders: “you’re the future”, “so many young people need to hear your voice”, “you’re going to make a great leader…one day”.
Well, that day has arrived! Sometimes I pause and reflect on the fact that so many of our parents and grandparents have passed away, I take a moment to cry and then I examine my own life, my role and my purpose. As paranormal as this may sound, I hear my grandmother’s spirit pounding at the door of my consciousness saying “Chantel, get your butt up and lead!”
with resources to uplift and empower the residents of Ward 3 through firm Representation. Rhodes is motivated by what she describes as a ‘God given’ call to serve and the mission to understand the complex responses of human nature. Chantel wants to continue to serve as a positive representative for the City of Palms, her forever home. Her vision is to be a part of influencing the right Chantel Rhodes desires kind of change, community to assist others in finding progression, and increase their voice. Chantel is high- opportunities for families. ly qualified and equipped
The Issues
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Affordable Housing Social Justice Environment
As Chantel prepares to embark on the journey of a lifetime, she is grateful to God for the gift of true leadership and to her mother Darlene for the spunk and charisma to navigate through muddy waters. Chantel respects her brother Charlton for guiding her into the field of Social Work and for being a progressive and reliable force in her life. Chantel appreciates the support of those in Ward 3 and beyond for all of the continued support and most importantly, the love.
Better jobs & Higher wages
ChantelRhodes.com
