BOSS Kanye West Getting to know Gaga The 10 factors of attraction A “cheat sheet� to the opposite sex
Take a look at life of one of the biggest names in music. You might be surprised by what you learn!
Hot Holiday Gift Guide Verizon iPhone
ITS HERE! (well almost)
7 things every
man wants a woman to know
Mini winter look book
BOSS MAGAZINE
Winter Fashion Spread
4 Cheat Sheet to Attraction
Holiday Gift Guide
18
9 7 Things Every Woman Should Know
Kanye West: The Comeback Kid
11 Up & Coming Verizon iPhone
Ode to a Lady. A Chat With Gaga
21
15
Editor in Cheif: Maia R. Butler
The Inaugural Edition
22
CHANEL
Glitz and Glam In weather that’s bleak, you can shine brighter than all the rest in pieces that automatically make you the star of the room. This season, sprinkle some blitz and glitz to your outfit. From the classroom to the holiday soriee, your look will be sure to be a hit!
Purple Haze nail polish $2.50
Sequin Crop Jacket D&G $270
White V-Neck GAP $15
Antique Heart Necklace Forever21.com $9.80
Embellished Evening CLutch Givenchy $120
Ponte Riding Pants Ralph Lauren $123 Suede Ankle Boots urbanog.com $29.80
Back in Plaid For all you hipsters out there, this look will be all too easy to pull together. One of the key things to do to your outfit this winter is to layer. Have on tee? Throw on a plaid shirt to create this relaxed look. Being cool never looked so good!
Ray Ban sunglasses rayban.com $99 Plaid Button Shirt Forever 21 Men $25.90
Signature Cotton Fedora City Slickers $45
5 Pocket Denim Pants Desiel $130
Grey Combat Boots Karmaloop.com $230
Classic Winter Chic This winter, you can make a comeback in black...or in this case grey. A basic dress such as this can be played up or down depending on the occasion. Accessorize your outfit with bold, classic accents that draw everything together. Even though its cold, you can stand out while staying in...style that is!
Pearl & Phinestone Headband Juicey Couture $30
Chandelier Antique Earring Lauren by Ralph Lauren $275
Gothic Wide Belt shopbop.com $64
Stone Cuff urbanog.com $18
Peral & silver Ring Tiffany & Co. $450
Peep Toe Bow Pump Gianni Bini $85
College Prep Hey there scholar! This school year, getting an A+ in fashion will be easy as 1,2,3. Just choose your favorite graphic tee and pair it with a matching cardigan for a classic prepster look. Whether you’re late to study hall or chasing after that cute girl in your biology class, make sure you have some cool kicks to get you from point A to B. Follow these guidelines and you’ll be sure to make the grade!
Neon Stripe Cardigan Express Men $54
Carryall Bag Prada $1367
Skater Lincoln Tee F21 Men $18.30
HIgh Top Sneakers Cnverse $40
Perma Crease Denim Joes Jeans $125
Polo
Ralph Lauren
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oliday Gift Guide Dont know what to get your parents, friends, significant other, or dog? Use this guide for ideas so you wont over work your brain. These gifts are sure to make your recipients jolly all season long!
This is where you could end up for Christmas this year.
Prices so low, the only real thing you’ll have to negotiate is the destination.
KANYE WEST THE COMEBACK KID By: Maia R. Butler
Arguably one of the greatest rappers of this generation, Kanye West is music’s current man of the hour. After a short break from his career to focus on himself, the return of Mr. West has been better than any of us could ever imagine. Between his artistic award show appearances, outspoken tweets, and the huge anticipation behind his fifth album ‘My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy’, it seems that we just can’t enough of the Louis Vuitton Don. From 1996 to now, West’s journey has been quite the roller coaster but through it all, he’s managed to come out on top. I think it’s safe to say that Ye is here to stay.
B
efore we discuss where our favorite rapper is now, let’s talk about where he’s been. Rapper, record producer and singer Kanye Omari West was born in Atlanta, Georgia, on June 8, 1977. After the divorce of his parents at the age of 3, he and his mother moved to Chicago’s south side to start a new life. Though he did graduate from high school and finished only one year of college, West decided that school was not for him and made the executive decision to drop out and focus on his music career full time. It wasn’t until 2000 that West got his big break when he got to produce for various artists signed to Roca-Fella Records. The world first got a taste of his creative genius on Jay-Z’s album The Blueprint (released September 2001). Due to the success of The Blueprint, Kanye quickly became one of the most sought after producers in the industry. Being the bold individual that he is, Kanye thirsted for more. His newfound success had triggered the idea of potentially launching a solo career as a rapper but soon ran into some problems when looking for a record deal. Jay-Z was initially reluctant to support West as a rapper, claiming that he saw him as a producer first and foremost. Multiple record companies felt he was not as marketable as rappers who portray the “street image” prominent in hip hop culture. Finally in 2002 he was signed to Roc-a-Fella Records. October 23, 2002, on the way home from a session in Los Angeles, West fell asleep at the wheel and was involved in a head-on car collision
that left him with a fractured jaw. With his jaw wired shut, West returned to the recording studio to complete his debut album The College Dropout. The album, which was released in 2004, sold 2.6 million copies and earned him a Best Rap Album Grammy. He matched that feat with 2005’s Late Registration and 2007’s Graduation. This is where the roller coaster in his life began. West performed at the 2007 MTV VMA’s in September but lost in every category he was nominated for. Deeply upset, and speaking out of anger, he vowed to never come back to the network ever again (although that’s obviously not true). In a surprising turn of events, he won four out of the eight Grammys he was nominated for including Best Rap Album for Graduation that same year. Kanye, already egotistical, thought with four Grammys under his belt, nothing could knock his flow. Sadly he was terribly wrong. During the early afternoon hours of November 7, 2007, fans caught wind of a tragedy that had happened. Kanye’s mother, Donda West, had died due to complications from cosmetic surgery. Apparently, Ms. West had visited a Beverly Hills physician about getting some work done but advised her not to have the surgery because of a medical condition that would put her at high risk of a heart attack. So, that doctor referred her to go see another doctor but she ignored the gesture. Determined to have the surgery, Ms. West then sought out a third specialist who went on to actually perform the procedure. Kanye was devastated. The woman that had given birth, raised, and supported her only son from the very beginning was now gone. Unlike most, Kanye did not take as much
time off to grieve as he should’ve. In all reality he could’ve due to the fact the start of his Glow in the Dark Tour was only a few short months away. At his Atlanta show in May 2008, during the performance of his song “Hey Mama”, Kanye actually broke down and cried in the middle of the song. A thunderous applause and shouts of kind words came from the crowd trying to let him know that everyone was there for him. At the very end of the show, West reveled that the artistic set on stage was all his idea as a means to channel his emotion from his mother’s death since he hadn’t really taken time off. It wasn’t until a year later at a December 2008 press conference in New Zealand that West spoke about his mother’s death officially for the first time. “It was like losing an arm and a leg and trying to walk through that,” he told reporters. Also in 2008 West put out his next album, 808s & Heartbreak, in 2008. The recording reached the top of the charts and featured several hits, including “Heartless” and “Amazing.” This disc featured something his fans weren’t used to hearing from him. The album featured no rapping and only had Ye singing the whole time with an auto-tune device. The public didn’t know how to feel about the new sound at first but eventually they warmed to it. It seems that with Kanye West, history always has a way of repeating itself. Everything will be smooth sailing then BAM!...something goes wrong. The 2009 MTV Video Music Awards proved just that. While Taylor Swift was accepting her award for Best Female Video for “You Belong with Me”, West went on stage and grabbed the microphone to proclaim that Beyoncé’s video for “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)”, nominated for the same award, was “one of the best vid-
eos of all time”. Jaws dropped in shock at what had just happened and sounds of boos filled the hall. He was then removed from the remainder of the show for his actions. West was criticized by various celebrities for the outburst, and by President Barack Obama, who called West a “jackass” in an off the record comment. Although West decision to publicly humiliate Taylor was heartless, a few days later he felt bad about the whole then and personally called her to apologize. I guess it safe to say he’s not heartless after all. For the rest of 2009 and most of 2010, Kanye seemed to be m.i.a. Was our musical master mind hard at work? Indeed he was. At the 2010 BET Awards in June 2010, he was the opening act. Standing upon a snow covered mountain top, sporting a red suit and huge gold chain, Ye dropped his new song “Power”. With its fiery lyrics and head bobbing beat, West had done it again. “Power” was only a taste of what was to come next. Shortly following the awards, Kanye would begin to leak new songs off his new album every Friday via his Twitter and his website
(kanyewest.com). Fridays now became dubbed as “G.O.O.D Fridays”. The first song to drop the “Power remix” followed by (in no particular order) “Monster”, “So Appalled”, “Christian Dior Denim Flow”, “Runaway”, and a few others. All the songs feature other artists West has worked with in the past and one new comer Cyhi The Prince (who just recently signed to West’s record label. With mesmerizing beats, 808 drums, synthesizers, and a multitude of talent being displayed, G.O.O.D. Fridays and the upcoming album are full of good music. West decided to officially drop the album on November 22nd of this year but it still didn’t have a name. He played with the idea of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy but was unsure about it so he asked his followers on Twitter for some other ideas. People retweeted him with numerous of ideas but in the end he just stuck with his first mind. With an official title chosen Kanye was almost done. The album cover’s art was the next feat to tackle. With Eminem just reemerging on the scene, Kanye has become the new king of controversy. It’s almost a humorously accepted fact now. It’s fine to march to the beat of your own drum and express yourself but how far is too far? Recently the rapper has been venting his anger at the fact that his album cover for the new CD has been banned in the United States. The cover features an animated picture of a naked male with what looks like a female with a tail, no arms, and no head on top of him. And he still wonders why it got banned? The rapper posted a picture of his album cover on his Twitter account, along with a series of angry Tweets about how Nirvana were allowed a picture of a naked human on their album art but he isn’t allowed a naked cartoon. He tweeted a statement saying, “I wanna sell albums but not at the expense of my true creativity”. At the end of the day, he doesn’t care how you feel about him just as long as you enjoy. He tweeted another statement saying “In response to the reaction of my album cover... “I’m deeply sorry if I haven’t offended everybody””. Oh Kanye *laughs*. Now the latest buzz is centered around the 35 minute, short feature film titled Runaway. It aired MTV, BET, and VH1 late Saturday night on October 23rd. The artistically abstract movie stars West and Selita Banks as his phoenix girl-
friend. The all-star collabo “All Of The Lights and the final song of the movie “Lost in the World” are featured on the album along with some of the other MC’s G.O.O.D. Friday tracks. Although it’s hard to understand at first, the movie has received much praise from fans and music critics alike. In some ways, Kanye West is an ever changing music chameleon. What’s next you ask? Who knows…
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Ode to a Lady
Rolling Stone In the most extensive interview the pop star has ever given about the breakup that inspired her transformation from Germanotta to Gaga, her complex relationship with her beloved father and the music on her next album, Lady Gaga tells contributing editor Neil Strauss art is life and not being fierce isn’t an option: “When I wake up in the morning, I feel just like any other insecure 24-year-old girl,” she says. “Then I say, ‘Bitch, you’re Lady Gaga, you get up and walk the walk today.’ “ In a backstage interview before and after one of her mammoth Monster Ball shows in England, Gaga admits she wouldn’t have been as successful if she hadn’t had her heart broken by her East Village boyfriend five years ago, and that “sex is certainly not, like, a priority at the moment.” Her priority is, and has been, the relationship she’s built with her fans. “If I were to ever, God forbid, get hurt onstage and my fans were screaming outside of the hospital, waiting for me to come out, I’d come out as Gaga,” she says, adding that she models her celebrity on Michael Jackson. “Michael got burned, and he lifted that glittered glove so damn high so his fans could
see him, because he was in the art of show business. That’s what we do. I don’t even drink water onstage in front of anybody, because I want them to focus on the fantasy of the music.” Gaga also reveals some deeply personal details for the first time, including her recurring nightmare involving a phantom and a blond girl who’s tied up with ropes. “She’s got my shoes on from the Grammys,” Gaga says. “Go figure — psycho.” When presented with the idea that her behavior indicates she’s a survivor of a traumatic experience, Gaga says there are limits to what she’ll discuss in public. “You have to be careful about how much you reveal to people that look up to you so much.” Despite a health scare (she currently doesn’t have Lupus, but the disease runs in her family) and nonstop touring, Gaga hasn’t lost her creative inspiration — she’s currently finishing up her new record and designing the stage production for her next tour. Gaga plans to announce the title of her new album — due out early next year — at midnight on New Year’s Eve. “I think I’m gonna get the album title tattooed on me and put out the photo,” she says. “I’ve been working on it for months now, and I feel very strongly that it’s finished right now. It came so quickly. Some artists take years; I don’t. I write music every day.” As for the subject matter of the music, Gaga says she’s moved on with writing songs about her quest for fame to crafting tunes with an angry, perhaps political bent. “Why are we still talking about ‘Don’t ask, don’t tell’?” she says. “It’s like, what fucking year is it? It makes me crazy! And I have been for three years baking cakes — and now I’m going to bake a cake that has a bitter jelly. The message of the new music is now more bitter than it was before. Because the sweeter the cake, the more bitter the jelly can be.”
IN A WORLD FULL OF POSERS BE ABSOLUT.
10 Things You Don’t Know About Attraction There are some surprising — and kinda crazy — factors that come into play when choosing a mate or even just a hookup. Like his belly button and the color of your clothing. Intrigued? Read on... BY CASSANDRA KAPP 1. Your Nose Should Be Part of Foreplay The blend of lavender and pumpkin turns guys on. But, you don’t have to bake a pie and douse yourself in lavender oil. You can create the combination by lighting two candles or spraying these scents on your neck. Oh, and tell your guy to spritz on a cologne with hints of cucumbers or black licorice, since those smells were found to arouse women. Source: Smell and Taste Research Foundation in Chicago 2. Guys Find Women in This Color More Desirable A chick in red is more likely to be asked on a date and have more money spent on her. It’s because men are influenced by cultural symbols — like Valentine’s Day — that associate the color with romance, and primal instincts that link the color with sex. Maybe that’s why the butts of some animals turn red when they are ready to mate. Source: Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 3. Cocktail Goggles Are for Real When we’re drunk, guys look cuter because we don’t notice the asymmetry of their face. The biological explanation: A symmetric guy is less likely
to have genetic defects and makes a better mate. Source: Journal of Psychopharmacology 4. Men Do This When They’re into Someone A man will subconsciously position his belly button toward the woman in the room he is most attracted to — even if he’s speaking with someone else. (Suss out your competition by checking out which women are pointing their belly buttons at him, since the rule applies to chicks as well!) Source: Janine Driver, body language expert 5. It’s All About Timing One week you might be craving that beefy guy at the gym, but the next week you have the hots for the slender guy next door. This could be because ovulating women prefer men with masculine features, who would make the strongest, healthiest children. Meanwhile, menstruating women want men with softer, more feminine looks who seem kinder and more cooperative. Source: Nature Journal 6. Stress Equals Sexual Attraction A guy in a high-anxiety or stressful situation is more likely to take a chance on you. Researchers set out to see how adrenaline and risk played into attraction by putting a woman on both a shaky and stable bridge. The study found that men who
crossed the unstable bridge were more likely to ask out the same woman afterward than those men who crossed a steady bridge. It’s because conditions of high stimulation heighten sexual attraction. Source: Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 7. Size (of His Gut) Matters You can tell a lot about a guy’s sex drive and fertility before he even drops trou. Men with broad shoulders and a solid chest have a lesser health risk, making them better mates. Meanwhile, guys with a gut have lower levels of testosterone. Low testosterone leads to a lower sex drive and lower fertility. Source: Harry Fisch, MD, and Kara Baskin, authors of Size Matters 8. A Sign It Could Be Long-Term Love If you and your guy’s mom look alike, there’s a good chance it’ll work out between you two. Guys are more likely to pair up with women whose bone structure is similar to their own mothers. It’s called “sexual imprinting,” and suggests that the faces we find appealing as adults are determined in childhood. Source: Proceedings of the Royal Society B 9. The 5/15 Rule If a dude touches you 5 times in 15 minutes, you are totally in. A man will find excuses to put his hands on you to see how you respond. He might touch your arm, tuck a piece of hair behind your ear, or play with your necklace. If you tighten up and freeze, he’ll know to back off. Source: Bryn Drescher, Body Language Institute 10. This Move Means He’s Smitten When a guy mirrors your moves, he’s subconsciously telling you he’s interested in you. Sitting the same way as you, doing the same hand motions, and leaning his head in the same direction are all subtle cues that he’s attracted. And if he licks his lips after you lick yours, it’s a definite sign of desire. Source: A. Kelly-Anderson, PhD, American Psychological Association
AIDS doesn’t descriminate againt race. It doesn’t care what gender you are, where you live, your sexual preference, or how much money you make. It can effect ALL of us.
NO MATTER HOW SMALL...
Practice safe sex, make smart choices, and go get tested. Help keep you and someone else from becoming another statistic.
HIV/AIDS Foundation Of America
7 Things Men Wish Women Knew Comedian Dane Cook isn’t just hilarious and hot. He’s also pretty damn insightful when it comes to relationships, hook-ups, and the best way to pick up a man. We got the former Cosmo Fun Fearless Male to give us a sneak peek into the male mind. BY ZOE RUDERMAN 1. All guys want this gift The little boy inside of all us men always loves something video game related. Also, one girlfriend got me an amazing vintage chair. She said, “You’ll work on your career from here.” It was so thoughtful and personal, not a mall gift certificate. 2. They believe in love (or at least, lust) at first sight I once had a bit of a whirlwind romance while I was on the road. There was a girl at the show and I had an affinity for her the moment I hit the stage. It [wasn’t] just that she was attractive. There was an essence. I was really smitten. It was we like a speed dating round. We knew it would end, but it still ended with a kiss. 3. A woman who has her own thing going on is so sexy I was in a couple relationships that got a little needy, where I was the one keeping it exciting. That would always bum me out. I’m completely ecstatic when a woman has own back story and brings something to the table and has a real strong kind of independence. 4. They crave romance too Truth be told, some of our favorite moments [are when] you say, “I booked a dinner for us. At a restaurant near the beach. With candles.” We’re just not going to brag about it and we might call it cheesy to our friends, but we really like it. 5. Do this when they cry Here’s the big reveal: when your guy is crying (and yes, all men cry), give him chocolate. 6. There’s nothing worse than not speaking up when something bothers you You’ve gotta share what’s going on in your mind. You may think, ‘He already has so much on your mind, I don’t want to burden him’, but that’s not good for a relationship. 7. A bad joke is the best way to pick up a guy
Nothing is a better icebreaker than a great joke. And even if it bombs heinously, we’ll still love it. In fact, you almost don’t want the joke to work. That way we want to come to your aid and make you feel better by buying you a drink.
Pick up Dane Cook’s new album, “I Did My Best”. And check out Dane next spring in the Broadway production of “Fat Pig”.
Signed, Sealed, and will Soon Deliver, Its Yours! By: Matthew Shaer Fortune magazine has issued perhaps the strongest-worded statement to date on the Verizon iPhone, confirming that the device does exist – and that it will ship in early 2011. In a lengthy cover article published online on Oct. 29, Fortune contributor Sarah Ellison says that the Verizon iPhone is a “fait accompli,” and notes that the device has been configured to work on Verizon’s CDMA network. Unsubstantiated Verizon iPhone rumors, of course, are nothing new. In fact, in recent weeks, conversation in the tech blogosphere has turned away from whether or not a Verizon iPhone exists (the consensus is that it does) and toward what kind of features a Verizon iPhone will include when it does appear. In October, Martin Peers of the Wall Street Journal penned an article that seemed to suggest that a Verizon iPhone could include a 4G antenna. “If Verizon starts offering an iPhone usable only on its 3G network, Apple’s handset will be at a disadvantage to rival 4G phones,” Peers wrote. “What’s more, users may find they get slower speeds than they would with the iPhone on AT&Ts network... Congestion on the AT&T network complicates any speed comparison, but AT&T’s 3G technology is theoretically faster than Verizon’s version of 3G.” Therefore – the thinking goes – Verizon might
lobby for the phone to get 4G service. And why not? As we recently reported, Verizon 4G service – which is said to transmit data up to 10 times as fast as a standard 3G connection – will be available in 38 cities and more than 60 airports by the end of the year. Makes sense that a Verizon iPhone would be able to tap into that network. But don’t tell that to AT&T. “We carry half the U.S. wireless data on the fastest 3G network,” AT&T spokesman Larry Solomon told Fortune’s Ellison. “Verizon’s network hasn’t been battletested yet, so you don’t know if they can handle the data load or not.”
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