Diamond Magazine - THE DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH THAT IS ST. LOUIS -
LIMITED EDITION ISSUE
VOL 3 | DEC 2023
“I’m the Diamo underground
Table of Letter from the editor 3. 4-5. make the switch 6 7. 8-9. 10-11.
18-20. 21-23. 23. 24. 25. 26.
12-13.
27.
Message from our Editor-In-Chief $tu
A resource for making healthier food and product choices
The lab creative house advertisement Pop your sh*t with The Lab Creative House while fulfilling your business needs
What’s the word
Upcoming events happening right here in St. Louis
the black super market
Tap into some retail therapy shopping with local black owned businessses
gemmy psa
14-17.
A message from our diamond mascot on binge drinking
dear black man A poem from Marie dedicated to black men
meet the team Meet the people responsible for bringing you Diamond Magazine year round
the history of st. louis radio in hip-hop A music column by Julian Keaton
What is art? The concept of art. A conversation with Sherrelle Speed
Hidden gems Recommendations for best local spots only a St. Louis native could know
letters to black women A note from a brother to a sister
black pages Your favorite listing of Black-Owned businesses and creatives you should know
the girls advertisement Gabby and Tanija join forces to bring you the digital marketing brand, The Girls
stl crossword puzzle Test your St. Louis knowledge with your STL crossword puzzle
ond in the dirt, that ain’t been found, I’m the king that ain’t been crowned” - 50 cent Letter From The Editor: I started this Magazine because I wanted to embody the change that I want to see, not only in my household, but my community, and my city. This second year has been nothing less than successful for the brand and I’m grateful to share that, and it’s only made possible by my incredible team and the people like you that actually stopped to read this. My only goals were to put out a consistent quality product that encaptures the beautiful parts of my city and the people in it. In the process I learned a lot about what I want to do with this platform and how I plan to take it to the next level. I have a lot of exciting events, great issues, rehabilitation projects, and even some charity work planned in the future that I hope you’re a part of or at the very least get to see. Thank you for your support, it genuinely means the world to me. I’ll see you next year but in the meantime, Keep shining like the diamond I know you are.
Stu
Sincurrly,
Make The Switch “I did then what I knew how to do. Now that I know better, I do better.” —Maya Angelou
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DECember
What’s The Word?
NOV 17th - DEC 30th
DEC 14th
The Polar Express Train Ride Union Station
Disney’s Aladdin 1-10:30pm | The Fabolous Fox Theatre
DEC 3rd
DEC 16th
“Twas the Night Before” 1-7pm | The Fabulous Fox Theatre
Karlous Miller: At The End of the Day 7-11pm | The Factory
DEC 4th
DEC 23rd
Chris Tucker: The Legend Tour 8pm | The Stifel Theatre
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer 1-2pm | The Fabolous Fox Theatre
DEC 7th
Fun Without Guns, Inc. Christmas Celebration 10am-1pm | Tandy Recreation Center
STU Day Saint Louis
DEC 8th
DEC 27th
A Gospel Christmas 7:30-11:30pm | Stifel Theatre
Botanical Garden Kwanzaa Celebration 12-4pm | Missouri Botanical Garden
DEC 10th
DEC 29th
Ringling Brothers: The Greatest Show On Earth 11am-3pm | Enterprise Center
The Isley Brothers Experience 5-9pm | Backstreet Jazz & Blues Club
Black Girls Rock STL Awards Ceremony 1-4pm | Mercedes Benz Plaza
January
jan 1st The Culture: Hip Hop and Contemporary Art in the 21st Century 10am-5pm pm | St. Louis Art Museum
jan 6th Harlem Globetrotters 2-6pm | Enterprise Center
jan 28th Monster Jam 11am-3pm | Enterprise Center
February feb 3rd
feb 10th
feb 17th
Disney On Ice Presents: Find Your Hero 11am-3pm | Enterprise Center Bones Thugs-N-Harmony 8pm | Pops
Soulard Mardi Gras 9am | Soulard District
Mardi Gras Parade 11am-1pm | Eco Park
feb 12th Drake & J. Cole 8pm | Enterprise Center
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What is
Binge drinking?
Binge drinking refers to heavy alcohol use over a short period of time. The general definition of binge drinking is having 5 or more drinks in a row by males or 4 or more drinks in a row by females at least once in the previous 2 weeks. Heavy binge drinking includes 3 or more such episodes in 2 weeks.
Risks of binge drinking: • Alcohol poisoning • Impaired judgement leading to a • greater likelihood of engaging in risky behaviors such as unprotected sex resulting in STD’s or unplanned pregnancy • Drunk driving that drastically increases the chances for injury and death of yourself or others • Alcoholism • Negative effects on your overall physical and mental health
where can i get help? Visit the site for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Adminstration (SAMHSA) at samhsa.gov or call their national hotline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357)
140,000 deaths resulted from alcohol misuse annually in the United States between 2015 and 2019, and almost half of those were associated with binge drinking.
in 2021, NSDUH, 49.3% of full-time college students ages 18 to 22 drank alcohol in the past month, and about 27.4% of students engaged in binge drinking during that same time frame.
in 2022, data from the Monitoring the Future survey, 2.2% of 8th graders, 5.9% of 10th graders, and 12.6% of 12th graders reported binge drinking in the past 2 weeks.
sources: • •
National Institue on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism | March 2023 | https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/brochures-and-fact-sheets/binge-drinking Nemours TeensHealth | https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/binge-drink.html
Dear Black Man By Marie
Expecting you to do it all is where we went wrong Expecting you to be abused but stay silent Hurt, but remain quiet Stressed, but remain strong We want you to show us what it looks like to be a king while actively failing at the role of being a queen Some of us we want you to bring the food, money, love, and protection to a broken table filled with insecurities, shame, and baggage but parade for social media like we are the entire package We want you to lift us up when we’re down allow us to be ourselves spoil us
work hard be the strong one But majority of the time we can’t even be your peace at the very least… And every time you step outside that door You’re a target You’re the blame You’re never the victim… always the villain Your skin is your biggest threat The entire world is against you But we expect you to suck that shit up Work hard and KEEP working hard. Your family needs you.
“You wanna go to therapy? Man, you weak” Ain’t nothing to it but to do it. Come on you got it. You ain’t shit if you can’t provide for your family. You better break your back for this shit. Ain’t no excuses. BUT WHO THE FUCK IS PROVIDING THE SUPPORT that is needed for him to withstand it all and not break? Who’s lifting him up when he’s down? Who’s keeping his mind at peace when the world around him continues to break him down to his knees? Who’s holding him when he has no where else to turn? Who’s making sure his mental health is in check? Who’s checking in on him often to make sure he’s not feeling depressed? Who IS PROVIDING THE PEACE He needs To Be The king we seek? Black man, you are worthy. You are worthy of peace. You are worthy of love. You are worthy of protection. You may be broken, but I still see you. You may be silent, but I hear you. You feel unloved, but I love you. The world needs you, black man. You are not your problems. You’re not the person who broke your heart. You are not your childhood. You are not your broken home. You are not your abusive parents. You are not the person who touched you inappropriately. You are not the person who blamed you for something you had no control over. You’re not the person who wrongly convicted you. You are not the person who shouted racial slurs at you. You are not the things this world says about you. You are a walking melanated epitome of strength. You are the wind at night that sings the birds to sleep. You are the beauty in night sky. You are the love that keeps us warm at night. What an honor it is to walk this earth along side you. You are not alone, black man. We see you.
We love you.
http://soulwritermarie.com
meet the team
$TU - CEO & Creator My name is $tu and not only am I a father and an artist, but I’m also the creator of Diamond Magazine. I’ve curated several events from art shows to concerts and I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s time to put everything in one place. An all around hub for the culture focusing on celebration as well as rehabilitation. I’ve learned the importance of community. I’m not just tryna sell issues here, I’m tryna build a culture and help my community however I can. I want to see change. My goals are to help small businesses thrive, keep our streets clean, and provide a place for people to feel seen and heard. Fun fact? I’ve always looked up to Master P, even as a child I liked how he never limited what he could do and even more he was successful at it all. I’ve adopted that mentality and it helped me get to where I am today. How STL are you? I used to tell ppl Nelly was my cousin in a round-about way cus my ppls ppls was his ppls ppls.
$ T U
Tanija/T - Creative Director + Social Media Manager My name is Tanija, your favorite multifaceted creative. I’ve officially been in the creative field for 2 years now & I don’t plan on stopping no time soon! I work in creative direction, social media managing, digital marketing, & more. I basically eat, sleep, & breathe creative ideas…literally my mind never stops. Working with the magazine has really challenged me! I’ve grown tremendously as a creative in every aspect, I’ve learned the importance of team, and I’ve learned to stand on business as a freelancer! I’ve also been able to connect with a lot of talented/hard working people around the city. My goal is to not only grow as a creative but to give flowers to the other creatives around the city & give them a place to showcase themselves wether it’s through social media or in person at hosted events. Fun fact? Outside of designing & working I coach middle school cheerleading! I’ve actually been coaching since I left middle school. How STL are you? “What high school you go to?” is the FIRST & ONLY question I will ever have to ask.
T A N I J A
JerMarco JerMarco - Lead Graphic Designer (Print) Peace. My name is JerMarco and I am one of the Lead Designers for Diamond mag. I’ve primarily operated within the music industry as a musician and social entrepreneur for the past 15 years. As an ever growing creative, I’ve recently entered the design space and look to forward to continuing evolving as an artist. Since joining the team, I’ve had the opportunity to begin exploring design concepts from a larger scope. Having to piece together the themes of the brand alongside the many things we feature in the magazine has opened my mind quite a bit. It’s my goal to use my creative and business experience to help propel the Diamond brand forward so that it can effectively reach the black community for years to come. Fun fact about me? I have proudly served as the President for the “Pineapple Goes On Pizza” organization for the last 20 years. How STL are you? I’ll put London & Sons Wing House up against any chicken spot from any other city. Truly Top 5 of All-Time.
GABBY Gabrielle Davis - Photographer My name is Gabrielle Davis, the photographer for Diamond magazine. Outside of the mag, I am majoring in Photography & Video with a minor in Studio Art. I spend most of my days painting, designing, in the photography studio, or studying my craft. I also own my own photography business, and by working with Diamond Magazine and the team I’ve grown to love building narratives with my images! We’ve definitely found our rhythm and learned how to maneuver and be flexible as a team. We’ve grown by doing what it takes to reach our goal, despite the obstacles thrown our way! Since joining the team, I’ve definitely expanded my capacity for creativity and the ideas for showing the beauty of this publication are limitless and I look forward to continuing this journey in the future! A fun fact about me? My favorite food is candy yams- which I had plenty of this past Thanksgiving. How STL are you? I’m so STL, when I ask for my size in AF1’s… give me 2 pair.
The Culture Called Hip-Hop: The History of St. Louis Radio in Hip-Hop [Part 1] A music column by julian keaton
Not a lot of people know the radio history of St. Louis’ early impact on Hip-Hop. There were pioneers like Dr. Jockenstein, Gentlemen Jim Gates, Dj G. Wiz and others who worked hard to display the culture’s essence to it’s fullest. Some of todays finest St. Louis radio personalities and Djs came from the era when Hip-Hop first got it’s legs on AM/FM dial. There are even unsung heroes who saw the potential in the culture and did anything they could to see the culture grow.
Jockenstein, The Brown-Eyed Scorpio, and Rapper’s Delight’s One of the earliest contributions of Hip-Hop MC’ing can be credited to radio personality Roderick King who is widely known as Dr. Jockenstein. Known for his infamous “Roll Call”, used by local personalities Bernie Hayes and Dj Jake Jordan a decade before, Jockenstein would get high school students to call in during his morning drive show and say their name, zodiac sign, and the school they attended all in rhyming fashion. You can find the many variations of ‘Roll Call’ segment here. St. Louis Radio - Gentleman Jim Gates in the same breathe of Dr. Jockenstein, you have to speak of “The
Brown-Eyed Scorpio” Gentleman Jim Gates. Reason being, it’s documented that Hip-Hop’s first commercial radio hit, Sugarhill Gang’s Rapper’s Delight, was first spun by Gentleman Jim Gates at KATZ 1600 AM. Controversy comes into play when Dr. Jockenstein’s background music for his ‘Roll Call’ segment would be Chic’s Good Times, which Rapper’s Delight samples. Dj G. Wiz states “It’s tough to say if it was Jockenstein or Jim Gates whom first spun Rapper’s Delight and the only person who would know (Sylvia Robinson), passed away before I could ask.” The only safe thing to say is St. Louis is home to were “Rapper’s Deilght” was first played on the radio.
“Alerting all African Americans with Swedish persuasion” Hip-Hop had a bad rap nationwide in the States in the mid to late 1980s due to popularity of gangsta rap. With the pressure by the Parents Music Resource Center, the Recording Industry Assocation of America (RIAA) introduced the Parental Advisory label on album covers. The first Hip-Hop record with the label is Ice-T’s debut album “Rhyme Pays”. With the explicit and aggressive nature of gangsta rap lyrics, many music directors of radio stations refused to play Hip-
Hop. When commercial radio wouldn’t play Hip-Hop, a local St. Louis community radio took the chance on the potential genre. In 1987, Russell Giraud, a St. Louis native, saw the potential of Hip-Hop after being handed mixtapes of Dj Red Alert by some of his New York punk rock friends. “Punk rockers were playing hip-hop” Giraud continues, “...it was the same message essentially but fresher and more of an anti-establishment vibe.” After long battles with Double Helix, the corporated name KDHX was going by at the time, Giraud convinced them that all Hip-Hop wasn’t gangsta rap. Once Giraud got the show up and going, the show took on many names but one stuck, ‘African Alert’. The show got its name from a voicemail left by a listener who repeatedly called and left a striking and unforgettable message, “Alerting all African Americans with Swedish persuasion.” Giruad took the opportunity to run with the name and seeing as the show was to promote positivity for anyone in the black community and Hip-Hop culture, the name matched the show’s mission. After one year of being on-air, Giruad’s partner Jon Alexander would bring on local dj and label owner of Wiz-A-Tron Records, Dj G. Wiz. Known for having one of the best crews in the St. Louis hip-hop scene (consisting of B-Rebel, Dj Charlie Chan, Early D, Ram Luv and Double Def), G. Wiz assisted Alexander and Giraud with the operation of the show. With distribution and financing from Vintage Vinyl ownership, Dj G. Wiz was a staple in the St. Louis scene and could provide the show with a wider audience.
To Giruad, African Alert was his life in many ways and helped him gain his stability in life. During the time the show was under Giruad’s control, he was homeless and would spend up to fifty unpaid hours working at KDHX in hopes of getting a industry job in New York. After a few years of operating the show, Giraud grew tired and sick of KDHX politics to continue the show. “I never intended to be apart of the show that long. I just wanted to get it started” Giraud stated.
The Granddaddy of KDHX Hip-Hop Programming With the departure of Giruad, Dj G. Wiz would soon handle the show and bring on fresh talent. G. Wiz kept the African Alert name for a while but would soon change the name to ‘Street Vibes’. During the ‘Street Vibes’ tenure, 1993-1998, Wiz recruited personalities you recognize as you listen to on Hot 104.1 or KDHX today. Some of the djs and personalities are now known as Staci Static, Dj Charlie Chan, KDHX’s Dj Fly D-Ex, Sylvester the Cat, B-Money, Mystic and Dredlock Assassin. When G. Wiz left the show in 1998, the show was left up to Dj Fly D-Ex. Fly D-Ex recruited Alejan and would broadcast live as ‘The Science’ from Blueberry Hill. The show name was then changed to ‘Deep Crate Radio’ and Dj Iceman would become Fly D-Ex’s new partner and they still broadcast every Friday on 88.1 KDHX from 9-11pm.
Dj G. Wiz would return to KDHX to do another HipHop show called ‘The Remedy’ in 2007. The Remedy which also features Gentleman Jim Gates son, Nappy Dj Needles, Honey, Track Vandals and Tiff B. The show The first half of the show would be new music and the would become defunct but now is guided under Dj last hour would be Dj G. Wiz mixing. As G. Wiz would Needles as Rawthentic which is heard every Wedneshandle the mixing, it was up to Giraud to find new mu- day from 11pm-1am. sic to program during the first half of the show. Giraud would often hitchhike up to New York to find new Recently, G. Wiz celebrated the 25th year anniversary music and take it back to St. Louis. He even went to the of African Alert with a show at 2720 Cherokee with extent to go to a panel where label representatives were performances by Wise Intelligent, Lyfestile, Nato Caspeaking and called out the labels for not servicing the liph and 3 KNGZ. African Alert has produced several music he would purchase to play on the show. Giraud new programs for KDHX with fresh programming. claims his programming skills got better and would receive calls from labels about how units were moved “At first, I was kinda of pissed about the concert, but I after African Alert would play their songs. Giraud also was humbled,” Giraud continues, “I was at peace with stated, “I would find out the mixshows over on Magic the work I left behind and I’m glad to see what it has would play the same exact songs I played ten minutes become.” earlier.”
Tune into the exclusive diamond mag playlist curated by julian on spotify now
follow julian on social media: Instagram: @juliankeaton Twitter: @juliankeaton
What Is Art?
a conversation with sherrelle speed
What is art? Speed: I’d describe it as being everything. Worldly. Limitless. Fearless. Art controls emotions. Art is like the air it’s everywhere and in everything. Has art helped you grow as a person? Speed: Yes it has. It saved me actually. I wasn’t always known for good things, finding art gave me a place in the world. Can you elaborate on that? Speed: I was a person that couldn’t see pass toxicity until I found the escape in my art. And there I created my own ideal person that I transferred into reality thus how the art doll was born. That’s beautiful. I feel like the best kind of art is personal. Do you have a piece you felt most connected with? Speed: Yes I do, but that changes when i change, right now it’s my boss painting inspired by Rihanna.
Follow sherrelle for more: Website: theartdoll.net Instagram: @the_artdoll Instagram: artdolls.ink
Hidden Gems the best local spots you wish you could keep to yourself Omar’s Food Shop
Cuisine: American Address: 1307 Goodfellow Blvd Hours: Mon-Sat 8am-7pm
Tacos le jefa
Cuisine: Mexican Address: 3301 Meramec Street Hours: Tues, Thurs, Fri 10am-4pm, Sat 11am-5pm, Sun 10am-3pm
Fleur STL
Cuisine: American Address: 622 Chouteau Avenue Hours: Thurs-Sun 9am-3pm
Letters To Black Women Peace and many blessings to all of the sisters who will read and receive this message. Stop. Slow down for one moment and breathe. I understand how difficult that can be amid constant pressure to go out and conquer the world. To prove that you are indeed this supernatural being that can do and be everything… yourself. There. Take a seat. I know you have to be tired.
Who told you that you could do all of this on your own anyway? I never said I didn’t need you. Who told you didn’t... We can talk about that another time. Here let me help you take that off. Hey, I hear you. My pride sometimes gets the best of me too. You know, it’s crazy going through this life. You find that you definitely need others more than you would think. Don’t you agree?
BLACK PAGES
“I need a.... I got you.”
Fashion Lost Boyz .............................................................................................................................. @LostBoyz41 Rel ............................................................................................................................................ @RelMaliya STL AVE .................................................................................................................... @SaintLouisAvenue Loni Big Dawgg ................................................................................................. @lonibigdawggcustoms
Music Icons J. Hill ........................................................................................................................................... @justohill Dimension of Ascension | Ron G ........................................................................................... @doarong JPSG ........................................................................................................................................... @ntbuckzz 4 Deep ....................................................................................................................................... @4DeepStl NHO Nelly ................................................................................................................................ @nhonelly KONG .................................................................................................................................... @Konggram Mvstermind .......................................................................................................................... @mvstermnd Myrion Twos ..................................................................................................................... @myriontwos1
Thee Luxury Lab Home of the bohemian knotless. book now with master braider jazlyn nicole Business Hours Tues-Sat 8am-5pm Closed Sun, Mon, & Wed 314-417-6523 theeluxurylab@gmail.com
email us at diamondmag314@gmail.com to be added to the official black pages
Answer Key: 1. Bobbleheads 5. Mayday 2. Olympics 6. Nina Pop 3. Manicured 7. Chinamen 4. Thurr 8. Arch
9. Diamond
STL crossword puzzle
EST 2022
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