Street Cred Magazine - 1st August 2014

THE WEEKLY EYE OF ENTERTAINMENT AND LIFESTYLE

AUGUST 2014

www.streetcredmagazine.com

FESTIVAL FEVER with

Editor’s Note

W

SUB EDITOR Gordy Munro PRODUCTION Daniel Riley daniel.riley@streetcredmagazine. com PR & MARKETING Amanda Bowen amanda@streetcredmagazine.com

hat an incredible year so far! The main highlight for me has to be Street Cred magazine going weekly.

At first I was scared because it’s obviously double the work and having to keep on top of what is out there a lot more and my god its so far been a fun experience.

This weekly concept is definitely the trend we needed and as I write this I am thinking what to give you THE WEEKLY EYE OF ENTERTAINMENT AND LIFESTYLE next week!

AUGUST 2014

EDITOR Mark Dwayne editor@streetcredmagazine.com

www.streetcredmagazine.com

FESTIVAL FEVER with

My exciting grows daily being the journalist for this section.

Take a look at what we have been up to this festival period; with amazing turnouts for Global Gather-

CATCH STREET CRED ON: www.streetcredmagazine.com twitter.com/@streetcredmag facebook.com/streetcredmag

ing, Wireless and Simmer Down festivals, and there are still more to come.

The weather hasn’t been to bad this summer either which makes a huge change!

Lots of exciting news in this edition as always...

Enjoy Street Credders and keep smiling - it feels good even if your down.

Mark Dwayne MDG

@StreetCredMag /markdwaynemdg /streetcredmag Mark Dwayne MDG

The views expressed in Street Cred magazine are not necessarily the editors opinion so do not try to kill him if you read anything you feel offended by.

The magazine is a positive and fun read and is not with the intent to threaten anyone. All images are copyright of their respective rights holders.

STREET CRED MAGAZINE, 1 VICTORIA SQUARE, BIRMINGHAM. WEST MIDLANDS UNITED KINGDOM

ADVERTISE 0843 523 0491 advertising@streetcredmagazine.com

NEWSDESK 0843 523 0491 newsdesk@streetcredmagazine.com

CONTENTS GRIMEY (5-6) - Nikki Minaj, Nelly & Shantel, Jay-Z & Beyonce, Ashanti, Usher, Keisha, Ri=Ri, Top10.

Fashion lick (9-11) - Celeb Shoeline Bonanza

COVER STORY (12-15) - Festival Fever Big Screen (17) - Begin Again WHATS ON (18)

White dee’s column (20) Chantelle’s Spot (21)

YOUR FAVOURITE MAGAZINE is now WEEKLY online!

Access STREET CRED on your Phone, Tablet, PC and Mac today!

EVERY FRIDAY www.streetcredmagazine.com

GRIMEY NEWS

NIKKI RELEASES ANACONDA ALBUM PICS ON TWITTER

T

here is no one that likes promoting on Twitter more than Nikki and my god does she use it to her advantage.

Her career is supper promising with her brand new shoe line and the hype for her new album has created a massive viral impact. God she is looking GOOD!

SO AFTER THE TOUR???

NELLY AND SHANTEL

N

o its not Ashanti although many would say was the perfect match, now its all

J

ay-z and Beyonce are Drunk in love on stage but what is happeing behind closed doors and is there really a divorce on the way?

The couple have been seen to be

crazy in love on beaches and living it up playing happy families..who knows what is going on?

We will soon find out and we feel more will be revealed after the tour.

about Nelly dating Floyd Mayweathers’ ex girlfriend Shantel and here they are totally in love.

No make up selfie pic from Ashanti Well done for being brave but to be honest you look better with make up!

HOT PIC OF THE WEEK! Waaaay to Go Usher is keeping in with the new acts of the game

GRIMEY NEWS

KEISHA divorce

E

find a better recent image of her but we must keep it real.

Where the hell are you going with that lipstick girl?

verybody knows about the divorce and Keisha is sharing it for the world to see.

By the way she is not looking so hot these days we tried to

STREETCRED CLUB BANGERS TOP 10

O

n my iPod and what i play that goes down in the clubs and I’ve gotta say my favourite genre R&B is kickin some ass out there!

S

RI-RI & Drake?

o is it just a friends with benefits thing??

Apparently these two are

on and off but who isn’t with RI RI? Wonder how it’s going to end?

THE EYE OF ENTERTAINMENT AND CUTTING EDGE LIFESTYLE

MAY 2014

www.streetcredmagazine.com

NOW S U READ E ONLINY EVER Y A FRID

Beyonce, Jhene Aiko, and Chris Brown have been going in hard for 2014.

Be sure to get my DJ mixes on Soundcloud/Mark Dwayne or Swish Clubbin.

1. USHER - GOOD KISSER 2. TREY SONGS - OH NA NA 3. JHENE AIKO - THE WORST 4. BEYONCE - DRUNK IN LOVE 5. KID INK - U REMIND ME OF SOMETHING 6. CHRIS BROWN - LOYAL 7. WILL I AM - ITS YA BIRTHDAY 8. CHRIS BROWN - MAIN CHICK 9. MICHAEL JACKSON - LOVING YOU 10. R KELLY - COOKIE

READ THE BIGGEST DIGITAL ENTERTAINMENT MAGAZINE ONLINE

EVERY FRIDAY

KEYSHIA COLE CREATES A MASSIVE STORM IN AMERICA WITH HER SHOE LINE PLUS WHITE DEE, SWISH CLUBBIN, GRIMEY, GADGETS, SPIDER-MAN 2 & MORE!

on your Phone, Tablet, PC and Mac!

www.streetcredmagazine.com

FASHION LICK

CELEBRITY SHOELINE BONANZA Kanye West Releases Yeezy Red October Line These Are Baaaaaad!!!

FASHION LICK

Nikki Minaj Releases Her Own Line Check It Out!

Lil Wayne Is At It Too....

COVER STORY

I

t was the most anticipated event to ever happen in Birmingham for urban music - 3 days of nonstop international live acts on stage together.

International and local stars performed at Perry Park Stadium who would have thought that something of this magnitude would happen.

If only the lineup was like last years event in London, with the likes of Jay Z, Justin Timberlake, and Rihanna, as good as it was I just couldn’t help think that it could have been loads better if there were better artists.

You’re always going to want to see the pioneers, but even the new generation know that the old skool is best.

Now lets talk about the artists.

Obviously the stand outs were the headliners, but surpprisingly out of all the acts, it was Tinie Tempah that was the one that blew it out of the water, he was so ready for the festival.

Track after track there was never a dull moment! He’d had thousands rocking out, and it must be because he’s been a performer at Wireless for the last five years which he made a point of and finally he was on the main stage.

He also said Birmingham was the best one - yeh we loved that!

You can just imagine Pass Out, Miami 2 Ibiza, Drinking from the Bottle, Frisky and Written in the Stars had everyone jumping and roaring constantly.

It was also great how Tinie gave inspiring words to people saying enjoy your life wishing us to have fun and amazing careers. He was very in touch with the crowd.

Then there was Pharrell Williams who came out with no introduction and it must be said as

a headliner he started off quite boring, singing his least popular songs which ended up dragging.

When he went into the old skool Pharrell and N.E.R.D. tracks, that’s when it got live. All the classics were dropped from Jay Z’s Excuse Me and Frontin, to Snoop Dogg’s Beautiful and Drop it like its hot to name a few.

Fast forward to the final act on the Sunday which was Kanye West. Word had reached Birmingham that he was booed on the last two shows he did in London because of his 20 minute rants.

This didn’t stop him from ranting again, though this time it was about the media how

they treat him unfairly and that they said he was booed when it wasn’t true.

In Birmingham he didn’t get booed and it must be said he tore the roof off with his classics, blasting out track after track.

We all know Kanye is an amazing performer and the rants weren’t what we wanted to hear at a festival.

It’s clear he has his fans as when he was on the whole park filled up it was amazing to see.

The main stage became Kanye West and everyone else was forgotten.

The Givenchy mask he wore was the talk and god knows how he performed in what looked like such hot material.

He did take it off from time to time which was a good thing, because if he didn’t, people might have wondered if it really was Kanye West!

So what did Street Cred think of the festival? It is a great concept that needs to happen again that’s for sure. It was a great start but we would love to see heavy acts in hip hop like say Busta Rhymes, Run DMC, LL Cool J, DMX and Method Man - artists that could really get a festival hype!

But we must big up the Wireless Festival. I also think they should get more of the underground promoters, DJ’s, and artists involved in the show and get all who have helped bring the urban scene and lose those who don’t represent it.

Words - Mark Dwayne Photo Credits Stuart Hateley & Gobinder Jhitta

N

ow in its fifth year, Simmer Down, returned to the beautiful surroundings of Handsworth Park to celebrate Birmingham’s rich heritage and cultural diversity.

With last year’s event, up until July 19, seen as the best ever free open-air music festival in Birmingham, this year’s prodigious showcase proved to be even bigger, even better.

This year’s headline acts, led by international reggae band, Steel Pulse, plus equally famed Musical Youth and Apache Indian proved the perfect ‘main course’ to a day that was filled to bursting with not only the best in music that Birmingham has to offer, but also the best demonstration of Britain in free-spirited multiculturalism that is the bedrock of the city.

With the afore mentioned performers steeped in world recognition and accolades, it was more than apt that they were to head a day where sun, family fun and an array of rum were in abundance.

This was Handsworth’s day with all the stars on show born, and/or bred in Birmingham. It was a celebration of Handsworth; A Handsworth homecoming.

Simmer Down 2014 was an overwhelming success as it uniquely fused all corners of the city, attracting people of too many nationalities to mention, showing the world yet again that Birmingham is the thriving metropolis to be in right now.

“We’ve toured throughout places in Europe, US, Caribbean, Virgin Island, Hawaii and Guam, but this was always going to be one of our greatest experiences.”

“To play in front of this many of our home crowd was awesome,” said Steel Pulse’s David Hinds.

For the Grammy Award winners, this was a ‘Handsworth Revolution’ of a very positive force. Or, at least it should have been.

Musical Youth singer, Dennis Seaton, said: “It was fantastic to play in our home city. And the crowd came out, as the sun did, in force too. This was a great feeling for me. Playing in front of a hometown crowd was a real blessing.”

Apache Indian, just back from the United States, and just before going on to tour Kenya, Dubai and Sri Lanka, said: “This was fantastic. It was a very very special gig for me, as I’m from here. I was born right there, on Holly Road. I’ve been around the world 7 times now, but to come here and see this kind of vibe and atmosphere makes me very very proud.”

Monique Mehra proved to be the biggest Apache Indian fan there as he recalls; “I played Middlesbrough a few weeks ago, and there was this girl who was there hitting us up on Twitter, saying “I’m in a wheelchair, but I’d love to come and see Apache!” So when I got there, I got her up on stage, she was like “You won’t be able to get me on stage!” and

COVER STORY

I said “I do what I like in my set” so I got her up to watch it, and she’s made her way here today too. All it takes is a little effort to include people, and a little goes a long long way.”

Apache is working in conjunction with South and City College Birmingham where he runs AIM (Apache Indian Music) Academy which encourage people to work closer together.

“Times are tough,” he says. “We have a responsibility to give back to the younger people, and the younger people are responsible for stepping up and taking these opportunities.

It’s free for all young people, whether you’re at the college or not, between 16 and 24. Come to the college and ask for me, and you will get helped.”

“It’s my way of saying ‘thank you’ to Birmingham and Handsworth for all that it’s given me.

I’m always trying to help communities. You can’t change the world, you can’t change the country, but you can definitely try to change Birmingham.”

A host of other live performances and workshops took place across several stages, with fun activities for all the family, craft stalls and a range of cultural cuisines showcasing the wealth of talent that exists.

The Drum’s CEO Charles Small said: “The fact that I’ve been able to enjoy Simmer Down and actually relax at an event run by The Drum is testament to our brilliant team who organised the day so well.”

Because of stringent time restrictions, headline act, Steel Pulse, wasn’t able to perform their stand-out hit song, “Handsworth Revolution.” Not of their doing, they apologised profusely.

The fact that Handsworth’s biggest sons were there, in Handsworth Park was a revolution in itself.

COVER STORY

E

stablished as the UK’s most cutting edge and forward thinking electronic music festival, the multi award winning GlobalGathering festival played host to the biggest and best live artists and DJs. Spanning the genre with a lineup

that read like a who’s-who of stadium stars, up and coming UK talent, world-beaters and industry insiders tips, alongside some of the most exciting promoters around.

GlobalGathering combined aweinspiring music with a super honed and slick production operation, bringing experience and innovations from the international festival circuit to the UK, for a truly unique festival experience.

Running around like it was Christmas morning in my friends room, babbling about Global Gathering was where it all started. As my first time attending the festival where 50,000 people would be gathering onto Long Marston Airfield in Stratford-UponAvon with the aim to have the most amazing time of their collective lives, excited was an understatement.

A mixture of music from drum and bass to trance music to house had the crowd bursting with excitement.

For GlobalGathering virgins like my-

COVER STORY self, it proved a mind-blowing experience.

Bursting with excitement, from pitching our tents in the VIP camping area with Perfect Pitches thanks to Alan, to getting our wristbands and actually getting into the festival and VIP areas, the whole experience was amazing!

The Paradise tent saw the Martinez brothers playing their set, which was great but the issue was that you could still hear Birmingham-born DJ Hannah Wants, one of the most talked-about female DJs in Britain and a particular highlight, in the UKF tent.

For the first time ever 10:31 and FACE had their own designated area after the huge success in Digbeth’s Rainbow Complex.

The only down fall was The Bunker

which my personal favourite DJs: Tom Shorterz, Jamie Trench and Cause & Affect played. The heat in there was unbearable!

If there’s one gripe, then it is that you couldn’t see, or hear everybody.

You had to prioritise and accept the fact that you were going to miss some acts.

I was fully satisfied on stumbling on to Duke Dumont who had everyone dancing for a good ninety minutes while people were trying to find the little shade there was, to prevent them from joining others who had either passed out in the field or would fall ill on their way to the next act.

Summing up GlobalGathering: We Came, We Saw and We Raved!

Would I go back? I probably would.

Words : Talisa Barnett

B

egin Again is a beautiful little movie. Part romance, part comedy and part musical-drama; all of the individual pieces come together to form this engaging and emotionally involving adventure.

Gretta (Keira Knightley) and her long-time boyfriend Dave are college sweethearts and song writing partners who move to New York when Dave lands a record deal with a major label.

Unfortunately, his new found fame changes him and leads him astray, leaving Gretta heartbroken and alone in an unfamiliar city.

However, a chance encounter with a disgraced, alcoholic record label executive (Mark Ruffalo) triggers a partnership that promises to change both of their lives forever.

Written and Directed by Irish filmmaker John Carney, he once again proves that he is right at home in this particular hybrid of genres, as evidenced by his 2006 hit, Once.

He is able to perfectly balance the cinematic elements with the musical elements, meaning that you’re never distracted by the sudden change in tone.

There’s one scene in particular that really sticks with you and that’s when Dan (Mark Ruffalo) is watching Gretta sing one of her original songs on stage.

It’s just her and her guitar; very simplistic, very pretty. However, as Dan watches, his musical mind goes to work and the stage comes to life as he begins transforming this quaint little song into a chart topping hit.

The instruments that surround Gretta take on a life of their own and begin playing along with her, making her song sound like something com-

BIG SCREEN

Review pletely different.

It’s a difficult scene to describe, but it is intelligently and beautifully constructed and is guaranteed to leave you with a smile on your face.

The performances from the entire cast are fantastic. Keira Knightley is believable and sympathetic as the lovelorn Gretta, making it easy to identify with her and engage in her story.

James Corden is hysterical as Gretta’s comic-relief best friend and fellow singer/songwriter, Steve – who is nowhere near as good as he thinks

be able to tell the difference; it’s very odd, but she gives a strong performance nonetheless.

However, the standout performance here comes from the always brilliant Mark Ruffalo as Dan. He is a virtuoso of alcohol, energy and foul language and he gives a performance that is sure to garner some recognition as soon as awards season rolls around.

I honestly believe that Ruffalo’s character is single-handedly responsible for the film’s 15 certificate, as he never passes up an opportunity to cuss his way out of a situation, or in to one for that matter.

In fact, his language is so foul that he would be right at home in a Quentin Tarantino movie and nobody would question it.

Begin Again is a “feel good” movie of the highest standard. It is a simple, engaging and thoughtful piece of cinema that makes you think about the beauty of the world around you and the importance of the relationships we share.

It is sweet without being too schmaltzy, It is funny without trying too hard and it is uplifting without being too “in your face” about it.

It is the kind of movie you’ll put on to cheer yourself up when you’re feeling low and if that isn’t a compliment, I don’t know what is.

Seth Rogen recently tweeted about Begin Again and his tweet says more in 140 characters or less than I could in an entire review, so I will sign off by sharing with you his thoughts on the movie; “Please go see the movie Begin Again! But only if you like joy and laughter. If not – run! See something else!” Well...you heard the man!

wORDS by antony brown he is – and Hailee Steinfeld brings a certain level of sass to the role of Mark Ruffalo’s rebellious daughter, Violet.

However, her character is a complete carbon copy of her character from 3 Days to Kill starring Kevin Costner.

She plays a misunderstood and defiant teenager with daddy issues who dresses far too provocatively for her age.

You could literally take her scenes from 3 Days to Kill and edit them into Begin Again and you wouldn’t

WHATS ON mances including one at Birmingham’s NIA on 26 May 2015.

It features over 100 performers and is conducted by Ben Foster, who conducts and orchestrates the musical scores for the TV series.

Music will be performed by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and members of the BBC National Chorus of Wales.

Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular.

The NIA, Birmingham 26 May 2015

T

he European premiere of the hugely popular Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular is coming to Birmingham in 2015!

The live show, which was a sell-out on its world premiere in Australia, will enjoy a limited run of twelve UK perfor-

Coming Soon

Union J Telford Festival/Fusion Festival 30th/31st August 2014

P

op heartthrobs Union J are back and set to release their brand new single ‘Tonight (We Live Forever)’ on August 17th.

The track will be the first song to come from their second album scheduled for release later this year.

Catch them at the Telford and Fusion Festivals at the end of August!

WHITE DEE’S COLUMN

‘White Dee’s’ Column a princess who did go to the ball.

A big big thank you to Maria for doing her hair, Eclipse Hair & Beauty Salon, Dudley Road for the nails, and a special shout out to Tyson Leon, Leon Security Group for providing the transport and the personal escort in the form of Dan-Dan, as a person born and bred in Birmingham, I understand how we need to support our local business and try to get them the recognition they deserve.

After the stressful planning and hoping that it would be a night Caitlin would never forget the look on her face was totally priceless, and the constant crying done by myself at the transformation into a stunning young lady was worth it. Bring on her wedding day haha.

Finally a great big congratulations to the DRUM for an amazing Simmer Down festival which took place last in Handsworth Park.

The festival highlighted loads of homegrown Birmingham talent, past and present, I wasn’t feeling very well so could only stay for a couple of hours, but the feedback has been fantastic.

I

t’s that time of the month again time for me to chat away a year older than the last time I did my column, happy birthday to me :-) and to hope you still find the time to read my column.

Whoever thought up the idea of bringing prom over to this country?

Well it definitely wasn’t me and when i left school, we just left and that was that.

Well what’s happened this month that you may or may not find interesting - every mothers nightmare - yep its prom time.

Obviously there are things that can be planned in advance, but the day of the 17th July turned Caitlin into prom zilla haha.

As the mom to 16 year old Caitlin I just knew it wasn’t going to be straightforward haha! Dress, hair, nails, make up, transport, teenage tantrums and as the kids say it ‘the good old bling’.

But all things said and done, it went off well, and as beautiful as she looked, it didn’t cost a fortune. Being a single mom you always want the best in life for your children, the best doesn’t always cost the most. Caitlin looked like

Musical Youth, Apache Indian, Diego Flex, some of the cutest dancers you have ever seen, and the legends that are Steel Pulse, played, sang and interacted with a crowd estimated at about 20,000.

Stalls for all occasions, plenty of food, good atmosphere, once again fantastic security (Leon security group erm 2 mentions in 1 column!) and the event in true Birmingham style went trouble free, people came from all parts of the country to attend.

Its at times like these that i can honestly say - IM PROUD TO BE FROM BIRMINGHAM. Thanks to everyone who took part in celebrating the DRUM’s 20th Anniversary - heres to many many more.

So once more I say ‘bye for now’ and see you next month (or will I??)

Questions, comments or suggestions for White Dee? Get in touch with her by emailing whitedee@streetcredmagazine.com

Word on the street CHANTELLE

COME AND TALK TO ME!

A

classic tune by one of the hottest R‘n’B boy bands of the 90’s and also a pleasant chat up opening, albeit kind of demanding!

In an ideal world the opposite sex would allure you with a cheeky yet sweet smile then advance towards you with a respectful, maybe humourous, but definitely attention-gaining one liner.

Instead of ‘YO’ or some kind of ‘complimentary’ adjective defining a body part or worse yet ‘OI!’ It’s MAD disrespectful!

Men, young men, women and young women DO NOT holler at someone you like in that way and also DO NOT respond to that in anyway.

Does chivalry no longer exist?

Or have women become too independent to accept it. When a man opens a door for you to walk through or pulls out a chair for you to sit on, how do you respond?

Do you accept, smile and thank or scowl and retort with ‘I can do it myself thanks!’ Are we not allowing men to treat us like the princesses/queens that we are!

Or are we not acting like princesses/queens in order to receive said treatment?

The point I’m trying to enforce is that chivalry, respect, creative and pleasant greetings seem to have escaped from the lips and brains of some of our men!

My advice is to go out there and find wherever they went and bring ‘em back! And ladies, if a man wants to treat you like a prince/queen, LET HIM!

Chantelle’s

Spot HOW OLD IS OLD SKOOL? The hilarious weekly column

F

irstly is being ‘old skool’ more of a state of mind or is it just an age thing?

In terms of manners I’m old skool but in terms of child rearing I’m not! When it comes to dating I’m old skool but in terms of conduct within the relationship I’m not!

Was it a way of life that you would like to re-live? Or should old skool just be left to the older generation?

Is that wrong? Or is it a good idea to mix the two types of ‘skools’ together?

There are so many elements involved in being old skool, take for example the clothes, the slang, attitudes and feelings towards relationships, friendships, sex, parenthood, manners, music, dance etc, it really is like a different way of living.

Just take a few moments and think of how things were back in 60’s, 70’s or even 80’s…So, how was it?

WRONG? NO, just DIFFERENT! Imagine, when the current younger generation grow into adults, we will be classed as OLD

THE EYE OF ENTERTAINMENT AND CUTTING EDGE LIFESTYLE

MAY 2014

www.streetcredmagazine.com

NOW S U READ E ONLINY EVER Y A FRID

SKOOL! Are we currently operating wrong? Or are we not mixing the old with the new skool?

If this continues eventually our grandparents teachings and way of life will be only in textbooks or will be passed on myths.

So on that note ‘old skool’ IS a state of mind it’s NOT just age-related, it’s learnt and passed on, it’s family orientated, it’s not always right but neither is new or current skool.

The secret is to master a nice balance of both…and create a completely different skool I call it ‘NOLD’ I’m totally NOLD SKOOL!

READ THE BIGGEST DIGITAL ENTERTAINMENT MAGAZINE ONLINE

EVERY FRIDAY

KEYSHIA COLE CREATES A MASSIVE STORM IN AMERICA WITH HER SHOE LINE PLUS WHITE DEE, SWISH CLUBBIN, GRIMEY, GADGETS, SPIDER-MAN 2 & MORE!

on your Phone, Tablet, PC and Mac!

www.streetcredmagazine.com