ADDICTED Overcoming the grips of the drug epidemic.
F
or far too long, alcoholism and drug abuse have been primarily considered social and criminal problems. As a result, addiction was treated wholly separate and apart from general medical care. This practice continued throughout most of human history, even in the face of growing evidence that addiction is a brain disorder, with considerable crossover to other diseases. The US Surgeon General’s report “Facing Addiction in America” (the “Report”), makes a strong case for finally destroying the “Chinese Wall” of separation, in the interests of more effective addiction treatment AND better overall medical care. Substance use disorder often doubles the odds that a person will develop another chronic and costly medical illness, in some very clear and specific ways. Cocaine use is associated with cardiovascular complications, marijuana with chronic bronchitis and asthma, and alcohol is known to cause
liver and pancreatic diseases. The list goes on and on. Numerous studies document high rates of substance use disorders among patients and have noted that mainstream healthcare often fails to recognize or address the substance use element of the problem. One such study discovered that onethird of the most common and costly medical conditions were more prevalent among patients with substance use disorders. Individuals with chronic medical conditions incur costs two to three times higher when substance use disorder is involved. Moreover, substance abuse also complicates many other medical conditions. So basically, by keeping addiction treatment in its own little bubble, doctors have frequently been missing out on the big picture. How can we expect to achieve best outcomes with less than full information? This issue also presents itself in Natal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS), when babies are born to addict-
ed mothers. These babies typically have low birth weights and respiratory complications, as they themselves go through withdrawal during their precious early days of life. Newborns with NAS require hospital stays averaging 16.9 days; 8 times more than a usual stay, and cost hospitals upwards of $1.5 billion, per year. Then there’s the adolescents. I’ve gone to great length in previous articles to explain the urgency of addiction as a disease most damaging to adolescents and young adults. In fact, the majority of people who meet the criteria for a substance use disorder in their lifetime, started using substances during adolescence and met the criteria by age 20 to 25. But that’s not all. Adolescent addicts experience higher rates of other physical and mental illnesses, as well as diminished overall well being and educational outcomes - for LIFE. We’re talking about long-lasting, permanent damage, because the brain, immune system and most key organs never get a chance to fully develop; the “Norm” is far from normal in these adolescents. Finally, and this applies to all addicts, they are more likely to engage in risky behavior. HIV/ AIDS, sexually transmitted infections and a higher rate of accidents (not to mention crime and incarceration), are just some of the ways that substance abuse, again, directly correlates to general medical care. That’s Why It’s Time To Take The Gloves Off!!!! Well supported scientific evidence demonstrates that traditional separation of substance use disorder from mainstream health care has created obstacles to successful results. It further proves that closer integration will add value to both systems, increasing the quality, effectiveness and efficiency of healthcare. Now, onto the heavy lifting. The reality is; most people with substance use disorders do not seek treatment on their own because they don’t think they need it or they’re not ready for it. In addition, doctors, nurses, psychologists and basically everyone in general medical care, are not well trained to tackle the issue of addiction head on. Therefore, too many patients fall through the cracks. We are
missing out on a powerful opportunity to attack addiction at its earliest stages when it’s cheapest and most easily counteracted. Early detection has been the keystone of modern medicine, adding years onto people’s lives. Mammograms, colonoscopies, prostate exams and even simple regular blood tests and blood pressure screenings help to identify problems before they get out of control. Imagine ignoring a disease as it steadily grows before everyone’s eyes and then only treating it once it becomes serious and chronic. We wouldn’t accept that in any other aspect of medical care and we shouldn’t accept it when it comes to fighting addiction.
So What Can We Do About It?
First of all, get used to this acronym SBIRT screening, brief intervention, referral and treatment. We need to help foster an environment that encourages inclusion of prevention, treatment and recovery, as part of general medical care.
1.
Health professionals should regularly screen for substance misuse and abuse as part of a regular check-up, like checking blood pressure, temperature, weight and heart rate.
2. Health professionals must engage in conversations about addiction with patients. 3.
Health professionals should refer patients indicating signs of addiction to a specialist, just as they would for any other disease.
4. Health professionals must subsequently follow-up with patients, just as they would for any other disease.
5.
Health professionals with patients in recovery should continue to screen them during regular check-ups, but now with more targeted screenings (i.e. urine tests, etc.).
6. Health professionals should co-locate sub-
Gamified Giving
2013 was a busy year.
We loss the iconic president and anti-apartheid leader, Nelson Mandela, gained a royal baby from Prince William and Kate, “twerk” and “selfie” were added to the dictionary, Candy Crush was the game of the year (and the cause of many invites to play on facebook timelines), and President Barack Obama was entering the start of his second term. For former NFL player Mike Brown, the tech startup world was discovered.
Mike Brown
Mike, with his college major being in public policy, had already taken the LSAT and gained experience, during his senior year, working the campaign of Beverly Purdue and her successful race to become the first female Governor of North Carolina. Needless to say, being a married man and father, the last thing he was looking to do was revert to his Ramen Noodle eating, college student days. The Houston Texas native and Duke University graduate found himself on the verge of applying to business graduate schools when a friend told him about Draper University and the program run in silicon valley for aspiring entrepreneurs. But that leap of faith to apply to the next level of education was followed with a phone call from Tim Draper himself welcoming Mile to the entering class as well as offering a full scholarship. “I went through a 9-week program which rocked my world because it was all new,” Mike reflects as we speak on the phone from his office in the midst of a newly launched March Madness Tournament. “I finished number 1 in my class, but I was a little upset because I couldn’t believe I didn’t know about this(tech world). I probably would have made some different decisions in college as far as my major was concerned (laughing). I taught myself how to (use binary) code and design (websites and platforms) then I moved to the bay area full time the following year with the sole intention of building my own tech startup. To be more effective, I felt like I needed to work at a startup. So, I worked for a pretty well-known company here in the area for a year and a half and developed my program and moved out on my own.” If you want to be an actor, you go to Hollywood. If you’re going to be in finance, you go to New York. Government... DC, energy... you go to Texas. With that theory in mind, if you want to be in the tech world, you go to Silicon Valley. However, the Silicon Valley wasn’t very welcoming to a young Black athlete. Being an athlete already comes with a stereotype. As of late, players like Richard Sherman, Myron Rolle, Craig Breslow, and now Mike Brown have been proving that the “meathead athletes” of the past are pretty hard to come by. With a mother that drove the importance of academics over athletics, Mike maintained a 4.0 GPA, was inducted into the National Honor Society and held the seat of President of the Engineering Club. Needless to say, coaching or fitness wasn’t the long-term goal of the all-American and all-conference defensive back, who leads the nation in tackles his senior year.
“My best friend went to DUKE as well and was the number 2 defensive tackle in the country coming out of high school,” Mike explains. “We arrived at training camp, and he blew his knee out in the 3rd practice. I knew that at any time, playing at that high level, anything could happen. I didn’t want to go into coaching or fitness (the more common careers that athletes take). He went on to coach at Duke and Ohio State, won championships and is now the defensive line coach for the 49ers. That’s his passion. I, on the other hand, wanted to build and create. When I found out about the valley, I knew this was where I needed to be. Even when I got here, the assumption was “oh, you’re a former athlete…” I wouldn’t tell anyone what I did. Even though I wasn’t a big name, I kept that to myself. Now, it’s something that I talk about because WIN-WIN is a sport geared company. Gambling has always been a part of sports. Whether you are betting your friends that your favorite team would triumph over their own, a “Pick-em” sheet that you get from work or that your parents brought home, or an “I bet you that I’m faster than you” foot race down a neighborhood block. With Mike’s platform, WIN-WIN, there is no monetary prize. It takes the gaming world and turns it into an experience-driven competition, and the secondary winner is the charity of choice of the host of the game. After watching commercials on gaming sites using players images and likeness without contributing to them or benefiting their platforms, the former athlete and businessman alike in Mike, said, something about this has to change. Let’s face it, these companies make millions on millions of dollars, and the only person that comes out on top is the winner of the game and the owner of the site. The need for change was there, and Mike was the operator that answered the call. “WIN-WIN is a sports gaming platform that connects fans with the favorite athletes, entertainers, and influencers while raising money for charity,” Mike excitingly says. “The personality will “host” (put their name on) a game tournament and promote it out to their fan base and social media following who will then join by paying an entry fee. The money that they pay would then go to the charity of choice for the athletes. The games can be anything from a March Madness bracket, pick-em tickets, or an over-under-on game. Once you’re in the game, you are competing for an experience instead of money. So you may get courtside seats with Steph Curry, or do a shootaround at a Los Angeles Lakers practice
We Got Your Back Workout Tips from Curtis J. Williams
In the early days of my training, I struggled with pulling movements that primarily target back muscles. But rather than skip these exercises I decided to kickoff every workout with three sets of ten pull ups - assisted if necessary - performing my most challenging work first. Fast forward to present day I now have well-sculpted lats, rhomboids, traps, and posterior deltoids. My recommendation to you is to systematically target the back with a varied exercise selection. Most of us are interested in the beach body, getting jacked as the priority. This means that I’d program these exercises for a hypertrophic response. Working across rep ranges is optimal but for simplicity let’s say 4-sets at 8-12 reps each. Increasing weight for each set and staying around 80% of their 1RM (1 Rep Max). 60-90 seconds between sets. Again, this is a general approach For strength trainers, we’d go as low as 4 or 6 reps with longer rest between sets. Fat burners would want as little as 30-60 seconds rest between sets and maybe go as high as 12-15 reps. If you’re like most of my high-performing clients you’re managing the demands of a busy travel schedule. In this case, the solution is to toss a resistance band into your carry-on. Use it to perform in-room morning circuit training. It’ll get you pumped both physically and mentally for the day ahead.
Curtis J Williams Follow Curtis’ Instagram @curtis.j.williams Photography: @felipe_arenas._ Please check out Curtis at www.optimusphysique.com
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Kinja Dixon
Positive Vibes
Kinja Dixon
When one thinks of success, he typically would assume all things are aligned and intact. Career, wealth, social, and family. What happens when one of those elements are out of sync? Kinja Dixon, an only child, was relocated to Virginia for work with Wyndham Vacations while his family was split between New York and the Carolinas. His conversation and interactions with his family grew scarce. His personal development became his support system. His family was transformed into a library of books written by the list of authors that he read and listened to on a daily basis. He was depressed, He was alone, and he had no idea. What some would say becomes compensation, I lean towards calling a vice. For Kinja, his vice was work. His success with Wyndham Vacation Rentals placed him in the President’s Club for the 8th time. Upon sending a photo to his mother, from Puerto Rico, to share his accomplishment, she realized that his success was laden with depression, an eating disorder, and a lack of self-care. He was over 300-pounds, and the last time his mother saw him, he was around the 190 mark. Of course, she was concerned about her child. “When we talked, she saw the picture and said, “what happened to you?” Kinja explains during our phone conversation. “It was a mixture of her voice and looking at the picture for myself that made me realize that I let my success, even monetary, take me away from the normal etiquette that I should apply to my normal life. The mixture of that hunger, stop drinking, and the inclusion of being literally addicted to personal development. I believe I set the reset button on my life. From 2009 until now, my life has completely done a 360-degree, times two and counting. There were moments before that was important, but that particular moment was monumental.” Kinja was 24-years old and making a $180k year sal-
ary, and his hunger for money and success planted over $1million in his bank account. He was making it. Or at least he thought. Now, looking back, he realizes that mindset was the first problem. His demise began with a simple mindset. He took inventory of his life and those in his life, and he started to not only eliminate the negative attributes of others, but of himself. “People don’t look at it as a demise, they say “Well, you were just 300-pounds and a millionaire.”, Kinja Explains. “Who are we making that judgment off of? Personally, looking back at that time and knowing where my life was at that time, I can say that was the problem. I started realizing that there was no limit or such thing as “success.” If you get it, you become complacent, if you don’t have it, you don’t want to chase after it. It’s like wait a minute, why am I allowing a word to stop me from pursuing mastery in every day of my life. Eliminating that word and realizing that this is a life process is what changed me to doing things that have never been done in the world.” Whether it was his values changing or not being interested in the things that he formerly was, there were several times over the last 8 years of his life in which the separations occurred. Kinja was becoming comfortable in his skin, and he realized being around certain people would have eliminated some of the time that has given the lightbulbs to change his life. After breaking his mindset, Kinja began to get in the gym. And one specific day, a gym visit would take his life and his goals to new heights. “January 2015, I was in the Gym and on my phone, and I saw “Do you want to train like a Shaolin Monk” come up on my facebook feed and I pressed it and read the qualifications and the costs,” Kinja explains as if he was replaying the moment in his head. “And I said in ‘August, I’m going to do it.’ I was already doing yoga and already intensely working out. I felt
Stroke of a Genius O’Niel Scott
Today’s culture of millennials has become more art aware. Museums have taken over the post-brunch “Sunday Funday” routine. Knowing a Jean-Michel Basquiat painting can give you some bragging points. Purchasing artwork has become a hobby of some while creating pieces of art has become a profession of their peers. Recently after attending a museum and talking about my musical history, a close friend asked what does music look like in my head. I explained that there are colors, plumes, pillars, and orbs floating and dancing. We agreed that I should attempt to paint what was in my head. I turned on my favorite music playlist, closed my eyes, and put paint to canvas. I recorded moments of creating and shared my colorful canvas with my inner circle. While I know painting isn’t my destiny, I decided at that moment that I would pick up my brush and palate to relax and just to allow my creative side to breathe. With social media being a promotional platform for many artists, I began searching hashtags associated with painting. One day, I came across O’Neil Scott, a Philadelphia based artist who posted a painting that he was finishing of Colin Kaepernick. Being Pennsylvania proud, I sent the photo in a Direct Message to a group of my friends, and one told me that it looked so real that she felt she could reach into her phone and play with his hair. True artistry is in the detail. O’Neil Scott is a man of detail. Intrigued by his precision, tones, and emotion in his work, I began to research him and eventually reached out. SUAVV: How long have you been an artist and how did you get started with painting? O’NEIL: I have been drawing all my life but just started seriously painting two and a half years ago. My passion is art, and I always felt like something was missing in my life if I was not being creative. As a result, I created a goal to get a body of work together and then start to approach galleries. To my surprise, I was about two paintings in and I began to get contacted by galleries. This fueled me to work harder and get better fast. I started to work with a gallery and had my first solo exhibition last September, which was within a year and a half of getting started. SUAVV: That’s pretty amazing. You hit the galleries quickly. While you are still becoming a full-time artist, you also have a masters degree in IT. Did you ever have a regular 9-5 in the IT field? O’NEIL: Yes, I worked in analytics for a long time and still do to supplement my income. Even though I took foundation art classes at Syracuse University, I am indeed a self-taught artist. Hopefully, one day I will be only doing art, but I currently have a few different means of income.
LAST ACTION HERO DEMETRIUS GROSSE
“I had a voice before I was an actor,” Demetrius Grosse tells me during a break in filming his movie. “I’m just blessed to have an outlet that allows me to make some informed decisions about the path that I charter and how that can affect my audience. It just happens that others such as Jean-Michel Basquiat was able to affect his audience through a visual. Nas, Jay Z, and those guys have done it through their music. To be early in my career, I’ve been fortunate to be in projects that have social relevance. You never want to do something with futility.”
Photos by Michael Letterlough, Jr.
Piano Girl Melissa Gigges
Melissa Gigges was four-years old when she started
day, she found a scholarship for college so it was a
piano lessons. Her piano teacher asked her sing-
big music day for her... it was a big day to celebrate
along and when the lesson was done, the teacher
Melissa started training in classical music and got a
went to her mom and said: “Ashley, Melissa can sing.”
presidential scholarship from City University of New
Her mom put her into singing lessons and at the age
York. She would quickly get into jazz and would take
of 10, voice lessons included jazz and musical theater.
advantage of any performance opportunity. It was at
The White Plains, New York native was well on her
that moment that she realized ‘I think this is what I
way to a career that revolved around a passion. The
want to do with my life.’ moment. She always knew
journey would have her on a stage from this point
that she wanted to do something with music, but she
forward.
didn’t know where it was going to fit in her life.
“I started
With the encourage-
doing plays
ment of a college
and it was great. I was just singing and every time the show is finished,
“I really think about the stories that I want to tell, what song I wanted to talk about, what I want to tell people about as far as what’s going on in my life, and end in the present.”
they would
friend, Melissa began to write her music as well as play and sing. She dug into her journals that she has had since 3rd grade and the songs began to flow. With her
come to me and say ‘your voice is so beautiful’ but,
school girl crushes changing from the start of school
they never said anything about my acting.” Melissa
to recess, her Hello Kitty notebooks were full of ma-
laughs as we sit on the sidewalk of a cafe in the Chel-
terial that would lead to some of her best composi-
sea neighborhood of New York City. “Playing piano
tions. While she has never been a fan of karaoke and
and singing at the same time is really it’s normal for
doing covers, her ability to write her own content
me. I don’t think about it. Now, dancing is a com-
makes the start of her stage performance a little more
pletely different issue. When I was doing the Wizard
unique and genuine.
of Oz, moving my feet and trying to sing was an issue for me. I have to say I’m not going to cross over into
“I like to let them have a good time and enjoy them-
the acting world. Music is definitely on top. I wanted
selves, and they always try to push me to do it but, no
to take advantage of every opportunity, regardless
thanks,” Melissa laughs. “I go to the stage and realize
what kind of music it was.
that it’s not only important for me to play good and to perform songs well, but to really connect with the
While in high school, Melissa would do the tal-
audience.
ent shows and never thought she was going to win
I really think about the stories that I want to tell,
because there were a lot of other acts doing dance
what song I wanted to talk about, what I want to tell
numbers and she wasn’t. To her own surprise, she
people about as far as what’s going on in my life, and
won and don’t know how it happened. That same
end in the present. I think people really really relate
Like arrows in the hands of a warrior -David Ramsey
Detroit born actor, David Ramsey stars as former United States Army Special Forces soldier, John Diggle, on the CW’s People’s Choice Award winning show Arrow. However, being a DC Comics action hero was never in the scope of the once NFL hopeful.
Breakout
King Tye White
Breaking into Hollywood isn’t an easy accomplishment. There are thousands of people, yearly, that come here with a dream of fame and celebrity with a half empty bank account. They saved up enough money to move here and sleep on a friend’s couch until they “get on their feet”. Sadly, most will move back home before they sign a lease of their own. When you hear a story of a leap of faith that was successful, it’s always interesting...well, at least to me. Tye is a newer face to the motion picture world while being a seasoned face to the Hollywood location. It’s mid-morning and I found out about a strip of cafes, restaurants, bars, theaters, and lounges 5 minutes from my apartment in North Hollywood. Ironically enough, Tye lives 5 minutes away as well. We decided to meet at one of the smaller coffee shops in the area. Happy to have a little bit of privacy left in his career, we chose some very non-private outdoor seating to chop it up a little bit. Tye is the first to admit landing here wasn’t easy. Coming from a blue-collar family in the mid-west, the objective is to get an education, get a great job, and provide for your family. His dad was in the Investments, real estate, and insurance fields. He was a businessman. So when his son Graduated from The University of Michigan with a degree in economics, further education in business school was the hopes. Tye had a different dream and the theater classes on his college transcript was the first sign.
Even the first years of me being here he was very frustrated with me. After he cooled down, he was just like, ‘I don’t know what you are doing, but I support you in doing it.’ And to keep in 100, there were times that I did have to hit him up and ask for some help. He would float me, but it was always with love.” Tye’s journey of Los Angeles started as many actors in this city, classes, student films, smaller projects, and more classes. You do what you have to do to get your feet wet, get used to the mechanisms of the industry, and developing an understanding of how this city works, (Trust me, it’s not ALL talent). To others, it man seem like it happened quickly, but it was 4 years from when Tye arrived in Los Angeles until his first role. That was about 3 years ago. After hitting the scene in the 2014 Drumline Sequel, Drumline: A New Beat, the opportunities began rolling in. “The first four years, I did everything I could do to stay above water,” He laughs. “EVERYTHING there was to do in Hollywood to not have to go back home. Bartend, uber, borrow money, everything you can think of to pay your bills... everything except walking the Santa Monica boulevard strip, selling it.”
“Those semester grades came in, my pops saw way too much theater on there and killed that quickly,” Tye says laughing. “He wanted me to stop the acting classes because he wanted to make sure that I could get a job. So, I put it on the back burner, Graduated and began a career as a business banker for Chase Bank. One day, I was talking to a friend of mine and we were discussing me going to New York City to interview with JP Morgan on Wall Street. We somehow got on retirement. And he said ‘yeah man, only 40 more years until retirement.’ I said, to myself, ‘wow, that’s really the mentality.’ Not me. I quit my day job and moved from Detroit and said I couldn’t do it anymore.”
While some may recognize him as Aiden Hanna, the son of LL Cool J’s NCIS Los Angeles character, Sam Hanna. Others will briefly remember him as Jason Simpson, son of O.J. Simpson, in the award dominating series The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story. Sitting at the table with the Titans that this show has cast, Tye was solidified in the sense of belonging. “I’m not saying I belong on their level at all,” Tye exclaims humbly. “Don’t get that twisted. But, it let me know that I belong here. That I was able to be at the same table. I’m not carving the turkey, but I’m at the table and in the conversation.” Regardless of what you do as an artist, be it a painter, musician, actor, whatever, you always want to know that you don’t suck. For many, the first time REALLY seeing Tye was in his role as Kevin Satterlee on the Oprah Winfrey Network’s hit show Greenleaf. Which Tye has no problem admitting, may actually be the toughest role that he has played to date.
“When I quit my job, he(dad) was HOT... he was real hot”, Tye says, shaking his head as if he recalled a conversation. “He wasn’t feeling me.
“It’s different from me because he is dissimilar to me,” Tye says. “I mean I’m not Kevin at all, but there is so much truth to him and his
Star of Starling City Echo Kellum
In the Groove Benjamin Patterson As an actor, the ultimate goal is having a really good character within an amazing storyline. Sometimes, the character is so far fetched from actual life that it is even more challenging for the actor to understand that person. Benjamin Patterson has placed himself in one of the best storylines on television today. As Noah, on the hit OWN Tv series Greenleaf, he was able to show a little range from his everyday life as a husband, father, and music artist. It’s early afternoon and Benjamin is full of life during our phone interview. He’s riding home from the airport to see his husband and son after a long work week on the east coast. He’s telling me how fortunate he is about his shooting schedule with the show and how Oprah and the team at OWN have really taken his family into consideration. Being married for over 16 years is a wonderful thing, but, being a first time father of a new baby boy, has been the highlight of this chapter of his life. “It’s really wonderful,” Benjamin says with a smile that you can hear through the line. “I’m seeing all of these learning milestones and physical milestones that makes my time at home very precious. It also means that everything has to be on a schedule according to HIM (laughing). It’s not like I’m going to get up at 8 and go work out. He gets up at 7 and is eating at 730. It makes me want to do more so that I can have the best for him while having the best for myself. So having a wonderful work team like OWN, is just amazing. Everything around his birth was great. I worked up until he was going to be born, then flew home for a couple of days, went back to work that next week, and was back home 2 days later.” Filming away from your family is always hard. Add in the type of role that Benjamin is filming, one would think the stark contrast of life would be a little hard to portray. Well, only to an amature actor. “I’m attracted to really good and creative characters,” Benjamin explains. “And as long as I am attracted to the character that I have to embody, and I stay true to that, there’s nothing that can pigeonhole me. It’s more
of ‘Am I available to play that character’. “I look at Johnny Depp and Don Cheadle as two of the actors that are soo not the same from film to film or tv show,” Benjamin explains. “So the challenge is to wipe the board clean. So you say, okay who is this person? What do they like to do? Where do they eat? How do they walk? And once you start to go off into that character and find those basics, you are able to come up with these other results and you become more comfortable with their choices. If I’m a cop, I will be the best cop I can be. If I am a hard nosed military guy or a gangster, I have to be the best at that and just leave myself at the door. So that whoever that character is, if you have to fall in love with him, you will. But if you are to hate him, I need to make sure that every part of my being is hated by you.” And that held very true with his character of Noah Kendall on Greenleaf. To think that the morality of the church was put under the microscope would be the wrong way to view this series. “There wasn’t a criticism about the church, but basically highlighting common events of people’s lives,” Benjamin explains. “These were power struggles that would be in the entertainment world, corporate america, or the real estate world. It’s common. It just happens to be in the backdrop of a megachurch in the south, so there is a lot of caution that people are having. However, I feel that the show is very specific in telling a really good story and also relating to many audiences through the eyes of the black church. It’s like eyes behind the curtain that you wonder what’s going on and this show says “okay let’s suppose this is going on and address it.” What makes it great is the work we are putting into the art of this.” Acting was never the focus for Benjamin. While all of his friends were running track, he figured he would do something different. He actually thought he would continue his high school swimming championships at the olympics as a sprint and relay swimmer throughout high school. “I swam all 4 years,” he says with pride. “I was super excited to see the
The Power of One Omari Hardwick Interview by Justin Q. Williams Written by Rashod Davenport If you walk into any barbershop in a black community, you can guarantee yourself three arguments. Who is the greatest basketball player ever (even though it’s always a Lebron, Michael, and Kobe conversation)? Who is the best rapper dead or alive, and whether POWER or EMPIRE is the best show on television? These debates are never based on facts, but a complete perspective of the arguing parties. That said, the scale of the barbershop is typically always favoring POWER due to the personification of one man...Omari Hardwick. Omari’s character James St.Patrick aka “Ghost,” on the hit STARZ show POWER, embodies the dream of many men that watch the show. He’s the successful businessman with the money, cars, and clothes, has three beautiful children and a wife, and his best friend is like his brother. The twist is that he’s a drug dealer, the love of his life is his mistress, and one of his closest friends from the past is trying to kill him. Ghost is trying to get out of the game but continuously pulled back into the grip of the underworld by the same people whom he is trying to give an honest life. Now it’s a hell of a storyline that will keep you entertained for many nights. Seated on a plush wall sofa in the lounge of the W Hotel in Atlanta, is Omari. He has a bottle of Gentleman Jack Double Mellowed Tennessee Whiskey cracked open with a few ounces drowning the square ice-cubes in his cup. He’s relaxed and dressed relaxed because he has a long night of talking his way. He’s in town for The Real to Reel short film contest and local film screening tour, presented by Gentleman Jack. You can’t help but see “Ghost” seated beside you. Not being able to separate the character from the person is the sign of a fantastic actor. Nonetheless, the person that we spoke to is soo far from Ghost and soo much closer to James St. Patrick.
“It’s me,” Omari laughs as he takes a sip from his cup. James Saint Patrick crossing into Omari is okay,” Omari laughs as he sips his drink and sits up in his chair. “I got a deal with Real to Reel and Gentleman Jack because of a “James Saint Patrick” within Omari, the business savvy, and the ability to carry and present myself in a way that grandpop and pop and several other people that an important in my life have aided me in presenting myself. ‘GHOST’ intermingling with Omari is a problem, and it’s also impossible for him not to. I’m shooting the show (POWER) for seven months, and there’s a four-yearold and a two-year-old at home. It’s hard. I deal with it (coming out of character) with the punching bag down in the gymnasium. That helps. The gymnasium and the punching bag in the gymnasium. This year it’s music. Pouring my THAT into the music.” Growing up in Decatur, Georgia, sports were a huge part of Omari Latif Hardwick’s world, but early on he knew he had a passion for the arts. When arriving in his teenage years, Hardwick was writing poetry on a regular basis, a love he would carry with him into adulthood. The Omari Hardwick bluapple Poetry Network is a multi-faceted, after-school spoken word poetry program available free to students actively attending Broward County public high schools, middle schools, and select elementary schools.
Photos by Jamal Harrington Makeup by Rodney Jon
HAPPILY ‘FAKE’ Matt Sarafa
The only thing fake about matt is his collection of furs
I can remember the first time I inter-
viewed Matt Sarafa, for an exclusive interview at Afterbuzz TV. His PR team had arrived first, and I remember wondering what he would be like in person. I’d initially seen him on an episode of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. His godmother, Kyle Richards, one of the show’s stars, featured Matt’s line of faux furs at a trunk show in her New York store Kyle by Alene Too in the episode. Even in the short scenes, he filmed, you could quickly tell Matt had an over-the-top persona that easily matched the glamour and drama of the wives on the show. In hearing that we’d be interviewing him at the network, I quickly did a scan of his social media and thought, wow, he really lives this persona! I say persona at this point because, in Hollywood, you can never really tell what’s authentic and what’s a little put on for the cameras or theatrics of it all. But, when Matt breezed in wearing one of his signature furs from his collection, I knew right then and there – this was no put on persona. He was the real deal, and I was here for it. While he has a flashy style all his own, he still maintains a down-to-earth and fun personality that really shines through. You don’t always encounter that in this industry! And that stuck with me… Matt’s popularity is on the rise, and he’s on the lips of Hollywood’s elite, thanks to his line of luxe faux furs. As a young designer, who has grown to success through hard work, tenacity, and drive, he truly epitomizes a brand that is bold, visionary, and completely style and fashion-forward. And let’s face it, there’s nothing more pimped out than a fur coat.
So, by the time we met up again for our cover photo shoot, it felt like connecting with an old friend. Without pretense, Matt entered the building in a flurry of multi-colored furs, heels, and studded hats, completely ready to embrace the day. He was open to suggestions of color combinations and looks, but always remained MATT! Though he’s flattered, Matt does feel that being labeled a “rising fashion icon” has been earned, he feels that he is just someone who genuinely loves fashion, and likes sharing his style with the world! How important is style to you? How would you describe your personal style? Style and fashion are EVERYTHING to me! I love expressing myself through the way I dress and the fashion I create. I fell in love with the individuality of the fashion industry, so I try always to embrace that. I would say my personal style is definitely very edgy, a little androgynous, and super unique. I love pushing boundaries and taking risks with fashion. Looking back, I’ve definitely made some questionable style choices, but that’s all part of the growing process, right? So many people may know you from reality television! Tell us about how you got onto Project Runway Jr? I found out about a casting call for Project Runway Junior from a friend, and I jumped on that SOO quick!! Watching Project Runway as a little kid was what actually got me into fashion in the first place, so I was not about to let the op-
BEYOND THE VELVET ROPE
A GLIMPSE INTO THE PRIVATE LIFE OF BRANDON ANTHONY
I can still remember the first time I saw Brandon Anthony…I was a hungry DJ who’d just moved to Los Angeles from Washington, DC. I was at one of his lavish Hollywood events, sipping on my tequila and lime juice (don’t judge my drink choice, I was heavy on Patron at the time), and I remember asking my boy, who’d already adjusted to the Hollywood life who this guy running around the party, clearly in command. “Oh that’s Brandon,” my friend answered. “He’s a good dude.” “A good dude,” I thought. At the time, I thought to myself, well that sounds promising. See, that evening, at this particular Hollywood hotspot, Brandon was clearly THE MAN in charge –quickly maneuvering from the DJ booth to the stage, on the mic, hyping the crowd, while also greeting VIPs and club goers clamoring for his attention. Immediately, I knew that we were going to work together. I didn’t know how. I didn’t know when, but I knew that we would indeed work together. See, just a quick fact about me, I’m drawn to certain energies, particularly the energy of other hustlers. I’m drawn to people who not only think about doing amazing things… they actually DO amazing things. Brandon Anthony is one of those people. As a DJ I’ve been privileged to work with Brandon, spinning for some of the hottest parties inLos Angeles – from private events, to large festivals with thousands of people. And trust me, I have to give this back story so that its completely understood exactly what type of person Brandon actually is – a man of his word, a loyal friend, a businessman, a style King… but at heart, a southern gentleman. One of LA’s premiere tastemakers, Brandon’s events are well-known across the country, and he’s more than just an
in-demand event host, event curator and influencer….but he’s also a rising actor, currently starring in more than a few up-coming productions. Given where he’s going and everything he’s done thus far, he’s clearly taking Hollywood by storm… and now he’s opening up and giving us a glimpse into his private life. SUAVV: Brandon, you’re quite the busy man these days. From hosting some of the nation’s biggest parties, to essentially planning and running LA Pride and Summer Bash, to acting you’re doing it all! How are you feeling these days? Brandon: Lol. I feel amazing. I am at a great place in my life where I feel as though I am exactly where I am suppose to be. Everything I worked so hard for has finally come together. And I am so excited to see where this new level of success takes me. SUAVV: You’re born and raised in Louisiana right? Brandon: All day, 504 baby!!!! SUAVV: What did you initially envision yourself doing when you grew up? Brandon: Kind of what I am doing now. Working in the entertainment business. I have always had a passion for acting. So now I am at a place in my life where I can focus on acting and still enjoy running a business. SUAVV: How did you end up here in Los Angeles? Brandon: When I graduated from Columbia College Chicago, I moved here to start my masters. But I later decided to just focus on producing events in the
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