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A MESSAGE FROM OUR PUBLISHERS
W e Are Jersey Magazine is a subsidiary company birthed out of the parent business entitled Jersey Turn’t Up Entertainment. Having achieved rising success within only two years of business, the owners wanted to create something that would expand their networking repertoire while promoting positive talent both locally and abroad. The idea of creating We Are Jersey Magazine began when co- CEOs, Daniel Banks & Bridget Papino, were featured in the July 2014 issue of another magazine company. After discussion with the owner of that magazine, as well as experiencing the positive responses that exposure generated towards their entertainment business, they decided to begin a magazine company of their own that would target a new type of entertainment promoting style. We Are Jersey Magazine’s goal is designed to provide exposure, references and resources that will influence all those aspiring to do something positive with the talents they possess. Through the lives of the individuals that are highlighted in the magazine, it is the desire of We Are Jersey Magazine to encourage, uplift and inspire anyone to continue to soar to greater heights and deeper depths with their abilities. While We Are Jersey Magazine primarily focuses on talent within the state of New Jersey, it is open to talent presented from abroad. The single focus is the promotion of positive talent so others can read and possibly experience for themselves the benefits that these talents offer. “We Are Jersey” is a positive platform with great opportunities. are highlighted in the magazine, it is the desire of We Are Jersey Magazine to encourage, uplift and inspire anyone to continue to soar to greater heights and deeper depths with their abilities. While We Are Jersey Magazine primarily focuses on talent within the state of New Jersey, it is open to talent presented from abroad. The single focus is the promotion of positive talent so others can read and possibly experience for themselves the benefits that these talents offer. “We Are Jersey” is a positive platform with great opportunities. 5
W H AT ’S INSIDE!
Contributors EDITOR SHANNA BANKS PUBLISHER DANIEL BANKS AND BEE PAPINO PHOTOGRAPHERS LACQUAN SCOTT DAVID ALEXANDER MODELS FIND OUR MODELS ON INSTAGRAM @WEAREJERSEYDIAMONDZ FEATURED CHAD PIFF SHELLY FERRELL S.O.T.M. JAKE KAI PHAROAH BE THE DIFFERENCE LLC (JOY) QBENT
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12 S.O.T.M. A Jersey City rapper with a passion for great beats and thoughtprovoking bars with a touch of new age drip
18 PHARAOH Essex County’s own, Pharaoh, is making his mark this 2019 as he balances his artistry on top of being the CEO of Motion Pictures LLC. Stay tuned for his launch in Spring of 2019.
22 SHELLY FERRELL
Newark bred, ‘Up Next’ artist, is gaining her momentum this 2019. Stay tuned as she has just launched her brand Legit Mind State, as well as dropped her latest single “New Jack Swing” featuring Skitzo.
34 BE THE DIFFERENCE LLC Female entrepreneur, Joy, created Be The Difference LLC to inspire and encourage others, through apparel. She uses discussion topics, and light-playful themes that appeal to any age, race or understanding. Stay tuned as she has just released her first publication “Quotes That Make You Say Oh”, Available for purchase here!
40 CHAD PIFF: MODERN DAY HIPPIE Chad PIff, known to be a fusion of the arts, is rapidly creating a buzz across the state. Stay tuned for what’s to come from Jersey’s own Chad Piff.
52 JAKE KAI Alternative rap artist with an unconventional style and forward-thinking attitude, Jake Kai strives to change the direction of your listening experience.
54 THE REAL QB ENT QB Entertainment is a group of young talent hip hop artists straight out of Ne w York known for their creative lyricism and their latest clothing brand.
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S.O.T. M . “Straight Out of The Mudd”
UPCOMING INDEPENDENT ARTIST Jersey City rapper S.O.T.M. grew up in a household where rap music was not allowed, however, through a valuable friendship with one of his fraternity brothers, S.O.T.M. gave it a shot.
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y journey within music to my listeners seems unrealistic at times when I break down how S.O.T.M was born. I did not grow up with a musical background, I cannot read sheet music, and I didn’t play any instruments. The funny thing is I wasn’t even allowed to rap music in my household. My mother would look at me and say, “you better know that
school work like that”! Now grant it, I was no dummy by far, but I did not know my school work the way I knew the lyrics to Power of a Dollar by 50 Cent. So, I had to sneak a listen here and there. As I got older, I indulged more and more. But the real reason I even attempted my own project one year ago was because of my fraternity brother. I wrote the probate greets and disses for my chapter, The
Epsilon Chapter of Lota Phi Theta Fraternity Incorporated. After remixing so many industry songs over the years, my word play grew and here I am; a Jersey City rapper with a passion for great beats and thought-provoking bars with a touch of new age drip. Soundclique is the team that gave me my foundation, backing, and support. My team has so much talent, and I brought another
aspect to them with my style. They tested my limits with the style they were accustomed to, but I surprised myself. I just needed more feedback from artists on the same wave of sound that I have been chasing, so I created a branch of Soundclique called KingPenz. We
are currently 4 artists deep, and always seeking new and fresh talent to build the brand of Soundclique and KingPenz as a unit. “ATP” is the motto. We Apply the Pressure until the pipes burst. Everyone has their struggles in life and no struggle can over power
another. People don’t realize the pain the next man or woman may be going through, and that may be because they maintain their composure better than most. That doesn’t mean their world is not crumbling before their eyes. That’s why I’m “Straight Out the Mudd”
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(S.O.T.M). Everyone’s Mudd is different, we just need to respect that their boots get just as dirty as ours, but the journey begins when you prevail and push your way out of that Mudd. And that’s what I call #MuddTalk. Speak your truth, because only
you can do that. Go listen to my truth on all streaming platforms, Body Bag Season: Undefeated. I can’t go without shouting a few dope artists that have helped me build this album. Shout out to Santi, YaLadysProspect, King
Nikque, Triip, MeSha, and many more. This is only the beginning; stay tuned for that new single “WiFi” dropping mid-May with my bro YaLadysProspect. 2019/2020 is MINE, no question.
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PH
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haraoh was born in Essex County, New Jersey in the spring of 1997. As a child, he fell in love with music by spending time with his grandparents and through his church where he learned to sing acapella. His grandmother, Tamam Moncur is a political activist, pianist, and poet who has also published her own book which tells the story of her experiences as a teacher in Newark, NJ. His grandfather is the legendary jazz trombonist Grachen Moncur III. Pharaoh grew up in the township of Maplewood, NJ. When he was around 16 years old, he heled to create the record label Creative Paradise Records LLC. He served as the CFO for the group who threw concerts for upcoming artists while still attending high school. It was through this experience that Pharaoh developed his love for
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business. This experience led him to study Economics at George Washington University, where he is anticipating graduating in 2019. While in college, Pharaoh has spent his time learning the ins and out of music. He is a selftaught DJ and has gradually moved on to producing, videography and graphic design. Pharaoh classifies himself as a writer. He loves to write, whether it is a short story or a rap song. He aspires one day to return to his community and give back once he achieves his level of success. That inspiration comes from his family established House of Love Soup Kitchen, which is intended to provide meals to those in need within the Newark community. Pharaoh is presently the CEO of his media conglomerate Motion Pictures LLC, which is set to launch in the Spring of 2019.
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Shelly Ferrell is a hiphop recording artist who was born in West Palm Beach, Florida but raised in her true home town of Newark, “Brick City” , New Jersey. Since early childhood, music has always been a staple in her life. Her curiosity for music sparked when her blind grandmother would play church hymns on her wooden 88-key piano. She then would teach the young emcee how to navigate her way around the piano and show how keys can be memorized without needing sight. Being a fast learner, Shelly would fill the
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and the modern hip room hop music scene of with different today. Shelly Ferrell sounds and notes to aspires to use her fulfill her new found musical platform to niche. As the years grew shed light on current on, Shelly learned how events and to instill to play the cello and “Hope” into her listeners alto-saxophone. that’s endured struggle. Growing up Shelly In the early 2000’s Ferrell was very close Shelly developed from to her mother, however instrumentation and her mother battled playing piano by ear to drugs and was in and the artform of emceeing. out of her children’s life “90’s hip-hop changed which caused a lot of my life.” Once she began turmoil for the young listening to artists like emcee and two brothers “Common, A Tribe . Due to her mother Called Quest, Big L and being absent , Shelly Jay-Z “ she started to Ferrell became wise at practice on her lyricism an early age to help look and using music as an after family and take on outlet to vent and feel mature responsibilities. liberation . Her sound Through hardship and can be described as a resilience, Shelly created mixture of 90’s hip hop WE ARE JERSEY MAGAZINE| MARCH 2019
“Legit Mind State”, a lifestyle brand that encourages people to use their niche and to train their thoughts in order to achieve success. She believes that the mind is the strongest muscle of the body , and once that is exercised properly anything can be accomplished.
corrupt politics , and self reflection/ self awareness . In 2018 She has
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Constantly growing with her craft , Shelly has performed in some major states like New Jersey and New York . In her early years of her career she has opened for DMV artist Ziggy world wide. She has also recorded critically conscious song “Vision’s” with VH1’s Mrose, which was a song that spoke about different crisis’s that’s going on in the world such as unjust policing , crooked/ 25
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released and coproduced the fun upbeat hit single “New Jack Swing” featuring WhoisSkitzo. “New Jack Swing “ displayed lyrical diversity and creativity. She has performed at the Coney Island Music Festival and performed “New Jack Swing” for Madonna’s and Guy Oseary personal DJ , “Dj Mary Mac” on online streaming show “Play Out of Tune”. Shelly Ferrell is a promising
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musician, who has a story the world needs to hear . Stay tuned as this Jersey emcee takes the world by storm, each bar at a time
tell my story and shed light on current events while using hip hop as my vehicle of choice to reach the youth and those who love emceeing.
What fueled your desire to start a music career?
What experiences or training do you have that helped your success today? As far as training, I was always musically inclined. In middle school I played the cello. During my high school career, I was a part of a marching band for 4 years as an alto-saxophonist. During my first year of college I marched for an HBCU (Delaware State
I’ve always been a fan of hip hop and lyricism. The 90’s boom bap era has influenced me a lot and encouraged me to start writing and rhyming. Whether it’s the melodies, the flow, or even the fashion, it made me eager to learn how to craft my words the same way. My passion now is to
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University). I honestly feel like being able to play an instrument has helped me pick up on rhythms and song structure more easily when it comes to creating melodies and verses with my music. Who would you consider your target audience for your music? My target audience ranges from 15-35 but is not limited to those age groups. Ideally, I would like to reach anyone who is able comprehend the art of fine turning the adversities and joyous moments of life and composing it into a song. We all have a story to tell, and my goal is to reach those who desire inspiration through hip hop. What weree some of your achievements on your journey? Personal successes that this journey has granted
me was the opportunity to meet wonderful creatives that I’ve built relationships with. In my very early years of artistry, my first major performance had to be with a very close friend Karma Black where we opened for DMV artist “Ziggy World Wide” at a club in Manhattan, NYC. I’ve also been able to emcee for the youth showing them the art of poetry with The LOUD Project NJ, curated by Shelly Spinelli and Jasmine Manns. Also, I was able to perform at the Coney Island Music Festival with Brooklyn emcee Who is Skitzo, where over a hundred people were in attendance. There’s always a triumphant feeling to perform locally and connect with the crowd over some soul boom bap instrumentals. Before the year 2018 ended, I was able to upload
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my first single onto all streaming platforms, shoot two music videos and perform on “Play out of Tune” with Who is Skitzo and DJ Mary Mac (Madonna’s and Guy Oseary’s DJ). All in all, this musical journey has taught me a lot about consistency, transparency and risk taking.
What setbacks have you personally experienced along your journey? Being an artist isn’t cheap, the lack of funding has been a setback. Balancing my 9-5 life and my artist life is a setback that I am faced with daily. I’m learning to devote more time into my craft and creating. Another setback I face is my own criticism. If I listen to a song too long or sit on an idea for too long I tend to become discouraged. But I’m not accepting fear and doubt 29
in 2019!
growth. That has encouraged people to remain focused and positive throughout their journey’s whether its music fitness or school.
What testimonials have you received from others that your brand is making What is the message you would like to a difference to your target audience? share/spread?
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My brand Legit Mind State encourages people to use their niches to chase after their dreams. To do that, one must learn how to discipline their train of thought and conform to a set of principles. The principles will condition the individual to be more ambitious, courageous and disciplined. Legit Mind State has be shortened to “L.G.I.T” (Let’s Get It), which is used as an action word to encourage movement and
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The message I would like to spread with my gift or to share from one human being to another is simply this, “Chase Your Dreams! You can do anything you put your mind to! Train your thought process and become! Become who and what you envisioned. You only have one life to live, make it worthwhile.... Let’s Get It !!!”
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SHOP. CUSTOMIZE. PRINT. WWW.EMPYRE9.CO 33
ENTREPRENEUR
J OY B E THE DI F F ER E N C E Joy finds inspiration for her apparel no matter where she goes. It is key for her to always write down ideas, thoughts and mentally revisit experiences. Writing down ideas and quotes down even if it was on a napkin or coupon nearby
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aided her on her journey. Her recent publication “Quotes That Make You Say Oh” is available on Amazon.
y name is Joy. I own a small business called Be the Difference. This company was established in August of 2014. Most if not all my designs or sayings are created to inspire and encourage the wearer and those who see the designs. Some designs are inspired by personal experiences and others from situations I see
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or hear. I distinctly remember the moment I decided to do t-shirts. I was driving home from an event when, for the first time in my life I saw a person “stuck”. They were literally standing on the corner bent backwards just swaying a little. After I drove by it just hit me... I remember thinking, “what am I doing, I am no different than the
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next person who just says to themselves ‘wow so sad’”. I felt I could no longer stomach being the passerby. It took guts and I battled fear of being rejected to create the Addiction Kills the Family shirt. Now, my concern lies in providing comfort and support. This company has many ddiscussion pieces and lighthearted playful themes that can appeal to any age, race or understanding.
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F E AT U R E D A R T I S T
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ith his roots deriving from the first independent nation in the Caribbean of Haiti, Jimmy Bastien aka CHAD PIFF is no stranger to uniqueness and diversity. Raised in the city of West Orange, located in the central Essex County township of New Jersey, he discovered his musical talents before he became a young teenager. As an artist, Chad began to explore his musical inclinations even further, producing his own music before he even graduated of High School. He is still a
songwriter who produces his own music. Some say that he is talented, while others simply know him to be gifted because of his addictive yet unique unorthodox style of music. He creates what he considers genre less music. You cannot just call his music rock or hip-hop or any one genre. Instead, it is a fusion of the arts, merged into one sound—one that Chad has crafted himself. Stay tuned for what’s to come from this young artist.
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F E AT U R E D A R T I S T
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What moment made you realize music was for you? As I kid my father would play music videos on VHS from the 80s
What are your top 3 favorite guitars from your guitar collection? I’ll start from bottom up. # 3 my gun guitar. I just love the way it looks and people’s reactions when they 1st see it. #2 dean mustaine guitar aka the Flying V. This guitar had gotten stolen before and I literally cried. But luckily big shoutout to ALL US Hippies for surprising me on my birthday (PiffMas) with a brand new one.
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#1 B.C Rich Warlock (also a Flying V) This guitar was seen in my video Mahogany.
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F E AT U R E D A R T I S T
Mind you I had no idea that it was actually made from Mahogany wood. That’s how you know the stars are aligned. What artists would you say influenced your sound today?
Wow where do I start. Wyclef Jean, actually the Fuguees, Jimi Hendrix, Carlos Santana, Kanye West, Skrillex, Jay Z, P Diddy Travis Scott, the Beatles, The Doors, Earth Wind and Fire
What was the hardest part of your career thus far? Marketing and the business side. With the passing of my Manager Nick Funari I have a lot of shoes to fill. This man did so much for me. Where do you see yourself 5 years from now? On That BIG Stage. Touring the world spreading hippies vibes. What is your favorite song you have released to date? Mahogany Hands down. It never gets old lol If you had to give advice to an artist coming up, who wanted to get to your position right now, what would you tell them? Get a strong team you can trust with your life and a lawyer. And practice your craft everyday and be ready for opportunities 45
Where can our readers find you and book you?
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Chadpiffmusic@gmail.com IG: ChadpiffmoderndayHippie Twitter: Chad Piff Facebook: Chad Piff
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UPCOMING ARTIST
JAK E K AI
Jake Kai and Kevy Con created Dead Rose Studios recently, in which both creatives use their musical talents to inspire
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other upcoming creatives.
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AKE KAI IS an upcoming alternative rap artist based out of New Jersey, seeking to develop an experience of “feeling� music, rather than just listening. He began writing at the age of 10, where he grew an obsession with writing through narrative and free verse poetry. Through his love of music, he decided to combine the two to portray his deep dreamy psychedelic style to the world. Utilizing
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his colorful palette of word play, he now strives to inspire others to think in a “different direction”. Jake Kai’s own personal inspirations stem from the likes of John Lennon of The Beatles, The Doors, Kid Cudi, and Chance the Rapper. In association of their love for music, he met with best friend/producer Kevy Con to start, to what is now known as Dead Rose Studios. Pursuing that same unconventional style with their forward-thinking attitudes, they now strive to accomplish one objective... to “recreate the sound of music as we know it”.
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O U T O F S TAT E
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O U T O F S TAT E
QB ENTERTAINMENT
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Q B ENTERTA I N M E N T
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ome people dream of success, while others wake up and work hard at it. QB Entertainment is a group of young talent hip hop artists, who go by the names, Geraldo (G-wezzy), Jarrel (Young Infamous), Dinny (Drizzle) and William (Murda Millz). These young men rap about life, struggles, dreams, and their environment. G-wezzy, Infamous, Drizzle and Murda Millz were born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. During their childhood the young men grew a bond and became very
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close to one another; however, they were separated after their high school years. They reunited a year later in Philadelphia, PA, where their lyrical chemistry came together. QB Entertainment believes “A goal without a plan is just a wish”! Due to the philosophy, they have chosen to live by, it has resulted in their CD titled “WE ON THE
RISE”, which was released in March 2011. This release was followed by a prestigious party held at the 40/40-night club in Manhattan New York. After the success of their first released CD, QB Entertainment shot their first music video title “TAKE IT TO THE TOP”, which was the first hit single from their CD “WE ON THE RISE”. In February 2012, QB Entertainment began to work on their second album titled “WE CHASING THE DREAM NOT THE COMPETITION”, which was released in December 2012. The EP, “WE CHASING THE DREAM NOT THE COMPETITION PART 2”, released in 2016. QB believes success is not the key to happiness but “Happiness is the key to success”! These talented men love what they do as creative lyrical
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artists. The men of QB have the confidence that they will succeed in anything their minds are set on. QB Entertainment has also started a clothing line as they enter the world of entrepreneurship. These strong-minded men strongly believe in giving back to their communities. The members of QB Entertainment understand that to achieve anything in life requires faith, inner strength, vision, hard work,
determination, and dedication. “Independent & Motivated� are two positive powerful words that define these young men. QB Entertainment acknowledges that all things are possible with God for He is in control. G-Wezzy, Infamous, Drizzle and Murda Millz/QB Entertainment are moving forward without turning back.
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