URBAN MAGNATE • 17
THE MAKINGS OF THE CITY’S URBAN ENTERTAINMENT MAGAZINE STORY BY CHRISTINA M. LONG// Photo courtesy of Ti’Juana Hardwell
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i’Juana Hardwell has given a voice to Wichita’s underground artist and celebrity through her Mamarazzi Entertainment Magazine. “The reason why you won’t see these artists on the front page of newspapers or magazines is because … the respect level is not there for the craft,” she says. Shinning a light on the talent —and potential — of these artists is what fuels her drive. Even before Mamarazzi, Hardwell was telling the stories of the untold as a teenager with Hope Street Youth Development. Her very first interview of Donavan Johnson, better known as XV, appeared in a black-and-white publication called, “From the Streets” before he was a signed artist. Hardwell said she was brought to tears recently when, during another interview with her, Johnson pulled out a copy of that publication and story. “That, to me, was a pinnacle,” Hardwell said, adding the rapper has been in major national Hip Hop publications. “For artists to see that I did push them when they first got their start is rewarding.” Hardwell, who self-funded her first run of 1,200 magazines in 2011 and is largely self-taught, credits her long-held fascination with journalism as what launched her unto this path. Ironically, Hardwell said, the year that she began her post-secondary studies at Wichita State University was the same year the communications department nixed its magazine program. Still, Hardwell said, she treated college like an internship for her magazine and prepared to launch anyway. “I probably bothered more teachers than I realized,” Hardwell said. “I always wanted to apply what I was learning to how I could do it in the magazine industry.” Making the most of classesm, as well as maximizing her downtime at local clubs and parties to start building a rolodex of contacts, helped Hardwell become a key contact for local artists and celebrities. Despite the support, Hardwell has her fair share of critics – including herself. Hardwell said she’s learning how to better diffuse criticism from artists who aren’t selected for her cover, for example, or those who felt they should have ended up in features such as her 10 to Watch. “My magazine is my baby and I want to protect and defend it,” Hardwell said. “But I’m learning what to respond to.” She credits the mentorship of Greg “The Hitman” Williams of Power 93.5 for helping her in this regard. Hardwell, who took a brief hiatus from the magazine to launch a local reality television pilot called, “Madam ICT”, relaunched her magazine this month with features on Jondalyn Crosby, founder of Road to Hauteness, among others. New features include sections dedicated for new projects and releases. Despite the new focus, the intent remains the unchanged. “We are the publication that believes in artists before they’re big time.”