Gregory Allen - BOSS MAGAZINE

Transcription

Spring 2012
www.bossmag.biz
STYLISH. CONFIDENT.
INDIVIDUAL.
Gregory
Allen
FASHION DESIGNER
THIS ISSUE’S BOSS MAN
HOW DOES MIKE
“PINBALL” CLEMENS
LIVE THE BOSS LIFESTYLE
+TOPMUST10 HAVE’
BEAUTY
S
BOSS MAGAZINE SPRING 2012
MANIFESTO
FOUNDER
Che Kothari
LOCAL TORONTO
TALENTS feat.
Amaal Nuux,
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& Andrea Nemes
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Tamika Johnson
Editor-In-Chief
Coordinator Linda Frempong
Creative Director Mitsy Blair
Fashion/Beauty
Mitzy Ad
Fashion/Beauty Editor Tamika Johnson
Fashion/Beauty Editor Mitsy Blair
Fashion/Beauty Editor & Styling Editor Awena Abala
Fashion/Beauty Stylist Jayshawn Jones
Fashion/Beauty Lead Make up Artist Danielle Holdmond
Fashion/Beauty Hairstylist Nikasha Bailey
Arts/Entertainment
Arts/Entertainment Editor Dwayne Holness
Lifestyle
Lifestyle Editor Tamika Johnson
Public Relations
Copy Editor
Femi Lawson
Kern Carter
Graphic DesignERS
Patch Design www.patchdesign.ca
Mentors
Laura Metcalfe, Sabrina Gopaul, Morris Beckford, Kofi Frempong
Features
Gregory Allen, Michael ‘Pinball’ Clemon s, Che Kothari, Tanya Walker,
HustleGRL, Amaal Nuux, Jeni ‘JJ’ McKenzie, Dubb, Lokz
Sales/Marketing
Phone: 416-246-2388 x3248
Contributing Photographers
Ishmil Waterman, Cyril (CJ) Cromwell Simmonds, Maxwell Bonsu,
Irving Dee, Linell Roy
Contributing Writers
Tracy Ann Woolcock, Dionne Francis, Oxana Tsirelman, Valerie
Bevilacqua, Phenona Roberts, Chanelle Thorpe, Destinee Roberts,
Jelani ‘J-wyze’ Nias, Dayna Browne, Sam Teele
Contributors
BOSS
PATCH DESIGN
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The Boss Team would like to say a special
“Thank You!” to all our contributors. We
have been blessed to find such individuals
with creativity and determination, that fit
so well with the direction of Boss Magazine.
Danielle Holdmond
Graphic Design Agency
Branding, Packaging, Website & Print
www.patchdesign.ca
Professional
Make Up Artist, Boss Magazine Glam Team
www.danielleholdmond.com
Cyril James John Cromwell Simmonds
Kim Phillips and Deb Von Sychowski are the
perfect design patch. As an elegant, highly
energetic boutique design agency with over
20 years of combined experience, the Patch
team is well rounded to tackle any project
from print to web to packaging and beyond!
They may design with an eye for beauty, but
they create functional solutions for all their
‘Patch Worx’. Big or small, print or online,
layout or navigation – Patch Design has the
right creative idea for every design challenge.
With a long list of achievements and awards,
we want your project to be next!
Danielle is a professional Make Up Architect,
Educator and CEO of Danille Holdmond
Beauty. She has been creating fresh, flawless breath-taking faces for magazines, TV,
film and weddings for over 12 years with
work featured on the Slice Network and BET.
“When I first came to Boss Magazine, there
was an instant connection. My experience
has been a mélange of fun, excitement and
intense creativity which ignites each time
we’re onset. Led by Tamika Johnson a young
woman with vision and vigor the Boss team is
undeniably driven, focused and passionate.”
Cyril James (a.k.a C.J.) has been engaged in
multimedia work since 2004 when he founded
Praxis Unlimited and began creating affordable
websites, graphics and videos for community
organizations and local businesses. Continuing
to make practical use of his skills, he founded
TOportfolio.com in 2007 with a focus on photography and video. C.J. continues to shoot
professionally while training young media specialists through the revitalized www.praxisU.
com initiative. The work of this dynamic Boss
team speaks for itself. “Congratulations Boss –
it was an honour shooting for the magazine”
How To Get
This Look:
Chris Brown
Contents’
Professional Photographer, Videographer
www.toportfolio.com
SPRING 2012
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Editor’s Letter Be sure to check out Editor in Chief Tamika
Johnson’s latest thoughts, about the success of the first issue of Boss Magazine, the new vision for the second issue, springs latest trends and Toronto’s latest bosses.
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@thebossmag See readers tweets from the first issue of Boss Magazine.
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Bosses of Our Own Domain Boss Board of Directors get decked out in Spring’s latest fashions on the roof top
terrace of Toronto’s City Hall.
fashion
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Jayshawn Jones Photographer,
Boss Magazine Co-Wardrobe Stylist
Twitter: @styleuntitled
Nikasha Bailey
Charismatic and charming, Ishmil
brings new life to the phrase “Seduce
the camera”. As a beauty photographer
he captures breath taking moments
quite literally by asking his subjects
to gasp before he snaps a frame.
Imaginative and commanding he demands beautiful things.
I am a stylist, creative director, and photographer working along side the fashion
and beauty editors of the Boss Magazine.
I have a strong eye for cordination and
also have the ability to capture and create
beauty. It has been an amazing experience
contributing to the magazine. I’ve been
blessed to get to know and work along
side such talented and creative individuals.
Their positive attitudes and drive for
success is a quality we all share.
Nikasha brings FUN, STYLE, and CLASS
to every creation making her the stylist of
choice. Nikasha is a youthful trend-setter,
that is known for her unique hair styles and
gorgeous EXTENSIONS. She shuns the cookie
cutter approach for customized styles with
her artistic vision and impeccable attention
to detail that brings out the best in every
individual. Nikasha entered the hair scene
dedicated to making her brand of beauty
available to everybody.
CEO of Onyx Rose Hair,
Boss Magazine Glam Team - Hair Stylist
Twitter: @OnyxRose_Hair
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ON THE COVER
Gregory Allen wearing a Tailor made suit, Gregory Allen
white button up and a signature Gregory Allen bow tie,
Creative Director Tamika Johnson, Photographer Ishmil
Waterman. Location: Canadian Air & Space Museum.
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BOSS Woman: Tanya Walker Attorney Tanya Walker keeps it Bossy in and out of the court room.
Top Spring Trends from Fashion Week
Gregory Allen Stylish.Confident.Individual.
Step Into the Mind of Toronto Designer Gregory Allen
Look-A-Like: Chris Brown Channel Chris Brown’s latest fashion trends and stand apart with three distinct
looks that have you saying “Look at me now!”
Superheroes Finch Fashions Under 40$ Stay style savvy. Superheroes of Jane & Finch rock Fashion finds under 40$
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Ishmil Waterman Fashion
Photographer, High End Retouch Artist
www.ishmilwaterman.com
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40
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Beauty
Pinball and
Family
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beauty
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BOSS Must Have’s Make-up artist Danielle Holdmond
exhibits this season’s must have beauty products.
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arts & entertainment
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Andreea Nemes The very talented Andreea Nemes blesses us with some of her paintings and lets her work speak for itself.
De La Soul: D.A.l.S.Y. How has De La Soul impacted music? Chanelle Thorpe sheds light on the topic.
BOSS Was There Boss gets the exclusive on the most elite Toronto events that include LG Fashion Week 2012, The Rick Ross Concert, backstage access etc. You name it, Boss Was There!
Lokz: The Point of No Return Toronto’s Own Lokz sits with us and expresses his love for music and how he’s ready to take the music industry by storm.
A Look Into the Life of Up & Coming Artist: Kristen Johnson
as she rocks with us and lets us know where her love for music
came from.
A Voice Behind The Vocals Amaal Nuux is set to become the next big thing. Boss caught up with her to get the scoop on how she became popular worldwide.
The Face Behind the Voice of Flow 93.6FM JJ is Jeni Jeni talks about being a Boss Woman as one of the leading Toronto radio personalities and how she got there.
BOSS Man: Che Kothari takes his talents worldwide to bridge the gaps within communities
Words from the Wyze: Middle Life Crisis J-Wyze gives you a piece of mind and kicks some knowledge.
lifestyle
The Blue Jays Dream The Blue Jays Dream Corey Fila opens up, shares his dreams and lets us know what “The Blue Jays Dream” is all about.
Q&A with Artist Cola Anthony Cola sits down to talk about his music and how it set him on a more positive path.
Young Woman in Charge: Hustle Girl Hustle Grl lets us know why she is the youngest in charge and how it felt to be nominated for a Billboard Award.
Whose Shoulders Is It On, Really? Pheona Roberts breaks the Canadian music industry down and lets us decide whose shoulders it’s really on.
California’s Mix Tape King Recording artist Dubb takes a few minutes to chill with us and lets us know why he is
making noise in California.
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Michael “Pinball” Clemons & The Boss Lifestyle
How Does He Do It? The sport champ talks about the importance to manage a loving family and a successful career.
Improve Your Financial SWAG Tips to managing your money right.
Beloved On Love A showcase for violence against women.
BOSS Launch & Awards Get a sneak peek at the successful Boss
Magazine Launch. Also see the Achievements of Editor in Chief Tamika Johnson who was honoured at the Young Black & Gifted Black History Celebration for her dedication & service to the Black Community. Also Arts & Entertainment Editor Dwayne Holness’ awarded at the Identify and Impact awards for Building
Communities Through Arts.
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Nadiya’s Zodiac Starcast
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The Evolution of a BOSS Dwayne “dukeydukez” Holness gets personal and lets us take a brief journey through his path to becoming the boss he is today.
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@ ThatsBossMag
Boss is Live! Our first issue was a success!
Letter
Editor’S
Spring is finally here! It’s time to burry our Canada Goose jackets and
slip into something more comfortable. In the tradition of spring, Boss
has done some spring cleaning of our own. With the success of our
first issue we had to formulate a new plan to out-do ourselves. With
the help of our new graphic design team Patch Designs, the Boss Glam
Team and the multitalented Boss Family we set the bar and cleared it.
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We have given you more than food for thought in the second issue
of Boss Magazine! Enjoy and please don’t forget to write me, I would
love to hear from you.
Tamika Johnson
Editor-in-Chief
ChizzyBashment @ChizzyBashment
@ThatsBossMag thanx to yall for coming out with a Magazine that reps
#torontoUrbanCulture!! Love it
TRiSH @trish
Big S\O to @ThatsBossMag wishin you all the best. Tis your first of
many good luck and God Bless!! Congratulations xooooox
Femi L @ItsMrLawson
Honestly I didn’t know if we could pull it off at first but honestly
@ThatsBossMag first magazine was really impressive, shoutout to the team!
Jeni JJ McKenzie @JJisJeni
S/O @ThatsBossMag @MissTamikaJ @blairphotograph intelligent,
driven women, focused at working hard to make a legacy! #girlpower
RT @ChizzyBashment
Got my copy of the new @ThatsBossMag today @ work!! Congrats
blessing and prosperity its a good look yfrog.com/kk18dggj
S.H. Brothaz @theshbrothaz
@ThatsBossMag You’re most welcome! Well written articles & eye catching
from front to back. Just what Canada needed. Keep us posted on any new
updates with your magazine. Please and thanks lol
Christiaan Rapcewicz @queerbeat
My sassy black friend @86tiLINfinity helped to birth @ThatsBossMag.
Check out the launch on @cp24 tonight at 11pm! #yyz #fashion #lifestyle
Verified Account @msREALeyes
RT @ThatsBossMag: Please tune into cp24 tonight at 11pm to see
Boss Launch!
Neo Logik @Logik416
Just got my copy of @thatsbossmag wit my home gal @trish on the cover!
Ima take this in! #toronto yfrog.com/nzufqhuj
Please send in your letter to the editor [email protected]
Malinda Francis @docuvixen
Hey @ThatsBossMag was by BlackCreekCommunityHealthCenter this afternoon, so happy to be able read the first issue on transit!! Big Congrats!!
In this issue we took our cover back to the 1960’s featuring fashion
designer Gregory Allen. His fashion sense is so bossy! It includes his
exquisite high-fashion bowties; prepare to be wowed. Our Editorials
will blow you away. Boss Woman, lawyer Tanya Walker displays how
a lawyer’s robe can be fashionable, while surpassing society’s invisible
glass ceilings. We also took you back to Africa and emulated fashion
goddess Cleopatra’s alluring beauty and elegant Egyptian style. Even
Chris Brown had to make a cameo this issue. Well not exactly, but we
did find the next best thing, a look-a-like who was able to capture
Breezy’s trendy style. Don’t forget to get familiar with the superheroes
of Jane & Finch as they display “Finch Fashion’s under $40”. Take a
look at the beauty section and keep up to date on the latest trends by
reading up on the “Boss Spring Beauty Must Have’s”. Our Boss Man
Che Kothari will mesmerize you with his creativity. Our entertainment
section is full of excitement, featuring top Toronto events, and it also
features Toronto’s own Nuux, Hustle GRL, Andrea Nemes, and J’Wyze.
Last, but not least, Mike “Pinball” Clemons teaches us how to tackle
the Boss Man Lifestyle; parenthood, marriage and success. There is
much more but you must read on to find out!
We received great responses from readers and people we’ve featured. We felt
the love throughout the city and the Boss team would like to say thank you for
all the love and support. Please Follow us on Twitter @ThatsBossMag and like
us on Facebook www.Facebook.com/thebossmag. Here’s what our readers had
to say about the first issue of Boss Magazine.
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BossES of
Our OwN
Domain
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AWENA ABALA, LINDA FREMPONG &
STEPHANIE Frilles
Femi Lawson
DWAYNE HOLNESS
SABRINA GOPAUL
KOFI FREMPONG
MITSY BLAIR
TAMIKA JOHNSON
LAURA METCALFE
Shot at
City Hall
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BossFashion
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Spring forward this season with the latest trends in fashions. Whether you’re
looking to add some edge to your look or you’re the ultra feminine woman, our
editorials give you plenty of ways to rock the looks of spring. Bold colours of
orange, pastels, floral prints and monochromatic black and whites were all over
this season’s runways. So, shed your winter entire and bloom into spring with a bang!
SPRING 2012 BOSS MAGAZINE
BOSS MAGAZINE FASHION
BOSS
FASHION
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Racer back tank,
Bebe 28.00
Shoes,
models own
Zipper leggings,
Zara 39.90
Lace embroidered
crop top,
Urban Outfitters 72.00
Cosley brown heel,
Aldo 54.98
Black& white
stiped dress pant,
H&M 59.95
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Tanya is a
poster woman
for a success
story.
TW
BOSS WOMAN
TANYA WALKER
written by: Tracy Ann Woolcock
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As child Tanya’s parents encouraged her throughout her educational endeavours and always insisted that she spoke out
for what she did not believe was fair “My father taught me
to think outside of the box and instilled the importance of
having a sense of entitlement.” Her belief to strive for whatever she wanted carried throughout her childhood straight
into adulthood. It was this foundation that allowed her to
be bold especially when deciding what career path to follow
but despite being an African American woman entering a
predominantly European male dominated industry “Being a
black women means I’m better because I had to work just
as hard to accomplish the things I have” Tanya Says. In addition to her parents she accredits Jean Augustine as another
positive mogul in her life, her hard work and persistence
enlightened Tanya and inspired her to strive for excellence
throughout her thriving career “She has a lot of strength not
to mention she is so smart and down to earth” Tanya says.
Her fearlessness took her across the country to Ireland where
she studied for a period of time while gaining new insights
about the culture and people. Though apprehensive at first
she decided to embrace her surroundings and enjoy all the
experience the country had to offer. Going forward Tanya
gained new friends and long lasting relationships that she
Her freshly ironed blouse rests perfectly under her tailored
jacket, all while her neatly gathered hair sits effortlessly in
place. A fitting picture for today’s image driven society but
there is more to Tanya Walker. As a professional trial lawyer
Tanya takes great pride in providing quality service to those
she represents. Her rigorous research and meticulous organization has propelled her forward in the punitive legal industry. Although her rise to success did not come without hard
work and determination “You have to work hard and do it
consistently, I’m at desk from 7:00am and I don’t leave until
6:00pm” Tanya says. It is this same tenacity that secured her
Honours Bachelor Commerce degree from McMaster University with a minor in economics which she utilizes daily to
ensure each winning case.
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1
2
3
1. Flow into spring with soft flowy fabrics with a splash of metallic look. 2. Color your world with hues, go a head take
a risk by mix & match by colour blocking. 3. Bow ties are in. Men can colour block too!
We’re not seeing
the last of
festival, better known as Caribana.
Tanya’s ability to maintain a professional career as well as active personal
life time is a representation of her well
rounded lifestyle.
Though behind the suit, credentials,
and community involvement is a woman who exemplifies what it means to
embrace life and all that it has to offer.
When she’s not preparing for her cases
Tanya invests her personal time to a
healthy physical lifestyle by participating
in spinning classes twice a week, and
taking ten kilometre runs “Gym time is
my time, I’m in the gym three to five
a week. It is important to stay healthy
and maintain a healthy lifestyle” Tanya
says. As the summer approaches Tanya
indulges in Toronto’s largest Caribbean
Unlike most trial lawyers Tanya does
not stay confined the walls of the court
room in her efforts to promote change
but she goes out within the community.
She provides services such as resume
proof reading, mock interviews, and
one on one time with hopeful job seekers in an attempt to equip them with
the tools they need to be successful.
Through her volunteerism Tanya hopes
to create a foundation in which upcoming professionals can spring from.
“I what to see more people that look
Young people looking to following in
the footsteps of Tanya need to understand that her triumphs were only made
possible through hard work but she believes that her recipe for success can
be replicated “You have to work hard
and have good grades, treat every job
or task as if you’re getting paid for it
also build relationships with professors
and classmates, it helps to limit stress
and maintain those relationships” Tanya
says. She is a true testament to the saying “hard work pays off.”
Top Trends
From LG Spring
Summer Fashion Week
4. Throw on a leather jacket to of set the Torontian weather. Throw on a scarf and accessories, accessories!
5. Get fresh of the Runway prints and to it off with a Fedora hat. 6. Channel your inner 70’s by rocking your groovy Maxi dress.
hold dear even till this day “I have childhood friends from all over the world. I
have two friends from Germany that I
still keep contact with.” Tanya says.
The future is bright for Tanya, her growing law firm; conveniently named Walker Law is establishing itself quite quickly
in Toronto’s busy downtown core. In the
next five years Tanya hopes to do more
“I want to build Walker Law through
referrals from colleagues and happy
clients. I would also consider to be appointed a judge while I continue to be a
strong pioneer.”
her success!
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like me in my profession, I think it’s an
investment, I want more collogues, I
don’t think I’ve argued against a visible
minority, it would be nice to be represented everywhere” Tanya says.
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Stylish.
Confident.
Individual
Step into the mind
of Toronto Designer
Gregory
Allen
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Gregory always had a love for designing, even in high school. While his
friends were out partying and having fun, Gregory was trying to get his
foot in the door. “I always had a love for design. Back in high school my
friends gave me the nickname ‘styles’ and it pretty much stuck with me.
I took a co-op course and ended up working as a co-op youth fashion
consultant with Two Black Guys (TBG), [then] an apprenticeship with one
of the finest tailors, to shadowing fashion entrepreneurs, to creating my
own label,” said Gregory.
Combining his intuition with his experiences gained in high school, Gregory made a smooth transition from a mere co-op youth fashion consultant, to “carving out a niche” in a competitive fashion world with his own
label “Gregory Allen” in 2003. His inspiration mostly comes from within,
as he asserts that “I think first and foremost you design for yourself. You
don’t want to design something you would not wear yourself or you are
not proud of. I’ve managed over the years to take my eclectic, edgy style
and transform it into something that is cool, hip and swanky and that
people actually appreciate wearing.”
Gregory is giving men’s fashion a whole new meaning with his entrepreneurship sensibility and his love for design. He successfully
made his mark on the fashion industry by producing a men’s line
of ties and bowties, pocket squares and boxers. But there is much
more to The Gregory Allen clothing/fashion company, and the man
that started it.
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What makes his designs so successful is
his sharp eye for detail combined with
his contemporary twist on the classics.
He certainly stays true to his motto:
taking it one detail at a time. After all,
every intricate detail of his designs he
takes care of himself, from the initial
presentation to the package design.
The driving force behind his designs is
his business sense fused with his creative approach to design. His line has
been so successful that it expanded to
new markets, most notably weddings.
Another driving force of Gregory Allen’s success is his solid foundation and
the importance of being unique. After
all, “The best inspiration comes from
the people who wear it themselves. Be
inspired! Create your own unique look.
Dare to be different.”
What’s also interesting is that at 32
years old, Gregory Allen stumbled
upon bowtie making purely by chance.
BE INSPIRED! DARE TO
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In 2009, CBC’s The Hour requested
that Allen design shirts for celebrities
at an International Film Festival event
in Toronto. So rather than putting all
his faith into designing shirts, Allen
started designing bowties. Eventually, Allen became successful at bowtie
making to the point where he presently
makes them for both men and women
by using rather unorthodox methods.
In fact, some of his methods include
materials such as leather and snakeskin
made for, “A young guy who could be
18, who wants something funky, to an
elegant older man.”
Even A-List celebrities are
grabbing at Gregory Allen’s funky
bowties. Not only that, his bowties will
be featured inside “Made in Canada”
Lounge, a post show mini shop which
is hosting the latest fashions made by
Canadian designers.
BE DIFFERENT!
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The
Modern day
Cleopatra
Keysha maxi dress,
Guess by Marciano 198.00
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Accessories, Aldo
Carattini necklace, 20.00
Pinyan ring,15.00
Muros ring,6.00
Terrebonne ring, 6.00
Matts cuff bracelet, 12.00
Ring, 14.00 at the bay
Sandal, Jessica Simpson
at the Bay 125.00
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Lace, pleated dress,
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Accessories, Aldo
Mestanza necklace, 18.00
Pinyan ring, 15.00
Muros ring, 6.00
Terrebonne ring, 6.00
Earrings, 16.00 at the bay
Ring, 14.00 at the bay
Spaxiano heel,
Aldo 80.00
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Emulate THE
boss lifestyle.
Chris Brown
HOW TO GET THIS LOOK:
This is Breezy’s sharp suit look.
A tailored suit, white collard
Oxford dress shirt, and to top
it off add a Gregory Allen
bow tie. You’ll have the ladies
screaming “You da Boss!”
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TAKE YOU DOWN.
For the second look we
want to “Take You Down”
to an urban casual style with
the harem pants and the out
of box hooded sweater.
SAY YEAH TO
STREET WEAR.
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Rock light faded jeans,
a fresh pair of Jordan’s and
a plaid button down.
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Tamika
‘Superwoman’
Johnson
1) What is your
superhero motto?
“Dream BIG!” “Pray like
everything depends on God,
then when you’re done work
like everything depends on
you.“ Martin Luther King Jr.
S
N
O
I
H
S
A
F
H
C
N
I
0
F
4
$
R
E
D
N
U
Do you know a Jane-Finch
Superhero that should be
profiled in an upcoming
issue of Boss Magazine?
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Selected superheros will be styled,
photographed and featured in
upcoming Boss Magazine print
and web issues.
Boss Magazine is proud to introduce our new regular feature, profiling
Jane-Finch community superheroes. The often unsung heroes who have
dedicated countless hours to fighting injustice and building better
opportunities for residents. We have started with many of Boss’ own members of the same family making change in the community.
These sisters, brothers, daughters and mothers have inspired so many
to reach for and achieve their potential.
Our superheroes are styled in Spring-inspired looks available through local
Jane-Finch stores and designers, with all items priced at the affordable cost
of $40 and under (for store listings and prices see credits, page 80).
1) What is your
superhero motto?
Selflessness may leave u
helpless but sacrifices must
be made whether or not
the memories of what you did fade!
2) What are you most passionate
about making happen in the Jane-Finch community?
Giving Jane & Finch a voice through our own well respected
media outlet (Boss), and giving the community a platform to
showcase their talents to the world. Also uplifting youth to aspire to hold Boss careers for their own future. Last but not least,
having Jane & Finch recognized for positivity in the media.
2) What are you most passionate about
making happen in the Jane-Finch community?
COMM(E)-UNITY
3) What or who inspired you to get involved in your
community?
My mother Lorraine Anderson & mentor Laura Metcalfe have
inspired me to get involved with the community. These two
ladies have taken the word “work” out of community work
by selflessly giving themselves 110% to better the community by going over & above their job descriptions. They have
taught me to become a great leader to Boss & the community; while everyone is out for themselves I’m out to genuinely
serve my community by putting the community needs over
my own needs, because every great leader is a servant. Matthew 20:26
4) What have you been most proud to be a part
of in your community? Lost Lyrics
4) What have you been most proud to be a
part of in your community?
What I am most proud of in the Jane & Finch
community is that throughout all the negative
backlash, stigmatization, and poverty the community
fights through the oppression and can overcome all
obstacles by motivating each other to reach the
ultimate goal of success. What I also love is all the love
and respect I receive from the community members
young & old. They are not afraid to show support and
embrace you with open arms a lot of communities lack
this type of communication and it’s essential to building
strong communities. Show Love!
5) Which superhero (real or fictional) inspires you
the most?
Superwoman inspires me most because she is selfless and
there isn’t anything she cannot do. Valma (my grandma), Lorraine (my mom) Niena & Carrol (my aunts), Laura Metcalfe,
Pauline Christian & Jennifer Rutherford (just to name a few)
they are all superwomen, women who go over and above to
help others to achieve their own goals. They all inspire and
motivate me and are responsible for who I am today.
3) What or who inspired you to get involved
in your community?
MAMA DUKEZ = MAMA BUTTERFLY
5) Which superhero (real or fictional) inspires
you the most? Malcolm X
•
Jordan
‘Super J’
ROBINSON
1) What is your superhero motto?
“I BELIVE I CAN FLY!!!”
about making happen in the
Jane-Finch community?
More programs for kids, especially sports camp,
photography programs and music programs.
3) What or who inspired you to get involved
in your community?
My big brother Dwayne Holness.
4) What have you been most proud to be a
part of in your community?
Helping my brother out with his program.
5) Which superhero (real or fictional) inspires
you the most?
SuperMan because he was the one that was
not just saving his community, he was also doing
it for the whole country. That’s what I hope to be
one day to help out the community kids.
Email us a picture along with why
this person is a community superhero to [email protected]
They’re feaRless.
They’re brave.
They’re strong.
And because they’re so
Boss they’re styling.
They’re JANE-FINCH
SUPERHEROES!
Isiah
(Zea)
‘Conscience’
Lea
35
Kofi
‘Kof’
Frempong
“NIIIIIIIIICE!”
about making happen in the JaneFinch community?
I am most passionate about being a
part of the process of connecting people to people and people to resources.
Dwayne
‘Dukeydukez’
Holness
“Lets Make It Happen!”
Being able to inspire and guide youth
in the right direction through different
programming.
3) What or who inspired you to get
involved in your community?
I have been inspired from my cousin
Dwayne Brown and also by my community.
36
5) Which superhero (real or fictional)
inspires you the most?
SuperMan because he was the one that
was not just saving his community, he
was also doing it for the whole country.
That’s what I hope to be one day and
help out the community kids.
4) What have you been most
proud to be a part of in your
community?
For me to fully answer this question
accurately, I would need to be given
the space to write a book. There are
so many things about my community that I am proud to be a part of.
However, if I were to highlight the
most recent, it would have to be the
Freedom Friday Movement. Freedom
Friday definitely speaks to the notion
of community building community,
positive vibes, and the beautiful
uncertainty of creativity.
Mitzy
‘Megaqueen’
Blair
“Believe in your flyness”
Build your own Empire
Building Boss Magazine into a network
for youth to find career experience and
skills as well as a place to connect with
youth in our community.
I am most passionate about being
surrounded by inspiring people who fight
to create a safe and interactive community,
being involved in organizations such as
Blair Photography, the BeLovEd Movement
and the fresh new face in fashion and
lifestyle, Boss Magazine. We strive to
empower the youth of tomorrow.
My father, and brother; helping and
supporting others has never been a second
thought, I like to live by the same rule.
4) What have you been most proud
to be a part of in your community?
Working with Boss Magazine and BeLovEd
Movement! Boss is working to change the
way media interacts with our community
especially with youth. Through BeLovEd
we are working towards youth empowerment through engagement in gender
issues and relations.
Miles Morales, he is the new incarnation of
spider-man. The change in characterization
of spider-man adds a new dynamic to the
character we thought we knew.
5) Which superhero (real or fictional) inspires you the most?
There are superhero teams that inspire
me. They are Flip, Jane Finch Action
Against Poverty, Lost lyrics,
Freedom Friday,The Spot
crew, and the dynamic
duo which consist of
my lovely wife and
daughter.
/SCARF
P
A
R
W
HEAD OM NIKITA LL)
A
FR
FINCH M
&
E
N
(JA
I am inspired to stay connected within my
community because I am a product of it.
I can relate with the youth and stay up to
date with the latest trends and slangs.
Being a young mother, it is important for
me to stay interactive and be in the know.
Sabrina
‘Butterfly’
Gopaul
4) What have you been most proud to
be a part of in your community?
I am most proud of many inspiring developing organizations in the community, but
I must say that being involved with the
BeLovEd Movement has really touched a
special place in my heart. This organization
is dedicated to youth who have been victims
of sexual assault or harassment in schools or
at home. Being a victim of sexual abuse myself, I can relate and provide mental support
where needed.
Nothing is Never Always: Raise Your
Fist and Resist.
A community led resistance against the
police and working towards global
comradeship against the austerity knife.
THUNDRA. Thundra was quite possibly
her world’s greatest female specimen, and
as she won countless battles against the
men. She was revered as the Sisterhood’s
greatest hero all.
3) What or who inspired you to
get involved in your community?
My son Zea, who reminds me if I
have the strength to stand I’ll find
the strength to fight.
I’m humbled everyday to witness the resiliency of the residents of Jane and Finch.
This community is a place that I’m proud
to say that I live in, raise my son in, work in
and play in. And being able to create spaces
to explore and push for discussions on
identity, politics and social justice.
JEWE
5) Which superhero (real or
fictional) inspires you the most?
All the women who loves like mothers
and laugh deep within their bellies.
THEGA
LLERY
FROM
IACOL
LECTIO
N@GM
AIL.CO
M
$10
d ardt from
Hanh
an
per -Friendlsaza)
J
hP
finc
(Nor
Lorraine
‘Unsung Hero’
Anderson
“Do Good and Good will follow you.”
“Life’s most persistent and urgent
question is, ‘What are you doing for
others?’” - Martin Luther King
Helping other community residents
realize that in order to see change,
they must be the change.
As a resident who lived and work in
the community it’s hard to be a witness to the struggles of the others
and not lend a helping hand.
4) What have you been most
proud to be a part of in your
community?
To inspire community members
not to accept just the status quo.
To encourage those without a voice
to speak out against injustice for all
and also being the co-founder of the
Firgrove Community Back to School
and Scholarship Program.
5) Which superhero (real or
fictional) inspires you the most?
My Mom, Valma Thomas and
Grandma, Estoria Bennett and
Rosa Parks who refused to be told
what she could not do, but did
what she had to do to change and
revolutionize the meaning of equal
rights and justice for all.
I am proud to be apart of a revolution.
I have been in the community for
about 26 years now. In that time, I
can confidently say that my inspiration
comes from the different characteristics of the community. From my
creative comrades on the front-line,
the young people who keep me
energized, my mentors turned ED and
managers, my harsh critics/supporters, strangers on the street greeting
me with smiles or screw-faces, my
sister slowly creating an identity for
herself in the community, to the game
changer grassroots movements.
Linda
‘Akoma’
Frempong
37
Movita’s Hair
Attraction
Boss would like to thank
Kadesha of Movita’s Hair
Attraction for being the
main hair stylist in the first
issue of Boss Magazine.
For Appointments please contact
416-807-5275
West-100 Capital Realty Inc., Brokerage
Carmen Broker
Shoukralla,
FRI
of Record
Office: 416-658-5553
402-180 Chalkfarm Drive, Toronto, Ontario M3L 2H8
Direct: 647-688-2241 • Fax: 1-877-412-3804
E-mail: [email protected]
Commercial & Residential Services
“Helping you move up in your real estate investment.”
Member: Canadian Commercial Council of Realtors of the Canadian Real Estate Association
BEAUTY
Springs out! A feline exonerated eye or an electrifying red lip with a slight twist of a
glossed eye… Boss Beauty looks, that bring you into full bloom this season.
Boss
39
Black scarf wrap,
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40
Lips: MAC, Lipstick, Lady Danger, $17.50. Annabelle, Lip Pencil, Flame, $4.95.
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Eyes: MAKE UP FOREVER, Aquarelle, 7 (Bright Red) and 1 (Black), Sephora Retractable Waterproof Eyeliner, Black, $12.00. Lips: MAC, Kissable Lip Colour, Woo Me,
$22.50. Cheeks: Iman Luxury Blushing Powder, Sable, $19.50. Face: Laura Mercier,
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BOSS MAGAZINE BEAUTY
Black front
lace bohemian,
models own
41
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for more trends and tips www.danielleholdmond.com Hugs & Lots of Lipgloss!”
White Oxford Dress Shirt,
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42
Lips: L’Oreal, Infallible Le Rouge, Lip Colour, Infinite Spice, $9.50. Cheeks: Smashbox, Fusion Soft Lights Bronzer, Dusk, $30.00. Eyes: MAKE UP FOR EVER, Aqua Black
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43
a program of Youth Unlimited (Toronto YFC)
in partnership with
Blueprints guides young adults in Jane-Finch
to launch their small business ideas.
TTC Tokens provided
Access start-up money for your business
Opportunity to sell in a retail store
APPLY ONLINE TODAY
Paul or Meshell @ Youth Unlimited
416.901.1625 ext. 227 or 230
Inner Courtyard, 45 Four Winds Drive @ Sentinel & Finch
[email protected]
For more information contact:
A+E
Arts +
Entertainment
45
Driven by creativity, intelligence and a passion for the arts, Toronto
visionary Che Kothari is a boss man of no regular means. Initially, his
passion was ignited by a spectacular concert at age 11 that left him
inspired. Still in public school, his first ever exposure to the Smokin
Grooves concert changed his world forever.
Che Kothari
“I was 11 years old when my (3 elder) sisters took me to the 'Smoking
Groove's' concert which featured a ridiculous lineup that at that time
I didn't even realize I was blessed to be a witness of: Busta Rhymes,
Snoop Dogg, Cypress Hill, The Fugees, Erykah Badu, Ziggy Marley,
George Clinton and the P-Funk + more.” Says Che “I remember my
world completely shifted after being exposed to the revolutionary
messages being shared from those microphones and the spiritual vibrations that the collective of people performing and in attendance
created together.”
BOSS MAN
46
This sent the young Che on a quest to continue to pursue that dream that was now becoming a reality. His first attempt to share the arts
with the world came as a teenager when he
photographed his first live event. “I was on a
trip at age 15, again with my 3 elder sisters, to
the island of Curacao where I was able to witness their Carnival celebrations. I took my high
school’s camera on the trip with me and I was
standing behind a barricade taking pictures. I
remember at one point hopping the barricade
and joining the parade. No one said anything
to me because I had my camera”. He felt compelled to share his images with friends who
were back home in Toronto. “When I went
home, I printed the pictures and laid them out
and began sequencing them... I stood back
and thought to myself... I am a photographer!
That was really the first time that my passion
for the arts was born”
When he moved to Toronto to study and practice photography at 17
yrs old, he remembers being highly influenced and inspired by two
hip hop festivals: The 416 Graffiti Expo and Style In Progress; both
festivals which celebrated all the elements of hip hop culture on a
grassroots and community level. “When realizing that these festivals
may not take place anymore I felt the need to help spur a movement
and platform whereby these types of gatherings could happen on an
ongoing basis in a sustainable and accessible way.” He says
After graduating from Ryerson University, he formed his own creative agency in Toronto when he met his new business partner and a
brother for life Ryan Paterson; and in 2001 they started a new crea-
BOSS MAGAZINE ART & ENTERTAINMENT
By: dionne francis
47
been contacted by people in Japan, Spain, India, London, Nigeria, South Africa & USA interested in building a local Manifesto.” Che emphasises that his role is not to provide a cookie
cutter guide of setting up this organization
in other countries, but instead is to share his
methodology, learnings and tools developed
from Toronto and the other places Manifesto
is happening to support their local ideas and
needs. “It is up to the respective global communities of artists, to lead and galvanize their
local artist communities into collective action,
celebrating their youth cultures.” He explains.
“In a world where major corporations spend
billions of dollars to get up in our face all day
everyday, we recognize the importance that
media can play in elevating a person or organizations work to get recognized and seen.
That is why we make sure to always support
marginalized or emerging organizations and
people doing great work because they have
to compete with these billion dollar marketing budgets to be heard” says Che.
48
tive agency which has gone through a few
name changes, but evolved into Hightop Studio. “We are both really creative individuals
and love to make cool and meaningful things.
The agency is an outlet for that. It is also one
place where we use the skills we have been
given and have cultivated to make money,
because a lot of the other areas we work on
at charitable in nature.” While the success of
Hightop studio has allowed Che to become
an international success, he still feels it’s important to work with those grass-roots organizations that would not otherwise be able
to afford his services.
Growing to be arguably Canada’s largest hip
hop festival in just five years, Manifesto brings
together hundreds of artists & performers
with thousands of attendees. Expanding into
other countries, Che explains how the movement spread organically:
“Many of the people attending who had
strong networks in their grassroots arts communities witnessed Manifesto and wanted
to birth something similar in their respective
homelands. Through sharing of knowledge
and best practices, the organization has been
birthed in Jamaica and Barbados.” He adds
“There is also strong movement in Bogota
Colombia right now with an amazing organization called La Familia Ayara to build
Manifesto there in the coming years. We have
Moving forward, Che has no plans of slowing
down, but sees himself stepping back from
the spotlight a little and allowing his seeds of
his hard work to grow as he gives back to his
community. “Personally, in 10 years, I see myself with wife and many children somewhere
very warm, with lots of coconut water and
the ocean nearby. I am a very simple person
who does not need a lot of material things
and really just want to be closer to nature and
work towards my spiritual development.” He
is excited to get back into his own art making
too - photography, filmmaking, writing. “By
this time, I hope that Manifesto has reached
its global potential and that I can give back
to the global village, as I move out of my
youth, by leading a positive healthy lifestyle
and being an example to others who are also
interested in reaching their maximum level of
self-actualization” Che adds optimistically: “I
hope to physically build and be part of a community that establishes itself as a gurukal - a
holistic learning community where others can
come to on their learning journeys.”
But still and all they got some perks in the middle
Cable television watching Malcolm in the Middle
Yes Ras, I’m a bus and train rider
See the world thru the portals straight smack in
the middle
N****s look at me like J we thought that
you was wiser
Of the room they glow like life but spread doom
Always swore that I was different you know
not just another
See- most of the world seem far on the
internet
Still I’m righteous on the mic then fight with
my baby mother
On the radio, ev-e-ry day like a celebrity
Massacres, atrocities, youtubed on the internets
It’s middle shelf dog never top of mind
Waiting for my song to play delay is what they
telling me
And I got aint the energy, my n***** making
hell a g’s
Wondering if I’ll hit the big time before the
cemetery
I’m in that place where I’m still trying to live
Off my art not the charts and provide for my kids
So I grab the mic and air it out
Weak hearted are clearing out, on my own s***
don’t live by what y’all care about
words FROM the
Wyze
Middle
life crisis
I’m here with all my doubts, with all my fears,
without a pause
In a rush to reach but still working out my flaws
– I’m
We just run thru this bullshit like we the living
blind
When I’m weeded out my mind I’m happy
I aint in the middle
I’m high like a mother f*****, floating
for a little
Then I settle in the middle and I get back to
work
It’s no wonder that we’re jerks when we’re
left in the lurch
Fighting for a little of the middle of the peace
Fighting for her middle just to catch a quick
release
Fighting in the middle of the belly of the
beast
A Middle man in my middle of the road life
Trying to find the spirit in the belly of the
priest
Remember when I used to be the spark that
made the fire light
Except you get to the middle and you fear
what you’ve released
Middle man in my middle of the road life
Sow the seeds of destruction and reap the
Middle East
Remember when they used to try to say
And they say
Get right in the middle, stay right in the middle
Where man will strap it to his middle to
defend his beliefs
But very few get enuff light in the middle
So don’t bother test the world try to play like
you Herc
Some n***** bust guns to act like they upper
middle
Cuz mostly tough guys bleed out in the middle
of the dirt
I live the quiet
of
the middle class.. .
Drive six figure cars and still sleeping in the middle
And you wouldn’t want to retire in the middle
of your work
See- the middle class they work to grasp for
middle management
It would suck to play the middle just to learn
it has no worth
Petty tyrants above the other cursed inhabitants
made the fire light
Anytime there’s a hole it’s always in the middle
made the fire light
Jelani 'J-wyze' Nias
horror
Of the bottom- thru the spring, thru the winter,
thru the autumn
With the bloodstains leaking down the middle
of your shirt
The middle’s where they caught em, the middle’s
With a life of mediocrity to show for your effort
where we lost ‘em
Recessions mostly take place in the middle
Remember when I used to be the man
The poorest of the poor die middle man’s the
fall guy
Everyday I wake, my intellect’s at war with
my ghetto ass
And profits stay the same while the workforce
is bled dry
Remember when I used to be the man
But now
I live the quiet horror of the middle class...
From this outlet, he continued with his grassroots efforts to produce musical showcases,
culminating in the critically acclaimed and
enormously successful Manifesto festival.
Originating in Toronto, the Manifesto Festival Of Community & Culture features seven
days of incredible events across the city, culminating in a massive free outdoor concert
at Yonge & Dundas Square in the heart of
downtown Toronto. Although Manifesto
was born in Toronto, Che mentions that it’s
fuelled and inspired by things from around
the world and from our ancestries: “So it lives
in a global village”
His desire to continue to develop young talent
is motivated by his belief that we are all born
artists and creators with infinite potential. “It is
our job as a community to provide safe spaces
for our children and young people to explore
themselves and explore their creative expressions without suppressing them.” says Che
“What about what the children have to teach
us? I believe that if we actually started to listen
to children and let them help us lead the way,
so much of our world's problems would be
solved.” He believes that too often nowadays
we hear of stories of a young person who is
diagnosed with ADD, when they have an active mind; he feels that if a child taps his or her
chair, try giving them a drum set; if a child doodles in their textbook try giving them a paint
brush and a canvas; stop giving them drugs
as a solution and suppressing the gifts that
they have been given to share with the world nurture their self knowledge and expressions.
“Our young people are our future and they
will birth brilliant solutions if supported”
Feeling like a failure every time I buy a
Metropass
49
Q&A With
Artist Cola nthony
The
Blue Jays
Dream
By: Chanelle Thorpe
When your creating a piece is there any genre
or artist you specifically like to listen to that
influences your work?
Without music.. I would be up to no good.
Despite what you
see in the media
always dream,
anything
can happen.
Cash Only Real Executive “Youngin Flipping,
Instead of Living Average, also known Corey
Fila. Corey is an up and coming Jane Finch
rapper who is here to showcase his talents
to the world.
50
You’re from Jane and Finch right, So how
has growing up in the community reflected
in your music?
Yeah, I’m from Jane and Finch. Growing up
in Jane and Finch has influenced my music
because it helps me to keep everything real.
The things I rap about are things that I see in
my community every day, I can relate to them
and other people around me can identify with
them as well. People often have a negative
perception of Jane and Finch because of the
negative stigma that the media has placed
on it, but Jane and Finch ain’t that different
from other housing projects in Toronto. We
experience the same trials and tribulations as
other communities. Jane and Finch is where I
grew up, I have seen both the good and the
bad, but what I want to do with my music
We all the know the media creates a
bad stigma against your community and
communities like it. What do you have to
say to the youth about what they see in
the media?
The only one that can stop you is you and
the only one that can fix your circumstance
is you. Yeah, people always have something
negative to say when they don’t understand
what’s going on. At the same time don’t allow your community to define who you are
or what you can do. The people that write
newspapers etc are from the outside looking
in but, we are from the inside looking out so
we have total different perspective.
So tell us about your latest project. How
much hard work did you and you team
put into it? Is it all work and no play?
My latest project is the blue jay dream volume two. My team and I worked really hard
In your song “Why” you say the line “Why
can’t a n**** from T.O. get dough?” Do
you still feel this way although people
would say artist like Drake and Kardi
have paved the way for Toronto rappers?
No not necessarily, I don’t feel that way anymore, that was how I felt back then when
I made the first mixtape. A lot has changed
since then, Drake and other artists have
put Toronto on the map and has paved the
way for other artist. I’m Toronto to get their
dough too. The music business is taking us
more seriously now realizing that there is a lot
of talent in Toronto.
On that note, Do you think that Toronto will
continue to unleash the world with several
new types of talent like we did with Reema
Major, The Weeknd and Drake?
Definitely! the sky is the limit for Toronto.
What’s your next step musically? Where
do you see yourself in the next 3 years?
My next step is to finish up my album. In the
next three years I hope to be seen as one
of Toronto influential and successful up and
coming artist.
Where can we find your music and learn
more about you?
Well, you can added me on Facebook search
for Corey Fila, you can follow me on twitter
or check me out at www.Coreyfila.com.
How do you combine your music and art
with one another?
Real talk, I usually don’t unless I’m designing promotional material (logos, merch, flyers etc.) I am planning to further combine the
two, but that venture is currently in progress.
Not in particular, as I find that’s a good way to
create something with someone else’s ideas
in your head. What’s worse, is one would be
so impressed with themselves to think they
created something so grand, and later find
out it sounds exactly like that track they were
listening to.
However, Artists I like: Prince, DFA 1979, The
Isley Brothers, SOS Band, Funkadelic
What do you feel distinguishes “an
artist” from just a musician?
Musicians know how to play instruments.
Artists know how to make music. Keep in
mind, not every artist has appeal.
Does anyone in particular influence your
artistic/musical talent?
Probably the same names that I said above…
along with Jay Z and Nas, Ruff Ryders, The
Neptunes, Jimmy Jam and Teddy Riley, and a
million others
Fill in the blank: Without music...
I would be up to no good. Music makes me
feel accomplished.
Support music/art because artists like myself
need your millions of dollars so we can live
it up… in all seriousness, because music/art
brings creativity and self expression to those
who may not have the confidence to say
what’s on their mind.
Young Woman in Charge HustleGRL
Toronto’s own Karla Moy also known as HustleGRL continues to do the unthinkable at a
tender young age. Anyone from Toronto who
is web savvy knows who HustleGRL is, from
music, to basketball, lifestyle and photography
Karla has not only done it, but has raised the
bar. Karla is known for creating Drakes official fan site, her own website www.hustlegrl.
com and has designed Lil’ Wayne’s E-diary,
www.weezythankyou.com and and the cover
of his latest mixtape, “No Ceilings” & “Sorry
4 the Wait”. There is no limit to Karla’s talent.
Boss caught up with her to get the exclusive.
AllThings-Fresh.net, tell us about how
and when you came up with idea?
HustleGRL: ATF first opened on March 14th
2007 when I was 14. I honestly started the
site because I had this huge crush on Drake
while he was on Degrassi. When I found out
he was from Toronto and that there wasn’t
any place online to get information on him,
I decided to utilize my web & design skills.
That’s when I gave birth to All Things Fresh.
I recently, visited the site and saw that it
said “Grand Closing”. When did you decide it was time to close this amazing and
long chapter in your life?
HustleGRL: I decided mid last month, shortly
after the album release.
Aside from Graphic/Web Designing
and Blogging, what
other things are
you interested in
and do on your
spare time?
HustleGRL: I love
photography, digital marketing, basketball, volleyball,
shopping, and long walks in the city!
Recently, Billboard nominated you for
their Women In Music 2011, how did it
feel just to be nominated?
HustleGRL: Man, it was a honour! To have
a publication such as Billboard recognize my
hard work, it’s a blessing and an honour. I was
so thankful.
I saw you at Manifesto’s “So Much Things
To Say” Conference on the Bloggers
Panel. I have to ask, although you along
with the other panelist were teaching us
things, did you take away any valuable
information, being the youngest, from
what the other panelist said?
HustleGRL: Not that I can think of off the top.
We all pretty much had the same things to
say, but in different contexts.
By: Chanelle Thorpe
Being a Jack of all trade, What’s one more
thing you’d love to add to your resume?
HustleGRL: I’d love to get into video editing
and directing. I’m in love with visuals and I
feel like I have so many ideas in my head that
I don’t know how to bring to life. Maybe in
the future when I have more time to myself,
I’ll be able to add that to my resume.
Is there anything in the works for you
right now? Can we at Boss be the first to
know of any exclusives.
HustleGRL: Yes there is…there’s a lot going
on for 2012. Sadly, I can’t say anything yet.
Just wait, watch and see!
Lastly, aside from Ricky Roszay, when you
hear the word BOSS what comes to mind?
HustleGRL: Karla Moy.
How did you come up the name Corey Fila?
I came up with the name because at the time
I was focused on getting that money. At the
time I was rapping and I was determined that
I wasn’t going to work under anyone. I wanted to be my own executive -you know- do it
on my own.
is try and bring awareness to the issues so
that we can fix it. For example if you listen
to the song “I’m from Finch” we talk about
the young Breanna Davy that was killed in our
community, these kinds of realities are things
that people in Finch face on a daily basis. I
want to use my music to talk about some of
the causalities that youths face in my community, but at the same time inspire people
to get that money. Out here is real, everyone
got to do what it takes to survive, it’s a cold
world ain’t nothing being handed out. If you
want something you gotta go get it on your
own, you gotta work, gotta sweat and you
gotta grind. I realize that Toronto is a city that
never sleeps so how can I .
on this project. In this mixtape, I can see my
growth. I wanted to make a mixtape that everyone could relate to. I want it to reflect the
different phases of my life and things that
I or people around me are going through.
Honestly, I don’t really consider what I do to
be work because I have so much passion for
what I do, I really enjoy it. To be able to do
what I love and collaborate with a variety of
different entertainers is both a challenge and
a reward.
Who is Cola?
Cola is this guy who named himself after a
carbonated beverage that used to contain
traces of cocaine in the early 1900’s when
cocaine was seen as a medicinal product.
Actually, Cola is Colanthony Humphrey. Cola
comes from the first 4 letters of my name.
Musician/Songwriter/Producer, multidisciplinary Visual Artist/Art Director, and a host of
other things you don’t want to know… yet
Looking back on your childhood, do you
remember anyone in your family having
similar musical/artistic interest?
My fam was raised in church. My dad sings,
plays piano and guitar. On my dad’s side, we
got singers and musicians, and rappers (if I
told you who, you’d probably think I was lying).
Same with my mom’s side... only difference is
that my mom’s side also has dancers.
51
time, to open shop right here in Toronto. He
believed the aura of this city was premature
but promised. “I’ve seen Hip-Hop growing,
and I’ve seen a beautiful city that’s just not
being acknowledged,” he said in an early
November interview with The Grid’ blog site,
“It’s not that you’re not respected or that you
make music that’s different from us, it’s just
that there’s no industry here. I could invest
into my own neighbourhood. But I’ve seen
something here.”
By Pheona Roberts
Whose Shoulders
Is It On, Really?
52
[Small talk. First impressions]
Lets talk about getting around the world
through sound waves. The entrance into an
eardrum by a voice that is supported by a
banging instrumental, that is then over-coated by an intrusive flow and finally presented
by an artist who emulates the character of
an entire region, city and history. Now, lets
make this coast subjective. Lets keep it within boarders of the North and take it twenty
years back when Hip-Hop first arrived on the
doorstep of Toronto’s music existence. With
the arrival of this new genre feelings settled
from black and white perspectives on the
power this new music had in influencing such
bold messages. In and around the city you
could find a trend aspiring. Disc-jockeys began mending these rhythmic, intrusive beats
on a turn table while the b-boys roughed it
out in front of graffiti walls that were inspired
images of this new, urban infatuation; HipHop. And of course, you had the capital of
this fairly new music investment. These were
the local preeminent artists that were committed to distinguishing and introducing the
bark of this city to our neighbours within and
outside of boards.
[Royalties and Residuals]
In the premature days of Hip-Hop the royalty
artists like Michie Mee, Maestro ‘Fresh Wes’,
The Rascalz, Ghetto Concept, Choclair, Main
Source, The Dream Warriors, and Solitaire
had the Toronto fan base falling in love with
this raw, urban sound. So much so, venues
like ‘The Masonic Temple’ on the north-west
corner of Davenport Road and Yonge Street
would hold thousands of Hip-Hop heads
that were so hyped over the musics aura that
fights would start.
The problem for the rappers and MC’s emerging in the late 80’s and early 90’s was the fact
that Canada’s preference and investment in
other genres was superior to even the slightest interest of this new rebellious sound. For
the Canadian Music industry it was too risky
and too juvenile. With that, the struggle of
many artists before their entrance into the
90’s and even the very beginning of the decade was due to the industry’s fear that this
honest, hard sound was too chaotic.
That’s not to say that labels did not exist
within our borders, it was just the major re-
[Outta Coast Confidence]
Optimistic hopes stimulated Toronto’s HipHop lovers to get hustling for their sound in
order to fulfil this small city’s potential. Some
have succeeded and others are still committed to getting their sound heard. But all, prior
and current, measure their success by the reaction of this city (if any). To this day, heads
turn waiting for what our city has next. Producers and A and R’s head to Toronto, looking for artists, but the lack of buzz about local
talent has them confused on who to invest
in. Despite the hardship, Toronto’s embryonic
Hip-Hop life had inspired Wu-tang member
Raekwon, labelled One of the top MC’s of our
[What are we really benching?]
Drake’s platinum album and extensive
“I think the main things hindering Toronto
rappers is that there is no specific sound that
artists try to emulate and no collaborations
between artists from here,” Jahrell, a local
music hustler, replied saying, “I don’t think
there is a sound for T.O because most artists
from here try to copy other styles.”
Plagiarized flow? Fair enough. Not enough
individuality? Not a foreign dislike. However,
all the talk about Toronto having no talent
is only justified when you give the talent a
chance. Toronto wants the spotlight, Toronto
needs the support.
[Oh, Canada! With glowing hearts we
see thee rise, The True North, strong and
... Musically Inclined]
I often wonder the sound of the treble, the
intensity of the base, the intricate role of
the thought process or the spiced rhyme
scheme? What does Toronto Hip-Hop sound
like? Would it be as mellow and doped down
as the west coast? As soulful and passion –
oriented as the south? Or would it have that
Hard rock, gang affiliated, hustle mindset often influenced in the east’s front-liners?
Is it possible that the multicultural population
and estranged, diverse identity would play
into the versatile sound that is Toronto rap?
If artists start getting inspired by the hustle
of Jay, the genius of Kanye, the genuineness
of the up-and coming Kendrick, the creativity of Andre 3000 and drop mirroring the
front-liners of the surrounding coast’s then
Toronto can achieve the predicted heights.
Locals need to have hope that Hip-Hop is in
a period of revival, and those contributing to
the resuscitation are closer to home than they
think, or support.
Lets talk about artists that produce a sound,
supported by a beat, presented with a flow
that is subjective to our coast who is largely
okay with taking a backseat. Lets talk potential, power, prestige in a small town that does
more than “talk and listen”. The city has a
diversity and rawness that should be invested
in the sound of our music. It all begins in the
recognition that the CN Tower isn’t the tallest, strongest thing going for our city. We
have the talent whether up-coming, existing
or whipping up the skills in the kitchen. Now
can we carry the weight?
Follow @pheonaroberts for more small talk!
The city has a diversity &
rawness that should be invested
in the sound of our music.
sistance within these labels had caused music
pioneers to seek and stunt in America. Artists
felt that the odds of signing a deal would be
more realistic given the fact that necessary exposure was evidently more possible. Michiee
Mee being the first Canadian MC to sign in
America and then onto Maestro Fresh-Wes
who departed to New York to re-introduce
himself on American soil, just as a few examples. What is most surprising about this all?
Not the fact that our music is weighing in on
Hip-Hop coasts, but that now as this genre
of music is widely accepted here in Canada
a struggle still exists for artists to grasp the
recognition locally. It is hard to put a city on
the map when half of the music go-getter get
no love from the same influential factor they
flaunt; their hometown. Due to this harsh reality, the tables have turned. The power for
Toronto artists to make it successfully are in
the reactions of a city that is now one of the
biggest resistances.
Under the label ‘Ice H20’ Raekwon is hopeful
that he will find that spark which will respectively give Toronto the will-power and recognition that many hopefuls already foresee
in this city’s near future. However, note that
he has already been stringing in the talent
he thinks will get the North the statement it
needs. Local rappers JD Era and Gangis Khan
are the two recruited Canadian MC’s signed
under his label. Maybe it was Gangis’ instinct
rap skills as he contours his intellects with the
street knowledge that brought on by his hood
repertoire or JD Era’s hometown buzz, addictive flow and refreshing sound, that turned
the head of Raekwon. Either way two conclusions can be drawn. First and the most obvious one being that Toronto has the potential
and talent to load the cannon. However the
second and sadly redundant reality is that it
takes an influence from brother America to recognize, inspire and invest in our cities talent.
awards, Justin’s addictive ‘bieberfever’, Kardinal’s ‘rudebwoy’ repertoire, K-O’s introspective creativity, K-naan’s poetic influence,
Melanie Fiona’s powerful vocal ability and July
Black’s soul. Even though the road has been
paved with past success there are still artists
in the street hustling. Yet, the question as to
why talent is dismissed more so than it is embraced by our town leaves a sticky ultimatum.
It’s either the talent all together does little for
the listeners or the talent, all together, is rarely appreciated by the city. The reaction stems
from the sound, so what is it that is turning
off in city hype?
53
charm and charisma makes
him an unstoppable force
California's
MIX TAPE
By: Oxana Tsirelman
King
Dwanes
Ad
Southern California rapper Dubb has successfully made a name for
himself in the music industry. He founded a distinguished brand
through nothing short of persistence, perseverance, and remain true
to his style. His hard work into this album paid off, for in 2012, Dubb
released a dozen mix tapes that attained nickname “California’s Mix
tape King.” Not only that, the mix tapes attained an impressive average of 100, 000 individual downloads.
Rapper Dubb always remains busy with producing more music. In fact,
in an interview, he said that, “I am currently working on my new project which is entitled “The Layovera”. I don’t have a specific release
date yet because I don’t want to be rushed, when it is done it will be
put out. It will be released and available for free download in 2012 on
all of the major blog sites as well as my own site.”
54
He earned his reputation as the best rapper out of South Central
Los Angeles through his versatility and ability to create unique lyrics.
But, his recognition doesn’t lie in Los Angeles alone, it spread to not
only other music markets, but also to the UK, Germany, and Canada.
Dubb’s unique talent, combined with his charm and charisma makes
him an unstoppable force. Those qualities attracted several labels to
Dubb’s feet!
Dubb has had the honour of being featured on 100 mix tapes and
working alongside major music artists like The Game, Kendrick Lamar,
Tyga, and Cali Swag District. On a last note, his most recent album
“The Departure” has around 150,000 downloads in just one month
and its deemed as 2011’s best indie mix tapes!
When asked about where his music can be found, Dubb asserted that,
“You can find out every and anything that you need to know in regards to me on www.itzdubb.com. I now have a new segment available on my website hosted by BET 106 n Parks DJ Lyve where I drop
a brand new weekly freestyle every Tuesday; it’s called Off The Top
Tuesdays. If you want to book me for a show you can contact [email protected] and if you are interested in working with me or
any other business related inquiries you can contact Biz4Dubb@gmail.
com. I also want to say shout out to Boss Magazine!”
55
completing the tenth grade. Being denied to
further his education went against everything
his mother stood for. The reason why they
came to Canada was to seek better education
and have a brighter, sustainable future.
Boss
By: Chanelle Thrope & Destinee Roberts
The Evolution
of a
56
However, what’s most important is his journey and the mentality he gradually developed.
Discipline and perseverance have nurtured
Dwayne into becoming the ambitious boss he
is today. When we think of the word “Boss”
we think of Boss’ own, Dwayne Holness.
Journeying from the sunny, exotic island
of Jamaica, a change in climate wasn’t the
only thing that required an adjustment. As a
newcomer to one of Toronto’s roughest and
toughest neighbourhoods; well known in
the media for gang activity, and other socialeconomical issues. Dwayne was naive of the
reputation owned by his new community,
but soon enough, triggered by the sound of
a gunshot, the veil of innocence that once
covered the perceptions of the nine-year old
soon dissipated and was replaced by a new
caution of the Jane and Finch community.
During his adolescence Dwayne started to
venture out within his neighbourhood, displaying a rebellious attitude and behaviour
within his household and towards the rest of
society. Under the influence of his older cousin, who coincidentally bares the same name,
Dwayne, was the only positive male figure
that remained consistent in his life. As a result of having an absent father he was being
raised in a single parent home. Missing a primary caregiver, he was fortunate to have his
cousin take on that role. Together the two of
them were inseparable. Wherever and whatever his cousin would partake in, Dwayne
would too follow suit. Joining various sport
teams and attending high school outside of
his community, Dwayne was able to slowly
detour from the labels placed on him and the
neighbourhood he identified with.
Thus far, it appeared as though Dwayne was
taking positive steps forward, but those steps
forward, became steps backwards as a result
of a few poor decisions. To society, his regression may come as no surprise because of a
number of factors that were present in his
life. Nevertheless, his ability to overcome situations not experienced by the “average Joe”
was a surprise to many teachers, peers and
family members that were anticipating the
worst. Despite the odds and doubt that had
an overwhelming presences in his life, change
did come, even though it came the hard way.
Now in high school, Dwayne’s rebellion was
on a rise. He was oblivious to the consequences of his actions and they were bound
to lead him astray. As a freshman he felt the
need to prove himself and well for that matter; the pride won. This resulted in Dwayne
being expelled from high school while barely
Resuming his high school experience in the
hallways of Emery Collegiate, Dwayne met
his friend and the soon to be co-founder
of HighClass, Femi Lawson. His popularity
among his peers and his thorough knowledge
of computer programs and social networking
sites, Dwayne became the go to guy for creating cool, exclusive layouts. So, not only was
Dwayne well versed in computer technology
but he started to see the importance of networking and branding himself.
Networking has always been a key element
for young entrepreneurs. So it was evident
this would weigh an important value on
Dwayne’s life. From witnessing others and
“FanS Are Gained From
People Who Enjoy Your
Work. Respect Is
Gained From People
Who See The Hard
Work You Put In.”
Another thing that hit him hard during his
expulsion was when his mother expressed
that she was beginning to feel stressed by
his actions. Being the man of the house, he
came to the conclusion he wasn’t playing his
part in their relationship. His mother had high
expectations for her son because of the fact
they weren’t coming from much. His mother
was always working to provide for him and
she expected Dwayne to assist her by staying out of trouble. Considering the grief and
disappointment he was causing his mother it
became a greater necessity for him to change
his ways.
With plenty of free time at his disposal,
Dwayne used it productively teaching himself
how to operate different computer programs
and other tech savvy things that sparked his
interest. It is likely that a lack of communication led to his mother to misunderstand and
even overlook exactly what her son was doing. This created a lot of tension between the
taking heed to his mentors as well as peers he
noticed the rewards of networking. Cashing
in on the idea “Your Network Is Worth Your
Net Worth” this quote continued to motivate
him. Using social networks such as Blackplanet, Facebook and Twitter he began to form
lasting professional relationships. Studying
the hobbies and considering the talents of
other individuals, Dwayne was able to assess
the values of the business relationships he
was forming.
One thing Dwayne always knew was the
importance of focusing on Plan A. Plan A,
consisted of his skills as a videographer and
photographer. While Plan B comprised of
building an organization and mentor youth in
communities. Dwayne would then combine
the two, creating an organization that would
be geared to youth within communities while
mentoring them in the arts.
Having the particle foreground in multi-media
design, gave him an advantage over his fellow
classmates. Dwayne decided it was wise to
attend a post secondary institution and went
to Humber College to study Multimedia Design and Production. Thus, in his first year he
was a recipient of the Thomas Green Award,
which acknowledged him as the top student
in his class. Thereafter his studies concluded
with Dwayne achieving a high ranking on the
dean’s honour list.
Dwayne’s talent placed him in a position
where he was no longer seeking for an opportunity; instead he was providing opportunities to others through the creation of HighClass Community.
HighClass is a grass roots organization that
works with youth to help them discover their
entrepreneurial potential through various
workshops held throughout various communities in the Toronto. Dwayne’s role goes
above and beyond just being the co-founder;
He actively participates in the development
and facilitating of the workshops. Dwayne is
passionate about working up close and personal with the youth and uses he uses each
opportunity to share his knowledge and wisdom to the younger generation.
Dwayne’s background in videography and
photography, alongside his familiarity with
programs such as Photoshop added a unique
and creative aspect to these workshops.
Specifically, with the implementation of The
Bigger Picture. The vision behind The Bigger
Picture is to provide the youth with resources
that will further develop their skills and talent
that will propel their future endeavors.
Also, the program aims to include powerful
and relatable discussions about the communities from which many of the participants
come from. In Addition to their independent
projects HighClass collaborated with Manifesto and Nise Clothing to showcase Toronto’s upcoming talents with 106 & York for the
past 4 years.
Today, a number of Dwayne’s accomplishments have received public recognition.
Awarded for ‘Employing Youth in the Community’ by the YMCA of the Greater Toronto
Area in 2009. In the fall of 2011 Dwayne’s
was a recipient of the INI Awards for ‘Building
Communities Through the Arts’.
Dwayne continues to work with many of
Toronto’s musical talents, directing and editing music videos. Like a wise business man,
Dwayne has ventured abroad on many occasions directing videos in Jamaica and Cuba.
This year Dwayne anticipates more travel,
more networks and more growth.
“Fan Are Gained From People Who Enjoy
Your Work. Respect Is Gained From People
Who See The Hard Work You Put In.”
Before achieving the glorious
position as Co-CEO of HighClass
Community, or even being recognized in the city of Toronto for
various awards, Dwayne Holness
was battling demons of his own.
It’s no doubt that this was a very fragile moment for Dwayne; the next step would make
him or break him. After many days of being
left alone to glare at the four corners of his
room, he was forced to put his life into perspective. It finally dawned on him, a change
needed to be made. Dwayne then understood that even when his life is at a stand-still
that the world will always keep spinning and
if he didn’t act fast it would pass him by. He
then began to focus on being a leader rather
than a follower, fixing his mind on being the
solution rather than a part of the problem.
His young, unconscious mind collided with
the harsh reality of life.
two. Luckily, as time progressed and as their
relationship improved, his mother began to
see his hobbies were leading him in the right
direction.
57
Andreea Nemes is a contemporary Canadian
Painter, born in Cluj-Napoca, Romania and immigrating to Canada at six years of age. Art
has been a passion from an early age and her
immense talent was discovered in high school,
where teachers encouraged her to pursue an
art career. Andreea continued her studies at
the University of Waterloo in a Fine Arts degree,
specializing in Studio Art. Andreea has worked
on community art projects and has been in several art shows. Working mostly in portraiture
and figure work Andreea explores the themes of
beauty and facial construction of the ideal human form and figure. Andreea has also recently
begun to explore the abstract and how it can
be applied to portraiture and facial construction. Andreea’s style is minimalistic in composition but rich in detail and expression. Working
primarily in oil painting, her works are gestural
and fairly thick in texture. An obsessive fascination of the human face and its construct is
the focus in her pieces as well as the exploration of beauty and its interpretation through
different mediums and styles. Her paintings are
large in size varying from five feet to seven feet
in height, like her 5 ½ foot painting “Haves”,
2011 where the combination of two faces was
constructed as a whole, presented as one face.
Although painting is her primary focus, Andreea
has also begun to work with the same themes in
printmaking creating her numbered “Untitled”,
2010 series of broken abstract faces, where the
act of abstract mark making creates what looks
like human faces. Artists like Jenny Saville, Eric
Fischl and Chuck Close resonate in her work
and continue to influence her brush work style
of painting. Other artistic influences include
Jackson Pollock, Piet Mondrian, Barnett Newman, Egon Schiele, and Agnes Martin. Andreea
continues to play between the boundaries of realism and abstraction, trying to find the perfect
balance in order to depict her imagery.
58
AN
Born: 1990, Cluj, Romania
Education: 2008-12
University of Waterloo
Canada
Andreea
Nemes
59
De La Soul
D.A.I.S.Y.
BY: Chanelle Thorpe
60
hip-hop was not
only about about
the superficial, BUT
about having
a message.
Although the group De La Soul originated during the late 1980s, from
Long Island, New York, the group had a lot to say before the decade
closed it’s chapter. When they hit the scene, their first album “ 3 Feet
High and Rising” was considered epic, giving us a sound they called
D.A.I.S.Y, better know as “Da Inner Sound Y’all”. On the album, it
featured their first single “Me Myself and I” and other songs like “Eye
Know” and the most controversial yet influential song of them all
“Say No Go”. Each one of their songs tries to take on some sort of
topic, like love, sex, and even a dance numbers. However, the song
“Say No Go” really talks about the current drug abuse going on
America within the 1980s. My goal here is to I discuss how the song
“Say No Go” is evidence that music reflects it’s time and still continues
to do so. In the case of today’s society and the individuals purchasing music, will be able to see the transition in acceptance with these
songs and the current state of drug abuse within America. The song
alone reflects certain political, but mainly cultural and social issues in
America during the 1980s. The issue in particular, the drug epidemic
within America, and it’s effect in Black America.
For instance in the first versus starts off:
Listening to the intro, before words are said, the thought of hip-hop
hadn’t crossed my mind. What I heard was a jazz, soul, funk and
electric kind of sounds. The first versus begins and thats when the
sound of hip-hop emerges to the surface. “Say No Go”, like most hip
hop or rap songs has a standard 4/4 beat. This is present throughout
the chorus and during the instrumental breaks between each versus.
Also in the song there is a lot of angling. This means that there are
various angles in a song that have a sharp pitch or a sudden
pitch change. Usually in songs you’ll hear vocal angling, however, in this song angling is heard
within the beat. During the instrumental
the saxophone and trumpet slowly accelerate ultimately creating a blare at
the end. Then the beat drops back
into it’s original sound and tempo.
And if that doesn’t get you hype,
then I don’t know what will. At
the time this way of angling had
never been used, but it brought
irony to the song. It was just
one way De La Soul changed
how hip-hop was to be perceived.
Just this bit of the first versus implies that they are addressing the issue
of drugs because they use words like hit and junkie. They are saying
how the mother of the child is a drug addict and while pregnant she
abused drugs. The baby is then effected because it is reliant on these
drugs. I feel that De La was trying to paint an image of how at the
time people did not care or did not seek the knowledge to know what
the negative effects of drugs were, in the eighties. Thus resulting in
the harm of an innocent human being. Another part of the song that
suggests the discussion of drugs in America is:
Lyrically, the song is a masterpiece, oozing knowledge, wisdom with a freedom of speech
approach. The first time I listened
to the song I only listen to the beat.
The words were hard to pick up on
because I wasn’t used to that style of
rapping. The second time I listened to the
songs I only read the lyrics and I got more of
a gist of what the issue at hand was. For one,
the lyrics and structure of this song were somewhat
different from what was being heard at the time, musically
and lyrically. For starters, the song had samples. No song, better yet,
album stayed consistent with their samples. The song had a few samples in it but the most dominant one was from “Hall and Oates’ song I
Can’t Go For That”. The sample that used was “You got my body now
you want my soul, say no go.” Although the original artist may have
not intended it to be understood the way De La Soul manufactured it.
It was evident that the members of De La Soul, took this line, spun the
song around into what they perceived the message was or should’ve
been, making it a classic.Yes, “Say No Go” has a bit of resemblance
to Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five’s “The Message” in the
sense that they are discussing social issues. However, the songs as a
whole are two completely different types of songs. In “Say No Go”
De La Soul indirectly discusses the new epidemic of drugs, specifically
crack and cocaine, which were introduced to America 1985. One sort
of infers this because they don’t overtly speak about this, but they
make reference to it in a sense.
“Now let’s get right on down to the skit
A baby is brought into a world of pits
And if it could’ve talked that soon
in the delivery room
It would’ve asked the nurse for a hit
The reason for this? The mother is a jerk
Excuse me. A junkie”.
“Now hopping in a barrel is a barrel of fun
But don’t hop in if you want to be down, son
‘Cause that could mean down and out as an action
What does it lead to? Dum-da-dum-dum.. .
I heard shoving is worse than pushing
But I’d rather know a shover than a pusher
‘Cause a pusher’s a jerk”.
This whole versus is an example attributed to the drug scene in America. Once again they use slang words like pusher, to somehow have
the listeners relate to their message. Evidently, the usage of certain
words lets the listener know who the target audience is intended to
be. Similar to most hip-hop or rap musicians, De La Soul’s intended
audience was Black America. This is obvious in their word choice and
when you compare certain statistics and social issues in relation to
drugs with the black community in the late 1980s. Another indicator
of De La Soul’s message is the name of the song. The title speaks for
it’s self, “Say No Go” and relates back to the eighties social issue of
the drug epidemic. It also presents a play on words. In the late eighties Nancy Regan had a political campaign that was called Just Say No.
That slogan was created when crack and cocaine became widely used.
Also in the 1980s when Roland Regan was president, he declared a
war on drugs. Although the Regan’s had a more right winged approach and De La Soul were left-winged, one thing they could agree
on was “Say No Go... Say No Go.”
De La Soul, evidently was ahead of their time. Not only did De La
Soul, break a stereotype of Black American’s by speaking out against
something that was considered normal within their community. They
too proved that hip-hop was not only about about the superficial, but
about having a message.They combined genres of music, creating no
boarder or limitations.
At the same time created a new style of hip-hop, focusing on the voice
of the people, demonstrating that the people want to be heard. De La
Soul is the the definition of revolution in a genre.
Feet tapping, head bopping, inner sound kind of music.
Music that cannot just be heard, but words that have
to be read and understood. Music that flows in beat
and in structure. Music, which I consider, revolutionary for it’s time. While rap and hip hop came to fame
within the eighties, America on the other hand was
suffering from many social, cultural, and economic issues. Unemployment rose, single parent families became
more prominent and the drugs and AIDS epidemic began.
During these hard times, although hip-hop originated in
the mid 70’s, hip-hop in the early 80’s consisted mostly of
dance tracks, to help people forget about these issues. However, we’d see the occasional artists who felt that these issues
needed to be addressed, a group in particular, De La Soul.
“Say No Go” was introduced to the world in 1989 and although
it wasn’t their first single on the album the song was still buzzing
through individual CD players & boom boxes. The song offered a
sound that no one had ever attempted. At the same time it offered
words of wisdom that hadn’t been heard before. When De La Soul
hit the scene they were quickly classified within the hip-hop genre.
However, when I first heard “Say No Go” I heard more than hip-hop.
The song is a collaboration of sounds that were prominent at the time.
With a mixture of a new sound that no artist even thought of trying.
Before words are spoken, the song begins with a combining sound of
the saxophone and trumpet. Not to mention, you can hear the sassy
shaking rhythm of the percussion’s. When the rapping begins we hear
the sound of the bass guitar being played one chord at a time.Whereas the key’s of the piano are played softly, in a consistent pattern.
61
Boss
was there
Who’s the Biggest
Boss that they seen
thus far? The one and
only rapper Rick Ross
*grunt*!
Lifestyle entertainment brought Mr. Rick
Ross to concert in Toronto. Boss Magazine
was front and centre. Two Boss entities in
one building it was magic. Rick Ross stepped
on stage and the crowd went wild. Staying
true to his street nature he wore his jeans,
white T and Timbs with his energy on high.
He performed hit songs such as “The Boss”,
“I’m Not a Star”, and “You the Boss”. He
was so into his performance that he almost
removed his shirt and Boss captured it all.
Spring/Summer 2012
Fashion Week was a
star studded event.
The who’s who of Canadian fashion was present
throughout the week. Fashion editor’s chatted
up with fashion god Jeanne Beker. Designer/Photographer/Model Jay Manuel literally brought
out his own runway floor and smoke machine
to ignite the show. He debuted his latest fashion
line sold at Sears called, Attitude by Jay Manuel.
Fashionable attire that you can find at a low
price. Supermodel Stacey MacKenzie made a
guest appearance stealing the show every night
with her “WOW” dresses. Overall Fashion Week
was full of surprises and Boss got the exclusive.
Boss’s own Dwayne and Femi on set for Kardinal’s “First 48” video Shoot.
YYZ Magazine launch.
"A lavish night filled with fashionistas whom expressed their personalities
through their clothing.."
62
“This is by far the best magazine I’ve ever
seen congratulations to Boss Magazine”
- Judy Sgro
Juicy J gets the crowd trippy
at the Opera House.
Joe Budden live at the Opera
House In Toronto!
Creative Director | Fashion Editor Mitsy Blair
63
Lokz
Your album “The Point Of No Return” dropped this summer, what has been the initial reaction from your fans?
Well people have seemed to really enjoy it. Everybody has their own
favourites on the album which is what I was hoping for when making it. I like to make music that can be used for different situations,
whether it be good for radio, good to relax to, good for performing,
something to motivate you, or to just help you with whatever you’re
going through. I have a specific vision. Everything I do is for a reason,
and I hope that’s what the fans got from it. If I could, I would make a
video for every song on the album just so that the people could see
what I see when listening to it or what I envisioned when making it.
I got to ask, what life experiences influenced you while writing
you album?
Everything, from relationships to dreams, to figuring out who I am
and my purpose. If you know me, I think a whole lot. My mind
comes up with like 5 questions a second just trying to make sense
of everything. The only time I ever feel like I can truly translate my
thoughts is through music. The only way I can get my mind off of
something is if I write and record a song about it. It puts me at ease
once I listen to that song hundreds of times.
The Point
Of No Return
I want to back track a bit. We all know your a singer but I
read that you also produced some of the tracks on your album. So what skill did you pick up first singing or producing
and why did you decide to branch off into the other field?
Well I knew I could sing when I was 5 but I didn’t take it seriously until I
was around 18-19 years old. I picked up producing when I was 13 when
I went to my father’s house one day and I saw that he had a Korg Triton
keyboard (which is a pretty expensive keyboard, or was back then) and
I tried making a couple beats on it. Ever since then I just kept making
beats on it and then one day I discovered that I had Logic (which is a
recording program) at my house and then I branched off into using that
program. When it comes to computers I’m a pretty fast learner, even if
I’m not using certain programs the way they’re supposed to be used.
By Chanelle Thorpe
If you didn’t notice, the assassination of several genre’s has unexpectedly been taking place. I mean, this isn’t recent news, this has been
going on for years. For starters, Funk lasted a few years until it was
sniped down in a brutal battle with Disco. Disco prevailed for a bit,
but you know the saying Karma’s a you know what. Eventually, Disco
died to a genre that blew up in the 1980s, called Rhythm and Blues.
R&B continued to prevail and still does but not to the extent that it
can. I mean as listeners, artist and producers we were so concerned
with the possible extinction of the hip hop genre that we forgot the
whereabouts of R&B. 2011 came and two artist in particular , one
residing from Toronto reassured R&B fans and the rest of the industry
their lost genre was back.
64
Aside from being another handsome face, Lokz’s voice demonstrates his phenomenal range and versatility as an artist. Recently known from his summer album “The Point Of No Return”and
it’s most popular track “Cheated” featuring Joe budden; the album has received a lot of positive feedback. I took it upon myself and
we here at Boss only felt that it was right to be the first to let you in
on the story about the man behind the booth. This is the story of Lokz.
When you first think of the idea of being a musician, you often associate it with the fast cars, the girls and what seems like an unlimited
cash flow. Seeing as though, this is what has influenced a lot of our
youth today, that wasn’t the case for Lokz. For starters, not only was
he influenced by the soulful sounds of Lauryn Hill, Luther Vandross
and Stevie Wonder but he was also inspired within his home. Being
that both his parents Arlene Duncan and George Koller, were both
musicians, it was inevitable he would possess such a talent.
Tell us who Lokz is? Specifically Lokz before the release of “The
Point Of No Return.”
Well Lokz is an R&B, Soul, & Hip Hop singer / songwriter / producer.
I’ve always been one to dabble into different types of genres of music.
This is very common for someone coming from such a multicultural
country such as Canada. From when I was 8 until around age 18 I
rapped. It was a pretty hard transition to make from being a rapper
to a singer because I just feel like it’s a different type of “swag”. But I
always knew I had the talent as a singer since I was around 5.
So would you say there’s been a evolution in your sound from
when you first started to now?
Yeah, I feel like I’ve come a long way since my rapping days. I’ve progressed a lot when it comes to finding myself in R&B music. I will
always enjoy showing diversity in my music, but even though I can’t
be placed in one specific genre of music it all connects because I am
always the writer of the songs; if not co-writer, and so each song
comes from a genuine place.
Before moving any further into his past and his time being a rapper. I
wanted to get to his most recent success, the album.
All the guys from high School who wanted to be rappers would come
over to record at my house over the beats I made. I’m very appreciated of those years because that’s when I gained a lot of my musical experienced from. I also feel that being a producer has helped
me be a better singer / artist because it helps with my knowledge
of rhythm, key signatures, chords etc. I’ve met many rappers who’ve
told me they have so many ideas musically but they just don’t know
how to put them down. Well, that’s where the production side kicks
in. While in high school Lokz apart of The Remix Project. A competitive government funded program based out of Toronto. This
program gave Lokz the opportunity to collaborate with some of the
cities best producers, singers, rappers, artists, promoters and much
more. He would soon begin to elevate to the next level. It was with
this program he was able to work with producer/engineer “40”,
who works with Drake. Lokz was also able to from a working relationship and has now become his own producer/engineer Pro Logic.
Eventually Lokz began making a name for himself, from the ground
up. Being featured on tracks with Saigon and Rayne Dior. He was also
one of the featured artist for the “One Night Only” artist showcase
held in Toronto. Performing from representivies from Universal,DTP,
EMI and Flo-Rida’s International Music Group. He’s opened to the
likes of Diddy, Day 26, Drake at his 2010 OVO fest. In such a short
time, Lokz has accomplished so much so I felt it was only right to ask.
Lokz has also collaborated with Joell Ortiz, Royce Da 5’9”, Tona,
P.Reign, JD Era, Kim Davis, Solitair, Rich Kidd, Redway,Beat Merchant,
Y-Not and many more. With that being said I felt that it was only necessary to find from Lokz himself, What’s next?
Why fit in
when you can
stand out
I have a couple ideas for mixtapes that I think are pretty creative that I
want to start working on as soon as some inspiration hits me to start
writing. Other than that, I’m just trying to push this album as much as
I can with videos, singles, and I want to put together a tour soon as
well. I’ve also been helping a couple of other artists out on their projects. I love being in the studio atmosphere around talented, humble,
motivated people who just wanna create art, so whenever I get the
chance to be in that environment I’m there. It’s good experience too.
Lastly, we always do this for our readers, but when you hear
the word “Boss” how does that relate to you and your style?
Well, you could say that my definition of a boss would be that I don’t
follow what’s supposed to be “cool”, I just stay true to who I am and
be as a real as I can be so that every night I can go to bed with a clear
mind, or when it’s all said and done I won’t be looking back at my life
saying “dam, I just spent my whole life lying, and for what? To impress
people who don’t even know me that could care less about me?”
Why fit in when you can stand out, and the best way to stand out is
to be yourself.
Lokz the triple threat, singer, songwriter and producer. Be sure to check
out his new album The Point Of No Return on Itunes. You can find out
more about him by following him on Twitter @Lokz88 and on Facebook.
You call also follow me on twitter @VeriFiedChaz for further music related discussions and questions.
Realizing the talent of The Weeknd and being ecstatic about him coming from my city, I took it upon myself to do more research on Toronto
R&B scene. I came across an artist by the name of LOKZ and realized
this was somewhat R&B. Not only did his sound bring back R&B but it
blended the sounds of soul and a hint of pop. This was the type of versatility the game need. It became evident that Lokz needed no “okay”
or “green light” to do what he was about to do to the game. This was
the point of no return for Lokz.
He began to tell me that as a youth he’d use samples by The Neptunes
and Timbaland. Lokz would then eventually incorporate both the keyboard from his father’s house and the computer program at home.
Together it would teach him the importance of authenticity in music
and he soon begun real beats.
You’ve already collaborated with a fair amount of artist and
producers on your last project such as: Boi-1da, P.Reign, Joe
Budden and many more. Is there anyone in particular you’d
love to work with and why? (producer and/or artist).
As far as artists go, I would love to work with Ne-Yo, Marsha Ambrosius & Ryan Leslie. You can just tell that they genuinely make music for
the love of it and they all have their own way of doing things. They’re
not just singers, they don’t just do what they’re told by a team of people that mold them into whatever they want. They are true artists as
well as composers and producers. They have a vision, and that’s what
draws me to certain musicians. When it comes to producers, I really
want to work with Just Blaze & Justice League. Just the way they can
make an electronically programmed beat sound like it was played by
a full band is just so dope to me. To have a whole album produced by
Just Blaze & Justice League with Ryan Leslie’s energy, songs co-written
by Marsha Ambrosius & Ne-Yo and like Michael Jackson’s spirit in the
studio haha that would be freaking amazing to me.
65
By: Valerie Bevilacqua
By: Tracy Ann Woolcock
A look Into the Life of
Up & Coming Artist
KristenJohnson
that’s why I have an understanding of all music” Kristen says.
persisted throughout
her entire childhood.
“There is nothing wrong
with questioning who you
are, what is wrong is that society only offers us few categories to identify with. If you don’t
fit into either one, it can be the
most damaging realization” Kristen
says. It wasn’t long before her internal
inflections overflowed and erupted into
sea of words. Words that attached themselves to melodies and soothing harmonies
to create the only thing Kristen could relate
to, her music. Its faceless composition did
not scrutinize her personality or outward
appearance but instead accepted her voice
for its beauty.
As a child Kristen along with her siblings she
struggled to identify with industry moguls due
to their specific cultural origin. An issue that
She owes her unique musical genre to her
sister Kelsey Johnson who she affectionately called her “second half.” Their collaboration is the perfect ingredient for her
thought provoking sound and lyrics. Apart
from her music Kristen’s family means the
world to her, her mother who is her back
bone and support plays a pivotal role in
the development of her career “My mother
played every genre of music in the house,
Kristen hopes to do more than just provoke
audiences with her music but she wants to
revolutionize the way people view music artistry. Her unconventionality is more than just
a gimmick but it is genuine like the words
that flow from her mouth. It is her intention
to do more than just appear but to have a
voice that is clear, strong, and unwavering
“My goal is to infuse the honesty of our
music with the media of today both in performance and video. It is important that our
music conveys a story through every avenue
such as lyric, composition, and video” Kristen says.
The future is bright for Kristen and although
her life experiences were tumultuous at
times; those trials became unforeseen blessings which aided her musical endeavours.
“Our struggle is what brought us here and
gave us the strength to preserve to discover
our true identities” Kristen says. Her passion
is unmatched and her love for music is like
no other. She will do more than just sing, she
will inspire “I’m a writer at heart, I want to
write music and have people sing it. I want
to do this until the end of time” Kristen says.
When children sing covers of your songs on
YouTube (and K"Naan knows who you are),
you know you're big. Amaal Nuux knows,
and she's humble about it. But after all, she
hails from humble beginnings.
Nuux was born in Mogadishu, Somalia. But
soon after, the entire family immigrated to
Toronto as refugees due to the tragic civil
war that has been endured by Somalian citizens for decades. "Being born in a war torn
country and fleeing here as refugees are topics I touch on in my music," Nuux says.
Unlike the conventionally materialistic topics of sex, drugs, and partying that influence
the younger majority nowadays, Nuux's lyrical content of crucial global issues emotionally impacts AND touches those of all ages
and genders. Even young girls inspired by
her music concocted their own versions of
Nuux's songs on - where else - YouTube!
Speaking of which, there's no more effective
means of teaching youth these issues than
reaching out to them through the internet.
Four months into its release, her single
"Words Revealed" topped 150,000 views
on YouTube. "With You" scored a whopping
80,000 views in two months! Add another
4500 fans on Facebook, and her Twitter following doubled! "(Thanks to social media),
now I'll know when something is great or
not so good."
Social networking has overall benefitted the often overlooked Canadian talent and successes.
"Although it is difficult for us to be heard on a
greater scale," Nuux explains. "There is no denying we have some of the most brilliant artists
come from here and become international superstars. Nelly Furtado, Nickelback, Justin Bieber, Celine Dion, Jully Black, Kardinal Offishall,
Deborah Cox, and Shania Twain."
Let's not forget Drake, a newer predecessor
who has managed to mark his transition as
one of the first Canadian rappers to take on
American and world renown stardom; not
to mention joining forces with some elite
names like Lil' Wayne, Eminem, and Kanye
West, just to name a few. "Drake's confidence and capabilities of putting Toronto
on the map has given me confidence and
realization I can bring what's important to
me into light."
Unfortunately, Nuux wasn't always so confident in herself. As an adolescent she suffered from depression, a condition which
isn't quite brought to attention in her culture. Luckily, Nuux utilized singing and writing as outlets to express herself. "I was my
worst enemy. In the beginning, I was constantly battling my own demons; my insecurities at times got the best of me and almost
caused me to completely give up on music."
Her near surrender to music could have also
been facilitated and reinforced by her family.
Growing up as a middle child of 9 siblings
(2 brothers and 7 sisters), she was guided
by liberal traditional Muslim-Somali parents
who didn't always approve of her career
path. They especially weren’t fond of the
fact she chose to take a break from university to pursue music. However, Nuux insists
"now that they have recognized my dedication, they are my biggest supporters."
But under every layer of support lies a world
of criticism. When Nuux went back to Toronto to study International Development
Studies at UFT, she met a slew of producers
and other industry representatives who she
believed would assist her in the direction of
her dreams. Creative disagreements with producers, songwriters, and artists she worked
with allowed her to discover independence
and relocate the trust in herself she once lost.
Yet artists and producers, including K'Naan
and Nipsey Husstle, recognized/credited
Nuux's potential and the passion that was
so evident in her voice and in her music.
"K'Naan has broken the generic mold of
rappers and has become matchless, which I
[also] strive to become; unique."
Unique Nuux definitely is. Her full EP “Painful
Secrets” will debut in a matter of months.
"You can definitely expect my full EP this
Spring, with 'Words Revealed,' 'With You,'
and 'Mufasa' included."
In honour of this interview, she offered her
description of a true BOSS: "Boss is confident, decisive, assertive. Bosses aren't scared
to stand up for what's right, even if it might
interfere with profit, image or reputation. A
boss is somebody who knows what they want
and will work for it, and still gives credit when
and where is due." Spoken by a true boss!
Humans are
naturally creatures of habit
assimilating
to
their surroundings
in order to prevent
an awkward gawk or
silence. Yet, there are individuals who go against
conventional norms and view
life outside the parameters often set by the world. Kristen
Johnson is one of those people,
a vision of beauty and she’s neither
black nor white. A woman in between in a world that demands distinction and classification Kristen sits comfortably in the midst of it all. Her mother,
a white British Canadian and her father a
black Jamaican immigrant came together to
create a dynamic being.
Her experiences did more than just expose
her to the harsh realities she would face by
being a biracial woman but it gave her the
inspiration needed to create her music. “No
matter what, you cannot please everyone.
If people want to judge me then they can
hear my music” Kristen says. Along with
her influential upbringing Kristen looked to
artists such as Aaliyah for her soulful voice
and rock inspired beats, as well as Marianas Trench and La Roux, proving she stays
true to her bilingual roots. These dynamic
sounds stimulated her idea to label her musical genera as Urban Rock. “The reason
why we call our music Urban Rock is because we are not one but in between, we
just refuse to be one” Kristen says.
Her music falls into a category of its own
which is why she is like no other. Her lyrics
push the boundaries of normalcy and forces
one to look beyond perceived conceptions
and ideologies. She is more than just a pretty
face and refuses to be the next Beyoncé or
Rihanna, who are both talented in their own
right but Kristen aspires to be viewed in a differently. It is her substance and rich context
that separates her from other musicians. Her
incomparable beliefs makes her force to be
reckon with because today it is not common
that an individual especially a young woman
in an industry where image, and conditioning is so apparent can stand up for what she
believe in. “I made a decision a long time
ago that it’s not about the image, it’s about
the music, sounds so cliché but people can
like or hate me” Kristen says.
Vocals
A Voice Behind
the
67
The Face behind
the voice of Flow's
jJ is Jeni
By: Tracy Ann Woolcock
What does Boss mean to Jeni: “Someone
that exudes confidence and has a plan;
making that plan come into effect and never allowing ‘no’ to be the final answer.”
She is the voice of Flow 93.5FM, Toronto’s
number one urban music station. Her down
to earth personality and relevant discussions
appeal to her listeners. Jeni Mckenzie, or JJ as
she’s famously nicknamed, “brings the Bahamas to the T-DOT.” Originally from Canada,
she migrated to the tropical island of the Bahamas where she found her future love; radio.
As a child Jeni dreamed of becoming a veterinarian, but that quickly changed when her
life took an unexpected turn. While teaching
horse riding lessons in Nassau, she was approached by an individual starting a radio station and asked to host their late night show.
With no professional training and no experience, Jeni began what would become a lifelong passion.
Equipped with a God given voice, she did
what felt natural and in doing so made Love
97FM Nassau her home. Her days, however,
were not only spent on the radio. When she
wasn’t on air, she bartended and personally
assisted at a sound company. Jeni coined the
word hustle. “I was going to do everything
in my power to make it work.” It was this
same hustle that propelled her forward and
sparked the urge to leave the only radio
show she knew to pursue an opportunity at
100Jamz, another local radio station.
68
Unlike Jeni’s first job, this desired position
didn’t come without persistence and patience. And to make sure she got it, Jeni did
what most people neglect to do; she followed
instructions. “The station’s director said call
me in two weeks and I did just that.” It took
many more phone calls for Jeni to finally get
a response, but her determination did not falter. As a result a position was created for her,
a simple request line where she answered the
phone. But small steps lead to great accomplishments, and her request line days were
short lived as she quickly moved up to host-
ing the afternoon drive and finally
the midday show, where she stayed
for an unprecedented 13 years.
In the midst of all this came truly her
greatest accomplishment; her son. It
was because of him Jeni decided to
leave the islands and move back to
Toronto in order to provide a better
future filled with opportunities. Yet
it only took three months off the air
for Jeni to recognize how much being on the radio became a part of
her life. “I started to get depressed
when I listened to the radio. I would literally cry sometimes because that’s how much I
missed it.” So in 2007 Jeni took matters into
her own hands once again. With more than
13 years of experience under her belt this
time, Jeni networked and spoke to anyone
who would listen.
Now Flow 93.5FM is her home. “I love, love,
my job. I feel sorry for the people that have
bad jobs because if you don`t love what you
do it doesn’t make sense doing it.” Her presence is felt and heard as she dominates the
afternoon drive between 3pm and 8pm, an
accomplishment in its own right. In a male
dominated industry, Jeni is a female that
stands firm. “It’s not often you hear a female
host [an] afternoon show on the radio, it’s
very uncommon.” In spite of this, Jeni remains stead-fast and encourages all young
women to eliminate self-doubt. “Don’t let
anyone tell you you can`t do something. If
you put [it] out there in the universe and believe it, it’s possible.” Words that she lives by
and believes is responsible for own success.
Jeni continues to live her dream but not without the help of her extended family at Flow;
an environment where she thrives and enjoys
every day. She has regard for her Program
Director, David Cory, from whom she has
gained much knowledge. “You know you’re
living your dream when you’ve been doing
the same job for so many years and you’re
still learning new things, it amazes me.” Her
humility and ability to speak to her listeners from the prospective of a friend is what
makes her differ from other radio personalities. “I’m here to entertain you, uplift you,
and make you feel a sense of comfort. I never
want to alienate my listeners. Doesn’t make
sense to tell you about things you can’t relate
to. I want listeners feel they own me.”
The future is bright for Jeni. “I want to be
the boss of Flow.” There is no doubt she will
be, with her optimistic outlook on life and her
intolerance to the word no. Great things will
come her way and she will do everything in
her power to make sure success surrounds
her life.
Whether you want to save for your education or just the
latest fashion trend, you got to “get your money right”!
Boss looks at better ways to managing your money so you
can achieve your goals. We also highlight what it takes to
be a successful man in both family and business featuring:
Mike Pinball Clemons. Boss helps you Boss up your lifestyle.
Boss Lifestyle
70
BOSS MAGAZINE LIFESTYLE
BOSS
LIFESTYLE
71
Michael “Pinball” Clemons
& The Boss Lifestyle
How does he do it?
BY: LINDA Frempong
I started writing this article sure of the things I would say about the people, mainly the
men in my life, who have shaped the way in which I view the world. I couldn’t figure out how
I would start this first paragraph without sounding like a broken record of what defines,
‘a good man,’ and ‘a good black man at that.’ There are experiences that I’ve had that would
definitely argue for and against both camps but I’ll save you and myself the pros, and cons
list. So here is where I had to restart, I had to refocus the criticisms into conversation.
There are several relationships that define the person I am, and the
woman I am becoming; of those relationships, I think of the ones
which connect me to the men I know. From my father who has always
made the world feel safer, and to my older brother who continuously
showed me what friendship meant when it was just the two of us in
the morning eating breakfast or walking to school. It is in these moments where I hold lasting memories and defense for the young men,
the fathers, and the brothers of our community.
Let’s consider the family man, the husband or the activist, and how
these titles hold so much worth because of how routed they are in
the individual. In every role that we play, private or not, they demand
that we give everything or shield parts of ourselves to maintain some
type of stability. I cannot speak for what it takes to create an identity
as a young male of colour and I cannot say how the world sees, and
speaks of me if I were a young man. What I can do is ask; I can ask a
man who has been through transitions in life that are both challenging, and uplifting. I can ask a man who has created a life, and I can ask
him how this has shaped him into the person he is.
72
Mike Clemons’ story is a testament to how community programs and
youth engagement encourage youth to realize their potential. Pinball
was raised by a young mother, and he spent his early years living in
community housing. During his adolescence he joined a football league
organized for youth, he attended and played football in college, and
eventually he played professionally; off the field he was planting his
feet in social, and community activism. Although Mike wears several
different hats such as being former athlete, a leader and a motivational
speaker, his most important role has been the family he has built with
his wife Diane and their three daughters Rachel, Raven, and Rylie.
The Clemons family graciously opened their home to our Boss family
during a quiet Saturday afternoon where we got to see the more intimate side of Michael Clemons. The time spent with Michael and his
family gave us insight into the purpose, and motivation of his work.
everybody wants to win on
game day; however, it is the
team that prepares the best
that usually has success.
What is it like to lead a group of people who trust in, and follow
what you say? It is a tremendous privilege to be given a platform of
influence. My goal was to be real, relevant and informed because competent authenticity spurs trust. It is not what I say but what they see
that is important. This is the critical point for transformation. It is this
trust that turns my voice into our voice. This transition from me to we
is when I, or more importantly, the team was most effective!
Many young athletes can relate to moments of celebration and
defeat. In your experience playing football, how did you deal
with those moments, and how did it motivate you beyond the
field i.e. school, work, and family? I learned over time that everybody wants to win on game day; however, it is the team that prepares
the best that usually has success. Whether in sport or life winning is
not guaranteed. A vital lesson is, sometimes we learn and grow more
through failure. It has been said it’s better to find victory in defeat than
defeat in victory.
Going back to leadership, is there anyone in your career who
you aspired to be on, and off the field? And what it is about this
person that influences you? I’m a huge fan of sports and admire
many athletes both on and off the field. But when it comes to role
models in sport, many of the most compelling examples are not players
we know by name. The leader I admire the most is not a player but a
preacher named Martin Luther King Jr.
Our first of many great men to be featured in Boss is Michael ‘’Pinball,’’
Clemons; Pinball is a name most of us can identify without a thought.
Some of us may know him for his career in the Canadian Football
League, while others may know him from his motivational speaking
visits to schools throughout Canada or for the work he has done towards social awareness and engagement with youth. What ever way
you know Pinball is a noble one because it is rare to find him not excelling, and redefining the standard of what it is to be successful.
Most people know of or have heard the name Pinball, but
tell me a little more about the man Michael Clemons. I’m a
man who loves god, loves his family and loves all people. While I
have deep convictions, my beliefs should never alter my respect for
another human being or their beliefs. Towards the end of your career and your retirement leadership became synonymous with
the name Pinball, and you eventually coached the Argonauts.
73
Improve Your
Financial
BY: Sam Tecle and Kofi Frempong
You have the prototype of a young, beautiful family; in any situation relationships
can be hard whether it be with a parent, a
sibling or a partner. In your years of marriage and family life what are the essential
goals you strive for to create, and maintain a healthy family unit? Be kind. Harsh
words and actions are like toxins that can become cancerous and at times inoperable in a
relationship. Secondly, be thoughtful. Turn average days into good days and good ones into
great ones. Show you care and the ordinary
becomes extraordinary. Thirdly, be committed.
True love is loyal, not always convenient; patient, not always easy; forever, not laissez faire.
There is a saying that, ‘you are the product of your environment,’ what was it
like growing up for you, and what would
you add to that statement based on your
experience(s)? We lived in a small, familiar
community; not many material possessions,
but enough love to spare, wouldn’t change it!
While it’s correct to assume those experiences
influence me today, my choices were more
critical than my environment. Not only did I
learn what to do, but in some cases, what not
to do. Furthermore, the vision I gained beyond
my community is significant, if not superior to
my home setting, with the exception of the
love support and inspiration of my mom.
74
What would you say to the young men out
there growing up in a culture where their
understanding of their identities is partly
based in their views and relationships with
women, and girls? Your circumstances are responsible for who you are but you’re responsible for who you become. Take control of your
life and use assets like the internet, school, arts
mer Governor General Michelle Jean is a portrait of its power.
When most people meet you in person,
you seem so down to earth, and approachable. As an athlete you are definitely put on a pedestal, and you may
become someone’s idol. How have you
transitioned into being an active voice for
advocacy, and initiatives in community
development? This has happened innocently
and organically. I never intended to be an active voice for advocacy but it is my continued
desire to help others help themselves. Ultimately the most complete vision is a shared
vision; the loudest voice is a shared voice.
You are working with the Kielburger
brothers on their Free the Children project; how important is it for us to stay
engaged with not only issues within our
community but within the global community that many of us may come from?
Mass media and the internet have made the
world smaller and we have become a global
society. There’s a lot to learn and at times it
can be overwhelming. A simple rule of thumb
is to work inside out, take care of yourself and
your own community first.
Your football career is as seasoned as your
interactions with community organizations; in fact you first played with a youth
organization as a young boy. How has that
informed the way you approach projects,
and why do you believe that community
programs for youth are essential? A team
is a metaphor for life, we all have a desire to
belong to something bigger than ourselves
and this begins with our family. Moreover,
our greatest growth and development comes
through interaction with others and oddly
enough we find strength in a common struggle. Finally our greatest triumph is as a team,
that’s why cities put on a parade for the championship team and not the MVP! In short, community programs provide a sense of belonging,
an opportunity to grow and develop a venue to
work through challenges and a platform to win
as a community, not just as individuals.
We often see celebrities or people in the
public eye taking on projects, and initiatives. What was the key goal of your
foundation and how do we, or your foundation, begin to remove labels such as “at
risk’’ so that our youth can be more active, and vocal in how they define their
neighbourhood(s)? The process is elusive
but the answer is simple, education combined
with character. Education determines the
quality of our life, health, wealth, freedom and
family and character precedes it. The higher
the education the stronger the character, the
more commanding our voice becomes. For-
As an activist, and a business and family
man how has your style progressed? Image
is a big thing, so how much power do you
think a suit gives or even being well put
together gives to the way you speak, and
move? Looking back for me style was a fad, a
statement, a point of difference. Today I dress to
compliment my voice not compete with it. There
were times my clothes were louder than I was!
What in men’s fashion do you find to
be staples that every young man should
have in his closet? Black or blue suit, if only
one preferably black with a white button
down shirt. Every young man needs a go to
pair of jeans that you can dress up or dress
down. From there it should match your own
personality or the persona you’d like to portray, remember less is more. Choose fewer
things that fit well over quantity.
Young men are now more engaged with
fashion, what key tools or rules do you use
to maintain a clean look while maintaining your personality? For me it’s about being
comfortable in my own skin! Therefore I’m not
afraid to incorporate a touch of colour in my
wardrobe. There is nothing like a sharp bold tie
that makes a statement and a great hanky to
accent. For my wife it’s all about the purse and
the shoes and for me it’s the tie, the hanky, the
shoe and nice cuff links. With those items you
can make any suit look good, but what really
tops it off for me is having my stylish bride not
only steering me in the right direction but walking beside me to complete the package.
Take control of your money...
Knowing the difference between chequings
and savings accounts will allow you to
save and pay bills more effectively.
Cell phone bill coming up, new J’s coming out and the latest jeans that I have
to cop. Sound familiar? Money always
seems to be in short supply…and those credit
card offers on every corner all so tempting.
What does annual interest rate mean? What
is a minimum payment? And I keep hearing
in the news words like recession, bail out, occupy Wall Street? These are all words (that really talk about money) that we keep hearing
now and sometimes just fly by us. Recently
thrust into the public spotlight, finance is
now a hot topic - from mortgage crisis to car
industry bailouts - and with the media constantly hitting us with these words, it is ok to
ask what does this all mean? With the ‘disappearing middle class’ and a widening divide
between those that have (1%) and those that
do not (99%), tough times seems to be the
new norm, and struggle the new swag; but
it doesn’t have to be. What the global financial crisis reminds us, now more than ever, is
the need to take care of our money and how
important it is to have at least a basic understanding around personal finances and how
‘money works.’ Here are two beginners’ tips
to increase your financial swagger.
Understanding how your money moves. Not
knowing where your money goes after you
earn it means that you run the risk of losing some hard earned dollars unnecessarily.
Sometimes we end up paying for things that
we either don’t use or can get for free. Getting a good understanding of how your money moves is a good way to keep more of it in
your pocket while making sure you’re getting
the most out of what you earn. Try saving all
your receipts for the month and dividing them
into categories like: bills, entertainment, food,
savings, and clothes. By doing this you may
realize that you are spending way too much
on one thing and not enough on others.
Another way to track your money is to gain
a good understanding of your payroll and tax
deductions. In some cases, you can choose
to stop some deductions as a way to receive
more money on payday. On the flip side, you
may decide to increase your deductions in
order to gain a higher tax return. When you
start a job, make sure to inquire about which
deductions can be manipulated and what
could happen if you do. If you are more inclined to using apps and technology to track
your money, you should try www.mint.com.
This is a user friendly website that helps you
track your spending on a month to month basis. Not knowing where or how your money
moves is the equivalent of placing a stack of
$20 bills on a park bench, turning your back
and having the wind blow it all away. Take
control of your money.
Chequing and Saving Accounts: Know The
Difference. Knowing the difference between
chequings and savings accounts will allow
you to save and pay bills more effectively.
Having one account to deal with all your financial transactions can make it very difficult
to accomplish your financial goals (and yes
financial goals are important to have). Your
savings account is for long term, short term,
or specific goals that you want to put money
away for. For example, you may want to put
money away for a promising investment or
your first car. Whatever the purpose, your
savings should not be touched unless it is for
the purpose that it was intended for. Another
incentive to using a savings account is the
opportunity to gain interest on the money
that you save. When opening your account,
shop around to see which banks provide the
best interest rates by simply inquiring at local
banks or doing a comparison on the internet.
Your chequing account should be used for
day to day transactions such as, food, clothes,
bills and other expenses which do not require
you to put money aside for an extended period of time. Being able to separate the two
accounts will give you a clearer view of your
progress on your way to achieving your goals.
FLiP is a youth led financial literacy organization working toward increasing your
financial knowledge. For more information on money tips, fun financial literacy
workshops from FLiP, please contact us at
[email protected]
You have three young daughters, as a
parent what advice do you instill in your
daughters so that they grow to be confident, and informed women of colour?
Pray, play, pay and stay. Pray, this is your foundation. Hold true to your convictions and
make decisions from this place. Play, enjoy life
and get in the game, take chances. Pay, success comes at a price! Never hope for more
than you’re willing to work for. Stay, look out
for each other, and stay together.
and sports to your advantage. History repeats
itself, don’t be a victim, make your own history.
Swag
75
I then wanted to know about the differences
between being “in love” and plain ol’ loving
someone. Rick Ravish* described the passion felt when you’re in love - “you often
catch yourself doing things you normally
wouldn’t… acting out of character for this
person.” Ladies in the group expressed that
you can love multiple people at once in different ways “you can love many people, but
the love you have for your mom and siblings
is different than the love you have for a partner.”
come back to love as ‘giving up control’ and
taking off the masks so we can show our
soft underbelly to others. This explains why
masculinity produces the opposite of love –
fear – that creates a need to control and is
a common trait in abusive relationships that
hurts both men and women.
On a lighter note I wanted to know what
traits are attractive to both genders in a
partner? Emotionally both men and woman desire inner and outer beauty, but what
most found sexiest was confidence! Oth-
As a man I am socialized
not to fall in love,
cause that involves
giving up control.
When asked if being “in love” was a positive experience everyone agreed that it was,
even if the relationship ended. All shared
that it helped them grow, prepared them
for their next relationship and quite simply
allowed them to feel how it is to be loved.
BeLovEd on
By: Dayna Browne
76
As a collective that spreads awareness around the
prevention of violence and promotion of healthy
relationships for young women, the BeLovEd
Movement thought it was important to take our
message to the streets, asking young men and
women about their thoughts on LOVE. Here’s what
6 young people from Jane & Finch had to share:
When asked if they had ever been in love all our interview participants said they had been and knew it because it felt different.
Some said it was a special, deep bond formed because they were
able to truly express who they were and be completely vulnerable with that person. Others expressed the ability to be totally
open and absorbed and “thinking of that person every second
of the day.”
All of the men expressed that loyalty and
respect build the foundation for loving partnerships. Forgiveness, acceptance and “enjoying their presence” was highly valued.
Relationships can be hard work, but not
backbreaking! They are to enjoy, a reminder
for us all - that we deserve to be happy.
So you ask, BeLovEd isn’t you going to ask
about how gender fits into all this? How
could I not? When asked if he felt that love
was over or underrated, Rick Ravish* spoke
to the social pressures of ‘masculinity’ and
avoiding being seen as ‘soft’: “As a man
I am socialized not to fall in love, cause
that involves giving up control.” Again we
Answers ranged from good hygiene (no
stank breathe when kissing), natural beauty
(less add-ons... although if it makes you feel
sexy go for it!) and finally a “cocked bawty.”
When asked to identify what a healthy sex
life includes we got fun, fun, and more fun
across the board. Ultimate Warrior* expressed the need for balance “bodies need
rest and nutrition.” Similar themes were
exploration and learning each other’s likes
and dislikes. When asked if love and lust
are opposites there was consensus that they
are not opposites. As Ravishing Rick* states
“Love and lust go hand in hand and one can
lead to the other. I need both in my life, but
if I could only have one I’ll take love.”
Concluding on what LOVE is in the words of
our friend Ultimate Warrior* “It is alive and
going, but only for the strong. The ones who
believe in or want love.” As we all hope for
healthy strong relationships and happiness,
remember that it starts from within you “You
have to be happy with yourself to make your
partner happy.”
***Pseudonyms used to protect the anonymity
of participants***
The BeLovEd Movement was formed in
2008 by youth and community partners
in Jane & Finch who joined together to
educate about violence against young
women and promote healthy relationships.
The BeLovEd Movement aims to raise
awareness through the arts. To date, 3
murals have been created in the community at San Romanoway and Chalkfarm on the themes of ‘Strong Women,
Strong Community’ and ‘We Are All BeLovEd’. The BeLovEd Movement organizes an annual event in celebration of International Women’s Day in partnership
with the Toronto District School Board
(TDSB).
The BeLovEd Movement was initiated in
response to a 2008 TDSB report called
“The Road to Health.” The report found
sexual assault and sexual harassment in
high-schools to be an all too common
occurrence. The report found that:
•
33% of students surveyed
reported being a victim of sexual harassment in school over the past two years
• Gender-based violence (GBV) occurs often and goes
unreported
Become a part of the movement and
get involved!
Email:
[email protected]
Website:
www.belovedmovement.wordpress.com
If you are in an unhealthy relationship or are experiencing sexual harassment, talk to someone:
Assaulted Women’s Help Line:
1-866-863-0511
Kids Help Phone:
1-800-668-6868
More information and links are available on the METRAC website:
www.metrac.org
Love
I asked the group what the most important
ingredients are in having a healthy, loving
relationship. Across the board the majority agreed that communication is critical
in maintaining healthy relationships. Take
note single peeps: if you want that special
somebody it seems that communication (yes
that means listening and not just talking!) is
key and so is being open–hearted. Without
honesty - there is no trust. With no trust,
there is no love. You need one to have the
other, ya DIGG?
ers described the need for someone who is
emotionally supportive, someone who can
hold a good conversation, being grounded,
and a sense of humor – the ability to laugh at
yourself and others. Physically the fellas had
a little more to say than the ladies! AWW
C’mon ladies!
The BeLovEd
Movement
77
Boss Magazine
Celebrates our Premiere Issue
Boss Magazine celebrated the launch of our premiere issue, in an event at
the luxurious and exquisite Cream Lounge (589 King St West) in November.
The Boss staff and volunteer team wanted to thank all of our generous supporters, sponsors, designers and artists featured in our first issue. We came
together to toast to our collective success!
Boss Magazine’s Editors - Recognize!
Boss Magazine would like to congratulate our Editor-in-Chief, Tamika Johnson, for being honoured at the 2012 Young, Black & Gifted ‘Dare II Dream’
annual event organized by Leo Campbell, held on February 18, at the
Jamaican Canadian Centre. Tamika’s award was presented by the Black
Business Professional Association (BBPA). She was recognized for her
incredible achievements as a young editor, who has inspired so many young
people through her leadership with Boss Magazine.
Boss Magazine is also congratulating our Arts & Entertainment Editor,
Dwayne Holness, for receiving the ‘Building Communities through the Arts’
award from the Toronto Youth Cabinet (TYC), in an event held at 99 Sudbury on December 1, 2011. Dwayne received this award for his achievements as a successful videographer and photographer, as well as for his
community-based media arts work with Highclass and Boss Magazine.
starcast
NADIYA’S
ZODIAC
TAURUS
THEME OF THE SEASON:
ARIES
BY NADIYA SHAH, M.A.
Welcome to your spring horoscope! Venus goes through a rare retrograde phase in the sign of Gemini, as she appears to travel backward through
the zodiac. We now reflect on our choices in relationships. Expect reconnections with past loves. This is not the time to try a new hairstyle or get a
tattoo. You will likely change your mind. May we be led to love that is honest and carries mutual respect. It will be a great season, enjoy!
ARIES
(March 21-April 19):
Your biggest dreams are going
through a process of reconsideration. What once felt like a calling now feels
less comfortable, as you get honest with
yourself about why you were aiming for that
wish in the first place. With self-honesty, a
more beautiful vision opens to you. The vision
is different than you thought you wanted, but
is more fulfilling than you thought possible.
TAURUS
(April 20-May 20):
What you most want is to make
money doing something you love,
but figuring your way towards this goal will
take some thought and experimentation. Be
mindful of where you are spending your resources. This isn’t the best time for large indulgences. You are reconsidering your worth
in more loving terms, which will raise your
bottom line in the big picture.
(May 21-June 20):
CANCER
(June 21-July 22):
Your dreams are especially vivid
now and can provide you with
clues to a brilliant, moneymaking idea. Take
time to document the visions you see at
night, no matter how wild or hard they seem
to decipher. You’re especially meditative now
and can find inner tranquility you never knew
before. Consider a regular practice that helps
you tap into an inner source of constancy.
(July 23-Aug. 22): You
are merging love with friendship. Those in an established
bond will strive for lighter, fun moments
together. Singles might consider a friend
as a love potential. Give yourself time to
feel the dynamics out so that you are clear
on your choice. Your circle asks for more
of your time, leading to many memorable
moments.
VIRGO
(Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
Your career is a special priority for
you now. You seem to have a magic
touch when pursuing your goals. Do be mindful
of promises made but can’t be backed up with
action, especially when someone seems to be
carrying your dreams on a tray. Let them show
you what they can deliver before you commit.
When you keep the climb fun, you radiate the
energy of success.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
You might spend time with someone of a different culture than you
have been used to, either romantically or as a
friend. Your interactions are fun and lead you
to question some of your assumptions. This
experience is part of learning to be a more
openhearted person. If it feels like love, accept it. Your worldview broadens and you feel
welcome wherever you go.
SCORPIO
(Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
A financial grant or loan that
didn’t work out in the past could
reemerge for another application. While it
isn’t the time to start on a new venture, it
is ideal to apply for any appeals you might
qualify for. Large checks could arise from surprising sources. You come to see how cared
for you are by those around you and a kind
Universe, just as you are right now.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
Venus travels backwards in the part
of your sky overseeing your most
important alliances. You are reconsidering the
merits of a partnership. Do you really love him
or her? Is this something that can work long
term? These are the most imperative questions
of this time. As you find answers, you reach a
more honest understanding of what love asks
and what you need.
CAPRICORN
(Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
Where you have been less than
honest about your habits, and especially where you have tended to overindulge,
you begin to get more honest with yourself.
The consequences of your daily actions become more difficult to deny. Change might not
be as easy to make, but awareness puts you on
the right track. Healthy habits become a form
of self-love.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
You can’t seem to let yourself relax
and enjoy yourself. You want your
fun time to count towards your goals. This
makes flirting and enjoying the company of
friends somewhat challenging. If you explain
your desire to be productive, you’ll find ways to
incorporate your joy with your responsibilities to
your dreams. You give needed time to a creative
project that matters.
PISCES
(Feb. 19-March 20):
You are reconsidering your living
arrangement. It is possible you’re
considering moving or there will be modifications with whom you live with. Stay with the
flow, as changes are likely to be temporary and
in a state of flux. Be mindful on redecorating
projects. Unexpected expenses could arise as
your taste reveals itself to be more extravagant
than you thought.
Nadiya Shah, M.A., Cultural Cosmology and Divination, UKC. For expanded forecasts and more, visit Nadiya’s website at http://www.nadiyashah.com
Lady Gaga: vipflash / Shutterstock.com Chris Brown: Joe Seer / Shutterstock.com
GEMINI
As Venus travels backwards in your
sign, you are the most likely of the
zodiac to run into former loves. Reconnections are possible, as you consider giving it
another shot. However, once Venus goes direct, chances are you’ll just affirm the reasons
it didn’t work out in the first place. You are
considering the role a partner will play in your
life now and in the future.
LEO
79
80
Editor’s Letter page 8: Model Tamika Johnson,
dress: Bebe black & White twist dress ($79.00),
shoes: Steve Madden at Town shoe: Glitter heel
platform ($150.00), Stylist Awena Abala & Mitsy
Blair, hair by Kadesha at Movita’s Hair Attraction,
hair styled by Nikasha Bailey, Make -up by Danielle
Holdmond, Photographer Cyril CJ Cormwell Simmonds. Bosses of Our Own Domain page
10 - page 11: (from left to right) Model Kofi Frempong, top: white v-neck (see H&M.com for pricing), Khaki vest (see H&M.com for pricing), bottom: Khaki pant (see H&M.com for pricing),
matching Khaki shoe: (see H&M.com for pricing).
Model Linda Frempong, top: Gap denim Jacket
($24.99), Walmart tank ($6.00), bottom: skirt
Thrift Store find ($4.99), hat: Ardene ($5.00), belt:
Zellers ($7.99), Earrings: Smart Set ($5.00). Model
Laura Metcalfe, dress: Bedo Tangerine sleeveless
dress ($79.99), shoe: Winners ($89.99), Accessories: Masai Market. Model Stephanie Frilles, top:
Forever jeans jacket ($19.99), white T-shirt Winners ($9.99), bottom: Guess Khaki pant ($29.99),
shoe: Michael Kors ($99.99). top: Model Dwayne
Holness, top: Old Navy navy sweater ($49.99),
bottom: Old Navy jeans ($85.00), shoe: Lugz
($70.00). Model Tamika Johnson, top: Zara white
sleeveless dress shirt with bow tie ($59.90), bottom: Zara printed frill skirt (59.90) shoe: Zara royal
blue open toed pumps (59.90), Accessories:
(please see forever21.com for pricing), hair by
Kadesha at Movita’s Hair Attraction, Make-up Natalie Anselneo. Femi Lawson, top: Polo Cardigan
($35.00), bottom: Gap beige pant ($56.00), shoe:
Perry Ellis boat shoes ($20.00). Model Sabrina GoPaul, top: red top from Brazil a Favela in Rio de
Janerio, bottom: Ardene white tights ($10.00),
shoes: Boardwalk ($30.00), Make-up by: Melissa
Galeano. Model Mitsy Blair, dress: BCBG ($400),
shoes: Aldo ($90.00), Accessories: (please see forever21.com for pricing), hair by Kadesha at Movita’s Hair Attraction, Make-up Natalie Anselneo.
Model Awena Abala, top: H&M brown jersey shirt
(see H&M.com for pricing) bottom: H&M pink capri dress pant (see H&M.com for pricing) jacket:
Levi’s (see levis.com for pricing) shoe: Aldo platforms (see Aldo.com for pricing), Photographer
Maxwell Bonsu. Fashion Title page 12-13:
Model Paige Nermeth, hair styled by Nikasha Bailey, Make -up by Danielle Holdmond, Stylist Awena Abala & Jayshawn Jones, Creative Director
Awena Abala & Jayshawn Jones, Photographer
Cyril CJ Cormwell Simmonds. Grey Screen Editorial page 14-15: Model Dasha, hair styled by Nikasha Bailey, Make -up by Danielle Holdmond, Creative Director Mitsy Blair, Photographer Cyril CJ
Cormwell Simmonds. Boss Woman: Tanya
Walker page 16 - page 18: Model Tanya Walker,
(Look One, page 16-17) top: lawyers robe (models
own), (Look Two page 18) top: beige dress shirt
(models own), bottom: Guess by Marciano Delanne high waisted pant ($180.00), Accessories:
Michael Kors watch (models own), Stylist Awena
Abala, Make-up by Danielle Holdmond, Creative
Director Tamika Johnson & Mitsy Blair, Photographer Cyril CJ Cormwell Simmonds. Top Trends
Gregory Allen, top: white oxford dress shirt (models own), black blazer( models own),preferated
leather black bow tie( models own Gregory Allen.
com $125.00) Cover Story page 20-22: model
Gregory Allen: (look one page 20) top: Gregory
Allen JC button up ($225) (model’s own), Gregory
Allen Red preferated leather bow tie(model’s own,
gregoryllencompany.com $125.00), top: Levi Jean
jacket $95 (models own), (look two page 21) top:
white button up dress shirt(models own), custom
made black blazer( models own), preferated
leather black bow tie( models own, gregoryallencompany.com $125.00), bottom: custom made
black dress pant (models own) shoes: (models
own) stylist Gregory Allen,Make up Tamika Johnson, Creative Director Tamika Johnson, Photographer Ishmil Waterman. Fashion Spread page
23 - page 25: Model Sandeep (look one page 23)
Dress: Mendocino ($80.00), shoes: top shop
($169.99), (look two page 24) Top: leather V neck
jacket: Urban Outfitters ($199.99), bottom: black
skinny jeans: Top Shop ($79.99), shoes: Top
Shop($169.99) Accessories: Necklace: topshop
($49.99), braclet: Top Shop ($26.00), (look Three
page 25) top: Urban ($50) botton: high waisted
short: American Apparel($25.00), Shoe: Top Shop
($169.99), Hair styled by Nikasha Bailey Stylist ,
Make up by Danielle Holdmond, Styled by Awena
Abala & Jayshawn Jones, Creative Director Tamika
Johnson, Photographer Ishmil Waterman. Modern Day Cleopatra page 26 - page 29: Model
Paige Nermeth, hair styled by Nikasha Bailey,
Make -up by Danielle Holdmond, Stylist Awena
Abala & Jayshawn Jones, Creative Director Awena
Abala & Jayshawn Jones, Photographer Cyril CJ
Cormwell Simmonds. How To Get This Look
Chris Brown page 30 - page 33: Model Dexter
Donoe (look one page 30) Suit: Gray pant Suit
(please visit agencyone.com for pricing) top: H&M
white oxford dress shirt (see H&M.com for pricing)
Bow tie: Gregory Allen ($125.00) shoe: black
dress shoes (see H&M.com for pricing), (look two
page 31) top: black zipper hoodie (please visit
agencyone.com for pricing), bottom: black harem
pant (please visit agencyone.com for pricing) top:
H&M plaid button up ($29.95), bottom: H&M
blue jeans ($49.95) hat: (model’s own) glasses:
H&M ($12.96), Creative Director Tamika Johnson
& Mitsy Blair, Photographer Mitsy Blair. Finch
Fashions page 34 - page 36: on page 35: On
Tamika: Belt, $6.95; Shorts $29.95; top $19.95 H&M. Shoes - Betsey Johnson Earrings Forever
21. Bindis, $1/package - J-Friends Store. Custom
Jewelery by Lilian Motta for the Gaia Collection,
prices upon request (www.thegaiacollection@
gmail.com) On Zea: Purple Play Sportswear Jacket
Si Vous Play, $39.99. Purple Watch $9.99 Yorkgate Mall kiosk On Dwight: Pants, Urban Closet
Yorkgate Mall, $34.99. Superman Buckle & Belt
Yorkgate Mall kiosk, $20.00. Blue Play Sportswear
Jacket Si Vous Play, $39.99.(pn page 36) On
Dukez:Plaid button-up shirt, Michael Jordan, Si
Vous Play Sportswear, $34.99. Ring, $25 - The
Gaia Collection (www.thegaiacollection@gmail.
com) On Kofi:T-shirt, $5 - Bluenotes, Orfus Road.
Glasses $12, H&M. Ring, $25 - The Gaia Collection ([email protected]) On
Linda:Headwrap, $10 - Nikita. Shawl, 3 for $15,
Ardene’s. Jeans, $12 – Old Navy. Earrings, $23 Gaia Collection (www.thegaiacollection@gmail.
com). Glasses – bleudame. Bag, $7.99, Zeller.On
Butterfly:Custom limited edition silkscreen T-Shirt
by Yasmine Louis - “Jane and Finch”. Boots, $30
– Jane and Finch Mall. Hand art, $10/ hand; Bindis
$1/ package - J-Friends. Feather earring, $15 - The
Gaia Collection (www.thegaiacollection@gmail.
com) On Mitzy:Sweater, $40 - Megakings. Contact @jjonesmk for orders, On Lorraine:Scarf, $10
- Nikita, photographer Linell Roy. Beauty Title
Page page 39: Model Bianca Allen, hair styled by
Nikasha Bailey, Make -up by Danielle Holdmond,
Stylist Awena Abala, Creative Director Awena
Abala & Ishmil Waterman, Photographer Ishmil
Waterman. Beauty Editorial page 40: Model
MJ Nasser, hair styled by Nikasha Bailey, Make -up
by Danielle Holdmond, Stylist Awena Abala Creative Director Awena Abala & Ishmil Waterman,
Photographer Ishmil Waterman. Page 41: Model
MJ Nasser, hair styled by Nikasha Bailey, Make -up
by Danielle Holdmond, Stylist Tien Tran, Creative
Director Awena Abala & Ishmil Waterman, Photographer Ishmil Waterman. Page 42: Model Bianca Allen, hair styled by Nikasha Bailey, Make -up
by Danielle Holdmond, Stylist Awena Abala, Creative Director Awena Abala & Ishmil Waterman,
Photographer Ishmil Waterman. page 45: painting
by Andrea Nemes. Boss Man Che Kothari page 46
- page 48: Photographer Che Kothari (photo’s of
himself submitted by Che Kothari). Words from
the “Wyze” Page 49: photo submitted by author. The Blue Jays Dream page 50: Photographer Dwayne Holness. Q&A With Artist
Colanthony page 51: Photo submitted by Colanthony. Young Woman in Charge page 51:
Photographer Dani Ayee. California’s Mix Tape
Page 54: Photography R Digital Photography. The
Evolution of A Boss page 56 - page 57: photographer Martika Gregory. Andrea Nemes
page 58 - page 59: Paintings by Andrea Nemes.
Lokz The Point of No Return page 64: photographer Jesse Bertrand. A Look Into The Life
Of Up & Coming Artist Kristen Johnson
page 66: photographer Maxwell Bonsu. A Voice
Behind The Vocals page 67: photography by
Jermaine Brown - Prime Photography. A Face Behind The Voice of Flow’s JJ is Jeni page 68:
photography by Nathaniel Inc Make-up by Trish
BesosMu. Lifestyle Title Page page 70 - page
71: Models (from left to right) daughter Rachel,
wife Diane, Michael aka Pinball, daughter Raven,
and daughter Rylie, Creative Director Tamika
Johnson, photographer Mitsy Blair. Michael “Pinball” Clemons & The Boss Lifestyle. How Does
He Do It? page 72: Models (top, left to right) Rachel, Raven Diane, (bottom) Michael & Rylie, Creative Director Tamika Johnson, photographer Mitsy
Blair. Page 74: (top left) Models (left to right) Michael & Diane Clemons , (top right) Models (left to
right) Models Rachel, Diane, Rylie, Michael & Raven Clemons. Boss Magazine CeLebrates
our Premiere Issue page 78: Boss Magazine
Launch Photo’s by Erving Dee. YBG photo’s
by Lloyd McLeod.
patchdesign
ideas patched with design
branding.
packaging.
print collateral.
marketing.
website.
invitations.
direct mail.
apparel design.
In This Issue
from Spring/Summer 2012 LG Fashion
Week page 19: Photographer: Mitsy Blair.
On the Cover: pages 22 - page 24: Model
Congratulations to the Boss team
and their 2012 spring magazine.
We are honoured to be able to design
for such a creative and inspiring team.
Looking forward to many more!
For more information on Patch and our graphic design services please
visit our website or send us an email. We’d love to hear from you!
www.patchdesign.ca • [email protected]

Gregory Allen - BOSS MAGAZINE

Transcription

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