Master of Illusion Darren Romeo

by Alysia Stern

Darren Romeo is a multi talented, magical man with a sanguine outlook on life. He is a professional musician, an off-Broadway actor, a mystical magician/illusionist as well as the protégé of Siegfried and Roy. He is known as “The Voice of Magic” because he intertwines the captivating art of illusion with his lyrical performances to create a formal exhibition like none other. Darren lives a Bi- Coastal life betweenLos Angeles and New York City and between Branson, Missouri and Las Vegas. Traveling all over the country, reenacting his live performance, is what brings Darren just as much happiness as the show has brought exhilaration to thousands of families.

In spite of the fact that his parents had no idea how productively versatile and musically talented their son would become, Darren Robert Romeo was named after the great musical legend Bobby Darin. By the time Darren turned the ripe age of nine, he was practicing magic and entertaining his family and friends. He idolized the late Harry Blackstone Jr. and when Darren was eleven years old he had the honor of meeting Mr. Blackstone at Westbury Music Fair. Darren was invited to go backstage for an autograph and while “shaking in his boots” he handed Mr. Blackstone a business card. The next evening, while Darren was having a sleep over with his friend, Mrs. Blackstone called to say that Mr. Blackstone had a trained dove he wanted Darren to have for future magic acts. This was a turning point in Darren’s life. Although only eleven years old, he was now inspired to reach for the stars. He brought his act from birthday party magic to a more mature cabaret style performance. From that moment on, Mr. Blackstone always remembered Darren but was never able to see him perform.

Music has always moved and inspired Darren. The East Meadow High School director Jay “Hersh” Hershkowitz relished in Darren’s talent and asked him to join the school’s theatrical program. Darren performed in many musicals including Bye Bye Birdie, Grease and Pippin. Having two passions and two ambitions, Darren decided to combine two creative art forms together and entertain audiences using his mystical illusions and his superior voice. This is how he became known as “The Voice of Magic”. Darren briefly went to Hofstra University, but left to perform in the Off Broadway musical “The Fantasticks” which is considered the longest running musical in the world. This was the one and only time that he can say that he “left magic” because he did not use illusion to perform in this production.  http://www.thefantasticks.com/

Soon after his role as “The Boy” in The Fantasticks , Darren was presented with an opportunity and ventured off to Las Vegas to bring his multi talented act alive again. He has always had one assistant by his side to aid in his shows. Darren has not forgotten about chivalry, he refers to Kristy Michelsen as his “Leading Lady” not his assistant. He has too much respect for her. “She is far more important than an assistant.”  Kristy and Darren have been performing together since back yard parties in East Meadow and she still travels the world by his side. Darren has directed his own acts and has had a combination of favorable circumstances to perform at numerous venues including Caesars, The Magic Castle in Hollywood and he has even had a one man act at the Flamingo.

In 1999 He was noticed by Siegfried and Roy. His hard work and astonishing talent earned him his own nightly show at The Mirage. On opening night, Mrs. Blackstone came to see him perform and gave them a gift while on stage. “The present was the business card I gave him (Mr. Blackstone) when I was eleven. This is the essence of who I am and who I try to be. You can’t explain it any other way but as fate.”

Darren has a pleasingly positive and marvelous outlook on life. He believes in fate and destiny. He is moved by music as much as he loves magic. He explained that “music is a universal language, as is magic. Magic can transcend culture and language barriers, but music gives us the opportunity to really connect with words. We can all relate to falling on love, or getting our hearts broken or just being sad or happy…it is a gateway to emotion.” Darren is inspired by a multitude of things. He said “there is always change going on in life, no matter where you are in life. Sometimes friends, hardships or heartbreaks can inspire us… it’s a matter of whatever you are going through. But inspiration is about channeling the energy and the essence of it and attempting to turn that into art.”

Since Darren enhanced his magical talents and fulfilled his dreams at such a young age, he had a message for the young people of today. “Life can be scary and can involve taking risks. But you only live once and you only have one shot to do what’s in your heart and soul. Sometimes that can be against all odds or sometimes when the wind is at your back supporting you. Never give up. Follow your heart. Find something that you love and make it happen.”

Today, Darren is touring with the Masters of Illusion Show through out the country. He is meeting and working with several talented people and is enjoying this once in a lifetime experience. He has been honored to work with Kenny Ortega, the same director from High School Musical, who has shown Darren a few new tricks of the trade. The show will be at NYCB Theatre at Westbury February 12, 2012.  http://www.mastersofillusionlive.com/  His musical CD can be bought at ITunes. 

As Darren is cultivating his own interests in other areas of art, he will soon be unveiling an artist named Alan St. George. You can follow this exciting news on his website. Later this year; Darren is hoping to bring his sole act back to New York, even if only for a short run. But the future dreams for Darren will one day be seen in producing a mega – magical musical entitled Dreamscape. After hearing Darren’s optimistic outlook on life, and how dreams can come true, I am positive that this will one day happen. http://www.darrenromeo.com/voice/index.htm

Hopefully Darren Romeo will be back in the NY area later in 2012. I know I will be buying my ticket!

http://www.darrenromeofanclub.com/Kristy.html

The Charismatic Lisa Bianco

by Alysia Stern

Lisa Bianco is a New Hyde Park native who divinely possesses a varied musical career and a wide vocal range. “Her songs are evocative and inventive.”  Not only does Lisa write her own music, she is quickly taking over as a charismatic front woman, lead vocalist, and guitarist, who has gone on to blaze a trail through out the Tri State Area.

Lisa began her unbelievable music career at a very young age. Her father played the accordion and wanted his children to experience a creative skill. He taught Lisa and her older brother Frank to play the piano. A few years later, in the third grade, she engaged in flute lessons at school. Lisa played and splendidly performed in the school’s concert band and orchestra straight through her senior year of High School.

Lisa often fantasized about becoming an illustrious rock star. Her older brother Frank played guitar and he would practice rigorously in his bedroom. For years she would listen to him bewitchingly play music by The Grateful Dead and Led Zeppelin. He inspired her. But it was not until Lisa’s friend Rob Spina took some time to teach her the guitar that the reality of becoming a rock star would seize her thoughts. She quickly immersed herself in music and carried on to make this majestic dream a reality.

During college Lisa’s ambitions were growing stronger. She stated, “I began placing ads on Craigslist and in the Village Voice to find people to perform with me. I was so confident that I would book studio hours before I even had people to jam with. I would never place my female gender in any of the ads I took out, so when men would reply or call, there was always a moment of silence on the other end of the phone when they would realize a female had placed the ad for rock band members.”

Eventually, Lisa started a band named Red Jacket. But after a break up, she began to perform solo. She assertively sang in bars and restaurants in Queens. Lisa now performs with Ari Sadowitz as her bass player, Ben Nynum as her drummer, and Paul Vitolins as her “fill in” drummer. Her new CD is entitled “Momentum” and is available on ITunes. The physical CD can be purchased at the following link:  http://lisabianco.storenvy.com

Lisa exclaimed the song “Erase You” is probably her favorite song on the CD. “It is the one and only song I wrote which was derived from my own personal experience.”

Lisa recently played at SUNY Old Westbury and has been heard on the radio station WSBU in New Jersey. “Lisa Bianco and The Fury” have some future show dates emerging. These engagements can be found her on her Official Website:  www.lisabianco.com

You can see “Lisa Bianco and The Fury, Friday February 24th at Maxwell’s in Hoboken,NJ  9:45 PM

 and Friday May 4th at Webster Hall-The Studio NY 6:30 Doors Open/ 7 PM Set time

Lisa confided she would love to play at Westbury Music Fair or Madison Square Garden in New York City.  Lisa also said,” I would not mind dabbling in acting if the right opportunity presented itself.”  She dreams of traveling the world, sharing her love for music with all. She has a very awarding and unselfish heart. Lisa stated, “If I make it to the top, I have plans to help those I love with numerous avenues in their life.”

You can find Lisa at the following links:

 Facebook:  www.facebook.com/lisabiancomusic

Twitter:  www.twitter.com/lisabianco

You Tube:  www.youtube.com/bianxnyc

Singer, Actor and Undercover Agent Larry Costa

by Alysia Stern

Larry Costa is a singer, actor, author, chemist, business owner, instructor at Columbia University, a former secret agent and a fashion and beauty expert who has worked with celebrities such as Julia Roberts, Leonardo DiCaprio, Cameron Diaz, Estee Lauder and Donald Trump. He has been featured on the hit television series, “What Not to Wear.” Not only is Larry extremely talented, he is a skillful professional of numerous trades with an incredible outlook on life. He views the world in an extremely optimistic way and is always consenting to accept the next challenge with a smile on his face.

Larry was raised in a very small, rural town in Florida named Homosassa Springs. In his later teen years, he longed for excitement, passion and more opportunity, so he relocated north to the New York Area. A few years later, in his early twenties, Larry became a secret agent. His assignment was to become a confidential informative lounge singer. He was rigorously inculcated on how to extol his voice. His job entailed singing in bars, cabarets and lounges. Not only did he perform for entertainment, but he was employed as a singer to relay code words (which were found in the lyrics of each song) to undercover officials needing top secret information. He traveled the world putting his life on the line to solve investigations and high profile crimes. One year he was asked to sing at a bar to relay a mysterious message when Elizabeth Taylor’s jewels were stolen.

During his time home, Larry is also an author. He published his first book in 2003 entitled “Massage, Mind, and Body” and his second book, “Reversing the Invisible Person Complex”, was published a few years later.

Larry loves life and rejuvenating circumstances which is why he is drawn to wanting other people to feel adored. He instructs a class at Columbia University for the “Go Ask Alice” mental health program. He has owned a few spas in NYC. His first spa was called “Life is Beautiful”. It was located in SOHO. He was on the Regis and Kathy Show for a full hour promoting Mother’s Day Makeovers the first few weeks the spa was open. Today Larry owns Spa Lab in New York City. It is a hybrid spa and lab combination which intermingles luxurious spa treatments with a highly modernized chemistry lab. Larry is a chemist. He works onsite making all his own products by hand. As we speak, Larry creates and produces a topical botox from snake venom. He is the first in the United States to execute, use, and infinitively venture forward with this product. The Spa Lab is located at 40 West 36th Street in NYC. http://spalabnyc.com/

As a man of numerous talents, Larry is also an actor. He recently completed the filming of a television series called “Facejacker” which airs in February on Channel 4 in the UK. Larry has also spent the past few months on Long Island perfecting his role as the “Devil” in the horror movie “Purification” which is set to hit theatres on February 6th. In the past he has been featured with the Oprah Network on a show called “Infidelity” and he will be seen in a documentary on Lady Gaga which will air live at the 2012 Grammy Awards.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xnuqrk_http-purification-themovie-com_shortfilms

http://purification-themovie.com/

The Bill Cunningham Show is broadcast in New York on WPIX- Channel 11 at 1pm. The show recently exposed a segment with Larry, where he sang a few songs. Bill and Larry together received 35,000 emails from fans and Larry was asked to return to the show for a second performance. Larry is passionately attached to music. He has a voice which has been compared to Frank Sinatra and Harry Connick Junior. Currently Larry performs in New York City. He is collaborating with Ashley Ward from Starfish Management Group to produce an incredible, original 10 song CD.

 Larry has several astonishing up and coming performances.

 February 6th Larry will be performing at The Broadway Comedy Club.

He will be in Costa Rica for a week in February performing at 5 Star establishments

March 1st and 2cd he will be performing in “Cranky Cabaret” at The Joria Black Box Theatre

March 29th he has a solo hour and a half concert at Nightingale Lounge in NYC.

Here are lists of places you can find this amazingly talented man:

 Website: http:www.larrycosta.net

You Tube Link http://www.youtube.com/user/larrycostanyc

 larrycosta.net for email list /fans

reverbnation.com/larrycosta

Twitter @larrycostanyc

Facebook is Larry Costa

http://gothamradio.com/Evie.html (episode 16 radio interview)

I heard through the grapevine Larry Costa may be trying to produce a screen play or movie based on his own productive life. I wonder what he will do next……..

Oscar Nominations 2012

Best picture

“War Horse”

“The Artist”

“Midnight in Paris”

“Moneyball”

“The Descendants”

“The Tree of Life”

“The Help”

“Hugo”

“Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close”

Best actress

Glenn Close, “Albert Nobbs”

Viola Davis, “The Help”

Rooney Mara, “Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”

Meryl Streep, “The Iron Lady”

Michelle Williams, “My Week With Marilyn”

Best actor

Demian Bachir, “A Better Life”

George Clooney, “The Descendants”

Jean Dujardin, “The Artist”

Gary Oldman, “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy”

Brad Pitt, “Moneyball”

Best supporting actress

Berenice Bejo, “The Artist”

Jessica Chastain, “The Help”

Melissa McCarthy, “Bridesmaids”

Janet McTeer, “Albert Nobbs”

Octavia Spencer, “The Help”

Best supporting actor

Kenneth Branagh, “My Week With Marilyn”

Jonah Hill, “Moneyball”

Christopher Plummer, “Beginners”

Nick Nolte, “Warrior”

Max von Sydow, “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close”

Best director

Michel Hazanavicius, “The Artist”

Alexander Payne, “The Descendants”

Martin Scorsese, “Hugo”

Terrence Malick, “Tree of Life”

Woody Allen, “Midnight in Paris”

Best original screenplay

“The Artist”

“Bridesmaids”

“Margin Call”

“Midnight in Paris”

“A Separation”

Best adapted screenplay

“The Descendants”

“Hugo”

“The Ides of March”

“Moneyball”

“Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy”

Best foreign language film

“Bullhead”

“Footnote”

“In Darkness”

“Monsieur Lazhar”

“A Separation”

Best animated feature

“A Cat in Paris”

“Chico & Rita”

“Kung Fu Panda 2”

“Puss in Boots”

“Rango”

Best animated short film

“Dimanche/Sunday”

“The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore”

“La Luna”

“A Morning Stroll”

“Wild Life”

Best live action short film

“Pentecost”

“Raju”

“The Shore”

“Time Freak”

“Tuba Atlantic”

Best art direction

“The Artist”

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2”

“Hugo”

“Midnight in Paris”

“War Horse”

Best cinematography

“The Artist”

“The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”

“Hugo”

“The Tree of Life”

“War Horse”

Best costumes

“Anonymous”

“The Artist”

“Hugo”

“Jane Eyre”

“W.E.”

Best documentary feature

“Hell and Back Again”

“If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Libration Front”

“Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory”

“Pina”

“Undefeated”

Documentary short subject

“The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement”

“God is the Bigger Elvis”

“Incident in New Baghdad”

“Saving Face”

“The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom”

Film editing

“The Artist”

“The Descendants”

“The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”

“Hugo”

“Moneyball”

Make-up

“Albert Nobbs”

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2”

“The Iron Lady”

Original score

“The Adventures of TinTin”

“The Artist”

“Hugo”

“Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy:

“War Horse”

Original song

“Man or Muppet”

“Real in Rio”

Sound editing

“Drive”

“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”

“Hugo”

“Transformers: Dark of the Moon”

“War Horse”

Visual effects

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2”

“Hugo”

“Real Steel”

“Rise of the Planet of the Apes”

“Transformers: Dark of the Moon”

The Sugar and Spice Band

by Alysia Stern

The Sugar and Spice Band is an incredible Motown and disco band with a lot of soul. The band is compiled of ten phenomenally talented artists and musicians from around Long Island. Each member has a story to tell and a history with music that ranged from Gladys Knight to Little Buster. The band has an unbelievable song list which includes a range of melodies. “You Can’t Hurry Love, “Le freak”, “Band of Gold” and” Chain of Fools” are just a few of the numerous songs they perform. This band gets the crowd singing and on the floor dancing from the minute that first melody is played.

Joyce Kendrick, the manager and lead vocalist, is a Brooklyn criminal defense attorney by day and a thoroughly known singer by night. Joyce comes from a very musically skilled family. Her mother sang with a renowned gospel group, and her uncle sings with and produces the iconic Dorothy Norwood.

Joyce was inspired as a youngster by Diana Ross. During college she toured with the Eastern Arizona Repertory Theatre Company for two years. She has enacted in a multitude of musicals. One year, during a summer break from school, she flew to New York for a vacation. Little did Joyce know she was going to meet her husband Darryl Kendrick and fall in love. Joyce followed her heart and relocated to Long Island, where she received her degree in law.

Darryl has been playing saxophone since the age of 10 and has performed in several bands including Love, Peace and Joy, Nemesis, and New Life Soul. Joyce and Darryl sang together with New Life Soul for about 5 years. When Darryl decided to start his own band, he introduced Joyce to a few musicians, and before they knew it, The Sugar and Spice Band was formed.

When asked how all the members came together, Joyce stated, “It was sort of fate. In the beginning, the original drummer, saxophone and trumpet player from our previous band came with us on our new venture. The drummer met a keyboard player, who had joined the band but eventually had to part from the group. That was when Roast beef Joe contacted us to join the group. When our drummer left, Tommy Randano (who played with Gladys Knight) joined the group as the drummer.” The Sugar and Spice Band have been together for almost two years. They practice weekly at Jamhouse Studios in Lindenhurst New York. http://jamhouserehearsalstudios.com/

Each member has an astounding talent worth sharing:

Michael Carpenter, the tenor saxophonist, has been playing the saxophone for more than 25 years. He holds a degree in music from Berklee College of Music. Currently Michael is a band director and a teacher at Westbury High School.

Rich Gordon plays the trumpet, flugelhorn and harmonica. He has played with several bands including “New Life Soul and Randy and the Rainbows- with whom he continues to perform.”

“Roast Beef Joe” Samuels is the keyboard player. He has played with the legendary Little Buster.

Timothy Maye, who plays the bass guitar, has performed for over 20 years. His talent will have you on your toes and dancing the entire evening.

Joey Donato plays the guitar and vocals. “He has been playing guitar by the age of 13. By the age of 15, he was studying with Con Estone and later, the great Carmen Mastren. After a tour of military duty and before joining The Royal Teens (Short Shorts), Joey resumed his playing experience by providing the guitar background for acts such as The Belmonts and later Gary US Bonds and the Paragons.”

Tommy Rendano plays the drums. “He holds a degree in Instrumental Performance and Music Education from Berklee College of Music and a degree in Music Education from the University of Nevada in Las Vegas. For over five years, Tommy performed in Las Vegas showroom house orchestras at the MGM Grand, Caesars Palace, Aladdin & Tropicana Hotels. He played behind top showroom headliners including Gladys Knight, Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr., Lola Falana, Dionne Warwick, Wayne Newton, Glen Campbell, Doc Serinson, Paul Williams, Bernadette Peters and many others. He spent ten years in New York as a personal drummer for the Holidays and Cathy Jean and the Roomates. Serving as House drummer for the Cavalier Lounge he played for oldies groups the Angels & Lenny Welch. “

Sheryl Myles is one of the background vocalists. “She is the choir director for her church choir and is very skilled at perfecting harmonies.”

Stephanie Ghulson is another background vocalist. Stephanie also has gained her singing experience while growing up in the church. Together these women will bring tears to your eyes as they help reproduce the oldies in a way never heard before.

The Sugar and Spice Band can be seen all over Long Island. They recently played at The Resorts World Casino New York City Aqueduct and at Old Westbury College for “The Jazz Under the Stars” show. You can find them at The Lizard Lounge, The High Note and numerous venues between Queens and the Hamptons. They plan on coming up with new videos and a new demo this year. Joyce stated that she would love for the band to be able to display their talents at Butterfields or The Crazy Donkey, for the experience. “I have always wanted to play there.”

As much as talent that is based in this band’s unity, the Kendrick family itself has just as much. Darryl and Joyce’s daughter Jazmine, won the 2004 LI Idol in her school. She also made it to the final cuts for Christina Aguilera’s show, “The Voice”. While their eldest son Vernell is a 27 year old music video productions artist.

The band’s website is http://www.sugarandspiceband.com/default.html . Here you will be able to find their next event, and any new information that they have to share. The next time you want to do something fun, and something that will keep you moving, go see The Sugar and Spice Band. Sugar and Spice really is everything nice.

Interview with Le$

by Jason Pollak

Le$ was born in New Orleans and grew up in Houston. He started rapping at an early age and began to take it seriously as he got older. He is now part of Slim Thug’s Boss Hog Outlawz group and has currently released “Settle 4 Les Vol. II”.

Jason: When and where you born?

LES:  I was born in New Orleans, LA. 1985. Eastside.

Jason:  How did you get started rapping? Who did you look up to?

LES:  I mean, I started in school. I used to just mess around with it, but my friends were like “You’re good. Keep working at it.” So I just kept at it and started taking it seriously when I got to college. We had a couple mics set up and we would record on that.

Jason:  So in the beginning, were you more of a freestyler, or did you write?

LES:  Yea at the beginning it was just freestyling over people’s beats…it was basically like fun and games. Eventually, as you get more serious with it, you start thinking more about songs and all that. That’s when I started writing more and really thinking out my lines.

Jason:  How do you think you’ve improved your music talent over the years? You got a real nice flow and rhythm to your music.

LES:  The key to that is a lot of practice and repetition. That’s the key to being good at anything. Like basketball players shoot thousands of shots a day. When I listen to my songs, ya know, I start picking out what sounds good and what doesn’t. I begin tweaking it and I try to work on different things. You begin to see what you can and can’t do, but I always like trying new things. It’s really just trial and error.

Jason:  What’s it like coming from these music rich areas? You were born in New Orleans, grew up in Houston. How has that affected you?

LES:  It’s real inspiring to have a background like that. Especially New Orleans, there’s jazz, an indie rock scene. It’s very diverse. Houston’s the same. You got your underground hip-hop scene, rock too. Ya know, just a whole bunch of music. There’s probably more music than people think going on down here in Texas. Most importantly though, it keeps me from being one dimensional. I hear all of these sounds and I want to incorporate them into my music.

Jason:  Yea definitely. So, I also saw you were part of the legendary St. Augustine marching band.

LES:  Yessir. I played snare. I started out on symbols in the 8th grade. From there, I made my way to snare. That was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. It was like boot camp. They’re, real, real strict. We worked out harder than the football team.

Jason:  Did you partake in any drumline battles?

LES:  Yea, it’s kinda like the movie, although they made it seem a little corny in the film. Ya know, Drumline with Nick Cannon. But it was really like that. It was real competitive. People don’t believe it, but there are fights and everything. It can get kinda crazy.

Jason:  Haha, yea I bet it can.

LES:  Haha, yea. I mean one time we had this big battle in the McDonald’s parking lot. We weren’t even supposed to be there. We just grabbed our equipment and went. All you could hear is a bunch of drums coming from the McDonald’s parking lot. We all got in trouble, but it was cool.

Jason:  No Petey Pablo appearances though, I hope.

LES:  Hahah, no, no. No Petey Pablo.

Jason:  Do you think playing the snare drum has helped with your rap career?

LES:  Being in a band and around music, it helps you learn a lot of different things about music. It helps you broaden your horizons. Ya know, in the studio we search through the crates for all types of music that no one has used yet. It really helps with the ear…it makes for better music. Like, sometimes people just make this loud, rambunctious music. And it’s hot for the moment, but the music that lasts has that smooth melody. So it helps with that.

Jason:  Yea, especially like in your song “Story To Tell”. It’s got a real laid back vibe to it.

LES:  Yea, you look at certain artists like a Jay-Z and Nas. Most of their music is pretty mellow. It’s hard to tell a story over something loud. Like you can’t really tell a story over a Lil John beat (laughs). Like there are records for the club, but I prefer the song’s that are meant to be listened to. It’s also easier to turn those songs into a live performance with a band. Ya know, you can see it turn into a whole show. If you just have like 808’s and synth’s, you can’t really get a band to play it. But with instruments and samples, it’s a lot easier to do that.

Jason:  Yea, and you have seen a lot of rappers lately coming up from the Southern Region, such as New Orleans and Houston.

LES:  Yea, it’s cool, cuz you see everybody doing it. It wasn’t just a magic trick. These kids are all working hard. It just shows you, you gotta work hard too and it can happen.

Jason:  Yea man. So when did you and Slim Thug come together? You’re part of the Boss Hog Outlawz correct?

LES:  Yea, what happened was, I was just out here in Houston, passing around my music and trying to get noticed. Slim Thug’s DJ actually heard of me and we did a mixtape together. After that, it caught on locally and blew up on the internet in the hip-hop community. When that happened, Slim’s brother, who runs the label, saw I was working hard and invited me to come sit down to see what we can do. From there, I started working with Slim a lot in the studio and things started moving pretty fast.

Jason:  What’s it like working with Slim Thug in the studio?

LES:  He’s a hard worker. He helped my work ethic out a lot. Like, even if we were running around all day doing errands, we still make the time to get in the studio. Even if it’s one song, that’s cool. Some nights you can do more. Sometimes I’ll finish a song and I’ll be like, aright lets keep going. I’ll be there til like 5 in the morning. It’s always good to be prepared and have a lot of work in your portfolio.

Jason:  Yea absolutely. I also saw you were talking a bit about the persona of some rappers and smoking weed. Could you shed a little more light on that?

LES:  Yea, I noticed a trend that seemed to be going around. I think “the weed rapper” has become a label that some rappers get. Like now you have Wiz and Currency. Their kind of labeled as that. It’s kind of just the world we live in. For example, Ice Cube is labeled a gangster rapper, yet some of his best songs fall in the genre of social commentary. So that’s kinda what I mean. Rappers are getting pushed into a label they might not necessarily want. Like, if your music is laid back, your automatically being labeled a weed rapper. Some dudes want that, others don’t. Plus, you also have the guys that don’t live that lifestyle, but are rapping about it, trying to make some money from it. So that also contributes to the problem. New artists like Kendrick Lamar, he’s getting labeled a concert rapper. I just think people have the need to put a label on everything. Like, it can’t just be what it is. It has to be this specific thing. Ya know, they’ll say he sounds like such and such, it’s just the world we live in like I said before.

Jason:  Yea I feel you. I’ve also noticed through listening to your music that you have taken an introspective approach to your music. You come from a similar background like most other rappers, but instead of yelling and screaming about the problems you see in life, you try to explain them and make the listener feel it.

LES:  Yea, I mean, I just try to approach my music from a human perspective. I don’t want anybody to think I’m better than them. I want you to listen, I want you to relate. I don’t want to be over anybodies head. I just want us to feel like we’re having a conversation. It’s hard to be different these days in rap, so you just have to stay true to who you are, cuz no one lives your life but you. The song, “Story to Tell”, it comes from my life, but I know it’s something other people have seen before. So basically I just draw from my experiences and hopefully we can all relate.

Jason:  Yea that’s definitely a great way to go about creating music. So, just my last question, what’s currently out there for your fans and what else can we expect?

LES:  We just dropped “Settle for Les Vol. II”. It’s doin real well right now. It’s got Chamillionaire on there, Bun B, Paul Wall. Just a whole bunch of people from Houston. Ya know, they gave me the co-sign and they just lookin out. I got a track with Mac Miller coming. We are just trying to network. People are reaching out and liking the music. I just keep pushing and working hard. We are trying to do some more videos. I got one with Paul Wall. You can just go on www.Settle4Les.com. Anything I do will be up there. I drop new stuff every week. That’s kinda the game right now. You can find me on Twitter @Settle4Les. Thanx and be good.

Be sure to check out all of his mixtape’s and albums on his website- http://www.SETTLE4LES.com

Lindenhurst Rapper Prophet

by Jason Pollak

Sean Werner, aka Prophet, is a young up and coming rapper from Lindenhurst, NY. In a time where Long Island is missing a true, original sound, Prophet hopes to be that voice. Thus far, Prophet has graced the stages of legendary clubs and venues such as BB Kings in NYC. He has also opened up for the legendary Big Daddy Kane and soon will be opening up for Too Short at the Knitting Factory early next year. 

He has been featured on a multitude of tracks and mixtapes such as “Genesis” and “Overrated Underachievers” with his group High Street. Prophet is now embarking on his solo career as well and has released his own mixtape called “The Gate Keeper”. Now, it’s Prophet’s time to drop his debut album, set to come out in the up coming weeks. As of now, you can check out his debut single  “Forest Of Lies”.

Jason: When and where were you born?

Prophet: I was born in Boca Raton, Florida. My mom grew up in Lindenhurst, NY, so we moved back here when I was five. I’ve been living here since.

Jason: Cool. What kind of music did you listen to growing up?

Prophet: I was heavily influenced by classic rock. I grew up on Back Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Guns N Roses, etc. My mom was a big influence in that, she was really into all types of music. As far as hip hop, my brother, DJ Labrat got me into that. When I was a kid he would play me 2 Pac and Biggie.

Jason: Who inspired you to begin rapping?

Prophet: I would say Eminem was the one. His first album got me into hip hop heavy. My brother is responsible for me initially getting into it, but Em was the one who made me want to do it. I remember ever since his first album in ‘99, my friends and I would emulate him when we were young.

Jason: Have you been in any rap battles yourself?

Prophet: Some, but mostly I just did like cyphers with my friends. We just did some friendly rap battles. That’s how I met Chance and Knockie from USB. They’re from Brooklyn. We began cyphering together. Sometimes we’d start cyphering at a party in a circle like you’d see in the movies. We’d just chill together and kick rhymes.

Jason: Do you practice freestyling a lot?

Prophet: That’s something my brother always gets on me for. I’m more of a writer, always have been. I respect the guys that can freestyle, takes a lot of practice.

Jason: True. So how’s it been memorizing all these lines. You’ve been performing a lot lately.

Prophet: I wind up memorizing them as I’m recording. I’m constantly practicing, so I wind up just memorizing them as I go along. Gets ingrained in your head. I do go back and change lines throughout the process. I like to think out what I’m writing. Like the single off my album, “Forest of Lies”, took a month to make. Ya know, the whole process from thought to finish. So, some songs can take that long. Some get done quicker.

Jason: Do you have a name for the album yet?

Prophet: No not yet, we’re still kicking around a couple of titles. One of the titles ended up becoming the name of the last track. It’s called “Roses on a Battlefield”. It kind of sums up what the whole album is about.

Jason: Could you tell me a little more about the album?

Prophet: Well I basically like to write about whatever is going on around me at the current time. Some of the tracks in the past have been darker, or there were some songs about relationships. This album is more about me trying to pinpoint certain emotions. The topics can be about anything from world issues to events taking place such as Occupy Wall Street. My song “Forest of Lies”, that’s about how the world is ran on greed. There’s also some records with a battle vibe. One of those records is called “Break it Down”. It’s just got an old school vibe to it. It’s pretty much me showing off my MC skills. Some crazy scratching is on there. Lots of stuff on the album. Something for everybody. Basically, anything I heard while growing up. I’m trying to take all those ideas and sounds and incorporate it into my music. It’s definitely got a more 90’s rap feel to it. But we have incorporated the newer style as well. My favorite artists were like Mobb Deep, Tupac, LL Cool J, Atmosphere, Joe Budden, Eminem. They were all big influences to me and the way my record sounds.

Jason: You’ve also begun the process of building your kind of own “at home” studio as well. Can you tell me a little about that?

Prophet: Yea, we had been recording in New York City at this place called No Mystery Studios. There are a couple of earlier records on the album that were recorded there. We thought it was smart, if we could, to invest in a small level studio at my place. We were able to pull it off, fortunately, and it’s starting to sound really good. We’re gonna finish up the rest of the album here. And most importantly, having a mic and studio equipment set up down stairs, makes it that much easier to perfect your craft. You don’t have to worry about paying $50 for an extra hour of studio time.

Jason: That’s definitely true. You’re also a part of the group High Street, correct?

Prophet: Yea, that’s how I really got started. I wrote a lot of rhymes when I was younger. I really started writing songs when I was 15. So, that was in 10th grade. My friends Chris, Rich and Gaffney; we all rapped together. We practiced at Mizzy’s house which was on High Street, so that’s how we got the name. We had a mic and would make our own mixtapes. That practice helped a lot. It’s funny cuz I still go back to that now and see how all of our voices have changed; ideas too. We’ve all gotten older and wiser. They all definitely helped out a lot with my songwriting. We still work together too. They’ll all be on the album, plus we perform at each other’s shows. So it was nothing like a break-up, we are kind of more like a label. We’re all doing our own thing, but still working together.

Jason: Who are some of your favorite artists doing it today?

Prophet: I’m very influenced by a lot of music as I said before. Me and my brother get into arguments all the time about hip hop. We are both big fans of old school hip hop. I’m also a fan some of the new school artists such as Drake and J.Cole though. Slaughterhouse is awesome. Yelawolf is really tight. I like the real artists. Guys like Yelawolf aren’t fabricated and just put out by the label. I like to listen to artists that I could feel and vibe with.

Jason: Yea, and for a while, there weren’t too many of those artists.

Prophet: Yea, I agree with you. I think in the mid 2000’s everyone was about making that club song as opposed to personifying with fans.

Jason: Yea, you can even say Eminem got caught up in that as well.

Prophet: Yea, definitely. He even realized it too. Then he came out with Recovery and that’s what the fans wanted. It was more like his older material. I think that’s what the core of hip-hop fans really wanted. There’s a lot of stuff out there, that I think is garbage, but there’s also some really great material as well.

Jason: So, I also gotta ask you about some of your performances. You recently opened up for Big Daddy Kane that must have been special.

Prophet: Oh, yea, that was an honor. That was a crazy show because that was my first major show. I had done some stuff before, but this was the biggest one. It was also at BB King’s, which is a legendary place to perform. So many talented artists have played there. I remember I saw Joe Budden performing there and I was only 20 years old when I played there. That’s pretty crazy. It also was just total support. There were about 500 people there, about a 100 from my core of fans. It’s really hard to describe being up there on stage. It’s just a great feeling. It’s like nervousness mixed with excitement. I tried shouting out Long Island and Lindenhurst as much as possible. We don’t really have a voice out here and I want to build up a credible name for the rappers from the neighborhood and Island. I would like to be that voice for us.

Jason: You get a chance to chat with Big Daddy Kane?

Prophet: Yea I did. He’s a very down to earth guy. I only gotta to talk to him for a little, took a picture with him. Basically just told him that he helped paved the way. He should be given the utmost respect. If it wasn’t for him, a lot of people wouldn’t be where they are today. All of those old school artists deserve a lot of credit for bolstering hip-hop and keeping it alive. It’s crazy for me to think where I came from. I haven’t made it by any means, but you can’t take away anything from what I have accomplished so far.

Jason: Yea true true. You also have a show coming up with Too Short, correct?

Prophet: Yea, I also just did a show December 3rd at Mulcahy’s. I did about a 45 minute opening set. I performed some of the new records. But the big show is January 27 at the Knitting Factory in Brooklyn, with Too Short. I’ll be going on at 9:30. Too Short is another legend from the West Coast, so that’s a big deal.

Jason: So when’s the album coming out and anything else coming from you?

Prophet: I would like to say before the New Year. I would like to have it pressed and ready to go before the Too Short concert, but we’ll see how things go. Sometimes things can take longer to complete than you thought, but I’m not too worried about it. Right now I’m still my own boss, so it’s not like there has to be a specific date for it to drop, but we’re working hard to get it out as soon as possible. Ya know, it’s a steady process. This is my first big offering, so I want to make sure it comes out the right way for my fans. You can also find me on Youtube at NYC Prophet. You can find me on Twitter @Prophet_NYC. Just search Prophet on Facebook to find me. Ya know, we’re just trying to make good records and hopefully good things come out of it.

World Famous Psychic Predictions 2012- Part 1

by Mick Du Russel

As we approach the New Year, thoughts about what is to come crosses everybody’s mind at one time or another. For the second year, I am proud to bring you the predictions for 2012 from some of the world’s top psychics. Let us see what the future has in store for us….

JANET RUSSELL is a well known Long Island based Intuitive/Spiritual Medium/psychic. She is also the host of one of New York’s top cable access shows, “Beyond the Unexplained” which appears nationwide and locally on Channel 20. Janet is known for her accuracy, honesty and on the mark readings. Janet’s predictions for 2012 are:

More people will go to holistic healers; They have all the positive energies to heal. We will be taking more natural medications and no more medications from doctors.

More People will be forgiven for their loans and will be able to forgo foreclosures so they can get back on their feet.

We will be using solar energies instead of the old standby of gas and electric.

People are not going to want to get married anymore as it’s easier to live together rather than go through all the hassles with divorce. The only ones that win are the attorneys.

The newspapers will be a thing or a memory of the past by 2015. I feel that the only way a person can see what is going on will be via the computer.

I feel that one state will be open to alternative lifestyle and people will move to that state because they feel more comfortable.

People will be airing their dirty laundry on tele-services. This way they will have a constant audience.

There will be less children born in 2012. People will get pets as they are less care, sadly.

And yes, the government will admit that we do have contact with other beings in other dimensions.

JOHN COHAN is universally known as “The Psychic to The Stars. He started as a child and his career has spanned more than four decades. His Exclusives and Yearly Predictions to Cindy Adams New York Post have been 25 years in a row.
“Catch a Falling Star” is the new tell all book written by Celebrity Psychic John Cohan. In 2011, John correctly predicted the collapse of Jennifer Lopez’s marriage and the downfall of Charlie Sheen. For 2012, John predicts:

The toast of supper clubs Michael Feinstein and his main man Terrance divorce…Nasty settlement battle for the former lounge singer.

Sally Kirkland and ex Nick Nolte get back together much to the surprise of his current sweetie.

Gina Lollobrigida, still the Italian bombshell, will come to Broadway and be a big hit!

Bernadette Peters will finally get the right kind of Healing over the loss of her husband and then finds a soul mate.

Angelina and Brad do a new movie together that meet fair reviews.

Former screen beauty Diane McBain gets a new book out of her life and it’s a big hit.

Natalie Wood’s mystery death gets cleared up when her celebrity ex boyfriend tells what really happened.

Connie Stevens is back in the headlines with newly discovered links to O.J. Simpson from the last months of Nicole Brown Simpson’s life.

Oprah’s right hand gal Gayle King leaves the nest for another channel away from Oprah. Good results but it creates bitterness from Oprah.

Jeff Conaway’s death gets a new investigation and it looks like suicide was the real culprit.

Rita Cosby gets in hot water when it’s discovered she broke a gag order during the Anna Nicole Smith legal battles. Happy news for Howard K. Stern.

Roberta Wallach (Eli Wallach and Anne Jackson’s daughter-actress) starts a romance with a now married movie star.

Elizabeth Taylor’s children search for the out of wedlock daughter she had. Norah is the child Elizabeth gave up.

Joely Fisher and hubby Chris going the direction of the divorce courts.

Harry Connick Jr. starts a wonderful cycle of big hits. Movies are around the corner!

Celebrity Psychic NANCY BRADLEY is an award winning author and writer of five books and over 600 articles worldwide. So far, 98.6% of Nancy’s predictions for 2011 have come to pass, including Charlie Sheen’s troubles and leaving “Two and a Half Men”, the deaths of Elizabeth Taylor and Amy Winehouse, and ALL of the major earthquakes including the one in Japan. Nancy Bradley, known as the celebrity’s psychic because of her huge celebrity clientele, is one of the TOP TEN PSYCHICS IN THE WORLD. Among her many TV and radio appearances , she can be seen the 2nd Friday morning of every month on the Channel 31 CBS show “Good Day Sacramento”. Here are Nancy’s predictions for 2012:

As I stated last year, starting in 2011, these NEXT THREE YEARS will be known as the EARTHQUAKE YEARS, but will also be extreme weather patterns all across the world. Flooding, tornadoes, volcanic eruptions and other natural disasters. Some of these above mentioned earthquakes have already expired, but those on this list are those that will HAPPEN AGAIN, and have further problems. Places that need to be aware of earthquake activity are: Canada, Australia, Philippines, Baja (Mexico), Cayman Islands, Columbia, Costa Rica, Egypt, Nicaragua, Fiji Islands, Peru, North and South Korea, Hawaii, Pakistan, Africa, Russia, Japan, Tonga, Taiwan, Turkey, Greece, Guam, England, Venezuela, China, Aleutian and Solomon Islands, Spain, ALL Indonesia in jeopardy, ALL Pacific Islands beware, Sumatra, New Zealand, Ecuador, Chili, Iran, Argentina and New Guinea. ALL these earthquakes are at LEAST 5.8, most over 6 or 7 points. IN THE USA, earthquakes will be felt in Southern California along the fault line, and in the desert areas. I would caution people living around the San Simeon area of California to be wary, and strangely, earthquakes of sizable capability will be felt in Illinois, Nevada, Colorado, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Virginia, New Mexico, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware, all places not known for earthquake activity.

The Euro debt crisis will continue to get worse and folks should be ready for some strange turns. A suggestion of a world currency will arise to much debate.

Be aware that the US and China will get into heightened tensions and the US and the world would be well advised to watch out for China and N. Korea possibly joining together for world dominance and nuclear capacity.

More interesting than whom will be President next election (which has not been determined by Universal forces yet), watch what happens with the people in line..President Obama, Romney and Gingrich.

Six more Hollywood icons will leave us in 2012, and two major music stars as well.

Pulling troops out of the mid-east is a good thing but it will not transpire as expected.

MORE major breakthroughs in stem cell research, both here and abroad.

More protests across the world and the US as well, sit-ins, as people stand up. Much bloodshed.

A massive avalanche will deter how people are allowed into dangerous snow sporting areas.

Civil unrest in Russia. Fighting from within. Dangerous situation for the world at large as the Soviet government reacts to the mass protesting groups.

War on terror speeds up in 2012, and many threats to major U.S. cities, most notably New York. I do not see it as being completely successful, but damaging.

In the U.S., we should be extra cautious in watching bridges, tunnels, aqueducts, as well as water dams for chipping away, cracks and also terrorist plots.

Backlash from flu vaccines.  Possible danger to health of those that have taken the vaccine.

All across the world there will be strange weather patterns with NO consistency as known in the past. Extreme cold where unusual,  many measured snowfalls, rain heavy where no usual, drought in other areas, extreme weather and disruptions across the world. Harsh weather patterns that will make statistics get broken in 2012.

More aquatic ocean and lake animals make their way onto shore. Octopus, fish, etc…Also, as I told you last year, more species thought to be extinct are coming back, including those considered mystical (those that many thought never existed) are coming back.

Another death in the Michael Jackson family.

Michelle Bachmann and Sarah Palin square off against each other. Palin, as we know, is an animal abuser, both are prejudice prone, and both will be considered by those of intellect as dangerous should they become candidates running for major offices in our country. Both are worry-some if anyone were to believe in them.

Last year I told you that Borders Books would close. Another major bookstore will fold in 2012.

More scandal for Arnold Schwarzenegger. He abused his power in government and his personal life. He will be found out for more personal scandal. A book will be written about his life and it will not be pleasant.

Stocks plummet and then grow again throughout 2012. Don’t sell and run scared, hold tight to what you can. Stem cell research will be the best buy for long term stocks.

Much bloodshed in Syria as well as most of the mid-east.

New thoughts about UFO activity unfolds with the finding of this new planet that could sustain life.

A shift in the equator will be discovered and will change some of the weather patterns for countries on it.

A major government cover-up will be exposed and will shed light on past events and reveal some conspiracies.

For more information on JANET RUSSELL: http://janetrussellpresents.com/

For more information on JOHN COHAN:  http://www.facebook.com/people/John-Cohan/100000005552238

For more information on NANCY BRADLEY: www.nancybradley.org/

World Famous Psychic’s Predictions for 2012- Part 1 is for entertainment purposes only and does not reflect the opinions of SpotonLI.com

New Cash Money- Chris Richardson

by Jason Pollak

Chris Richardson is a 27 year old musician from Virginia signed to Cash Money Records and their affiliate Young Money records. Currently, Richardson is cooking it up in Miami with the YMCMB crew, honing his sound while also creating smash records for the rest of his music family. Previously a top 5 finisher on American Idol, he is now looking to establish himself as one of today’s hottest solo artists. He just came off of tour with his good friend and collaborator, Tyga, busy pushing their hit single, “Far Away”. Already a veteran in the music business and having worked with living legends such as Timbaland, it is only a matter of time before Chris’s debut single hits the airways…with Weezy of course. Keep looking out for it!!

Jason
Hey how’s it going?
Chris
Not too bad. just getting ready to start the day. Watch some football.

Jason
Oh yea. Who’s your team?
Chris
The Bronco’s. I am pro-Tebow. (laughing)

Jason
Haha, yea. Me too.
Chris
I think he’s a winner. He’s not the most fundamental guy, but in NFL, they take their job very seriously…with the amount of money they’re being paid. He’s a very dedicated player. It’d be nice if he got a little more graceful throwing ball, but that’s not even my concern. We just need the whole team behind him. It’s cool to have that dynamic. Who’s your team?

Jason
I’m from New York, so Giants, Mets.
Chris
Oh yea I like the Mets, my buddy actually plays for the Mets, David Wright. We went to the same school together. I also am good friends with the Uptons (Justin & B.J.). Mike Cuddyer too, he’s on the Twins. We all sorta grew up together, going to the gym. I’ve played sports my whole life. I was kind of one of those, jack-of-all trades guy. I played short stop and third base. I had a knack for short stop. I also played football and basketball. I wound up playing some D-III football. I was going to go to either the University of Virginia or Virginia Tech, but my grades weren’t high enough. They wanted a 4.1 and I had a 3.8. So they were gonna scout me and I was going to transfer to one of those schools my sophomore year.

Jason
What happened after that?
Chris
Well after my first year I came back home and began working in Hooters. Little did I know I would be working there for the next four years (laughs). But anyway, I was performing at this talent show and Teddy Riley picked me up. He’s produced songs for Michael Jackson, Blackstreet. I was with him for about a year and then I ended up working with a different producer when Riley moved to LA. Through my new producer, I met Timbaland and began working for him.

Jason
What was it like working with Timbaland? Around what time was this?
Chris
It was great. I actually didn’t know, but Timbaland’s home was basically right around the corner from me (laughs), so that was cool. It was around the time that Justin Timberlake was working on his FutureSex/LoveSounds album and Nelly Furtado was working on her Promiscuous girl material. I was pretty much trying to get signed as a producer/songwriter/artist…basically, sign me as anything (laughing), I didn’t care. That’s also how you kind of make it in the music business. You have to be pretty diverse.

Jason
Yea, that’s true. So where did it go from there?
Chris
Yea, so while that was going on, I had decided I wanted to try out for American Idol again, this was my third time. I had tried out twice before, but didn’t make. I’m a third time’s a charm type of guy, so I felt I had to go do it. However, pretty much at the same time, Timbaland asked me if I wanted to be on his Shock Value album, which was a huge deal. I was a huge fan of his (laughs). So I went up to New York and actually wound up making the cut for Hollywood on Idol. When I came back home and told Timbaland, he basically told me I had a decision to make. He was moving from Virginia back to Miami where he lived and I had the choice of either flying down to Miami or going to Hollywood. I already had a record with Timbaland, he just had to finish it up. He wanted me to join his group and push me as an artist. Ultimately I made the decision to go on American Idol and go that route. He already had Ryan Tetter from One Republic and Keri Hilson. That was before Keri came out. Timbaland was still looking for a way to release her.

Jason
That’s awesome. I remember when she was blowing up and that song with her and Wayne where he goes– “Miss Keri Babyy”.
Chris
Haha, yea that was a great song. Once she finally came out, she really defined her own style. They were worried she had too similar of a sound to Beyonce. I remember talking with her about all of that before she came out and when she finally did I was like, “See you’re nothing like Beyonce at all. You have your own unique style.” And yea, that song with Wayne, it just shows you the crazy power he has. Almost everyone on YMCMB has a track with Wayne as sort of a validation. Sometimes he jumps on so he can push his new artist. They have their own methods and the Wayne method has seems to work pretty well. He’s crazy.

Jason
Yea it definitely has. So back to American Idol for a second. What was the whole American Idol experience like?
Chris
It was really great. They give you the opportunity to become a star, but it’s all about what you make of it. That’s why you see so many of these Idol star’s, kind of stalling in their careers. You still have to work very hard in order to build success after the show. The show is basically a great platform. They show you what life is like as a celebrity and musician. It’s just a taste. You know, we do the concert shows once the season ends and they are all sold out. We did sixty something shows and every single show is sold out. It’s crazy.

Jason
It seems like a great learning experience.
Chris
Yea, but the fame can go away as quickly as it comes. You know, one day I walk outside and I can’t move. There are girls and fans everywhere. Then, once it’s over, so is that. The four years in between doing Idol and being signed to Cash Money was kind of weird because you go from being so popular, back to being a nobody sorta. It’s kind of a reality check. It made me question whether or not I’d ever make it. Like after all of that and still no record deal. But I just kept working extremely hard, performing every chance I got- I don’t think there’s a single place in VA that I haven’t performed in- and I eventually got what I had been working so hard for. And the fame isn’t necessarily what I wanted. I wanted an everlasting career. The show isn’t meant for that. It’s a seasonal thing. If you don’t work hard to maintain your music career after the show, it’ll never happen.

Jason So now you’re signed to Cash Money. You guys are pretty much directly affiliated with Young Money, correct?
Chris
Yea, like when people ask who I’m signed to, I say YMCMB. It’s basically the same thing. It’s just like, you rep the squad. Only difference is that Slim and Baby sign artists to Cash Money and Lil Wayne handles the signing of his artists to Young Money. It’s really great to be signed to a label like this. On the Cash Money side there’s myself, Kevin Rudolph, Jay Sean and a few other artists, but we’re all like a family. I don’t think I see too many labels travel around together the way they do. Ya know, there’s a family camaraderie. Things are a bit different with us because we are a more in house record label. We roll through award shows together, do shows and events together. We just held the turkey give-a-way in New Orleans. It’s almost like a high school clique. It’s great to have the whole crew there, supporting you at all these events as opposed to just your inner circle or publicist. It can get boring that way. There is an age difference amongst some of us, but as long as we keep that medium of making great music together, age doesn’t really get in the way.

Jason
What was it like before you signed to Cash Money and were looking for a label?
Chris
It was a bit difficult because labels wanted to sign me to a production deal where I would just do songs for other artists. They wanted to buy the music I had made for other artists and all the catalogs I had organized and kept together. I had been writing so much I had like a catalog for Rihanna, a catalog for Justin, a folder for Wayne. And that just isn’t what I wanted. I wanted someone to push my own music too. So I went back to Virginia for a little while and I signed to a manager who didn’t have my best interests in mind. Then I met my current manager Josh Berkman. We were just out one night and I played him some music. He liked it and he invited me down to Miami where everyone else was. I chilled there for 6 months, just getting to know everybody.

Jason
So how do you go about making music? What are some of your methods?
Chris
I like to stay late. Sometimes till after Wayne even leaves. My whole theory was that if I consume myself with just music, I will make the best music. So I usually get into the studio around 7 AM, and leave at 8 o’clock the next morning. After I make my first album or two, I’ll take a break then. I make it an effort because you see all of these other people that are successful using these methods. It’s a little different for me because they do rap, I’m in different genre of music. I’m in there cutting 30 sets of vocals while they cut 4 records in that amount of time. I’m only recording two lines at a time and stacking harmonies on top of it. (laughs) It’s a longer process. Also, with my music, I want to do it in different ways. I want to kinda be all out there. You know, instead of getting your typical guest feature, I want to get Flee from the Red Hot Chili Peppers to play bass.

Jason
Yea that’s funny because I was thinking the same thing the other day. It’d be great to feature Anthony Kiedis or someone like Slash on a record.
Chris
Man, haha, that’s weird stuff. Yea, I completely agree because the way I am looking at it, music now and just in general, everyone is always featured on everyone else’s records.
Jason
Right, and it’s almost become a universal sound, where everyone can collaborate together.
Chris
Yea, exactly. The consensus is you team up with other great talents in the music industry and everyone does songs together. You know, I see it all the time. All the big people from Cash Money, all the big artists from other labels out there- their always teaming up, well, because they make money.

Jason
You guys also recently signed Busta Rhymes as well.
Chris
Yea, I knew about Busta. He is always in the studio working heavy with us. He’s always around talking to us and Baby.

Jason
So, I gotta ask, what’s it like working with Wayne in the studio?
Chris
With Wayne, it’s really just an inspiration to witness him and how he works. There are also some similarities between himself and myself, which is cool. It might be an age thing, but I don’t know, I feel like I’ve become wiser over the last two years. Wayne and I think in the realm of being persistent and consuming yourself in it. You make the most out of it and when you’re finished, make sure you have enough to take care of yourself. But plain and simple, he’s just a humbling person. He’s just a great person to be around. It’s the same with everyone that is there all the time. Baby’s always there, Slim’s always there. We have certain in-house producers that are always there such as Detail. We’re keeping it family, so that’s cool to me because you can always just call them right up. There’s almost no need to go searching when you have such a team environment around. It’s just a different way of doing it. It’s unorthodox the way they do it sometimes and I think the Young Money Cash Money fans really like that. There’s a good vibe here. I definitely wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.

Jason
So what is Slim like? You really never hear too much about him.
Chris
Yea, well both Birdman and Slim are really intelligent people. Ya know Baby tells me everyday (imitates Baby’s voice), “You’re gonna be a star Chris. You’re gonna be a star”. (laughing) So that’s always good to hear. You don’t see Slim too much because he is mostly behind the scenes. Slim’s a mastermind, ya know. He’s the guy that analyzes everything and is making sure everything is put together and going out. He’s the one that fills the voids and picks the records. He picked “Lollipop” because no one at Universal liked it. That’s how Slim bases his choices. If they don’t like it at Universal, that’s the record he picks. If they do like it, he goes back and picks another that they didn’t. A lot of the records you hear on the radio came about that way. (laughing) He’s crazy. He’s also always reading books. He’s very smart. Slim’s basically a mastermind of strategy. He applies that to building this mega-mogul company. And behind the scenes, is kinda more of his thing, but he’s there every night at the studio. I’ll be working upstairs and he’ll be downstairs working with everyone.

Jason
What about the rest of the Young Money crew? How is it working with them?
Chris
It’s great because I can just bounce around from studio to studio seeing if anyone wants to catch a vibe. Like I’ll help them out if they need a hook or some production work done for their mixtape. It’s really all about building an opportunity. I think that was the point of me kind of being this freelance writer/musician within the camp. I think I have gained a lot of respect amongst them without really having a smash #1 single out at the moment. It also shows that I have the ability to work on any genre of music, while my own album. I’m really trying to shake the whole American Idol thing and have people appreciate me for my own music. And now that I’m signed, when it happens, it happens.

Jason
Has there been anybody in particular you have gravitated towards more?
Chris
Yea, me and Tyga got pretty close. We have the single out called “Far Away”. I got to perform that with him when he was opening for Chris Brown on the Fame Tour. We did about 20 shows in arenas and fairs, all sold out. I’m a bit used to the whole arena concert scene mostly because I had the experience of American Idol and those sixty shows under my belt. Like when we walked into the Staples center it was reminiscent of Idol and everything. It was pretty cool, so I wasn’t too overwhelmed by it, but it still was a terrific experience. There was a different dynamic about it. Instead of singing cover songs, I’m singing my own songs. That’s something the show doesn’t allow you to do too much, so that was really great.

Jason
How did that song come about with Tyga?
Chris
It’s the first song off his album “Careless World”. It came together in a cool way. His producer was in LA and he was like we should work together. And Tyga, not only is he a great rapper, but he’s great song writer and musician. I feel inside every rapper, they want to be a singer. He’s even admitted it (laughing). But he’s written a lot of songs for artists that sing. He puts together the melody, words and everything. So basically his manager said he had a record for me. It was a rough record, kind of unfinished. I really liked it though and I took it back to my condo and laid down the hook. Wayne initially didn’t want it to be the single. He wanted more of a street sounding type of song, but Tyga didn’t come with one, so we went with this and it’s done really well. They pushed it to more rhythmic and urban radio before they pushed it to more of the pop sorta radios. So they were a little confused as to how to push it at first, because it wasn’t as hardcore as the other songs they play. But it did great. That’s also part of being an artist. You can’t just make songs and be like, “Okay, now tell me what to do.” You have to pay attention to the radio charts and how to promote yourself as an artist as well.

Jason
What do you think is important to building a long, successful career?
Chris
I think being established. If you look at the success’ from the label, they all have a strong foundation. Nicki, Drake, they built that bottom layer to further build off of. If an artist is established, the label will make more money. You will get more endorsement’s and more feature’s. That’s definitely one of the things they have figured out here. They let their artists grow and develop. Like I said before, it’s a unique label. It is almost like freelance music making. You show up and kind of do whatever your feeling. The studio is your office. Through that, you get stronger and make songs that will eventually carry your career. And here at Cash Money, you know, they just got that edge. They’re hustlers. They grind like no other and their almost billionaire’s by now. It’s still the same, hasn’t changed.

Jason
How do you think you have matured over the last couple years?
Chris
Well I’ve been working my ass off to get into this business. It has become more of a goal now than it was when I was younger. You see all the glamour and fame that come along with it. Now that I’m older, I see it’s more about the business. Now it’s like- How do I maintain this and build a career so I can take care of my family. When you’re younger, it’s like, “Lets go party!” (laughs) Now my mindset is different. I have my hands in a lot of baskets. I want to make my own label, production company, I have my own publishing company. I want to make hats and clothes.

Jason
Do you have a name yet for your clothing line?
Chris
Yea it’s called Stateline. My publishing company has the same name. We started with hats. We do snapbacks, trucker hats, fedoras, fitteds. We have some of that have a militant vibe. A lot of them are in prototype stages. We are going to try to get into the extreme sports scene. Pretty much anything X-Games oriented. Being from VA, I have always been riding bikes around and stuff like that. We want to spread it out to any demographic that pretty much wears hats. Once I get established, I can begin to ask my friends in other business’s to help rep the line.

Jason
Yea, maybe you should call up David Wright, have him throw a hat on during a press conference.
Chris
(laughing) Yea I know right, but he’s the type of person that would do it. He’s a really nice guy. A lot of people from VA have a good upbringing and are genuine, humble people. And it’s funny because a lot of people from Cash Money remind me of people from VA. They’re from the South too. When I met them, I was like, this is a done deal. They were very similar to my friends and family back home.

Jason
So that brings us to my last question. What’s coming in the future? Can you tell me a little bit more about your album and any other projects?
Chris
Yea, well he had the debut single for my album about seven times now (laughs). We have the song and we’re like, “This is it!” Then it isn’t (laughing) and I’ll do another record and their like, “That’s the one!” Haha, so it’s pretty much been like that, but I’m completely okay with that. I’ll make a whole album worth of singles (laughing). These days you can make a lot of money from singles. I think Drake is a pretty big reason for that. We all remember “Best I Ever Had” and his numerous other singles. He was already making good money and establishing himself way before “Thank Me Later” even came out. But we’re really looking for that one track for Wayne to jump on. When we finally got it, that’ll be it. That’ll be the one. But you know, I’m happy doing what I’m doing now. Like I said before, there’s a method, and it works. I’ve seen how successful Nikki and Drake have become and it’s awesome watching their careers develop. Wayne basically took them in and taught them the whole music business. He really molded them. Anyone that says they would have had this success at other labels…just really isn’t right. They would have had their success, but Wayne gave them that foundation. What they didn’t know about the music business, he was basically like, “Here ya go,” and it’s been really inspirational to watch them take off like they have. I can’t wait to drop my own single and album. I am extremely happy to have found Cash Money. They’re the only label that wanted to push me as an artist and thought I was a different. Ya know, there are millions of white dudes that can sing, it’s now my job to add my own twist. So, as I mentioned before, I want to add unique features and create a nice vibe on my album. We already have Travie McCoy, I would like to get Tyga, I would love Flee. Slash would be awesome. I am actually friends with Slash through Ellen DeGeneres. I met Ellen through Idol and we became friends, so she invites me to her birthday party every year. That’s where I met Slash and that’s how you make those weird connections. It’s through these random events and people you know. So that’d be great if I can get some of them. I also like searching through the vast amount of talent in the industry. There are tons of producers that out there, that are really good, it doesn’t always have to be a big name. But yea, that’s pretty much it and I guess keep your ears peeled for my debut single and album!

Introducing Singer/Songwriter VINCENT POAG

by Mick Du Russel

Sometimes in life, a man has dreams that often get’s put on the back burner as education and a career demand full attention. For most, these dreams remain just what they are…dreams. For others, it comes to life down the road when the time is right. Vincent Poag is that person. A singer/songwriter, he has just put out his first CD aptly named “Circling Back” and his love of music shines through on this brilliant debut CD. Crafty lyrics, flowing melodic music and a voice that sounds very Dylanesque with a hint of Tom Waits, this is a CD that deserves more than just one listen to. I spoke to Vincent recently as his CD is starting to create a stir in the music industry….

MICK: You are originally from Long Island Vincent?
VINCENT: Yes, I grew up in Massapequa. I lived there until I went to college and now I’ve been living in Manhattan for quite a long time now. My whole family was from Long Island. I only have fond memories! I love Long Island! My father and his brothers had a hardware store in town and I kind of grew up in that store.

MICK: Does your family still live out here?
VINCENT: I do have some family that still lives on the Island but now we are kind of spread out. I come from a pretty large family. I still go out there quite a bit. On a beautiful day, it’s a beautiful as anywhere in the world!

MICK: When did you write your first song?
VINCENT: A long time ago! I’m a 60 year old guy now! I started as a teenager writing songs.

MICK: After starting out as a musician, you left that behind to enter the business world. What type of career did you go into?
VINCENT: I always considered myself a pretty good song writer and that’s the part of the music that I loved and had the most talent in. But I wasn’t the most proficient musician so I couldn’t really make a living as a studio musician or playing dates as a musician. So growing up in a business where my family always worked for themselves, eventually I knew I would just work for myself. I went into commercial real estate. I got tired of starving and used my creativity in a different way. It’s worked out real well for me. But there was this part that I left behind musically. Once you move into the business side, it becomes harder to have that freedom to create as an artist.

MICK: While you were in that career, did you play or write at all?
VINCENT: I kept involved to a certain degree but kept it limited to family functions and things of that nature. I did write songs along the way. I’ve always loved music and all kinds of artists. I’ve always continued to appreciate the music. I felt that I left a piece of me behind and that it was something I should have continued.

MICK: In 2008, you did get back into music again. How did that come about?
VINCENT: My wife was insightful enough to get me guitar lessons with a local rocker by the name of Aric Carroll (who also records under the name Slim Francis). One thing led to another and I felt that I should start recording a lot of the songs that I’ve written or they were going to go with me! Aric set up a home studio and I recorded 15-20 songs over a couple of days. He suggested I bring in some musicians and this started to really percolate my creative juices in terms of what I could do with these songs. I’ve always been the kind of person that can’t do things halfway. I have to give it my all or it’s not worth doing. So musicians were brought in and I decided to see how much further I could take this. I eventually hooked up with arranger by the name of Cathy Sommer, who is a conductor and we started to explore all kinds of orchestrations.

MICK: How did you hook up with Cathy?
VINCENT: My wife had a friend who had been involved with Broadway and had worked with her. I got her name and hooked up with her. It ended up being a very wonderful collaboration. She took me to places that I never thought I would go. For me to explore full orchestrations and make decisions around all kinds of instrumentation was wonderful. I’m really glad I had that opportunity and I’m very proud of the end result. The Christmas song is being played now. It’s one of my favorites on the CD. It’s a contemporary Christmas song and I think it has a poignant message. I hoping more people will listen to it! “The Stress Song” is another song that’s a fun song. The song was actually written by Phil Stubbs from the Bahamas. He’s a guy who has devoted his whole life to music. He has an incredible body of music. I happened to hear this song ten years ago out on Long Island being played by a Caribbean group. This was way before I ever planned to record a CD. I rewrote the song for one of my birthday parties, played it and had fun with it. It’s one of my favorite songs so when I wanted to make my CD, I went down to the Bahamas to meet Phil and get permission to use the song with my changes to the lyrics. We ended up becoming very close friends. He’s very famous down there and he’s handcuffed by the limitations of the Bahamas. I kept his basic chorus but I changed the verses and the music to some degree. It’s a fun song with a great message. The song got up to number 5 on the FM QB charts so I’m very pleased!

MICK: What inspires you?
VINCENT: I love being able to create a song from scratch. It comes painfully! Sometimes it just flows but other times it comes hard with the right words and the right music. But when you finish and you listen, it is so all inspiring! It’s very hard to land sometimes particularly with the different arrangements but when you do, when you finish a song and you feel good about it, it inspires me and I hope it does other people as well.

MICK: Does it typically take you long to write a song?
VINCENT: It varies. Sometimes it’s easier than others. At this stage in my life, I’m involved with so many things. I run a business and that takes up a lot of my time. Just being able to devote myself to the songs and focus is sometimes difficult. But I’ve learned to be patient. I’ve learned to trust myself and I don’t settle. Unless I’m happy with it, I just keep going. I can’t do things halfway and I won’t release anything until it’s to my liking and my satisfaction. I consider myself a songwriter and a singer by default because at this stage in the game, if I didn’t sing my own songs, they weren’t going to get done. I’m glad that I did finish the first album and I’m working on the second one now. I have a lot of great new songs that I’m very excited with!

We are very excited too!
To find more on Vincent, please go to: http://vincentpoag.com/
Vincent Poag – Circling Back
Buy the CD at CDBaby.com
Buy MP3′s on iTunes!