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……..

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.

Westbury Welcomes OLIVIA NEWTON JOHN

by Mick Du Russel

For more than four decades, OLIVIA NEWTON JOHN has captivated the world over with her talent, charm and numerous acts of humanitarianism. She is a fine actress in many hit movies, a four time Grammy Award winner and has sold over 100 million albums worldwide. Today, Olivia continues to record, appear in movies, and support her favorite charities. Her short December tour comes to the NYCB Theatre at Westbury on December 8th. I was thrilled to speak with Olivia prior to the start of this tour!

MICK: I’m sure you’ve been very busy since last October with Breast Cancer Awareness month and your other projects. Did you get a chance to rest at all?
OLIVIA: I made a movie recently so I’ve been promoting that. I’ve always been an advocate of self exam and breast cancer awareness for a long time. I do get to rest when I can!

MICK: Please tell me about your first book “LivWise: Easy Recipes For A Healthy, Happy Life” (Murdoch Books) that was recently released in Australia!
OLIVIA: It’s a cook book that will be coming out in America next year at some point. The money raised from the sale of the book will go to my cancer wellness center in Melbourne, Australia that will be opening next year as well. This book is a healthy look at eating and as I’m not a gourmet chef of any kind, I asked some friends to contribute to my book. Gaia Retreat & Spa is a spa that I’m a part owner in Australia. We have the most amazing chef and we have our own garden to grow amazing food. They contributed some recipes. Another friend of mine who contributed is Karen Inge, who is a nutritionist in Melbourne (which is where my hospital is). She will be advising us at the hospital. Another friend is Kristine Matheson who heals herself through food. She talks about growing your own sprout and things like that. I also include a few of my own recipes. They’ve made a really pretty book out of it and it did really well in Australia. We are hoping is does well in America too. Again, all of my money from the book goes to the hospital!

MICK: Your new CD “Portraits: A Tribute to Great Women of Song” was produced by Phil Ramone. What was it like working with him?
OLIVIA: He’s great! He’s an old friend of mine. I’ve known him for a very long time. In fact, the first movie I ever made was a movie called “Tomorrow” in the 1960′s. Phil was the musical director so I’ve known him since then! It’s time we got to do an album together. This was done a number of years ago so this is a re-release.

MICK: How did you choose the songs for the CD?
OLIVIA: It was all women that I’ve admired. Their songs or their singing affected me in some way so I picked all of the women whose songs that I loved.

MICK: In your amazing life, what would you consider your biggest thrill up to this point in your life?
OLIVIA: Having my daughter! Nothing compares to that!

MICK: And how is she doing?
OLIVIA: She doing quite well thank you!

MICK: Do you keep in touch with John Travolta?
OLIVIA: Yes we do keep in touch!

MICK: In 2007, your holiday recording “Christmas Wish” was a big hit. Is Christmas your favorite holiday?
OLIVIA: I do like Christmas because people do get together at that time of year. When I lived in Los Angeles, my house was the place where we would do a lot of the traditional things on holidays like Easter. I used to love Easter when my daughter was small because we would have all the kids over looking for Easter eggs. But Christmas is a lovely holiday because people make an effort to get together.

MICK: You and your husband John Easterling are very big on spreading the word about saving the rain forest. Have you seen more progress in this movement?
OLIVIA: It’s hard to say. I think the more awareness and education, the more improvement will be and the word eventually gets to paths of people who really care. My husband is very optimistic about this and he believes there is change happening. I’d rather be on the edge of optimism because I think we can turn things around before it’s too late. My husband’s company gets herbs from the Amazon rain forest and these herbs have amazing healing qualities. Most of our pharmaceuticals are based on research they done on these pharmaceutical plants. I think that when they realize if we lose the rain forest, we will lose all of these keys to healing. It is incredibly import to save!

MICK: How did you meet your husband?
OLIVIA: I met my husband about 18 years ago through my friends Nancy and Jim. They went to a health and wellness convention and he was demonstrating his herbs to people.
They took the herbs and felt so amazing that they went back the next day and became friends with him. Then they introduced me to him when I went to a talk about the rain forest. That was almost 19 years ago, right after I had breast cancer. I ended up giving him a puppy because he loved my dog so much. That dog just passed away last year. We were friends for a long time and then four years ago, he invited me to the rain forest and we fell in love!

MICK: 2012 already looks like a very busy year for you with the new movie and the new CD. What’s coming after that?
OLIVIA: It’s going to be a real incredible year because the first section of my hospital in Melbourne will open. The Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Centre which is something I’ve been working to help raise money for the last eight years. The building is almost complete and we will be opening the first part of it in June.That’s really exciting! The culmination of many years work! I’m also doing a tour in Australia with a symphony and we will be raising money for the hospital.

MICK: Which of today’s artists do you like?
OLIVIA: Oh gosh there’s so many talented people! I love Pink! I love Beyonce. There’s so much talent out there, I’m always blown away! The standards of the singing and writing are just fantastic!

MICK: Do you still live in Australia?
OLIVIA: I have a place in Australia and my husband and I are based out of Florida now. I moved from California to Florida because that’s where he is. That was a whole change of life but it’s been wonderful.

MICK: Is there anybody you would still like to work with that you haven’t worked with already?
OLIVIA: Yes tons of people! I’d like to work with Rod Stewart again sometime. We did something together around 30 years ago. Of course you always want to sing with a Beatle so I’d love to sing with Paul McCartney. I’d also like to work with Eric Clapton. There’s so many talented guys out there and some amazing girls too!

MICK: You are coming to Westbury on December 8th. What can your fans expect to hear?
OLIVIA: They will hear the songs they expect to hear from what I gather from my fan mail and when they write to me. They will hear my hits, plus I’ll put a smattering of new things in like from the movie I just made. I do a new song for that so that will be in the show. I will probably do some Christmas songs because we are close to Christmas! And a song off of “Portraits”. It will be a mixture of my whole career.

Olivia Newton John comes to the NYCB Theatre at Westbury
in Westbury NY on Thu, Dec 8, 2011 08:00 PM

For more on Olivia visit http://www.olivianewton-john.com/

Chatting with Original Pussycat Doll Kaya Jones 

by Drew Snyder

I had the opportunity to speak with singer Kaya Jones whose popularity soared as one of the original members of the Pussycat Dolls. Since then she has set on her sights on a solo career which has spawned the most recent single “Every 7 Seconds” off the Release EP (Available on iTunes now). Be sure to check her out as she will be performing live at the Dublin Pub on Long Island December 3rd.

Drew: First, who were your influences in the very beginning?

Kaya: Madonna and Michael Jackson. But I really fell in love with Nina Simone early on when I was like six years old.

Drew: How did this solo project come to be? And what are some of the biggest changes you’ve made since your days with the Pussycat Dolls?

Kaya: Well the solo process came to be after I left the Pussycat Dolls. I kind of wanted to take a break from music for a little bit so I moved to New York to model. I had dyed my hair black and had all these tattoos. I felt like the blonde was too girly and I just wanted some edge. So the solo project actually happened when I got back to Los Angeles and was finished with my angst and a lot of my music friends suggested I start singing again. So in 2009 I started the process of recording and kind of finding my sound as an artist so now that I have my sound we’re ready for the LP launch in the New Year. The process was definitely a journey of finding my sound as an artist and being authentic to the work so the difference is that I’m on my own label, which I’ve started because I wanted to have creative control, which is something I didn’t have in the Pussycat Dolls. So I think that the biggest difference is that it’s genuine to me as an artist and I think you should be honest to your audience because they can sense that sense of not being yourself. I’m really happy with where I am as an artist today because I’m involved in every aspect of my career now.

Drew:In the past, you’ve worked with some big stars including Eminem and Mick Jagger. What was that like and did you learn anything from them?

Kaya: I did! I actually met Eminem when I was thirteen with D12. Proof from D12 was actually who connected me with R. Kelly when I first started so when I worked with D12 and Eminem seven years later it was kind of funny and we were joking about it on set. Eminem is a really talented individual. I think he has a bad stigma around him but he’s actually really professional. Mick Jagger was very different but we’re talking about someone who is so gifted. When I first met him it was random, I got a phone call from David Stewart from the Eurythmics and he says, “Can you come down to the studio?” so I went down and there was Mick Jagger in a booth and I was like “Oh my god.” He didn’t tell me what I was doing; he just said to come down. But Mick was really great. He was really sweet and professional. Just a genuine human being whose very grounded in who he is. At the time it was Katy Perry and I doing vocals and she hadn’t launched her record yet so it was an incredible experience to not only work with Katy but to do the same with Mick. He was very genuine. I don’t think people would assume that somebody on that level of talent and longevity would be so sweet. It was an honor to work with not only a legend but someone who was just a real human being and not someone with a big head who thought the were so amazing.

Drew: What kind of stuff have you been listening to while on tour? If you could pick one ideal person or group to perform with in the future, who would it be?

Kaya: I’ve been listening to a lot of LMFAO. I also love Skrillex. I’m a big Skrilex fan. I just think he’s such a genius and it’s incredible what he’s doing with that sound right now. I listen to a lot of DJs. Some DJs who produce as well can open your horizons to different things. I also listen to a lot of older artists like Dusty Springfield, Janis Joplin, Dinah Washington, Billie Holliday, and Elvis. I kind of have a very eclectic repertoire of things I listen to.

I would definitely say Kanye West. I met Kanye when I was with the Pussycat Dolls in 2005 and he was on his horizon and fairly big but not the magnitude he is now. I said “Oh my god I would love to work with you!” and he was all for it. Some people over there weren’t feeling my idea so that never happened. He was so gifted back then. So I would pick him because he’s such a visionary who gravitates to doing things that are outside the box. I also would pick John Mayer who’s great or Bruno Mars. If it were a female it would probably be Ciara or someone that has a different sound than me or a sound that compliments mine.

Drew: Since you’ll be playing the Dublin Pub on Long Island, how do you like performing live in New York? How does it compare to playing in other places?

Kaya: All over the world it’s very different. When I was performing in China they kind of just stare but sometimes they get really excited and scream. During the song they just watch you but once it’s over they’re very happy. American crowds are very involved and engaging. They let you know when they like it or don’t like it or how they’re feeling. But anytime I’m in New York I love it. Long Island is great. I love going to some of the smaller cities. A lot of artists don’t get to travel to the small cities as much. It’s a lot more personal. People are really warm and genuine and it’s just a good interaction with your audience.

Drew: Lately it seems like a lot of female artists such as yourself and Lady Gaga have been very vocal when it comes to LGBT issues. How have you helped out that community and when did this begin?

Kaya: The journey began because I had a lot of friends in the community and they suggested I do a show. I was asked to do “Pride” and that’s where it started for me. When San Diego Pride and Los Angeles Pride asked me be part of the movement and become involved in the show. So I connected with GLAAD and working with them and being on the committee was amazing. The issue that started it was when my cousin came out. That was a big deal for my family and they had a hard time with it. Now they’ve come through his journey with him so it’s in a good place. But my friends as well. Working in the entertainment industry I’ve had a lot of friends who have dealt with the lack of understanding so it was personal for me. When I realized there were areas where I could help out like with marriage equality I wanted to get involved. We’re doing an equality tour and I’m really happy to lend a voice to the community but it isn’t on the spectrum of being someone who’s a lesbian or gay, it’s just that they are my friends and family and I’d like to speak out for them.

Drew: In 2010, you spent two weeks in Iraq performing for our troops as part of a USO tour. What kind of feedback did you get from our men and women in uniform and what was your experience like as a whole?

Kaya: I mean I keep saying it was very real because that’s the only way I can explain it. It was heavy and incredible. I had moments with each one of the soldiers I met over there and I’m in touch with a lot of them via Twitter and Facebook, which has been awesome. It was amazing and it was something I’ve always wanted to do from being a little girl and seeing old footage of all the Hollywood stars that have gone over like Ann-Margret and Marilyn Monroe. So it was really amazing to be with them and support our men and women. That was kind another part of why I became active in the LGBT community. I was doing so much with our troops and seeing how they come home and all the rights and issues that our women and women are dealing with so I started going down to the VA hospitals and it became very aware that our Gay and Lesbian community were part of our Military and these people who defend my freedom don’t have many rights. I wake up in this wonderful country and have this freedom because of them and that’s not fair that they are fighting and dying for our country and don’t have their rights. I not only wanted to work with the USO but be part of the equality movement.

Drew: Give us some insight into your latest EP entitled Release. Which track would you say you’re most proud of and why?

Kaya: That’s so hard! They’re actually all my babies. Because you spend so much time perfecting each one. The EP is actually a snippet of the new LP, which is coming out in the New Year. I’m really excited about the LP because it’s a full motif of sounds but the EP is a teaser of what to expect. “Release the Energy” is about your inner light, finding your inner strength and releasing it. It’s about knowing what that is and being proud of what you have to offer this world. So it’s a very empowering song. We release our energy in a positive way whether it’s at work or with or family or friends. We do something wonderful for this earth and for ourselves. “Boyfriend” is about being dumped for a man, which actually happened to me. But the remix of that is a completely different take on it. “Like U” is a mid-tempo ballad, which will be included on the full LP and that for me, is a sweet song. There’s that statistic where men think about sex every seven seconds and that was my take on the idea that women do too. So men aren’t the only ones and it’s kind of empowering to say, “Hey, we do too.” I can’t say I have a favorite. They’re all my favorites.

Drew: This year you shot a music video for the single “Take It Off.” How much input did you have in the making of it and what was the process like?

Kaya: “Take It Off” was a lot of fun. We went out to the desert to this junkyard. The input I kind of threw in was when they had me in front of a car and I was like “Can they have me working on the car?” and they were like “OK.” So I had this wild idea to cover myself in real car oil, which isn’t the smartest thing to do because it doesn’t come off easy. It takes this special liquid that you have to use in order to get it off your body so we were shooting it and the next day I was in the tub at 1 AM scrubbing. It felt like someone took a Brillo pad to my skin so that wasn’t the smartest idea. Plus it was very windy in the desert. It looked so nice but we were all sweaty and dirty. But I love that video. Working with Regi was awesome.

Drew: Finally, where do you see Kaya Jones in 5 years?

Kaya: Oh wow. Well we have the LP coming out. I’m going to be back in the studio and recording my next record. It will be a double disk in case you like two albums in one. After that we’re doing a Christmas album. I see many more albums, focusing on building my brand, and going into film. It’s something that I’d love to do as well and I take it very seriously. Sitting with my coach and making sure I’m ready for all of that. Working with my clothing line and label, which is my focus. Any endeavors I have are through my label so looking for new talent and new artists to sign onto my label. So I see myself in 5 years helping out my artists and being part of that artistic process because I know what it’s like to not be heard so I definitely want to listen to the ones we sign and make sure they are fully involved in what they want to do and say. Making sure they have artistic freedom.

Kaya Jones will be performing live on Saturday, December 3^rd at the Dublin Pub in New Hyde Park.

Lethill Weapon and Mobb Deep at BB King’s

by Jason Pollak

Last Tuesday night the Lindenhurst rap group, Lethill Weapon, opened up for Mobb Deep at BB King’s. It was a packed house as local supporters and hip-hop heads piled in to get a good spot on the concert floor. The excitement could be felt throughout the backstage area as Lethill Weapon was gearing up to open up for one of New York’s most legendary rap groups. It was most certainly going to be a big night.

J.J. Jones, manager and rapper of Lethill Weapon, was ecstatic over the star treatment they were receiving. “This just goes to show, you have to follow your dreams,” he said while admiring the surroundings in the main dressing room back stage.

He went on to say about opening for Mobb Deep, “It’s pretty exciting. You get your own dressing room and everything. (laughs) All that hard work we have put in is now finally paying off. This is just a taste of what it could be like.”  That statement definitely holds true as Lethill Weapon has been producing and creating a number of records for years. The group first formed when J.J. Jones met fellow MC’s R.A.M and Terrance (G-La) playing basketball together. Ever since then, according to the three rappers, they have been like family. Their first album came out in 1999 and was called “Who We Be”.

Rapper R.A.M., which is his birth name, but later changed to stand for the acronym Real Art Manifested, said about their earlier days, “J.J. was the one who helped me put my first album out. I try to take what I hear and put my own spin on it. J.J. has definitely helped me grow over the years.”  However as J.J. stated, “It was really over the last three year period that we started taking this seriously and started to do a lot of shows. This is our third time back here at BB King’s. We always love playing here. Now it’s time. Terrance has got some real talent. He’s way over due.”

Although there was little success for the group in its beginning stages, it still was an important growing experience for them.
Terrance or G-La, also an Army veteran, said about the earlier days, “Yea you know, I had one of those old Casio keyboards. After the Army I spent some time in California and that was where I really began to take an interest in music. Once I met J.J. and R.A.M., we have been producing tracks ever since”  G-La went on to say about the special night, “It’s crazy to be doing a show with Mobb Deep. I remember bumpin’ their music way back in the day when we used to ball. I looked up to those guys a lot”

After chillin’ back stage for an hour or so, the show really began to kick off. Lethill Weapon’s DJ took the stage and began riling up the crowd. It was also around this time that Prodigy and Havoc of Mobb Deep showed up. Needless to say, that was an exciting moment.In the midst of all this craziness, it was time for Lethill Weapon to get the show started for the anxious crowd. As they took the stage, it all seemed natural. They dove right into their first song, each taking turns spitting on their own respective mic. It really does take a close knit group of rappers to perform in the way they do. It can be quite difficult to coordinate which person will say which line, but they had their strategy down pat.Terrance (G-La) said about performing, “We have been doing this so long. When we get up there, we know how to shut it down. It’s over once we’re up there.”

It was nice to see a rap group without any ego’s. Many times at a rap concert, there are numerous people clamoring to be in the center of the stage. This wasn’t the case for them at all. They were each more than happy to share the spot light when it was time for their respective verse’s. When one was spitting, the other two would take their turns riling up the crowd and adding in ad-libs here and there.

“Our slogan is “Beyond the Music”. We are all family. Our lives and music goes in one,” as J.J. pointed out the groups philosophy.

Also, in a rare occurrence at a rap concert, each member took turns performing one of their own solo songs. It was nice to see, as each member presented a different style to audience. R.A.M. riddled off crazy bars at the drop of a pin, while Terrence hit the crowd with a lyrical masterpiece of his own. They really do know how to work a crowd from every angle.

That’s no accident either.

“We work to blend our different personalities so we get a sound that is good for our listeners,” J.J. said earlier.

Terrence added, “We inspire each other. No one wants to make the group look bad. We try to mesh all of our sounds together to create a great experience. It really isn’t a competition; we just want to put out good music.”

After Lethill Weapon killed it, it was time for the Infamous Mobb Deep. They came on with the applause one would expect rap legends of New York City to receive. They came on as if it was still 1995 and immediately dove into their infamous hardcore sound. It seemed like a subway burst through the speakers as Prodigy started to spit and the hard base rocked the vast, but packed BB King’s theatre.

It was my first time seeing the great duo perform and it was a great honor to see. They showed why they are still the true kings of the New York hardcore sound and perhaps New York hip-hop period. They really are everything you would expect legends to be. Prodigy seemed as though he didn’t lose a step in his performance and rapping abilities since being released from jail. Havoc was in top form as well, reeling off bars and hooks like he was still twenty years old.

It was a great show overall and believe me, you haven’t experienced a rap concert until you have seen “Shook One’s Part II” performed. It really is one of those songs that define hip-hop. Be sure to check out both Lethill Weapon and Mobb Deep on Facebook and Twitter. Lethill Weapon will be dropping “Danger Zone Vol III” before next year arrives. Keep ya heads up.

www.LethillWeapon.com

Dine Huntington Returns

Huntington Restaurant Week set for October 9-16

The dates have been set for the restaurant event of the year in the dining capital of Long Island.

Dine Huntington Restaurant Week, sponsored by Long Islander Newspapers and Huntington Township Chamber of Commerce, will be held October 9-16, 2011, showcasing restaurants from throughout the dining capital of Long Island – Huntington.

For eight days, Sunday through Sunday, October 9-16, participating restaurants throughout the Town of Huntington will treat customers to a 3-course dining experience for $24.95 per person plus tax and tip (Saturday until 7 p.m. only).

Dine Huntington Restaurant Week is a collaborative venture of Long Islander Newspapers the Huntington Township Chamber of Commerce that promotes and celebrates a vital sector of Huntington’s economy – restaurants.

Now in its third year, Dine Huntington Restaurant Week attracts diners to Huntington Township restaurants from all over Long Island

“We have seen Dine Huntington grow from an idea to an eagerly awaited annual event,” said Michael Schenkler, publisher of Long Islander Newspapers and Dine Huntington Restaurant Week organizer. “Thousands of Foodies watch for updates on the DineHuntington Facebook page and as Restaurant Week approaches, regularly check out the menus which are posted on the website, DineHuntington.com.”

While the aim of Dine Huntington Restaurant Week is to introduce new customers to area restaurants, the thousands of visitors it brings to town are beneficial to the local economy as a whole. Dine Huntington Restaurant Week last year brought thousands of diners to area restaurants, resulting in 40,000 meals served and an estimated $1.5 million in direct sales.

“The impact of Dine Huntington Restaurant Week is immense,” said Huntington Township Chamber of Commerce Chairman Bob Bontempi. “The restaurant industry plays a huge part in our local economy. More importantly, it has a ripple effect that benefits other businesses as restaurant patrons visit nearby shops and stroll the downtown areas.”

Patrons will be able to line up their Dine Huntington Restaurant Week excursions by logging on to www.DineHuntington.com where menus from participating restaurants will be posted.

Restaurants interested in participating in Dine Huntington Restaurant Week may call 631-427-7000 for further information. In addition, a limited number of sponsorships are available.

DINE HUNTINGTON RESTAURANT WEEK

c/o LONG ISLANDER NEWSPAPERS   149 MAIN STREET, HUNTINGTON NY 11743   631-427-7000

Participating Restaurants (as of September 21, 2011)

Albert’s Mandarin Gourmet, Huntington

Amicale Dining Experience, Huntington Station

Andrea’s 25 Ristorante Italiano, Commack

Besito , Huntington

Bin 56, Huntington

Bistro 44, Northport

Bistro Cassis, Huntington

Black & Blue, Huntington

Bonwit Inn, Commack

Café Beunos Aires, Huntington

Canterbury Ales, Huntington

Christopher’s, Huntington

Ciao Baby, Commack

Crew, Huntington

Dao Fusion Restaurant, Huntington

Fado, Huntington

Grasso’s, Cold Spring Harbor

Guido’s Italian Restaurant, Huntington

Harbor Mist, Cold Spring Harbor

Hermann’s Barolo, Melville

Hikudo, Huntington

Honu Kitchen & Cocktails, Huntington

Huntington Social-Supper & Spirits, Huntington

Jellyfish, Centerport

Jonathan’s Ristorante, Huntington

Kashi Sushi Lounge, Huntington

Kura Barn, Huntington

La Spada Cucina Italiana, Huntington

La Villini Family Style Restaurant, East Northport

Legal Seafood, Huntington Station

Mac’s Steakhouse, Huntington

Mannino’s Restaurant, Commack

Martoni’s Ristorante Italiano, Huntington

Mascali Restaurant, East Northport

Meehan’s of Huntington, Huntington

Neraki, Huntington

Nisen Sushi, Commack

Old Fields Restaurant, Greenlawn

Osteria Da Nino, Huntington

Perfecto Mundo, Commack

Piccola Bussola Ristorante, Huntington

Pomodorino Ristorante Italiano, Huntington

Porto Vivo, Huntington

Prime: An American Kitchen, Huntington

Primo Piatto, Huntington

Ravagh , Huntington

Red Restaurant, Huntington

Rookies Sports Club, Huntington

Ruvo Restaurant & Bar, Greenlawn

Spice Village Grill, Huntington

The Clubhouse, Huntington

The Crossroads Café, East Northport

Tutto Pazzo, Huntington

Vitae Restaurant & Wine Bar, Huntington

34 New Street, Huntington

516 American Kitchen & Bar, Syosset

Chrissy on Tour-Selden Batting and Grand Prix

SELDEN BATTING AND GRAND PRIX – BIG FUN LITTLE PRICE

by Joe Gerani

If you’ve driven on Long Island roads perhaps you’ve noticed that it’s generally frowned upon to drive as fast as you’d like and edge in front of other drivers on a curve just to slip ahead of them, without even a care if your bumper happens to run up against theirs.

At Selden Batting & Grand Prix, kids of all ages can live out their racing fantasies on a huge concrete track featuring banked curves and a real raceway feel.

Last week we told you about Amanda’s college graduation party.  Well time does go by quickly it seems… we’ve been taking her to Selden Batting & Grand Prix since she was small, not yet tall enough to drive.  That was fine of course, because she loved to ride in the Double Seater Karts.  She was thrilled when she grew tall enough to drive the rookie karts on her own, and once she was in the full size karts, she began regularly beating her parents and friends in most every kart race she took part in. Gives a parent a little confidence when she’s driving those Island roads.

After some racing action at the Grand Prix we’d step over to the batting cages to try our luck.  Everyone gets that same thrill…to step up to the plate and into the Major Leagues. You can hit baseballs or softballs pitched at varying speeds from slow, medium or try fast pitch for the ultimate batting experience. Although there’s no scouts from the Yankees checking us out, there’s always teams of little leaguers there practicing, lending serious credibility to the quality of the cages and pitching machines at Selden Batting.

Speaking of teams, the crew at Selden Batting & Grand Prix loves team celebrations and parties.  Shaded picnic pavilions offer a cool spot for large groups to rest, eat, and refresh for more fun. All of the tables have great views of the attractions, making supervision a breeze and deciding what to do next even easier. It’s the perfect place for kid’s birthdays, team celebrations – even corporate outings.

So after some actual exercise in the batting cages, we’d always head over to the arcade for some hand-eye coordination fun. There are plenty of great game selections, Dance-Dance Revolution, Air Hockey, Basketball and many other competitive and interactive games for our kid to embarrass us on.  It’s all good though – she always left with a prize – and then we headed for what every parent looks most forward to – the ice cream center!

Sundaes, shakes, cones, smoothies, sandwiches, you’ll find a huge variety of homemade ice cream flavors!  Flavors like Almond Joy, Mud Pie, Kailua and Cream and so many more!  Perhaps you’re more a fan of refreshing ices – you’ll find a huge selection of water ices such as Mango, Strawberry Kiwi, Pistachio or crème ices like Cherry Garcia, Sponge Bob, Raspberry Truffle and many more!  Biggest problem is usually deciding on what flavor you’d like!  The friendly staff is always happy to help and they’ll let you taste it first to help you decide.

If you’re looking for some big fun for a small price we’d highly recommend a visit to Selden Batting & Grand Prix!  They’re at 1117 Middle Country Road in Selden, just a mile east of Nichols Road (CR97). This week Spooters is going to let you grab some of that fun for an even smaller price!  This Wednesday visit Spooters and get 4 Go-Kart Tickets, 10 Batting Cage Tickets and 8 Arcade Tickets – a $36 Value for only $15 at Selden Batting & Grand Prix! You’ll save 58%!! Make the most out of what’s left this summer with a great family day out at Selden Batting & Grand Prix!

For more information visit their website at www.seldenbatting.com

Chrissy on Tour- Off Key Tikki in Patchogue

THE OFF KEY TIKKI IN PATCHOGUE – MILES FROM ORDINARY, YET ONLY MINUTES FROM HOME

by Joe Gerani

Perhaps you’ve never thought of the Patchogue River as a vacation destination, but once you pay a visit to the Off Key Tikki, you’ll return home and no doubt feel like it’s the last day of vacation and all you want to do is go back.

The Off Key Tikki is waterfront dining at its best.  Just off River Avenue in Patchogue at the West Bank Marina along the Patchogue River, they’re open seven days a week for lunch, dinner and an amazing Sunday Brunch on the Beach.  Exotic specialty drinks, tropical cuisine, live music, entertainment, and dancing in the white sand deliver you to a resort – for a lot less money!

We’ve visited the Off Key Tikki several times and it’s always been a blast.  Recently we went on a Wednesday – it was Lobster night.  For only $15 we enjoyed a huge mouth watering lobster – plus delicious $5.00 Margarita’s.  Oh, and there was live music from 5 till 9pm.  On a Wednesday no less!  Yes it was truly like being on vacation.  There are specials and features every day of the week – but for great tropical entrees, Chef Dave always has delectable fare to offer.

The Luau-style twin lobster tails and Grilled Volcano Pork featuring spicy “volcano” sauce are highly recommended.  You’ll also want to try the Grilled Bermuda Chicken, made with caramelized Bermuda onions, roasted red peppers, then smothered in Mango Black Bean Salsa over Tikki rice and greens and served alongside the chef’s veggies.   Hungry?  The Marinated “Wahoo” Steak, Mango Mahi Mahi will fill you up – and if you’re a shrimp lover, get set for the biggest tower of grilled shrimp you’ve ever seen and order their Ridiculous Grilled Shrimp.  Ridiculous in a very good way!

The Off Key Tikki is a place where the big kids come out to play – and like we said there’s always something happening – here’s what you’ll find…

Mondays are “Dinner and a Show” – starting at 6pm, only $29.95 per person gets you a prix fixe dinner and live entertainment from comedy to dueling pianos – check their website for what’s happing this week!

Tuesdays are also ridiculous with their Ridiculous Clam Bake!  Only $15 a person – plus its live Blues on the Beach sponsored by our friends at Blue Point Brewery.

Wednesdays as we mentioned are Lobster Night!  In addition to the money you’ll be saving on dinner and Margarita’s – you’ll also be entertained by the best local bands performing live!

Thursdays are “Generations Ladies Nights” Everyone enjoys the best live 70’s and 80’s music performed by the Island’s top party bands.  Ladies enjoy free admission all night, half priced drinks from 5 till 9pm and free drinks from 9 till midnight.

Fridays and Saturdays are legendary at the Off Key Tikki – as they rock all night with the Island’s top bands. It’s also Happy Hour each day from 4 till 6pm and a free buffet for everyone starting at 6pm.

Sundays start out with their Brunch on the Beach from 11am till 3pm and all afternoon it’s a Tikki Beach Party…pull up a beach chair and enjoy live music all day long!

The Off Key Tikki is also the perfect place for a private party – from 20 to 200 – they offer everything you need to make it an experience for your guests they’ll never forget!  Simple Tikki-Que barbeque packages to the Big Kahuna – a party befitting the Gods, no matter what your party needs it’s certain to be a party in paradise.  Add a Pig Roast, Fire Dancers, Live DJ and Sushi Bar and more to transport all of your guests to the tropics without leaving Long Island.

This past weekend we had our daughter’s college graduation party at the Off Key.  It was great fun for everyone – and, since Amanda is so very popular and diverse, our many guests ranged in age from 3 to 81.  All were well fed, entertained and had a wonderful time.  As an added touch, every guest receives a party lei and frozen specialty cocktail to get them into the holiday on the beach mood!

The Off Key Tikki is miles from ordinary, but minutes from home!

Now here’s your chance to experience the local island paradise for yourself…from August 10-14th, get a $50.00 voucher for only $25.00 at Spooters! Enjoy their true resort atmosphere and waterfront dining along the beautiful Patchogue River!

For more information visit www.offkeytikki.com

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnAEmlej9Ps

SPOT ON LI PROUDLY ANNOUNCES THE LAUNCH OF THEIR NEW LOCAL DEAL SITE – SPOOTERS!

 Great Local Long Island Deals always at least 50% off!

 (Coram, NY) Monday August 3, 2011 – SpotOnLI.com, Long Island’s online entertainment, celebrity and restaurant magazine presents SPOOTERS SPOT ON DEALS! A new local deal site for Long Islanders!  Spooters will always offer at least 50% off the best restaurants, spas, retailers and events and experiences.

These days everyone is looking to save money, and Spooters is looking to help.  Long Islanders will have opportunity to save even more when they sign up by referring their friends and family to some of the great deals offered.  Each referral will reward Spooters members “Spoot Bucks” which they can use anytime to save even more on great Long Island deals!

Group buying is the hottest and fasted growing trend in e-commerce history.  Not only does the consumer save money, local business also reaps the benefit of new customers.  A recent Rice University study shows that over 77% of consumers who purchase a local deal voucher have not previously visited the retailers store or website.

Christine Gerani, publisher of Spot On LI adds “Spooters will be different in that we can offer complete personal service and more in-depth presentations of our local deal merchants to Spot On LI readers and Spooters subscribers.”

Many of the great establishments featured through Spot On LI articles will be participating in deep discount offers including local businesses such as Pure Envy Aesthetics in Blue Point and the Off Key Tikki in Patchogue!  It’s easy for everyone to take part in these Spot On deals by simply signing up at www.spooters.com.

 About Spot On LI:

Known for its celebrity interviews, local Long Island artists and musicians support and restaurant features, Spot On LI has become the go-to online magazine for Long Islanders interested in events, food and local music!

Harlan Friedman’s  Tri-State Sound Music Festival

Don’t Miss Harlan Friedman’s Tri-State Sound Music Festival Saturday July 30th at the Maguire Theater- SUNY College at Old Westbury with Interscope Recording Artist Matthew Koma featured on Lil Playy’s hit “Birthday Dress” and American Idol Contestant Jerome Bell.

Check out Long Island’s Matthew Koma with Lil Playy and their super hot video, “Birthday Dress”

Birthday Dress