I am Unleashing ART + SOUL in Downtown LA December 11, 2010

Nu-Soul Magazine + The Mezz
Present
ART + SOUL
Saturday December 11, 2010

Nu-Soul continues to take part in the Downtown Los Angeles Renaissance transforming a 100-year old speakeasy in the historic Alexandria Hotel into a unique experience in sight + sound.

This third edition of ART + SOUL will feature live performances from cutting edge talent, art exhibitions from a diverse set of local artists, mood enhancing visual projections, and LIVE ART all within the one-of-a-kind setting of The Mezz.

Live Performances by:

ERIK RICO

The prolific multi-instumentalist, producer, singer, and songwriter Erik Rico is a true Nu-Soul artist! In 2010 alone he has worked with 4Hero's Marc Mac, UK rapper Ty, and house legend Ron Trent, and embarked on tours in Europe and Asia, and headlined Nu-Soul Magazine's Strictly Social tour. If you have never seen Erik live come experience his unique sound that spans broken beat, house, funk, and soul.
http://lifenotesmusic.com

RASHONDRA ANGELLE

http://www.rashondraangelle.com/

SEVEN DAVIS JR.

Sounds by DJ SEVEN57 + DJ MZA (Jazzercise)
http://djseven57.podomatic.com/
http://soul-circle.podomatic.com/

Art Gallery + Video Projections + Live Art

Visuals By HearSee AV
http://hearseeav.com/

Photography by Air Philosophy
http://airphilosophy.com/

$3 Stellas and $5 Nu-Soul Vodka Special ALL NIGHT

Hosted + Curated by
Nu-Soul Magazine + Michelle aka Cali

21+
9pm – 2am

$5 Cover
FREE until 11pm with RSVP to events@nu-soulmag.com

RSVPs must be received by 5pm on Saturday December 11

The Mezz @ the Alexandria Hotel
501 S. Spring Street – 2nd Floor (follow the signs)
Los Angeles, CA 90013

About The Mezz
The Mezz Bar at The Alexandria Hotel is Downtown L.A.’s newest bar in it’s oldest location. Located in the heart of the new downtown LA, the Mezz provides the feel of a speakeasy but with gorgeous detailed ceilings, a stage, and plenty of space to roam.

My review of Rihanna's LOUD

I give my take on fellow Bajan Rihanna's latest; an infusion of pop, dance, reggae and dancehall.

Read the review

Strictly Social presents Crowne Royale - December 15, 2010

Nu-Soul Magazine & Soul Union Present

STRICTLY SOCIAL

An Evening of Eclectic Soul Fusion

Wednesday December 15, 2010

Strictly Social takes place on the 3rd Wednesday of every month at
LA’s charming Little Temple, continuing the legacy of the renowned
Temple Bar, by featuring a carefully selected showcase of artists and
DJs that reflect the Nu-Soul sound. This monthly event always features
the hottest artists pushing the boundaries of soul and a vibe that is
truly unique.

Featuring Live Performances by

CROWN ROYALE (BUFF1 & RHETTMATIC)

Official Album Release

Rhettmatic, a forefather of today‘s burgeoning LA hip-hop scene, is a
founding member of the Beat Junkie DJ crew, the DJ for hip-hop group
The Visionaries, and an award-winning turntablist – having performed in
numerous competitions across the globe and with upper-echelon artists
such as J Dilla, Cypress Hill and Talib Kweli. Buff1, recently
highlighted as a part of URB Magazine’s “NEXT 100,” brings two
critically acclaimed full-length LPs to the table in 2008’s Pure
and 2009’s There’s Only One, and has stacked up more than a
decade of recording, international touring and honing “show stopping”
stage skills both as a solo artist and with seven-man hip-hop arsenal
Athletic Mic League (AML).

Join us as we celebrate the long-awaited album release of this
legendary pairing.

http://asideworldwide.com/artists/crown-royale/

http://twitter.com/rhettmatic

http://twitter.com/buff1der

Pre-Order the Crown Royale album

ROBERT GEE

With a voice, described as a voice you can listen too all by itself
that has a thick, creamy, honey butter presence and vocal prowess that
cannot be taught Robert Gee hails from the city of Brotherly love,
Philly! Get ready for the Strictly Social debut of this soulful brotha.

http://robertgee.com

ILHAME PARIS

She has Morocco in her blood, Paris in her heart and music in her
soul. ILHAME'S cover of Bob Marley’s “Waiting in Vain” has garnered
strong internet airplay and effusive critical acclaim. She has worked
with artists such as Shafiq of Sa-Ra, T3 of Slum Village, and Big Pooh.
Come witness makes her Strictly Social debut.

http://www.myspace.com/ilhameparis

Hosted by SY SMITH

http://www.facebook.com/sysmithmusic

Our residents DJ Destroyer & DJ Myxzlplix will be spinning a
selection of future soul, organic hip-hop, and electronic beats
all night!

http://twitter.com/djdestroyer

http://destroyer.podOmatic.com/

http://twitter.com/djmyx

http://djmyxzlplix.podomatic.com/

LIVE SHOW BEGINS AT 10:30PM

In the B Room – SOUL GOOD, soulful electronica hosted by Atlantic
Connection & Friends

http://www.facebook.com/pages/SOULGOOD-LA-/119872769927

$10 at the door

Presale Tickets Available for $7: http://fusicology.inticketing.com/events/135750

Strictly Social
Wednesday December 15, 2010

9pm-2am
21+
Little Temple
4519 Santa Monica Blvd
Los
Angeles, CA 90029
http://littletemple.com

http://facebook.com/lastrictlysocial

http://twitter.com/StrictSocialLA

Additional promotional support by
Fusicology, Universal Rhythm, and The Mint Collective.
http://fusicology.com
http://universal-rhythm.com

http://themintcollective.com

Place to Check Out: Cafe 50s

 

I recently discovered a new place to eat at! Located on Vermont Avenue in the Los Feliz section of Los Angeles, CAFE 50s is the perfect love letter to 1950s diners with a slightly modern twist. I went to this cozy spot for their grand opening a few weeks ago and discovered that not only do they have classic 50s food like burgers, shakes, and fries but also modern twists on these classics like veggie burgers, sweet potato fries, and all manner of goodies. The decor is awesome with lots of 50s movie posters and tidbits splattered all over the walls. And the best part is that it's close to Little Temple where I host my monthly event Strictly Social. I will definitely be hitting this place up and recommending to my artists.

http://www.cafe50s.com/

Broke As F**k Thanksgiving w/ Simply Jeff - Nov 24, 2010

Nu-Soul Magazine Presents

BROKE AS F**K THANKSGIVING

Wednesday November 24, 2010

Nu-Soul gives thanks to the BASS this Thanksgiving Eve with Broke As
F**k! With no work the following day this is sure to be our best night
yet! Join us for a FULL PLATE of BREAKBEAT MADNESS!

And it's All FREE!

Gut Bustin Sets By:

SIMPLY JEFF - Old School Breaks Set!

(DJ Culture/Phonomental Records)

Simply Jeff is back at Broke with another set of old school
breakbeats for the faithful. Jeff is synonymous with breaks in Southern
California with a career spanning well over a decade. He is sure to
destroy the dancefloor as only he can.

http://www.simplyjeff.com/

BASS RITUAL

Saddhu & Loomer

(Bass Ritual/Disorient)

http://bassritual.com

http://facebook.com/bassritual

DJ RUSS

(DJ Culture)

http://www.djculture.com/

EVA

The Grand Dame of BROKE, Eva is a major force in the Los Angeles
breakbeat scene, dropping bass bombs on the dancefloor and blowing
minds in the process. Known for her rough and tumble sets of electro
bass and nasty breaks, she never fails to get booties shaking.

http://twitter.com/imeltyourface

Plus Broke Residents

ROXANNE
http://www.facebook.com/djroxanne

http://twitter.com/djroxanne

TECH-SON
http://www.fortun-entertainment.com/

NOMAD aka Normysoul
http://twitter.com/normysoul

ADMISSION IS FREE!
RSVP to events@nu-soulmag.com to get
on the list!

9pm – 2am
21+

Blu Monkey Bar & Lounge

5521 Hollywood Blvd (at Western)
Los Angeles, CA
($5 Parking
Available in Back Alley)
http://theblumonkey.com

Broke As F**k on Facebook

http://twitter.com/BrokeAsFck

My London Travel Article in Bleu Magazine

It took awhile but I finally got to check out my London travel piece that I wrote for Bleu Magazine. I got to lay out a guide for gay men of color of things to do while in London, hotels to stay at, places to party, and all that good stuff.

Check out the e-version of the magazine. My article can be found on pages 30-31! If you are not a member of Bleu Magazine just go ahead ans ign up. You can look at the issue for FREE!

Read my London Article

My Review of Robyn's Body Talk Pt. 2

Club shaking
beats, melodic hooks and Snoop Dogg! What's not to love about Swedish
pixie Robyn's second installment of Body Talk?

Read my review

The Strictly Social All Star Edition is Coming November 17, 2010

Nu-Soul Magazine & Soul Union Present

STRICTLY SOCIAL

An Evening Of Eclectic Soul Fusion

Wednesday November 17, 2010

Strictly Social takes place on the 3rd Wednesday of every month at
LA’s charming Little Temple, continuing the legacy of the renowned
Temple Bar, by featuring a carefully selected showcase of artists and
DJs that reflect the Nu-Soul sound. This monthly event always features
the hottest artists pushing the boundaries of soul and a vibe that is
truly unique.

Join us on November 17 for a very special edition featuring an all
star lineup of past guests in a brand new collaboration!

Featuring Live Performances By

SOUL BROTHERS INC. (I,Ced, Dexter Story, J1)


featuring special guests JIMETTA ROSE, ERIK RICO, & JOY JONES

I, Ced, Dexter Story, and J1 are invaluable parts of the Los Angeles
soul music community and tonight they will be unveiling their brand new
supergroup which is sure to wow us. With none other than critically
acclaimed past Strictly Social alums Jimetta Rose, Erik Rico, and Joy
Jones adding their vocal support this is sure to be a magical
performance of cutting edge sounds.

http://twitter.com/i_ced

http://www.dexterstory.com/

http://twitter.com/jimettarose

http://twitter.com/erikricomusic

http://twitter.com/joyjones007

CHRIS ROB

Chris first came to our attention performing at Strictly Social in
Atlanta but since that time this talented singer/songwriter,
multi-instrumentalist, and producer has worked with Kanye West, Leon
Ware, John Legend and Deborah Cox. With his new EP Mental Notes
fusing jazz and funk, Chris Rob is ready to show Los Angeles how he
throws down.

http://www.chrisrobmusic.com/

EMONIFELA

Earthchild by day. Emcee. Crimefighter by night. Poet. Thug
Intellectual. Get ready for the dopeness of Emonifela with a full band!

http://twitter.com/emonifela

Our residents DJ Destroyer & DJ Myxzlplix will be spinning a
selection of future soul, organic hip-hop, and electronic beats all
night!

http://twitter.com/djdestroyer

http://destroyer.podOmatic.com/

http://twitter.com/djmyx

http://djmyxzlplix.podomatic.com/

LIVE SHOW BEGINS AT 10:30PM

In the B Room – SOUL GOOD, soulful electronica hosted by Atlantic
Connection & Friends

http://www.facebook.com/pages/SOULGOOD-LA-/119872769927

$10 at the door

Discount tickets available via Fusicology http://fusicology.inticketing.com/events/135146

Strictly Social

Wednesday October 20, 2010

9pm-2am

21+

Little Temple

4519 Santa Monica Blvd

Los Angeles, CA 90029

http://littletemple.com

http://facebook.com/lastrictlysocial

http://twitter.com/StrictSocialLA

Additional promotional support by Fusicology, Universal Rhythm,
and The Mint Collective.

http://fusicology.com

http://universal-rhythm.com

http://themintcollective.com

Halloween 2010 Hijinks as Lil Wayne

Halloween 2010 was a whole lot of crazy fun. I don't know how I survived with all the non stop partying over the weekend. On Sunday I went all out in my Lil Wayne costume. I got tired of stupid white boys telling me that I look like Lil Wayne (simply because I have dreads) so I decided to go in on the joke. And boy was my costume a major hit! I have never been stopped by so many people to take pictures in all my life! But I have to say that I did a pretty good job on this one, even getting his signature tats on my torso. Enjoy the pics!

Norman the Nomad: Living Paint by David Gilmore

I posted up the behind the scenes shots from this awesome shoot with David Gilmore. Here are the final images of my Living Painting series. These came out pretty awesome!!! Hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

And here are some additional shots that give you a sense of how the illusion was created:

Check out David's work: http://www.modelmayhem.com/1657668

My Review of the new Blue Six

The new album from Blue Six out on Naked Music is sure to make my year's best! I love this sexy stuff! Check out my review!

Read the review

Read the review

I was interviewed for Nu-Soul Radio!

 

One of my side projects is Nu-Soul Radio which is a podcast where Morgan Rhodes, a wonderful radio host from KPFK, interviews the artist that I book at my events. Well I got my chance to sit down with Morgan and we talked about my upbringing, my raver days, my start as a journalist, and finally the creation of Nu-Soul Magazine and all my events. Enjoy this in depth interview!

Hanging with Electric Wire Hustle

As a part of my ongoing support of the Los Angeles music scene, I got the chance to interview the very buzz worthy act from New Zealand, Electric Wire Hustle while they were in town for a big show at Zanzibar. They posted this pic on their blog since we were laughing at all the signs by their hotel pool. These guys were super cool and if you haven't heard of them, please check them out. They mix classic deep soul sounds with futuristic Dilla style prouductions.Gotta love the Kiwis!

http://www.electricwirehustle.com/

Broke As F**k Halloween 2010 - Wednesday Oct 27, 2010

Nu-Soul Magazine presents

BROKE AS F**K HALLOWEEN

Wednesday October 27, 2010

Nu-Soul scares up some beats at BROKE AS F**K this Halloween. Join us
for our FREE monthly event showcasing breakbeat music in all its forms.
Join us for a night of breaks, bootybass, ghettotech, dubstep, electro
bass, and more!

That's right! We said FREE!

Featuring Spine Chilling Sets By

SYRENA

Dirty Electro, Dubstep, Breakbeat, Funk, Crunk, Booty-shaking House
and Deep, Minimal Techno of the melodic variety, comprise her current
repertoire, with roots in Drum & Bass. Syrena creates a unique
atmosphere with an uncanny ability to play to the crowd while injecting
her own personal freshness.

http://twitter.com/djsyrena

http://www.facebook.com/pages/DJ-SYRENA/54420948022

DJ DESTROYER

If you missed Destroyer break it down at Broke this past April then
you are in for a treat. Known for his eclectic tastes and impeccable
turntable skills, Destroyer has been known to rock hip-hop, soul, house
and reggae. Tonight he''ll drop some serious heat with a mashup of
Baltimore club, breaks, and old school electro.

http://twitter.com/djdestroyer

http://destroyer.podomatic.com/

EVA

The Grand Dame of BROKE, Eva is a major force in the Los Angeles
breakbeat scene, dropping bass bombs on the dancefloor and blowing minds
in the process. Known for her rough and tumble sets of electro bass and
nasty breaks, she never fails to get booties shaking.

http://twitter.com/imeltyourface

Plus Broke Residents

ROXANNE

http://www.facebook.com/djroxanne

http://twitter.com/djroxanne

TECH-SON

http://www.fortun-entertainment.com/

NOMAD aka Normysoul

http://twitter.com/normysoul

ADMISSION IS FREE!
RSVP to events@nu-soulmag.com to get
on the list!
9pm – 2am
21+

Blu Monkey Bar & Lounge

5521 Hollywood Blvd (at Western)
Los Angeles, CA
($5 Parking
Available in Back Alley)
http://theblumonkey.com

Broke As F**k on Facebook

http://twitter.com/BrokeAsFck

My Review of Eric Lau's "Makin Sound" for Nu-Soul

I am a huge fan of Eric Lau. He makes soothing hip-hop/soul beats that I can't seem to get enough of. Check out my review of his latest for my site, Nu-Soul.



Artist: Eric Lau

Title: Makin’ Sound

Genre: Hip-Hop/Soul/Instrumental

Read the review