From ‘The List‘ to a new spot at Bruno’s in San Francisco, to working on brand new shows artists from New York to Los Angeles, my plate has been filled with some interesting new opportunities. The most recent of which was a gig hooked up by one of my best friends DJ Jeff Phantom. The upstairs room of Ruby Skye, San Francisco’s most infamous night club got a make over, and the Ethos Tech Production team was there to create the film magic.
Special Thanks: to Jeff Pham, Thabo D’Anjou, Alexandra C., and Ashley F. Footage provided by Steve Forbes, and additional clips by Michael Bacca. On set crew – Aaron Collins, Paul Pascale, Spencer Moore, and Matthew Robinson. Models – Elizabeth A. Hendrix, Kimberly Rucker, Mira Gitoff, and Rachel Kadish. Music by Funky Notes and Asher Roth. Editing by Storm McDonald. Filmed at Ruby Skye San Francisco.
It’s very crucial that if you chose to watch this video, you watch it in its entirety.
(For those who watched the movie)
“The people who were trying to make this world worse are not taking the day off. Why should I?” – Bob Marley. Unfortunately most people are only familiar with that quote because of the Will Smith movie ‘I Am Legend’, but no matter where you heard it, or IF you’ve heard it, its a statement from one man that reflects an unyielding desire to make a positive difference. Jason Russel, the spear head of the “Kony 2012” movement seems to have that same desire, and the same passion to make a positive difference, and the world is just starting to find that out. In the video, Russel makes the point that when someone is invisible, they’re crimes may go un-noticed, and that shedding light on Joseph Kony and his actions are the best first step in getting something done. So please do what you can to spread the word about this movement, share this link – http://wp.me/pHo18-5sB with anyone that you can, or any other link in reference to the video above, and lets help make a difference to someone.
S
(For those of you who chose not to watch the video.)
The man in the photo above is Joseph Kony. An African tyrant that is not a dictator, freedom fighter, or political menace. He is a man who simply will do whatever it takes to keep the power he has gained. One of my staff members was unable to finish watching the video because some of the images and emotions discussed can be quite intense, and I understand that not everyone has 30 minutes of their undivided attention to devote to the film above RIGHT this second. This hopefully however doesn’t mean that you’re not willing to help out.
KONY 2012 is a film and campaign by Invisible Children that aims to make Joseph Kony famous, not to celebrate him, but to raise support for his arrest and set a precedent for international justice. Joseph Rao Kony, born 1961 in Odek, Uganda is a guerrilla group leader, head of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), a group engaged in a violent campaign to establish theocratic government based on the Ten Commandments throughout Uganda. The LRA say that God has sent spirits to communicate this mission directly to Kony.
Directed by Kony, the LRA has earned a reputation for its actions against the people of several countries, including northern Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan and Sudan. It has abducted and forced an estimated 66,000 children to fight for them, and has also forced the internal displacement of over 2,000,000 people since its rebellion began in 1986.As a result, in 2005 Kony was indicted for war crimes by the International Criminal Court at the Hague, but has succeeded in evading capture since.” If you have it in your power, ask someone if they know about the crimes of Joseph Kony, or if you’re already familiar with the issue, take the time and tell someone else.
S
(For everyone.)
The ‘Invisible Children’ organization is responsible for the Kony 2012 film, and the actions taken to get government officials to respond to the acts of crime in Uganda. Their project however is not without a bit of public backlash, especially in reference to what happens after Kony is removed from power. Steven Van Damme, the protection and policy adviser for the whole of eastern Congo is currently based in Goma. Van Damme said his organization is concerned about potentially violent consequences for the local Ugandan population from the Kony 2012 campaign.
“In general, we’re concerned [about] the catastrophic consequences for the local population,” Van Damme said. “We’ve seen in the past, over and over again, how there’s been a lot of retaliation by the LRA, the burning of villages, maiming people, a lot of killings, with little military success.”
According to Van Damme, military operations targeting Kony would present a host of risks. “They should take into account the protection of those people living in the areas where those military operations would take place, and at the same time [we’re] concerned about the fact that Kony has surrounded himself with a lot of civilians around.
“The LRA is able to operate in that part of DRC because it is a remote area, because it’s cut off, because it’s isolated. There is very limited infrastructure, very limited amount of roads, schools, hospitals, very limited communications. The state authority is very weak and is absent. … There’s a lack of political acknowledgment of the presence of the LRA in the area.”
Van Damme said the challenge of helping people impacted by Joseph Kony and his LRA forces requires focus on issues that are bigger than one man.
“What we want to highlight is the lack of development in the area that we’re talking about, where people have a lot of concerns – including the lack of access to hospitals, roads and schools – with this impacting massively on these people,” Van Damme said. “And so, any solution has to look at wider development in the area, and that seems to be where there’s a lot less attention and a lot less funding and political support.
“The LRA problem goes way beyond a purely military solution and has to tackle all of these matters that basically boil down to a very underdeveloped region.”
Aside from the potential consequences of removing Kony from power, ‘Invisible Children’ has also come under fire about some of its techniques. There is no question that Joesph Kony is ruthless, brutal and quite possibly the embodiment of pure evil, but some of the ways ‘Invisible Children’ have gone about their campaign are under scrutiny. A blog on Tumblr titled, “Visible Children,” offers a critical review of the organization. There are several potential issues that would be backers and donors should be aware of prior to parting with hard earned funds or assisting in spreading their message.
Here are a couple of the allegations levied against Invisible Children:
Last year the organization raised $8,676,614 and only 32% of these funds went to direct services. It appears that a large majority of their funding went to pay staff salaries, transportation expenses and film production. Charity Navigator rates their accountability and transparency 2 out of 4 stars. This is due to the fact that the organization has not undergone an external audit of their funds.
Invisible Children supports direct military intervention, and their funding is said to support the Ugandan government and other military forces. The Ugandan army has been accused of rape and looting, but they are still defended by Invisible Children.
So weather you chose to take action in this digital war to find and stop Joseph Kony, or your opinions differ from the general consensus, just remember to do what you can to keep yourself as informed as possible about this issue and others.
The most epic party movie in recent memory has cashed in over $26,971,731 at the theaters as of this morning. For those of you who have seen the movie, are probably aware of the impressive soundtrack that plays throughout the film, and it was that same soundtrack that inspired the Project X PartyCasts. DJ Jeff Phantom and I have been getting together since before the films release to put together and hour or so of some of the newest potential party songs on the market. The second release dropped 2 days ago on SoundCloud, but incase it was too hard to find, we figured we would put up on this blog for the world to see. Both the first and the second pod casts feature Hip Hop, Electro, Moombahthon, House, and a slew of different artists putting out music for the masses. Take a listen to either the first (below) or the second (above) by just clicking play.
Weather many folks are familiar with “The Mix Up” or not, it remains one of my favorite collections of music ever. (And I SWEAR it’s not just because I made it). The “album” consists of just under a dozen tracks that are comprised of main stream rap lyrics blended with more classic/underground hip hop beats and sprinkled with tons of samples from popular culture. The premise and subject matter of each song is different and each song has it’s own particular flavor, but my favorite track to this day is “Hott Sauce”. I have a bit of a fascination/addiction to the little physical act described in the song, and listening to it makes me laugh every single time. With lyrics from Lil Wayne, GOV, Cam’ron, Three 6 Mafia and Lil Kim, “Hott Sauce” is not one to play in front of your parents, but I’m sure you’ll enjoy it none the less. Click the pic to listen.
99% of the time I travel, it’s either for business or for vacation. Rarely do I ever mix a trip up with a bit of both, but my recent voyage to Miami was just that. My assistant and I stayed up the entire night before to leave at 3 in the morning, jumped on our plane before the sun came up, made a short trip to Texas, and got into MIA before night fall. Immediately the next morning we got up and started drinking before grabbing some food at the beach and getting down to business. Most of our days were like that until our last, where some friends and one of my cousins linked up and took an interesting, and very relaxing trip on a private boat around some of the water ways of Miami.
Aside from a few dolphins that were chilling by our boat, some of the highlights of that morning were some of the sights around Star Island. We peeped out one of Diddy’s cribs, saw one of the original MTV Cribs houses, and even swung by a MONSTER boat owned by the prince of some Arab nation… and his “shadow boat” that was equally as big, required 30 crew to operate, only carried his cars, smaller boats, and other various toys, and who’s sole purpose was to follow his main boat around just in case he needed some extra entertainment. (Baller). I took some pics of a couple of other attractions. Check the method below.
The $22 Mil. Yacht where they filmed "I'm On A Boat".
The most photographed house in Miami... The mansion where they filmed Scarface.
Gloria Estephan's house next to Sylvester Stalone's place. (Don't mind my finger in the corner)
The pool house of Al Capone's Maimi compound.
And once again, an infinite thank you to Kamekia, Danny, B, Ash, and Jay.
This morning I came across a pretty straight-to-the-point video of Rick Ross receiving a gold plaque from DJ Khaled for the smash single ‘I’m On One’. Khaled promised that a platinum plauqe, and a double platinum were both on their way, which is a huge accomplishment for any artist. And not only is ‘I’m On One’ one of my favorite records, but the footage from the show in this video was taken at the Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, CA the very same night a client of mine got me VIP tickets to the show. So it was a good feeling watching this video, and knowing I was right there by the stage during that performance. Check the method below.
It’s always hard to see someone in your life walk away (for whatever reason). Be it an ex-girlfriend, and ex-boyfriend, an ex-client, or a best friend, there’s always some part of the brain or heart that yearns for that individual to come back. Seeing as how my good friend, the emcee extraordinaire KJ is leaving the Bay for a bit, I only figured it’d be fitting that I release her track about missing loved ones to the world. Re-engineered, and re-edited, KJ’s singing debut about missing someone special seemed like the perfect goodbye present. Click the pic to download.
Everyone has heard the saying “A day late, and a dollar short”… (luckily for me, with the success of my career, I’m never a dollar short) however, I was a day late with this post. Hours of traveling to different editing studios, deliberating with my staff on what songs to mix for the background (ending up with 26 different pro-tools sessions all with different song combinations), waiting for graphic designers to create the appropriate text, all in combination with rendering and uploading times, I missed a few deadlines. But hey, we’re perfectionists, sue us. But when its all said and done, my first video interview starring Miss Arie Rose deserves nothing less than the pursuit of perfection.
Arie Rose has been doing her thing for quite some time. I came across her when we worked on an episode of “Street Files” together a year or so ago, and was enthralled with the idea of sitting down to talk to her about all that she’s accomplished, all that she’s planning, and just her day to day life. So that’s exactly what I did. Ben Einhorn and his incredible video crew came through to Sugar Cafe in downtown San Francisco to meet with Arie and I to capture the action. Check the method below to see how it all went.
Don’t forget to follow Arie on twitter @MissArieRose.
So, it’s been about a year since I dropped a full mix CD, and I know quite a few people have expressed their discontent with this. However, I am (and have been) working on a mix CD, to release with my buddy Carmel Candy sometime this summer. I pitched Candy the idea in March, and anyone who knows me personally knows how much of a perfectionist I am. So day after day I’ve been tweaking, re-tooling, re-editing, and remixing things for the 4th, 5th, and 6th times before letting anyone hear anything, and as this has been going on, people have grown impatient. But luckily a close friend of mine broke into my computer and started listening to things, and when she heard a mashup of the love song “I’m Sprung” from T-Pain, and the anti-love song “Toot It & Boot It”, she threatened my life if I didn’t release it to the general public. So keep in mind, this is the full version of the song. When ‘Peaches & Carmel’ is released, this track WILL be on it, it may just sound a bit different. So click the pic to take a listen. (And Candy, I would have let you hear it first, but she threatened my life, lol.)
I’ve been called many different things in my day, and the two I get the most are ‘Geek’ and/or ‘Nerd’ (which are not necessarily untrue assessments of my personality when I’m not at work). But as curious as I am, I decided to take a look into the term Geek while I was on break during a studio session. My findings were quite interesting. Check the method.
Duckworth of Tokoy 24 has been killing the scene for quite some time, and is proving his talent with a constant barge of lyrical goodness entitled “A Swell Arrival”. The fourth installment of the collection, named “Yellow Subterrain” is available for download by clicking the picture. Team Backpack also recently had another cypher featuring Duckworth. The video is below, but the swag is everywhere.
With certain blog posts, I unintentionally cause some sort of an uproar. (And then I get inbox full of emails from angry people, then I make my staff go through it, then they complain, and its just not pretty) BUT, that being said, this post is meant to cause some discussions. My person top 10 movie villains, is a list made out of personal opinion, and a list that I hope people will give me suggestions on. I haven’t seen every movie, and if you think there’s a bad-ass that I’ve left off the list, please let me know. But before I get to it, I want to explain why I left one person off the list. ‘The Dark Knight‘s joker is one of the best most compelling villains I’ve ever seen. But there is too much speculation about Heath Ledgers death being the reason people loved his performance, or about how he went crazy while playing the role, yadda yadda. So although I took Joker off the list, I still had to put up one of my favorite scenes from The Dark Knight by one of the most iconic antagonists in modern American cinema. Click the pic to see the scene.
Click the pic to watch.
And now that we have THAT out of the way, let me go into a bit more detail about my hard thought list. There is always a very worthy antagonist for every good movie, but my selections weren’t based on the money the movie made, or how well it received by the general public. When I say best villains, I mean just that. I’ve picked the most devious, reckless, demented, mischievous rapscallions ever captured on film, and portrayed by great actors, but keep in mind this list is not in any specific order. This is just my personal top 10, not how they rank. I also did my best not to over-saturate the list with over played persona’s like Jack Nicholson in The Shining. Essentially I tried to stay away from a whole list of “possessed crazed white people”, there’s an abundance of that in good movies (Ryan Reynolds in ‘Amityvillie Horror’, Katie from ‘Paranormal Activity’, and so on). The second category I stayed away from were the action movie bad guys, who are a normally a dime a dozen, and all either want money or have a personal vendetta with the good guy, which is why I tried my hardest to deviate from that as well. I’ll explain my reasons for picking each person on the list, but basically I wanted to stick to truly unique, one of a kind, malicious bad-assery (more like John Doe in ‘Seven’ which would have came 11th on the list) so I’m pretty sure I picked 10 winners. Check the method.
Patrick Bateman – (American Psycho)
What I consider a master of deception, Bateman is insane, and can keep it all in his pants when it matters most, but I think is the most unsettling thing about him is when his “crazy” slips out, like in the classic ‘business card’ scene from American Psycho. Interesting, intriguing, while still unsettling and disturbing, this simple scene doesn’t depict any of his murders, but it shows just how the mind of a person that deranged just might work.
Adrian Veidt – (Watchmen)
I consider Adrian an unparalleled monster, for the simple fact that in his movie, he did something no other villains tend to do… Succeed. He carried out his master-plan, killed a billion people, and had one of the sickest evil lines in ANY movie. “I’m not a comic book villain. Do you seriously think I would explain my master stroke to you if there were even the slightest possibility you could affect the outcome? I triggered it 35 minutes ago.” Not to mention in his universe, he’s the smartest man alive. Check it out.
Hannibal Lecter – (Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal, Red Dragon, Hannibal Rising.)
When the original ‘Silence of the Lambs’ came out, I was far too young to appreciate it. All I remember thinking was that Buffalo Bill not having a d*ck was downright disturbing in every sense of the word. But years and years later, when the sequel ‘Hannibal’ came out, my sister sat me down and made me watch the original, and it warped my mind as to how brilliant and insidious the character of Hannibal Lecter really was. Check out a scene or two from one of my favorite evil genius’s. (B.T.W. if you haven’t seen any of the movies, he eats people.)
Blue – (Sucker Punch)
‘Sucker Punch’ is a relatively new movie, its an original, and most people are unfamiliar with its basic cast of characters. But all that being said, Blue, the movies main villain is ridiculously malicious, and carries out one of the most shocking acts in any movie I’ve seen in years. Seeing as how when this post was written, ‘Sucker Punch’ was still clocking dollars at the box office, I won’t put any spoilers into this post. But I do have to reiterate that Blue is a gentleman, a low down scheeming liar, a man of great emotional depth, a disturbed m*ther f*cker, and still one of the biggest pimps I’ve ever seen on screen. The scene below (has no spoilers) but is immediately before Blue shows his “true colors” and rockets himself into villain history. If you’ve seen the movie, you know what happens next.
Simon Phoenix – (Demolition Man)
I feel like if people were satisfied with my choices so far, they may not be after this. I know I tried to stray away from action movie villians, but if you’re a fan of the 1993 movie ‘Demolition Man’, you know exactly why Simon Phoenix breaks the action villain mold. He’s planning, methodical, and absolutely insane. Not only does he get pure joy from destruction, he carries out most of his acts in a world where people are innocent and crime doesn’t exist. He prays on the innocent not for any motive or reason, but simply because he just LOVES doing it. Which makes him a great villain. Check out exactly what I mean below.
Castor Troy – (Face Off)
Now when it comes to vile, demented, horrid, despicable, and utterly hilarious characters, no one can tell me that Castor Troy doesn’t deserve to be on this list. A great sense of humor is always something that makes an antagonist greater than the ‘evil-brooding-angry-man-sitting-in-a-chair-petting-a-cat’ stereotype that villains can have. But the mental disturbance level of Castor Troy throughout the entire movie “Face Off” is what I think gives Mr. Troy the chops to make it onto this list. Check out one of the opening scenes of ‘Face Off’ and you’ll see what I mean.
Alonzo Harris – (Training Day)
Yes… the photo above is of Denzel Washington playing Alonzo Harris in the 2001 hit ‘Training Day’… (AND yes he’s pointing a shotgun at a small boy) So now that we have an idea of how gutter the villain Alonzo Harris was, I have to say that what puts him on this list (for me) is the fact that when you watch this movie, you feel the character’s plight. You don’t care that he’s an evil, vindictive, deceitful, murderer, you just want him to succeed. And I’ll admit this whole-heartedly, when I’m alone, I can’t watch the end of ‘Training Day’. It just pushes a bad button to see Officer Harris go down the way he does. After all, he’s responsible for one of the most classic lines in current urban culture…. “King Kong ain’t got S*HT on ME!” (tell me you’ve never heard anyone say that in real life.)
Clyde Shelton – (Law Abiding Citizen)
Clyde Shelton is another relatively new bad guy, but never the less, he deserves to be on this list. I don’t know the percentage of people who have seen “Law Abiding Citizen” but if you haven’t, Shelton is one of the most brilliant bad-asses I’ve seen in a long time. He manages to keep the audience guessing as to his next move, while keeping the audience guessing as to how he’s doing it all, while keeping the audience saying “I don’t understand why your doing what your doing, but go on sir.” Perfect example is the courtroom scene below. Half the time your wondering what the hell is wrong with this man, but you can’t take your eyes of the screen. Dope.
Agent Smith – (The Matrix)
This list is all about the qualities that make antagonists extra evil, and counting those qualities. Agent Smith is unique because for the first time we have to disregard a few things. Lets just forget that the man has an army of HIMSELF. Lets forget the fact that he technically cannot die. Lets just forget the fact that he can kill you with one touch. Lets just focus on the little part where he doesn’t have one main enemy, Smith just hates the ENTIRE HUMAN SPECIES as a whole. Just for having that much hatred in your blood, you deserve a good spot on the list. Check out Smith’s explanation for his angry disposition below.
Alex – (A Clockwork Orange)
Click the pic to watch this final villain in action.
Due to restrictions put on me by the people who pay me, there is a certain bracket of content I can’t post directly onto this site. Alex from ‘A Clockwork Orange’ falls directly into that bracket like 27 times. And that’s one of the things that makes him one of the greatest Villains in movie history. Deranged beyond all comprehension, crazed, angry, disturbed, and any other synonym you can come up with, are all things to describe this character. If the “disturbing” level of ‘2 Girl’s 1 Cup’ made you want to drop kick a baby stroller, then after watching the “Singing In The Rain” scene from ‘A Clockwork Orange’ you may just look like this when it’s over. The best part is, unlike ‘2 Girls 1 Cup’, people actually ENJOY watching this movie, which is why Alex is one of the top ranking bad guys on my list. Enjoy.
The Vote.
So as I said in the beginning of this post, I’m very open to speculation, conversation, and mediation on this topic, and I’m really curious to hear other people’s opinions. If I’ve missed anyone I’d like to take them into consideration. So I’ve set up a vote in which you can vote on the list as to who your favorite is, or you can write your own answers in. Lets see what happens.
Ever since my interview with Gianna DeNinno and the subsequent chat with Jessica Castillo, I’ve been looking around for yet another, intelligent, intellectual, successful, sexy, model who was well rounded (I mean that in EVERY sense of the word) and cool enough to sit down and talk to. After featuring the lovely Carmel Candy on the blog, we spoke for a bit, and I decided she was the one. Down to Earth, friendly, and full of personality, Candy has a lot on her plate professionally, (if you want to keep up with her, or talk to her yourself, just hit her up on facebook, or on twitter @modelCarmelCndy), from acting, to singing, to owning her own business, Candy is much more than just a model from the UK. Check the method below to find out a bit more about the UK’s favorite Carmel flavored treat.
DJ Storm: So as I understand it, your from the UK, what part are you from specifically, and what’s it like starting a career in “urban modeling” out there? Carmel Candy: I’m from Manchester- known for its famous football team Manchester United. Urban Modeling in the UK, is almost none exsistant. The media here are crazy- they only want slim girls with big breast. They are not much into curves over here! Dont get me wrong men love the curves here, but the media does not. They see ‘Slim’ as being attractive, but I don’t think so! Women are meant to be womanly!!! Thats why Im going to try my luck in the US, as they seem to love the curves!!!
DJS: I’m personally a fan of people around my age range who are making waves in their industry, and I already know you have a pretty impressive portfolio, but what age did you know you wanted to get into modeling, and what pushed you to start? CC:I have been performing since I was 11, singing/acting/dancing, but its only recently that I tried to get into Urban Modelling. All my friends kept telling me I should go over to America, coz they would love my ‘ass’ over there! I thought if I can make money out of it, why not??
DJS: So, I’m curious as to where the name “Carmel Candy” came from. Was it a long time nickname someone gave you, or just a stage name? CC: This is a funny one, My best friend has very dark skin, and I call her silky because her skin is as soft as silk, and she would call me – Caramel, as I have caramel coloured skin, and we had fun with it. My real name is Candice, so after a play around with a few different ideas I came up with Carmel Candy. Im as tasty as caramelised Candy treat! And thats the truth!! hahahaha I thought It was appropraite to have a model name- as all the urban models I know have them!
DJS: What nationality/ies are you? CC:I am Mixed Race. White/Jamaican. I take after my mother- but I get my body from my jamaican father, and I aint complaining!!
DJS: Out of all the shoots you’ve done so far, which one has been your favorite? CC:My favourite photoshoot is one I did the other week. In a swimming pool-(in the UK we dont have swimming pools outside!) and the photo’s are so sexy! The water is everywere and they are very cheeky!!! You will love them!! They are my best so far!!
DJS: Are there any places you’d like to travel to model? Or any “dream jobs” you’d want to do in the future? CC:I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to be in King Magazine, and Black Men Magazine! That would be my dream!! That would mean everyone would get to see me, and really get my face out there! My dream destination would be on a beach in Miami- that would be so special!! I get excited thinking about it!!
DJS: When your not modeling, what else do you like to do in your spare time? CC: I run my own e-commerce business. I started it up a year ago and it seams to be taking off. I also love to perform. I do reguler acting lessons. It is also my dream to become a successful actress. And like all women, I love to shop till I drop, and I like to go on dates and be wined and dined!
DJS: Business oriented AND sexy, I love it. So, I happen to know that music and dancing are some of your other passions, what types of dance do you specialize in? CC:I love to dance. In the past I have studied Ballet, Tap, Jazz and Street dance.. I like best just to free style, as thats when I can best express myself! I love to dance to R&B and hiphop, dancehall etc. The sexier the music the better! I love to shake my ass!! hahah
DJS: What type of music do you sing, and who in the music community would you like to work with down the road? CC:I prefer to sing R&B, and my insperations are Beyonce/Destinys Child/Kerri Hilson, Alicia Keys and Rhianna etc. I would like to work with anyone!!! im easy!! if someone thinks im talented enough, then im willing to give anything a try!
DJS: I’m good friends with DJ Roy Rovelli who spins all over London, so I know the music can be a bit different from what folks are used to in the states, but what kind of music do you listen to at home, and what do you like to hear in the clubs when you go out? CC:I like all kinds of music! I studied Musical Theatre when I was in college too. I like pop/alterative/funkyhouse/dance/R&B/Drum and Base/HipHop/Soul/Reggae/Dancehall. Any thing I can dance too. But when I go out to party and have a good time I like R&B and Hip Hop.
DJS: I see you’ve been featured on tons of websites other than mine for your looks, but you earned a degree in Media and Performance, what are some of the benefits you see in having a degree in Media and Performance, and what are some of your future goals outside of modeling? CC:Yeah my degree was a great experience for me to gain. It taught me many things- and really re-affirmed in my head that I want to be on screen performing. It also taught me how to grow up and become an adult. I think University really helps me come into the real world, and realize your resonsibilites as an adult! I would tell anybody that they should get their education first!
DJS: Education is always the key when it comes to moving ahead, and accomplishing your goals in life… Its interesting that you say school solidified your decision to want to be on screen, is Hollywood one of the places the world should look for you next? CC:I hope so, all I know is I have more talent in my big toe then Kim Karadshian!!!! so If she can make it then why cant I???
DJS: That’s a good way to look at it. So now that we’ve covered all the bases with acting, singing and modeling, Are there any models, singers, or actresses currently in the industry that you admire, or look at as inspirational? CC:Yeah I really like what Lola Monroe is doing. A, shes gorgeous, but B, she has used her success from being a video vixen, to further her career as a rapper amongst other things so, the sky is the limit!!! I believe my modeling can take me to the next level.
DJS: I believe so too. Its been amazing talking to you Candy, when’s the next time you think you’ll make it out to the states to do a photoshoot and where would you want to go that you haven’t already been? CC:I will be in New York in June this year, to meet some agents as I am currently looking for a professional with all the right contacts! I already have some photo shoots lined up. I want to go and party the New York way, and meet some great people and have the time of my life!
And since the interview, Candy and I have discussed a working on a few projects together, both internationally and state-side. So stay tuned for news on that.
So after a bit of searching around, I found an ample candidate for my second interview. Many of the women I post up end up being seen by my readers, and in tern, I usually get a few emails from people asking me all sorts of question. When I posted up a feature about the lovely Jessica Castillo a few months ago, and all I got in response was how crazy hot she was… Over and over and over again. So after all the positive responses, I figured I’d take some time to sit down and ask Jessica a few questions about her career, her aspirations, and that neat little cherry tattoo on her *ss. Check the method below.
DJ Storm: I’ve always been a fan of the people around my age range who are making waves in their industry, and I already know you have a pretty impressive portfolio, but what age did you know you wanted to get into modeling, and what pushed you to start? Jessica Castillo: It all started when a guy approached to me after college. He told me he liked my look so he took my number and we did a shoot the week after. Since then I’ve been doing shoots and working hard until where I am now.
DJS: Out of all the shoots you’ve done so far, which one has been your favorite? JC:Mmmm. I think it has to be the one I did for Christmas. I did an outdoor shoot and it was snowing at that time. I must say it was a crazy shoot. I was half naked in a snowy cold day. Lol. But the pictures came out great. So it was all worth it.
DJS: Are there any place you’d like to travel to model? Or any “dream jobs” you’d want to do in the future?
JC:Well I’m based in London/Miami. So there are of lots beautiful locations out here. But this year I’m planning to travel Jamaica to do a shoot. I’m really excited about that trip. So fingers cross. I study business at college. And I left with good grades. So in the near future. I’m planning to make something out of it.
DJS: So as I understand it, you were born in South America and moved out to England, how was the transition, and do you think your modeling career would have been as impressive as it is now if you would have stayed on the other side of the
Atlantic? JC:My mum decided to go Portugal when I was 11. So we moved and stayed there for a year before heading to London. If I would of stayed in S.America. I think I be married by now. Who knows. Hehe
DJS: When your not modeling, what else do you like to do in your spare time? JC:I love pampering myself. I go gym everytime, I can and shop until I drop. Lol. And most of all spend some quality time with my loved ones.
DJS: I’ve noticed the Cherry tattoo you have displayed in some of your pictures, how many other tattoos do you have, and what are the meanings behind some of them?
JC:Hehe everyone loves that cherry. I got it done because its sexy and cute. I have 6 tattoos in overall. But I can only tell u the meaning of 1. I have a small colourful butterful on my ankle. Its a symbol of joy and love.
DJS: I can only imagine you’ve got guys chasing you all around London, what’s the craziest thug you’ve ever had a guy say to you at random? JC:The craziest guy. I’ve had was when I went lunch with my mum. Just when I was about to pay the bill. The waiter came to us and told me. Someone else has payed it. Then this random dude came to talk to me and told me. He was the one that payed for my bill. And said I was the kind of girl he will die for. I thought that was a bit too much for someone you don’t even know.
DJS: So I’ve read that not too many models are down to do erotic shots, but you have more of an open mind about it. How do you think that gives you a leg up on the competition, and what was the first erotic shoot you ever did? JC:I love erotic shoots. I think that’s what makes me different from all the models in the game. Erotic shoots are very sexual and the expressions are amazing. I’m not camera shy. I love doing what I do. So every picture tells a story. My first erotic shoot was not to long ago. He made me feel very comfortable before starting to shoot. And the pictures came out amazing.
DJS: I always try to keep things 100% professional, but I know my readers are dying to know if and where they might be able to find any of those shots, or are they (as I presume they are) exclusive to the photographer? JC:Lol well some of them are on my website which is www.jessicacastillo.co.uk and the others haven’t been realized out public just yet. They are for the photographer work.
DJS: When you get approached for shoots, do you like have much creative freedom, like choosing wardrobe, concepts, and locations? Or do you prefer to have the photographer come up with the specifics, and if you like them, you take the job? JC:We do a bit of a mixed. When I do a shoot for my portofolio then I get to chose, and when is for the photographer then he choses everything for me.
DJS: Is there anyone in the entertainment business today that you admire or look up to, or try to take pointers from? JC:Tammy Torres is one of the latin hottest models I know. Shes stunning and she has made her mark on the industry.
DJS: Well its been amazing talking to you Jessi, when’s the next time you think you’ll make it out to the states to do a photoshoot and where would you want to go that you haven’t already been? JC: Going back to the States in June. I’m very excited about that. I haven’t been to NY yet so that’s my next stop. 🙂
So every since the turn of the new year, promoters, and DJ’s alike have been asking me where I get all my drops from. For those of you outside the club scene, a drop is like your signature if your a DJ, they aren’t easy to make on your own, and if they don’t sound right, its hard to take someone seriously as a professional. But luckily my boys over at Night Life Audio have been hooking it up with high quality services for respectable prices. I’ve ordered custom drops from everything to whole mix CD’s, to one-time party ads, and everything has been better than perfect. Super quick turnaround time, and I always have people in the clubs asking me where I got the drops. But better than that, NLA has many more services up its sleeve, they specialize in work for Radio, Bands, Video, and all ranges of musical advertising. Check their website here, and just remember anytime you hear a drop from me in a party, it came from NLA.
Not too long ago, I had a got a little pep-talk from my management about the fact that I don’t go out too often if I’m not working at the club. I was reminded that it’s very important to be social if your a public figure (unless your Eminem, who stayed home for 5 years, and is still famous). So I decided to head out to the newly opened Club Noble in downtown San Francisco to chill with the Above Ground crew, and what ensued was a night of fun, laughs, and ridiculous drinking challenges. F.Y.I. (Fly Young Industries) was one of the first events to be held at the newly opened Club Noble, and all in all it was an amazing outing. The club was buzzing with the young ‘who’s who’ of the Bay Area, and people like Jeff Gaines of the Brooklyn Circus, B Fladd, Tokyo 24, and Street Files host Young Dolo, were amongst some of the club goers in attendance. Check the pics below, and hit me up if you want any more info on the next F.Y.I. event.
Because of certain companies and websites who invest in my blog to promote their products, services, and events, I haven’t been allowed to post certain content. But for one day, Friday the 11th of Feb. to take a day off from limits and restrictions. So right now I’ll say if anything posted up today offends you, shocks you, or isn’t content that you deem acceptable, just remember that this is MY site. These are the things I find interesting, amazing, and innovative, and these are the things I wish to share. Things today will be a bit more racy, sexual, provocative, racist, intense, and thought provoking than usual. But once again if it’s too much for you, I’ll let you know when it’s over. Enjoy.
So, while in L.A., I was chillin with my good friend and business partner, and we decided that the clubs were a bit boring. We’ve both clubbed a bit too much for the weekend, and we were over the scene for the night, so we decided to go back to my hotel and kick it with some folks. In the process, I’m pretty sure I created one of the most ridiculous drinking games I’ve come up with in the last few years. The HBO hit series Entourage has been one of my favorite shows for quite some time, so we started watching and put some rules into effect. With the help of a set of drinking dice that were labeled with phrases like “Sip”, “Drink 2 Cups”, “Bottoms Up”, “Drink Half Cup”, “No Drinks”, “Drink 2 Cups”, and “Drink At Will”, I devised one simple rule. Every time Ari Gold says the word “F*ck” or any derivative of said obscenity, we roll the dice, and drink as instructed. We started with season 5, and by the second episode, all parties involved were plastered, and by episode 4 we ran out of liquor. All in all it was a fun night, and I’m fairly certain that the next time I’m taking a break from work on the weekends, I’m sure to play the game again. And if your feeling a bit frisky, but you don’t have the dice we used, just take a simple shot of whatever you have whenever Mr. Gold utters the F word. Here’s a sample, enjoy the results.
Emeryville police have detained two men who boarded a public shuttle bus with real-looking handgun replicas yesterday afternoon, a police spokesman said. The incident began at 3:43 p.m. when the Emeryville Police Department received a report of someone brandishing a gun at 40th and Watts streets, department spokesman Brian Head said. The suspect then boarded the free Emery Go Round shuttle. A minute later, police spotted the bus and pulled it over at the corner of Hollis and 40th streets. Seven police cars arrived on the scene, and officers pointed their guns at the bus as the roughly one dozen passengers exited one by one, walking backwards to the curb with their hands up. Police conducted a pat search of each passenger and found that two men were concealing replica guns — one in a jacket and one in a backpack. The guns looked “absolutely real,” Head said. “They’re pellet guns, but they’re made to look like actual working firearms that are brand-name.” Head had no information about the relationship between the two men or what may have prompted the incident. No arrests have been made. Head said police plan to speak to the victim who made the initial call in order to gather more information.
So in a recent post, I said that I had a pretty sh*tty day on the 18th, and if anyone spoke with me personally after 4:50 yesterday the 18th of January, I probably wasn’t in the best of moods. On my way to finish one of my professional evaluations on campus, and the bus had stopped at a green light, and I was a bit perplexed. I was sitting in the rear of the bus, with my back facing the curb, when I noticed 2 cop cars behind the bus, police behind their opened doors, and their guns drawn. What ensued was one of the most hazardous and by far the most annoying afternoon of my life.
So rewind about 5 minutes, and I was in the rear of a bus in Emeryville that was being stopped as the police, sitting between four 18 year olds that were deliberating on who would take the wrap for toting a BB gun painted as a real pistol around 40th in Oakland. Once they figured out that no one amongst them was willing to take the fall for what sounded like one person’s mistake, the entire bus looked around and realized that the cops were surrounding us, from all angles, (some were even hidden in the bushes). For WHATEVER reason, the 4 who instigated the entire incident, still thought something was funny, and let out a few loud laughs as cops were closing in. They threw whatever it was they had into a backpack, and were kicking it around between each other until the police forcefully let us know what it was they wanted.
A good samaritan came from the very rear of the bus, and decided to be the better person and give the police what the ‘suspects’ wouldn’t. (Either that, or 17 cops with guns pointed at him, because he was nearest to the back window, made him want to just end the entire stand off.) He had all weapons pointed towards him, and was instructed to put his hands up and walk towards the cops backwards.
At that point I thought the cops had what the wanted, and would let us get on our, but soon afterwards, everyone was instructed to do the exact same. Every single passenger had to walk out, hands up with guns pointed at them, was searched, and handcuffed on the sidewalk. An hour and 15 minutes later, there was a happy crowd of onlookers across the street that had grown tired of waiting for something exciting to happen, and traffic had resumed on the opposite side of the street.
At the end of day, everyone on the bus was annoyed, frustrated, embarrassed, sick of the cops, but no one was hurt. The whole ordeal was more of a pain in the ass than anything thing, especially because I personally was over an hour late for my professional evaluation… which wasn’t very professional. But I’m hoping that after my professor reads this post, I’ll get those extra 30 points tacked back onto my final grade.
Now normally one of the deciding factors as to weather or not I’m a fan of the music I listen to is the quality. Luckily the New Jersey artist Kwality has all that and more. The track “Ballin” showed up on my radar a few weeks ago, and after a quick talk the South Plainfield emcee, I knew I had to throw the song up for download. When I spoke with Kwality about the song, he said “I have not reached that pinnacle of my career yet, but I am determined to establish myself into a wealthy young man in the future. I know my hard work and dedication will pay off. This song is for everyone who has a dream of being wealthy. Do not stop at a dream, push to make it reality.” Kwality has worked with various Jersey based artists, B.Cole, Paperface, C-Po (producer), yours truly and DJ Bhrama Bull are all among the list. This year he plans to release his self-proclaimed EP entitled “Tough Love” as well as his mixtape entitled “Kwality Music”. Both will be available on iTunes when released, but some of his earlier material can be found on Reverb Nation.
So, no matter where you reside, New Years Eve is fast approaching, if you happen to be in the Tri-State area, I’m here to inform all who don’t already have plans that “The Cottage” in NYC will be off the chain this year. Hot 97’s DJ Rob Ru, DJ Express will be holding down the tables, and the world famous Rob Scott will be performing. Just know I will be there, and acting a DAMN fool all night long. So come see us.
So as the new year is fast approaching I’m finishing different projects, and lining new ones up. But one of the most important things I’ve been focusing a majority of my attention on will be completed on the 10th of January, and I just wanted to put it out there to make people aware. I’ve been working on new mix material for the ‘BKC’ clothing store in San Francisco, I’ve been in the studio for days on end with Duckworth of Tokyo 24 working on editing, mixing, mastering, and marketing some things for him, and I’ve also been focusing my attention on the creation of a new avenue by which to get my music out. What’s dropping on the 10th of January may be all of these, it may be none, I’d tell you now, but… where’s the fun in that?
So a long time ago, I posted some super basic sketches up on twitter by the illustrator Christine McAleer, and it was announced that some sort of collaboration between us was on its way. The drawings were roughs of advertisements for DJ Storm female t-shirts that will be released around new years. I was quite enthusiastic to see how great the finished products would come out when I saw the women they were referenced from, (the first and last of the ladies were referenced from close friends of mine, while the picture above bears a stunning resemblance to the lovely Csilla Ray). I’ve already gotten numerous request by various girls, and I have all those accounted for. But if your interested in one, and you wear shirts between small and extra large, send me a direct message on twitter @YoungStark. As for the illustrations, I’d like to thank Ms. McAleer again for blessing me with some of her time and artwork.
So in my recent quest to update all my hardware/software, I came across the Dicer. A funky little device for use with Serato 2.1 that help keep functionality on the tables, and not in the computer while playing. DJ’s often hate a “PC DJ” who just looks like their doing something, but everything is controlled on the computer in front of them, and I know I have an issue with photographers ALWAYS choose to take pictures during the one millisecond while I’m using the computer to cue something up, so at times it can look like I’m over using my Mac to create my mixes, and not the turntables. But with the Dicer, that issue has disappeared. Check the method below. I’m definitely looking forward to testing these little diddies out in a club near you.
It’s quite obvious that it’s my job to “party”, but every so often you just have to leave the dirty work to someone else, cut loose and have fun. That’s exactly what my assistant and I did recently at Ambassador in SF. The ‘Above Ground’ crew took over the club, and DJ Tina T worked the tables. My favorite event photographer Ashleigh Reddy was on site taking pics of the night, and (aside from a disgruntled bouncer), what a great night it was. Friends, clients, and party animals alike were on the scene, check pictures of the mayhem below.
Don’t let ANYONE talk sh*t about your family 😤. 1 day ago
Good p*ssy is so warm, because it came from HELL. 🙄 5 days ago
I want to be the “Whomping Willow” from ‘Harry Potter 3’…
I can just stay in the same place and just SMACK n*ggas… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…5 days ago
Did you realize that the internet was made WITHOUT the internet? 🤔🤨 5 days ago
I feel like a tampon… in a good place
at the WRONG TIME. 😑 5 days ago
I got caught giving a f*ck…
Embarrassing 🙄 5 days ago
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