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Written by Alan Verly
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Scott “DJ Skee” Keeney is part of a growing crop on individuals with ambitious entrepreneurship goals that treat age like a non-existent factor. Keeney, 27, was named to Billboard Magazine’s Power Players: “30 Under 30” list for young moguls, and he’s building a brand that is progressively impacting Hip-Hop culture. “It's an honor to be recognized for my business success because I'm primarily a DJ. It's always an honor being appreciated for your work and it was special coming from an established brand like Billboard.”
He is the primary DJ for one of the West Coast’s most prolific labels, Black Wall Street and is the host of one of the top radio shows in Los Angeles on KIIS FM, a destination that top artists make sure to hit when they’re promoting their latest projects. “We usually pick musicians who are hot at the moment to come on the show,” says Keeney. “If the people want to hear from them, then we’ll have them on.” A moment that particularly stands out to Keeney as his favorite since starting the show is having Jennifer Lopez tell him happy birthday. “That was amazing!” Keeney recalls. “Not a lot of experiences can touch that.”
Aside from his radio host duties Keeney is a fully fledged DJ, manning the 1’s and 2’s in shows all over the world. He’s collaborated with artists such as The Game and Snoop Dogg on mixtapes, and surprisingly enough did production for Soundgarden vocalist Chris Cornell. “I met Chris a few years ago and we toured South America together. It was an amazing experience, I remember listening to Soundgarden when I was younger and to get to know him was incredible.”
The Los Angeles native by way of Minnesota has an outlook on Hip-Hop culture that is quickly becoming widely influential, so much so that he’s been tapped to produce commercials for billion dollar companies such as Chrysler and T-Mobile. Though there is a fine line of expression that’s threaded when dealing with corporations, Keeney makes sure that the integrity of the genre isn’t compromised in any of his work. “We let them know that we're in touch with what people in the culture want to see and hear. Sometimes they come up with ideas or want us to do something that is too corny, and unless we get enough money not to have to work again we won't do it.”
Keeney is also a notorious lover of new gadgets, he quizzes guests on his show about what’s their favorite electronic device at the moment. “I love my macbook air, that's probably the one thing I can't go without. Ipod touch, Iphone, Ipad, I'm heavy into Apple products.”
Keeney has most recently hosted a mixtape for newcomer rapper Privaledge titled, The Playbook, which also features Kendrick Lamar and Waka Flocka Flame. Skee is also getting ready to launch a brand new version of his online channel SkeeTV.
Being named to the “30 under 30” list with three more years to receive the honor shows an incredible amount of potential. Look for DJ Skee to make his mark as the next big mogul in the future.
Scott “DJ Skee” Keeney is part of a growing crop on individuals with ambitious entrepreneurship goals that treat age like a non-existent factor. Keeney, 27, was named to Billboard Magazine’s Power Players: “30 Under 30” list for young moguls, and he’s building a brand that is progressively impacting Hip-Hop culture. “It's an honor to be recognized for my business success because I'm primarily a DJ. It's always an honor being appreciated for your work and it was special coming from an established brand like Billboard.”
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Written by George "Fable" Robinson
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Have you met Raqiyah Mays? If you haven’t, trust me you will, with an infectiously energetic personality and the determination to live life to its fullest Mays has had the privilege of hosting several radio programs, written for some of the biggest Hip-Hop magazines around and successfully act in several off-Broadway shows. Now in the fashion of a true renaissance woman she’s moving forward with her new business venture Broadway Night Out, a successful events planning company that’s quickly made a name for itself hosting some of New York's illustrious social meet and greets for members of the entertainment industry. Over the last 15 years she’s brought life to the broadcasting and media world and when asked about her success she replies, “ I always intend to live life to the fullest”.
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Written by Kevin Benoit
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Hip-Hop is best described as a culture and a way of life. That culture has become so multi-dimensional in the last decade and the culture continues to change, so finding long term longevity is more about perfecting your hustle and staying ahead of the culture rather than the art itself. DJ Vlad né Vladimir Lyubovny is a shining example of staying ahead of the culture. With his site, VladTV.com, known to some as ‘the Hip-Hop TMZ’ and undeniably one of the most visited news and entertainment sites on the web, Vlad has found his niche and continues to not only perfect his hustle, but continuously enhance it as well.
Vlad was always a student of Hip-Hop, having tried his hand at break dancing, producing, DJing and quite a few other activities in between. Hip-Hop was only a passion on the side for Vlad at first. Attending the University of California Berkeley he decided to study computer science, another one of his interests. After graduation he entered the industry and found success, but the music kept calling him. "I kinda reached this point where I was like 'I really want to do music. Let me try and concentrate and try to do music as well,'" Vlad explains. DJing came naturally so that became the push.
Vlad launched a site DJvlad.com and started posting mp3 files of his mixtapes. "I was the first person to ever do that because I really didn't have an outlet," Vlad recalls. I lived in the Bay Area in California and there was no Africans on Canal St over there, so it was really all I could do." The site was not only a success but it proved to be profitable as well.
A year later Vlad made his way to New York City with hopes of being the biggest DJ out here. He released his Rap Phenomenon mixtapes series and his site and his brand continued to grow but he still wasn't finding the success or popularity he was expecting. He found himself DJing in strip clubs just to pay rent.
Next he started doing Hip-Hop DVDs, again growing the brand and the audience. Eventually, as with all things, the sales began to decline and the trend became over populated. In January 2008, Vlad made his smartest move in life's game of chess with the creation of his youtube channel, which he called Vlad TV. Early on the skeptics were out in full force, but Vlad knew what he was doing. "It was just a youtube channel so people were wondering why I would call it that name. Now we're like the number 10 news channel on all of youtube and that includes ABC News, Associated Press and all those. We're number 10 on that list. Its one of those things, you gotta see the vision early and you have to adapt quickly because these hustles don't stay the same."
Vlad's story is important to all students of Hip-Hop, especially those who think the only way to find success is by grabbing a mic or by making a beat. Vlad's success is in part because of his education. The website, VladTV.com is programmed entirely by Vlad and his partner, Rob. Vlad found the perfect merger of his passion for music and his education in computers and he is successful now in part because of it. The rest of his success can be credited to his tireless devotion and 24-hour work ethic.
As we discussed in the beginning Hip-Hop is all about thinking ahead and Vlad knows this. Although he has found success, he isn't comfortable where he is. He currently produces videos for artists all over the industry, having already done videos for Jim Jones, Lil' Jon and many others under his company, Monstar Films. He's the VP of Loud.com a division of SRC Records, part of the Univeral Records brand. Vlad is also developing two new websites and a television show which he hints may be getting picked up by a major network.
Did I mention his work ethic?
As a member of the Hip-Hop community myself and student of the game, I recognized that Vlad needed to be acknowledged, not just for his success, but because he is really part of the culture and continues to do his part in keeping it alive.
Hip-Hop is best described as a culture and a way of life. That culture has become so multi-dimensional in the last decade and the culture continues to change, so finding long term longevity is more about perfecting your hustle and staying ahead of the culture rather than the art itself. DJ Vlad né Vladimir Lyubovny is a shining example of staying ahead of the culture. With his site, VladTV.com, known to some as ‘the Hip-Hop TMZ’ and undeniably one of the most visited news and entertainment sites on the web, Vlad has found his niche and continues to not only perfect his hustle, but continuously enhance it as well.
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Written by A.D.
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It goes without saying that losing a loved one can be devastating as death leaves us full of unanswered questions. The only thing we can do is honor our loved one's memory fondly and it is how we choose to live our lives that can be a tribute to them. Award winning actor, Kevin Byrd has dedicated a good portion of his career towards the humanitarian cause. After the loss of his grandfather to prostate cancer, Byrd made it his life’s mission to educate the public and raise awareness of this silent killer. His foundation, The Brown Byrd Prostate Cancer Foundation has made major contributions to bringing this illness to the public’s attention even winning many awards and garnering many citations for its work. Byrd was more than enthusiastic to share with me the goals and mission of his foundation as well as information about prostate cancer.
You may recognize this Utica, New York Native from his television, movie and theatrical career, “I started my acting career when I was seven years old in film and television. I’ve spent 20+ years in show biz, I’m best known for playing Congressional Medal of Honor Lieutenant John R. Fox which was a movie produced by Al Roker, Samuel L. Jackson and the late Bernie Mac titled Honor Deferred.” The film earned a Dynamic Vision Nomination in 2008.
“I started the Brown Byrd Prostate Cancer Foundation about five years ago in 2005. My main focus is to spread the knowledge about prostate cancer across the globe.” Byrd and his nonprofit organization have made major contributions to bringing prostate cancer awareness to the public even getting an international prostate cancer day, “With the work of our organization, February 2nd is the day of observance for prostate cancer all over the world. On this day, we remember all those who have passed on due to this illness. I’m the first African-American male to have this day established in 2009.” Having an international prostate cancer awareness day is just one of Kevin’s many goals with the Brown Byrd Prostate Cancer Foundation.
The reason for international prostate cancer awareness day being within Black History Month is not coincidental, “Prostate cancer is one of the leading causes of death in Black males.” Byrd shares with us. “When my grandfather died of prostate cancer seven years ago, I didn’t know what it was so I had to do a lot of research. I did a movie called The Last Days, where one character was diagnosed with prostate cancer.” The original goal was to only do the movie about the illness, not long after ward, Byrd created a one-man show about prostate cancer called Release. “I wanted to get this information out the best way I knew how at the time and using my acting to help others has been a blessing.” Although at first Byrd, didn’t know that much about prostate cancer he didn’t let it stop him from trying to get his message out.
Running a nonprofit organization in itself is a good thing, but all the things that go on behind it can be stressing. “The hardest thing I think is to get people to support a vision. I’m the youngest African-American actor to have an organization that has managed to make such a difference. With the economy the way it is, it’s always a challenge to keep money coming in. As far as the support, people have been more than generous and I am thankful for that.”
Byrd and his organization aren’t just sitting behind a desk in an office building over the phone taking donations, he’s out there getting the word out about prostate cancer via movies, plays and even touring. “We just did the national prostate cancer awareness tour last year. We did testing and screenings, going to churches and different places across the U.S. we’ve gotten support from AARP, a lot of well known health magazines and even Queen Elizabeth acknowledged us.”
All of Byrd’s work is in honor of his grandfather, he was kind enough to share some memories of his granddad and how his love for him inspired him to help millions. “My grandfather’s name was BJ Thomas, he passed away in 2004 of prostate cancer. He was a retired hard working man, it was tragic when he passed away because no one really told me what was going on, all I knew was that he was sick, but I didn’t know why. I couldn’t understand and it was only after he passed on that I learned he died of prostate cancer, but even then I didn’t know what it was. It took a long time to come to grips with and with the help of my family and support from friends I’ve been able to honor his name.”
We’ve been talking about prostate cancer this whole time but you may be wondering, what are some of the symptoms commonly associated with this illness. A lot of the time there may not be any signs, which is why it’s often referred to as the silent killer. One of the most common signs is swelling in the prostate area, irregular need to go to the bathroom, having pain when you urinate, and not being able to perform sexually, these are just a few of the common signs. Sometimes, there have been cases when there were no symptoms at all but the cancer was there. It’s always important to have regular visits with your doctor.
Okay now you know the symptoms but how do you know you’re at risk for this illness? Like most cancers there’s no way to determine how one actual gets it but we do know that if you engage in certain activities such as poor dieting, lack of exercising, and promiscuous activity can be a factor. Sadly there is no cure for prostate cancer but Byrd does inform me that there are a lot of remedies and medical breakthroughs going on. “Every 2.7 minutes a man is diagnosed with prostate cancer and if left untreated the disease can spread throughout the body. Every 19 minutes a man dies of prostate cancer, September is prostate cancer awareness month. I lost my grandfather to this but I’m hoping I can save someone’s brother, cousin, nephew, husband, lover, friend or whatever from this. “
Byrd leaves these inspiring words to readers and fans, “One person CAN make a difference, its not just about getting tested but knowing the disease as well. I’m doing this interview with Parlé to inform the younger generation of this before its too late. Maybe you’ll even be able to inspire some to get tested. Get regular checkups with your doctor, maintain a healthy lifestyle and just appreciate life for what it’s worth.”
I learned a lot about prostate cancer talking with Kevin Byrd, I hope that this inspires you as it did me to help fight the good fight. In the memorable words of Dr. Martin Luther King, “Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.” For more information on Kevin Byrd as well as his nonprofit organization, Brown Byrd Prostate Cancer Foundation go to www.kevbyrd.com.
It goes without saying that losing a loved one can be devastating as death leaves us full of unanswered questions. The only thing we can do is honor our loved one's memory fondly and it is how we choose to live our lives that can be a tribute to them. Award winning actor, Kevin Byrd has dedicated a good portion of his career towards the humanitarian cause. After the loss of his grandfather to prostate cancer, Byrd made it his life’s mission to educate the public and raise awareness of this silent killer. His foundation, The Brown Byrd Prostate Cancer Foundation has made major contributions to bringing this illness to the public’s attention even winning many awards and garnering many citations for its work. Byrd was more than enthusiastic to share with me the goals and mission of his foundation as well as information about prostate cancer.
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Written by A.D.
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It is always inspiring to hear a tale of family togetherness, especially when the family is in the entertainment industry and even more so when that very same family has managed to work closely together for several years. Hip-Hop aficionados know of the legendary Wu-Tang Clan (RZA, GZA, Method Man, Ol’ Dirty Bastard (R.I.P), Ghostface Killah, U-God, Masta Killa, and Raekwon), but what a lot of fans may not be privy to one of the members behind the scenes who have kept the fam together, Raekwon’s middle brother Kareen "Kay" Woods or just simply Kay as he likes to be called. In one of his first interviews, Kay was able to share some time to talk about growing up on Staten Island, managing both The Wu and his brother’s solo career as well as the careers of some other notable artists. He also shared his perspective on the entertainment industry and his future plans.
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Spotlight Feature
Sometimes, it must fall upon the journalist to ensure that what they are hearing in an interview is clear enough that they can truthfully and accurately present their subject's words as quotations. This may require asking for an answer repeatedly, admitting you missed something that could have been important, or actively picking and choosing which quotes should be completely captured in a form of verbal triage. Other times, it may simply require asking the subject to slow down because your cell phone's speaker is woefully inadequate. Such was the case with Kirko Bangz, and regrettably, I did not follow the advice laid out above. The following is what I can transcribe from my conversation with the Houston hopeful, whose Drake on promethazine approach has been reverberating within the scene.
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