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ErikaElliot

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This is Industry Rules Magazine’s inaugural issue.

For this July 2015 publishing, we are featuring producer, actor and choreographer Darrin Dewitt Henson. Mr. Henson has been a staple in the film industry and he has shared his “Journey” with us in an exclusive interview.

We have taken the brand to new heights. The Industry Rules Magazine and IndustryRules.com team has done a tremendous job providing you with thought provoking content that covers various industries.

This publishing of Industry Rules Magazine features Darrin Dewitt Henson (cover), R&B artist Lyfe Jennings, business professional Christian von Daniels & Van Laack, Lexus NX 300h Hybrid, SLS South Beach Hotel, model Sylvia, Prime Results (fitness show), Erika Elliott of SummerStage, and more.

Thanks for your support and continue to stay connected with Industry Rules.

— Editor

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Editor in ChiefStarling Sanders

Editor Damon Saulters

Director of Business & Talent RelationsYaya Rey

Product Development Leon Tomlinson

Senior Writer Antorne Mcleod

Senior WriterAnn Mathew

Event Manager Courtney Mitchell

WriterGuylene Schlosser

WriterDaniel Schlosser

WriterEvan Powell

Writer Melissa Lazare

Writer Sara Martin

Graphic DesignerMatt Weinberg

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to be immersed into the blissful sound of smooth jazz. And with their polarized shades, tasteful brews, and picnic blankets draped at their feet, concert goers fueled their musical souls and got just what they came for. In what, at times, seemed to be a rehearsed display, fans swayed back and forth to the sound of the instruments. Meshell Ndegeocello, who is known for her lyrical content, songs display a contempo-rary style of jazz, that fuses Hip-Hop, R&B, and sometimes punk which makes her one of the most unique and original artist of this time and leads to a completely nourishing musical experience.

With the SummerStage concert series just kicking off, it only makes you excited about what the rest of the summer’s shows will bring forth, because this one truly set the bar high.

For information on SummerStage and its show dates and time, please go to its website for all updates and performance schedules.

– Courtney Mitchell

For free, yes you read it correct, it is totally free, New York SummerStage is the largest collection of free preforming arts events in the country. Whether you’re the true new York classic Hip-Hopper, the funk lover, or you have the more intuned ear for Jazz and Classical Music, SummerStage has it all. Its lineup is never anything short of amazing.

On June 6, SummerStage continued in its

tradition of greatness with performance by New York City’s own singer, composer, multi-instrumentalist Mr. Gabriel Garzón-Montano, the Grammy Award winning premier jazz trumpeter Mr. Roy Hargrove, and capping the day was the critically acclaimed sensual and soulful singer Ms. Meshell Ndegeocello. On what felt like the perfect summer day, hundreds stood online at the Central Park east entrance waiting

SUMMER STAGE2015

EVENT

The Stage is SetThis year, the New York City SummerStage Concert series celebrates its 30th year of providing a platform for all genres of music to be heard and appreciated by the public.

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HERSummerStage

THE SPOTLIGHT

erikaelliott

She currently holds the position of Artistic Director of City Parks Foundation’s hallmark performing arts festival, SummerStage. City Parks Foundation (CPF) is an indepen-dent, non-profit organization that creates vibrant and thriving communities by revital-izing neighborhood parks. CPF combines arts, sports and education programs with community-organizing to build communities throughout the five boroughs of New York City. As the largest presenter of free arts and cultural programming in New York City, SummerStage annually presents over 100 free events, featuring over 300 artists in parks throughout the five boroughs of New York City. Originally from Los Angeles, CA, Ms. Elliott moved to New York City to pursue a career in the music industry after working in college and commercial radio. She joined Loud Records staff in 1997, work-ing for three years in both the marketing and promotion departments with platinum albums such as the Wu-Tang Clans’ The W, and Big Punisher’s debut, Capital Punishment. Other projects included market-ing and promotion of Funkmaster Flex’s seminal Mixtape albums, Xzibit’s debut,

and Mobb Deep’s sophomore album. Ms. Elliott went on to become Assistant to the VP of William Morris Agency, Cara Lewis, where she coordinated a roster of tour-ing artists including Eminem, Lauryn Hill, The Roots, Outkast, and Jamiroquai. She subsequently moved to the Artist Develop-ment department of RCA Music Group where she was engaged in breaking then new artist Christina Aguilera and worked the Foo Fighters RCA debut. In 2001, Ms. Elliott was offered the Talent Buyer/Director of Urban Music position at S.O.B’s, New York’s premiere World and Urban Music club. She created and developed the SOULCITY series, which launched the careers of then unsigned artists John Legend, Anthony Hamilton, Ledisi, and Kanye West.

We had the privilege of speaking with Ms. Elliot one on one. It was a great experience and she spoke candidly about her career and what special events we can expect this summer from SummerStage.

AM: History of Summer Stage, how did it start?

Erika Elliott has over 20+ years of experience in a variety of roles within the music industry.

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EE: The festival is Celebrating its 30th anniversary, founded in 1986 and was really a way at that time to revitalize and bring people in to Central Park around something positive. New York wasn’t considered a safe with all the crime, drugs and etc. famous to the New York City 80’s, so the notion that bringing art and culture in a public space, and then bringing people in around the positive atmosphere that these events catered, could transform that area and the space around for the better. Initially, SummerStage was held in the Band Shell at Central Park doing per-formance art. It’s grown and expanded into all these other location with the same basic principal, to give people a reason to come into these spaces, in more parks and in their own neighborhoods to not only take ownership of these spaces but also trans-form them with art and culture. The attempt to bring art and culture with SummerStage started at the Band Shell in Central Park and since then I think over the years it brought something positive to New York City.

AM: SummerStage really is that platform for me, through experiences being raised in NYC I grew going to Central park festivals and look forward to concerts every summer.

EE: I think we are privileged to be in a city as big and as diverse as New York City. I am from LA originally, but It’s New York. There will be challenges as every city with this size, but we all have the opportunity to get out for arts and culture, not just in Central Park, but in all boroughs. It serves to make art accessible and it’s something I am re-ally proud, the organization itself is proud of what we have been able to do, to impact people in meaningful ways.

AM: What are the big plans in honor of the 30th anniversary?

EE: As an artistic director, I do struggle with how best to celebrate a legacy, how best to do “bigger better” more than the previous year. Because every year, every season there are special moments, once in a lifetime things, special guest that come out or just magic that happens in live performance so it really something to “out do” what we already done and I think we

do an amazing job, so, some of the things we wanted to do is just offer “More” and we have really been focused on making sure people are aware not only in all the location, but diversifying what we present in all the other locations. Central park is our main location, but we are striving to bring attention to those other events at other locations.

We do have a couple anniversary themed events, the one that I am most excited about is a DJ celebration where we looked at a specific programs to celebrate New York and to article the musical history of New York City and I think that will chronicle and give people a perspective of the last 30 years. We selected three DJ’s and asked that each one of them carry a set that represent a decade of summer stage history. Starting with Africa Bambada doing 86-95 then Giles Peterson doing 90’s and last Quantic doing the final years up till today, so many of the music inspired by those specific time coupled with media showing some of the timelines through these era’s. It’s one night only and I am really excited that this will speak volumes of our history any more than one particular event could.

AM: SummerStage is planning a lot of mini-festivals in eight parks this season as part of the expansion, what does this mean?

EE: It’s not new, but the more attention resources, dates and programming we’re adding. It’s starting to have a bigger profile. We have been doing these mini events as long as I’ve been here at the organization and over ten years we’ve been doing these concert and programs in neighborhood parks, but in the last five years we have been looking at them as mini Central Park festivals and tried to bring the profile of the talent and expand on the offering. Some locations, we have expanded to dance, family and theater to give that mini festival feeling. I do feel proud of what we can do program wise, but a goal is to offer more of it and that’s the way we celebrate our legacy in the city.

AM: How do you go about curating hundreds of artists to perform every year?

EE: It does take all year. For starters, I am artistic director. I am responsible for all music, I don’t do it alone. [We have a] small team of four of five, there is a dance curator, family and circus curator, but I am working all year. This is an ongoing process so I am cultivating next year now. In fact, I’m working on next year already, sourcing idea. I’ve been with the organization for 11 years and I have ten plus years prior in music and entertainment industries.

AM: We spoke briefly about her Resume/ Past, What do you feel like with these accomplishments working with Big Pun, John legend and launching so many careers, musically. SummerStage is one of the best ways to represent your self-coming up in New York, what’s is it like being the doorkeeper?

EE: My whole career I’ve been privileged to work with and also curate and identify artist that have gone on to be really big like John Legend or Kanye West, but I always felt that I am privileged to be in this position and I am really lucky to have this platform to give artist an opportunity. These artist works really hard to get where they are and I am happy to be part of the process. I definitely feel like I have worked hard to get where I am and I do have a lot of skill and thoughtfulness to bring what I program for SummerStage, but it’s a big world and so many people contribute to the success of an artist. As far as a gatekeeper, I don’t know if it’s that simple. I do feel privileged to have this platform and present art that I care about and It shows in the point of view I think is unique from other festivals. I do hope I am creating a legacy for myself, in the same way that artist are creating a legacy in their own body of work.

AM: Tell us about funding, I am always taken back by how well put together SummerStage Events are and I wonder how much work that is to raise enough money. How do you guys afford to host free con-certs of this magnitude?

EE: It’s a big non-profit organization, we have been doing it along time with very passionate people, but it is a major en-deavor to do this for New Yorkers for free.

It takes a lot of hard work and we do have a fundraising a development team who focus solely on raising money every year. That’s everything from corporate to members. Becoming a member, you can directly impact our ability to continue to do what we do. There are membership levels, which allot different level of aid. Aside from membership, we offer VIP options and ask for donation to support the free concerts upon entrance. We focus on accessibility, essentially, keeping the shows free, but we want to let people know any contribution can help. As soon as we work on who were going to bring, we’re working on how we’re going to raise the funds for that act.

AM: How do I get noticed as an artist?

EE: The team is [consist] of veterans. If you keep positive, work hard and practice, your craft you will get notice. Even a garage band can be selected, but if you’re doing all the right things with interesting music we will find you. I’d like to think we do have our ear to the street, and it’s our job to discover something special that people haven’t heard. Essentially, you want to be the first person booking great band starting to buzz. Curators are constantly trying to find new and exciting acts.

AM: What would be your Dream performance?

EE: For me, it’s an artist that I would never get to see and I’ve listened to their music my entire life. Bob Marley and Billie Holliday are both artists my parents listened to. As I grew into my own taste, I got into Bob Marley and Billie Holliday on my own and unfortunately never got a chance to see them while they were alive. My parents introduced Bob Marley and Billie Holiday. So, as I came into my own taste, I fell in love.

– Antorne McLeod

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LyfeJennings

Lyfe is Good

THE TALENT

Lyfe Jennings was born and raised in Toledo Ohio. He was musically talented at a young age and at 19 years old he was sentenced to 10 years in prison. There he found inspiration and the guitar, turning his life around and motivating himself to pursue a music career upon release from prison. In 2003 he attended the Apollo amateur night in NYC and shortly after produced his debut Album Lyfe 268-192, which the numbers on the album were his inmate number solidifying the transformation and accomplishment. After that he continued to im-prove and create music coming out with a new billboard worthy album consistently, the follow up with The Phoenix, Lyfe Change released in April 2008, I Still Believe in August 2010, Lucid in October 2013. Tree of Lyfe, recorded primarily in his home studio, followed in June 2015, and we had the chance to speak to him about life, The Tree Of Life and the music industry from an insider perspective.

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AM: I was particularly interested in the relationship you have with the guitar. What made you fall in love with the guitar?

LJ: The guitar came about by necessity, when I was incarcerated it was the only instrument they would allow in. I was part of a gospel group while incarcerated, and when I started writing music the group would dictate how my songs went because they made the music, I wanted full control of my music so that led me to get the guitar, start making my own stuff.

AM: I’m curious to know. How many guitars do you own?

LJ: I’m own about 4 or 5 guitars.

AM: Previous to all that, what led you to know music would be an outlet?

LJ: I come from a singing family, my uncle used to sing so it was natural for me to do it, I didn’t start writing until later on but for the most part music was a family thing.

AM: Expanding on the tree of life, the name stood out to me. What lead you to choose the title?

LJ: I actually saw a picture and it was such a dope concept to me and it said every-thing I want to say with this album, as far as I think that things and possession are not our tree of life the just path that are attributed to us, our real tree of life is are families and friends and the people we have around us.

AM: Speak about what influenced this album Tree of Lyfe.

LJ: This album right here is not just songs that I did strictly for this album, I’m always writing and when I get to the point where I have the right material to put out an album I just compile it together. It’s not just one thing that influences the album, it just my life.

AM: You say that your always writing music, so what make a song ready, what makes it something you want to put out?

LJ: When it’s a complete thought. It’s ready when not only is the melody right, the mes-sage is right.

AM: Ok so you follow current events, does the politics of current events influence when the song is ready?

LJ: Nah, It definitely doesn’t influence when the song is ready, It might influence the nature of the song, but I don’t base my songs on like popularity and stuff like that you know. I’m not a pop artist on nothing like that.

AM: Speaking of current climate and cur-rent events, coming from your back story of imprisonment and the What is something your doing or done to influence the young-er generations?

LJ: I think the biggest thing is doing what I’m doing (making real music) using my pedestal to not necessarily tell people what

to do but to give the younger generation other option, I feel like music motivates you. It motivates our actions whether in be in our relationships with each other or our per-sonal life’s. When you listen to actions of the music today nothing but smoke weed go mess with strippers.

AM: What is the challenge for you to stay in inspire in this mainstream driven stage, how do you stay motivated to keep putting out you music amongst all of these distracting music.

LJ: I don’t know about other cats but with me as I learn different things and I’m ex-cited about that new understanding and I just want to share it, so that s what motivate me as far as compete with cats, you know I hear a lot a cats out here saying this due over the new Lyfe Jennings and stuff like that but in reality you got a lot of life to live before you can even say you’re a “new Lyfe Jennings” because the old one isn’t done. Just as far as competition it like who is there to compete with, because unless you done lived my life there isn’t nobody to compete with, there’s no other me.

AM: Would you say that you’re satisfied with your musical career?

LJ: I mean, your almost saying, am I satis-fied with my life right now? But no, I feel like there is always room for me to grow, was there anything I would do over, no because I’m good right now, we could change this whole plane of existence with the change of one blade of grass, so I imagine I change the situation what would happen to me but what could happen for the people around me. I’m cool man I’m alright.

AM: How do you get success where oth-ers have failed in the same space where people are trying to be honest, write and put there struggles out there genuinely?

LJ: I think, I believable. Not only just with the music, I’m quite sure Justin Bieber could write a song about the hood and the real struggle, but is he believable, does that equal up with his life. The cats like; Raheem Devine, Tank or Anthony Hamilton, those

guys are really love song guys and there believably you believe the relationship they could have. When you talking about letting off them pistols or sleeping on the street and worrying about where your next meal is coming from man. There isn’t anyone more believable than me that am one of the main reasons why I’ve had success this long.

AM: People are curious about your child-hood in Ohio?

think could harm you actually helps you. It made me appreciate things more, it was thing that made me have empathy as ap-pose to sympathy. So I can tell what cats have gone through

AM: Who would you consider a hero to-day?

LJ: I consider them Shamans Heroes. Rea-son why I say that is their culture and belief system, even though not popular the stick with it, anybody that stick with something that they believe hole’ heartedly despite the climate of fads or politics, there the heroes today for me.

AM: What is a typical day for Lyfe Jen-nings?

LJ: Well... I get up 5:30am to prepare breakfast and lunch for the kids, get them ready for school, workout, check email, write etc. Then, I get the kids from school and make sure their homework is done you know. I could go on and on.

AM: Dead or alive who would you like to work with as a person?

LJ: I would really like to do something with Drake, and uh Marvin Gaye man that would be dope.

Lyfe Jennings is continuing to live his dream and make it a reality. His humbleness nearly outweighs his talent, which is major contribution to his success. What we heard about him really came out during our one-on-one interview. Lyfe is GOOD.

– Antorne McLeod

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FILM

¿Te vas? (Are You Leaving)

After my education and several projects as director of photography, with ¿Te vas? (Are you leaving?), due to the creation of my own production company with other partners (Think Mol Producciones), I had the opportunity to experience my role as a director and carry out at last my own story, from the beginning to the end.

¿Te vas? (Are you leaving?) Contains many of the things that I wanted to tell a long time ago, which, even without noticing, converged all together in this story. From a technical point of view, it im-plied a combination of two of my big pas-sions: traditional or static photography and cinematography. My beginnings were with the former, which I still practice and enjoy. Later on I initiated myself in cinema, which also trapped me. Both disciplines have things in common but, at the same time, they are very different. In ¿Te vas? (Are you leaving?), due to the way the characters remained motionless at the beginning of the short film, I could enjoy of the essence of both at the same time. On the one hand, I wanted to freeze time in a very precise mo-ment (because basically this short is that, an instant), so that viewers could witness what was happening in every corner of the house at that time. I wanted the audience to have the sense to move

within that frozen time and could simultane-ously experience the eternity of a moment of terror. On the other hand I wanted to use, through the static of the characters, one of the most powerful expressive tools that the still photography possess: the power of a gesture suspended in time, able to sug-gest the before and after that we see in the image. Narratively speaking, this short film, beside of being full of romanticism, deals with an endemic and universal problem as the domestic violence. Almost every morn-ing we hear on the news about another woman killed by her partner. Thus I felt the need to talk about it and try to keep people thinking about a problem that is far from being solved. I thought about the oldness of this problem, the small progress that we have made, and I realized that it was even already present on the princesses tales we were told when we were little, either they were contemporary or the traditional ones. Were not they all based on a woman trapped in a tower? A sorrowful princess yearning for freedom? That is when I decided that the main character would be one of those princesses (hence her fairy tale clothing immersed in such a gloomy environment), and that this time, this fairy tale would reveal the reality that is hidden behind.

– Cristina Molino

DIRECTOR S STATEMENT

Directed by Cristina Molino

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BUSINESS

Mr. von Daniels is the son of a farmer from Westphalia, Germany, who studied business administration at a German University. Christian von Daniels fervor for making shirts started while he was studying business in the late 1970s. In 1978, his passion for shirts led him to start his first business in 1978. Since then, Mr. von Daniels has become one of the most well-known textile manufacturers in the world. In 2002 he acquired van Laack, a clothing company that has survived for over 130 years of pro-viding the distinctive three-hole button shirt. Christian von Daniels has been successful with reviving the company, doubling its sales in 2002-2003 while retain-ing Van Laack’s notoriety. Mr. von Daniels’ success is a result of his innovation for van Laack, while sustaining its vintage high fashion style and craftsmanship. Next to acquiring van Laack, Mr. von Daniels was successful in acquiring Australian based clothing company Herringbone and in 2012 he acquired Australian clothing company Rhodes & Beckett, extending his brand. The savvy business professional also successfully utilized flagship and partner concepts to boost sales of Van Laack products.

van Laack today retails in over 80 partner stores, over 1,500 retailers and has flagship stores in over 50 countries. Besides his success and passion to produce high quality fashion, Mr. von Daniels is an advocate for creating and maintain great working conditions in the factories he manages throughout the world. In Hanoi, Vietnam, his factory trains all of its employees, provides safe and comfort-able working conditions, pays between 70-80 percent higher than the Vietnamese minimum wage and this factory also pro-vides onsite daycare for working parents. The Vietnam facility workforce is made up of 90% woman, which includes manage-ment positions. The facility produces over 600,000 shirts and blouses annually, which are all handmade. This process takes over an hour to make one shirt and just about three hours to make a “made to measure” custom shirt. Mr. von Daniels also manages facilities in Tunisia, Indonesia and the Philip-pines. van Laack “the royal shirt” is a must have in your wardrobe for both men and women managed by a CEO, who is hands on and passionate about his work.

– Daniel Schlosser

Majority owner and CEO of van Laack, Christian von Daniels is a very determine and passionate textile manufacturer.

GERMANmade

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IR EXCLUSIVE

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Darrin Dewitt Henson was born in the Bronx, NY on May 5, 1972, raised during the birth of Hip Hop dance scene he created a name for himself through acting, dancing, choreographing and later expanded to directing films while developing as an author.

Darrin embodies motivation and is a huge inspiration to the people he comes in contact with. He is also the national spokesman for the M.A. Lee Scholarship Fund, a charitable foundation providing financial and opportunistic access to post-secondary education for deserving students as he also advocate for AIDS awareness, juvenile diabetes and other issues.

I recently got time to speak with Darrin about the past, present and future. If you look into his career, you would only find a portion of the aspirations he has accomplished. The more I found out about Darrin, the more I was fascinated by his inspirational story. The first response to Darrin was thanking him for being a person who motivate many individuals, especially young black men and women. Darrin’s response was, “People don’t recognize how important it is not only to be inspired, but to inspire others.” We spoke candidly about what kind of outlook he was engaging as a young man and what led to being so interested in art, inspiring others in the process.

DDH: When I was younger I knew that the grander the scale I desired, the grander the scale of receiving was going to be. There is a scripture that stated knock and it shall be open, not keep knocking, and to me it was knock once. Knock is singular, and the door shall be open, that’s what I paid attention to, I knocked and used that action to show desire.

AM: Where were your parents from?

DDH: My mother is mixed race Italian and American, my father is American (Black).

AM: Just curious about life in the Bronx around the time you grew up there, the dance scene was huge. The city was an atmosphere that was heavily supported with urban dance and music, although I am not from that era, I do identify with the creative individuality explosion that was Hip Hop in the Bronx 70’s and 80’s era.

DDH: Man, I grew up 5 blocks from The Bronx River where the Zulu Anniversary Jams were. I was right in the middle of it, for me, watching Fabel and Mr. Wiggles

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was surreal because when street dancing was in its development, you’re talking FIRE. That language was about proving who you were and what your abilities were. It was about showing that you were the best and you deserved to be called the best, it was about culture, learning listening and watch-ing. It was celebrating your blackness, your individuality. SO, those occasions, we were incredibly proud of it, whereas, today it seem so cookie cutter, if I walk, talk, act, like the person I am then it validates me, back then it was about how individualistic you can be.

AM: That is a perspective that always stood out to me. Those scenarios are missing pieces that people haven’t witnessed about you. All these legendary moments you were a part of that goes unnoticed.

DDH: Scott Sterling was my first manager at 15 year old, now, a number of people don’t know who he is when told that name, however, when I tell you that it’s DJ Scott La Rock the name begins to ring bells. Scott was my manager while he was still in col-lege; he told me his plan for Boogie Down Productions. If you look at Boogie Down Production’s album you will see special thanks to B.I.A. ‘Boys in Action’ which was the group I was in that he managed.

I was on Broadway at 21 years old with the assistance of a guy named Adulfo Quinones who is also known as Shaba Doo, he eventually introduced me to the theatre director Ron Link. I got a part as an actor in the play Stand Up Tragedy. If people really want to know my journey, I worked with Classic Concept Productions owned by Ralph McDaniels and Lionel Martin. Lionel Martin was the first person to give me a job as a dancer, actor and choreogra-pher. Man, if people only knew my journey. I did a video years ago called B-Fats: Music Maestro with MC Rell and the House Rock-ers. My first choreographed video was for a guy on Def Jam named Don Newkirk, then they gave me Color Me Badd- I Wanna

Sex You Up, Hi-Five- She’s Playing Hard to Get. After that I got booked for SWV- So into You and Right Here videos, Lisa Lisa Let the beat hit ‘Em, C+C Music Factory- Things That Make You Go Hmmmm. If you saw the Sprite Commercial with Tribe Called Quest I was in that too.

I went to Dewitt Clinton H.S. with Tracy Morgan who was one of my good friends. I would get in trouble for dancing in the schoolyard before class; even then people didn’t know how intentional I was with my life, they wouldn’t be surprised about what I’ve done and it’s because I saw myself in those places before I got in them.

AM: Dance has been in your life forever. Is it the art form closest to your heart?

DDH: Professionally, I’ve been dancing since 15 years old, dancing is always going to be close to my heart because it was my first love, but I love acting now. I believe come as you are but don’t stay as you are. Allow yourself to grow, to expand, to build, so what I’ve done is allowed myself to gain access to more. More imagination, more diversity more action, I’ve allowed myself to grow. Yes, dance is my first love because to me dance is spiritual, because of the

connection between music and move-ment. When it comes to acting, I am passionate about acting now because I understand it more; I understand that it is the relationship with the oneness of someone else.

AM: I am a huge movie buff and apart of the video game generation, I did notice you in two roles that stood out as far as how deep in character you were and the sheer transformation of those roles. You played Raven in the hit video game “Tek-ken” turned Movie and Jim Brown in “The Express” I don’t feel like you received credit for them.

DDH: I appreciate the studious position that you take because I did the work. Denzel Washington said something a few years back, ‘GOD gives the rewards, people give the awards’ and the reason I use that is, if I had to wait for people to give me my due props I be dead and buried. I transform into these characters, and we are so inundated with the ‘fluff’ that that is what people pay attention to. If you look at what I’ve done, I feel like Sam Jackson esque. My own friends didn’t recognize me in ‘The Express’ as Jim Brown, and in ‘Tekken’ the movie as Raven, still a lot of people don’t know that was me, which made me happy and speaks volumes to the work I’ve done. So I’m just going to keep on doing it because acting is what I want to do, for those people who are aware and get it will go, man this is what he was doing ?! If I got to sit around and catch you up on everything we’ll be here a long time.

AM: If you could go back and change one thing what would that be?

DDH: Man honestly, I wouldn’t do it, I think it’s a waste of time because everything that I’ve done and been blessed with I got because of my Journey. If you waste time thinking about going backwards you’re missing your present right now. Either you’re a lesson or you’re a blessing; to me the les-

sons turn to blessings if you’re paying attention. I wouldn’t change anything, my life has been extraordinary and outstanding and I’m so thankful and happy that the things I needed to learn that didn’t repre-sent my end result, I’ve learned from them now and I am better equipped and focused. That is what the past did for me, and I am really happy with the position that I’ve taken. My dreams like getting MTV Award or working with Michael Jackson or work-ing with pop culture or soul food. I wanted that since I saw the Cosby show. I’m Darrin Henson and this is the card I’m dealt so this is the hand I put out.

AM: How do you maintain the balance between family, personal life and your career as an entertainment?

DDH: I am still a work in progress with my family, because, I am an entertainer at heart and sometimes my family has suffered in terms of what choices they would have preferred or made. Those are not choices that I would have made, and I have learned that you cannot please everybody. If you think about Malcolm X or Martin Luther King Jr., these people who have sacrificed their families preferred choices for the human race. They were educators and I am an entertainer, and I get to entertain millions of people. I still do what I have to do for my family, I provide for them and there is no separation or segre-gation of my family, so very, very simply said with my family... ‘It’s all good’

AM: What do you do to wind down, How does Darrin Dewitt Henson relax?

DDH: Honestly I love working out, I love weight training, running, martial arts and boxing. Michael Jai White is a really good friend, like a big brother, sometime we go out to the gym to hit the bag or throw on the glove and he shows me so much. There’s some steps I run in Santa Monica that would test your manhood. I love medi-tation and praying, I love reading, reading D

arrin

Dew

ittH

enso

n

“Professionally, I’ve been dancing since 15 years old,

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and did I mention READING. I also love to people watch, some of the best rest I get is on flights, watching and wondering about people and where there going or where there coming from.

AM: How you like being on the west coast, is that home?

DDH: Home is where the heart is, California is where I rest my head but New York is always home to me. Wherever my family is I call home and I have family all over America.

AM: What’s next for you?

DDH: I am excited about a few things right now. I have a movie coming out called ‘Suns 2 the Grave’ directed by Mykelti Williamson (Bubba Gump). It features Messiah Harris (T.I. son). It has Demetria McKinney, I star and lead in this film and it so powerful, this is one of the most powerful film I’ve ever done. I am excited for ‘Sons 2 the Grave’ which will be introduced at the Toronto Film Festival. Also, I have What Love Will Make You Do, that premiered and was nominated for best picture at the American black film festival, written and directed by Lisa Haynes and it is an amazing love story. Also, Choir Director, made after the book written by Carl Weber, where I am a choir director. I recently directed a movie called ‘The Hotel’ which we cut up and made into webisodes, there was an offer made to buy it at the American Black Film festival. I am so also excited about that opportu-nity for ‘The Hotel’ which you can see on YouTube right now. I have also directed my own music video which is on my YouTube channel. I partnered with Leslie Smalls who introduced the world to Kevin Hart and we have some projects that are green lit, again

I am excited about what’s to come.

AM: I did check out the book of Poetry Intimate Thoughts, as authors do you have anything in store for the future?

DDH: I am definitely going to write another book but I am really excited about this next book I got coming out, I believe it’s going to launch a new perspective about Darrin Henson and expand my reach. It stems from programs thoughts actions and results.

AM: I read an article you did before, you were asked to give advice for younger generation and you said “Ask more of yourself than anyone could ever ask of you and you will always be prepared.” It spoke to me about motivating yourself to be better, expand on this quote for me.

DDH: What that simply means is, always go the extra mile. If you in a position and you ask more of yourself then you’ve already gone the extra mile. When you’re asked a question, that preparation will mean you already have the answer. Focus on diversity of knowledge whether is politics, math-ematics, economic, birds and the bees. That puts you in a position of empowerment because people want to hire, work with, and mentor those who go the extra mile. So many people are not willing to stay late or go in early, so, if you ask more of yourself than anyone can ask of you, chances are you are prepared. One of the things that I’ve learned is that education is the key that opens all doors, when your educated no one can stop you because there is more than one way to get where you need to go.

– Antorne McCleod

DarrinDewittHenson

JOURNEYthe

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FASHION

This German based designer takes dress shirts to a whole new level. Founded in Berlin in 1881, current CEO Christian von Daniels has taken the brand to another level. Opening a total of 120 stores since 2007, these one of a kind men’s dress shirts are made from fine Italian flannel, cash- mere, or silk with their signature three-holed buttons. Though, technically a menswear brand, they offer some woman clothing such as blazers and sweaters, which are made of expensive Lora Piana cashmere. There is another unique feature this brand

offers to their customers and that’s their detailed tailoring services such as made- to-measure shirt tailoring where customers can choose their own materials and add unique details such as darting and mono-gramming, how custom can you get! Don’t worry about traveling to Europe to get the Van Laack experience they do have a U.S location on Madison Avenue in the heart of New York City where you too can have the luxury of purchasing a one-of-a-kind garment made to fit.

– Sara Nicole

Van Laack is certainly a designer to watch.

GERMANmade II

LIV

LIV

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MODEL

Height: 5’8 / Weight: 128lbs / 34D-25-36 Agency: Posh Modelssylvia

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SLS Southbeach Luxury on SandLIFESTYLE & CULTURE

Like a magnet to fine metal, the attraction and pulling together is inevitable. The great history of the SLS hotel franchise is now cemented on the sands of Miami’s South Beach.

Originally debut in 2012, the over 8000 square feet iconic luxurious artwork designed by Phillipe Starck is decisively located on 17th Street and Collins Avenue. The hotel boast 142 rooms with 10 rooms dedicated for pool-side bungalow suites. SLS South Beach also encompass the franchise world-renowned Hyde Lounge. For South Beach, it has been called Hyde Beach. Similar to its predecessors (Hyde Lounge Sunset, Hyde Lounge Staples Center and Hyde Lounge

Mammoth Mountain), Hyde Beach will continue the tradition of providing premier accommodations to those of VIP status.

SLS South Beach is not just a hotel, it’s a preferred lifestyle. “The collaboration at SLS Hotel South Beach demonstrates our mission to provide a lifestyle experi-ence that is truly unmatched in the hospitality space,” said Founder and CEO Sam Nazarian. “The creative brilliance of Starck, Andrés and Kravitz will deliver an offering that captures the vivid and intoxicating essence of South Beach throughout every layer of the design, service and food and beverage.”

Camelot!!!

LUXURY ON SAND

FOOD & BEVERAGESLS South Beach continues to be the beacon in an ocean of hotels. Renowned Chef José Andrés spearheads the culinary division entitled The Bazzar by José Andrés. His name associate with the brand makes for a great synergetic bond and a happy guest. “I am so proud to be here in Miami with our SLS Hotel. This exciting city has always welcomed me and felt like home. We look forward to providing our guests that same welcome and to offer dining experiences like none they have ever had before,” Andrés said. “We want to thrill them, sometimes surprise them, but most of all we want take great care of them.”

Other culinary additions include the Katsuya by Starck and the before mentioned Hyde Beach.

The trifecta gives guests three noteworthy options to relax and enjoy the best of foods while literally sitting in the large lap of luxury.

DECORSLS South Beach decor is grand. With an expansive terrace that time warps you to a café in Paris setting, you will find that the attention to detail is most exceptional. The black and white Moroccan tiles followed by a red wheelbarrow bench are not even the climax, but the genesis of the creative artillery of Starck.

The reception area is the mood of an American summer camp with its coloring and fine finishing. The lobbies adjacent the Bar Centro which makes way for its massive plush red velvet curtains, rare dark wood furniture and French bistro tables. You can actually spend the entire night there without every checking into your room.

Like Starck’s other iconic designs in the Los Angeles and Houston locations, his signature twenty-foot tall images of a sharply dressed elderly Japanese man and a woman from the 1940s are part of the furnishing.

LOCATIONAfter the completion of SLS South Beach a little more than 2 years ago, Starcks summed up his work by stating “whoever you are, whatever you want to be, whatever you want to live, whatever you want to love, you will always find your place in the new SLS Hotel South Beach.” We totally agree.

SLS South Beach 1701 Collins Avenue Miami, Florida

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FOOD & BEVERAGE

Look no further than Nobu, located on Collin’s Ave in South Beach, Miami, Florida. This restaurant is thought to be one of Miami’s hot new and exciting establish-ments to dine at. The delicate Japanese cuisine is a mixture of seafood, vegetable, and protein platters.

The diverse meals are exquisitely prepared by one of the top chefs and founder, Chef Nobu Matsuhisa. Chef Matsuhisa com-bined training that he received from across the world in exotic places such as Peru and Argentina and sushi bars in Tokyo. The intensive training collectively brought about Asian Fusion cuisine to vacationers and residents of South Beach, Miami. Hard to believe but there was once a time when a Nobu restaurant was not headlining every metropolis in the world. As the restaurants portfolio quickly expanded across the world, the luxurious empire is up to 30 plus establishments carrying the Nobu name on its shoulders. The platters are cooked catering to the Japanese flavors.

The chic and stylish restaurant is open to serving all with the splendid creations prepared. The fine and modern décor set a warm and inviting atmosphere for dining. The dramatic yet fun French- American pieces bring about a cool, sexy and relaxed feel.

The signature dish is known to be the black cod with miso, which soon became to be an international phenomenon and add to the sushi empire. The second runner up would need to be the soy-slicked fish. The black cod fish is shorthand for the Nobu empire. The signs that the codfish would be such a hit was predetermined about two decades ago with the opening of the first Nobu restaurant at 105 Hudson Street. The black cod fish was not only delicious, but singlehandedly turned to expand the Nobu brand globally. The branded name Nobu picks up much recognition and praise by customers for the tasty meals. All in all, wine, Nobu is the place to be to enjoy Asian fusion meals, sushi wine and liquor!

– Melissa Lazarre

Looking to wine and dine yourself and/or others?

Nobu Restaurant of Miami

The Taste

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HEALTHY TIPS

WAYS TO MAINTAIN YOUR DIETwithout sacrificingyour Social Life

In this issue’s Health & Beauty section, I will help you maintain your healthy life-style even if your friends or family aren’t up for the challenge.

When I began to make efforts to change how I was eating, I realized for the first time how much of my social life revolved around food. With among my friends it was, “Hey guys let’s meet up after work for half off appetizers and drinks!” Or at home I would have to hear my mother say, “I knew you were coming home so I made some of the spaghetti, meat sauce, and garlic bread you love!” Sharing a huge popcorn at the movies with my boyfriend only to go out for an indulgent dinner afterwards. I felt my social life slipping away as my friends were out having fun while I was completing another set of squats alone in the gym. Below I will share some tips on how to continue to spend free time with loved ones without giving up on your diet.

At the pizza place: If the occasional pizza slice makes its way into your diet, be sure to make it plain or veggie. Veggie slices are even better than plain, of course, because you’re eating vegetables, but also because the added toppings will help you feel more full.

At a casual dining restaurant: Try to go for the lean meat and veggie option over fried starches and meats. Also remember: por-tion size is everything! Meat should be no more than your fist and veggies should fill up half (or more) of your plate. Always ask for a takeout bag and finish that meal for lunch the next day!

At your favorite coffee shop: It is not coffee alone that can cut into your allowed calo-ries, it’s the sugars, syrups, and milk that do the damage. Most tasty drinks like frappuc-cinos and macchiatos automatically have whole milk in them. Be sure to ask for skim or soy milk and sugar free flavored syrups if plain black coffee isn’t your thing.

At the movie theater: Two tips on this one- Go straight to your theater and do not look back! Hold your nose to avoid that alluring popcorn aroma if you have to. Sitting and eating junk food at the movies is only made worse by the fact you are distracted. Eating distracted can keep you from feeling full. Pack some fresh fruit or home-baked kale chips!

At Sunday dinner: It is hard to face your mother, father, or grandparents’ prods to eat more of the great dinner they made you, but sometimes it is necessary. Load up on veggies and watch your portions of meat and pastas, limiting added sauces.

As many of us know, the journey towards a healthy body and life can be long and complicated. Traveling the road with a friend or family member makes traveling feel a little lighter. If you have a partner in mind who is a bit reluctant, or if you are reluctant yourself, try experimenting with different healthy foods at home. Check out the new juice bar. Purchase a blender or juicer and try making some drinks yourself. Overeating and unhealthy eating can be ingrained into your personal life and is defi-nitely part of American culture. Following these tips and keeping portion control in mind can lead to a healthier, happier you!

– Briana Williams

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BEAUTY

Now, combine that with the peaks and valleys of cellulite and the anxiety of looking in the mirror, no one fighting the battle wants to journey to properly see the battle ground. With time not being completely on our side, one can feel like the battle is completely lost before it begins. Time is of the essence and there is new products that will help you defeat both time and cellulite. It’s called CelluBlue. It is an amazing fat burning tool to alleviate access fat, improve self-esteem and increase your overall health. Before we discuss CelluBlue and the simplicity of this old school, made new school (transported from France) methodology, we thought it best to give you a little more understanding of cellulite. On average, about 90% of women (and some men) dur-ing their lifetime will deal with the effects of cellulite after puberty. Cellulite actually has three stages/grades. First is soft or grade one. This is not really seen by the human eye, but microscopic abnormali-ties of the skin exist. Grade two, which is also described as hard, is where you will have paleness, lower temperature and decreased elasticity in the affected areas of your skin. Grade three (edematous) is the most visible. It is often describe as “cottage cheese” with its divots and/or dimples. To be clear, cellulite is not fat itself, but rather the result of increased fat cells under you skin preventing fluids and water from circulating properly. The skin tissue is compressed causing a bumpy or cottage cheese like appearance.

In researching the cause, it was surprising to find that scientists do not have an exact concrete cause of cellulite. However, there are several theories some of them being the following: hormonal, genetics, diet (too much fats, carbohydrates, salt or too little

fiber can contribute to cellulite), lifestyle factors (cellulite has been proven to be more prevalent with smokers, people who don’t exercise and many who sit or stand in one position for a long time). One of the most interesting of theories was clothing. It has been found that underwear with tight elas-tic across the buttocks limits blood flow that may contribute to the formation of cellulite.

Now that we have given you a little insight about cellulite, lets talk about this new product CelluBlue. The wonder of it is the short time it takes to see results. By copying the age old french procedure, the palpate-

roll massage they claim to remove your cellulite in three weeks. The method is to pinch the skin and then roll it to break up the clusters of fat cells. The CelluBlue does the same by hav-ing you put oil on the area you wish to treat and then place the 100% medical hypoal-lergenic silicone cup on your skin. Before you put the cup on your

skin, you pinch it so that when you place it on your skin it creates a type of suction and your skin is pulled into the cup. You then rub the cup up and down the desired area for three minutes. After which, you rub the cup side to side for another minute. The last minute you rub the cup in circular motions. This procedure enables you to stimulate blood and lymphatic circulation, resulting in soft, firmer and smoother skin or at least the appearance of it.

In closing, the price of this product (less than $20) is cheaper than any surgery and com-petitive to any cream on the market. Most important, it does more for you than taking that same $20 and spending it on fast food/sweets. Yes, the battle continues, but with this product the war only takes five minutes.

– Ameliaismore

Since the beginning of time, the battle of the bulge has been fought by both men and women.

FAT FREEin 5 minutes

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CARS

Since Lexus is a luxury brand, it’s not surprising that the profile of the Lexus NX 300h is sleek and sexy.

PERFECTION

Even sitting still, the NX makes quite an impression. My test drive model had an obsidian black paint job with a tan interior and the rear windows were tinted. Inside, there were even a few purely stylistic elements, like a beveled ledge over the glove compartment, which added a sense of class. My NX was packed with bells and whistles. Some of my favorites Air-conditioned seats (a godsend to

combat summer heat), dual climate zones (handy for passengers who might have different temperature needs) and dual USB ports (so more than one person can charge their device at a time). The NX took a while to pair with my iPhone, but that could be because the interface, a touchpad similar to those found on a laptop computer, isn’t 100% intuitive. It’s definitely a conversation starter, but it takes some practice to get the hang of it. I often found myself driving slower whenever I had to operate it. Toward the end of my test drive, I’d gotten the hang of it, but decided I didn’t really like it—except for the express purpose of wowing passengers, of course.

The NX is a compact premium SUV so it’s luxurious but small. So, it doesn’t take up much space as far as parking goes, but there is a tradeoff in the form of legroom. The reclining rear seats allow a tall person to get comfortable but it’s still relatively snug.

For a big city, however, the NX is a great fit. It’s tiny enough to park and dodge through traffic, but big enough to bring a few people with you. Also, I loved all the automated features of the NX: When it rained the windshield wipers came on and when it got dark the headlights activated them-selves so I felt like I could give more of my attention to driving. The NX has three drive modes: Eco, Normal and Sport, which is

nice for adjust-ing your driving to differ-ent circumstances — like saving gas or hurrying home for dinner. Even after you press the “EV Mode” button, however, the NX doesn’t always stay in electric mode. I’m sure that has something to do with the level of charge the battery has, but it still takes some of the power away from you. Pun intended. Overall, the NX is a sporty miniature SUV that is well suited to a big city although I wouldn’t recommend it for taller drivers.

Posted miles per gallon (MPG): combined city /highway, 33 Actual MPG: About 29 miles per gallon. Great MPG but the gas tank was small so I still found myself at the gas station often.

Retails starts at $39.7K. As tested: $49.7K

– SékouWrites

Another Step Towards

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Name

(Amazon)PrimeMusic

Free withSubscriptionto AmazonPrime($99/ year)

No 1M

Cost Ads? Playback OptionsLibrary

Size(millions)

Platformsavailable on

Track on demand, Radio, Curated playlist, Music Locker/Library, O�ine, Unlimited Skip

Android, iOS, Web, Windows, Mac, FireOS

BeatsMusic $9.99/ mo No 20M

Track on demand, Curated Playist, Scenario Driven Playlists, Music Library, Unlimited Skip, O�ine

Android, iOS, Windows Phone, Web

GooglePlayAll Access

$9.99/ mo No 30M

Track on demand, Radio, Curated playlist, Music Locker/Library, O�ine, Unlimited Skip

Android, iOS, Web

Pandora $4.99/ moFree

Yes 800kRadio, Additional Skips with subscription

Android, iOS, Windows Phone, BlackBerry, Windows, Mac, Web

Rhapsody $9.99/ mo;4.99/mo No 32M

Radio, Unlimited skips with 4.99 subscription | Track on demand, Curated Playist, Mood Driven Playlists, Scenario Driven Playlists, Music Library, Unlimited Skip

Android, iOS, Windows Phone, BlackBerry, Windows, Web, Xbox 360, Xbox One

Tidal9.99/ mo;19.99/mofor HiFi

No 25MTrack on demand, Curated Playist, Music Library, Unlimited Skip, O�ine

Android, iOS, Web

XboxMusic

9.99/ mo;99.90/year No 38M

Track on demand, Radio, Music Locker/Library, O�ine, Unlimited Skip

Android, iOS, Windows Phone, Windows, web, Xbox 360, Xbox One

Spotify

.99 forthe �rst 3 months,9.99/ moafter; Free

Yes,withfreelayer

30M

Radio, Track on demand with limited skips on free layer |Track on demand, Curated Playist, Scenario Driven Playlists, Music Library, Unlimited Skip

Android, iOS, Windows Phone, BlackBerry, Windows, Web, PlayStation 4

TECHNOLOGY

fromWAX WAX

from

toDigital

Prime Music

The Good: For a value added service, Prime Music is a fully featured service complete with music discovery options (radio and curated playlists), in-line lyric support so you can sing along (or simply learn the words to a song you may have made up the words to) and a music locker so that

you can listen to the songs that you’ve purchased from Amazon (physical or digital copy).

The Bad: The library of music to stream is pretty baron, compared to others in this space. Rhapsody, for example, has a music library that is 32 times the size of Prime Music. The library is a bit of a letdown considering that the design on all the platforms I’ve tried it on is highly intuitive. The app design makes you want to use the app, the library makes you want to try another option.

Streaming Music Service

In 2011, digital music purchases outpaced physical album sales for the first time in history, underscoring the evolutionary change in the way consumers obtain and listen to music.

In 2014, Billboard made the decision to include music streaming services in its calculation for the Billboard top 200 list. Six months later, Warner Music Group has reported that for the first time ever, they are making more money from steaming music services than MP3 sales.

Streaming music services like Spotify, Tidal, Beats Music etc., seem to be the trend- setters that music industry is following.

For those people who are interested in trying out one of these different services may find the process to select one to be a daunting proposition. In the US market alone, there are dozens of services to choose from with varying features and exclusive content. Next page is a chart with some information at a glance with some of the more popular options as well as my experiences with each of the services in the past month.

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Beats Music

The Good: The first thing that you’ll notice from using Beats Music for a short period of time is that the people who design the app and the folks that are in control of content creation simply love music. The service is a love letter to music. Other streaming services have curated playlists where a collection of “music people” make a playlist with 15-20 songs that have a com-mon theme. Beats Music have dedicated liaisons per genre that do this as well as celebrities, radio station personalities, artist and even music culture websites.

The Bad: The apps on Android and Windows Phone get BUGGY. The iOS apps have a few quirks here and there but I haven’t experienced the app crashes on the same level as the other two platforms. Additionally, the situational playlist feature called the sentence, which is in the form of a clever mad lib, is very hit or miss with its music selection.

Google Play All Access

The Good: My goodness, the artist radio is on-point. Probably the best radio feature out of all the apps I’ve tested. Additionally, Google Play is a store and lets you know that it is every time you visit one of the apps in its catalogue. With that being said, being able to add the music that you’ve pur-chased from Google Play or uploaded to your Google Drive is a great touch. It’s one of the best options you have if you want to preserve the music collection you’ve built up over the years but still want to have access to Google’s large library.

The Bad: The app availability is just too limited. There’s a certain irony at play here. Most music streaming apps allow you to listen to its entire music library they way that you want to in an on-demand fashion. While you certainly can do that with Google Play All Access, Google is highly selective where you can do with respect to which platform. Out of the eight services that I reviewed, Google Play All Access is the only one to not have a Windows or Windows Phone application. In 2015, that’s just bad business in my opinion. Google’s main competition in the computing plat-form space, Apple and Microsoft, own Beats Music and Xbox Music, respectively. Both services have apps for Windows or Windows Phone as well as iOS and Android. That’s especially important considering the release of Windows 10 (which merges their tablet, desktop and mobile approaches). That’s a conscious business decision to ignore over 1 Billion computing devices.

Pandora

The Good: Pandora’s interface is extremely easy to use. Additionally, Pandora has applications for so many different devices and platforms, smart TV’s and vehicles included.

The Bad: Aside from the ads, the library is the most limited out of all the options reviewed. This leads to hearing a lot of the same tracks repeatedly. The most annoying thing about Pandora would be the limited amount of skips available per hour, which is just increased when paying for Pandora One.

Rhapsody

The Good: One of the older music stream-ing services available, Rhapsody boast the largest library of music in the US (Xbox Music has 38 million tracks but only 18 million

available in the US). One of Rhapsody’s strengths, like Pandora, comes from being available on many platforms, including gaming systems. When used on the Xbox One, you can “snap” the app to the right of the screen, allowing you to play a game and listen to the music that you want, which is a very nice touch.

The Bad: Rhapsody has a lot of features but doesn’t particularly do any one thing well. With the service being as versatile as it is, down to the payment options mirror-ing its competition, you would think that this would be the go-to app for streaming music for many people but it’s lacking that “something special” that sets it apart from the rest. The service itself feels like it’s in the “also-ran” territory, which is a shame. Finally, the mood based playlists need a bit more refinement. Namely, you should be able to select a genre after selecting a mood.

Spotify

The Good: Spotify’s social media integra-tion is so seamless, it almost feels like an oversight that other music services don’t have it. It’s a natural extension of what music consumption is and a great way for you to discover music, provided you and your friends have similar musical tastes. Additionally, it’s the only app I reviewed list that has a PlayStation 4 app (which turns your phone’s app into a remote, VERY nice for parties).

The Bad: The service’s free layer for mobile is a waste. It leaves a terrible taste in your mouth if you’ve tried other free streaming services (like Last.FM) and it feels like a poor take on Pandora’s model (limited skips and all), albeit with a larger library.

Tidal

The Good: The Tidal apps are very pretty. There’s an elegance to the Android and

iOS apps that the other apps that I’ve reviewed have. The apps have a look and feel to it that oozes quality. I’m not nor-mally a fan of exclusive content and limited app availability but I’ll give Tidal a pass for now considering that the service just re-launched. Additionally, the added touches to your music listening experience i.e. gap-less playback and crossfading options as well as the available options to stream and download tracks in HiFi (for an additional $10/ month) are welcomed and I hope it’s something that more services duplicate.

The Bad: The artist radio feature is an ad-venture, not in a good way. There is abso-lutely no earthly reason why Coldplay and U2 should be in the playlist on Memphis Bleek radio. None. Additionally, some of the features of the app are hidden due to unintuitive app navigation. This is particu-larly a shame considering the app design-ers clearly put a lot of thought in the look of the app but fell short on usability.

Xbox Music Pass

The Good: Microsoft’s rebranded music service has become one of the more plat-form friendly options for music consump-tion. The interface is extremely easy to use across all platforms and has an excellent web player (possible tied with Beats Music for the best web player). The artist radio/ SmartDJ feature is very good. Not as good as Google Play All Access, but possibly tied with Beats Music for second.

The Bad: The obvious pain point about the service is the amount of time it can take to load between tracks. It’s not something that happens every time you skip a track but it happens enough to be anxious whenever you do. Additionally, it’s not particularly feature-rich and the features aren’t congruent across all platforms. The service on the Xbox platform allows you to watch 70,000 music videos on-demand, that feature is strangely absent on any other platform, including other Microsoft platforms.

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