CARBON BLACKIntroducIng the new era for Young contemporarY women

$3.99 US $5.95 Canada

Define: CurvesSure all curves aren’t created equal, but is curvy defined by shape, size or race?

Find out inside

Stylish,Curvy & Black!

Curvy divas need style inspiration too! Our top 5 favorite, black,

plus size bloggers worth book marking.

You’ve Got Male!

Get the scoop on today’s Hip-Hop’s HOTTEST male artists!

Friends & Fashion: A Friendly Competition

Have you found yourself competing with a friend’s look or gunning to be

the best-dressed? A checklist to ensure that your look is purely a reflection of

you inside.

In The Nude?It doesn’t matter if you’re mocha brown, caramel or dark chocolate, these tips

will allow you to own your beauty and master the right

nude for your skin tone.

VINTAGE CHICKS

Here are 5 ways to make sure that when you shop vintage, you come home

with something worthwhile.

May 2011 Use your smart phone to scan code for exclusive

content!

Carbon Black’s Reader Profile: • She enjoys change, and always switches up her look. • She is cultured and diverse in her taste. • She embraces her shape, and makes sure to dress for her body type. • She is honest about her means and does not purchase what she can’t truly afford, but… • She knows how to achieve high-fashion, designer looks at a fraction of the cost. • She understands the basics of makeup application and can achieve a flawless face in ten minutes or less. • She is never afraid of standing out in a crowd; bold colors, statement accessories, and big hair are often her signature. • She sets trends without even knowing it, because she al ways remains true to herself, and her personal sense of style. ~ Coretta R. Troxler

Introducing the New Era for the...

Young Contemporary Woman of Color I am proud to introduce Carbon Black, a new and exciting magazine editorial experience focusing exclusively on urban fashion, music, beauty and relationships. Filling the void for up-to-the-minute style from the street to the red carpet, Carbon Black offers the fashion and beauty obsessed with visually stunning layouts and some of the dopest styling and photography! Carbon Black promises daily fashion, hot new music and beauty concepts, de-signer and model profiles, weekly features, how-tos and more!

Carbon Black’s Manifesto:• Timeless beauty starts from within. • Makeup is an accessory – not a necessity. With or with¬out, we’re gorgeous! • God gave us these natural kinky curls; we will learn to embrace and manage them. • HEALTHY hair is the only “Good Hair” we know. • Trends are made solely to inspire; we will still hone our own personal style. • When all else fails – accessorize for your life! • We will learn to dress for our body types. • A flawless face, luxurious head of hair, and fab outfit can be achieved at any price point; budget beauty queens and bargainistas unite! • Beautiful people have beautiful personalities.

 

MaYWHAT’S INSIDE?

Friends & Fashion: A Friendly CompetitionWhether you’ve found yourself competing with a friend’s look or gunning to be the “best-dressed,” here’s a checklist to ensure that your look is purely a reflection of you.

VINTAGE CHICKSHere are 5 ways to make sure that when you shop vintage, you come home with something worthwhile.

Define: CurvesSure all curves aren’t created equal, but is curvy defined by shape, size or race?

Stylish, Curvy, & Black!Here are our top 5 favorite, black, plus size bloggers worth book marking.

Personal Style: How many of us have it? Think, “How do I see myself and how I want the world to see me?” Here is a short list of ways to tell when we really, truly have personal style.

Fashion

You, Only Better

Beauty

Love or Lust

Music

In The Nude?It doesn’t matter if you’re mocha brown, caramel or dark chocolate, these tips will allow you to own your beauty and master the right nude for your skin tone.

You’ve Got MaleGet the scoop on today’s Hip-Hop’s hottest male artists!

Shallow GalLike many people, you’ve made the mistake of acting as if a person’s physical stature is a constant.

Executive Managing EditorMavis Carr

Executive EditorNell Moody

Fashion DirectorNina Cartel

Art DirectorSasha Johnson

Beauty DirectorCorrine Mathews

Features DirectorRenee’ Watkins

Entertainment DirectorKamryn Wayne

Editor-in- Chief/ Creative OfficerCoretta R. Troxler

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Urban ChickStyle. Find Yours

Located in Georgetown 1626 Wisconsin Avenue Washington, DC 20007

Monday-Saturday 10-7 PM Sunday 12-5 PM

Only 2 Steps to a 3D Lip Look:Highly Defined Color & Shine!

Whether you’re flaunting a dramatic smokey eye or an everyday natural look, it’s mastering the nude lip that will make a good look, great. Of course, there are rules to perfect-ing a beat face when nude shades are involved. It doesn’t matter if you’re mocha brown, caramel or dark chocolate, these tips will allow you to own your beauty and master the right nude for your skin tone.

Step 1: Cover your lips with a primer and/or lip conditioner or concealer and let dry.

Step 2: Next, choose a lip liner shade that’s a little deeper than your chosen lip color(s) to define lips. (If you’re using lipstick and you decide to skip step 1, you can fill your lips in with lip liner to help the color last longer.)Step 3: Apply a nude lipstick or lip gloss to you lips. One of the biggest mistakes that women of color make when selecting a nude lip shade is limiting us to various shades of brown. Depend-ing on your skin tone, brown lip shades won’t look as natural or give the effect of a nude look. Don’t be afraid to play around with shades of sheer pink as well. Avoid that ashy look by avoid-ing shades that are too matte. For a more natural look, blend a very small amount of your founda-tion in with your lip color.

Step 4: Finally, if you want to add a little shine, brush on a coat of sheer gloss.

In The Nude?

9

Someone asked a woman, “How does she define her personal style?” She simply said, “I don’t.” How useful it is to name your personal style and who exactly are

these names like “classic prep” and “rocker edgy” for? I’ve always found the idea of

“personal style” to be the most fascinating paradox. We are encouraged to simulta-neously know our personal style as well

as to know who we are. All the while, not confusing the two. How can you possibly know your personal style, when you don’t

know who you are? My suggestion, “Know thyself, and dress accordingly.” However, personal style can be advantageous and financially healthy.

Who wants to burn cash on pieces we seem to never wear? Navigate your own quest to develop and edit a self-concept. Think, “How do I see myself and how I

want the world to see me? Here is a short list of ways to tell when we really, truly

have personal style.

1. You are clear: You’ve developed a firm grasp on who you are and who you are not. Your look speaks your style so you don’t have to.2. You dress for you and for the people who matter: Sure many of us would like to believe we don’t give two damns about what the next person is thinking of our look, but we do. We dress for our lovers and ex-lovers, our co-workers, and our friends. We create both a practical and versatile wardrobe that fits every facet of our character and the many spaces we dwell in daily.3. You wear everything in your closet: You don’t have that dress or denim jumpsuit you’d never wear. You donate to the Goodwill downtown and receive that trusty tax write off. Your wardrobe is right now and is constantly under your sarto-rial edit.4. You never copy: We all have those friends or not-so-much friends who literally cut and paste our looks. You shouldn’t get angry with this friend or consider un de-friend-ing her. Instead, consider helping this friend develop a solid presentation of the woman she is, what she wants to project, and help her dress accordingly. Bottom line, friends that copy your look are friends who don’t have a clue who they are.5. Shopping ain’t nothing but a thang: You have such a sturdy vision of your personal style (whether you give it a name or not). This makes shopping is never a headache. You’re in and out of online stores and boutiques because you know precisely what you’re going for.6. You are brave: You’re not afraid to make a sudden and bold change. You recognize your complex and layered self and have assigned a look for each layer.7. You spread love: You are rarely threatened by the next wom-an. Even if she’s carrying your bag, recognize and acknowledge the beauty in other stylish woman. Just like her, you’ve once had to plant and nourish a similar seed in yourself.8. His opinion matters, but not that much: You don’t allow your new conservative boyfriend to alter the presenta-tion of yourself. If he hates your natural hair or wants to burn your extension, oh well. He can kick glaciers, or better yet learn to accept you for who you are.9.You covet style, not labels: Sure you can abide by the bible and purchase only the labels, but you will go broke to cop it. Instead, find inspiration points and like materials at a price point you can afford in this moment in your life.10. Your style is everywhere: You’re personal style is so potent, it spreads. Your taste can be found in everything from your bed spread, kitchen flatware to your cubicle at the work place.

Personal

Style:

How many of

us have it?

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Many women love vintage shopping for unique pieces that set their wardrobe apart from women who strictly chooses designer labels. Are you getting the most for your money and investing in pieces you can actually wear?

When you head into your favorite thrift shop, it is easy to feel overwhelmed. There are tons of one-of-a-kind clothing pieces and alluring accessories that at first glance seem perfect. How-ever, keep in mind they might not be perfect for you. Here are 5 ways to make sure that when you shop vintage, you come home with something worthwhile:

1. The Condition Should Be PerfectThat means no pulling, stains, discoloration or loose threads. These details make the difference between a piece that is timeless and a garment that’s just dated.2. Pick Pieces You Are Actually Going To WearThe most common error in vintage shopping is buying something just because you like the way it looks. Though clothing can be a work of art, if you can’t incorporate it into the wardrobe you have now, it’s a total waste of money.3. Be CreativeAt the same time, don’t pass up a garment because it lacks all the bells and whistles of today’s clothes. Put your creative thinking hat on! You may need to add studs or remove a sleeve or two to make the look work for your modern style.4. Pay Attention To FitVintage pieces are made differently then clothing today. Women used to wear undergarments to give the garments the shape that they wanted. To make sure your vintage find gives you the perfect fit, follow these steps:-Learn your measurements, especially if you are going to be vintage shopping online.-Stick to shapes and silhouettes that you already know work for your body type.-If visiting a thrift store, wear clothes that you can get in and out of easily so you can try pieces on.-Remember your tailor is your friend!5. Post-Shopping CareSince vintage items have a longer shelf life than newly-constructed pieces, they need extra at-tention. Don’t forget to wash your items with care as soon as you bring them home. Hang delicate pieces in a garment bag or fold and wrap them in tissue paper for storage.

Vintage Chicks

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Sure all curves aren’t created equal, but is curvy defined by shape, size or race?My answer? Shape. Certainly, not size. Wom-en with curves come in every size imaginable. Plus-size isn’t interchangeable with curvy. Not every plus-size woman has a curvy shape and not every petite woman has a boyish frame.Race doesn’t determine curves by any means. Yes, black women have historically been sexualized as voluptuous, but ladies like Ciara prove that we have beautiful, boy-shaped bodies too.Some women may never wear a DD bra cup or fit a size 16 dress, but no woman can simply overlook the genes passed down from her mother’s side. After all they do dictate the timing of her hips spreading and the develop-ment of breasts.If that meant I had the ideal body type as dic-tated by mainstream culture, curve-less and skinny, that privilege was lost on me.Watching the men in my family drool over Beyonce and Tyra Banks, it was clear that curves were to be idealized. Attention was always paid to women with thick thighs, shapely hips and full breasts. When Jennifer Lopez broke onto the scene, curves went main stream. Suddenly, there was no shortage of women with the confidence to show off her assets.To address this self-assured woman and her voluptuous shape, the word “curvy” was born. It first materialized editorially in magazines as a sexy, trendy way to refer to full-figured women. Now Curves are defined as a feature that was once downplayed and hidden soon transformed the standard of body beauty. It also give emphasis to the confidence that women of color have always had about a little meat on their bones.As curves continue to become even more popularized, Beyonce’, Rihanna, Jessica Biel, Scarlett Johansson and any one with a sprinkle of meat about their thighs or sizable breasts wears ‘curvy’ clarification as a badge of honor.

Toccara explains her frustration with the misuse of the word curvy.“When people talk about curves, they either go to one extreme or make the requirement that you have to be really big or obese or not sexy and beautiful. So, sometimes, when you say “curvy,” people believe that she’s not oozing the same sex appeal as anyone else. Then the other extreme is with the smaller wom-en [In terms of the media viewing very petite women as curvy]. I do personally feel some kind of way when I see women that I know and they [media] say ‘Oh, her curves are this and that.’ And I know if I stand next to them, I look freaking huge. It’s like, for real? That’s what we’re calling curvy? What makes me upset is that then they try to take my curves away from me. If some of these thin women have curves, then I must have arcs’.

Toccara Jones

Define: Curves

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Not only does she maintain her own fashion blog, controversially entitled youngfatandfabulous.com; but she was also voted MTV’s Twitter Jockey, a job that comes with a $100,000.00 salary (you go girl!). When she’s not interviewing the hottest celebrities over at MTV, she’s diggs up the hottest trends in fashion, proving that style comes in every size.

Curvy divas need style inspiration too! Here are our top 5 favorite, black, plus size bloggers worth book marking. As you may

know, the fashion world is often monopolized by the “super slim model type” figure. Now it’s time to introduce plus size women who

are making great strides in fashion.

Christina, an editorial assistant by day and fashion blogger by night, is the creator of LoveBrownSugar.com, a go to site for the latest in black culture beauty and of course fashion. With frequent outfit posts and motivational articles for women of vari-ous shapes and sizes, LoveBrownSugar.com has definitely become a fashion force to be reckoned with. Christina’s style is sophisticated, vintage, chic and always inspirational. She’s a true connoisseur of fashion and proof that curvy girls can have fun too!

Gabi Gregg {youngfatandfabulous.com}

Christina Brown {LoveBrownSugar.com}

Stylish, Curvy, & Black!

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Angel is creator and writer for the popular blog Concreteloop.com. This plus size profes-sional blogger isn’t afraid of taking the world by storm. While Concretetloop.com provides the latest in black entertainment and news, her Tumblr page, Angelonfire.com, shows an inside look into Angel’s personal life and interests. Fortunately, that includes her fashion must-haves. On her Tumblr page, she shares her obsession with Erykah Badu and India Arie. Visiting Angelonfire.com gives you an inside look at her love for boots, messenger bags, and tribal jewelry. Her inspiration comes from urban and ethnic wear, but ultimately her style comes from within. She is a prime example of having personal style.

Christina is a creative and bold graphic de-signer and plus-size fashion blogger who be-lieves in dismantling myths and taking risks when it comes to plus size styling. Her blog, Musingsofafatshionista.com, brings you all of the latest trends in plus size fashion, as well as outfit ideas and inspiration. Christina’s style is edgy, dark and limitless. Her style constantly proves that there are no boundaries when it comes to plus size fashion.

Franceta is new to the plus size fashion blog scene and already has a large following. The success of Franticdreams.blogspot.com is a result of her frequent outfit posts and creative and innovative styling techniques. Her wardrobe is centered around signature pieces that she mixes and matches. Franceta is now known for her incredibly different and unique looks. Her style is chic, sophisticated, and most of all fun. So, for all you curvy women in dire need of daily fashion inspiration, Franceta is your girl!

Christina Lewis {Musingsofafatshionista.com}

Angel Laws {Angelonfire.com}

Franceta Johnson {Franticdreams.blogspot.com}

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Stylish, Curvy, & Black!

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We’ve all expe-rienced it at some point in our lives: friends who make a com-petition out of every situation. If you’re happy about a great review at work, she has reason to believe she’s on the verge of a promotion. You’re pleased that your man is ready to commit and make you his “girlfriend,” and her boyfriend is going to ask for her hand in marriage. Your five year old got an A+ on an English quiz, hers will probably skip kindergarten by the end of the week. The list goes on and on.Unsurprisingly, this kind of insecurity and antagonism also plays out in fashion. When shopping with your best friend at the mall, god forbids if she grabs the same dress you did and remark that it fits her perfectly. Or after piecing together an outfit that captures your unique style, you’re frustrated to find her wearing a similar look only days later.It’s easy to determine competition is a manifestation of your best friend’s lack of self-knowledge and love. However, there are other ways that competitiveness can materialize through your wardrobe that aren’t as easy to detect.While I’ve often found myself the specific target of a com-peting friend, deeper reflection revealed I’m guilty of com-peting too, but in a different way. Many women harbor the desire to be the “best-dressed” at every event they attend. Their primary goal is not to compete with one particular girlfriend, but rather to crush the competition as a whole.

It’s a mindset

that is re-flected and

encouraged by popular

culture. End-less and lengthy

articles written by fashion journal-

ists, determining who is the “Best-Dressed.”

After every awards show they write columns like “Who Wore

It Better?” that make fashion feel like a battlefield. Rappers and singers alike are

covered in material things like custom-made dia-mond watches and designer bags as evidence that they’re

an upgrade from the competition.So the next time you face your closets to pick out an outfit with that spirit of competition inside you, put the hangers down and start dress-ing for the approval of yourself and not the acceptance of others.Though your look may have always been unique and not a carbon copy of your friends’ fashions. Let your sense of style overcome the heavily influenced outside forces. Sure people’s opinions will always play a role in what you choose to wear, but it shouldn’t be the deciding factor. And outdoing one another shouldn’t be the motivation for looking our best.Whether you’ve found yourself competing with a friend’s look or gun-ning to be the “best-dressed,” here’s a checklist to ensure that your look is purely a reflection of you:-Do you genuinely love what you have on or do you just love the atten-tion you receive when you wear it?-What would you wear if no one (your best friend, boyfriend, etc.) was there to judge your outfit?-Does your look celebrate what’s unique about your body and not what looks good on someone else?-Would it matter to you if no one complimented or even liked your look? 21

Carbon Black has a

new and exciting online

editorial experience focusing

exclusively on urban fashion and beauty.

Filling the void for up-to-the-minute style

dishes from the street to the red carpet,

Carbon Black offers the fashion obsessed

an user-friendly interface with visually

stunning layouts, and some of the Web’s

dopest stying, and photography!

Visit Carbonblackmag.com!

CARBONBLACKMAG.COM

Yesterday afternoon you meet a guy that has 9/10 of the characteristics you want in a man, but for some dumb reason, you won’t date him because the one thing you want that he does NOT have is a muscular build (he’s chubby) So, it’s a deal-breaker. Fact is, that makes you an IDIOT (yes you read that right). Like many people, you’ve made the mistake of acting as if a person’s physical stature is a constant.Imposing superficial physical require-ments on another person you choose to date is wrong. Yet, at the same time it’s heavily practiced among men AND women. We’re ALL superficial to some degree. Human beings all have varying tastes of what they are attracted to, but never delude yourself into thinking that “GOOD” people are easily capable of simply ignoring the way someone looks in favor of their personality. Excuse you? If a woman declares that she doesn’t want to engage in relations with a particular guy for whatever reason, how can you say she’s not a “good” person?You CAN’T, because who anyone who choos-es to have as a significant other is NOT deter-mined by any of YOUR preconceived notions of moral CONSCIENCOUSNESS, but more impor-tantly it’s THEIR body and THEIR choice of whom they share it with.With that said if the woman I mentioned above sounds familiar, you are an IDIOT for putting so much emphasis on someone’s physical features. All of the things that

you desire in a life partner, regarding their looks happens to be the one thing that is almost GUARANTEED to change. On her list of things he DOES have is a list of intrinsic quali-ties that make up the essence of that particular man: Being loving & caring, being driven and motivated, continu-ally striving for educational, professional and personal achievements and being an all-around nice guy. Those qualities most likely will stay with him until he DIES, but show me ANY man with a great 8-pack, or any woman with perky, gravity-defying 38DD’s and I PROMISE you that body WON’T stand the test of time.One day that 8-pack will become a KEG, and that woman will be kicking around her 38DD’s like soccer balls when they eventually droop past her knees, which won’t be cool to you AT ALL if their body was the only defin-ing characteristic that made you choose them in the first place.And PLEASE don’t list Tina Turner, Halle Berry and Will Smith as examples of people who’s sexiness went virtu-ally untouched by Father Time, because they represent an EXTREMELY small portion of the population. It’s the Bobby Brown’s of the world who are more indicative of what you can expect TIME to do to your body. Being superficial and wanting a man with sexy attributes is nice. However, realize that while looks are fleeting, the flesh is weak. A great personality will last forever.

Shallow Gal

23

Quality Not Quantity

Con-Colored hair on men of color is nothing new. But like the careers of celebrities, who have the freedom to go beyond bounderies. Often times, we can mistakenly think that celebrities’ whole life is entertain-ment. However, dying hair became extremely popular in the 90s and I seem to have resurfaced. This trend is growing, lading men to trade in their low cuts for low lights.Taking more than just dances from Sisqo, Chris Brown adopted Sisqo’s blonde hair and debuted it via Twitter last month. However, after some highly publicized lapses of judgment, he went from singing Yeah 3x to rinsing out that dye 3x. By the time he performed on Danc-ing With The Stars, he was sporting his natural hair color again.Wiz Khalifa debuted his blonde patch (inspired by Father MC) on the cover of Rolling Stone. More recently, the rapper The Game sported a red Mohawk (double offense) celebrating the release of his upcoming album, “The R.E.D. Album.” Some may claim this advances their rise to fame. We’ll see what happens until then. They claim that the ladies love it; do you?

FOR COLORED GUYS who’ve considered PEROXIDE when their

haircut wasn’t enough…

25

Whoever said “Hip Hop is Dead” obliviously hasn’t heard the flow of the 22 year old, fresh out of Mississippi. Justin Scott, formally known as Big K.R.I.T is hot new rap artist on scene, packing innovative beats and hypnotizing lyrics that keeps your ears fiendin’ for the next track. Meridian, MS native Big K.R.I.T. Undeniably, Big K.R.I.T. is young enough to be ahead of his time and old enough to be just in time to re-suscitate hip hop. His skill and confidence places hip hop on his back and demand the atten-tion of his predecessors. Early in age, K.R.I.T. discov-ered his musical inclination. At the ripe age of twelve, Young Krizzle followed in the steps of the late Tupac Shakur writing poems and turning them into raps. He then began free-styling

in the hallways of Kate Griffin Jr. High School perfecting his craft. At the tender age of fourteen, he began producing and arranging music for local artists. Soon after he began producing and writing his own music, with the finesse of a veteran. Immersing himself in the talents of the late greats: Biggie Smalls and Tupac Shakur and the southern influences of Andre 3000 and Cee-lo. Big K.R.I.T. has developed himself into a living legend that’s unknown to the popular circuit but adorned by the true underground hip-hop heads. His soul is young but his roots are deeply planted in southern soil growing up to the sounds of Willie Hutch, Bobby Womack and the Manhattans, whose music has sincerely influenced his works.Since 2005, he has dropped four mix tapes: See Me on Top I, II andIII, Hood Fame: King of the Queen. Big K.R.I.T is signed to his own label Multi Records. Like few MC’s in the game, he manages his own production, as well as creates and sells his own beats. He’s worked with established DJs in the industry without dropping a cent, such as DJ Folk, DJ O.K. out of Oklahoma, Black Bill Gates, Big Mike out of NYC, DJ Chuck T, Chief Rocka, DJ Papa Smirf and the list goes on. He’s been featured on tracks with Donnie Cross, Collective Efforts and Mike Hartnett. He’s produced tracks for many estab-lished artists such as Max Minelli, Ya Boy, Cheeto Gamine, Alfa Mega from Grand Hustle and Big Floaty.The young talent also has accumulated/developed a catalog of unsurpassed sounds and lyrics calmly waiting to take the rap game by storm. Big K.R.I.T. has consistently presented his scope and depth as he eagerly waits at mainstream’s door…knocking…no, banging to be let in. Who’s going to open the door?

Get the scoop on Hip-Hop’s hottest male artists!

Courtesy of

Sean Michael Leonard Anderson is better known by his stage name Big Sean. A rapper signed to Kanye West’s G.O.O.D Music and Island Def Jam. In 2005 he met West at a radio station, and after being impressed with Sean’s obvious talents he signed him in 2007. So far he has released three mixtapes, 2007’s Finally Famous, 2009’s UKnowBigSean, and 2010’s Big. His debut album, Finally Famous, will be re-leased early 2011 and will feature guest appearances from hip hop superstars such as Kanye West, Pharrell Williams, The-Dream, Kid Cudi, Wiz Khalifa and many more.Raised by his mother and grandparents, they worked steadfastly to instill in him the principles of hard work and determination. Sean attended the Detroit Waldorf School, a school of art, from Kindergarten to 8th Grade where he was introduced to a spectrum of art and culture. He later attended Cass Technical High School where he furthered his music career, met life long friends, and gained the support of fans and peers as he independently sold copies of his music. Sean gained a strong rela-tionship with 102.7FM, a local radio station in Detroit where he displayed his rhym-ing skills weekly. There, he met Kanye West after a radio interview in 2005 and got a chance to display his talent by freestyling for Mr. West, giving him a copy of his music and sending numerous tracks for him to critique. After months of submitting songs and numerous meetings, Sean finally got the call from Kanye West himself saying that he wanted to sign him.

Konvict Muzik’s debut artist, charismatic Southern rapper Cyhi da Prynce, began his industry ascendance as a member of Stone Mountain, Georgia’s infamous rap group, Hoodlum, a short-lived Def Jam Records group. After establishing himself as a successful solo artist, he has grown to become a critical favorite, known especially for his entertaining, yet truthful musical rap lyrics. Born Cydel Young, on September 15, 1984, in Atlanta, GA, Prynce grew up in the Decatur county neighborhood of Atlanta’s suburban Stone Mountain region. There he developed relationships with L.A. Reid, Clive Davis, Mark Pitts, Ludacris, Lil John, Jazzy Fe, Scarface and Keith Sweat, but he eventually joined Hoodlum. Big 4oes Chevy (2006), a Hoodlum Anthem, marked Cyhi Da Prynce’s lyrical debut. Growing up, Prynce was a vibrant youth as he played several sports includ-ing football, basketball, and track and field in addition to singing in school choirs, and participating in school plays and dances. His parents, who raised Prynce in a Baptist church, were very strict in nature, as Prynce was not even allowed to listen to rap music until he was 12 years of age. Despite their ‘tough-love’, Prynce learned many lifelong lessons. Most importantly, he learned to appreciate the foundation his parents gave him realizing that his parents laid the foundation that enabled Cydel Young to remain true to who he found himself to be, Cyhi da Prynce. In the latter part of 2007, Prynce became acquainted the Konvict Muzik col-lective and was officially signed with the label in January 2008, right before accepting a sub-label deal with Def Jam Records in February 2009. The tal-ented star is currently gearing up for the release of his newest street anthem, entitled “Go Outside” from his debut album “The Hardway Musical”. Deemed a musical movie, this message delivering compilation is set to feature several hip hop heavyweights. When asked about “The Hardway Musical”, the Prynce humbly states, “This album shows the emerging transformation of Prynce into Cyhi Da Prynce. It’s like the grooming of a prince because it displays my lyrical growth and dedication to the genre of music that hoisted me into the mainstream hip-hop music industry.” This young, yet innovative MC embodies what many rappers lack; personality, significant lyrics, quality music and distinction. His alluring versatility has already created a positive buzz about his rap lyrics in the music industry, landing him mainstream recognition in various publications and hip hop websites.

Big Sean

Cyhi da Prynce

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Cameron Jibril Thomaz, better yet, Wiz Khalifa, is an American rapper based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, signed to Rostrum Records. According to the Black and Yellow Songfacts, his stage name is derived from khalifa, an Arabic word meaning “successor”, and wisdom, shortened to Wiz when Khalifa was fifteen.In 2005 he released his first official mixtape, Prince of the City: Welcome to Pistolvania, and later in 2006 he released his first street album entitled Show and Prove. Since then he has released a further six mixtapes and a col-laboration mixtape titled How Fly with friend Curren$y. He released his debut album, Deal or No Deal, in November of 2009, it reached #1 on the iTunes hip hop chart. Eventually it reached the top ten on iTunes’ overall album chart the week it was released. He’s even also the founder of the rap crew Taylor Gang, which derived from the fact they always used to wear Chuck Taylor shoes.Khalifa’s military service caused the family to move on a regular basis. his parents were reas-signed to different posts. In October of 1990 Wiz was separated from his mother, who left him in the hands of her sister while she served in Operation Desert Storm.During his travels, Wiz was forced to mature quicker than his peers. He was constantly faced with new surroundings, new schools, and new sets of friends, and he found it difficult to become attached to anyone outside his family roots. This nomadic life gave Wiz an opportu-nity, though, to broaden his mind and offered him many experiences from which to draw inspiration. He began to perceive the world differently than most kids, and he would write his thoughts down every day. These thoughts would become the foundation for his recordings.By the age of 14, with a few songs under his belt, Wiz was already drawing comparisons with his commanding voice and witty wordplay. Growing up, his major influences were artists such as Jay-Z, Camron, and the Notorious B.I.G.. However, Wiz was determined to create his own identity that would, one day, be loved and revered by fans.Ready to take the next step, Wiz began his search for a recording studio to record new songs. Benjy Grinberg of Rostrum Records realized the raw talent that Wiz possessed, and immediately brought him into the Rostrum family in 2002.The New Pittsburgh Courier says, “The combination of a young, charismatic M.C. with a slew of stop-and-rewind rhymes together with a local independent label with major industry connections has set the stage for a hip-hop artist representing Pittsburgh to reach superstar status for the first time ever.In 2010, with the success of Kush and Orange Juice, Wiz’s style along with his production team made this a winning combi-nation for success. Wiz Khalifa was arrested on various marijuana charges after performing at one of his shows on his Waken Baken Tour. Wiz was allegedly found with over 2 ounces of marijuana. Most recently, Wiz Khalifa’s song Black and Yellow, a known Steelers Anthem, which was also made into a Lakers Anthem Purp and Yellow, with over 24 million views on Youtube. Currently Black and Yellow is #1 on the Billboard’s Hot 100. His major label debut album released on March 29th, entitled “Rolling Papers”

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