2nd Blog: Support! Support! Support!

R.I.P. to VIBE MAGAZINE (1992-2009)

One of my goals in life was to be E-in-C of VIBE. I’ve been reading and collecting VIBE from as long as I can remember. There is a HUGE stack of them at my mom’s crib in Michigan! I remember reading this article about Amerie that VIBE did andI remember thinking WOW I want to write an article that is so appealing it makes you care about an artist that you never had any interest in before. It’s so sad that amazing publications like that fold. My home boy Landon is an intern there for the summer. (Check out his blog as well http://straightouttahiphop.com)

Thank You to EVERYONE who has been supporting my blog so far. I greatly appreciate it! The more you all comment and let me know your thoughts about the blog the more it’ll inspire me to write since I have an audience. Calling me, texting me, tweeting and aim’n is cool. But try and comment ON THE BLOG PLEASE! THANKS- MGMT

One of my first memories of Los Angeles had to be when I was around 10 years old. My mother, brother and I had came back to LA and I believe it was the first time I had been back since my birth. On the plane ride there I think my mom bought me a “Right On” magazine and I remember being on the plane reading about some new r&b sensation. Before there was B2K, before there was B5 (LOL sorry that was funny though) ATL, Day 26…there was Olamide, Talib, John, and Jamal (who was later replaced) aka Imajin. I had no clue what their music sounded like, I simply just thought they were pretty cute I was 10! I remember getting to LA and hanging out with my Godsister ReAlitee (yes that’s her government name) she’s had to be like 13/14 at the time and she introduced me to Imajin. We went to the Beverly Center and I purchased their first single “Shorty You Keep Playing With My Mind”

From there on…I was pretty much addicted. I went on every website, fan page, to learn more information about my NEW FAVORITE group Imajin. I even had my own website dedicated to them. ImajinOnline.com (I’m pretty sure that URL no longer works). I think at one point in time I wrote my own remix to “Shorty You Keep Playing With My Mind” (but I was 10 and it probably sucked so I will NOT try to remember it)

I really LOVED Imajin because they weren’t like your average boy band. (I’m pretty sure I had my friends in elementary loving them too w/o hearing a single song. I seem to have that affect on people. Which is why I belong in this industry.) Sure the label made them dress similar but they played their own instruments which a lot of other boy bands/groups don’t do til this day. Imajin was just ORIGINAL overall, raw talent who SHOULD have been promoted A LOT BETTER. Sure you can sing and dance, but can you actually create music? Well Imajin could. Check out their second single “No Doubt”. ..that’s Megan Good and YES that’s Donald Faison aka Olamide’s brother.

But just like most other boy bands they fade away due to the industry being pretty wack at times. A lot of groups who deserved to be ON TOP actually got played. Unfortunately my boys of Imajin were one of them. But as a TRUE FAN! I still support my boys whenever they decide to make their third come back (yes there was a second comeback but…idk you gotta ask them!) In the mean time you should still support them! Talib is a hot producer, graphic designer, singer (man he does a lot) check out his site http://www.taazkareem.com/

I’m following John on twitter and he keeps me dyin, Talib and Olamide are on twitter as well. But I PROMISED Olamide that I would support him and mention him in the blog for today.

(Olamide I told u to send me a picture! So I stole ur twitter one)

So Ladies and Gents….check out my boy Olamide’s aka Lamz song “Slow Down” ft. Osa

You like? You hate it? It’s cool? Let me know! Let him know too!

Hit him up on myspace http://www.myspace.com/lamzmusic

I personally bang with the track it’s different…and we know how much I LOVE different music. Something new is much needed in today’s industry so support OLAMIDE! The only thing about this song that I can’t really bang with is…LOL why the chick gotta be 17? Really Olamide? That’s how you rollin now? I’m JK!

Any who….if anyone else remembers my boys of Imajin lemme know what you think/thought about them? I personally loved em. I’m about to bust out in “Ever Again” right now lol. I wonder if they have their first album still at Sony Music…hmm I might have to do some research when I get back to my internship on Thursday.

I hope you enjoyed today’s blog. I’m selfish so I had to blog about my first favorite group! I might surprise y’all with another blog tomorrow. We shall see? In the mean time… deuces.

-The Real Sidney Shaw

1st Blog: I'm a BET(.com) Intern...well for a day

YAY! First blog as my alter ego Sidney Shaw (Yes Sanaa Lathan's character from Brown Sugar). I would FIRST like to thank SEAN for hooking ya girl up with my LOVELY graphics? Flyy right? I know! Follow his blog silentsmack.blogspot.com he's pretty sweet.

So today I woke up excited cuz today(June 28th) was The BET AWARDS and I LOVE award shows. I really wanted to go to the awards but pretty much all of the connects weren't helping. So I'm trying to figure out my apt situation for when I go back to michigan (oh yeah i'm in LA for the summer) when I get a phone call from Kim Osorio (do your research...she's too flyy for me to have to put you up on game http://kimosorio.com) asking me was I still interested in being an intern today for the awards. Am I interested? OF COURSE!
(Thank you, thank you, thank you THANK YOU Ms. Osorio for the opportunity!!) So I tried my best to get ready. I had no clue if i'd be outside or inside or what writing so I said HEY and threw on this Sean John dress I had (Yes Ciroc Obama!) Yeah I soon regretted wearing that dress the minute I stepped into the production trailer.

I met Quan Lateef aka Qdluv today. It really made my day. She used to have a show in Kalamazoo called 7 Degrees Jams I remember watching that show ALL the time when I was little. She's pretty much part of the reason as to why I wanted to do whatever it is I want to do. I was super excited when I met her it was funny but hey I give respect to be people who deserve it and she's been making it major moves since forever! Home girl is a Production Manager for BET.

So pretty much I was an intern for BET.Com (check out my teasers somewhere on the site. pretty much the 106 pre show ones) I had to sit and watch 106 & Park and write down the highlights for each segment. I don't usually watch the ENTIRE episode of 106 just cuz Rocsi annoys me. But I guess it's different when u are watchin it for a purpose. Once the show started I didn't have anything else to do so I just chilled in the production trailer and watched the show. It was really interesting to sit and watch how edits, and cuts are made and the whole behind the scenes things works. I really LOVE that part of the industry. Working as a Sony Music intern I'm learning about contracts and and music licensing so learning about how BET.com works was really cool too. Plus the stuff at BET.com is pretty hilarious too.

I ventured off for awhile and ended up seeing from a far, Ne-Yo, Letoya Luckett, and Ciara. I went downstairs so I could get a better of view of things and ended up being right next to Mike Epps, then I turned and seen the guys of Day 26. I watch MTB all the time cuz they are too funny. I didnt' wanna be a groupie so I waited until some other chick (probably a groupie hoe) walked up to them before I asked to take a picture. Brian was MAD cool, so was Q and Big Mike. I took a pic with Brian but it didnt' come out too well. (meaning I'm not posting it). Their handler ( i guess) told them they had to bounce, everyone walked away except for Will he had turned around and seen me so he stopped and gave me a hug it was pretty cool. I LOVE when artist are actually down to earth especially when they are on REALITY TV that the FANS are the reason as to why they are HOT. So big ups to DAY 26! Oh yeah. So I was about to go back to the trailer when I turned and I saw Beyonce. I'm not really a Beyonce fan, but I support her music. Y'all I promise Beyonce has a GLOW to her. She's gorgeous. I can't even HATE. Everyone who knows me KNOWS...I'm not a BEYONCE FANATIC so this is a MAJOR compliment coming from me.

Something random...So i won't say any names but a BET.COM staff member had me writing teasers and what not and redo the ones he had created. THIS GUY writes "TV is like a box of chocolates cuz you never know what you're going to get!"---FAIL. FAIL. FAIL. I have to protect his identity because that was pretty much TERRIBLE. LOL but funny. One thing I might say about that is as corny as it sounded...it's kind of true. It was so many behind the scenes things that occurred at the awards that the public doesn't know happened or don't get to see. That's the most interesting thing to me and thats what makes me want to be in this industry because I like putting in work only to get a great final product once it's done. I had fun today with my I'm a BET(.com) INTERN for a day. I wanted my first blog to be an Michael Jackson blog but i've let too many days past. R.I.P. do Michael Jackson. That Ne-Yo and Jamie tribute for "I'll Be There" was SO AMAZING.

I'm currently watching this show about Toya and Tiny. NO COMMENT. I'm just trying to translate WTF they are saying. Can I get captions please? Tired. Calling it a night. I'll actually post a meaningful blog tomorrow. F.Y.I.-It's Sidney Shaw full force now. Sony Music intern, DalTek intern, and BET.com intern (for a day LOL) This should be a great summer. It really should. okay wait. Tiny's dad makes the show a little more interesting...it actually makes you care like the fact that he has Alzheimer's but he remembers all the songs from the music group he was in. THANK YOU to the producers who decided to put this on the show. This might gain some better ratings. Okay...one more thing. I didn't know Tiny wrote "No Scrubs" and I'm loving the fact that she still wants to work but T.I. (TIP as she says lol) doesn't want her to. WOW. It's like before I met you I had my career and why I gotta change it up now? I totally feel her. I think I might be hooked on this show now. Its actually good and not ignorant like I predicted. I say WIN.

Head to BET.COM and check out all the highlights from the 2009 BET Awards. Encore Presentation is Tuesday as well. But until then GO TO BET.COM (Believe me they're NOT paying me to say this)