When it comes to ‘Talk-Radio’, it’s a genre that’s generally dominated by Conservative white radio hosts like Rush Limbaugh, Bill O’Reilly, Glen Beck & Sean Hannity. Rarely are these media platforms Liberal – and even rarer are the hosts of these shows Black. That is until now. Forward Radio WFMP-LP (106.FM) in Louisville, KY is a newly acquired Low-Power, FM radio station that focuses on Community programming. The station is home to many programs that highlight grassroot organizations, aiming to bring awareness to racism, police brutality, sex trafficking, gender inequalities, rape culture, political literacy, LGBTQ lifestyles and more. This past June, for the first time in its 40 year-history – hip-hop became the most popular genre of music in the U.S. Being that hip-hop is an art form that is primarily dominated by African-American artists – it often tends to be the loudest voice portraying Black American lifestyles. Although a large percentage of African-Americans appreciate the contributions that hip-hop has given to the world – it still only represents one of the many sub-cultures of the African-American experience. Often hip-hop portrays and promotes the negative aspects of the black community, as opposed to highlighting positivity or at least providing a balance. Recognizing that perception is often viewed as reality – Forward Radio programmer Ted Gatlin Jr. developed the concept of “Blackout Saturdays”, to offer a variety of African-American portrayals to the listening audience of Louisville.   Every Saturday on Forward Radio (106.5FM), the station will feature a mixture of Black Talk-Radio shows and Contemporary Hip-Hop & R&B music from 8am-5pm. The programs cover a variety of topics including Urban Entertainment, Political Commentary, Entrepreneurship, Dating, Marriage, Relationships and much more.  

BLACKOUTS SATURDAYS SCHEDULE ON FORWARD RADIO 100.6FM

Sat 8-10am “F.O.R. Grooves & Grits” Music to get your day started. R&B, Soul, Pop, and hip hop.

 

Sat 10am-noon “Brunch With Black Folks”

Hosts: Queen Yero Ted Gatlin Jr., & B.Shatter

Brunch With Black Folks is a morning show with friends that discusses national news to social media and everything in between. Your Saturday mornings will never be the same.  

Sat 12pm-1pm “502 Forward” An “All local” music hour featuring R&B, Soul, Pop, and hip-hop.

 

Sat 1pm-2pm “Urban Voices”

Hosts: Brad Harrison, Shawn Mucker & Tiandra Robinson Urban Voices is an hour-long talk radio program that discusses pertinent current events concerning the black community and we interview the “movers & shakers” of Louisville’s Urban Community. Commentary typically revolves around weekly topics that dominate the headlines of black media. Hard News, Entertainment, and some Politics are discussed but we steer away from tabloid commentary. If a guest is on the show, the commentary will revolve around the community issues relating to the guest.  

Sat 2pm-2:30pm “Platinum Sounds” 30 minute music program featuring hits from the Platinum Era – 1990s through early 2000s.

 

Sat 2:30pm- 3:00pm “On The Edge”

Host: K.A. Owens K.A. and guests discuss social justice, public affairs, politics, economics, military affairs, history, and pop culture.

 

Sat 3pm-4pm “He Said, She Said”

Hosts: KJ & Koncise Addressing life topics effecting most people from 21-50 that need to be discussed – especially relationships, dating, hip hop culture, social media, black business & buying power, restorative justice, parenting, love, and more.  

Sat 4pm-5pm “Brown Sugar Hour”

Hosts: Dom & NeNe

 Brown Sugar Hour features two Pretty Brown Girls dishing on all the latest news, tea, and shade!  

Sat 12am & 5pm “Panty Pilot Diaries”

Host: London Foxx Ever wanted to get inside the mind of a black femme presenting lesbian? Well here’s your chance.

Panty Pilot Diaries is an urban LGBT talk show covering everything from hip-hop and pop culture to relationships and dating advice. With segments like “Queer questions from a straight guy” your sure to get your fix of entertainment and education.   Tune in to Blackout Saturdays every Saturday on Forward Radio (106.FM) from 8pam-5pm and continue listening to Forward Radio every other day to experience the wide range of Community based programming that is changing the sound of radio in Louisville.   Forward Radio is a NON-PROFIT radio station that survives on donations and fundraising initiatives. If you would like to support Forward Radio, access the website at forwardradio.org and click “DONATE”.

When people think of Kentucky music – Bluegrass typically comes to mind. The genre primarily exists in the Appalachian Mountain region of the state but has historically been the face of Kentucky’s music scene, despite the numerous Gold & Platinum selling hip-hop, pop and R&B artists that have emerged from the state. Recording artists such as Nappy Roots, Playa ft. Static Major, Nicole Scherzinger of the Pussycat Dolls, Bryson Tiller, King Vory and Linkin’ Bridge have all experienced national success but fans rarely connect them with the state of Kentucky. Maybe it’s the laid back culture of the state or their Southern Hospitality that contributes to the humbleness of these artists, because most appear to be focused on making quality music – instead of chasing fame. With Louisville being KY’s largest city, it stands to reason that most of the national artists hail from that city but thanks to social media, artists and producers from all over the state are beginning to create a buzz within the music industry. Even further, once you look behind the scenes – the musical influences from the Kentucky get even deeper. Producers Jon Woo, Mr. Nova and Nes have all created beats, engineered or wrote for some of the top recording artists in the music industry.

(left-to-right) Nes, Jon Woo, Mr. Nova

Typically in hip-hop, competition prevents many talented musicians from working together but Jon Woo plans to break that mold. He has created a studio networking experience called “Producer Corner”, which encourages KY musicians to build personal and professional relationships. Woo is an established music producer who has worked with Wu Tang Clan, Stack Bundles, Uncle Murda, Alexia Carla, Sebastian Kole, and others. The concept of Producer Corner is to invite KY musicians, of all genres, to a private studio session, where they will have the opportunity to listen to music from their fellow artists & producers – and then honestly critique it. Woo believes that networking and constructive criticism from peers, produces better musicians. The event typically takes place on the last Sunday of each month at Coat’s Music Studio, located at 206 Old Harrod’s Creek Rd in Louisville. At the November 26th studio session, nearly two dozen artists and producers from all over the state were in attendance – anxious for the opportunity to network and absorb knowledge from Woo. As an added bonus, Woo invited Bowling Green, KY music producer Nes, who produced nine (9) tracks on Bryson Tiller’s latest album “True To Self,” to sit in on the session. Woo also believes that the personal encounter with Nes will inspire and motivate the up & coming group of artists and producers. Before the session officially began, Nes would share his amazing story, with the musicians, about how he was chosen to produce for Tiller.

“On Tiller’s album that just came out, ‘True To Self’, I did nine records on there – so yeah man it’s definitely a blessing. It’s funny because it all happened through IG [Instagram]. I sent a DM [Direct Message] – it had the proper words in it and I had the proper work to back it up… Once they finally reached back out to me – the rest was history… After I sent them the records, that next week I was in Miami at the beach house with Timbo [Timbaland], Boy Wonder, Vinylz and a lot of the people that run the radio… This is the first major project I’ve worked on but it’s only the beginning.” – Nes

For the first 30 minutes of the session the musicians are encouraged to mingle throughout the studio, to network with other attendees. It’s an excellent opportunity to become familiar with other artists and producers from around the state. As I networked from a journalistic perspective, I would quickly discover that I was in the company of some of the rawest, undiscovered talent that I’ve heard in a long time. One of the first artists I encountered was a Louisville street rapper named Scott Free. He immediately handed me a digital flyer that served as advertisement for his brand. As we conversed, he informed me that he had been rapping for less than a year and that he was a one-man-show. I wasn’t sure what he meant by that, so I asked him to elaborate. He explained that in just under a year, he learned to rap, produce his own beats and film his own videos. He also revealed that he recorded four mixtapes over the past summer and has several music videos uploaded to his Youtube channel. He even came prepared with physical copies of his CD’s, to pass out to everyone in attendance. He now had my full attention. Without hearing any of his music, I was impressed by his work ethic. Any artist who has the drive to dedicate an enormous amount of time and effort into learning different aspects of the music business, is someone focused on success. As I continue making my rounds throughout the studio, my attention becomes fixated on an energetic white male artist whose energy seems to be dominating the room. He goes by the name Morgan Ivory and I’m immediately thinking that he’s a rock artist based on his slightly grunge looking clothing and heavily tattooed body. Suddenly he breaks into an Acapella – and out comes this amazing soulful voice from his tall slender frame. I can’t believe what I’m hearing. It’s reminiscent of the earlier works of Robin Thicke but with greater vocal range and more pop appeal. Further canvassing the room, I engage in conversation with RC, the owner of Coat’s Music Studios. The Cincinnati native explains that he’s worked all over the country, establishing relationships within the music industry and plans to help take as many Kentucky artists to the next level, as possible.

“We got Jon Woo in the building and he’s presenting the show…the premise of the corner is basically to have five producers coming out and we got three artists coming out. We want to showcase the producers and basically we’re going to have the whole room just critique everything as far as the structure of the beat, the sounds that they use, the quality of the sounds, the arrangement, compression, EQ – so pretty much the whole beat. And if anything needs to be better, we can hear it from all the rest of the producers in the room, the artists in the room and then we’ll get Woo’s input and my input as well.” – RC

At this point the studio session begins and we all crowd into the producer’s quarters. The recording studio is equipped with the most recent, state of the art, recording equipment. Woo explains that he will play music from five artists and five producers in attendance. The rules are simple. After listening to the songs, each musician in attendance has the opportunity to offer suggestions, constructive criticism and/or compliments to the content creator. Following that, Woo will give his professional critique. Woo then announces that he will play the songs by the artists first, followed by the five instrumentals by the producers. He turns and asks the room for volunteers. The energetic Morgan Ivory quickly volunteers to be first up. After hearing him sing Acapella earlier, it was no surprise to me that he had an amazing record. There was literally only one critique in the room and that was from a fellow producer, suggesting that he layer his vocals on certain parts of the song. I suggest that the world become more familiar with Morgan Ivory because I’m predicting that he will make a lot of noise in the music industry, in the near future. The music video of  Scott Free was up next. To be honest I didn’t expect much, considering that he has only been a music artist for less than a year – and he raps and produces his own beats. However, I was pleasantly surprised. His music represents street hip-hop and the song was very solid for that lane. His lyrics flowed nicely over a bass heavy production, that should be appreciated by fans on modern Trap Music. Following the playback, Woo jumped in with his critique first. As a music insider, something stuck out to him and he needed to immediately express the thought. Woo explained that he thoroughly enjoyed the song, sonically. He reiterated that the lyrics, cadence and production were done extremely well – but he did not like the video.

“I liked everything but the video. It’s important that you always present high quality material. It’s great that you learned how to shoot your own video but that’s a mistake that a lot of new artists make. Don’t try to save money by doing it yourself and putting out a low quality product. Hire an experienced videographer who will shoot your video in 4K. Record executives watch dozens of videos a day sometimes and if they come across yours and the quality is poor – they most likely won’t even watch it. Don’t ever release a product unless it’s professional quality.” – Jon Woo

Scott Free soaked up the information, thanked Woo and expressed that this is the very reason why he attended Producer Corner. He wants to know all the secrets of the trade that will help him become a better artist. Next the group would listen to an amazing song from a 16 year-old Pop vocalist and another from a Neo-soul artist. The Neo-soul singer forewarned the listeners that her music had not been mixed & mastered yet. This immediately promoted a response from Woo. He once again informed the musicians that it is not a good idea to release music that isn’t completely finished. After hearing the song, the group stood in awe because the song sounds amazing, as if the mixing & mastering has already taken place. As good as the record sounds, Woo still warns the group to never put out an incomplete project. However, if an artist ever finds themselves in a situation where they have no choice but to play unfinished music  – don’t ever reveal that information to music executives beforehand because they may dismiss it without even listening to it. One of the many highlights of the evening was a phone call from legendary hip-hop artist, songwriter and producer David Banner. Woo would put the call on speaker phone, so that the Mississippi M.C. could offer advice and words of encouragement to the aspiring musicians. As the session continues, the group listens and critiques the songs and instrumentals of the remaining musicians and the feeling in the air was electric. This is an extremely talented group, who brought their best work to the table. Their music is comparable or arguably better than a lot of the music that dominates the radio airwaves today. Adding to an already productive session, Louisville music producer Mr. Nova stops by the studio. His presence alone provides further inspiration for the artists and producers. Mr. Nova has produced tracks for Rico Love, Usher, A$AP Rocky, Chevy Woods, Action Bronson, Joey Bada$$ and French Montana. He has recently submitted music to Rhianna’s team and the feedback has been, that she loves it. He has his fingers crossed, hoping that the ‘Love On The Brain’ singer chooses to use his material. Mr. Nova has also completed a solo album that he plan to release in the near future.

“I was Kasanova but I go by Mr. Nova now because a brotha got older and got a whole bunch of hair on his face. I’m out of Louisville, KY and have produced for Rico Love – ‘Turn The Lights On’, Usher – ‘Looking For Myself’, A$AP Rocky – ‘Long Live A$AP’, Chevy Woods – ‘Wit Me’, Southpaw Soundtrack – ‘What About The Rest Of Us’, Action Bronson, Joey BadA$$, French Montana – ‘Ain’t Worried Bout Nothin’, French Montana – ‘Drink Freely’, French Montanta – ‘Famous’, French Montana – ‘Jungle Rules’… I’ve been all over the place. I’m a producer, artist, songwriter, everything. Right now I just hit a stride in working on music for myself, so I got this album I call ‘No Filter’. The album is like a wave length that goes up and down… It starts in the middle and goes up, down, then back in the middle. I’m doing songwriting as well. Hopefully I got this Rhianna joint. I sent a joint that she loved – hopefully I get that.” – Mr. Nova

Kentucky has a vast amount of musical talent, covering all genres, that often flies under the radar. I’ve always believed that Kentucky has a benefit over other states because it doesn’t have an established sound. Being located in the middle of the country provides music fans the luxury of being exposed to styles from the East Coast, West Coast, Midwest and Deep South without being regionally dedicated to a particular sound. That freedom allows musical influences to come from all genres, which possibly assists musicians during the creative process. Producer Corner takes place on the last Sunday of each month at Coat’s Music Studios. Contact Jon Woo for more information.

Low self-esteem plagues a lot of women in America today, particularly young women and teenage girls. Many psychological researchers believe that the current media culture has contributed to this condition by historically pushing the narrative that the standard of beauty is a tall, thin, fair-skinned woman.

These portrayals are commonplace in movies, television commercials and music videos. The Routledge International Handbook of Consumer Psychology suggests that media perceptions play a large part into determining societal cultural norms – especially when it comes to defining female beauty. According to the Center for Advancing Health, a study lead by a Dong-Chul Seo, Ph.D., an associate professor at the School of Public Health at Indiana University, suggests that seeing oneself as overweight or obese may be an important, independent predictor of suicidal thoughts, especially in young girls. Many psychologists believe that low self-esteem in teens often contributes to  depression, promiscuity, and the likelihood of remaining in unhealthy personal relationships. One of the main stigmas that women have always struggled to overcome is being overweight. Large-framed, full-figured women are often called Fat, Nasty, Disgusting and a host of other derogatory terms. Experiencing bullying as a full-figured woman can often affect the overall psyche of the victim, resulting in a lack of confidence in one’s personal and professional life. There have been countless stories describing full-figured women who fear workplace discrimination, are apprehensive about dating and avoid wearing certain articles of clothing. Many full-figured women live each day in fear and mental seclusion. Being a woman who has battled with low self-esteem in the past, ShaVonda Williams decided to empower herself by taking her life back and helping other women do the same. In 2014, she created Curves For A Cause to empower women, allowing them to embrace who they are – no matter their size, color, age or background. The organization’s slogan is Curvy We Stand. Williams helps women regain their confidence by encouraging them to embrace their natural curves, while working towards a physically and mentally healthier lifestyle. Curves For A Cause holds monthly meetings, which allows members to connect, bond and support one another.

“The idea is that we are curvy and we stand together, no matter your shape, size, color or background. We have women of all walks of life… All ages, all sizes, from all different areas. We even had ladies travel to come participate in this show. Curves For A Cause was inspired by my own triumphs and troubles and victories and failures… Always feeling like I was the one in the background that could not have my ideas come to life so I just stepped out on faith one day and said I’m going to do it.” – ShaVonda Williams

On December 3, 2017, Curves For A Cause held their 3rd annual “Women’s Empowerment Fashion Show” at the downtown Hyatt Regency in Louisville, KY. The elegant event featured Curves For A Cause members, strutting down the runway, while modeling clothing from local and national boutiques and fashion designers. The contestants were all beneficiaries of a professional model experience, which included professional makeup, hair and nail applications. Always incorporating the message of empowerment into the organization, Williams dedicated a particular segment of the fashion show to honor women who have overcome tremendous adversities. Model Summer Reign, who was sexually abused by her father as a child and survived incidents of rape and domestic violence as an adult, was honored as she glided down the runway in an elegant black ensemble, which perfectly accentuated her curvy hips and long legs.   Summer Reign joined Curves For A Cause this past February and says that joining the organization has helped her cope with many of the traumatic experiences that she’s experienced throughout her lifetime.

“As a child I was sexually molested by my father and I am a two-time domestic violence survivor and I also was raped by a boyfriend. The greatest benefit of belonging to Curves For A Cause is being around positivity and a sisterhood… Of course being in groups of women our personalities clash here and there like any family. there are some moments – but overall it’s a positive group… Every time I have a meeting to go to, or a practice to go to, I’m excited about it because I know that I’m going to bond with my sisters.” – Summer Reign

The three-hour event ended with a special ceremony in which Del’lynette Thompson was crowned “2018 Ms. Curves For A Cause”. Contestants competing for the crown were required to sell tickets to the event, spread awareness of the fashion show on social media, and recruit vendors and sponsors. Thompson was the most successful in all three categories, which put her over the top. She says that she began working hard on those objectives immediately after last year’s Curves For A Cause annual fashion show.

“This event means the world to me because it let’s me know that women my size and my color have a spotlight to come out and shine because with the media you have to be a certain size or you have to be a certain color. This show gives the option for girls that are not the standard idea of beauty to be recognized and celebrated.” – Del’lynette Thompson

The next Curves For A Cause Fashion Show will take place in December of 2018. For more information about Curves For A Cause, access their website at curves4acause.com and follow Curves For A Cause on Instagram.    

Stephen Garrett (1974-2008), better known as, “Static Major” was an iconic singer, songwriter and producer. The Louisville, KY native was 1/3 of the group “Playa”, along with childhood friends Benjamin “Black” Bush and Juwaan “Smoke” Peacock. Static got his big break into the music industry back in the early 90s, when Jodeci performed a concert at the Louisville Gardens. Static, Smoke and Black had already formed their singing group and thought they could sneak backstage and impress the members of Jodeci by singing for them. They teens hoped it would result in a record deal – and boy were they ever right.

“We got backstage … Really and truly everybody was scared to talk to Dalvin – We seen Dalvin first… Me being the guy I am, I just walked up on him and said, ‘Can we sing for you?’ and he was like, ‘Let me go get me big brother’. He went and got Devante and actually what’s crazy is that we sung two Boyz II Men songs for Jodeci.” – Benjamin “Black” Bush

That chance meeting led to the group becoming a part of Jodeci’s in-house writing team and later to establishing a relationship with Ginuwine, Aaliyah and Timbaland. In 1996, Static would score his first major hit by writing Ginuwine’s monster hit Pony. This would be the first of many more hits to come.  In 1997, Playa would release their self-entitled debut album, Playa, on Def Jam Soul Records, which featured the hit single Cheers 2 U. Playa was part of the Timbaland, Missy Elliott, Aalyiah and Ginuwine camp which produced a signature hip-hop and R&B sound that controlled the airwaves during the mid-90’s and early 2000s. Unfortunately Playa would dismantle after releasing only one album – but Static Major would go on to become one of the most prolific songwriters and music producers, that the industry has ever seen. The Grammy Award winning artist penned the hits of some the world’s most famous entertainers such as; Lil Wayne, Aaliyah, Ginuwine, K-Ci & Jojo, Timbaland, Nicole Wray, Truth Hurts, Solange, Pretty Ricky, Brandy and others. Static would also produce music for Diddy, Jay Z, David Banner, Rell, Jamie Foxx and TQ. As of late, his music has been incorporated and sampled into records by Drake, Twista, Pleasure P., A$AP Rocky, The Weeknd, Rihanna, Sammie, T.I. and Kehlani. Throughout his career, Static would write over a dozen songs for Aaliyah, including: Try Again, More Than a Woman, Rock the Boat, We Need a Resolution and Are You That Somebody. He would also write the Ginuwine songs, Pony, Same Ol’ G and So Anxious. Other hits would include Destiny’s Child – Say My Name, Jay Z – Change the Game, Timbaland & Magoo – Luv 2 Luv Ya and Pretty Ricky’s – Your Body – just to name a few. However, his greatest accomplishment would ultimately come after his death. Static wrote a song that would become Lil Wayne’s biggest hit and push his career to super-stardom. The duo recorded Lollipop and released it to the world on March 13, 2008. Wayne rapped the lyrics, while Static sang the hook. The song spent 5 non-consecutive weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 Chart and proved to be 2008’s best-selling single, by selling 9.1 million copies by January 2009. Lollipop would win a Grammy in February 2009, for Best Rap Song.

“This was the first Static Major song where he was in the forefront. He had written that song, probably in December of 07′ and he kept saying, ‘I think Lil Wayne will be dope on this song, I just got to get it to him.’ So he kept running into him but he never really said anything about it. The song was Static’s song. It was his song. Basically his idea, his song, his melodies and Lil Wayne put his verses on there. That’s what happened. It was already a song.” – Avonti Garrett

Sadly, on February 25, 2008, just two weeks before Lollipop was released, Static passed away after having complications resulting from a rare autoimmune disorder called myasthenia gravis. A doctor at Baptist Hospital East in Louisville recommended a procedure called plasmapheresis, similar to dialysis, which requires an implanted catheter as a central line through the neck and into the chest area. According to a Leo Weekly article written by Phillip Bailey in 2009, a catheter was placed in Static incorrectly and is thought to have punctured one of his lungs or caused excessive bleeding. Static complained of pain and when a nurse was instructed to remove the catheter, he went into respiratory distress and would not recover. His autopsy report reads:“Death in this case is attributed to complications associated with dialysis catheter placement.” The family of Static Major would later settle a lawsuit with Baptist Hospital East. Static meant a lot to the music industry, a lot to the world – but even more to his hometown of Louisville, KY. No matter how successful he had become, he remained living in Louisville and remained the humble, down to the earth guy that the entire city fell in love with. Static didn’t consider himself a celebrity. It wasn’t rare to see him mingling through the streets of Louisville, like an average Joe. His wife, Avonti Garrett, reminisces on the night the couple first met in a nightclub, after a Playa concert in Louisville, during an annual Kentucky Derby celebration.

“Static was so down to earth. This is his home, so he didn’t give a eff about nothing. He’s walking the crowd… He’s mingling, talking, drinking… So he’s walking around and I’m just standing there and my friend says, ‘There’s Static Right There!!’, and kind of pointed across the room… And I’m like, ‘Where?’… And I looked up and I seen him… As soon as I looked up – We both looked up at the same time and we made eye contact.” – Avonti Garrett

Louisvillian’s are proud people. The small town that sits on the banks of the Ohio River has a long history of producing icons, who have greatly influenced the world. Greats like Muhammad Ali, Bryson Tiller, Jennifer Lawrence, Phil Simms, Nicole Scherzinger, Diane Sawyer, Derek L. Anderson, Rajon Rondo, Scott Padgett, Allan Houston and Darrell Griffith all hail from the “Derby City”. With such a vast history of greatness, Louisville residents are extremely proud, protective and sentimental when it comes to one of its hometown heroes. Especially Static Major. Knowing what he meant to Louisville, his wife Avonti wanted to celebrate her love for Static by allowing the entire city to experience that love with her, at a Tribute event in his honor. The Static Major Tribute event took place at the Gramercy in Louisville on November 25, 2017, from 8:30pm to a little past midnight. The event was hosted by Benjamin “Black” Bush of “Playa”, Poet Robin G and D.Mawl. Proceeds from the event will go towards the cost of purchasing a Louisville Hometown Hero banner for Static Major.

“I first got into his [Static’s] music when I was down at Western Kentucky University. I was a part of Nappy Roots and Cortez Murray used to do talent shows with “Black” and Playa and all them, way back in the day, so he used to tell me about this group… So when they first dropped their album, ‘Riding Down 65’ – coming from Cincinnati, that’s the same highway that I drove down, so I got used to them that way and when I really found out that all of them were from Louisville, I started paying attention to exactly what they were doing. Knowing they were from the crib, right here in Louisville and him writing all those hits, Pony, back then and all that, I knew he was a weapon that nobody even knew about in the industry.” – D. Mawl

The fully catered extravagant celebration included local music artists and artists from across the country, who performed many of the hits written and produced by Static Major. One of the highlights of the night is when Benjamin “Black” Bush got into a zone and spent 30 minutes emphatically singing “Playa’s” greatest hits, as if the spirit of Static Major took control of his body. World renown DJ Kaos kept the crowd dancing all night and as an added bonus, the tribute featured a runway model show and a performance from Louisville’s own Envy Dance Team. Poet Robin G, brought tears to Avonti’s eyes as she surprised her with a personalized poem, that captured the strength, love and loyalty of a wife who’s done everything to honor her husband, even post-death. Static Major spent majority of his career in the background, penning timeless hits for major artists. He kept a low profile, so low in fact, that many people outside of the music industry aren’t aware of his accomplishments. Unfortunately he met an untimely death just when it seemed as though he was poised to make his big break into the mainstream. Avonti Garrett says that she’s dedicated to making sure that the legacy of the late-great Stephen “Static Major” Garrett isn’t forgotten and lives in the hearts of his fans forever. She plans to extend this celebration to an annual Tribute event in his honor.              

When African-Americans think of hair shows, the first event that usually comes to mind is the annual Bronner Bros. event in Atlanta. For the last 70 years, it has been the largest and most prestigious African-American hair show in the country. It’s practically the Grammy Awards, for African-American barbers, beauticians and stylists, so it attracts spectators from nearly all 50 states. When it comes to demographics, Detroit barbers, beauticians and stylists have earned a well deserved reputation for their masterful skills, so that city hosts its share of hair shows as well. Despite having well over 100 Black-Owned barber shops and beauty salons, Louisville doesn’t have many events to celebrate and showcase its own “Master’s of the Craft.” Filling that void is Louisville entrepreneur and authorized Dudley Beauty Products Representative, Tami Charles. For the past three years she has held “3rd Sunday”: Protect & Respect The Beauty Industry events, on the 3rd Sunday of certain months, to showcase local barbers, beauticians & stylists.

“We have very little camaraderie in our industry and so much competition that I wanted to show that we’re better at networking, than competing. I’ve brought so many people together because of the 3rd Sunday’s that we do.” – Tami Charles

The unique concept about “3rd Sunday”, is that each event has a different theme centered around African-American hair care. This month’s event took place on Sunday Nov 12, at the Kentucky Center For African-American Heritage and the theme was, “Beards & Barbers.” This was the 23rd event of the “3rd Sunday” series. “Beards & Barbers” featured four barbers who demonstrated their skills on pre-selected clients, while spectators looked on, danced to music played by the live DJ, or shopped with African-American vendors who had booths setup throughout the venue. The barbers were: Courtney Cosby, C.J. Carter, Stephen Probus, and Tre Trimz. Beards have been trendy in the African-American community for the past 5 years or so, and this past year, the popular “Beard Gang” group on Facebook has thrusted African-American men with beards into the national spotlight. Because of that trend, it was only fitting that Ms. Charles selected a beard-based theme for one of the 3rd Sunday events this year. In addition to the “Beards & Barbers” hair cutting exhibition, Charles also incorporated an educational aspect to the event. The following day she organized a barbering class at Big City Styles Barber & Nail Salon, which entailed highly skilled barbers teaching specialty techniques.

“This was our very first event doing Beards & Barbers and it was Kentucky’s first ever barbering class, which took place the next day. Kentucky has never had a barbering class until I did it. We had about 300 people there for the class.” – Tami Charles

Four upcoming 3rd Sunday events are already scheduled to take place over the next few months . Any barbers, beauticians, stylists, nail techs or vendors can contact Tami Charles at (502) 286-9281 or message Tami Charles on Facebook and Instagram. Additionally, anyone interested in purchasing Dudley Beauty Products can stop by the offices of Tami Charles at 3950 Dixie Hwy, Louisville, KY 40216.

 VENDORS IN ATTENDANCE

   

Deanna Coles – Melodic Elements Melodic Elements website (Natural Deodorant & Body Wash)

 

Brianna Wright – FROM MY ROOTS Instagram (Natural Hair & Body Products)

 

 Breanya Hogue – Bling By Bre website (Women’s Jewelry & Accessories)

   

Allen Benson – Benson Group website (Human Resources – Workforce Training – Organizational Development)

 

Phillip Thurman – HashtagTees Instagram (Men’s Clothing Line)

 

Many teenagers suffer from mild insomnia. It’s all part of the reaction to the influx of hormones that are battling inside their young bodies. For 17 year-old Nena Claycomb of Louisville, KY – that insomnia sparked career goals. Instead of tossing and turning at night, she would do what most  teenagers do – turn on the TV. For some odd reason, Claycomb found herself attracted to the late night infomercials that are considered boring or lame to most people her age. However, one infomercial in particular would stand out above the rest and inspire her to develop the dream of becoming a humanitarian. That infomercial highlighted children in Third World countries who were born with cleft lip.

“My dream, this is like years and years from now, is to go back to school… My thing that I want to do is help kids in Third World countries who have cleft lip. I want to go on volunteer trips and go across Third world countries and help them with their cleft lips.” – Nena Claycomb

According to WebMD cleft lip and cleft palate are facial and oral malformations that occur very early in pregnancy, while the baby is developing inside the mother. Clefting results when there is not enough tissue in the mouth or lip area, and the tissue that is available does not join together properly. A cleft lip is a physical split or separation of the two sides of the upper lip and appears as a narrow opening or gap in the skin of the upper lip. This separation often extends beyond the base of the nose and includes the bones of the upper jaw and/or upper gum. Traveling the globe and helping the less fortunate is her long-term goal – but Claycomb also has a list of short-term goals that she wants to scratch off her “to-do-list” first. Her career goals are to become either an attorney or a cardiac surgeon. She settled on those because she says, “You can help people with both jobs.” It seems as though this teenager has formed some sort of visual correlation with her career interests. Just as the infomercials sparked her philanthropy interests – YouTube videos of open-heart surgeries sparked her interest in becoming a cardiac surgeon.

“I like the way the heart works… I watched a whole bunch of open heart surgeries on YouTube when I was bored one day… I want to shadow someone one day just to make sure that I know what I’m getting into but it looks pretty cool.” – Nena Claycomb

Identifying, preparation and execution have always been a part of Claycomb’s personality since she was a small child. Her natural instinct is to master everything that she becomes engaged in. She began playing organized soccer at the age of four and has remained a member of a soccer organization ever since. She would play in youth soccer leagues as a young child and later join her middle and high school teams. Since the age of seven, Claycomb has always been the top scorer on all of her teams.

Becoming a top scorer didn’t come easy. Claycomb would put in hard hours at practice on her quest to become the best. Her natural gift of speed and observation helped her develop skills that would make her illusive on the soccer field. In the process, she would develop techniques that would give her an edge over her opponents.

“It’s all about foot placement and where you strike the ball. Your left foot’s your plant foot and whatever direction your plant foot is facing – that’s the direction your ball is going to go in. So, if you’re pointing it directly at the goalie, then that’s where it’s going to go. That’s why goalies wear bright colors – because if you look at the goalie and notice their bright colors, you’re more likely to kick towards the goalie.” – Nena Claycomb

Her hard work would pay off big when she entered high school. During her freshman year at Louisville’s Eastern High School, Claycomb’s soccer coach would notice her talent and allow her to compete on both – the Junior Varsity and Varsity teams. She would end up winning the “Offensive” MVP her freshman and sophomore years – and “Overall” MVP award for her play on the JV team.

As to be expected, Claycomb puts in just as much hard work into her academics as she does athletics and extracurricular activities. She’s averaged a 3.7 g.p.a. throughout her entire academic career, she’s played the violin since the fourth grade and is a part of the Chamber and Symphony Orchestras. She is also the President of the “Mock Trial” organization and Black Student Union at Eastern High School. Mock Trial is an after school club that allows students to learn the policies and procedures that take place in America’s courtrooms on a day-to-day basis. Being that one of her career goals is to possibly become an attorney – this club is the perfect prerequisite for that goal. Claycomb says that she loves the experience.

“The room is set up like a real court room. There’s a podium set up and people acting like judges. You have to learn proper etiquette, like where to stand etc… You have to learn how to write questions and objections… You have to learn how to dissect the case and find loopholes and know your perspective on things… I learned a lot. It’s a lot different than Law & Order.” – Nena Claycomb

With a plate as full as Claycomb’s, one would think that she wouldn’t have time for much else. Quite the contrary. Somehow, she also manages to do all the things that regular teenagers do and still squeeze some volunteer work in on the side. She works part-time at a grocery, volunteers regularly at her church and her family’s non-profit organization (Claycomb ACCademy), and has her own babysitting business.  She’s a member of First Baptist Church of J-Town and shares found memories of her favorite time of the year.

“My favorite thing to do is during the winter when us girls will get into the kitchen and make a whole bunch of cookies and candies. It takes us like 4 or 5 hours. Then we’ll box them up… There’s a lot of elderly people who might not get gifts because their kids may be away, so we go around the neighborhood and give them treats we made so they won’t feel lonely.” – Nena Claycomb

Claycomb’s hard work and dedication has paid off. She has been awarded an academic and athletic scholarship from Georgetown College, as well as academic scholarships from Midway University and Eastern Kentucky University. Continuing her commitment to giving back – she looks forward to her appointment as the Keynote Speaker at Ramsey Middle School’s Athletic Banquet this year. Speaking at this event is nostalgic for Claycomb, being that she is a former graduate of Ramsey, who also was a member of the dance and soccer teams while she attended school there. Making the appointment more meaningful is the fact that her two younger siblings attend Ramsey and participate in athletics.

Today we live in a society where young people are often portrayed for their negative behaviors as opposed to highlighting their positives. The images are so skewed they will lead many to believe that the young generation is a lost generation. That’s the farthest thing from the truth. Nena Claycomb is a prime example that our future is looking bright and there are many more shining stars – just like her.

Money!!!Money!!!Money!!! This simple word is literally the most important function of a capitalistic society but taught the least in our public school systems nationwide. According to CNBC , a survey conducted by the Council for Economic Education found that since 2014, only 17 states require that high school students take a person finance course. In defense of public school systems, many states do offer personal finance courses in their school systems, although they aren’t a requirement in most curriculum’s. A study from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority’s Investor Education Foundation suggests that young people, ages 18-22, maintain better credit scores and have lower rates of debt delinquency in states that require the most vigorous financial literacy courses for high school students.

The job of educators is to prepare young people for the world they will face as adults. Typically, personal finance courses in elementary, middle and high school consist of how to open a bank account and checkbook balancing. That’s a great start but young people need to learn about managing financial aid, healthy spending, credit scores, responsible credit card usage, debt-to-income ratios and financially sound career choices. Without those skills, they are walking out on the battlefield with very little armour.

After recognizing the inadequate financial literacy curriculum in Kentucky’s, Jefferson County Public Schools – Louisville accountant Raricka Claycomb started “Claycomb ACCademy in August 2016, which offers FREE financial literacy workshops for teens and adults.

“Our mission is to help youth and adults create their financial future one goal at a time… The main focus is teenagers because they’re getting their first check and we want them to understand what is going on in their paycheck… What’s the difference between a gross and a net and what all this stuff that’s coming out of my check… But also to teach them how to live within their means because we have a lot of adults nowadays that still haven’t gotten that concept.”

Claycomb ACCademy is scheduled to have its next adult workshop at First Baptist Church of J-Town on Sept 9, 2017.  The next Middle school workshop will be held on August 26, 2017 at Ramsey Middle School. To register for workshops or for more information, access Claycomb Accademy at http://claycombaccountingandtax.com/claycomb-accademy-of-financial-literacy/ Raricka Claycomb interview about Claycomb ACCademy on “Urban Voices” Radio begins at 30:27 https://soundcloud.com/chradio/brad-harrison-presents-urban-voices-20170624?in=brad-harrison-991958923/sets/june-2017  

The 2nd Annual Kentucky Urban Entertainment Awards took place at the luxurious Coconut Beach on South Floyd Street in Louisville, KY. The event brought out some of Kentucky’s brightest rising stars, from all across the state, to celebrate their excellence in the urban entertainment field. The award ceremony was presented by the Elitegiance Group – headed by Ricky “DJ Slikk” Murphy. The event was created to highlight and acknowledge the “Elite” of Kentucky’s entertainment scene. During a radio interview on “Saturdays with Mikesha”, just hours before the event, Murphy went into detail about the Kentucky Urban Entertainment Awards and how the nomination process takes place.

“The Elitegiance started off as a DJ collective and then we branched out to anybody dealing with music… So we have photographers, we have producers, we have promoters… Any aspect of entertainment – that’s just what we do.” – DJ Slikk

The most interesting aspect of the Kentucky Urban Entertainment Awards is that the nominees and winners are primarily determined by the fans. During the summer of each year, The Elitegiance opens up the survey section of their website and allows the public to submit names/brands of the entertainers they would like to nominate under the pre-selected categories. Weeks later, after all the nominees are officially selected by Elitegiance staff members, the fans will then be allowed to vote for a winner in each category.

“We come up with the categories and nominations usually last through the whole month of June… Basically you just go online and nominate people… The nominations come from a combination of a panel and the popular vote but nominations are mainly from the popular vote.” – DJ Slikk

The event began at 5:30pm with a Red Carpet walk, featuring interviews with the nominees, conducted by Bella Rae and DJ Empty Beats of B96. The award ceremony began promptly at 7pm. The evening was filled with performances by acts: Tyrant, Kori Black, 31 Gang and others. One of the most memorable moments of the night occurred when Christopher 2X accepted his “Activist of the Year” award and shared it with the mother of Dequante Hoobs’ Jr., the 7 year-old who was murdered in his Louisville home earlier this year. Winner’s List available below and also visit The Elitegiance website for all other information regarding the 2017 Kentucky Urban Entertainment Awards.

In Memory Of:

DJ Bam of Underground Mafia 

 World Record for Longest DJ Set (10+ days straight): 

DJ Colossus

Community Activist of the Year:

Christopher 2x

Photographer of the Year:

Babacar Sambe

Videographer of the Year:

BMI Media

Graphic Designer of the Year:

Michelle Ignacio – ScreenShot Studios

Clothing Line of the Year:

DOH Lyfe

Retailer of the Year:

Rebellious Kouture

Model of the Year:

Joia John

On-Air Personality of the Year:

Tropikana 

Media Outlet of the Year:

B96.5 FM Louisville

Venue of the Year:

Coles Place

Party/Event of the Year:

Goodtimers Derby Day Party

Teen Promoter of the Year:

4 Your Kids Ent.

College Promoter of the Year:

I-65 Nation

21 & Up Promoter of the Year:

DJ Equip

Hip-Hop Artist of the Year:

Dusty Leigh

Female Hip-Hop Artist of the Year:

Sasha Renee

R&B Artist/Group of the Year:

Linkin Bridge

DJ of the Year:

DJ Empty Beats

Female DJ of the Year:

DJ Bombshell

Mixtape DJ of the Year:

DJ Testarosa 

Mixshow DJ of the Year:

DJ Empty Beats

Hypeman of the Year:

Big Homie

Rookie of the Year:

Jai

Lyricist of the Year:

Knave

Producer of the Year:

Super NES

Engineer of the Year:

Ghost 

Hip-Hop Family of the Year:

Shark Livin

Smashing The Streets: Louisville:

Lil Cole

Smashing The Streets: Lexington:

Booney Moonrock

Smashing The Streets: Western Kentucky 

AMG / GMT

Smashing The Streets: Eastern Kentucky:

DJ Legit

Grinder of the Year:

Stook

Mixtape of the Year:

Jai – Loc’s Up Hosted by DJ Slikk & DJ Empty Beats

Album of the Year:

Kori Black – Vybez 

Song of the Year:

Tyrant Ft. Kori Black – Louisville 

Video of the Year:

Kori Black – I Might

Living Legend Awards:

1. DJ Kaos 

2. DJ Lil Carl

Static Major Award:

Valerie Sickles