The Phoenix Magazine

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PHILANTHROPY

OVERTOWN YOUTH

CENTER

‘Where there is charity and wisdom,
there is neither fear nor ignorance.’

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The words of Francis of Assisi
are just right when it comes to
Overtown Youth Center. With the
primary aim of encouraging the
youth to explore their true potential
and hence helping them on the
path to success, Overtown Youth
Center is making considerable
and significant contributions in the
fields of education. Overtown Youth
Center aims to empower youth so
as to create responsible adults who
are skilled to contribute towards the
betterment of the Miami Community.
The wise Plato stated a long time
ago that do not train a child to learn
by force or harshness; but direct
them to it by what amuses their
minds, so that you may be better
able to discover with accuracy the
peculiar bent of the genius of each.
Overtown Youth Center aims to do

just that so as to produce skilled
minds which make significant
contribution for the benefit of
their community. In order to help
them on their way to success,
the youth requires proper training
and needs to learn the principles
which every successful individual
must possess to make his mark
in the world. For the individuals
to succeed and become better
professionals, Overtown Youth
Center interacts with other institutes
and organizations and helps the
youth to focus on their growth as
an individual. To this end they have
designed programs to build a fruitful
student-teacher relationship, put
together a progressive curriculum
and correspondingly great teachers
who are experienced in handling
teens.
Overtown Youth Center helps the

parents to identify the schools which
are best for their children on the
basis of academic as well as nonacademic activities so that not only
do the children get a good student
environment to prosper but also
learn how to play a positive role in
the society.
Florida is home to over 25% K-12
youth i.e. these individuals should
cater for themselves when they
leave school. The after school
programs play a vital role in the
emotional and communal growth of
the youth. The motivation behind
starting up after school workshops
and training programs is that almost
25% of school age children in
Florida have no one to supervise
them once the school is over.
These training sessions have been
reported to be extremely helpful and

useful by the teachers and parents
all around.
Another opportunity offered to
the teens is holding after school
jobs which not only inculcates in
them a sense of responsibility and
get hands on experience of the
professional life. This is also helpful
for the teens as an experience to
discover more about themselves
and identify their strong and/or weak
points.
Overtown Youth Center through its
wonderful charity work is making
considerable efforts towards
ensuring a secure future for the
society.
- By Phoenix
For More Information Please Visit
overtownyouth.org/

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FASHION

FASHION IS ONE OF THE
MOST TRENDIEST GENRES
OF ENTERTAINMENT, YOUR
CLOTHES MAY BE THE HOTTEST
NOW AND IN 4 MONTHS YOUR
FORGOTTEN BUT FOR 2 YEARS
WE HAVE NOTICED A COMPANY
FROM JAMAICA THAT HAS
FOUND A WAY TO AVOID
THIS TRAP AND HAS BEEN
CONSISTENTLY PUTTING OUT
PRODUCT WITH NO END IN SITE.

products to fix the lifestyles and stay clear from cookie
cutters (or copying)
Alot of your collections always seems to
have a positive message behind them, explain the positive message behind your collections, In a time when it seems “ratchet”
is the new thing that is rare to see
“Ratchet” seems to be the new “cool” for some but not
for everyone. There is still a portion of our society that
have strong moral biblical standings. Most members
of this society are Christians. M DZYN is powered by
the Holy Spirit through Jesus Christ, and yes it is rare
to see but we feel we are a refreshing change in the
market place.

Mdyzn wats up man this conversation between us has been a long time in the making
hows everything on ur end?
Doing good man, working hard on seeing dreams fulfilled
When I first think of Mdzyn, the first thing
that usually comes to mind is your motto.
“Design Your Lifestyle with Mdyzn” thats
powerful man. Can you share with us your
vision behind that?
“DZYN your LifeStyle” is a life lesson I learnt in my
teenage years. I have been bless to meet a lot of people from varied nationalities and background. The one
thing that is the same is we are all unique. M DZYN
celebrates the diversity of people with the motto: DZYN
your LifeStyle
In a day and age where it seems that everybody is trying to follow the next person, you
guys are really promoting being your own
person in life thats great.
Yes, leave the coping to Xerox. Being yourself is so
relaxing and stress free. All that we do as a Brand
comes from various lifestyles; Dancers, musicians,
skaters, BMXers, young professional… We individualize

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You’ve been able to successfully tie in musical artist into some of your collections
in the past it seems that entertainers and
fashion have gone hand and hand ....why do
u think this special relationship works so
well?
The Arts have always cohabitated. Music, fine art and
fashion have influences each other. Though musicians
at times tend to step into the fashion realm every so often it’s still all love. Creativity attracts creativity, the true
entertainers will always be drawn to the real Designer
and visa-versa because of mutual respect of the craft
and influence.

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FASHION
There’s no denying the Jamaican influence
in your collection, tell us how important was
it for your company to stay consistent with
the island influence
Reggae music is life music, Bob Marley said it best:
“When music hits you, you feel no pain” I grew up in Jamaica and saw firsthand how the island has influenced
the world. It has influenced my lifestyle, ethics and concepts. No one can change the pass or where they are
from, and I feel so privileged to call Jamaica my home
land. For with the lifestyle of the “No Problem” culture I
feel confident in the direction of the Brand future.
We’ve heard recently from fashion moguls
how hard it is to tap into the fashion business like Marc Ecko, Daymond Jones the
founder of FUBU, and recently Kanye West,
What’s some of the hardest obstacle that
you have faced?
The hardest obstacle by far is to get people to believe in
“work”. Longevity is rare but still holds strong. Chanel,
Polo, Nike, Adidas and other top brands are not complaining. The problem arises when people enter the
industry with a “hustle” mentality. Real designers will
weather the storm because of the love for the craft and
the fruits of their labor will be rewarded. In this information age the focus is on the destination not so much
the journey. The journey satisfies the destination. There
is no substitute for struggles of hard work, there is no
“app” for that. We can’t force people to like and buy into
a different version the last big idea because of a quickly
thrown together celebrity marketing campaign.

in 5 years?

Mdzyn is more than a fashion company you
also have a web series called yardi series
correct? Tell us a little about that?

In five years M DZYN should be creating stirs in the
marketplace for the delight of shoppers’ in search of
that unique cool item.

Yaadi the series is the funnies cartoon anima series to
ever come out of the Caribbean. In any part of a community in Jamaica and other parts of the Caribbean
these characters and story line are played out every
day. Like I said earlier, Jamaica has a way of producing
talent.

You’ve done alot of work with various charities, share with our readers your perspective
on the importance of giving back

We also can’t forget about Skynet that is a
television station you guys are working on as
well?
Skynet is the hub for M DZYN in Jamaica and because
of the slogan “DZYN your Lifestyle” we have some
many creative affiliations in other industries we felt it
best to give a voice to them all, hence the TV station.
So stay tuned it is going to be something worth viewing
Wow, man thats great congratulations...your
company has accomplished so much in the
past couple of years where do u see M DZYN

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Someone had to give back for MDZYN to be here.
Whether it was time, money or services. The law of
nature and life says you have to give in order to receive.
Nothing good comes from selfishness.
- Where can our readers stay current with
some of the latest fashions you guys have
coming out
MDZYN.com, facebook.com/MdzynCompany
- By Phoenix

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FILM

BILLY CORBEN
The career of Billy Corben has
risen in the past several years to
become one of the most noted in
the Miami Film industry as well as
around the world. Born William
Cohen, he took the stage name
of Billy Corben and has enjoyed a
considerable amount of success
with his noted documentaries, “Raw
Deal: A Question of Consent” as
well as “Cocaine Cowboys” and its
two sequels. In addition, his four
contributions to the famed ESPN
“30 for 30” series with “The U”, “The
U Part 2”, “Broke” and the short
entry, “Collision Course: The Murder

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of Don Aronow”.
His reputation as a documentary
filmmaker and producer in the Miami
area is certainly well respected
along with his contributions to the
Miami entertainment industry.
THE EARLY LIFE OF BILLY
CORBEN
Billy was born in Central Florida in
1978 and was raised in the South
Florida area. His interest in the
film industry was well established
thanks to his childhood days spent
as an actor in the Los Angeles
area. Corben returned to Miami at a
teen and entered the University of
Miami where his major was political

science as well as screenwriting and
theater.
Corben graduated with honors and
made the transition from acting to
documentary filmmaker with his
first work, “Raw Deal: A Question
of Consent” in 2001. The film
premiered at the Sundance Film
Festival and made Corben one of
the youngest directors to ever have
the honor of his work being shown
at the famed festival.
“Raw Deal” is a hard-hitting
recounting of the alleged rape of an
exotic dancer that took place at the
University of Florida at a fraternity
house. The film broke new ground
thanks to the extensive use of video
clips of the alleged assault that

shocked audiences. Corben’s work
received stellar reviews from noted
critics such as Film Threat’s Anthony
Miele who said, “Billy Corben has
stumbled onto one of the most
controversial films of the modern
era”. The raw nature of the film and
its impact certainly made a powerful
impression on the audiences
that witnessed this new type of
documentary work.
THE FORMATION OF
RAKONTUR
It was in the aftermath of “Raw Deal”
that Corben and Alfred Spellman
who was his producing partner
would form “Rakontur”, a contentcreation company that is located in
Miami Beach. The formation of the
company was very important as it
allowed a proper financial structure
to be put into place and allowed
Corben to create new documentary
features.
THE FILMOGRAPHY OF
BILLY CORBEN
The very first venture under the new
“Rakontur” was the 2006 release
of “Cocaine Cowboys” a powerful
documentary work that caught the
attention of film critics around the
country thanks to its focus on the
Miami drug trade of the 1970s and
1980s which highlights some of
the most successful smugglers as
well as a notorious hit man who
dominated the cocaine era in Miami.
While the documentary did fairly
well in theatrical release, particularly
in the art hour circuit, it was the
subsequent showing on the
Showtime where the film became

the highest-rated documentary ever
for the cable network. Billy Corben
followed up the success with 2008
“Cocaine Cowboys 2: Hustling
with the Godmother”. By this point,
Corben had really established
himself in the documentary scene
which garnered the notice of
ESPN. The sports cable station
was producing a new documentary
series called “30 for 30” which was
to cover the events that occurred
during the 30 years since the
network made its debut. Initially, the
series was only going to focus on
the famous sporting events of the
time, but filmmakers like Corben
managed to convince the network
to take a different approach and his
contribution “The U”.
Making its debut right after the
2009 Heisman Trophy Awards,
“The U” covered the history of
the University of Miami Hurricane
football team from the time that
Howard Schnellenberger took over
the squad in the late 1970s to the
middle of the 1990s when the team
won four national championships.
The documentary became the
highest rated ever for ESPN.
Corben had managed to reach a
new audience with his “The U” work
which helped propel him further into
his documentary efforts.
“Square Grouper: The Godfathers of
Ganja” was Corben’s next release
in March, 2011. The documentary
cover the famed smuggling era
of the 1970s in Miami and made
its debut at the famous South by
Southwest Film Festival. One month
later, “Limelight” was released
which focused on Peter Gatien, who
once was the owner of the biggest
nightclub in New York City.

Showing no signs of slowing down,
Corben released “Dawg Fight” in
2012. The documentary covered
the brutal sport of the underground
mixed martial arts (MMA) fighting
that was taking place in the
backyards of one of Miami’s most
notorious neighborhoods. Since
then, Corben released his second
sequel to famed “Cocaine Cowboys”
series, “Los Muchachos” which
centered on the trials of Sal Magluta
and Willy Falcone. Both of whom
were arguably the most successful
Cuban drug traffickers in the history
of Miami.
Billy Corben returned to ESPN to
create “Broke”, a feature about how
so many professional athletes lose
all their money shortly after leaving
their sport. And in 2014, he has
also created a sequel to the “The
U” which starts where the original
left off and covers the 2001 national
championship won by the University
of Miami.
In addition to his documentary work
as producer and director, Corben
also manages all the soundtracks
that are released through the
Rakontur label from the assembly
of the artists all the way through
the final product. His attention to
the soundtrack included using
hip-hop artist Luther Campbell for
the opening tracks to “The U” in
which Campbell was featured for
his role he played with some of the
members of the University of Miami
football team.
WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS
Currently, Corben is working on
another documentary project in
Miami that has yet to be titled. Plus,
he continues his work with Rakontur
as well as supporting local charities
in the Miami community as well as
the Borscht Film Festival as part of
a group dedicated to supporting the
new independent filmmakers for the
Miami film industry.
There is no doubt that Billy Corben
will continue along his chosen path
of documentary filmmaking as well
as rack up more awards for the
quality, imagination and style he
brings to each of his projects.
- By Phoenix

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Calle Ocho festival- Its history and importance
Every year, a legendary festival called Calle Ocho is
celebrated in Miami. The streets of Miami get overtaken
by people from all different types of backgrounds for
the celebration of this popular festival. This festival has
been held every year for the past 20 years and brings
together close to one million people every year. Every
year this festival brings smiles to thousands of people.
But, behind the laughter, the
smiles, the dances and the
music, there is a serious side
to all of the celebrations that
take place in Calle Ocho.
Willy Bermello was the one
who started this festival. It
started off as Billy wanting a
little backyard get-together
where all his neighbors
came together. But later this
festival grew into something
much bigger and starting
to lose the reason behind
it. With the unavoidable
commercialization of this festival, Bermello felt that
the importance of this festival was fading away and
he wanted people to know that the festival was more
than just some big party. The main reason for starting
this festival was that Willy wanted people of different
ethnicities and different races to feel comfortable with
each other for not just one day, but throughout the year.
Back in 1977, tensions became to grow between the

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different ethnic groups in Miami. The Eight CubanAmericans from the Kiwanis of Little Havana were
working on to come up with as solution to this issue.
They decided to conduct a bicycle race on SW 8th
Street (Calle Ocho), but the organizers didn’t went
ahead with it because they feared that it would only
pit one ethnic group against the other. It is after that
Willy came up with the idea of a block party and thus
Calle Ocho was born. Another
idea behind starting this festival
was so Cubans could learn more
about different cultures and
people.
In the Calle Ocho festival,
different ethnic communities
wear flags or colors to represent
pride in their heritage. Foods
from several different cities are
sold and popular music like
salsa, merengue, reggaeton and
bachata can be heard through the
festival.
This festival takes place in SW
8th Street between 27th Ave and 4th Ave. Above 30
different stages and over hundreds of street vendors
participate in this live musical festival. The Calle Ocho
also gained an entry in the Guinness Book of World
Records back in 1988.
- By Phoenix

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MODEL

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MODEL
Anybody that has been following the model
industry here in South Florida all agree there
is one brand that seems to be popping up
everywhere “Karma Karmel” Congrats on
that, Tell us how long have you been actively
modeling for
Since February 2012 :)
Anybody that has chasen their dreams in
the past, knows that it comes with alot of
sacrifices.You actually left school just so
you can pursue modeling full time correct?
How was that, that had to be a hard
decision?
I use to study Sports/Events/Entertainment
Management at Johnson & Wales University, until
my 3rd year of college. Within those 3 years at JWU
I accumulated much information (very thankful)
however I was also taught that big success stories
didn’t necessarily come from individuals with formal or
even basic high school education, that whatever these
entrepreneurs lacked in learning they made up for it
in networking. After hearing that similar story about 3
times, I decided it was time for me to go out in the world
and network my success full time!!! :)

After you left school thats when things really
started connecting for you, to call you a
model now l is almost a disservice to your
movement. You’ve actually branched out
and started venturing out to various fomrs of
entertainment?
Yes I am a Singer, Actress, Host, Model, Mother,
Humanitarian, Vegan, Astrologer, Star-Being, and
Spiritual Soul :)

“WHATEVER THESE

ENTREPRENEURS

LACKED
IN LEARNING
THEY MADE UP FOR IT IN

NETWORKING”

I can definitely see you on the big screen.
If you were able to choose your dream role
in any movie what type of movie would it be
and what type of role would you have?
My dream type of movie has to be anything in Comedy
and my role would have to be a sexy, funny, nature
girl!!! :)))
Of course we have to ask what be your
dream collab music wise?
I would probably cry if she were next to me however
Ms. Whitney Houston has and always will be my idol!!!
RIP!!! U WILL FOREVER BE A LEGEND!!! :)))
Let get back to modeling tell us about that
experience
I started in February 2012 and have participated in
everything from Expos, Magazines, Music Videos,
Runway, Promotional Modeling, The Bill Cunningham
Show, Short Films, Reality Shows, Etc. Now to my
music under K.Karmel :)))
Wow, that’s great it seems like you’re
definitely on your way not only to be a
strong figure in the modeling world but
entertainment world as well, Is there
anything you take from your modeling
experience that you adapt to any of your
other ventures such as singing or acting?
Yes I have taken some things away from my modeling
experiences; to adapt with my singing and acting career
such as being an influential image in front of others, my
network, and the importance of having fun!!! :)

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You mentioned Reality Shows earlier, They
have received a lot of slack in the past
couple of years, but if used correctly can be
a great platform to build your brand. Whats

your thought about the reality world?

heard and the best.

My thoughts on Reality Shows are they are
entertaining. Whether a Reality Show is displaying
bad or good traits, we as the public are captivated
by human nature and learn about social/moral
behaviorsthis way. It is up to the individual to learn,
laugh or both :)

BY FAR THE WORST LINE I HAVE EVER HEARD
WAS “BUST IT WIDE OPEN FOR ME, THEN WE CAN
WORK TOGETHER” !!! (SLEEZEBALL !!!) AND THE
BEST LINE I HAVE HEARD WAS “YOU SEEM LIKE
YOU’RE REAL.” (SIMPLE, PERFECT! :)

When people say Super Models they
always think of Naomi Campbell or Tyra
Banks, whose the supermodel you looked
up to and maybe pattern your career after?
I looked up to and still look up to the non “Super
Models” or the “Regular” people; we motivate each
other to express ourselves at our highest potential :)
We’ve often heard of restrictions when it
comes to women of color in the modeling
world, have you had any experiences with
this?
I have no restrictions in any world, for I do not
acknowledge such things :)

So lets say a man does give you one of those
charming lines and is able to enjoy your
company on a date, whats karma’s favorite
setting for a date?
NO CROWDS, NEARBY WATER, VEGAN FRIENDLY,
AND GREAT ENERGY :)
Thats great, a lot of young girls are going to
read this article and you’ve accomplished so
much in a short time is there any advice you
would like to share with them
PRAY ALWAYS, BE THANKFUL, NEVER STOP IN
YOUR PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS, HELP OTHERS,
AND PROTECT YOUR ENERGY!!! :)))
- By Phoenix

One blemish people often think about
the modeling world is the idea of young
ladies starving themselves in order to be
“attractive” is this something thats still a
problem in the industry and do you think
the modeling world has done a good job to
educate their models about this?
I believe that in any World, the word “Attractive” is
being turned into the word “Healthy”. Whatever keeps
you Healthy and Happy, will give you all the “Glow”
you will ever desire!!! ;* :)
There no denying you’re definitely a
beautiful girl, I know you must’ve heard all
the pick up lines in the world. Is there any
that stick out, What’s the worst line you’ve

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WHEN THE PHOENIX MAG DECIDED
TO HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE BEST
THINGS THAT MIAMI HAD TO OFFER,
WE KNEW IT WAS ONLY RIGHT THAT
WE INCLUDE A DADE COUNTY LEGEND
J.T. MONEY. HE CHANGED THE WAY
PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD VIEWED
ARTIST FROM MIAMI. HE OPENED THE
DOORS FOR MIAMI MUSIC TO SPREAD
GLOBALLY. HE DEFINITELY DESERVES
A ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR ALL HIS
ACCOMPLISHMENTS. WE FIGURED
WHO BETTER TO INTERVIEW HIM
THAN THE QUEEN OF MIAMI MEDIA,
BLONDIE C.
First I want to say it is a pleasure and an
honor to be in the presence of one Miami’s
legends JT Money.
Thank you Ms. Cant U C. What’s up world?
How does it feel to be considered one of
your cities legends?
It is both an honor and a privilege. See I put in some
work back in the days. We had to fight for this music.
I’m from an era where we had to fight to get our city
heard. It wasn’t just handed to me. When Luke was out
there fighting I was out there fighting with him. Miami
was not considered
A musical place?
Right. We had to bust the doors open. It was 2 Live
Crew and baby 2Live Crew which was me with The
Poison Clan. We would go on tour and had to fight
these artist.
Are you talking physically or lyrically?
The whole fight. There were nights that we had blood
on our Jordan’s but that’s a story that should be left
untold. But as far as the lyrics, they would say them
down south niggas got all that booty music. My thing
was lyrically Miami niggas control the pussy. We like
bitch shake what ya mama gave ya Or Pop that pussy!
While other artist begging and whining. Our Miami girls
would be like look at this soft ass nigga. This style didn’t
work around the world so we had to give them more
lyrics. It was hell to get it them.

MUSIC
What exactly is the process that you guys
had to go thru to get your music out?
Well the games was promotions. So we got in our vans
and road city to city, hand to hand combat. We would
go to every hood and have rap battles against every
nigga who thought they were the hottest in their city.
Oh wait you did rap battles?
Well yes I was 17 once. I was young and I was with
it. Go check my catalog. Check out some of my lyrics
from back then. You can see the growth. I listen to old
songs and say look at the nigga he was a rapper back
then. He was showing skills. For me music is just
music until you had some J to it.

“WE HAD TO

FIGHT

FOR THIS MUSIC.
I’M FROM AN ERA

WHERE
WE
HAD TO FIGHT TO GET

OUR CITY

HEARD.”

What do you think is the difference between
this era of music and back then?
Back then people had original sounds. Down south
were the raunchy proactive ones. Out west they were
all gangster and up North was jazz and Metaphors.
What’s the hold up?
Whirs is the new music?
Cats don’t work like me and you know I can’t sit down.
Everybody got different issues and I just keep going.

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I am the reason
Poison Clan
was where we
were. After the
first we were
fucked.

Yea well I’m part of the hood. I am Dade County. All
the big brothers and uncles are my friends. They are
my brothers and I show them respect, not that I’m sleep
but the hood kind of protects me.

I think everybody loves you
Why did PC
break up?
And I love them back. Never forget that
Why did you
go solo?
People were kind of shocked when Uncle
Luke got married because of his persona and
Everybody decided
lyrics. Is it true that you were married?
that they wanted to do
their own thing.
Yes, I was
Musically?
Whatever it was. I never
planned on doing a
solo project until
after Poison Clan
completely blew up.
But I think it was
just all apart of
Gods plan.
Is that why
you moved to
Atlanta? Did
you think you
had to move to
really blow up?
I didn’t have
to move, but
I made a
decision to
be closer to
my money.
I wanted to
be closer to
my business.
Back than Miami
niggas didn’t allow
industry cats to
come to Miami.
Was it a “No Fly
Zone”?
Right. I wanted to be
closer to the cats that I
was doing business so
I could see my money
and count my money.
Some cats didn’t
understand that and
accused me of selling
out and leaving the city.
I wish a nigga would
I have never heard
of anybody taking
shots at you.

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How do you go from calling women bitches
and hoes to saying I do? Does a women just
have to know there is a separation from your
lyrics and you? Is there a separation?
There is a separation between church and state.
That’s what they say. It’s definitely a monarchy not a
democracy.
Tell us what JT stands for.

Jacking Tourist or Just truth or jabbing things. Just truth
is that grown man. Just is for justice and justified truth is
forever need no alibi.
Tell us about you latest project. What you
have going on for 2015 & 2016.
It feels good too. It’s coming together the way I want it
to. All the years people would be asking me J watchu
doing? Anyway I’m calling it Pimping Gangster Party. It
kind of sums my music up. You get the hardest of the
pimp shit, the hardest of the gangster shit and get that
party shit.
Without sounding cocky, who more pimp than JT
MONEY? Who more gangsta than JT MONEY? Who
parties harder than JT MONEY? When people hang
out with me they always have fun.
Every time I hang out with you I always have
a lot of fun. But I really wanted to know
what the problems between you and Trick
Daddy were?
Well me and Trick really didn’t have no problems. I
think he had cats talking to him in his ear telling him that
he was better than me. But the things is he supposed
to never let outside niggas divide us. When he was
first starting he use to come to my house. I met Trick
in Rolexx parking lot. He told me J I want you on a

record with me. He told me that I and 2pac were his
favorite artist. We exchanged numbers and hung out.
But politics got in the way but we never really had a
problem. In my lyrics I still call him my brother. We had
a plan to take over. When I saw him I saw that I would
finally have some help because at one point I was all
alone fighting the battle for Miami music.
At one point Miami music scene was the
shit. Slip n Slide was like the hottest shit
out. What do think caused the collapse.
Greed and Infiltration, When Uncle Al died seems like
the music changed. Miami niggas start following New
York niggas style. When yall let these out of towners in
and introduce than to the radio stations and club owners
than end up cutting you out of the deal because they
don’t need you no more. They do little fake features
with you but they won’t promote it. They use our niggas
for security. I have hollered at a couple of my Zoes and
record labels and told them yall let these niggas in. Yall
gave them yall connects and now they aint friends with
you no more because they don’t need you.
What is going to be different this time
around?
I am a stronger man and my team strong and
persistent... They are going to be at everybody with
“play that record”
- By Blondie C

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YBA
Guttah
Born & Raised In Palm
Beach,fl until the age of
16. I got introduce
into to music at
any early age,
as toddler i
was always
bothering my
Godfather for
drums sticks,
drums. Drums
were always and
will be my favorite
instrumental. Growing
up i was forced into all
church events, but the
only thing that caught
my attention was
always the youth
choir, they were
always turning the
newest hip hop
songs to gospel.
Round the same i
just started to listen
Tupac Shukar at
the age of 9, He
became a major
inspiration he was
what you call

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the hood hero growing up, him
and Biggie showed
me the real meaning
behind rap/hip hop,
being that they
both were lyrical, I
wanted to be lyrical.I
started poetry on the

side mostly wrote poems for
either girls i liked or for my
homeboys to send to there girls.
The year after that couple friends
Kappakid,Slugga,Kaveman,and
me and we created a gospel rap
group called "M.I.C"'Men In Christ'
at the time i was 14 and going by
Biggie,Big Jay,Dramaboi or B.I.G
when we first got together
as group. We did good
for our 1st year a lot
of experience, i was
always energetic and
so live. We did our
thing that whole
year, sadly I
had to move to
palm bay, fl at
16, where I
continued
on rapping
and
changed
my
name
to

jayguttah and started to pursue
other advantages in the rap game.
I met up with Jdott when he was
still in middle school, me, him and
j3 would do songs for days and
just post them on MySpace, at the
time i was not looking for a deal
nor money it was simply for the
love. My last year of high school I

got back to the music when I heard
Iceberg from one of my Dade county
homeboys in the bay ever since
then he became another Tupac to
me, another inspiration that gave me
more hope as a street nigga trying
to reach there dreams, & closer to
my dreams really set it off for me
inspired me to start thinking clearer.

That year after graduation I took
off Job Corp in Brunswick, Ga with
my cousin Tony, to try something
new and see what the world has
to offer those who couldn't afford
schooling. But as a result Job Corp
didn't work out for either, I ended up
getting kicked out after 9months and
sent back to Florida immediately
due to altercations with one of
the students. When I got back to
palm bay I got back right in the
studios, fired up to be the next (305)
Iceberg in my city, where I started
collaborating with Jdott and his old
brother Jay Hoody,R.v & Pizzle Boy
"ZFB", Later down I met up with a
few other rappers Raw Milla,Emazin
and formed a music 'Yba'"Young
Business Attires" aka Zoe6
"Hoody,R.v.RawMilla,Emazin,Vine
and of course me" In Palm Bay
, Melbourne Fl.The name Yba
actually comes from a music group
that we started with, I ended up
using it as my stage and street
name when my big bro was
incarcerated. By holding down the
set I choose to go by YbaGuttah
where I had moved to Orlando at
the time to pursue this education
my momma wanted me to explore
and stay out of trouble. I continued
making music with my cousin DTR
10pac aka Foolay, I didn't start

doing shows until i moved back to
Palm Beach and was introduced
to HotHeaad by one of my good
friends Bam. I also met up with a
few of Palm Beach Promoters, beat
producers, dj's and artists such as
Yung Ace who produces most of my
beats, Fly Hustle Kartel,PMG, Richie
Stacks, Phoenix, Dj Needlez....etc
Even though Palm Beach Shows no
love, I don't care like Iceberg says
as long as the fans listening who
gives a damn I'm just out to do it
really for me my peoples.
- By Phoenix

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RECENTLY AT A PROFESSIONAL MATCH
IN NEARBY CORAL SPRINGS, WE WERE
VERY INTRIGUED BY THE LEVEL OF
COMPETITION AND THE ENERGY FROM
THE CROWD, BUT THERE WAS ONE
WRESTLER FOR SOME REASON STUCK
OUT HE ILLED THEING WITH CHARISMA, SO AFTER NIGHT WAS OVER WE DECIDED TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THIS
WRESTLER THEY CALL ACE MAYHAM
To be a wrestler it’s a not an easy task, it definitely takes a toll on
your body you must have some real passion for this. When did you
start becoming a fan of wrestling.
I became a fan of wrestling around age 4, like most kids I used to
tune in every saturday and I remember watching Macho Man Randy Savage and the tag team Demolition and they had so much energy they were larger than life cartoon characters and I was hooked
every since

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Wow, you’ve really given a lot to chase your
dreams. Was there anytime that you were
close to giving up? If so, what made you
keep going?
Yeah, briefly. When I thought about they way they treat
black people in the wrestling business. I thought about
it being a waste of my time, energy and effort because
they put a black man in the top spot as the face of the
company, but I realized how much I love wrestling and
how much I’ve already sacrificed also how many have
supported in chasing my dreams so I couldn’t let them
or myself down. At least try to change the game and
make history.

“ I DIDN’T EVEN HAVE A PLACE

TO STAY SO I SLEPT IN THE

AIRPORT
FOR DAYS AT A TIME. THE

STRUGGLE
OF PURSING YOUR

DREAM.”

Sounds like your real focus on your dreams,
but there had to be a time when maybe you
were on top of a ladder or on a receiving end
of a table being broken across your back?

Was there a certain experience or moment
that sparked or pushed you to actually chase
this dream of becoming a wrestler?

Yeah. I was rock bottomed thru a table by Rick Rush.
That was an experience I’ll never forget. The crowd
loved it!!! I was in pain for 3 days tho lol. I’ll definitely do
it again.

You recently won the tag team championship
belt, how was that feeling the first time u
I went to a number of events as a child that made me
want to become a wwe superstar, but when I went to see held that belt.
Wrestlemania 28 At Sunlife stadium in Miami that was a
I felt like a little kid living his dream. I remember being a
moment that made me want to pursue pro wrestling. To
kid and we would have our toy belts and play wresting
see the crowd love and reaction to the wrestlers and to
experience the energy throughout the stadium I just told out a the playground lol and it was fun to imagine
yourself as a champion. when MDK and I won the tag
myself this is something I have to be apart of.
belts I felt like I took a big step in my career.
Now your road to being a professional
You’ve recently had the opportunity to
wrestler wasn’t an easy one if i’m not
showcase your talents abroad in such places
mistaken, you used to have to take trips to a
training facility in Tampa almost 3 hours drive such as Dominican Republic & Panama
to name a few, how was the crowd and
away on a weekly basis right tell me about
atmosphere in those places compared to
that.
here in the states?
Yes. I was training At FCW/NXT which is The WWE’s
Wrestling in DR and Panama was a great experience
official developmental promotion. I had to travel back
because it gave me the opportunity to take my talents
and forth between Miami &Tampa every week for the 3
months straight in 2012. It was expensive and sometimes overseas and experience a different style of wrestling.
I didn’t even have a place to stay so I slept in the Airport The food and beaches were great!!!
for days at a time. The struggle of pursing your dream.
On the topic of excitement, Every wrestler
has their finishing move. What’s Ace
Mayham’s finishing move?

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The Mayday it’s an F5 into a face plant. One way trip to
hell!!!
I know you’ve dabbled in acting before with
appearance on a few hit tv shows, one
wrestler that has made the transition from
the ring to the big screen is The Rock. Do
you see yourself going down that same lane?
Hell yeah Thats the main purpose of pursuing this
dream. to become a leading man in Hollywood.
Thats great man, I know there’s a young Ace
Mayham right now reading this interview
rying to chases his/her dreams. If you had
the opportunity what advice would you share
with that individual?
I recently had this convo with my younger cousin
Desiree who watches me and has dreams of being a
Diva. I told her Go hard after your dream and protect
your dream because theirs people out there who don’t
have dreams of their own that will be really jealous of
you. It’ll be the ones closest to you that will doubt you,
but if you dedicate your heart and soul to your dream
you will have no regrets. Always remember their is no
competition but yourself. And make sure to have a solid
plan B that will bring you full circle back to a better plan
A
- By Phoenix

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ARTS

RECENTLY WE WERE ABLE
TO CATCH UP WITH ONE
OF MIAMI’S MOST TALKED
ABOUT UP & COMING
ARTIST JUNK YARD AT
THE VIBRANT LULU’S ART
GALLERY LOCATED IN THE
BEAUTIFUL ART DISTRICT
IN MIAMI. THERE IS NO
DENYING THE AMOUNT
OF BUZZ AND ENERGY
THIS YOUNG ARTIST HAS
BEEN ABLE TO CREATE
BEHIND HIS PAINITINGS
SO WE WERE DEFINITELY
EXCITED FOR THE CHANCE
TO FIND OUT MORE
ABOUT THIS JUNK YARD
KID MOVEMENT THATS
SWEEPING THROUGH
SOUTH FLORIDA
First of all man the name
junk yard is a interesting
name, give us a little
background on how you first
came up with the name junk
yard?
I’m from broward i was born in ft
lauderdale but i moved a lot growin
up. so fast forward to highschool

when I moved to south florida for my
last two years I made varsity my first
practice and the Head at the time
Coach Damon Cogdell, Assistant
Coach at West Virgina University
gave me that nickname. He said
he liked my motive. but honestly it
caught up around in school even the
teachers so i kind of just embraced
it.
Your definitely a skilled
artist, more importantly
your passion for your craft
is something people always
pick up from you, how long
have you been drawing for?
I’ve been drawing ever since I was
a kid watching cartoons on tv. I
would draw things i thought would
impress my mom and brother like
dragon ball z or a picture i seen
lying around.
When did it hit you like man
I got a talent here I might be
able to turn this into a career
.

My senior year in high school this
amazing woman by the name of
Wanda Mendoza Piedra forced me
into art class and bought me me alot
of paintings supplies and i started
painting. She thought I was good so
i kept painting. I love her for that she
changed my life honest.
Banksy Is almost like the
Art World’s robin Hood, It
crazy to me how powerful
his pieces are, Is there a
specific artist when you
were coming up or even now
that your just always blown
away by their work?
All Artist are inspiring to me really
since i started painting is really
when i learned about other artist
and they definitely inspire me but
just too name a few, im a big of City
Of Ink's own Miya Bailey and Hebru
Brantley's creations. But honestly im
music is what always inspired me
for me its a picture painting by the
ear.
Its crazy to see a rap artist

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exhibit, first off all congrats
on that. When your coming
up with a art exhibit is it the
same as a musical artist
coming out with a project is
there a certain vibe that you
come up with or is it what yo
have at that time?
Thank you. and really its my first art
exhibit so i'm really painting things
that will teach people things about
me i cant explain visually. That's my
mission with my art and the exhibit.
- By Phoenix

get in the booth and get in a
zone and just start banging
out lyrics, give us a little
insight on as a visual artist
that feeling when it just hits
you and that brush just flows.

Thats all it is "it just hits you and the
brush just flows".
I know your currently
working on your first art

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