The Belle Experience-Revealing the Beauty of Kansas City

Commentary and photos by Jocelyn M. Goode

I stepped off the plane into Kansas City on early Friday June 5, 2009 with nothing on my mind because I promised not to bring any preconceptions with me. All I knew was that I'd be painting live at a studio-salon and 29 Pennies, the D.J. of the event had all the details worked out.

Morning quickly transitioned into afternoon where I found myself in downtown Kansas City, Missouri in absolute awe of the beautiful architecture and the graphic murals that spread across city buildings. Three quarters of a bison burger and a chocolate malt later, it was game time. Equipped with new painting supplies and materials, courtesy of my host 29 Pennies, I arrived at Belle Epoque to set-up.

Still unsure of what to expect or even the name of the evening's event, I stepped through the doors of the studio-salon. Instantly I realized I was in a place of great style and design. Original paintings decked the varnished walls. Tracks of bright lights lined the ceiling of the salon, which provides edgy haircuts, hair color customization and stylized cosmetology. 

J. Goode was a featured artist of the evening, there to complete a painting alla prima on a platform in the main window. I was just one instrument of the symphony of talent that night. Outside of Belle Epoque were two musicians jamming on the electric keyboard and guitar. 29 Pennies kept the vibe pulsating inside spinning the most exclusive hits in Deep House music. Stylists created hair masterpieces in the main window of the salon, drawing in passer-bys into the event like moths to a flame. The creative energy generated at the event lit up the whole artsy block.

The culminating segment of the night was a fashion show where bikini-clad models sported a new line of eco-friendly reusable bags. Guests filtered in and out of the space during the three hours it took for me to complete my painting. I chose to give props to Kansas City by including two famous landmarks in my composition. Many inspired guests had the will to approach me while I was working to share interesting facts about the city.

The array of diversity and creativity was amazing. Never would I have imagined that an under-the-radar place such as Kansas City would epitomize all the FAIM Internet Magazine represents-Fashion, Art, Interactivity and Movement. Belle Epoque's event was a success and I am honored to have played a part in making it a hit. To learn more about the studio-salon which hosts other types of interactive, creative showcases, visit www.belleepoque-kc.com. To learn more about the art and architecture of Kansas City, get on a plane and go see it for yourself, it's definitely worth the journey!

J.Goode laying down the beginnings of her painting

My host, 29 Pennies spinning Deep House

Robert Anthony and Merisa Okic of Pique Magazine covered the event

My painting completed in three hours

Cabcorner.com-Save Money, Save the Air

by Jocelyn M. Goode, Founder FAIM Magazine

June 1, 2009

Who would guess that a catching a cab is the next new trend in saving money? The founder of Cabcorner.com, Jonathan McKinney  did. He took his concept of coordinated cab-sharing and turned it into an urban commodity. 

Cabcorner.com is a website where people needing a cab can set-up rides at select "hot spots", which are usually in front of stores, restaurants and coffee shops in the greater NYC area.The website also allows patrons to join in on rides scheduled by other users traveling in similar directions, from similar areas at similar times. 

Another benefit to Cabcorner.com is that it reduces what John calls "carbon footprints", the toxins released in the air when 12,500 NYC yellow cabs transport single riders in 70% of their rides. The service provides benefits to the air, the drivers and the riders, easily making it  the next best thing.

Cabcorner.com's evolvement from idea to reality is just as inspiring as the concept. John McKinney conceived of the internet service while waiting for a cab yet wishing that he didn't have to use all the money in his pocket to afford the ride. He thought of a way where people going in the same direction at the same time, could link up to split a cab. 

Once he had the idea down, he shared it with friends for feedback and sought the affirmation from people he respected. Friends supported the idea of Cabcorner.com and shared their contacts with John creating what he calls "collective intelligence". The premise of the concept is the more people that participate, the cheaper the service will cost and the better the quality will be.

Following a recommendation from a friend, John linked with a college graduate who had specialized skills relevant to building a website like Cabcorner.com. Together they realized the idea into fruition.

Cabcorner.com has been present on facebook.com and other social networking sites since May 16, 2009. It has yet to be released to the general public, however it will launch a marketing campaign in the months to come to increase awareness of the cab-sharing benefits. 

Those interested in learning more may visit the website and schedule rides to test drive the service. For more information about Cabcorner.com visit www.cabcorner.com or email Jonathan McKinney at cabcorner@gmail.com

Jonathan McKinney, Cabcorner.com Founder breaks down being an entrepreneur.

DANCEINFUSED Dance Fever-Photos

Concep-Painter/Designer (myspace.com/concerpcompany) and Crew

Frank Guialdo-Owner of Die Fabrik Loft (Slyart vs. Robotcity)

Cricket-Dancer/Artist/Actor & Benson-Illin' and Chillin' (filmmaker)

Melanie "Ninja" Aguirre-Dancer

B-Girls

Noel Rodriguez-Pop-n-Lock, Break, Hip-Hop Dancer

Lenisy-teacher, TK Wonder-dope lyricist (myspace.com/TKWonder), Nikisha-teacher

Mateo-Actor/Dancer (myspace.com/mateovelasquez), John-the homie, Ksyn-Dancer/Model/Actress (www.missksyn.com)

Dre Fresh-Proprietor of Branding Power, Internal Ed-Blogwriter at Convict Music 

Sandrea Amarie serving Gingerbeer Iced tea

DANCEINFUSED Dance Fever

DanceInfused Dance Fever

story, video and photos by Jocelyn M. Goode

What happens when dance and art commingle in a warm 6,000 square foot loft atop of Soho? Hot, creative energy called DanceInfused. Friday, May 22nd marked the beginning of a four-part series produced by the New York City art collective, Noble Technique held at Die Fabrik. In this first interactive event, painters and sculptors displayed art interspersed between action photography of young, up-n-coming dancers. The evening culminated in live performances by the Hip-Hop Dance Conservatory, the Dario Vicarro Dance Project, Roela LaMazing and others.

Each group effused their own emotion and distinct style that splashed onto crowds standing steps away from the improvised stage. The Hip-Hop Dance Conservatory performed a dance sequence entitled "Ghetto Pop Life" which was a mixture of Hip-Hop, drama and funky interpretations of Breakdance. The Dario Vicarro Dance Projects presented a beautiful, modern dance duet, wrapping around, lifting and painting each others semi-nude bodies. Masked breakers performed a mysterious piece, raising questions of identity and existence through dramatic outbreaks of Pop-n-Lock-inspired movements. Roela LaMazing and her group finished off the set sporting fishnet nylons, fitted boy shorts and sexy brassieres. Their choreography was bold, sensual and dominating. The audience sirened their cheers in approval after the dancers completed their presentations. 

Guests of the place included legendary painter and designer Concep, female MC TK-Wonder and Sandra Amarie, the hand-made tea specialist who served gingerbeer iced tea cocktails to the pulsating crowd.

Noble Technique has three other events to follow DanceInfused which pay tribute to body artists, sneaker art, and skate culture-inspired fashion. For more information contact guest@nobletechnique.com.

A Blazing Contradiction-Breaking Down the Hyphy Movement

E-40 and Keak Da Sneak at the BARS Award in 2006

A Blazing Contradiction: Breaking Down the Bay Area's Hyphy Rap Movement

Photos and commentary by Jocelyn M. Goode

The Bay Area, California is one of the most paradoxical places in this country because therein grows the rawest elements of unbounded, creative force that is simultaneously self-destructive. Turfs in East Oakland, Bayview-Hunter's Point, Vallejo, Fillmore, West Oakland, East Palo Alto, North Oakland, Menlo Park and the Murder Dubbs birth abraded yet virile style and trends. In these terrains of jagged beauty, music and culture blur, breeding intoxicating beats accompanied by poisoned mentalities and addictive habits. The magnetism of primordial vibrations  mixed with chants of inherited self-hate produce Hyphy music, an illicit phenomenon of resistance and deterioration.

The youngest generation presently experiencing a Hip-Hop rites of passage rapidly consumes fatal dosages of rap music, searching for meaning, direction and reality in a world where fear and destruction reign. The result is most reflected by the rampant violence, abuse and ignorance of young people, aged ten to twenty-five. So the question stands, what will it take to solve a cultural pandemic?

Breaking down the Hyphy Movement in the Bay Area rap scene involves investigating the artists, their messages and the response. To begin, there are macks-and players, preachers, pimps, poets, prophets, the ones that produce the powerful messages. The rappers are the seeds fallen from the Black Power Movement and the Crack Epidemic. Their lyrics tell tales over hypnotic beats about goin' dumb while on one, poppin' pills and stuntin', ghostriding the whip after runnin' rippers, scrapin', dippin', and parking lot pimpin'. Essentially they advocate performing a series of abasing acts with the utmost enthusiasm and pride. Yet, the lure is in the delivery. The enticing rhythms and swagnasty attitudes are so seductive that even the most conscious-minded must sample only small amounts. 

Too $hort and Mac Dre stand as godfathers of the Hyphy Movement. In the '90s and early in 2000's, their enchanting spells of degrading women and celebrating drug abuse fertilized the metaphorical soil for poisonous crops to grow. Radio and video waves then resonated this type of rap across the world. In the Bay Area, it translated into drinking of the hardest alcohol, taking excessive amounts of ecstasy, smoking potent marijuana and going completely out-of-control. 

Hyphy culture now runs strong in the veins of its young intoxicants, growing up in neighborhoods where living is a daily life-or-death battle. Deprived of functioning schools and whole food grocery stores, kids, teenagers, and young adults receive their nourishment from Hyphy artists. These people teach the codes of conduct and misconduct. Today the roster of Bay Area rappers includes Keak Da Sneak, San Quinn, E-40, Mistah F.A.B., The Jacka, Beeda Weeda, J-Stalin, The Husaleh, FIllmore Big Rich, Messy Marv, Dem Hoodstars, Yukmouth, The Pack, Mahasan and Ray Ryda. Hit songs like "Tell Me When To Go" and "Super-Hyphy" placed a national spotlight on the Hyphy Movement, which had previously remained contained to Bay Area hoods. As fascinating as the tunes were, they reflected a theme common in Northern California rap music: praise to pimpin' druggin' and tearing shit up!

Yet there is another side to the Hyphy Movement. Over the past five years, Hyphy rappers have organized amongst themselves and on their blocks to stand up for community concerns. In 2005, a record amount of Bay Area artists came together successfully for a relief concert in benefit of Hurricane Katrina survivors. In response to the alarming rate that police murder Black men, rappers summoned Hyphy beats to spread messages calling for everything between justice and retribution. Beeda Weeda's song "Fuck Tha Police, We Aint Listening" is a war cry  that bumped throughout the corners of Oakland after OPD murdered Oscar Grant III on January 1, 2009. The people rebelled three times in the subsequent months after the public execution, burning and breaking property in passionate anger. 

The influential power of Bay Area rappers and the culture their music engenders is a testimony to Hip-Hop at its essence. The beats and lyrics from the country's most disenfranchised and exploited possess the fortitude to mobilize the world at its soul. And so we await a cultural awakening that will shake the curse of self-destructive, freeing the minds of all infected so that they may pursue a path of progress and enlightenment.

The following photos are from the BARS Awards held in 2006.

The Pack-"Vans"

San Quinn-"Pop Ya Collar"

JenRO-"Dykes in tha House"

The Jacka (right)-"Aspen"

The NVUs Twins-models

Fillmore "Big" Rich-"That's the Business"

Chopper-Making The Band 2

Mahasan & LaToya London-rapper & American Idol singer

Lala-model

E-40-"Tell Me When To Go"

Messy Marv-"Playin' Wit My Nose"

Harlem Highs-Personal Politics with Landon Dais

story and photos by Jocelyn M. Goode

Intimacy and openness on a Monday night may not be typical in the rich, gritty complexity of Harlem, but it was definitely the spirit of Landon Dais' fundraiser dinner at Trattoria Amici. Beautiful and intelligent supporters convened to break bread in allegiance to the green politician who strives to continue a legacy of community improvement from the ground up.

Landon Dais, a proud Morehouse and Columbia graduate, personally greeted his guests spending time throughout the evening to learn about them and share his visions as an up-and-coming advocate for Harlem's district 9. As professionals, emerging and established, consumed Italian cuisine, they also enjoyed the opportunity to exchange ideas with each other and revelled in the quaint gathering of like-minded contemporaries.

At the peak of the event, Landon shared his projections for Harlem and his intentions for running for City Council, which center around a commitment to improving youth development, strengthening families and supporting small businesses. It was clear that his experience as the President of the Uptown Democratic Club (70th Assembly District) and Program Consultant for the Harlem Congregations for Community Improvement spurred him to take on this next step in political leadership.

Erica Nailor, one of the event coordinators for Landon's campaign, spread her warm personality making sure guests properly completed their donation cards which are instrumental in receiving matching funds. The cool, calm and collected campaign treasurer Anthony Ross, was the pinnacle of support, attentive to all the details of the fundraiser yet readily available to breakdown numbers and statistics.

While there was a surplus of seats reserved for those supporters who were absent, the seats that were occupied contained the rock and roots of Landon's bourgeoning campaign. Only the 'bout it, 'bout it turn out on a Monday night but the tour de force was undeniable as the dinner proved to be a success that was felt beyond words. To learn more about Landon Dais and his campaign, visit www.harlem4landon.blogspot.com and watch him on BET's Harlem Heights.

From the Bay to the Big Apple

Story and photo by Jocelyn M. Goode

FAIM Internet Magazine has officially expanded, with a new headquarters in New York City. For those readers just coming on board, FAIM stands for Fashion Art Interactivity Movement. We are cultural publication that caters to educated, professionals of color, creative entrepreneurs and independent thinkers who crave for culture and ideas outside of the mainstream. FAIM marries Bay Area and New York trends and styles,  producing a beautiful bi-coastal love child.

We are back on a regular schedule so look out for new articles and events in the areas of fashion, art, community, and politics. Your feedback is valued so please feel free to submit your comments and make topic suggestions.