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Saturday, September 29, 2007

Through the Eyes of an Artist- Tamarah Ynise

Art is an intellectual journey as well as an emotional expression of the human soul. Many artists are celebrated for their artistic/intellectual contributions while others are a best kept secret. No matter how intellectual art may be, it is not limited to instruction and learning as its only occupation in life. Because art is poetic, it can be very entertaining as well as informative. The art form that appeals to you will most depend on your interests. Just recently I have found that the only thing more interesting than art is the artist herself.



Tamarah Ynise is on the rise! She is a young revolutionary artist that is focused and involved with social uplift. Even though she has written a book of haikus titled, “Liquid Verbs” and her poetry book “Reservoir in My Mouth” we at iMAG were most attracted to her visual abstract poetry which is sure to make her one of the most sought after artist in Philly.

Growing up in Central NJ, she was given a gift by her brother that would not only initiate her inner artist, but would also last to this very day... a black book to bare her young soul. This gift of love helped mold her poetic expression. For Tamarah, poetry has been a past time passion since she was a tween and she was grateful to answer her calling at eighteen. She later advanced her expression and added visual abstract art to her repertoire.

About 12 p.m. on a cool sunny Friday, I walked into the coffee shop in the historical Germantown area of Philly she was already there bright and filled with interesting conversation. We greeted each other warmly, sat down, talked, and got comfortable before we began the interview. We talked about everything from art, religion, politics, psychology, and healing. After getting acquainted, it seemed that I had accomplished my goal and we were comfortable enough to begin our interview.

Join me as we take a look at the world through the eyes of an artist. I think that you will find the view quite interesting.

How long have you been creating art (visual)?
I started in 2003. I never took an art class and the best that I was able to do was color within the lines (laughter). A good friend of mines took me to an art store and said that I should try creating art and the next thing I know it, I was creating visual art. As far as poetry, I have been doing it since I was a little girl.

Do you think your creativity is spiritual?
Yes because if people ask me to draw a tree, it does not come out like a tree. But when I let the words flow and my mine vision, then it comes out divine. Just like with the poetry. When I am done, I am in awe.

How do you feel when you have completed your work?
I feel that since of accomplishment, that wow which makes me feel good.

How do you keep your art fresh?
I constantly challenge myself with everything that I do.

Which artists do you admire and why?
I admire Maya Angelou because there is so much depth to who she is from a singer to a motivational speaker and the belief that she has in our people, and the youth. I remember when I was in college and we had the chance to go to the main campus and see her. Maya Angelou came in and I was in such awe. I felt her every words the entire time! I was shaking because it was so phenomenal.

What three words best describe your style?
Off beat and unorthodox is my poetry (laughter). I am very color-coordinated.

How did you develop your style?
I can’t take that responsibility. I would have to say that is God.

Tell us a little about you that most people don't know.
What you see when you come into my home is who I am. I am always chillin’ on my couch with candles and light music... being mellow is being me.

What is some of the feedback that you've gotten on your work?
I hear that I am good and that I have talent. I also get, “what in the hell are you doing?” (laughter)

How do you respond to negative feedback?
I channel it and let it challenge me. I know that I have a gift and I want it to progress. It does me well when people are honest. I hope that they continue to be so.

What is next for you?
I am planning to display my work at an art gallery. I have another book of poetry coming. I hope that all who read this are there and reading my books (laughter).

What are the last few words that you would like to leave with those that read this interview?
Be inspired and go out and do beyond what you usually do.



Check out Tamarah at: http://www.tamarahynise.com/ and leave a comment for Tamarah in the comment box.

Literary Review- Death Before Dishonor by 50 Cent and Nikki Turner

Pocket Books
2007
$12.00
pgs.194
ISBN-10: 1-4165-3100-9

Simple and straight to the point books are always a pleasure to read, especially when there is temptation, mystery, and action. Death Before Dishonor is a great book. In this story we follow three characters Trill Johnson, Sunni James, and Precious Pay and each of them have enough commotion in their lives to have you reading the book in one day.

Trill Johnson is a big time thief that steals form the most fortunate and provides for his boys and his family. Trill has a lot of respect for Precious and loves her very much. What he likes most about her is that when he was locked up she took responsibility for his son. He also feels deeply responsible for the loss of Precious’ leg during a robbery gone badly. But now he finds an interest in another woman named Sunni James and she is a businesswoman who is holding it down for her crown. He likes the fact that she is independent and knows the streets but he knows that he has an obligation to Precious that she will never let him forget.

Precious Pay is well taken care of but that is not enough. She wants more. Precious feels that Trill owes her big time and she is willing to get what she wants no matter what and she is willing to do it even if she has to turn her back on the man that she once loved.

Sunni James is a successful beauty salon owner and a big time whore. She is not interested in any long term relationships because she loves to use them then lose them... until she meets Trill. There is something about this thug that she just can’t get enough of but what she doesn’t realize is that she has to go through Precious Pay to get him and a challenge with her could cost her more than her crown.

Overall, Death Before Dishonor quenched my reading appetite. Again this was a straight to the point read and stayed on track with an easy to follow storyline making it easy to complete in one day.

I am interested in know if there will be a second book because there was a lot situations that needed closing which included how Sunny handled her situation and what really happened to Trill.

When you read this book and you have a clue, then share it with me.




Agasa Elitou-Reviewer

Friday, September 28, 2007

Movie Review- The Game Plan

Infinite Magazine was invited to the prescreening of “The Game Plan”.

The Rock is the shallow and highly famous quarterback Joe Kingman and he has it all. Clothes, women, friends, great looks, and more titles and trophies than you can count. He eventually receives an unexpected gift at his doorstep that is eight years old, cute and lovable... his daughter. Of course he is in total denial that he would have a daughter because his ex-wife never told him that they had a child, but the birth certificate says it all.

For the first few weeks he endures the ups and downs of raising a child (and everyone knows what that means) and their relationship seems to get a little rocky, but once they begin to really learn each other and respect each other in their role as father and daughter things get better.
When they are struck with a sudden tragedy, Joe shows that his love for his daughter is more than many would have known and he will do anything to save her and keep her.

After watching the movie, you begin to see that there is so much more to life than things and pointless conversation about oneself. Loving yourself is a good thing but being able to share your love with others is very fulfilling. Fame and fortune is not always what it is cracked up to be when you are alone and Joe Kingman learns this after some time with his daughter.

If you are looking for a good movie for your tween to see for the weekend, then make it your “Game Plan” to see this movie.

Let me know what you thought about the movie.


Tweety Elitou- Reviewer

Thursday, September 13, 2007

Literary Review- Dangerous

Pour a little action and love together with secrets on ice, and drama with a twist, and you will have yourself an excellent new book by a member of the crew at Triple Crown Publications. Some books may carry two or three of these major ingredients but with all five you will find yourself never letting go of the book. Dangerous by Leo Sullivan is one of the hottest books for 2007.

In Dangerous, we follow the lives of four characters: Jack Lemon, the notorious Gangster who won an appeal and is now searching the streets for the people that snitched on him. His eyes are wide open to the streets and his hatred runs deep while he thirsts for revenge.

Gina is Jack Lemon’s “ride or die” chick that stays by her man’s side, ready to do anything to keep him alive. What makes this chick so vicious is that she is willing to carry out all of Jack’s demands no matter how brutal.

On the b-ball court, Rasheed is a prodigy who has the skills to go all the way to the top. He wants to do this so that he can take care of his girlfriend and child. After being caught in a stolen car, he has to work harder than ever to be accepted into the NBA.

Monique is the first and only black dancer at a highly respected gentleman’s club and she is fabulous. Her moves are so good that the other women hate that she has become the star attraction. She is in love with Rasheed and they have a child together, but Rasheed is not able to support them. Although she knows that it will hurt Rasheed when he finds out that she dances for the club, she has to do her thing. If Rasheed makes it into the NBA then she would stop dancing… or maybe not.

Fueled by hate, the crazy Jack and Gina are planning to take control of Die Hard records and kill anyone who’s in their way. Will they be successful in their plan to dominate the music industry? Will the music industry take a turn for the better or for the worse? Know that with more money come more problems, which will involve the police and dangerous enemies.
Monique is concerned about Rasheed’s relationship with Jack who seems to be very dangerous. She doesn’t have anything against him, but she knows that Jack is trouble.
The foursome goes through many complexities: Jack and Gina have to stay two steps ahead of the Police who eagerly want to place the lovers under the jail while their enemies thirst for their blood. Rasheed and Monique on the other hand, are having relationship issues that they did not foresee and it looks like they may not make it together.

Dangerous is a completely focused book with a lot of action to keep you turning the page. There is so much drama on every page that you feel like you are with the characters. Although Jack’s seems greatly exaggerated, it is clear that the author wants us to see him as thorough in his game.
You will never believe this but there is a message in the book: Instead of black people working against each other they should work with each other and things will get done.

Don’t believe me… cop this book and share your thoughts.



Agasa Elitou- Reviewer

Literary Review- Street Love

Love, Drama, Friendship, Money, and Family and the five elements make up the newly released title, Street Love. Street Love is a Triple Crown Publication analogy with contributing authors, Kiesha Ervin, Danielle Santiago, Quentin Carter, T. Styles, and Leo Sullivan. These five authors combined created an exciting book that you will not be able to put down.

Kiesha Ervin’s story, After the Storm is a story that deals with the question: how deep does love go? Mo is deeply in love with her man Quan of eight years but can’t stand the fact that he is cheating on her with another woman. Mo knows that she should leave but she just can’t bring herself to do it, and to make matters worse she thinks that Quan is having a baby with the woman that he is cheating with. Torn between love and hate she must decide if she should leave Quan once and for all or is she so deep in love with him that she’ll take his drama.

For those that have been in a half-commented relationship, then they will probably be able to relate to the drama in After the Storm. Although it was not my favorite story it is definitely an opener to the rest of the tales. The realness is what I liked most about Keisha’s story.

Danielle Santiago’s wrote Allure of the Game which is a story about a gangstress named Arnessa, and with the help of Butta, she becomes a major drug dealer. She begins to step up her business giving Suef her drug rival a hard time collecting his paper in the streets. When one of Suef’s men sexually abuses Arnessa’s little sister Cenise, she realizes that she’s not cut out for the drug game. However, as she realizes this the drug game is calling Cenise and she just might call back.

Allure of the Game was an excellent story told by Danielle Santiago with a unique turn because instead of stepping up the game more and more until they take the crown, Arnessa realizes quick that the game is not for her… keeping it real. No matter what gender you are, the drug game can claim you, impress you, or disgust you.

Quentin Carter’s, The Fink is about trust and deceit. Phelix Mitchell is a snitch who was supposed to do 25 years in jail but instead he did 3 years because he ratted out his friend. Phelix is weighed down with guilt after what he did to his friend and all he wants to do is settle down and be surrounded by family when he gets home, but the streets don’t like snitches and they won’t let him relax. His own brother doesn’t show him respect, and his girl is caught in lies that tear him apart. In order to set things straight he does what he has to do in order to save his friend and gain back the respect that he once had.

Phelix’s character in The Fink was interesting to read about because it raised the eyebrow as to what did he have to do in order to regain his respect again. Snitching is a real problem in today’s society people are afraid to talk. No one wants to suffer the wrath of the streets that have been holding down this age old code… The possibility of loved ones being harmed makes it taboo. After reading this book, it is clear that the author is making a statement that if you are going to snitch on someone then you should also snitch on yourself first.

T. Styles, Cold as Ice is a story about Pepper Thomas who is a straight “A” student and dreams of getting out of the rough part of Southeast Washington, DC. Pepper sees a chance when she stumbles upon a DVD that could send Ice a respected gangster to jail. Holding the DVD for ransom and trying not to get caught, she hatches a plan that could make her wishes come true. Of course, plans don’t always turn out the way that you want them to and Pepper is starting to regret the choice she made.

This heart racing story had the book pasted to my hands. Not many twists and turns, and the story continued to make you read all the way through. The moral of the story: Don’t get greedy, and good things come to those who wait.

Leo Sullivan’s, B-More Love is about a high school senior named Ashley who is about to enter college. Ashley is a supportive daughter and sister who takes care of her family and loves her hard working mother very much. When Ashley’s mother falls ill to one of the deadliest cancers, Ashley has to stay strong and find a way to support her family.
Jamal is a young gangster who is known throughout the streets after his robbery and murder of the people that hung out at The Spot Pool Hall. Jamal is constantly looking over his shoulder for the cops and the gangsters that have money for his head. When Jamal meets up with Ashley, who he has had a crush on for years, he realizes that he must get out of the hood and clean himself up, but first he has to handle the people that are looking to be rid of him and he might not make it out alive.

This entire book was very entertaining and it is highly recommended. It was filled with everything that an anthology need: love to drama, action, twist, anticipation, etc.
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Agasa Elitou- Reviewer

Sunday, September 9, 2007

Tiyatti's Corner- 24 Reasons Why African Americans Suffer

“…I dreamed one day that my brothers and sisters would stand together…and shake hands…and show support and respect…and be united…but the African American nation won’t change for the better unless each African American make a personal change for the better…”

~Tiyatti Speight

Jimmy Dumas penned a book, 24 Reasons Why African Americans Suffer. This book not only gives his personal views on the status of the African American race, it also gives his opinions on how to improve this race and this culture. Granted, Mr. Dumas’s reasons, views and opinions are very valid and very well thought out, it’s his supporting text that is his downfall. In some instances he lacks the figures and facts to support his theories.

Chapter one states the first reasons why African American’s suffer is the lack of Unity. I totally agree. African American’s won’t come together as a whole to make the race a much better and a much more progressive one. In this chapter he uses historical movements as examples of Unity, The Montgomery Bus Boycott being the first, and the most significant, on the list. Everyone is well aware of the boycott in 1955 where Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat. The backlash of her actions caused African Americans to stand up express themselves and fight back against the wrongdoings of others.

This example may have been slightly more effective to the reader if we know how long the boycott lasted, 381 days,(which would have show the strength, seriousness and determination of the people) how much money was lost due to the boycott and examples of how the boycott effected the public transportation system during that time. African American taxi drivers began to charge the same amount as the busses, 10 cent, to support the boycott. This act of unity shows the power a united group of people can hold.

Not only does this chapter give examples of unity, it also gives us ways to build our economy: The Economic Roundtable. Dumas states that, “The purpose of the Economic Roundtable would be to discuss and plot the path of African Americans into the next century.” It starts by bringing out money together and working together and capitalizing on what and where we spend our money. “Some of the industries that we must begin to investigate and eventually dominate are pharmacology, medicine, technology, transportation…wherever we spend our money, that’s where our greatest minds and builders should be.” This statement by Dumas transfers into finding and locating the industries that gross the most income and creating African American owned businesses of the same stature.

As whole, I am on board with Mr. Duma’s first chapter. Overall, I agree with his thoughts and opinions, though it lacked some backing. As I stated in the beginning, he could have used some statistics and numbers to support his theories but as a whole, the chapter proved to be an interesting read.

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