Are we all narcissists now? [EDITORIAL]

I recently came across this editorial in the Financial Times where author Jemima Kelly writes "It might be convenient to blame the breakdown of a relationship or a tricky work situation on the fact that the other person is toxic and mentally unsound. But putting everyone we have issues with in the “narcissist” box just means we don’t have to take responsibility for the part we’ve played. There’s something distinctly narcissistic about that." 

I believe true narcissists exist, but certain behaviors are easy to mistake for narcissism. And often, it’s our own self-centeredness, and our practice of concocting stories about what motivates other people, that confuses us and causes us to mislabel their actions.

Read the entire article HERE.

Drop The Needle [FILM]

I bought tickets so many events here. I sold tickets for event through here. I bought music here. Drake and I bought a DJ starter kit from here because we had to have DJ equipment to launch a career in Hip Hop. Play De Record was ground zero for Toronto vinyl lovers and the documentary Drop the Needle recounts Eugene Tam’s role in developing Canada’s hip-hop and dance music scene through his Toronto store Play De Record.

Helmed by first-time director Rob Freeman and conceived by freelance sportswriter Neil Acharya, the film provides a fascinating look at the evolution of the underground urban music scene that was all but ignored by the vanilla Canadian music industry, and Tam’s role as a catalyst in its development through Play De Record.

Now screening. Get your tickets HERE.

Alper Yesiltas' Aged Artificial Intelligence Portraits [PHOTOGRAPHY]

A talented AI researcher and artist has brought an array of late celebrities back to life in photo form, as if they were still with us and aging for all these years. Celebrities such as Michael Jackson, Tupac Shakur, and Jimmy Hendrix are among those masterfully recreated by Alper Yesiltas, who believes AI can bring imagination to life – and looking at the photos, it’s hard to disagree.

“When I started tinkering with the technology, I saw what I could do and thought about what would make me the happiest: I wanted to see some of the people I missed again in front of me,” said Yesiltas to My Modern Met blog. 

via IFLScience

Henry's Photography Flagship Creator Space [COOL]

Henry's new flagship location at 185 Church Street in Toronto is a more open, interactive retail experience. The  location features a dedicated studio space that photographers, videographers, and content creators can use to meet, learn, record, and collaborate. Mark Diker from Henry's puts it best "We want to create a space for creators to gather, collaborate and share. Plus why not use some of our great gear before buying!"

I personally love the concept, and look forward to using the space personally. It's super cool to have something like this from a company that has the kind heritage and creditability that Henry's has not only within the space, but in the city. Learn more here.

Drake x 21 Savage - Her Loss [ALBUM]

Honestly Nevermind is still marinating and ringing off in Ibiza, things are getting Sticky yet still. Drake & 21 Savage have announced a joint album for 2022. Check the video for Jimmy Cooks which serves as the promo drop as well. Available everywhere October 28th 2022 November 4th 2022... quick math (The) 1 + 21 = The 22 ah lie?

Sean Brown x The Council of Fashion Designers of America [INTERVIEW]

Toronto's very own Sean Brown sat down with CFDA to discuss Compact Disc rugs, wearing Sean John like it's Prada, life evaluations, and answers if his work's been picked up by any museums, and if not, which ones he'd hope to be in one day?

Sean Brown: For me, the real win is seeing younger people and younger Black creatives caring about their spaces at home now. I’m not necessarily trying to be a part of social constructs and institutions anymore. I look at a lot of things holistically. Many arts you see in museums are stolen from us, and then they charge us to come to view them. Now I say that, but I can’t sit here and say I wouldn’t be appreciative or honoured to see my work in a museum. I wouldn’t turn down a chance to be a part of that, but I would want to be a part of the narrative.

Read the full interview HERE.

Drake - What's Next [MUSIC VIDEO]

Drake has dropped the Scary Hours 2 EP, as promised. 

It’s three songs  "What’s Next", "Wants and Needs" featuring Lil Baby, & "Lemon Pepper Freestyle" featuring Rick Ross. The lead off song "What’s Next" also got a new music video (see above) directed by Theo Skudra that can easily double as the dopest Toronto Tourism advert ever.

Last night was also a relaunch of OVO Sound Radio—formerly an Apple Music Radio show that’s now on SiriusXM—on a new 24-hour Sirius channel SOUND 42.

A new album from Drake called Certified Lover Boy is expected for release some time this year. Tonight on OVO Sound, he offered an update without giving a specific release date. “CLB is currently being cheffed in every way possible,” he said, noting that he’s been working with his regular collaborators Noel Cadastre and Noah “40” Shebib. “I don’t have an exact date, but it’s in the pot and it’s coming soon.” The record was initially set for January 2021, but it was postponed after Drake sustained a knee injury.

The new EP follows the first Scary Hours EP in 2018, which featured “God’s Plan” and “Diplomatic Immunity.” The A-side was later released on Drake’s album Scorpion.

Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell [TRAILER]

Every legend has an origin story. Christopher Wallace, AKA The Notorious B.I.G., remains one of Hip-Hop’s icons, renowned for his distinctive flow and autobiographical lyrics. This documentary celebrates his life via rare behind-the-scenes footage and the testimonies of his closest friends and family.

A documentary on the life and career of The Notorious B.I.G. is officially coming to Netflix, and the streaming service unveiled the first trailer.
Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell is executive produced by the late legend's mother Voletta Wallace and his friend and collaborator Diddy, both contributing candid interviews to the film.

Watch it March 1st on Netflix.

An Evening with Silk Sonic [MUSIC]

Bruno Mars has announced that he will be dropping a new album with rapper and singer Anderson.Paak.

The duo, who are both Grammy winners, has also formed a band called Silk Sonic.

The album, An Evening with Silk Sonic, will also feature Funk Master and Parliament Funkadelic bassist Bootsy Collins as a special guest host.

The duo made the announcement via their social media platforms on Thursday February 25th.

"We locked in and made an album. The band’s called Silk Sonic. First song drops next Friday 3/5," wrote Mars.

UPDATE: Check out the new music video for the first single "Leave The Door Open" HERE.

The Brandon Gonez Show [MEDIA]

The exciting ground-breaking new weekly series, The Brandon Gonez Show premieres on tonight on YouTube! Weekly episodes drop every Sunday with all the news & entertainment you can use.

"This has never been done in this country before, and I'm so excited to have such a strong team who've put their blood, sweat, and tears into building The Brandon Gonez Show. But most importantly, I am excited for people to finally have a show where they see themselves reflected, laugh, and get the news and entertainment they need. I am so humbled to see the support from my fellow Canadians," says Gonez. Follow: Instagram.com/brandongonezshow Facebook.com/brandongonezshow TikTok: @BrandonGonez Twitter: @BrandonGonez brandongonezshow.com

Sheltersuit: A Coat As Shelter For The Homeless [GOOD CAUSE]

Bas Timmer, A young Dutch fashion designer just out of school in 2014, Timmer was embarking on a promising direction as a cold weather-gear specialist when he stumbled over a homeless man one cold night. He thought about giving the man one of his signature fashion hoodies, but—to his lasting shame—paused for fear of diminishing his brand. A few months later a friend’s father, also homeless, died of hypothermia. “I felt guilty,” says Timmer. “I had the opportunity to help, and I did nothing.”

Timmer hasn’t entirely given up on his dreams of designing for a commercial brand. Eventually, he says, he wants to create a company as big as The North Face, but with a twist: all the profits will fund his Sheltersuit foundation. Donations alone can’t help the world’s 100 million homeless, but a globally recognized brand might. “By selling beautiful products that keep people warm and dry and protected, I can help others stay warm and dry and protected.”

The Sheltersuit is:

-Water and windproof and can be transformed easily into a sleeping bag.

-Equipped with a large hood, integrated scarf and large pockets.

-Made entirely from upcycled materials.

-Designed with an opening in the bottom to make it easier for the user to move.

-Made by former refugees who are distanced to the labour market.

-A product for people in need.

“It is a band-aid, but it’s a good band-aid. People want a house; they want a job. Until they have that, let’s at least protect them while they are on the streets.”

via Time Magazine

Coming 2 America [FILM]

Set in the lush and royal country of Zamunda, newly-crowned King Akeem (Eddie Murphy) and his trusted confidante Semmi(Arsenio Hall) embark on an all-new hilarious adventure that has them traversing the globe from their great African nation to the borough of Queens, New York – where it all began. 

Starring: Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall, Jermaine Fowler, Leslie Jones, Tracy Morgan, KiKi Layne, Shari Headley, with Wesley Snipes and James Earl Jones. Also starring John Amos, Teyana Taylor, Vanessa Bell Calloway, Paul Bates, Nomzamo Mbatha, Bella Murphy

Available March 5th on Prime Video.  

Screenplay by: Kenya Barris and Barry W. Blaustein & David 

Sheffield Story by: Barry W. Blaustein & David Sheffield and Justin Kanew 

Directed by: Craig Brewer 

Based on characters created by: Eddie Murphy 

Produced by: Kevin Misher and Eddie Murphy 

Costumes by: Ruth E. Carter.

Detroit Piston Owner Tom Gores Prison Telecom Business Tarnishes The NBA [PETITION]

An advocacy group took out a full-page advertisement in Sunday's New York Times, calling on the NBA and 30 of its owners to force Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores to sell his team because of his ownership of a prison telecom company.

"If Black Lives Matter, what are you doing about Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores?" the advertisement read.

The advertisement refers readers to http://pistonsdeservebetter.com that says how Gores' ownership of Securus Technologies, which his Beverly Hills-based private equity firm Platinum Equity purchased in 2017, "undermines [the NBA's] sincerity" about its stance on social and racial justice issues. Securus helps to set the pricing for phone calls for jailed inmates in hundreds of counties nationwide, in some cases charging more than $14 for a 15-minute call.

via ESPN

Cannabis May Reduce Deadly COVID-19 Symptoms [MEDICINE]

As COVID-19 cases continue to rise, researchers have started to look for solutions in an unlikely place - the cannabis plant. Cannabis’ active compounds have a number of properties that make it appealing as a potential adjunct treatment for infections from the novel coronavirus, and recently scientists have begun looking at its potential for reducing susceptibility to the disease, and even discussed whether it could be used as an antiviral medication. 

Researchers in Canada have conducted a study suggesting that novel Cannabis sativaextracts may decrease levels of the host cell receptor that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) uses to gain viral entry to target tissues.  

“If these results are further confirmed, these high-CBD cannabis extracts can be used to develop prevention strategies directed at lowering ACE2 levels in high-risk gateway tissues,” they write.  

“The extracts of our most successful novel high-CBD C. sativa lines, pending further investigation, may become a useful and safe addition to the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 as an adjunct therapy,” concludes the team.

via News Medical

Reebok Can Be Sold To Master P And Baron Davis [BUSINESS]

Reebok may be getting a new owner, as its German sportswear parent company Adidas looks to offload the household name brand. Once a cultural icon of epic proportions, Reebok has struggled in recent years to gain a foothold with today’s trendsetters and tastemakers. This could be changing as new buyers including a business dream team of hip-hop business mogul, Percy “Master P” Miller and former NBA All-Star Baron Davis are looking to acquire the company and bring Soulja Slim's legacy to a whole new level, and could garner an asking price of around $2.4 billion. Is it time for the culture to take ownership of some of the products it helped to cultivate? 

Remember that sneakers by rappers like Kanye West, Drake and Pharrell with companies including Nike and Adidas have created a consumer frenzy, as these influencers dictate business and trends. Cultural endorsers have basically usurped athletes as the go-to tastemakers in the sneaker industry. Hip hop artists have gone from subtle co-signers who helped start grassroots movements, to indirect ad men, to power brokers. Reebok’s latest cultural influencers to head up its roster include rap sensations Cardi B and Kendrick Lamar.

via Forbes