taylor.walker, Author at Doc's Castle Media

Baltimore Is Too “Cliqued” Up To Have Supporters

“If we create a group of strong individuals who’ll support each other, then we’ll create a power house of people that will exceed all expectations. We’ll change this city for the better,” says every person who forms a group full of talented people, expecting it’ll change the turn out of their shows. Womp Womp!

Too many people have this philosophy but in Baltimore it does not work. Content is key. Content is what brings people to an artist’s show! When was the last time you’ve decided to go to Kanye show because he had a power group with him there? The Jay-Z and Kanye power house was damn near three years ago. He’s currently standing alone. People go because of the content of his show.

I recently read an article from Baltimore Blogger Malika Muhummad titled “Why Baltimore Artist Can’t Make A Deal.” Malika talks of how many Baltimore artist lack originality. Why strive to be the next Lil Wayne when artists should be working to make a name for themselves? They should be striving to be unique. She also talks of how people should seek opportunities in the city that allows them to give support. There are multiple open mic events that happen throughout the city all days of the week. There are very few supporters of these events. She goes on to name a few examples. I’ve actually been to a number of 5 Seasons open mic nights, which is one of the example that she gives, and the crowd was dry each time I went, meaning there could have been more people there but it wasn’t. Majority of the crowd were artists waiting for their opportunity to have their shine on the stage.

What I see in Baltimore is a sign of doubt from the people artists hope would support them. Listeners in Baltimore doubt if an artist will bring what they enjoy so they stick to what they know. What they know is what they hear everyday, 24/7, on mainstream media. If a person was to listen to 92Q for the entire day, they’d hear the same 10-15 songs, minus the 12 O’Clock Rewind and the occasional rap songs they play on Rap Attack. Do people ever get tired of that?

When it comes to the individuals who claim they don’t listen to the radio or mainstream music, they continue to support people who have a larger followership than the artists from their hometown. Those artists are clearly closer to mainstream radio than ever. Take the Weeknd, four years ago we would have never heard him being played on the radio. Since Drake featured him on “The Crew,” the Weeknd’s spotlight has been heightened. We hear of him more because of the major support people had for him after that song, seeking his music wherever they could find it and going to his shows. Baltimore artists could have the same happen for them if their supporters became educated listeners. If they’d realized how supporting good content produced here can make talented people from Baltimore be heard on the radio, it’d be a greater selection of music to listen to.

But how I see it is it all begins with the content creators and their attitudes towards this city. Baltimore artists need an opportunity to come together in support of each other first. They need to realize they’re all thinking the same. They must show each other that the outcome doesn’t always have to be the same way. If your purpose is to create a city who supports each other, live by it. Building a crew that supports only the people in that crew, shows selective treatment for that group, not for the city. That clique way of thinking will not work for Baltimore. It may work for other places but not with the unique listeners of this city. It’s better if we seek opportunities to help one another because on-lookers will see what we’re doing and want to be apart of it.

This is a message for every artist for all genres to hear. We must seek out those who deserve support and help them because it’s the only way to gain what this city needs; Artist for artist, blogger for blogger, or poet for poet. Then it should turn into blogger for artist, artist for poet, and poet for blogger. Etc., Etc.. Each time a creator finds someone making a difference in this city, they’ll feel enlightened to be apart of it and that exact feeling will bring in more supporters and a bigger audience for everyone. It won’t be easy, but nothing is that’s worth trying.

With everything being said, let’s stop this clique mess and build upon a new Baltimore city.

To read Malika’s “Why Baltimore Artist Can’t Make A Deal,” click here. To hear great music from Baltimore artist, check out Vivid Visions or AmirahRashidah. Both blog sites take submissions.

If you’re looking to be a music highlight on Doc’s Castle Media, send me stuff. Let’s change the city for the better.

Will Blacks Have To Wait Another 100 Years?

I rarely write creative pieces. I leave that up to my fellow writer C. Davis. But something came over me last night that made me want to write a creative essay expressing thoughts I know lots of people may be having with the verdicts of the Michael Dunn and Jordan Davis case. So I just ran with my pen last night…

With all of these important court cases going on that are potentially racial profiling cases, I’m becoming discouraged about the stance of my black american race. When will we truly be considered equal? Will it take another 100 years of mistreatment to finally get what we deserve?

Two hundred years ago, we celebrated the freedom from the chains of slavery. One hundred years ago, we scream for joy because of our civil rights becoming intact. But must we still fight for what we deserve? Blacks do not have it easy, and if you are not black you will NEVER understand. I’m not just another black person screaming for attention. I am not using my race as a crutch!

They wine because we are still “bickering” over things we STILL do not have. We have no justice! We have no rights to live a smooth, judge-free life years after this law of equality was so-called “blessed” into every black man and woman’s life. It’s sad to think that sometimes I’m glad I don’t have children because if I had them, I wouldn’t want them to experience the awakening truth I’ve experienced when I realized that even in 2014 where we see beautiful black people earn money in professions that we once were unable to have grace our presence in times of extreme hardship, we still cannot live without someone yelling ignorant slander accusing us as being something we are not. “Oh, because he has dreads and gloats after he accomplishes his dream, he must be a thug.” Ignorance!

And where are our Martin Luther King Jr.’s? Where are our Malcolm X’s? They seise to exist in my time though we clearly need them today. Where are our black men and women that’ll lead the way for change? We do not have them. All of these beautiful black celebrities and we don’t have leaders.

Because I am black, it does not mean I’m dumb, I’m useless, I’m unable to achieve. My eagerness to strive has nothing to do with the color that appears on me! Because I’m black, it does not me I’m a hoodrat, I’m ghetto, I’m doing nothing but clubbing every weekend like my life depended on it. Matter of fact, just the other day I saw a white woman doing it. I bet they can’t explain that. But I swear they’d say she’s sick or find another excuse to justify that bitch. This world is sick!

I don’t want to turn it around or play the blame game. If we were all blind, it would not matter one bit. From my knowledge, there are instances about life where race has no discrimination, like love or hate, pain or pleasure, life or death. So why do we bicker like we’re better than the other. We need outlining factors to unite us. Even cancer pulls us together in times of despair. Why must that be our cause? Equality should be enough. Instead, we bully each other and look down upon the kids who do it in schools. Everyone needs a punishment. We’re all bullies! We’re all fools!

Change, and I mean the real kind, is what we need. But it’ll take another 100 years to get it.

Read last week’s creative juices submission, Carmone Salome by Taylor Evans.

Relating to Relationships 1: When You’re Meant To Be Married…

Are you pondering the same question that I’ve been questioning myself since the beginning of last year? At this point of our lives, we should have all taken the moment to analyze our current relationships. I mean, we aren’t getting any younger. I’m turning 23 soon! If we’re seeking to be married sometime in our future, shouldn’t we be more serious about how we choose our partners?

I’ve thought of all my relationships throughout my life and I really wonder where I’m headed. Am I the only one who thinks that I’ve never progressed to a love life worth taking to marriage? I don’t want to seem like I’m worried about the wrong things. But I’ve been analyzing my relationships so much lately that it’s gotten to the point that I choose to not think about it after certain periods of the day. I’m looking forward to starting a career, a life, and a family soon. But with the dudes I’ve been dealing with my entire life, I’ve never met anyone I felt is worthy of husband title. I’ve even found myself questioning is there a such thing as true love anymore with this country’s divorce rate being ridiculously high? Is true love even real?

I’m certain I’m not the only person feeling this way because there are many people in the same boat as me, especially on these social media sites we so often post on. We’re all trying to figure out what’s the perfect love. We’re all hoping to find the perfect companion who’ll whisk us away to our future. If you’re not looking for that, you’re fooling yourself because everyone wants to feel loved.

I wanted to write a blog dedicated to addressing the question, “Am I meant to be married?” On Seth Adam Smith’s personal blog-site, he recently addressed that question. He talked of when he questioned marrying his wife. Seth expressed at one point of his engagement to his wife he felt unsure if he was meant to be married because he was unsure if she was right for him. When he asked his father about his feelings towards the subject, his father immediately told him he was being selfish about how he chooses to marry someone.

In Seth’s article, we’re told that when searching to marry someone, you’re not choosing to marry for yourself. You’re choosing to marry for the person you’re marrying, other people around you, and people who’ll be in your future. Seth, in his article, makes it seem like love and marriage isn’t meant for you at all. Though it sounds pretty crazy for someone to say love isn’t meant for you and it’s for who you want to marry, I agree with the guy. But I don’t like it and I’m going to say why I cannot understand how this plays out this way in the real world, though it will always be this way.

I’m simply selfish.
I really don’t understand how to know if someone’s for me because I’m selfish just like Seth. There are times when I don’t want to sacrifice. I haven’t found a person to sacrifice for. Is sacrifice a two way streak? Are we suppose to both sacrifice for each other, or will it work like if I truly love someone, I won’t be looking for favors? I’m the type that searches for equality. If my partner isn’t offering the same as me, why are we even talking? See, I’m selfish.
Love is already hard to define.
How do you know what true love is when you’re loving so many people differently? The love you have for your mother, best friend, and boyfriend are all so different. Do I based the love from my boyfriend as love similar to my best friend? I know my best friend would jump in front of a bullet for me. She’d literally risk her life for me. Would I use instances like that as a basis for understanding true love from my soulmate?
So is Seth’s dad saying that anyone who’s cool with my family and friends is who I ultimately could be happy with?
That’s some bs! I’ve met people that have long term relationships with others and their family can’t stand who they’re with. So marrying someone for the sack of your family is absurd. There’s no selfishness in that at all! You’ve basically given your marriage away if you base your marriage on that.
What about that fire bond you have for someone?
Do we just ignore that type of love? Does it exist? Does it not? I mean it has to exist for those people who stay married for years. Did that feeling develop over time or was it there from the start? I guess that feeling is something that helps people choose when to not to be selfish.

You must be selfless to truly love someone.

I did not come across all these statements alone but with the help of others while questioning them about how they viewed love. As I asked people if they believe they must be selfless in order to love someone, I found that those who answered yes understood how love operates. Those very few people also had long lasting relationships at some point in their lives. I’m not saying that people who don’t believe in the statement, don’t have lasting relationships. I’m actually asking if it doesn’t, how do you stay committed to someone so long if you don’t believe it?

Love absolutely requires sacrifice for someone else but that sacrifice is for your soulmate, no one else is included in that except GOD. So the only thing I’m not agreeing with in Seth’s article is what his dad states about it being for his surrounding family. Marriage is not for the people around me. It’s for my husband, myself, and God. If God blesses me with someone special, I’ll know because he’ll put God first. That’s how you’ll know if you’re meant for marriage. If someone puts God first, they’ll care about their future, people around them, and whoever they’re going to marry. You’re really marrying for God because with him, you experience love. He gives you the experience of selflessness and that’s what’s needed for sacrifice. Sacrifice is what’s needed for an outstanding love. So to put it in simpler terms, when you seek God, knowing if your meant for marriage will eventually reveal itself. In my case, I’m still building on that. I’m still selfish. But I’m halfway there if I can sit here and write this for you to read. If you understand, you’re almost there too.

Seek God and it’ll come! Would you agree? Leave your comments below.

To read my last opinion essay, see What I Really Learned While In College on Doc’s Castle Media.

Listen to the Raw Skinny Show at 11-11:30 pm Every Wednesday Night

Sunday, I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Raw Skinny, host of The Raw Skinny Show, an also a former featured Music Highlight on Doc’s Castle Media.

It was fun going into StaffRadio to be interviewed. It was my first interview on the radio but not my first time being on air. Two years ago when I use to intern for Blyden Multimedia & Consulting, LLC, I co-produced and seldomly spoke on a show called the Tiona B. Show. It aired on Baltimore Internet Radio network WPBRadio.com every Sunday morning from 8 am to 11 am EST. Being on the Raw Skinny Show brought back some memories of experiences on the Tiona B. Show. It felt great.

I’d say I did fine for it to be my first interview on air. There were questions that I thought about answering differently. But I assume that’s how everyone feels after they’ve been interviewed, a little self-conscious about what they say. They’ll be plenty more interviews to make up for any mistake I made.

I want all my readers to tune into the Raw Skinny Show this evening, February 12, 2014, at 11-11:30 pm EST to support my “grind,” along with Raw Skinny’s evening broadcast. He’s been such a great supporter and deserves every bit of your support for being such a great person who’s aspiring to be successful like the many of us. Raw Skinny is seeking to have his show syndicated on satellite radio. If we all take moment out of our Wednesday nights to listen to his show for a length of a popular sitcom, like Family Guy, we could push his goal further. So lets make it happen! Support local businesses. Listen to StaffRadio410 on BlogTalkRadio or on Stitcher Radio.

Q & A with Rebellious Rebel

As an addition to my Blogger’s Rundown spree, I’ve had the opportunity to interview fellow Baltimore Blogger Briana Ragler, founder of RebelliousRebel, this past Friday. It was a wondrous meeting. We discussed what inspires her to write, where she got her edgy blog name, her secret to RebelliousRebel’s success, and other cool questions that gives more insight into her fashion and lifestyle blog. I enjoyed the time spent indulging in getting to know more about her blog, and I’m eager to work with her in the near on a project that’ll change Baltimore city, for sure. Briana is definitely someone who’ll provide an impact for this city with her generous attitude for picking up people’s spirits. It is my pleasure to introduce to all my Doc’s Castle Media readers the Q & A of RebelliousRebel.

Doc: What inspired you to start RebelliousRebel?

Briana: Well, three years ago I had lost my father in my first semester in college. I didn’t take time off to deal with the grief. I just sucked it up and came back to school right afterwards. I spent the year doing a whole bunch of dumb stuff, and just doing everything while seeping deeper into depression. At the end of 2011, I finally got myself together. I decided to start a blog just to share my story and to help other people who were going through what I went through, as far as dealing with depression. It has now gone from talking about my issues to becoming something more like a creative safe haven for other people.

Doc: Aww, that’s cool. I didn’t even know that. Wow! So where did you get your name from? Is that how you came up with it?

Briana: In a way (laughs)…I grew up in the church so everything that I was doing was not considered “holy,” as church folk would say, and I usually Rebel a lot against myself and things that I feel like are trying to keep me trapped. So I looked in the dictionary and saw the word rebellious and said, “Okay, I need something else to go with this.” So I was like, “Okay, RebelliousRebel!” I’m rebellious and I’m a Rebel. When I started it back then, it was about me and how I rebel against certain things. But now, it’s kind of turned into a thing where I’m not conforming to needs that I believe aren’t conducive to my well-being or to other’s well-being.

Doc: Okay, so how long have you been blogging? Like four years?

Briana: I’ve been blogging since 2010. I had another blog. I stopped blogging with that when I went to Hood College. So I’ve been blogging for about four to six years, on and off. I decided to stick with this one.

Doc: Well, it seems like it’s doing good.

Briana: Yes, it’s getting there. It’s not quite where I want it to be. (Laughs)

Doc: (laughs) How do you want RebelliousRebel to be remembered? What do you want people to know you blog as?

Briana: I ask myself that question all the time, even when I feel like getting rid of it. Sometimes I go through stages where I don’t feel like blogging. Someone said to me recently that my blog is a creative safe haven for individuals who create or need to find some type of inspiration. At this particular moment, I don’t know what I want it to be remembered as. There are so many things that go through my head sometimes. But I think when it’s all said and done, like if I decided to end the blog, I want it to be remembered as a place where someone who went through some hard issues decided to create a blog to express herself, and what she went through has, in return, blessed others. I don’t know. I go through this question every day (laughs).

Doc: (laugh)

Briana: Remember it as a creative safe haven for EVERYONE. If they feel like they can’t always put themselves out there, it’s there. I don’t know. We’ll probably come back later, in the future, with another story about this (laughs).

Doc: (laughs) Alright! So you’ve answered my question for what’s your initial motivation to keep blogging then.

Briana: Right now, it’s really about the art. Now, I’m getting to understand the concept of trying to keep my life personal. I try to keep certain things private because you know the Internet. Anyone can read anything. I was going to stop blogging in December. Take a nice long, permanent 6 month break. But what’s keeping me blogging is the people who come to my blog who are interested in the arts. They come to my blog and read it, or a person who has an issue with their body. Like someone said to me yesterday, “Oh my God! You’ve just inspired me to keep loving myself because you post pictures of strong women on your blog.” I’m like, “Okay, let me keep blogging because it’s inspiring people to be better and it’s a place where artist come to get inspiration when they’re not producing anything.” I keep RebelliousRebel up to keep those people inspired.

Doc: OH! Wow! That’s beautiful! So you’re just being an impact for people?

Briana: Yeah, I’m learning to be less selfish. I use to be selfish with my gifts and my talents. I didn’t share because I been through a lot of rejection as a kid. But now that people have blessed me so much, I feel like it’s my purpose and duty to give back in any way I can. It may not be with money. It may not be with donations. But it’s just with my words. If I give out kind words, I will in return be blessed and that person will be blessed. I just want to inspire people to be better because we’re all in this world trying to become better people.

Doc: I feel the same way. I want to be better and set an example for others. That’s why I write. Next question, have you thought about guest blogging for other blogs?

Briana: Hmm, I’ve done a guest blog post for my study abroad program, which is Kappa International. I don’t have a problem with doing it. I like writing for other bloggers because they give topics and that gives me time to research and experience something different from what I write about. I’m always inquisitive. I’m always wondering and wanting to know how come and what for to things. I’ve had people ask me to do a guest blog post. But I don’t want to commit to doing anything because I have too many factors going on right now, like school and trying to prepare for life when I graduate from college. But I’ve thought about it, and I would do it in the near future. I’d even have people guest blog for RebelliousRebel because I run out of ideas (laughs).

Doc: (laughs) That’s why I have them. I run out of ideas, too. But have you thought of any particular blogs that you would guest blog for?

Briana: I would really, really, really love to guest blog post for ProFresh Style and Bleed for Fashion just because I can relate to their blogs more. I mean, there are some other blogs. But I’m talking about blogs that have a greater impact that I would love to guest blog post for. Those are the only two that I manage to continue reading. I’ve read those five years ago. Its years later and I still follow them. I would guest post for them if they’d decided to. Those are the only two I’d blog for because a lot of blogs are mostly about fashion and there aren’t enough life blogs. Profresh Style and Bleed for Fashion are kind of like life and fashion blogs in one. It’s another I follow, Fashion Worked. I’d blog for them too. But yeah, I’m just hoping for a chance (laughs).

Doc: (laughs) So I recently saw a video on RebelliousRebel for your outfit of the day. I wanted to know, do you plan on continuing to bring us funky videos like your last one?

Briana: Uhh…Before that one, the last outfit of the day video was over the summer. When I shot this one, it was with the same videographer. It was just on the whim. It was because I just felt like it that day. I’m going to see. But I don’t want my blog to be solely about fashion.

Doc: What else do you want your blog to be about other than fashion and lifestyle?

Briana: I want it to be whatever. I really blog whatever that comes to my mind. There is no set theme for my blog. One day you could read a post on love. Another day you could read a post on what I think about on issues happening in Russia. It’s a melting pot of everything. Since I have people who follow me on Instagram who ask can I do some fashion post, I try to honor their requests. You probably will see more outfit of the day videos. But because of the funds, you won’t see as many. Secondly, weather is playing a factor in those videos, too. It’s too cold to shoot outside. I’m trying to wait until March. After the 21^st of March, you’ll probably see mad (meaning more) videos. So hopefully, but I’m living that broke college student life right now (laughs).

Doc: (laughs) It was real funky. I liked that. Do you mind sharing the secrets to your success?

Briana: Can I be honest?

Doc: Sure.

Briana: I don’t feel like I’m successful yet. I don’t feel like I’ve reached my potential. I was always one of those kids where people asked me, what do you want to do in life? I’d always say I don’t know. It’s kind of still like that because I’m not entirely sure what it is that I really, really want to do. I’m just going with the flow. I guess people look at it like “Oh, she’s successful because she stuck it out through college. She didn’t dropout.” But the key to my success is keeping my connection with God because I trust him with everything in my life. I really don’t know how I got to this point. I don’t always make the best decisions. When it comes to certain things, I don’t always trust my instincts. I trust in God, and he leads me in the right direction. In the field I’m going into, there are a lot of snakes. There are a lot of people who’ll take credit for things that they didn’t do. In ten years, you can interview me again and I’ll probably have a better key. (Laughs)

Doc: I’m pretty sure you’ll still say God.

Briana: I probably will! (Laughs) But I’m a free spirit when it comes to just doing things. With college, I didn’t want to go to college. I wanted to work. But I come from a church family, and they were like no. That’s your ticket out. Even with blogging, I don’t know anything about how to have a successful blog. I just do what I do. I don’t think there are keys to being a success. I think being a success comes in different ways, like finishing college is one and overcoming depression is another. It’s all in what you believe in. If there were keys to success, I’d probably be a lot further than where I am.

Doc: Are you open to collaborations?

Briana: Yes, I’m always open to collabs. I don’t believe in the word team. I don’t believe in groups but I’m open to collaborations. I love sitting down with people and we’re all shooting out ideas. It doesn’t matter who you are. If you’re welder and want to collaborate, it’s whatever. I’m always down. I just did a collab with For Rent Shoes in Baltimore, the how to style. It was a big deal for me because it was my first real business thing I could put on my resume. Yeah, I’m always down to do it but not with everyone. I don’t want to put my name on everything because everyone is not who they claim to be. But if someone wants to, they can just shoot me an email and we’ll talk.

If you’d like to read more from Briana, check out her blog at rebelliousrebell.blogspot.com.

To read the last Blogger’s Rundown, read Doc’s Q & A with Vivid Visions.

The Blogger’s Rundown

This is a special opportunity for my fellow bloggers in Baltimore, MD. I’m doing special shout outs for you. You have the chance to be featured on Doc’s Castle Media because I’m proud of the success that you’re achieving while impacting so many other people who are subscribed to your posts. The Blogger’s Rundown is for you.

I’m taking time to interview underground Baltimore bloggers to highlight their achievements, their missions, and their goals so that people will know how important blogging is on the Internet. Often I post on my Twitter feed “Bloggers run the Internet.” Many bloggers agree to that. But people who don’t blog or know what is a blog, would not be aware of a blogger’s ability to influence. It’s time to show others it’s truth.

Lots of people fail to realize how important it is to have the media on their side to reach their goals. Whether someone is starting a small business, inspiring to be a successful music artist, or striving to change the world, people forget how important bloggers are in their process in reaching new levels. People don’t even see how much of an impact bloggers are over your average news press, or how easy it is to get your story published by a blogger than your local newspaper. If you’re striving to make a difference, you need blogs to help give you a voice. Though some are bias, many are quite factual. Some blogs are for pure entertainment while others are meant to serve a purpose. Doc’s Castle Media is choosing to be the voice for many bloggers who don’t get their deserved recognition.

In the Blogger’s Rundown, I track a couple of local bloggers that are working hard to change Baltimore City’s “unsupportive” lifestyle. I meet them for a Q & A interviews so readers can get a better understanding as to what’s each blogger’s mission. There are so many blogs people don’t know about. This is exposure for both the readers and bloggers. This is Doc’s Castle Media’s contribution to creating a more supportive city. Stay tuned to learn more about people making a difference in Baltimore city. If you know of a Baltimore Blogger you believe needs to be apart of this series of post, don’t hesitate to contact us. We’ll do the research and set up an appointment for review.

Read our first Q & A with Vivid Visions.

Vanity Fair Is Bringing Some Diversity

As I watch my favorite news show, the Morning Express on HLN, I heard a interesting story about Vanity Fair Magazine. The Hollywood edition features a plethora of stars that are diverse on its cover! This is raving news across the Internet and people are taking to Twitter to express their happiness for such a big step.

Such awesome news! The popular magazine has received a lot of slack throughout the years from people attacking the publishers for not including a well rounded group of successful individuals. Stated by Todd Leopold of CNN, Vanity Fair is said to have at least once during its production, discriminated against, age, race, and status. Well, we can’t say that anymore looking at the cast posing above. Or can we?

Something is still missing from Vanity Fair’s cover. Where are the Latinos and Asians? I guess they’re taking it one step at a time. But diversity means to include everyone regardless of age, color, and talent. Why does this country continue to highlight black and white? I wonder who’ll be on the cover next year.

Read: “When Did George Zimmerman Become A Celebrity?” on Doc’s Castle Media.

When Did George Zimmerman Become A Celebrity?

So there’s news circulating about George Zimmerman fighting in the celebrity boxing match. It’s purpose is to raise money for him and possibly unmentioned causes. I’m assuming those causes benefits George Zimmerman, as well. There’s been some talk about which celebrity will be facing Zimmerman for these past two weeks. Names like The Game and Kanye West have been mentioned to fight this teenager killer. But supposedly the celebrity chosen to fight Zimmerman is rapper DMX. What has this world come to?

DMX is 43 years old while Zimmerman is 30, and a trained fighter. Who do you believe will win that match? DMX was chosen out of a pool of 15,000 applicants because he’s shown that he wants to fight Zimmerman the most. It’s mentioned in TMZ that he has expressed he’ll be breaking all boxing match rules, including urinating in Zimmerman’s face, to beat him. That’s extreme. He’s fighting for “all black people that have been done wrong by the judicial system.”

There are so many mistakes with this boxing match happening. There has to be a logical reason to persuade DMX to not go through with it. Even if we can’t persuade him to not go through with it, there’s reason for Americans to not not watch the match because it’s pure ignorance. So I’ve taken time to list the reasons.

Please tell me why it’s a black man that’s fighting George Zimmerman?

Wasn’t this man recently in court for murdering a black teenager? Though Zimmerman didn’t start his request to fight a celebrity as a racial one, it will become a racial issue if DMX gets his ass beat. It’s already becoming that if black folks are starting to believe this is their justice for Travon Martin. I can guess what the average black american is already thinking. DMX black ass is going to show Zimmerman what he deserves. Excuse me, but I recall Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday being 3 weeks ago, and we’re in the mist of Black History Month. Damon Feldman, promoter of the boxing match, shouldn’t be going through with this at all. It’ll be more turmoil on Zimmerman in the end.

So who exactly are we supporting to raise money for?

Since Zimmerman was the one to call on this beat down, wouldn’t you say it’s effed up that we’re choosing to support whatever this man is proposing after he was said not guilty for killing a 17 year old boy? By watching this boxing match you’re doing exactly that. He was in two altercations after the Travon Martin case that regarded his violent behavior between his wife and family. This man does not deserve money or people watching him fight at all. He has issues with keeping his hands off people.

If we watch celebrity boxing match, are we agreeing that George Zimmerman is a celebrity?

If killing a 17 year old black boy is a standard to becoming a celebrity with praise in American, this country has some serious problems. This man murdered someone and now he’s featured on news sites like TMZ, VH1, and MTV. I can’t even get a story on those media outlets and I haven’t killed anyone. His treatment in society is unfair just like his case ruling. It’s ridiculous. I can’t see how America is a great place to be when we still have some issues with racism and the judicial system. Zimmerman is not a celebrity in my eyes. He’s been nothing but a criminal. He does not deserve my approval to be on my television screen for pure entertainment. So he will not be on my screen.

There are efforts to stopping this mess because what’s happening can cause a huge problem in America. Posted as news in Philadelphia Magazine, there’s a petition authorized by the White House to stop this celebrity boxing match from happening. If the petition gets 100,000 signatures, the white house will have to take action in stopping this match.

I encourage the Doc’s Castle Media readers to stop what they’re doing to sign this petition against Damon Feldman and George Zimmerman on the WhiteHouse.gov. There are currently 22,000 signatures. Lets take a stand to stop racial tensions in America.

What’s Your Mental Age? Does It Matter?

What I find to be a common phrase for many people who date outside their age bracket is the fact those people commonly say, “Age ain’t nothing but a number.” Well, it’s true. Have you ever had a moment when you felt like you out grew someone that was doing something you thought was childish but was the same age as you? You were experiencing something I refer to as the “Mental Age Gap.” Everyone goes through it.

The Mental Age Gap happens to everyone. It may even begin in elementary school. For example, If you take the time to watch some kids as they interact in their everyday lives, you’ll notice a child’s mental age gap when you see someone at the age of ten participate in more mature activities, like starting a dance group or writing a book. Those are extensive activities for a child to start. It exhibits leadership and that trait requires some level of mature to take on.

Age means nothing unless authority has some rule over a person’s life. It means someone placed a number on another person to categorize them for activities they can or cannot do. But in reality, without a system of numbers or age, everyone would be equal and literally able to do whatever, whenever they wanted. I’m not saying age is a problem because we do need it for medical cases. I wouldn’t want to say a 6 years old is able to drink vodka without experiencing severe consequences. I’m saying in a matter of interaction with others, a person should be able to meet anyone, no matter the age, and that person can leave a lasting impression without another passing judgment. We aren’t capable of knowing what another is able to do.

Also I wanted to share a link, which is circulating on Facebook more frequently, that gives you the option to check how old you are mentally. I can’t say this is accurate, but it’s fun to do in your spare time. The app said my mental age is 28. I’m really 22 years old. But I commonly get mistaken for 26 or 28, and my results made me chuckle inside because the computer thinks it, too. It could help you understand your current priorities, whether they be good or bad.

Check out www.whatsyourmentalage.com.

Q & A with Vivid Visions

I had the pleasure of meeting up with the founder of Vivid Visions, Ryan Chance, this week. We had an exchange of interviews, meaning he interviewed me and I interviewed him for our corresponding sites. I’d say it was a very productive night. In my interview with Ryan, we covered Vivid Visions’ start-up, who’s involved with the behind the scenes aspect, what to look forward to from this striving business, and much, much more. I enjoyed the time spent getting to know more about Vivid Visions. Readers can definitely look forward toward a collaboration with this young genius in the near future. In the meantime, please read the Q & A with Ryan Chance below.

Doc: What made you start Vivid Visions? What was your inspiration?

Ryan: Umm, I think what really inspired me was the fact that I’m a fan of art. I’m a huge music fan. I like paintings, and shit like that. I’m just a fan of the culture and a fan of the art. What motivated me was when I actually came up with the idea, I was in Atlantic City, and I think it just hit me one day. I was like ‘You know what? I think I can get a team together that has different types of passions in different arts.’ For me, writing is my passion. George’s passion is photography. Dre is like a graphic designer. So us three, granted off of that, kind of motivated us to come together to bring Vivid Visions.

Doc: What’s your motto you standby or your motivation to continue to do Vivid Visions?

Ryan: Uhh, I don’t think I have a motto. The thing that motivates me is our first go around. The mistakes and the lessons we’ve learned over that process has motivated me to push forward in a new direction. Especially with me being more consistent and I’m just finding new ways to build my confidence because I’m real self-conscious and shit, especially towards my art. So basically going off of that, that whole first run around really gave me the platform of knowing what to do now. I tweeted yesterday, “The only person I’m competing with is the old me.”

Doc: Oh yes, I go by that, too. (Laughs)

Ryan: (Laughs)

Doc: How many members currently are involved with Vivid Visions?

Ryan: Currently, there are four. We’re claiming another one, low-key, and we’re actually looking for another person but we can’t find her right now. Long story short, it was a girl we had before. Her name is Riva and she was going to do interviews for us. She was new to the idea. Her first real interview, she didn’t know what she was doing. But the fact that she did it so naturally was very motivating for me and George to see something like it. We wanted to keep her. But we are still trying to figure out where the hell she is? (Laughs)

Doc: (Laughs)

Ryan: Right now, as far as what you see, there are four; myself, George, Danielle, and Dre. Of course for me, I do all the blogging. I pretty much post everything that’s on the site. Everyone else is kind of behind the scenes. But I try to give them as much credit as possible. So even if you don’t see them on any of the interviews or stuff like that, this is George, Danielle, Dre, and me. This is Vivid Visions.

Doc: Cool. So how did y’all actually round-up the team? Y’all were just talking one day?

Ryan: See the first go round wasn’t smart. Mainly, we were in Atlantic City. The first two people I actually contacted were George and a girl named Destiny, a graphic artist, as well. It was going to be those two. But then Dre got into graphic design. He went to school for that online. I was like, “Okay, let’s bring him on. It’s going to be the four of us.” Look how it is now. Then I was talking to a few friends. They were trying to join and I was trying to give them the benefit of the doubt. But it didn’t work. Of course, this time around, the only person I was really thinking about continuing with was George. But I saw a lot of stuff that Dre did and I liked it. Danielle, she’s my best friend away from this. She wanted to get into management so I told her just work with us so she’ll have that experience. That takes pressure from me for handling business. I won’t have to worry about having to get business cards or handling certain emails. I have her. This time around I’m building with whoever makes sense. The first time, everyone didn’t click that much.

Doc: Okay, so that goes into my next question. Did y’all have any disputes that caused y’all to break up?

Ryan: I wouldn’t say disputes. I feel like it was just the vibes. When you put certain people in a room together and you experiment, you start to see who can vibe off of whom. There were different personalities of six or seven different people. (Chuckles) It can get a little funny. I don’t think we had any disputes. Shit, we don’t have disputes now. We have slight disagreements but they’re smart disagreements. Somebody might have a better idea for how to do something. There might be times where George might have an idea and I’m like, “Nah, I’m just gonna run with this,” or he might have an idea and he’ll run with his idea. But it brings out the best of us.

Doc: Okay, I’m aware that Vivid Visions’ downfall in 2013 may have been inconsistency with updating the site on a frequent basis. What is your plan to help the team stay motivated?

Ryan: I think the motivation is the love for the art. I love writing and interviewing. I’m still learning the camera process but it’s the motivation of doing what you love. Everybody has their individual art. For the sake of their art, on their portion (of Vivid Visions), and if they really love what they do, they’ll stay motivated.

Doc: So you’re going to keep in touch with them? Are you going to have a weekly meeting?

Ryan: I text them almost like every night. (Laughs)

Doc: I know that’s right. I stay on point with my people, too.

Ryan: Yeah, every other day, I come across new stuff. I might have new ideas, they might have new ideas, or we may have something planned. They might send me a text like, “Yo, we still on for this time?” “Are we doing this?” “Are we doing that?” They make sure I stay on point with the business aspect as much as I stay on point with the creative aspect, even though some days it might get on my nerves.

Doc: I’m aware that you’re open to collabs with artist of all types and genre. But are you open to collaborations with other bloggers?

Ryan: Yup. Definitely, I’m willing to collaborate with other bloggers. It shows that within a city, as much as we put into our blogs individually, we support each other and build bigger for the artist. If we do things like that, we’ll have different ideas and we all have different approaches. Like our blog is more digital, and still has that print/journalistic feel while yours has a print/journalism approach to it. Briana (of RebelliousRebel), she has a real fashionable idea. When you have that, there is a good balance. Using the different approaches that we have, it can turn out to be something great. I do feel music wise, or in general, there is a lack of support in Baltimore. If we all supported each other and became aware that there is competition, it steps up the level of content. So for me, yeah, I’m always down.

Doc: Do you have any ideas of how you will work with others yet?

Ryan: Nah, I really haven’t thought about the ideas. I do have a few people in mind, like Doc’s, Briana’s RebelliousRebel, or Patisdope out in DC. I would definitely love to meet him (referring to Patisdope). Nah, I really haven’t had any ideas. I’ve just been focused on Vivid Visions, and trying to build our brand some more. We’ve been doing very well leading up to the relaunch, along with the relaunch, too. The support has definitely been great. I’m going to start to develop some ideas.

Doc: Great. Where do you see Vivid Visions going? What’s the ultimate goal for your site?

Ryan: The goal is to make sure that each artist, no matter which genre of art, knows that Vivid Visions is one of the go to blogs for support. We want them to know that we support our artist. Or course we have our own agenda on the side to be on a higher level. But mainly, our agenda is supporting the arts. We have a lot of talent in the city, or in the state, rather. It all comes down to the support. Like you see Los Angeles with the whole Kendrick Lamar, Schoolboy Q, and Nipsey Hussel, they have a system that supports each other. They’re friends. That’s what makes that city well-known now. Musically, it’s kind of a takeover. We have southern states, New York, and we have a few people who have their disputes and whatnot. But you know those areas for sure! In Maryland, we could be very great. There are a lot of talented people here.

Doc: Yeah, it could be the same or even greater.

Ryan: Yeah, even greater. It’s a lot of talented people. Our agenda is to make sure that the artist gets their shine and as we show them support, we expect them to do us the same.

Doc: Yeah, that’s how I am, too. Lastly, how do people contact you for exposure or a feature?

Ryan: Honestly, I go looking for it. Social media has been a big help so far; Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. I’ll see someone retweet other people’s music and I’ll usually check it out. If it’s good, we post it and keep in contact with them. Outside of that, for music submissions, they can contact me at ryan.chance611@gmail.com. Or for interviews and other business inquiries, they can contact Danielle, our manager, at visionsvivid@gmail.com.

Doc: Alright, thank you! That’s wonderful and concludes this interview.

Please make sure to check out Vivid Visions at visionsvivid.blogspot.com.