President Trump has announced the near-closure of the Candian border:
We will be, by mutual consent, temporarily closing our Northern Border with Canada to non-essential traffic. Trade will not be affected. Details to follow!
The closer of the Canadian border is part of the growing effort to control the spread of the Coronavirus. Last week Trump closed travel between the U.S and Europe. The countries included: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. President Donald Trump later added the United Kingdom and Ireland to this list. Travel between China, Iran, and U.S are also banned.
U.S. citizens are allowed to return home but must fly into 13 designated airports and undergo “enhanced entry screening.”
The president is expected to speak in detail at a news conference scheduled for 11:30 a.m. EDT.
The speed of the closures demonstrates just how fast the virus is spreading, while the U.S response has not been the strongest. It is important to take any precautions that could keep the general public safe.
New Jersey gov. Phil Murphy has announced that a mandatory curfew has been placed for all movie theaters, gyms, and casinos in New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut. According to the curfew, as of March 16, all these establishments are to close at 8 p.m and will remain close until further notice to protect against the coronavirus pandemic.
According to the curfew, Restaurants and bars will no longer be allowed to accept dine-in customers after 8 p.m., but will still be permitted to offer takeout and delivery. The establishment will be provided a waiver for carry-out alcohol, officials said.NY Governor Andrew Cuomo said the following in a statement, “We have agreed (New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, and Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont) to a common set of rules that will pertain in all of our states, so don’t even think about going to a neighboring state,” he continued, “If you can’t do a party in New York City, you can’t do a party in New Jersey, you can’t do a party in Connecticut.”
The news comes after the announcement that public gatherings of more than 50 people are to be banned, this is something that Gov. Phil Murphy tweeted about a few days ago.
BREAKING: Today, I am recommending the cancellation of all public gatherings of 250+ people, including parades, concerts, and sporting events.
Murphy said supermarkets and pharmacies will not be affected, and that more New Jersey restrictions will be announced later Monday. Following the patterns set by other states, the announcements should involve the closing of public and private schools. New Jersey has seen at least 112 confirmed coronavirus cases, including two deaths while New York has the most cases of any U.S. stater. The story is still developing, and we will be updating as soon as more news becomes available.
Thousands of people across the globe have been diagnosed with Coronavirus or COVID-19. As the virus continues to spread, many nations and states have declared states of emergencies, with some even going into lockdown. As the pandemic continues to grow in the US, organizers of large public gatherings are being forced to make a decision on whether or not to cancel or postpone their scheduled events. Major entertainment industries such as broadway, music, and sports have been forced to pull the plug on their events as states have begun to prohibit the gathering of large amounts of people. Governor Cuomo of New York has decided to close all places with a legal occupancy of 500 people or more. Places such as Madison Square Garden, Barclays Center, Avant Gardner, Webster Hall, Brooklyn Steel, Terminal 5 and more, will be closed until further notice.
Yesterday (March 12), was probably one of the heaviest days, as festivals, concerts, and music festivals seemed to be getting cancelled or postponed left and right. All Live Nation and AEG tours have been postponed until further notice. EDC Las Vegas will continue with their plans for May 2020, but officials are monitoring the situation day by day. Festivals such Lollapaloozza, Bonnaroo, Tomorrowland and Governor’s Ball which are all set to take place between June and July have not made comments yet.
It’s truly a sad time for the music world (and the world in general of course) as we are at the brink of festival season. Here is a list of festivals, shows, and tours that have been cancelled or postponed so far (as of the morning of March 13).
Festivals:
Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival: April 10 to 12, April 19 to 19 postponed to Oct. 9 to 11, Oct. 16 to 18
Beyond Wonderland SoCal: March 20 to 21, postponed until June 19 to 20.
South by SouthWest: March 13 to 22 cancelled
Ultra Music Festival: March 20 to 22 cancelled
Tomorrowland Winter: March 14 to 21 cancelled
Bassnectar’s Deja Voom: March 25 to 28 cancelled
Get Lucky Fest: March 13 to 14 cancelled
StageCoach: April 24 to 26, postponed until Oct. 23 to 15.
Big Ears Festival: March 26 to 29 cancelled
Days of Summer Cruise Fest: June 28 to July 1 cancelled
BPM Miami Festival: postponed
Treefort Music Festival: March 25 to 29, postponed until Sept. 23-27
Concerts & Tours:
Billie Eilish, Where Do We Go World Tour: postponed March dates
Blood Orange: cancelled March 2020 North American dates
Maluma, Maluma 11:11 WORLD TOUR 2020: Cancelled remaining European dates.
Kayzo, spring tour: cancelled
Jauz, Dangerous Waters Tour, remaining dates: postponed until further notice
Action Bronson: postponed upcoming tour dates.
Dan + Shay: postponed Spring tour leg.
Bob Dylan: Japan dates postponed until further notice
Iggy Pop, France Tour: postponed until further notice
My Chemical Romance, Japan Tour: postponed until further notice
Rage Against the Machine, first leg of tour: postponed until further notice
Pearl Jam, North American Tour: postponed until further notice
Madonna, Madonna X Tour: cancelled
BTS, Map of the Soul Tour-Seoul: cancelled
Green Day, Asian Tour: postponed until further notice
Zac Brown Band, remains dates: postponed until further notice.
Yes, US dates: cancelled
Rezz, Relentless Beat: cancelled
Ekali, select shows: cancelled
Wilco: postponed until further notice
Carlos Santana, Miraculous 2020 Tour, European leg: cancelled
Pussy Riot: postponed until further notice
The Who, UK and Ireland Tour: postponed until further notice
Courtney Love & Melissa Auf der Maur: postponed
Chris Stapleton: postponed next two weeks of dates
I had the honor to attend Fueled by Culture Presents POWERSHIFT, a book launch event where author, entrepreneur, and star of ABC’s Shark Tank Daymond John talk about his journey creating his clothing brand and how those struggles inspired him to write his latest book. Before the show began, I had the pleasure of meeting other influencers and self-made entrepreneurs who were also looking for advice on how to persevere and grow their companies. The atmosphere was welcoming, and you could tell that everyone here was ready to learn from a man that was able to find success and willing to share his knowledge.
SVA Theatre NYC/ Photo by R.Martin
As the event began, Daymond John sat down to discuss the story behind his largest enterprise FUBU, his clothing line centered around American Hip Hop apparel. Daymond Johnsaw a market, not by advertising to the hip hop artists themselves, but by advertising to the people around the artist such as bodyguards. The idea was simple, to have everyone around an artist wear the same gear so that the artist would start to see the appeal and begin to wear the apparel himself. The shirts were advertised as double XL, as it was the style of the time, this allowed FUBU to reach two markets, the regular artist who wore larger shirts, and the more heavyset individual, tackling both markets at the same time is what allowed the brand to grow.
Fueled by Culture Presents POWERSHIFT/ Photo by R.Martin
It wasn’t all smooth sailing asDaymond would explain, “I needed to turn my house into a factory, I sold everything, my mom moved out, I rented out the rooms, and had to sleep on the floor. I did all this so that the rest of the house could be turned into a factory to print out shirts.” He also never left his job in Red Lobster to maintain a constant financial flow. Not only that, but with the help of other Red Lobster employees, he was able to network and move his merchandise.
Daymond John, also reflected on the current world and how social media is the largest platform to start influencing. “The danger of social media,” Daymondexplained, “social media is not about how many followers you have, but what you bring to the table before you approach anyone.” Basically, you must have a brand for yourself before you can call yourself an influencer.
He also talked about the power of negotiation, and the essential rules to be able to get the most out of negotiating. Daymond John explained when he partnered with Samsung to expand his FUBU brand; he needed to convince Samsung to maintain the same price for his product, despite Samsung wanting to lower the costs to compete with other brands. Daymond John explained, “the rule of negotiation is to figure out what is in the best interest of both parties.”
I'm doing it again.
Pre-order FIVE copies of my new book #Powershift and I'll follow you, AND record a personalized video answering a question you have for me.
Overall, Fueled by Culture Presents POWERSHIFT, was an empowering look at the mind of Daymond John, a man who managed to work hard and find success. Not by luck, but by educating himself and understanding that you need to create a brand for yourself. Even after all the struggles, you will be able to POWERSHIFT into greater success.
No other story has impacted recent social culture to the length as the Harvey Weinstein case has. The former movie producer responsible for releasing movies such as Pulp Fiction, and The King’s Speech was found guilty on multiple counts of sexual misconduct.
by KENA BETANCUR GETTY IMAGE
The story first made waves back in 2017 when The New York Times and The New Yorker reported on multiple acts of sexual misconduct, including rape allegations against Harvey Weinstein. These allegations did not only affect Weinstein, but it also put into light the wider issue of powerful men in media, business, and politics abusing their power through sexual misconduct. This wave of allegation would lead to the creations of the #ME TOO movement.
The first reported allegation dates back to 2015 when Italian model Ambra Battilana Gutierrez reported to the New York Police Department (NYPD) detectives that Weinstein groped her during a business meeting at his office. Other celebrities such as Ashley Judd and Rose McGowan would recall their encounters with Weinstein. However, they would not call him by name. It wasn’t until October 2017, when the articles were published with a story about Judd publicly accusing Weinstein of propositioning her in 1997. After the article posted, other women started coming forward with their stories accusing Weinstein of multiple counts of sexual misconduct, resulting in an astonishing 80 different allegations spreading through multiple years. After a few failed lawsuits, Weinstein was arrested on May 25, 2018, on multiple cases of first and third-degree rape for one victim and first-degree criminal sex act.
by BRITTAINY NEWMAN/THE NEW YORK TIMES/REDUX
During this time Harvey Weinstein was taken out of his position as head of The Weinstein Company. Celebrities such as George Clooney, Jenifer Lawrance, and even Hilary Clinton condemned his actions.
On February 24, 2020, Harvey Weinstein was found guilty of two felonies, criminal assault, and rape in the third degree, but acquitted of rape in the first degree. While there are still other cases pending against Weinstein, this does mark an important step forward.
The fall of Weinstein has a long reach across different platforms. With other celebrities speaking out against their sexual accusers. One of the highest-profile cases was Kevin Spacey’s sexual allegations resulting in the end of Spacey’s career after it was discovered that he sexually abused younger male actors. As divisive as it has been, the #ME TOO is one of the most important social movements of the last five years. The strength that it took to speak out against a corrupt system and the people that control it. This accomplishment was honored as the “Silent Breakers,” were announced as 2017 New York Times People of the Year.
Another high profile case influenced by the rise of the #ME TOO movement was the chargers brought up against Jeffrey Epstein. The former financier was arrest back in 2019, over allegations of sex trafficking. Despite the evidence against him, it was the call for social change that allowed the investigation against him to continue and overall find him guilty.
#Me Too is more than just a trending topic, but it also serves as a way to fight against an oppressing system. A place where people abuse by men who believe themselves to be untouchable can speak out and let their voices be heard.
As Stephanie Zacharek, Eliana Dockterman, and Haley Sweetland Edwards wrote in their New York Times Article, ” Like the “problem that has no name,” the disquieting malaise of frustration and repression among postwar wives and homemakers identified by Betty Friedan more than 50 years ago, this moment is born of a very real and potent sense of unrest. Yet it doesn’t have a leader, or a single, unifying tenet. The hashtag #MeToo (swiftly adapted into #BalanceTonPorc, #YoTambien, #Ana_kaman and many others), which to date has provided an umbrella of solidarity for millions of people to come forward with their stories, is part of the picture, but not all of it. “
Last weekend I had the pleasure to attend The Link Up presented by Sloopy Vinyl, where I had the change to experience some of the best performers in the New Jersey Hip-hop scene. Gathering in the upper level of the Hollywood Blue Ribbon Restaurant, in Hillside, NJ, Sloppy Vinyl offers a platform for both upcoming, and veteran artist to perform not only in front of an amazing audience but also for a chance to earn three uninterrupted hours of recording time at the Sloppy Vinyl recording studio, and a placement on Sloppy Vinyl playlist. Each artist must perform 2-3 songs or a 10-minute mix for their set.
Sloppy Vinyl offers not only an amazing opportunity to make your music stand out but also a chance to record in a professional environment, under the Sloppy Vinyl brand.
Before the show started I had a chance to sit down with 100KPak and Pearl before their big performance:
“I am relaxed right now, I like the stage, I like the vibe, I am excited to show them what I got,” said Pak.
So you’re new to the scene, how long have you been at it?
“I’ve been doing this since 2014. Legitimately,” said 100KPak. “My sound, I grew around the time of Big Sean, Wiz Khalifa, [and] Mic Miller…. So I found a lot of lyrics in my stuff. But I also caught that little trap wave early. So I was bouncing around finding my style.”
When it comes to finding her style and voice, Pearl has a more unique way of finding her rhythm:
“I was feeling really good I was nervous with soundcheck,” said Pearl about her time getting ready, but when it comes to her music she knows where it all comes from, “I swear it comes from when I get dressed at home. My outfit, my dress, [if] I look good it pumps me up!!” said Pearl.
Pearl alongside Polo Gotti performed a duet that combined both their unique styles, along with their fun energy.When asked how long they started to perform together, Polo had this to say:
“That was like the first song me and her [Pearl] did together, and then we did a second. I like the vibe so we kept going, me and her [Pearl] have three songs dropping.”
The crowd quickly gathered to watch these performers take the stage, and the atmosphere was out of this world, everyone felt welcome, the crowd cheered welcoming the singers to the stage. One of the performers lighting up the stage was The RealTsunami, here flow and strong stage presence came from knowing that she is always being looked after by her family and loved ones:
“One of my first inspirations is the music, and how it flows out of me, so natural, is like it feels like I was born [with] it… my inspiration is my cousin Shantee, who recently passed,” The RealTsunami continued, “They [family and friend] give me the inspiration to make it litty on the stage, to make it live!”
It wasn’t just the voices of New Jersey that were attracted by the opportunity provided by Sloppy Vinyl. Polo Gotti hailed from Ohio, and I set down with him to see how his passion brought him all the way to Jersey.
“I am from Cleveland, Ohio, so when I came to Jersey I got the vibes, I was like alright my sound is completely different from everyone else.” Polo Gotti continued talking about what made his voice different coming from Ohio. “I am very country so when I came here everybody called me country so I guess how I rap is completely different from everyone else… and [I] can get in a whole different beat, I can change up a lot.”
Representing the Bronx was Sledge Dibiase, a veteran of the game. He took the stage not only as a special guest, but also to promote his first album, the combination of a long journey that he was happy to share with me:
“This is my first album, I dropped mixtapes in the past, I dropped singles, but this is the first full album… We started this thing called Brasco Music, I also have my company T-Reps Forever, we in the come up, everything is coming together, it is looking beautiful.”
That sounds like one heck of a journey.
“Man, I’ve been doing my thing for 10 years or more, I mean taking my thing seriously I would say ten years or more. So for any young artist out there you just have to stick to it, getting better keep improving yourself, keep mastering your craft.”
Sledge Dibiase first full album Fly and Wonderful is coming in March, with the lead single “Alright,” dropping February 18 on all platforms, Spotify, Tidal and anywhere music is available. Keep an eye out.
Shahivioney another twenty-plus year veteran took the stage to show love to the roots.
“It’s been a minute, but this is the spot, Sloppy Vinyl is like headquarters for me,” said Shahivioney.
You have a brand, a website, I see you perform, you have it made, how is it like chasing the dream?
“Chasing the dream you know, trying to make that dream a reality.”
If you want to learn more about Shahivioney, you can find him with his company 5tatentllc.com
There is no doubt The Link Up presented by Sloppy Vinyl is the hottest ticket around for up and coming artists looking to start and make a name for themselves. Not only as a way to get discovered but also as a way to meet other veterans of the game, all chasing the dream.
You can follow all of this artist on Instagram: @pak100k, @americanjawn, @therealtsunami, @polokeepit600, @Sledge_Dibiase, and @Shahivioney (5talentllc.com)
