Cover Story
Dr. Umar Johnson Gets Detailed on ‘The Breakfast Club’ About Issues Affecting the Black Community (Video)
September 1, 2015
Although I don’t speak with Dr. Umar Johnson on a regular basis I still consider him a friend. I went to school with Umar Johnson before he became “Dr. Umar” & it wasn’t uncommon for us to have many conversations years ago about what’s going on within the black community. Not only are we both from North Philly, but we have both served as the President of our school’s Black Student Union at different times. We’ve organized & traveled to the historic Million Man March in D.C. with a large group of brothers as well has having mentored young students through an organization called ‘Positive Images’ back in Pennsylvania for a few years. He was always an avid debater on a variety of issues & always held true to his convictions. Rarely have I’ve seen him back down from a heated debate even if it centered on something as simple as hip hop music or sports during lunch in the cafeteria. One thing that I can co-sign is that Umar has always been consistent in who he was & in his beliefs.
So of course it’s difficult for me to believe any of his recent detractors who try to say he’s anything less than authentic. Dr. Umar Johnson didn’t just pop up overnight because he’s been doing this for as long than I’ve known him. I’m excited yet not surprised to see him finally breaking through with his greater message to better the situation for African-Americans & others around the world through a Pan-Africanist viewpoint. Although he continues to travel around the globe delivering his message & through a variety of grassroots lectures that most people have posted on youtube, I feel proud & happy to finally see him start to reach the audiences who best need to hear his message. It was always his life work to do what he’s doing at this very moment. Check the interview with Dr. Umar Johnson with “The Breakfast Club” at Power 105 in New York above & get some food for thought.
Posted in Activism, Cover Story, Hip-Hop, Human Interest, News, Opinion, Radio, Videos | 
Tags: Breakfast Club, Dr. Umar Johnson, education, Power 105, The Breakfast Club | 
No Comments »
Odell’s RoundTable: “Is Experience The Best Teacher?” (Video)
August 31, 2015
On this episode of Odell’s RoundTable the panel discusses Is Experience the best teacher? Think about that question for a minute can experience best teach you in relationships? Do you need to have bad experiences in a relationship to appreciate a good one? Just because someone else has experienced something can you learn from them or do you have to experience it yourself? These questions and more are discussed. The discussion is moderated by Odell aka ArtByOdell along with co producer Dre Day. The regulars of the panel like DJ Knotts, Tierra Alita & Petrina are there as well along with two first timers at the Round Table. Mr Be Everywhere himself Sean Falyon along with Filmaker/Photographer Artemus Jenkins join in on the discussion. Make sure you subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, Stitcher and on SoundCloud.
PREVIOUS: ODELL’S ROUNDTABLE – WHAT IS MONOGAMY IN 2015 (VIDEO)
Posted in Cover Story, Human Interest, Lifestyle, Romantic Comedy, Videos | Tags: ArtByOdell, Discussion, Love, Men, Odell, Odells RoundTable, PODCAST, Relationships, Sex, women | No Comments »
Odell’s RoundTable: “Monogamy in 2015”
August 12, 2015
Another week another episode of Odell’s RoundTable the podcast which is now also a live video show that airs every Monday night 9pm Est 6pm Pst. Â You can watch the show live at LiveHipHopDaily and interact by texting the number on home screen or tweeting to @ORTshow & using the #ORTshow. Â The topic of discussion for the latest episode was “Monogamy in 2015”? Â Odell is joined by his co/producer & co host Dre Day along with Petrina & DJ Knotts. Â Smaller panel than usual but great discussion nonetheless with insightful thoughts and comedy along the way. Â Can you truly expect a person to only sleep with one person the rest of their lives? Â Is monogamy natural for men and women and what happens if your partner has a lower sex drive than you? Â These topics and more discussed on this episode. Â So sit back and enjoy and remember you also have the choice if you want to just catch the audio of podcast make sure you subscribe to iTunes and get new episodes delivered to you for free. Â Get ready for next week where the panel will have another juicy topic to dive into.
-ArtByOdell Twitter/SoundCloud
Posted in Comedy, Cover Story, Podcast, Relationships, Videos | Tags: LiveHipHopDaily, Men, Monogamy, Odell, Odells RoundTable, PODCAST, Relationships, Sex, women | 2 Comments »
Rewind: Kendrick Lamar’s Breakout Performance in Atlanta 2011 (Video)
August 5, 2015
Before he was selling out The Tabernacle (historic concert venue in ATL) or playing Music Midtown, one of the largest festivals in Atlanta, a young Kendrick Lamar rocked the stage at the Masquerade back on April 2, 2011. Well before his albums “GKMC” and “To Pimp A Butterfly“, young “KDot” made noise & grew his fanbase off of his mixtapes.  I was in attendance for this show along with my radio co-host Jayforce to see him perform.  We were guests for Kendrick’s show in part because our program The Beatz & Lyrics Show was the first show playing Kendrick’s music in Atlanta on a regular basis & we also conducted his first Atlanta radio interview. So naturally we looked forward to finally seeing him in person.  He did not disappoint it’s crazy to look back now because Ali, his famed engineer, was his DJ that night and his hype man was Schoolboy Q who at the time was only known by a few die hard TDE fans. This particular show was Kendrick’s official breakout show in Atlanta when you knew he was going to be a star on a larger level. Kendrick made a lot of fans that night and it doesn’t surprise me at all the success he has gained.  So check out this vintage footage I shot of him rocking the crowd before the albums, before the baby twist dreads, & before the worldwide acclaim.
More footage after the jump below…
-ArtByOdell Twitter/SoundCloud
Posted in Cover Story, Exclusives, Hip-Hop, Videos | Tags: Atlanta, Classic Clip, Classic Clips, Concert, Kendrick Lamar, Masquerade, REWIND, Schoolboy Q, TDE | No Comments »
Filmmaker/Photographer “Artemus Jenkins” Speaks on Season 2 of The “Smoke & Mirrors” Web Series
July 29, 2015
Right now quality programming is not exhibited much on Network TV. Â Most great shows are on cable with what HBO & Showtime have done and now with channels like Starz & others being the go to place for great content. Â With that said there is another place where people are finding the best content right at their fingertips. Yup U Guessed it (OG Maco voice) the Internet, Web Series & Netflix are where I spend a lot of my time. Â I don’t know what abc or nbc is playing but ask me about “Smoke & Mirrors” and I can tell you all about it. If you are not familiar Smoke & Mirrors is a web series shot here in Atlanta, GA by Christmas in July productions. Â Artemus Jenkins & KarynRose Bruyning are the creative forces behind it as Filmmaker & Director. After a successful first season they are back with Season 2 full of great stories and scenarios to keep you tuned in. Â I decided to speak with Artemus Jenkins about Season 2, creating web content, and dating life in Atlanta which relationships are highlighted in the series. Â So episode 1 of season 2 is posted here for your viewing pleasure be sure to go back and watch Season 1 and enjoy my interview with Artemus.
- ArtByOdell -Â Share with people what the aim is behind the web series Smoke & Mirrors?
- Artemus Jenkins -Â The aim behind Smoke and Mirrors is to express an image of love that relates more to what a lot of us actually know about lov. It is based more off experience than an idealistic portrait of love. The fact is, many of us have had a hard way to go when engaging in matters of love and romance so my partner KarynRose and I wanted to connect with everyone in a very organic way thru the stories we tell in Smoke and Mirrors
Click Here To Get A Copy Of The Entire Season 2
Complete Interview with Artemus after the Jump Below…
ArtByOdell Twitter/SoundCloud
Posted in Cover Story, Exclusives, Relationships, Romantic Comedy, Series, Videos | Tags: Artemus Jenkins, Christmas in July, KarynRose Bruyning, Relationships, Smoke & Mirors, web series | No Comments »
Cover Story: Canadian Producer “Elaquent” Speaks On His New Album “Good Karma”
July 25, 2015
Plenty of good music is coming out of Canada right now. Â When you talk Hip Hop of course Drake is an obvious choice but also artists like Rich Kidd, Tona, making quality music. The producers are also making noise like Kaytranada, and today we speak with his HW&W label mate Elaquent who just released a new album titled “Good Karma”. Â It’s eleven original beat tracks that you can groove to. Â He exclusively spoke with Jayforce.com about his new project. Â Enjoy the track Far Away posted and click after the jump to read full interview.
- ArtByOdell:Â Congratulations on your new project Good Karma, how long were you working on the album?
- Elaquent:Â Much appreciated my man! Glad it’s out now. The bulk of the record I did in a 2 week, insomnia-filled period a few months back.
Sandra Bland: How Did An Improper Turn Signal Lead to Her Death? (Video)
July 24, 2015
Recently the country has had their eyes on Texas yet again for another encounter of cops and the treatment of Black Women. Â A couple months back there was the incident of cops in McKinney TX violently attacking young black children and a young sista was slammed to the ground and sat on by a Race Soldier I mean officer of the law. Â Now in Waller County, TX the sad story of Sandra Bland who was found dead in her jail cell after she was arrested for a turn signal violation. Â The local cops have claimed it is suicide but the Bland family disagrees and thinks their is foul play. Â A lot of people across the country thought the same especially since Sandra Bland was an outgoing 28 year old who just landed her dream job at her alma mater Prairie View A&M University. Â That doesn’t strike me as someone who wants to kill themselves over a traffic stop. Â Dr Boyce Watkins uses his platform to speak on this topic and invites Yvette Carnell founder of ( BreakingBrown.com ) & Benjamin Dixon ( TheBenjaminDixonShow.com ) to join him and go deeper into this incident and what it represents. Â The sad reality is this traffic stop led to this woman’s death and the officer who is paid to protect and serve did his part to ignite confrontation. Â This is great discussion by free thinkers not controlled by corporate media. Â Video of the officer pulling Sandra Bland over after the jump.
-ArtByOdell Twitter/SoundCloud
Posted in Activism, Cover Story, Human Interest, News, Panel, Politics, Videos | Tags: Benjamin Dixon, Breaking Brown, Dr Boyce Watkins, Police Misconduct, Sandra Bland, Your Black World, Yvette Carnell | No Comments »
Odell’s RoundTable: “Researching Your Date Online” (Video)
July 21, 2015
I am happy to say that Odell’s RoundTable is moving forward and is gaining progress. Â I want to thank everyone who has listened to the podcast and shared with others and now you can subscribe in iTunes as well. Â Also along with the podcast being on iTunes you are able to watch me conduct the Round Table. Â That’s right for the first time the RoundTable was video taped and ready for you to view courtesy of Live Hip Hop Daily. Â So watch me as I have Asha, DJ Knotts, Shon, and my partner in crime Dre Day discuss the topic of Researching your date online. Â Is that cool to Google search someone you just met ? Â Should you go online and look at someone’s social media profile and use that to judge if you should date them? Â Plenty of great ideas shared let us know what you think Follow the show on Twitter: @ORTshow and subscribe and comment on iTunes!
Watch Part 2 after the jump
-ArtByOdell Twitter/SoundCloud
Posted in Cover Story, Podcast, Videos | Tags: ArtByOdell, DJ Knotts, LiveHipHopDaily, Odell, Odells RoundTable, P!, PODCAST, Relationships | No Comments »
The Ladies Of The ‘Boom Boom Room’ host ‘ArtByOdell’ & Ms Sina of ‘Love & HipHop Atlanta’ (Video)
July 12, 2015
One of our chief writers for the site ArtByOdell was invited to be a guest on the Boom Boom Show hosted by Sue Yung & Ms Lola for Live Hip Hop Daily. For this episode regular co host Lola was absent so Sue Yung invited Ms Sina from Love & Hip Hop Atlanta to help her co host. As a guest they spoke with ArtByOdell about the Beatz & Lyrics show he is a co host on also about his personal podcast Odell’s RoundTable . The ladies also spoke with Odell about his personal thoughts on relationships, dealing with ladies and current pop culture incidents like a couple being arrested in Miami for sex on a beach, Tyga current alleged situation with a transexual. Lots of laugh and funny conversation and make sure to check out the Boom Boom Room show every Thursday 9pm Est on LiveHipHopDaily!
Male & Female Relationships: “What About Your Friends?” on Odell’s RoundTable [Podcast + Recap Video]
July 6, 2015
The Round Table is back with another episode for you to check out.  The topic of discussion is “What About Your Friendsâ€Â we talk about Men & Women being friends what part does it play in relationships.  Do people have friends just so they can be on standby when you break up with someone?  This and much more discussed on the show.  Moderated by host Odell joined by co-host Dre Day & guests Lady Godiva, Ali Rai, Lady T, and Sheriff Quick sure you will enjoy the discussion.  So listen, comment on SoundClud page and share with others.  Stay connected email the show ortshow@gmail and follow on Twitter @ORTSHOW
-ArtByOdell Twitter/SoundCloud
Posted in Cover Story, Podcast, Relationships | Tags: FRIENDS, Friendship, Men, Odells RoundTable, PODCAST, RECAP, Relationships, Sex, women | 1 Comment »
Camp Lo talks Classic Albums with ArtByOdell for ‘LiveHipHopDaily’
June 25, 2015
Recently Camp Lo touched down in Atlanta to kick off their RagTimes HighTimes tour. Â This was the first time Camp Lo performed in Atlanta in a few years. Â While here they hung around a few days after their show to soak up the Atlanta scene. Â If you are a lover of music Moods Music is a must stop when you are in Atlanta one of the best record/cd selections in the city. Â So the Beatz & Lyrics show teamed up with LiveHipHopDaily.com to talk classic records with Camp Lo at the landmark record store. Â ArtByOdell speaks with Geechi Suede & Sonny Cheeba about classics from artists like Big Daddy Kane, Public Enemy, & OC to name a few. Â Check it out and see how these artists influenced Camp Lo & ArtByOdell as well.
–ArtByOdell Twitter/SoundCloud
Posted in Cover Story, Series, Videos | Tags: Albums, ArtByOdell, Beatz & Lyrics Show, Camp Lo, Live Hip Hop Daily, Moods Music, Ragtimes Hightimes, Record Store, records | No Comments »
Adventures With ArtByOdell : Los Trompos Exhibit at High Museum (Video)
June 10, 2015
Quite often I get asked why I go by the name of “ArtByOdell” it’s pretty simple really my name is Odell and I am an Artist. Â Art is something I have been passionate about for years and the High Museum here in Atlanta, GA is one of my favorite places to visit. Â So when they had an opening ceremony for their latest Los Trompos exhibit I had to go check it out and cover it for the site. Â The term Los Trompos translates to Spinning Tops in Spanish and they are beautiful interactive pieces made with a special fabric that is very colorful and flexible. Â The artists Hector Esrawe & Ignacio Cadena both hail from Mexico City worked together to bring us these beautiful creations. Â They are featured in video along with my good friend DJ EU who provided the sounds for the day. Â I even ran into the homie Blc Txt a local Hip Hop Artist here in Atlanta, GA. Â The exhibit will run until November 29th 2015 it is located on the campus of the Woodruff Arts Center in the Silly Piazza right outside of the High Museum. Â Be sure to check it out before it is over and be on the lookout for the next Adventure with ArtByOdell!
Posted in Art, Cover Story | Tags: art, Atlanta, Blc Txt, DJ EU, High Museum of Art, Los Tromps, Mexico, Spinning Tops, Woodruff Arts Center | No Comments »
Ma Dukes Announces ‘ATL J Dilla Chapter’ + Planet Asia & Methuzulah Performance (Video)
June 3, 2015
The spirit of J Dilla lives on way past his death. Â If you are not familiar J Dilla as a producer set the soundtrack for artists from Common to Erykah Badu to Talib Kweli to D’Angelo, A Tribe Called Quest and many more. Â His mother Ma Dukes along with the Dilla Foundation have kept his mission and movement going to this day. Â Recently Ma Dukes along with the Dilla Foundation were in Atlanta to announce the new ATL Dilla Chapter. Â The night consisted of a great beat battle from producers all over the country. Â It was capped off by great performances from Methuzulah and Planet Asia. Â Check out more videos after the jump.
Posted in Cover Story, EVENTS, Hip-Hop, Performance | Tags: Beat Battle, J Dilla, J DILLA FOUNDATION, Ma Dukes, Methuzulah, Planet Asia | No Comments »
Joanna Teters Speaks On Her Band ‘Mad Satta’ & Their Performance During The Atlanta Jazz Festival (Video)
May 31, 2015
The 38th annual Atlanta Jazz Festival went down Memorial Day Weekend 2015 from historical Piedmont Park. 3 days of great music with talented artists from all over the US and the World performing for thousands of Jazz fans here in Atlanta, GA. The opening night had only two acts the headliner Thundercat and the opening act Mad Satta. If you are not familiar with Mad Satta they are a group out of NYC that have horns, keyboard, and bass players and a front lady named Joanna Teters on vocals. They made their Atlanta debut and immediately had the crowd’s attention with their soulful original music. They also did a classic Curtis Mayfield cover of “The Makings of You” that had the crowd asking to know more about them. Well if you didn’t make their performance no worries the video below has live footage from their show along with an interview by ArtByOdell with Joanna Teters.
Learn more about them at MadSatta.com
Posted in Cover Story, Interview, Jazz, Performance, R&B | Tags: Atlanta Jazz Festival, Jazz, Joanna Teters, Mad Satta, NYC, R&B, Soul | 2 Comments »
Adrian Younge Has A Conversation With Odell While In Atlanta For His 1st Performance As A DJ (Video)
May 31, 2015
How many producers do you know that can say they have worked one on one with the likes of Bilal, Ghostface, Souls Of Mischief and the Delfonics? Well the only one that comes to mind is Adrian Younge who was recently in Atlanta for his first DJ performance and ArtByOdell sat down with him for an exclusive interview. They talked about what inspires his musical process what he thinks of today’s R&B and what new albums he has coming out. He shares with us a great piece of information that he will have 4 albums out by the end of 2015 listen to find out who they are with and what the titles are!
“The level of execution of older music compared to music of today. By bringing in a Horn section, or just literally having a song arranged with complex chords and a bridge with ill structures rather than just noise put together for a Stripper to dance to.” – Adrian Younge
Posted in Cover Story, Interview | Tags: Adrian Younge, ArtByOdell, Bilal, Composer, Cover Story, Ghostface Killa, Linear Labs, Odell, Producer | No Comments »
Male & Female Relationships: “Does Size Matter” on Odell’s RoundTable [Podcast+Recap Video]
May 27, 2015
The Round Table is back with another episode for you to check out.  The topic of discussion is “Does Size Matter” of course there is an obvious thought when that phrase is said.  The discussion goes much further than just the sexual connotation including size of someone’s bank account weight size and more.  Moderated by host Odell joined by co-host Dre Day & guests Lady Godiva, Ali Rai, Lady T, and Sheriff Quick sure you will enjoy the discussion.  So listen, comment on SoundClud page and share with others.  Stay connected email the show ortshow@gmail and follow on Twitter @ORTSHOW
–ArtByOdell Twitter/SoundCloud
CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO OF WOMEN AGES 18-50 ANSWERING ‘DOES SIZE MATTER?’
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Comedy, Cover Story, Human Interest, Lifestyle, Opinion, Podcast, Relationships, Romantic Comedy | Tags: ArtByOdell, Dating, Men & Women, Odell, Odells RoundTable, PODCAST, Relationships, Round Table, Sex | No Comments »
Iman Omari Speaks On His Music & His Debut Performance In Atlanta (Video)
May 26, 2015
Recently Iman Omari was in Atlanta to perform for the first time. Â ArtByOdell talked with the talented Singer, Producer, DJ about his music making process and how he feels about music right now. Â It’s a great conversation that also reveals the name of Iman’s new album coming out later this year. Â Did you know that Iman is from a talented musical family and his father worked with some legendary R&B groups? Â Well after watching this interview you will learn a lot about the singer. Â SoundCloud link below for extended interview and live audio from his ATL performance.
–ArtByOdell Twitter/SoundCloud
Posted in Cover Story, House, Interview, Producers, R&B, Soul | Tags: Energy, Hip Hop, Iman Omari, Producer, Soul Music, Vibe, Vibe Music Collective, West Coast | No Comments »
World Soccer Pioneer ‘Paul Canoville’ Speaks On Being 1st Black Player Signed to ‘Chelsea FC’ (Video)
May 25, 2015
When it comes to Sports being the first or a trailblazer can be good and bad at times.  It’s great if you are the first to set a world record or obtain hall of fame for having the most championship rings.  Well when you are the first to break the color line it can be a difficult process and Paul Canoville knows exactly how that feels.  The first black player ever signed to Chelsea FC (Soccer Team based in London, England) Paul experienced harsh treatment from his own fans and people associated with the team.  His love of the sport helped him push through and he helped the team secure championship silverware and now he is an advocate for the club speaking to kids  about pursuing their dreams and dealing with racism.  On his first trip to Atlanta I got a chance to speak with him for a few minutes about his experience at Chelsea and his foundation.  With Atlanta getting a MLS Soccer team in 2017, we can expect more visits from Soccer legends across the pond!
–ArtByOdell Twitter/SoundCloud
CHECK THE VIDEO TO ‘BLACK & BLUE: THE PAUL CANOVILLE STORY’ BELOW…
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Posted in Activism, Cover Story, Human Interest, Sports, Videos | Tags: Chelsea, Chelsea FC, English Premier League, Football, London, Paul Canoville, soccer | No Comments »
President Obama Calls On ‘Luther’, The Anger Translator, During Speech at WHCA Dinner (Video)
April 27, 2015
“Hold on to your lily white butts!”– ‘Luther’ The Anger Translator
This is classic!! America’s media pretty much has carte blanche in matters of merrymaking at The President’s expense. But imagine a comedy schtick that the President is actually in on! President Obama makes humorous remarks at the annual dinner of the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) every year, sure. But this year, he “borrows” Keegan Michael Key (of Comedy Central’s “Key and Peele”) to do his ‘Luther’ thing for some over-the-top hilarity. Journalists, politicians and celebrities at the dinner seemed to cheer as Key steps to the podium about as loud as you’d expect they would for The President. The routine the duo does is subdued (sorta) but what Key and President Obama pull off here… Well, this ought to show up in somebody’s history book! Enjoy.
– @ojones1
Flashback 1969: The Doors frontman ‘Jim Morrison’ Accurately Predicted The Future Of Music (Video)
April 27, 2015
Jim Morrison, legendary frontman of the classic rock band ‘The Doors’, prognosticates the direction of music’s evolution… from the year 1969 (partial transcript of the above video follows):
“I think the two basic types of music in this country are Black music — blues — and the kind of folk music that was brought over from Europe… Those are the two main streams of root American music…”
“But 10 years ago, what they called rock ’n roll was kind of a blending of those two forms. I guess in four or five years, the new generation’s music… It will have a synthesis of those two elements and some third thing that will be in — maybe it will be … it might rely heavily on electronics, tapes… I can kind of envision maybe one person with a lot of machines, tapes, and electronics set up, singing or speaking and using machines.” – Jim Morrison
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CLICK HERE FOR MORE ON JIM MORRISON & THE DOORS BELOW…..
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Posted in Celebrity, Cover Story, History, Rock, Videos, Vintage | Tags: Classic Clips, Classic Rock, Jim Morrison, Prediction, Rock, Rock Legend, Rock Music, The Doors, The Future of Music, Van Morrison | No Comments »
