A talented actor since the age of eleven, he quickly joined the National Conservatory of Dramatic Arts before becoming, at twenty-one, the youngest resident of the Comédie-Française. Pierre Niney has appeared in over forty films and series, receiving thirteen nominations for film awards and winning five of them. He is the youngest actor to have won the César Award for Best Actor.

Starting March 1st, Pierre Niney becomes an ambassador for Lacoste, and will be part of the upcoming brand campaign to be unveiled in April. Pierre Niney has shared a natural affinity with Lacoste since childhood. His father has always been a tennis enthusiast, and this sport continues to bring them together today, just as it did when Pierre was eight. The crocodile thus evokes numerous personal memories for him, as well as significant milestones in his career.

This ambassadorial role has emerged as a natural fit for both Lacoste and the actor, who is particularly attuned to style and fashion. Pierre Niney perfectly embodies the French elegance and casual chic that define Lacoste.

“Lacoste is a brand that I love very much and that has accompanied my life and style in very different moments. The brand has managed to find the perfect balance between timelessness and modernity and has succeeded in being transgenerational: my father and I have always worn this crocodile, a symbol of elegance. The brand also trusted me from my early films to my very first directorial project, the series Casting(s). I am delighted to be the face of this iconic French brand today.” – Pierre Niney

“The choice of Pierre Niney as ambassador for Lacoste is an obvious one for us. He perfectly embodies the spirit and values of Lacoste, including elegance and boldness, while maintaining, like the crocodile, a strong connection with his audience. Pierre holds a significant place in the cultural landscape, especially among his generation, where he is highly appreciated. We are proud to have him among the ambassadors of our House.” explains Catherine Spindler, Deputy CEO of Lacoste.

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Ed Quinn describes his childhood as a dream. He talks of growing up in California’s Berkeley Hills, besides the 2,079-acre Tilden Regional Park. He shares stories of being able to look over the San Francisco Bay as he made his way to school, enjoying the “eclectic vibrancy” of Berkeley as a city. He describes working as a lifeguard, spending the summers learning to surf at Stinson Beach.

His first experience in front of the camera came when he started modelling during his last semester studying history at the University of California, Berkeley. “I thought I was going to work in commercial real estate, then I got booked into shows in Paris, Milan and Barcelona.” When he arrived, he realized he didn’t fit what the fashion world wanted, but he had a talent for commercials, shooting a total of 37 in the two years he was in Europe.

“Doing commercials was what put me through my acting classes,” Quinn says. “I started booking small roles and then bigger roles.” Time spent modelling in front of the camera, paired with those acting classes, has seen Quinn land roles in more than 50 television shows, including Eureka, 2 Broke Girls, Netflix’s One Day at a Time and, more recently, The Oval. It’s also seen him travel to far-flung destinations, and star in a range of movies.

“Every actor has a different process,” Quinn says. “For me, especially when I’m doing television and the volume of television, it’s thinking the character’s thoughts. If I know who the character is and what their relationship is with the person in the scene, all I have to do is listen.”

“Doing commercials was what put me through my acting classes.”

He likens the process to a piece of music, enjoying the freedom that comes with shaping a scene. “I like there to be a crescendo, arc or event,” he shares. “I like to start in one place and end up in another.”

Quinn also makes it clear that it’s not just up to the actor to shape a role, but there are other parts at play. “When you make a TV show, there’s a giant team. One of the keys to a show getting easier is that the writers know you well. You’re this character and vehicle they get to write to and, like the actor, they’re also discovering it.”

Having tasted success, Quinn is someone who is aware of the pros and cons that come with being part of Hollywood and takes steps to feel as grounded as possible. He references Robert Duvall, who talked about the power of having off-screen hobbies to keep actors grounded, and puts that into practice. Whether it’s surfing or snowboarding, Quinn complements his life in front of the camera with a healthy lifestyle off-screen and “having stuff you do that you can be really passionate about and geek out on.”

One of his loves besides acting is music. It’s one he discovered in Berkeley, where renowned guitarist Joe Satriani was the local guitar teacher. Quinn practised a lot, played a lot, and went on to start a band that gathered momentum. Today, that passion has resulted in a music studio he’s built and tracks he releases under Ed Quinn and The Swamp Metal Allstars.

It’s clear he uses music as an outlet, but also as a means to explore deeper subject matters. He describes one of his more recent releases, “Freak Show Cold,” as a warning for people hoping to come to Hollywood.

“I’ve been very lucky that I’ve always been able to have a good relationship with the business and Hollywood,” Quinn continues. “I worked incredibly hard and I’ve had more heartbreaks than I could ever count, but I can also compartmentalize it really well with a lifestyle of surfing, snowboarding, music, fishing, and all things I love to do. My soul doesn’t get broken by the business and “Freak Show Cold” is almost like a ghost of Christmas future. A warning that show business is magic. It’s amazing. I can’t believe I get to be a part of it, but I’ve seen it take a lot of victims.”

His upcoming new action-thriller movie, Shadow Force, recently started production in Colombia While a release date for the movie is yet to be set, Quinn shares how it was “amazing getting the role,” and that “Colombia was a ton of fun. We got to do a month in Bogotá and then a month in Cartagena in a five-star beach resort, taking boats to set every day. It was a magical experience.”

Interview by Estelle Zentil

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Whether it’s an audition, chemistry read, or he’s working on set, Damian Romeo’s process for creating a character remains the same: “I try to find out as much as I can about that character and start developing my own backstory, filling in the pieces that aren’t given to me,” he says. Romeo might listen to the music he feels the character will listen to or watch what they’d watch. Whatever it is, he feels it’s his responsibility to do the job justice.

He attributes his start in the creative field to his grandmother, who worked in the Toronto District School Board’s music program and encouraged him and his brothers to pursue a life in the arts. He spent his early years learning instruments and playing sports, but it was acting that stuck.

After a short stint working as a model while auditioning, where he was named a top model during Toronto Fashion Week, his career took off. Today, his most well-known role is in Netflix’s mother-daughter drama Ginny & Georgia, where he plays the character Matt Press.

“I always tell aspiring actors to work on their craft, but also on themselves as human beings,” he says. “Find out what your limits are, try to break those limits and ask yourself how you feel about them.”

A particular time Romeo tested his limits was when the pandemic hit. He received a call from the Army saying this was the time to step up as a reserve soldier and do his part to help Canada. “When I saw the number show up on my phone, I remember thinking whatever they need me to do, I’m there,” he says. “So I went away for a few months, deployed domestically to help elderly-care homes.” Romeo shares how the experience was tough, particularly having to balance service with quarantining. “It was really scary when COVID first hit,” he notes. “People weren’t sure how devastating it was going to be, and the news became mind-numbing, watching the cases rise. It was perhaps more scary for my mother, seeing me go into one of those areas hit hardest in Canada.”

While he’s no longer serving, Romeo is still giving back, and spends his weekends dressing up as superheroes for local children’s hospitals and events. By getting into character as Batman or Superman, he’s giving families a fulfilling, memorable experience.

“There’s a lot of messaging behind my parties that I hope stays with kids forever and plants a seed that they can become whoever they want to be with hard work, patience and dedication.”

“Find out what your limits are, try to break those limits and ask yourself how you feel about them.”

When Romeo’s not working, or getting into costume, he takes care of himself, both mentally and physically. In the spirit of his mantra that mantra that “you can’t reverse aging, but you can try to slow it down,” he embraces the positive correlation between saunas and health by taking lots of hot baths, and drinks “a ton of water daily.”

He also frequents the gym, saying it’s become “a cornerstone” to whom he is today. “When my body’s in its prime, my diet is clean and I’m exercising daily, I know my mental health is good,” he says. “When I’m feeling down or sad with life, I’ll slowly stop going to the gym and watching my diet.”

When asked what’s next, Romeo has his sights set on a blockbuster franchise. Having already auditioned for the likes of Marvel and Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon, it seems he’s already heading in the right direction.

But no matter what the next milestone in Romeo’s career is, he reminds us that it’s always about the process.“Everything in my life is leading me to this one point,” he says. “Success is good, but it’s the journey that really built my character. I really admire those who see me for my journey, rather than the end result.”

Interview by Estelle Zentil

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When Erin Karpluk talks about the small town she grew up in, she describes it as a place you’d see on a Canada postcard. Her graduating class contained only 32 people, everybody knew her name and her mother was the school’s principal.

It’s a town she returns to multiple times a year, saying “it’s a very spiritual place where I fill my teacup” and offers a reset to living in Toronto and Los Angeles. But even though Karpluk grew up playing hockey and basketball, skiing and hiking, she always wanted to be an actor.

Judging by the length of her IMDb, she’s had an impressive journey from her home in the Rockies. As well as having regular appearances on TV shows, including A Million Little Things, Holly Hobbie and Being Erica, Karpluk has appeared in movies alongside the likes of Samuel L. Jackson.

When it comes to accepting a role, there are several elements that matter to Karpluk. These include who the character is, what the story is and who she’s working with, as well as where it will be shot. “If I have the opportunity to shoot in Scotland, I’ll jump at it,” she says. “When I shot in Prague, the crew didn’t speak English, so that in itself was a different experience. You have this bond you form without saying words, which is a wonderful way to experience the culture.”

She goes on to talk about shooting in Scotland and, with the crew being local and full of recommendations, taking their advice on renting a car and driving through Edinburgh and the Isle of Skye.

“Given my experience in front of the camera, I’d like to switch behind and see it through a different lens”

Of the characters she plays, Karpluk explains how “90 per cent are in my wheelhouse, and I’ve got them on a flow. The other 10 per cent, I’m a bit thrown off.” In that case, she’ll get a coach, dissecting the script and figuring out which prompts act as reminders when she’s on set.

Regardless of whether a role brings new challenges or not, she has an interesting way of getting into character. “I have a different scent I wear,” she explains. “For Anna [Benoit, A Million Little Things], I wore Jimmy Choo. I loved that it was soft and floral. I also have a song that links me to a character’s story. Slasher was a difficult part for me. It was dark. I had a Sia song and would listen to it to get me into the skin of that character.”

When it comes to learning lines, she’s someone who remembers them better if they’re learned while moving forward. For that reason, you’ll often see her with scripts while walking, or playing lines in her car while driving to and from the studio. Of course, it’s not just the lines themselves that are important, but also what you choose to do with them.

“Humans say all kinds of things with a different intention underneath,” she notes. “We’ll say things to hurt, but are really saying ‘Love me’ or ‘I miss you.’ That’s so much more interesting to watch than the obvious.” This is something she put into practice with her character on Being Erica, Erica Strange. “She was written as a victim. I read it and played the opposite, trying to bring resilience to her.”

Next to her acting work, Karpluk finds a way to combine her love for fitness and athleticism with philanthropy. As well as training for triathlons in Saskatoon with Olympic champion Simon Whitfield, she’s done marathons for World Vision and the SPCA and took part in the Half Ironman.

It’s clear that acting is what Karpluk is meant to do. When asked what makes her happy, acting was her answer, alongside “being in nature and spending time with friends and family.” However, in the future, she’s looking to explore another side to film.

“I would like to tread into directing,” she says. “As a director, you’re telling the whole story. As an actor, you’re playing one story within that. Given my experience in front of the camera, I’d like to switch behind and see it through a different lens.”

INTERVIEW BY ESTELLE ZENTIL

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From Toronto to Vancouver, Christopher Russell’s talent runs coast to coast and started very early on — preschool. The exact moment? Starring as the donkey in a nativity scene. “There was the lamb, Mary, Joseph and the whole bit, and I got cast as the donkey. I got the ears, the tail and I just vaguely remember coming out, and all the parents, the audience, just laughing with me, not at me, because I was being funny and cute as this donkey. And whatever that feeling was, I was like, “I need more of this,” laughs Russell.

Since his preschool nativity scene, Russell has had an impressive roster of roles that includes Supernatural, Star Trek: Discovery, Flashpoint, Van Helsing and Unreal — among many more credits.

Most recently, he has upcoming lead roles in Reacher and In Action.

Aside from his work onscreen, Russell devotes his time to his family, fitness and being present. “It’s being content with where you are in that moment.”

On the Acting Industry & Mindset

“This business has the ability to make you second-guess pretty much every move you make — it’s a very strange endeavour we take. Auditioning is such a different thing than actually working on a set, so you have to create this audition muscle, where you go into a room, meet these people for the first time. You can charm them, win them over, make them feel like you’re someone they’d want to work with and then immediately roll into the scene, knock it out of the park, hit all the beats and then say, “See you later.” When you’re on set, it doesn’t work like that. You have multiple takes. If you mess up your words, you just stop and you backtrack, and there’s so much support for you there. It is a lot more difficult to work on set because there are so many more variables, whereas auditioning is like a bubble. Even though there are a lot of noes, there are a lot of yeses, and so I try not to take it personally. If I’ve shown up and done my best, it doesn’t matter what the outcome is, as long as I know that I did my best. If you’re constantly trying to do something that’s not authentic to yourself but what they want, that’s not going to work out. You just have to give the best version of yourself.”

On Zombie Thriller Day of the Dead

“Day of the Dead is not a remake so much as an homage to the George Romero original. I guess you can say there are six protagonists, so it’s an ensemble, for sure. As the series starts off, each one of them is in a different location in Mawinhaken, and it’s a big day for each one of them in their own specific way. There are all these different plots happening on the same day. One thing will lead to another, and it will get gory, it will get scary, there will also be some laughs, and these people will be brought together to fight off the ward of the undead. It’s written and structured in a way that, at the beginning, you won’t really see it coming. In addition to being action-packed, thrilling and quite scary, there are brief moments of humour. My character is definitely one of the providers of said humor. The story itself, each individual storyline, I don’t want to go so far as to say it’s satire, but it’s certainly a commentary both socially and politically about different things that are happening in the world even today, and these things are sort of representing that in this small town.

“If you’re constantly trying to do something that’s not authentic to yourself but what they [others] want, that’s not going to work out.You just have to give the best version of yourself”

On Fitness & Diet

“I used to go to the gym before COVID-19, and I’d have little circuits and then I’d go on the stationary bike, go in the sauna, but then the world shut down. This is how my mind works: The world is shutting down, I better get to Fitness Depot before they close and get some kettlebells. It kind of made me rethink the whole thing. So, when everything was closed, I was exercising outdoors and I was just figuring things out and now it’s evolved into — it’s got a funny name, it’s a Swedish name, it’s called fartlek. But what that is is when you’re running long distances and instead of it being like an HIIT workout, where 30 seconds I go superfast, and for one minute I go superslow, it’s kind of sporadic.

As far as diet goes, I try to eat as many things as possible that are organic and have very few ingredients. So, chicken and vegetables for the most part. I don’t really eat grains, once in a while, but that being said, I do eat chocolate pudding once in a while, and pizza, and stuff like that. Generally speaking, in the day, it’s just chicken, vegetables, eggs, and it’s working for me.”

On Happiness

“It’s being content with where you are in that moment, being where you are on your own two feet, if that makes sense. Not being in your head, not looking forward or looking backwards, but just looking here. I find that if I’m thinking too much about what I need to do for the future, or if I’m thinking too much about what I could’ve done better in the past, then whatever I’m actually doing right now is just passing me by. But if I’m actually present in the now, then I’m pretty happy.”

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A known certainty in life is that it is not without its risks. We all deal with these daily, and in the bigger picture, we have considered risk versus reward in our professional careers. American actor and country artist-songwriter Rob Mayes is one of those people who has embraced the risk-versus-reward equation throughout his life, and today, he is reaping those rewards as one of the most talented multi-dimensional artists in entertainment.

Mayes is best known as the title character in the 2012 horror comedy John Dies at the End, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and has become a cult classic, and for his role on the ABC hit series Mistresses. His latest project is the critically acclaimed A Soldier’s Revenge, a Western released in June 2020, in which he stars alongside Val Kilmer, Neal Bledsoe, AnnaLynne McCord and Jake Busey.

The other half of Mayes is his impressive career as a country artist and songwriter, where he currently stars in iHeart’s forthcoming “Make It Up As We Go” scripted podcast, directed by Dennis Quaid and also featuring Billy Bob Thornton, Jingle Jared, Ryan Bingham and Miranda Lambert. The podcast is a look inside the writer’s room at how songs are made in Nashville, Tenn., and the songs interwoven into the storyline of the series will eventually be released to the public.

If you’re contributing something good to the world — big or small — you’re living a successful life

At age five, when most of us were struggling to tie our shoes or learning to sleep without a night light, Mayes was playing piano and beginning a modelling career. At age 21, he decided to leave a career in the United States Naval Academy and try his hand at acting, departing from his hometown of Cleveland and moving to New York City. “I thought I’d fail, move back to Cleveland and just say at least I tried,” says Mayes in a recent interview with City Life. “I’d watch TV shows and think to myself that I could probably do that, or at least try, so why not give it a go?”


That “why-not-give-it-a-go” attitude has become somewhat of a mantra for Mayes’s life. Upon arriving in New York, he purchased a book with the names and addresses of every talent agent in the city, then took the risk of spending the money to send every agent in that book his talent material. His reward was his first acting booking, with a guest spot on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit just two weeks after arriving.

“I never went to acting school, but love what I do,” says Mayes. “I feel that if we can acknowledge what we enjoy, what gives us purpose, everything else falls into place.”

He took similar risks when discovering his love for singing and songwriting at an early age by performing at the beginning of school classes, encouraged by his supportive teachers. Mayes is a prodigious creator of music and will be releasing a song per month beginning with September’s “The Way That It Was,” which was actually written before the pandemic changed the world.

“I’ve got a year-and-a-half worth of music stored up, and some people say this isn’t the time to release music,” says Mayes. “But we also have to take into consideration our mental health. We still need to take care of ourselves, while being conscious of what’s happening in the world. And music and art should be a big part of our diet, our routine.”

The risks Mayes has taken have been rewarded, and going forward, he is a believer in creating your own success, however that is measured.

“If you can be proud of what you’re doing in contributing to, or investing in or helping to cultivate, that’s good,” he says. “We need purpose and to be valued. If you’re contributing something good to the world — big or small — you’re living a successful life.”

Interview by Jessica Spera

The post Rob Mayes: Big Risks, Bigger Rewards appeared first on City Life Toronto Lifestyle Magazine.

Growing up in Fort Erie, Ont., a small town on the Niagara River directly across from Buffalo, N.Y. (population 30,000-plus), Murda, who now calls himself the sauciest white boy in the game, felt more like a misfit than a part of the lit scene. A leftie (everyone else he knew was right-handed, which made him feel even more like an outsider) who couldn’t skate and didn’t know how to play hockey, Murda was juiced to find his edge, the thing that would both define and represent him.

“I HAVE MY OWN SENSE OF FASHION STYLE”

Surrounded by classic rock and heavy metal as a kid, Murda’s dad, whom he credits as being one of the only people who believed in him from the start, was hoping that his son would pick up the guitar. But Murda, now an in-demand star collaborator (“I will cook up a beat and decide who it fits and then send it off to them”), taught himself how to play the drums instead. By the time he was in Grade 11, Murda was creating the beats that were a precursor to his galactic and cosmic-like rise through the hip-hop, rap and trap music scene. (Trap is a subgenre of dance music, which originated with southern rappers such as Waka Flocka Flame, Three 6 Mafia, Gucci Mane and Young Jeezy in the late 1990s. Large on attitude, the trap sound is expressed through the ting-tinging of brass, triangle and triple hi-hats, loud kicks, snares and low-end 808 brass samples.) Interestingly, as with a lot of extraordinary-but-at-first-glance-looks-ordinary avant-garde trailblazers, Murda’s high-school principal couldn’t see the vision, telling Murda that there was only one Dr. Dre. But Murda, who believes a person is destined to be who they are, knew once he’d created his first beats that it was exactly what he was meant to do. Eschewing business school, which Murda originally planned to attend (because he loves to make money), he became, instead, a relentless and dedicated fanatic of networking (especially starting out). He used every social media platform out there in order to create both visibility around his name and, just as importantly, connect with the rappers he wanted to create his beats for and with.

Although he started out on the drums (he had an all-black Pearl drum set), after Murda was introduced to and bought FL (Fruity Loops) Studio (FL is a full-scale software music production environment), he sold his drums, then traded in his guitar for an AKAI MPK49 keyboard, so that he could create his beats on a piano.

“When you get to a certain level in producing, you want to keep evolving, so the next step for me was producing and putting collaborations together under my own name”

In 2014, when Murda met Cory Litwin, who became his manager, his circles of influence grew exponentially. The two would go out to nightclubs constantly, totally jamming a fake-it-till-you-make-it attitude, leaving people wondering just who the “treat-him-like-a-star white boy” was. It didn’t hurt of course that Litwin chilled in the same circles as Drake and the Weeknd.

“When I first met Cory, he wanted me to sell a lot of beats, so we could make money,” Murda says. “I was selling beats on the Internet for $50, $150, $250. I’d go to Western Union and pick up the money. I was going to start making SoundCloud — and start selling beats for $50 — but at the last minute I decided not to do it. I didn’t want that to be my worth. So I decided to stop selling beats altogether.”

Migos, whose genres cover hip hop, SoundCloud rap and trap music, gave Murda his big start as the in-house producer for their 2015 song “Pipe It Up,” which reached 38 on the Billboard chart. “The industry started to shift in 2015,” Murda says. “Once streaming started in 2016, it changed everything. Streaming builds up the numbers; it makes everything more accessible. And you can make money as a producer.”

Major collaborations the next year (2016) with Gucci Mane (“Back on Road”), PARTYNEXTDOOR (“Like Dat”) and French Montana (“No Shopping”) ignited Murda’s trajectory.

A favourite story that Murda likes to tell happened one night when he was chillin’ at Drake’s home in Toronto, playing NBA 2K18 with him, and the rapper ordered up a beat that included a female voice. Murda, never one to waste an opportunity, created the beat on the spot for Drake, which ultimately turned out to be the collaborative five-times platinum track “Nice for What,” which debuted in the top spot on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart (for the week ending April 21, 2018), and for which Murda received production credits. The song features Drake and Lauryn Hill, with Big Freedia and Letitia Wright bridging. One of the song’s breakdowns, “Gotta, g-g-gotta, gotta, gotta make that jump, jump, let’s go,” mirrors Murda’s own jump forward from making beats to producing them, ultimately becoming a much-sought-after artist producer in his own right. “When you get to a certain level in producing, you want to keep evolving, so the next step for me was producing and putting collaborations together under my own name,” Murda says. “It’s fun to get into a new genre that is brand new. And I love bringing on new talent. I feel like it’s a canvas that you can paint and tell a story in a different way; it’s exciting.”

To that end, Murda recently signed English hip-hop/pop musical artist Adam Halliday to his publishing company, Murda Gang. “Adam is an amazing artist with a fresh new voice that no one has heard before,” Murda says. “And it’s fun to work with a new and up-and-coming-artist. It’s more open and experimental. It’s probably going to be the best music I have ever made.”

Rapper G-Eazy, who took Murda on tour with him in 2018, has said that “he’s almost like an alien, because his origins don’t seem to make a lot of sense. He’s from the middle of nowhere in Canada, but somehow he’s making some of the most culturally relevant music.”

The year 2019 was a supersized one for Murda. His Floor Seats Tour, which featured him performing crowd favourites like “Butterfly Effect,” “MotorSport” and “Nice for What,” also highlighted special guest A$AP, and in Toronto (Murda’s favourite stop on the tour), it highlighted local artists Puffy L’z, Chromazz, Jay Whiss, Booggz and Young Smoke. “It was an amazing experience,” Murda says. “The mosh pit was crazy.”

“I WILL COOK UP A BEAT AND DECIDE WHO IT FITS AND THEN SEND IT OFF TO THEM”

In the fashion-meets-music category, Murda collaborated with PnB Rock and Nicki Minaj on the song “Fendi” for the FENDI Prints On collection, a partnership between Nicki Minaj and Silvia Venturini Fendi. “It was dope,” Murda says. “PnB played the ‘Fendi’ song for Nicki, and she said it was her favourite. Having worked with Nicki before (‘Motor Sport’), I feel we have good chemistry; we should do more work together.”

This year, Murda is appearing as a mentor on an episode of Rap Mentors, a show hosted on a Forbes app called Forbes88. The show features rappers such as Snoop Dogg expounding on the hardships and roadblocks they encountered on their way to the top. “It was dope,” Murda says. “I hope my input inspires youth and anyone else who needs inspiration, inside or outside the music industry.”

Back in the day, it was pretty much de rigueur for Canadian musicians to leave Canada and go to the United States in order to make it big in the big time. Things have changed. It would be hard now to outclass the world-class behind-the-boards Canadian producers who are influential change-makers in shaping the future of hip hop and rap. These include Drake, Boi-1da, the Weeknd, Nav, Noah “40” Shebib (producer of Drake’s albums), WondaGurl, Paul “Nineteen85” Jefferies, PARTYNEXTDOOR, Tory Lanez and, of course,Murda Beatz.

“MY SIGNATURE IS IN ALL MY BEATS; PEOPLE RECOGNIZE IT IS A MURDA BEAT”

A 26-year-old small-town Ontarian with a wealth of connections, one of Murda’s singular strengths is his savviness to keep going, to not be defined by the beats of the moment. He has no interest in being a hip-hop producer who’s reached his “best-before” date. In fact, Murda is “stan” (dedicated), as far as his music is concerned. “My signature is in all my beats; people recognize it is a Murda beat. When people who are big fans of the music hear the beat, they know it’s a Murda beat; it’s the way the beat sounds.”

While Murda might be a supersized Gen Y millennial, ages 22 through 36 (his net worth is estimated at $3 million), the spending power of his generation will vastly exceed that of their parents. This age group has money for $4 coffees, high-end groceries and products that respect the environment. With a current annual spend of US$600 billion and a forecast of that spend increasing to US$1.4 trillion as millennials pay off loans and earn higher salaries,1 there is money to spend on product quality, trusted brands and jewelry.
And while they often have different overall habits from previous generations, millennials still have a traditional view of love, but when it comes to buying engagement rings, they want a say in the design.

That said, Murda is not one to forget his roots. Recently, he donated $20,000 to Fort Erie Secondary School’s music department, his old alma mater. “I plan to go back there in a couple of months and see what instruments the school bought, meet the kids and take pictures,” Murda says.

It’ll be dope.

Photos by Jesse Milns | Shot on Location at One King West Hotel, Toronto
Fashion & Wardrobe Stylist: Ashley Galang | Hair & Grooming: Robert Amado / Amado Salon
Automotive Transportation: Policaro Group PORSCHE | Videographer: Daniel Cooper

Sources:
1. www.lexingtonlaw.com
2. Picup Media, February 26, 2019

Interview by cassandra Giammarco

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It’s a simple format: a TV show featuring two families competing against each other to guess the most popular answers to survey questions for cash and prizes. Now we’re getting our own version of the renowned show, Family Feud Canada, starting Dec. 16. And the host is Canadian actor and comedian Gerry Dee, well known as Mr. D on the sitcom of the same name that he wrote and starred in on CBC Television.

The game show will broadcast four nights a week, airing Monday through Thursday on CBC. “I’m up for the challenge,” says Dee. “I grew up watching Family Feud, going back to the Richard Dawson, Ray Combs and Louie Anderson days. It was one of those shows that was just always on.”

Premiering in 1976, the show has been on the air for more than 40 years. Actually, TV Guide ranked the show third in its list of the 60 greatest game shows of all time. Since Steve Harvey became the host, Family Feud has regularly ranked among the top 10 highest-rated programs in daytime television programming and third among game shows. Board games, interactive films and video game formats of the show have followed.

This past summer, Canadian families hoping to compete in the first season got busy making five-minute videos, with messages like “We’re the Cena family and we’re ready to play … Family Feud” Or this message from the Henderson family, who are not an actual family, but a work-family from Cabin Radio NWT in Yellowknife: “Please, please, please, just pick us.” From these videos, successful families were invited to audition in person, in front of the show’s producers at a city nearby.

Why is it so popular? “Well, you can win money; I think that’s pretty cool,” says Dee. “And it’s something you can watch with your family. I always remember trying to see which family members we would pick to win.” The entire family would get into it, says Dee, talking about who would get left out and who would be good. “It was funny, and the only show like that where the whole family is a team. I think that’s why people can relate,” he adds.

Dee’s hoping to bring his own brand of humour to the show. “Someone said it’s really a comedy show. I believe that and I think that’s a good way of approaching it,” says Dee, adding that it isn’t so much that people care about the answers themselves. “It’s the guy that goes up and gets no points on the money round … so many opportunities to have fun.” Take, for example, the episode in which Steve Harvey once asked a contestant, “Khanh, what do you do for a living?” And the answer: “I’m a recovering vegetarian.”

Really, the host is at the mercy of the families on the show, says Dee. “The families feed you funny stuff, then you can roll with that,” he says. “My job is to take the funny moments and exaggerate them and build on them and not let anything go by — you have to be on your toes.”

One family that won’t be making an appearance as they did in Mr. D is Dee’s own, as the show’s rules prevent that. But he hopes that people get a chance to see their own family on the show. “It’s pretty special for Canadians to have that opportunity,” he says.

Dee is just flattered to be a part of it all. “It’s a great buzz in the country that this game show is going to hit us for the first time ever,” he says. “It’s something that I’m very lucky to host and I just can’t wait to walk in on the first day.”

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After a break from the music industry, Mia Martina, a multi-platinum recording artist, is ready to come back better than ever for her fans, of whom she speaks very fondly and graciously. In fact, she attributes her re-emergence largely to their love and support. “I had that crossroads kind of feeling. It was just needed for me to regroup and reassess what I really wanted out of life, but they were waiting for new music, and it’s not right that I don’t continue doing music,” says Martina.

Martina also points out that she revitalized herself and her creativity in a way that gave her a new appreciation for the music industry, as well as a new outlook on how she can have more control over herself as a brand. “It’s super-important to know about your business and where your dollars are going, to know the fine print, the legal aspects,” she says with a new-found wisdom of how she wants to present her music and herself to the world. Currently, Martina stands firmly in her dedication to independently promoting herself. “I learned the hard way, but I needed to go through that to be here today. It’s my fault at the end of the day, and I trusted someone who I thought had my best interests at heart, but I was just a business, not a person.”

Martina has come to realize the power of social media channels to promote her music, something she feels has drastically changed the music industry since she first got started early in her career. Working independent from a label now, she shares how social media has become a valuable tool, allowing her to personally engage with her fans and share new music: “You can be in your fan base through social networking,” she adds, “we’re going to be shooting my video in Greece. We found all the contacts through Instagram. It is such a major tool.” Martina urges new artists to use that platform and learn how it works. She goes so far as to say that “you can make anything happen. The sky’s the limit.” She also emphasizes the need for artists to be educated about how the industry works, to understand that radio and video are still great tools and to know how different channels affect their careers.

“It’s compassion and helping one another. That’s what real beauty is”

Coming from a village of 500 people in New Brunswick, Martina knows the struggles of making yourself known as an artist and coming to believe that lack of support, or even ridicule, doesn’t have to define you. Her takeaway? “It made me work extra hard; it keeps you humble,” she says. Martina conveys a sense of compassion and hope for empowerment for new artists in the music industry, especially women. In fact, she’s working on a book with that goal in mind. She describes it as an educational biography that tells the story of a small-town girl who made her way in an industry that is not always true to the artist and the person within, and how you can overcome that.

She knows that it’s possible to find authenticity in the industry and personal work alike. “I want women working in the industry to understand there will be ups and downs, but you come up, and nothing is ever that serious. You can accomplish anything, even when you think you can’t,” says Martina. A memory that holds a dear place in her heart is the first time she performed in Russia.

Having had a No. 1 song there for 14 weeks, she performed in front of 200,000 people who all knew the words, singing along with her in French. “I always go back to that moment,” she says. Martina carries humility with her, along with gratitude and hope for up-and-coming artists. She has learned not to give up, and she hopes to pass on that spirit.

Where does her spirit and love for life originate? “My parents are the best example for me, how they live such a simple and beautiful life, and they’re so grounded. I’m just so grateful to have them in my life,” she says lovingly.

With new music coming out in April and a book on the horizon, Martina still has time to support those in need. She was the first-ever live performer at Boobyball supporting breast cancer, and she works with an anti-human trafficking initiative, Free Them, based out of Toronto. Martina showed no hesitation when talking about what her definition of beauty is. “It’s compassion and helping one another. That’s what real beauty is,” she says with her typical sense of grace and humility. But, most of all, Martina has learned that, even though you may have to fight for your authenticity, it’s worth it in order to inspire others to do the same. “Be yourself. It’s the most beautiful thing you can be.”

Written by Stephanie Clarke

Interview by Victoria Scott

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This year marked a momentous occasion — the 60th anniversary of Barbie. Having been around for six decades, Barbie has had to adapt and evolve with society. One recent shift that has taken place is the movement toward the empowerment and education of young women and girls. One way that Barbie has made an effort to raise awareness is through the Dream Gap. Research has shown that around five years of age, girls often begin to develop limiting self-beliefs, based on stereotypes and gender roles presented in society, while young boys don’t experience this. This phenomenon, dubbed the “Dream Gap,” results in a lack of confidence and a limited outlook as to their own abilities.

To help counteract this and show girls the endless array of possibilities available to them, Barbie released its 2019 Shero Role Model series on International Women’s Day. Displaying a selection of original dolls representing 20 women from 18 countries across the world, including professional tennis player Naomi Osaka and actress, model and activist Yara Shahidi, young girls can imagine themselves through the eyes of these empowering role models, with diverse careers ranging from athletes to journalists to scientists.

One of the women included in this series is Tessa Virtue, the Canadian ice dancer who won two gold medals at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics with her skating partner, Scott Moir. Working together for more than 20 years, they have taken the ice dancing world by storm, winning five Olympic medals and illustrating to young girls, and boys, that with hard work, you can accomplish your dreams.

“I keep thinking about how I felt at five years old and what I was playing with, what I was thinking, what I was dreaming of. And it’s so sad to me that any young girl wouldn’t be aware of the potential and the possibilities that await her. And I think my part in this as a role model is just to share my story,” she says.

Looking back at her own childhood, though Virtue did spend much of her time on the ice, she still spent time playing with her own Barbies, creating intricate lives for them. “My Barbies could do and be anything,” Virtue says. “I was quite imaginative as a young girl, and the layers and the nuances in these storylines that I would come up with relating to my dolls were just so extensive. And I know now just how that play affected the way that I approached and saw the world.”

Although not all young girls are able to have such an expansive view of the world, with initiatives like this, soon young girls all across the globe will begin to understand that their options in life are endless. Virtue’s been able to see this first-hand in her own life in many ways, but an interaction with her four-and-a-half-year-old niece stands out.

“She was recently playing table hockey and said pretty innocently to my brother, ‘Is the goalie’s hair just in a bun under her helmet?’ not thinking that that game was made for males and young boys,” she recalls. “I just thought that was so beautiful and so pure, and the longer she can hold on to that sense of limitlessness, the better. I think there is a bit of a shift [happening]. There’s more fluidity to those typical gender roles, and I think that’s key.”

“Whatever your passion may be, wherever your dreams may lie, I just want young girls to have the opportunity to chase those dreams — fearlessly”

When undergoing the surreal process of designing her doll, there wasn’t much contention when it came to the design. “We wanted it to be that iconic red Moulin Rouge Free Dance dress from the PyeongChang Olympics, [with] matching hair and makeup. Finding just the right balance of likeness was a collaborative process, but one that was very open and honest and exciting. And I think it couldn’t have turned out any better. I think the likeness is uncanny,” she says with a laugh.

Throughout her life and her career, Virtue has had a dedicated group of people surrounding her who have helped her recognize that her dreams are possible with hard work and dedication. Now, working with Barbie, she will be able to act as a role model for young girls, letting them know their dreams are possible, too.

“Whether you’re an athlete or you’re pursuing sciences or whatever your passion may be, wherever your dreams may lie, I just want young girls to have the opportunity to chase those dreams — fearlessly,” she says. “If I could have just some tiny, little iota of impact on some young girl, then mission accomplished.”

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