He goes by the name FAME and with his mixtape dropping this Summer, it’s time for the world to get familiar with him.  His mixtape titled Freshman Year: Class of 2012 features the unique rap style of FAME mixed with vocals from Cleveland singer LyricstheSinger.  I got the opportunity to ask FAME a few questions and here’s what he had to say…

1.) How would you best describe your rap style?

FAME: My style is diverse. It’s like a blend of underground battle rap with a mainstream twist.

2.) What was the worst job you ever had?

FAME: The worst job I had was working as a cashier at a grocery store.

3) What inspires your music?

FAME: I’m inspired by almost anything. Mostly my life: past, present and future.

4.) What makes you different than other rappers in the game?

FAME: I’m different in many ways. The main reason would be my bravery and my talent.

5.) What is the best month of the year and why?

FAME: The best month would be July! Not only is it my birth month but my mixtape is dropping in mid July!! Freshman Year: Class of 2012.

6.) What’s the significance of the title of your mixtape?

FAME: Lyrics and I wanted something that was not only fresh and new but a name that confirmed exactly what we are: the rookies, the underdogs.  It’s our turn now.

7.) If you could tell the world one message, what would it be?

FAME: To follow your dreams.  It’s cliche but it’s real. Never let the next person determine your future.

8.) What’s the best kept secret about Cleveland?

FAME: FAME! I’m the best kept secret by far!

9.) What famous person, dead or alive, would you love to do a track with?

FAME: I can’t think of just one but I’ll say Nicki Minaj, Lil Wayne, Lauryn Hill and Jazmine Sullivan.

10.) What can we expect from your mixtape?

FAME: It’s something for everybody.  Songs about love, the highs and lows of relationships.  It’s something for the streets and we got club bangers.  Our mixtape is like a movie.

11.) What is a guilty pleasure of yours?

FAME: Shopping. If I’m not in the studio making magic, I’m out spending money.

12.) How did you get the name FAME?

FAME: FAME is actually an acronym for Fashion, Art, Music and Entertainment.

13.) What is your favorite place to travel to and why?

FAME: I love Atlanta but New York has to be my favorite.

14.) What is one thing you would like to achieve before you leave this earth?

FAME: Before I leave, I just want to inspire somebody. I want to be a walking example of a dream coming true.

15.) What can we expect from FAME in the future?

FAME: Expect new music, a lot more collaborations and crazy live shows.

For more on FAME and LYRICStheSINGER, follow them on twitter at @F_U2 and @LyricstheSinger. Also look out for their mixtape Freshman Year: Class of 2012 dropping on July 11. Make sure you cop it.

1.)  What is your favorite Michael Jackson song?

KAREN VAUGHN: WOW! I don’t think I have just one. But I do rock out to “Enjoy Yourself” by Jacksons. It’s one of my favorites because of the feel good message. Whenever I hear it, I smile instantly. My family calls it our Disney song because before every Disney vacation we play “Enjoy Yourself” as we arrive on Disney property. For us, it sets the tone of our vacation. Yes, corny but so much fun to sing it at the top of our lungs!

2.)  What do you appreciate most about your parents, being a parent yourself?

VAUGHN: When I think of my parents I get emotional because they have done so much for me. I appreciate how they ALWAYS put me first and gave me the best life a child could ask for. Their unconditional love and support is the foundation to everything I have been able to accompolish personally and professionally.

3.)  What is the best concert that you have been to and where was it?

VAUGHN: This is a hard one too! I’ve seen many concert yet the one that sticks out is the New Edition “All For Love Tour” in 1987. On the bill was The Force MD’s, Cherrelle, and New Edition. I rocked out the entire time….so much so I saw them in Connecticut and at Madison Square Garden in NYC.  Also the Fresh Fest Tour—Now that was a non-stop party. Hip-Hop music was emerging as a force in music at the time. The tour was a movement of music and lifestyle. RUN-DMC, Whodini, LL Cool Jay performed. It was dope! Word!  Another great concert was Janet Jackson’s “Velvet Rope” tour. Janet was AMAZING. It’s another tour I checked out twice. Once in Baltimore and Washington, DC.

4.)  What is the best month of the year and why?

VAUGHN: July! Summer is in full swing and I can spark up the grill everyday. My grilled Szechwan chicken and citrus ginger salmon are the best. 

5.)  What is the most important lesson you have learned from your career in radio?

VAUGHN:  Network, Network, Network.  Take constructive criticism positively. Reinvent yourself continuously.  Leave your personal situations at the door; you have an audience to entertain!

6.)  If you could tell the world one message, what would it be?

VAUGHN: Don’t sweat the small stuff!!

7.)  What’s the best kept secret about Cleveland?     

VAUGHN:  The Green Tavern on 4th Street. Marsha Ambrousius introduced me to the eatery after seeing them featured on Food TV. They use all natural and organic products.  You have to try their Lamb Burgers. They are awesome!

8.)  What famous person, dead or alive, would you love to spend one day with?

  VAUGHN:  Oprah, Bill Cosby, and Martin Luther King, Jr.

9.)  What has been the most fulfilling experience of your life?  

VAUGHN:  The birth of my son. He brings me joy everyday!!!

10.)  What is the definition of “The Working Diva?”

VAUGHN:  A Superwoman; multi-tasking goddess. A go-getter, trend-setter, problem solving guru. A woman with the understanding talent to juggle life, work and family and still look fabulous.  One day while passing a spa, I really wanted a massage.  Work was really working me and I needed a break! At this moment I thought, there must be other women that need a day of pampering. I went home, put together a contest proposal to help women indulge in “me time.”  Needless to say, the contest was a hit.  Since then, the Working Divas theme has blossomed into a lifestyle of women that live an awesome life full of love, balance, family, children, career, sister-friends and yes…fashion.

11.)  What is a guilty pleasure of yours?

VAUGHN:  The spa! Who doesn’t love to be pampered from head to toe while sipping on green tea! Matter of fact…I’m making an appointment right now. 

12.)  What 5 albums could you never go without?

VAUGHN: Jill Scott: Words and Sounds Volume 1, RUN-DMC: Raise Hell, George Howard: Personal, Michael Jackson: Off The Wall, and Salt N Pepa: Vicious.  BONUS: The SOS Band: The Sands Of Time

13.)  What is your favorite place to travel to and why?

VAUGHN: I love Miami and Key West. I lived in Miami for 10 years and loved the energy, weather and looking at the ocean every day!

 14.)  What is one thing you would like to achieve before you leave this earth?

VAUGHN:  One of my biggest goals besides my career choices and projects in media would be to give my parents a huge gift. WIthin the next few years I want to relocate them to any destination they desire. It’s been a goal of mine since I graduated from college.

 15.)  What can we expect from Karen Vaughn in the future?

VAUGHN:  To become a leading Entertainment and Lifestyle correspondent. My website KarenVaughn.com features celebrity interviews, news and events.  Check it out!

For more on Karen Vaughn, tune into 93.1 FM WZAK midday on Monday through Friday.  You can also follow her on twitter at @KarenVaughn. 

Also visit the Working Divas website or KarenVaughn.com for more information.

As if I wasn’t already impressed with Musiq’s recorded albums, his live show simply blew me away.  His vocal range and stage presence were quite unexpected.  Not because he isn’t talented, but because his vibe is so mellow.  I didn’t expect him to be so high energy during his live show.  He even apologized to the crowd, in case he got carried away on stage.  Keep reading to see more pictures, in case you want to live vicariously through them. Haha.

The crowd eagerly waited for Musiq to take the stage. The opening performance by Antoine L. Dunn got the crowd primed and ready for the main event.  Emcee Karen Vaughn was a lucky woman to be able to introduce the soulful singer to the eager House of Blues audience.  Once Musiq Soulchild stepped onto the stage, the crowd went wild.

Musiq Soulchild entertained the crowd with a combination of his older hits and newer material.  The majority of the show featured songs from his most recent album MusiqInTheMagiq.

Musiq put on a great show.  He definitely did his thing for the Cleveland audience.  He even stayed after the show to sign autographs and take pictures with fans.  He is truly a class act and a fantastic artist.  I can’t wait to see him sing again.

Photographs taken at House of Blues Cleveland by permission of HOB Entertainment, Inc.

Keep reading for more…

Last night, I arrived at the House of Blues but instead of going into the front door as I normally do, I entered through the back entrance with Antoine L. Dunn and his band mates.  It was funny that I could actually use the line “I’m with the band.”  They loaded their equipment into the venue and began setting up on the intimate House of Blues stage.  Antoine, his guitarist, drummer, keyboardist, and backup vocalists took the stage for their sound-check.

After the monitors were set and the mic sound levels were marked, we grabbed some dinner and got ready for the show.

Antoine’s band consisted of his guitarist Jack, backup vocalists Elizabeth, Reuben and Marcel, his keyboardist Jerry and his drummer Travis.

Before the show, I even got to snap a photo of Antoine Dunn with the emcee for the night, 93.1 FM’s Karen Vaughn.

Antoine L. Dunn and his crew took the stage with a five song set.  He started off with his melodic track “She Pleases Me,” which was happily stuck in my head since I heard it at the sound-check earlier in the evening.  It was followed up by my favorite Antoine L. Dunn song “It’s Over.”  The lyrical content really resonates with me on a personal level.  It’s the type of song that anyone who has had their heart broken can relate to.

The set continued with Antoine’s tracks “Save Yourself” and a reggae version of “You’re Real.”  He also played the title track of his most recent EP called “Miss My Love” (which is available on iTunes).

Congratulations to Antoine L. Dunn and his band on a fantastic performance.  I can’t wait to see what the future holds for Antoine’s music and his career.

For more information on Antoine L. Dunn, visit his website.

Photographs taken at House of Blues Cleveland by permission of HOB Entertainment, Inc.

I have to hand it to the owners, they really impressed me with his new Parma Heights restaurant.  The layout of the place is spacious, open, and the design is conducive to both the daytime restaurant crowd and the nighttime bar scene.  In my opinion, the Parma Heights Harry Buffalo made me feel like I was in a lodge, 0pposed to the other Harry Buffalo restaurants whose designs are more rustic and Western in style.  The use of wood and the numerous stone fireplaces helped to make it feel this way.

The Parma Heights “Buff” is the perfect place to hang out this Summer.  You can catch any sporting event on the countless flat-screen televisions, enjoy sitting by the fireside underneath the stars on the patio, or enjoy a cold draft beer at one of the two bars in the restaurant.  I think my favorite feature of the place is the patio.  Equipped with a fireplace, outside bar and cabanas, you might decide to stay longer than you expected.  The outside bar is the perfect spot to enjoy the Summer heat.  The best feature about it is that the awnings over the bar have misters installed in them.  No matter how hot the temperatures get, a cold beer and refreshing mist will keep you cool all afternoon.  If you’re more of a night owl, the Parma Heights Harry Buffalo is one of the few places, if not the only place, in Parma Heights that will offer bottle service during the evenings.

The Harry Buffalo in Parma Heights is now open to the public.  It’s grand opening was June 15 and this weekend will be its first weekend open for business.  I suggest you gather your friends and check out the place.  If you need somewhere to take Dad out to dinner on Father’s Day, the Harry Buffalo in Parma Heights is the perfect setting.  It has great food, refreshing drinks, and a wonderful atmosphere. Spread the word and “Join the Herd.”

The Harry Buffalo Parma Heights is located at 6425 Pearl Road.  For more information on Harry Buffalo restaurants, visit their website.

@I_am_Yuandale Women need a reason to have sex. Men just need a place….lol…#weaakaf

@KChenoweth Random man clipping his nails outside of airport. And, scene.

@AverageBlackMan I hate being tagged in Facebook pictures that have Nothing to do with me. NOTHING! I’m not even in the fucking picture!

@LocalCelebCoke #Random stacy dash is a sexy ass 80yr old woman…. lmaoo

@SarahEMaxwell Hi monday- I hate u. That’s all #caseofthemondays

@SteevenSoundz Sometimes the toilet can just be a sanctuary in its own lol

@BBartonCuzz 90s R&B & rap was the best!!! Sooo many dope groups and solo artists & everyone had there own steez. No one was copying the next. I miss it

Keep reading to see more….

The Parade on the Circle is an annual display of ingenuity and creativity by local Cleveland organizations and volunteers.  University Circle’s Wade Oval was packed with people for it’s 22nd Parade.  The sun was shining, the crowd was lively, and the day’s festivities were inspired.  The Parade had representation from the Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Cleveland Botanical Garden and many other organizations.  There was live music from steel drum bands, African dancing, and countless costumes.

This float, which was in a group of about five, had empty glass bottles tied to the back and the bottles dragging against the ground made a really neat sound.

There were some thinkers in the Parade…

There was a Michael Jackson tribute with one of the boys imitating Michael’s dancing.

Even NEXT employee Tracy had a connection to the Parade.  Her son was one of the roadrunners on scooters seen above.

Keep reading to see more pictures from the Parade…

Stay tuned for more pictures in the future…

Tomorrow celebrates the 22nd Parade on the Circle on Wade Oval. This annual parade involves local community organizations and businesses who create large floats and routines for the event. The parade starts at noon but I suggest you get there early to get a good spot. It is definitely something worth watching.  I will be there, rain or shine, to capture the excitement.

Gather your people and get to University Circle tomorrow morning for all the festivities.  I have been so impressed by the creativity of the parade in the past that I can’t wait to see what this year brings.

For more information, click here.

Well if you have any or want any, you know how important it is to get familiar with the tattoo artist doing your ink. Tattoos last forever and you don’t want just anybody in control of the needle that will change your body forever.  Luckily, I’m here to introduce you to Focused Studio on Coventry in Cleveland Heights.  Owned by twin brothers Jimmy and Jonny Hayden, Focused is the place to get the best ink in Cleveland.  I went there recently to check out their work.  I even was able to document a tattoo being done from start to finish.

To the average person, a tattoo shop might seem like an intimidating place to visit, especially if you’ve never been to one before.  However, Focused Studio isn’t like that at all.  It’s a great space overlooking Coventry with a great energy that comes from the artists and employees who work there. The artists are professional, interesting and personable. They really try to make their clients feel comfortable in an atmosphere that’s filled with needles, pain and piercings.

While I was there, I was amazed at how many people stopped in just to say hello. There were clients who came in to show their recently healed ink to the artist. There were friends of the artists who were there to observe or just to make conversation. It was an open atmosphere where everybody was welcome to enjoy the process without going through all the pain.

I sat in as tattoo artist Dino worked on a client’s elephant tattoo.  He was nice enough to let me document the process from beginning to end. It was amazing to see him work.  I was very impressed with the end result. Take a look!

Here is some of the other work I witnessed at Focused Studio…

If you are thinking about getting inked, Focused Studio is where you should go.  I want to thank the Hayden brothers again for allowing me to bring my camera into their shop to document my visit.

For more on Focused Studio, visit their website.

After a short walk through the trees, we made our way down to the sand and the shore.

Here’s a tip: Never feed seagulls. They will never leave you alone if you do.  Trust me on this one.

This picture looks like it has a fake background.  I promise this picture hasn’t been tampered with.

Then we spotted some jet skiers.

If only it was this easy to capture all that energy in our hands.

It’s almost gone…

And the day is over.

I love the way the sky fills up with color when the sun is setting. It’s like every color in the spectrum is represented.

Walking back to the car, I spotted this graffiti tag and this gnarly pipe opening. It looks so gritty and industrial.  Looks like something that the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles could come out of.

With as beautiful as the sunset was, it was interesting to come across something so foul looking. I guess you have to take the good with the ugly. Haha.

@KerryRhodes Dallas ill be there 2morrow I can’t wait! Game 3 is gonna be all MAVS!

@Ariel_Charlotte It’s literally to hot for underwear -__-

@M_DOT1of1 Up late watchin MTV trulife these damn meth heads smh

@KyllianF http://lockerz.com/s/107068760 LOL. Naughty.

@BritniElise It doesn’t come easy but I’m willin to work fo it. #BElieve *the time is near*

@LocalCelebCoke I don’t subtweet, i make general statements that just so happens to apply to you.

@Ahmier People don’t mind talking about sex, but run away from conversations involving getting tested. Fail.