4Frontmagazine

New Issue On Stands Next Week!
4Front Magazine, New Yorks premiere Hip Hop magazine is celebrating its fifth anniversary big. The magazines new issue is focused on the inundation surge of talented artists emerging from the South. This southern phenomena is making its mark not only on the music business but in the film and fashion industry. This year we witnessed the arrival of Hip Hop at the Oscar Awards when Three 6 Mafia won for Best Original Song As expected 4Front was already on the ball featuring their story in this new issue. Also covered are the new New York artists breaking out this year. Looking for the new Jay Z and Nas see the artists who think they are contenders.
Check us out on newsstands, Tower Records, Fye, Coconuts, Wherehouse, Strawberris and on www.4Frontmagazine.com.Editorial issue 19.................What's up!
In this issue we have a balance of East, West and South. Every coast has something good going on. In the East we have interviews with two of Hip Hop’s key players Busta Rhymes and Lloyd Banks. We find out more on the new West coast movement Hyphy from E-40 and Goldie Gold of Federation and the South gives us their newest star Yung Joc. In our last issue we put the spotlight on some of the new talent coming out of New York. Keeping with that same theme we turned the Top New York Artists to the Next Top New York Artists.As Hip Hop takes its lifestyle to the movies we take a look at the Urban World Film Festival to see what’s going on in the world of filmmaking. While Hip Hop is growing and evolving, filmmaking can play an important part in changing the images we see. In the next couple of months look for an increase in the number of films and DVDs starring rappers. Also check our DVD Review section to find out what is now hitting the streets.Early this year Russell Simmons began bringing his Hip Hop Summit Action Network to cities across the country to educate the young people on finances. We participated in their New York event, Get Your Money Right, which was entertaining and informative. With a high attendance, these events are proof that the younger generation will come out and support something educational if it relates to them. More activists and politicians should heed some of the methods Russell has used to address issues facing today’s youth. Too many have totally dismissed this generation.Hip Hop events are popping all year around so we talked to Terrance Smith of BlackBeachWeek.com to learn more about his site and find out what are the next hot events.
Article from previous Issue
What made you start BlackBeachWeek.com?
I started back in college in the nineties. A few friends and I decided we wanted to go to spring break but couldn’t find the exact information. Every year we missed it. I would always look online and never find anything. So when I found out the date I placed the date online on a little message board. Soon everyone gathered and started adding other dates for events across the country. Then I started this little web site detailing all the events eventually it became what it is today. It started off as little hobby, at first a few people then a few thousand people. It became a travel guide to all the different events. We started off with one event and now there are about two hundred events.
How did you find the dates for all these events?
As soon as I would find out about one I would go research it then call the different promoters to find out exactly when certain dates were. Eventually, I was able to nail stuff. Basically everything happens annually so now I just make a few calls and I’m able to get the dates.
Why did you name the site Black Beach Week?
I felt that most of the events were a week or weekend long and were for Blacks or Latinos so the best name to give it was Black Beach Week. People call certain events such as the one in Daytona, Black Beach Week, which is really the Black College Reunion. I noticed people used that word a lot.
What was the first event you listed?
The very first event I put up was the Freaknik in Atlanta. Then we listed the Daytona Black College Reunion. Then we started with all the Spring Bling events back then there were like three or four of them. Later we found out about the Black Bike Week in South Carolina and then there was something in Miami and in Cancun.
Why did the Freaknik in Atlanta die down?
The last couple years the Freaknik started to die down. Freaknik was in the city of Atlanta and a lot of people started to debate should they go to a beach where the weather is nicer on the same weekend and you can see people in bathing suits. So people started to switch to Daytona to a beach event rather than a city event.
What was the first beach event you listed?
The one in Daytona called the Black College Reunion. After the Freaknik, that was the most popular event.
Do you go to each event?
I pretty much go to most of them or as many as I can. Now I do a lot of traveling, I go to each event, scout it out and take pictures because this is my business now.
Which event do you like the most?
I like Cancun probably the best. Everyone has their picks and favorites but I like that one the best.
Are all the events Hip Hop?
Most are Hip Hop events but this year I have been adding on a lot of Jazz and Reggae events. I’m about to go to Jamaica in a couple days. There’s about two or three events going on down there. There are a lot of beach events for different types of people. They have events for the younger set and the older set, people who like Hip Hop, Reggae or Soca. I also ask people what events they are looking for. The events have to be two days long so people won’t feel ripped off if they travel.
What’s the biggest event on the U.S. shores?
A lot of people like Miami on Memorial Day weekend, which gets a lot of press. For some reason everybody loves Miami.
They had a couple events this year?
It almost overlaps so that it is putting the numbers down on some of their events. That will happen when you have so many events at one time in one location. A big event next year that everyone is talking about is the NBA All Star Game in Las Vegas. That’s getting a lot of play.
How was the All Star Game in Houston?
That was off the chain. I always like events in Houston. The people are a little bit freer there. They have a lot of places you can go to for different parties and celebrities always show up.
What do you think will be the next city to host a big event?
Now people are focusing on different island events. They are trying to get people out of the US because people want something in the sun.
Do these cities welcome the Hip Hop crowds?
Sometime it seems like this is a big trap.Many times people get scared because they see different people come in and take over their city for a weekend. People get scared and call their politicians, the politicians call the police and try to discourage people from coming. It happens on every single event. We bring a lot of money to these cities. At first they weren’t messing with Miami they let people have fun. Last year they arrested about 85 people, this year it was around 700 people. They all of sudden do a crack down. We make them big money but it becomes political after awhile. People don’t like change but it’s just part of the game.
Does any city want the Hip Hop crowd?
I don’t know of any city that appreciates the Hip Hop crowd but Miami is pretty cool. Miami knows we really book their hotels and things like that. We are a big part of their tourist business. They do welcome us and let us use their clubs but it’s a tough thing. You do have to do some things secretively. Problems happen when the events get too big.
Do most events depend on the rappers showing up?
Some of them are celebrity based. The one in Cancun is not celebrity based it’s just getting a mature crowd to come and that’s it. The ones in Miami are extremely celebrity based. There’s a lot of money involved in those events.
What else besides money must people bring to these events?
I don’t know as far as material things but you have to make sure your attitude is adjusted before you go to these events. You must be able to let loose before you come down. People need to put down their armor and come out and have fun. Some people are shocked because they’ve never seen anything like this before. Some people come from the middle of the country and be like “oh my god” I was the same way.
Do they have any events in the Midwest?
In St Louis we have the football classic but nothing real big. Kentucky Derby was pretty big, the political people are trying to shut it down. You had the horse racing on one side then you had the urban event on the other. It got huge. It became an over two hundred thousand people event but this year the police did a crack down. I think this year they probably did some damage. They went to Atlanta and studied how they stopped Freaknik and used the same methods they did in Atlanta. Basically, they knew a lot of people like to cruise so when they saw a car come pass twice they would ticket it. Some of this stuff I plan on fighting myself when I get the legal money. Now the whole world knows what they do because the two basketball players were all over the news in Miami. The stuff they do was secret from regular society but it’s getting out more. I got more hits from NBA players getting arrested than anything.
Who are most of these promoters?
Some are from New York and some are from California. They are all from different places. Many are African American.
So what do the promoters have next?
Lots of stuff such as cruises, which they are doing now. That is for a mature crowd. People usually graduate from Spring Break events to the cruises and upscale Jazz events.
What event has the prettiest people?
That’s a hard one, but I would have to say Miami because a lot of models go down there. Plus you get to see a lot of skin there.
What are the new events coming up?
I know black bikers are going to do some Labor Day thing again in Miami. Since the Source died down I think BET is going to take over. I think they are going to have the BET Hip Hop Awards in Atlanta. I don’t know how it’s going to be any different from the BET Awards but I heard it’s going to be in Atlanta sometime in October.
What’s the future of BlackBeachWeek.com?
We are still growing and keeping up with all the events. We are going to have more pictures and video. So people can see more about the events before they go. I just hope people keep coming to the events. They can e-mail me at [email protected]. I listen to everything. ____________________________________________________________ _________________________ Yo to send stuff to 4Front Magazine send it to:
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