Name: Adam Bernard Home: Fairfield, Connecticut, United States About Me: Entertainment journalist w/ over a decade of experience. Lover of good music, fringe movies, day baseball & chicken shawarma. Nerdy, but awesome. See my complete profile
After the birth of Blue Ivy Carter there was a poem that made its way around the internet, purportedly to have been written by Blue Ivy’s father, Jay-Z, that implied Jay would stop using the word “bitch” in his music now the he’s the father of a little girl. This led to a lot of applause, and some criticisms noting this is something he should have done a lot sooner. People pointed out he had a mother, and a wife (Beyonce), before having a daughter, and having those two people in his life should have been enough of an influence for him to stop using the word. As a whole, however, people were supportive. There was just one problem - Jay didn’t write the poem, and within the week he announced he was, in fact, not planning on dropping the word “bitch” from his vocabulary, or his work.
Make no mistake this isn’t just a Jay-Z issue, it’s a widespread problem in hip-hop, Jay-Z just happens to have brought it to the forefront.
A writer writing about another writer? I know, in the tradition of the me-first and me-ONLY world of internet journalism, where the days of blog-rings are long gone in a suddenly “every man for himself” craft, it seems a bit odd. With that in mind, however, it makes perfect sense to feature Ran-Da-Man, who has attempted to buck that trend from day one with his site, DefinitelyAmazing.com, where he features anyone, and anything, he considers amazing, even if it means driving traffic to a website other than his.
Full disclosure - Ran featured me a handful of months ago.
This week I caught up with this seeker of all things positive and inspirational to find out more about what makes someone, or something, “amazing,” as well as what inspired him to start his site, and what he’s doing outside of writing that he hopes will make a difference. You didn’t think a guy who created a site called DefinitelyAmazing wouldn’t also be doing some amazing stuff himself, did you?
Adam Bernard: Why don’t you start everyone off by telling us a little bit about who you are, where you’re from, and what you do when you’re not manning DefinitelyAmazing.com? Ran-DA-Man: I'm just Ran from Brooklyn, New York. I'm a BK boy with a southern upbringing and a zest for entertaining people. I got my name Ran-DefinitelyAmazing-Man when I was a radio personality for WWLU 88.7FM, Lincoln University. One day a good friend and mentor named Malcom Murray told me “what you do is definitely amazing man,” and the rest was history. When I'm not being Ran-DA-Man I'm writing a screenplay, an exotic poetry book, and a guide on how to treat a good woman. So I guess I'm a writer {laughs}.
Adam Bernard: What inspired you to start DefinitelyAmazing.com? Ran-DA-Man: Interestingly enough I was inspired twice. My first inspiration came from the success of my good friend Tionna Smalls (who is an author, media personality, relationship advisor, youth advocate, and starred on the VH1 show What Chilli Wants). Her drive inspired me and I wanted to create a place where people like her could be seen and heard. My second inspiration came from going to an event at the old YUME Store. I was introduced to so many intriguing individuals with clothing lines, and who were creating art, and doing music, it made me say “wow these people are amazing!” One week later DefinitelyAmazing was officially here.
Adam Bernard: How do you define “amazing?” Ran-DA-Man: Amazing is something that sparks a mental and emotional reaction of “wow.”
Adam Bernard: Is the amazing something you seek out, or something you just happen to come across on a daily basis? Ran-DA-Man: I would have to say it goes both ways. I always keep my eye out for amazing places, individuals, things, and styles. I also have a hunger for the amazing, so I do research and keep my ears and eyes in tune for new stuff to post.
Adam Bernard: Out of all the features you’ve run, what have been some of the most inspiring stories you’ve come across? Ran-DA-Man: My interview with Alex Ellis (part I, part II) is inspirational and his organization, Tied to Greatness, is the type of organization we need in this world. I also really enjoyed Shanelle Gabriel's interview (part I, part II). It was wonderful getting to know the person behind her beautiful words.
Adam Bernard: Do you feel there’s a void when it comes to people celebrating things that are positive? Ran-DA-Man: I truly think that talking about the positive, or giving others a chance in the spotlight, is something people in entertainment shun. I believe it has a lot to do with selfishness and negativity bringing ratings, or numbers, as they say.
Adam Bernard: The internet is notorious for celebrating the salacious. As you noted, negativity generates hits, which generates advertising. What do you think can be gained by flipping the script and celebrating the amazing? Ran-DA-Man: The people, places, and things I highlight on my site give people a chance to see growth coming out of their own neighborhoods. DefinitelyAmazing is a place where you can find fresh new artists, models, clothing lines, entrepreneurs, entertainers, and more. Each of the people I showcase are young and motivated to bring their dreams into fruition. The benefit of showing this is that it inspires other to do the same, or even more.
Adam Bernard: Are you solely looking for others who you feel inspire, or are you doing things you hope inspire others, as well? Ran-DA-Man: As far as what I do to inspire, I am working with some young individuals who I named Destined for Greatness who I mentor and help foster their different interests. I'm actually looking for new young individuals who want to learn about the entertainment blogging industry, or the anything we cover on our site. They can always contact me and I will always do what I can to help out.
Adam Bernard: You relaunched DefinitelyAmazing last year after taking a break. What was the reason for the break? Was there a shortage of amazingness, or did you have another reason? Ran-DA-Man: There definitely wasn't a shortage of amazingness. In fact, I wasn't going to take a break, but I was forced into one. For the longest I was dealing with an undiagnosed chest condition which would cause me extreme pain. It made it hard for me to cover events, and even harder for me to post my work and go to my 9 to 5. So I had to take a hiatus from all my projects to figure out what was wrong with me. I'm actually feeling better and I'm working on preparing a new team of writers to help me consistently bring the fans “Amazing Personified” people, places, and things.
Adam Bernard: Finally, other than preparing your new team of writers, what do you have on tap for 2012? Ran-DA-Man: I will be introducing new segments, and working on new t-shirts for the site. I am also preparing the release of a new mixtape featuring new artists and also new music from yours truly. I intend to stay focused and continue to bring people one step closer to “The Amazing Personified.”
Bop Alloy is the killer combination of Substantial and Marcus D, and with “Chillaxation” they’ve created the perfect laid back, breezy day, tune. Now, if you live in the northeast, like I do, you’re pretty far removed from the kind of summery vibe “Chillaxation” embodies, but in my mind that’s all the more reason to spin it. Who wants to embrace freezing temps and predicted snowfall? You’ll catch me in board shorts getting my “Chillaxation” on.
Welcome to your weekly dose of pop world musings. Covering all things pop culture, this week Pop Shots is hitting you with thoughts on everything from Lana Del Rey’s awful SNL performance (which, like an exceptionally bad meal, took me an extra week to fully digest), to Madonna’s questionable comments about Lady Gaga, to an album no one wants to hear, and since it’s Pop Shots you know everything is seasoned with a little bit of attitude.
* Lana Del Rey, an artist I felt was terrible the first time I heard her, developed a huge buzz in the hipster community and on the internet (which are pretty much one and the same), so Saturday Night Live gave her a shot. Bad idea jeans. Del Rey sounded like she should have been singing outside of a Del Taco... or perhaps working at one. With an SNL performance that awful her next move should involve marrying Pete Wentz.
* In recent interviews Madonna has come off a little cold when it comes to her feelings towards her current successor, Lady Gaga. Everyone heard the similarities between Gaga’s “Born This Way” and Madonna’s “Express Yourself,” and when asked about her feelings toward Gaga’s hit Madonna called it “reductive.” She also used the words “interesting” and “amusing.” Personally, I see this as concrete evidence that Gaga ISN’T copying Madonna, because no one’s ever called the material girl “amusing,” or “interesting.”
* Adele’s 21 has scored its 16th week at #1 on the Billboard albums chart, a feat only four other albums have done in the past two decades. Those albums, however, aren’t exactly elite company. Yes, there is the soundtrack to The Bodyguard, and Garth Brooks’ Ropin’ The Wind, but there’s also the soundtrack to Titanic, and Billy Ray Cyrus’ Some Gave All. So, congrats?
* Taylor Swift, America’s perfect little sister, says her new album will be about an “absolute crash and burn heartbreak,” leading speculators to wonder if the content will revolve around her 2010 short lived crush on Jake Gyllenhaal. One thing’s for sure, at the rate Swift writes about her ex-boyfriends she’s radically thinning her dating pool with each album she releases. Maybe it’s time to tell some other stories, Taylor. I don’t want your next single to start with “he was a little older & had a windowless van.”
* LL Cool J will be hosting the Grammy Awards this year. It will be the first time in seven years the Grammys will have a host, and, as much as I love LL, it’s the first time in seven years LL will have done anything relevant in music. Wait, did I just call the Grammys relevant? Apologies. I won’t let that happen again.
* A judge has dismissed Bruno Mars’ cocaine possession charge now that the singer has completed his court-ordered drug education classes and community service. Drug education classes? He already knows how to buy it, and use it, so hopefully the classes taught him how to not break it out in Vegas nightclub bathrooms.
* The feds really thought they did something big when they shut down the file sharing site megaupload.com this past week. Apparently the case against megaupload had been ongoing for two years. Hilariously, fifteen minutes after the news broke of the site’s demise (note, that’s a lot less than two years) the group Anonymous hacked the Department of Justice’s website. Here’s a golden rule to live by - do not piss off the internet!
* Tweet of the Week:@JensenClan88 Can Mark Wahlberg stop THIS? RT @ParisHilton In the studio working on new music...
* In very sad news, Blake Shelton suffered the loss of his father this past week and the normally jovial Shelton, whose Twitter feed is filled with jokes, took a turn for the serious as he thanked all those who have been supporting him. Pop Shots is one of those supporters. In fact, here’s his latest, “Drink On It” (this is just the official audio, the real video isn’t out yet).
And with that, my time is up for the week, but I'll be back next week with more shots on all things pop.
On Friday, January 20th, I was part of Rise Up Radio’s roundtable discussion on hip-hop journalism with Manny Faces of BirthplaceMag.com, and Thembisa S. Mshaka, author of Put Your Dreams First. The discussion aired live from 7pm - 8pm est on WBAI 99.5FM-NY and wbai.org, and covered a wide range of topics under the hip-hop journalism umbrella.
Because the conversation was so fantastic, and covered so many aspects of hip-hop journalism, I’ve posted the entire roundtable here in two sections for listening pleasure. Enjoy!
Part I (25 minutes)
Part II (11 minutes)
Note - In the first section of the roundtable I incorrectly state that I’ve placed an article in Word Up magazine. I’ve actually placed articles in Black Beat and Right On, which are aimed at the same target audience, and are usually right next to Word Up on the newsstand. Apologies. The list of magazines I’ve written for is quite long, and sometimes the memory of who I’ve pitched and where I’ve placed articles gets a little fuzzy.
For five years Renda Writer, who describes himself as “a kind-hearted poet who lives out of his car in Florida,” has been pursuing his goal of performing one of his poems, “Half Hearted,” on The Ellen Show. When he launched the Ellen Art Show last year some may have considered it a bit odd, obsessive even, but this year’s event doesn’t just feature the work of over 50 artists, all depicting Ellen DeGeneres in some way, it’s also working as a fundraiser for The Trevor Project.
Renda’s ability to move a personal goal into the realm of helping others hasn’t gone unnoticed. The second annual Ellen Art Show not only has a diverse lineup of artists, from Moss Waldock, who did a copper relief of Ellen, to Muzzy Jones, who did a portrait of Ellen on a skateboard, it also features a plethora of guests scheduled to appear, including Maseo from the legendary hip-hop group De La Soul, who will be DJing the event, and former American Idol contestant Brett Loewenstern.
With the show coming up on January 28th at The Terrell Moore Gallery in Los Angeles, CA, I caught up with Renda to find out more about it, as well as what drew him to Ellen DeGeneres, and the message he hopes to spread.
Adam Bernard: You have a poem, “Half Hearted,” that you’ve wanted to perform on Ellen since 2007, and you’ve put together the second annual Ellen Art Show. The first question has to be, why do you feel this connection with Ellen DeGeneres? What about her makes you want to work with, and celebrate her? Renda Writer: I’ve always been a really big fan of stand-up comedy. As an art form, I feel like it is a close cousin of spoken word poetry. Bill Cosby, Jerry Seinfeld, Paula Poundstone, Jake Johannsen, Steven Wright... I dig a lot of the comedians from the “golden era” of comedy, the late 1980s / early 1990s. As a poet, a lot of my inspiration comes not only from my respect for comedians from this era, but also from hip-hop and its own "golden era," which also happens to be from the late 1980s and early 1990s. I grew up watching Stand Up, Stand Up on The Comedy Channel (which is what Comedy Central used to be named) and Yo! MTV Raps. One of my favorite comedians has always been Ellen Degeneres. Her style – it’s just so real, so original, so quirky, and clean, too, and that’s an accomplishment. When she started her talk show I was really coming into my own as a poet and as a performer. I started hosting events all over South Florida, and I loved being on stage. I saw how well she combined her comedic talents with her hosting abilities and her show just seemed to flow so naturally. I began to really look up to her as a professional. She’s got an amazing energy about her. I also like seeing just how in touch she is with her audience. She surprises her viewers a lot and is always helping out people in need, and she seems to pay as much attention to the human interest stories of our world as she does the obligatory celebrity gossip and project promotion. To me, that’s what makes it feel achievable, this goal of mine. I just feel like although it may be lofty, it is achievable.
Adam Bernard: Let’s talk about this art show. Walk me through the process of how things came together. I know this is the second one you’ve done, but did you just put the word out that you wanted artwork of Ellen DeGeneres and the artistic community broke out with a “hell yeah,” or did it take some convincing? Renda Writer: There was some convincing, and some “hell yeah” factor. I am lucky because I know tons of artists already. I’ve actually been putting together shows like this for a living for about the past nine years, so my network is pretty thick. For the Florida artists, most of them are personal friends of mine, and for the artists elsewhere in the nation, a lot of that came from CraigsList, Facebook, and Google. Really, I could write a whole article about how the line-up for this show came together, because it consists of a lot of little mini stories of six degrees of separation, serendipity, and people connecting me with other people. Word of mouth is powerful. I also try to help out people as much as they help me out. The artists involved in this project are all amazing, and if I haven’t done it enough, I should take this opportunity right here to say “thank you” again to each and every one of them. I have a line in one of my poems called “Watch It Grow” where I say, “It takes a whole community of willing supporters to support the dreams that you dream of coming true.” I think of that quote a lot when I’m promoting this event.
Adam Bernard: How did you get the show associated with The Trevor Project and why was it important to make that happen? Renda Writer: Back in June, when I was first brainstorming the idea to do this show, I got the idea in my head that it would be good to make the event a charity fundraiser. I started thinking of different charities that I could talk to, and then I just figured it would be best to go with a charity that Ellen is aligned with. I went on her website and noticed that she had a section that said “Help Stop Bullying.” When I clicked it I saw that there were three charities that she supports that do work in the anti-bullying field. The Trevor Project seemed like the most reputable and solid of the three, and I noticed that they had an office in LA, so I emailed them and followed up a few times until I established a contact over there - shout out to Kevin Holt - and he told me to fill out the forms for a “third party event.” I filled out the forms, locked it in, and I’m proud to be donating to, and supporting, such a cool organization. Even though they focus on gay and lesbian youth, the concept of just plain being nice to each other is very much mutual amongst people of all sexual orientations, and kids need to be reminded to be nice. I think that kids are very impressionable, and the temptation to pick on another kid is great, but finding your own self-worth, loving yourself, and loving others is the best way to stay clear of that idea of picking on someone that is different than you.
Adam Bernard: Did you experience bullying when you were growing up? Renda Writer: I wasn’t exactly bullied as a kid, but I really didn’t get fair treatment either. In middle school I was in the gifted program, so me and all of my other nerd friends were alienated from the rest of the school, and no matter how many pairs of Z Cavarricis or Skidz we owned, we just couldn’t be cool. Some of us randomly got jumped between classes for no reason other than the fact that there were kids in the school with low self-esteem that were looking for easy targets to throw a quick punch at, and then run away.
Adam Bernard: That’s terrible. Back on the topic of the art show, you have a long list of special guests, including Maseo from De La Soul. I’m guessing you two didn’t bond over a mutual love of Ellen DeGeneres, so how did you come together and get him on board? Renda Writer: I grew up listening to De La Soul, so let me first just say that it is an absolute honor to have DJ Maseo involved in this event. I first met him a few years ago through our mutual friend DJ Stevie D. I used to publish a magazine about local music and art in South Florida, and shortly after Stevie introduced me to Maseo I did a joint interview with the two of them. That kind of started our business relationship. If you talk to me for even two minutes I’m eventually going to mention my goal of appearing on The Ellen Degeneres Show, so of course that topic came up when meeting Maseo, and pretty much every time I saw him after that he would ask me if I had gotten on the show yet. Maseo had told me several times that he really respects my hustle, my work ethic, and my commitment to my dreams. When I first got the idea to put together this art show, I thought it would be cool to have some sort of a celebrity DJ, and Maseo came to mind right away. I ran it by Stevie first, and he said I should ask Maseo and that he saw no reason why he would say no. I asked Maseo and he said yes. Of course I got Stevie to co-DJ with him. It feels good to keep it all in the family, and although Maseo’s not the typical Ellen fan, he has admitted to me that he likes her and would like to meet her.
Adam Bernard: Speaking of coming together, I know an underlying theme of this show is that of connecting. What kind of connections do you hope this show will foster? Renda Writer: I just love bringing people together. I always have. It feels like my purpose, like what I’m meant to do. I live my life according to several well-known slogans, sayings, or axioms, and one of my favorite sayings is “variety is the spice of life,” so every time I do an event, whether it’s a small open mic, an art show, or a giant event like this one here, my goal is always to bring people together – a variety of types of people. It would be cool if some of the artists involved get some commissioned work out the connections that will be made. I hope some fans of DJ Maseo will enjoy seeing him, hearing him spin, and maybe getting a picture with him. I hope a lot of money is raised for The Trevor Project. I hope Brett Loewenstern (from American Idol Season 10), who I have scheduled to perform at the event, gains a few new fans. I just hope that everything works out the way it should. I hate to sound too much like a hippy, but at the end of the day it really is all about love and togetherness and bringing different people together so they can see just how much alike they are. That’s my goal with everything I do. Even with the poetry itself, and with the particular poem, “Half Hearted.” It’s a love poem I wrote in Central Park in NYC, shortly after 9/11, at a time when I felt like New York, and the world on the whole, needed to turn toward love a little more. Love is great. Who doesn’t love love? OK, maybe some haters don’t, but whatever, love makes everything possible. I’ve got love in my heart and I’m just trying to share that shit with everyone.
Adam Bernard: Finally, if Ellen never takes notice of what you’re doing are you eventually going to have the first annual Ellen Bonfire and throw random Ellen stuff into the flames? Renda Writer: Probably not. I’ll just keep focused and stay the course. Winston Churchill said, “Never ever ever ever give up.” I tend to think like that, too. This is a fun challenge.
B-Listers are a select group of artists that were featured in my Artist Of The Week series that ran every Monday from April of '06 to April of '11. All of these artists have two things in common; extreme talent, and a flight path far too under the radar for my liking. They took on the title of B-Listers as they embraced being featured by me, Adam B. Check out the AOTW Archives for all the interviews.
