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#SaturdaySpotlight featuring Tevin Studdard

Tevin Studdard with 24 of his favorite friends from Long’s Bakery (Photo Cred: Twitter.com)

CELEBRATING HIP-HOP, LIFESTYLE AND CULTURE, TENTHLETTERMEDIA & STRAIGHT OFFICIAL MAGAZINE PRESENTS THE #SATURDAYSPOTLIGHT

MEET TEVIN STUDDARD

TEVIN STUDDARD has been going HARD over the past few weeks for his community! Born and raised in Indianapolis, IN, Tevin has become both an overnight success and a narrative changer for his city. Ever since he went viral with a rap song about Long’s Donuts last year, the WISH TV 8 personality and entrepreneur has set the bar for putting all his people on. Tevin is built for providing prosperity to his brothers and sisters by any means necessary!

Tevin Studdard-Longs Bakery Music Video
Tevin and Ruben Studdard (Photo Cred: Indianapolis Monthly)

TEVIN’S FAMILY TIES

Studdard became widely popular through the production of songs and music videos for collegiate and high school sports teams. Talent runs deep in the Studdard bloodline as Tevin is the cousin of Ruben Studdard, the first African-American male to win American Idol. Tevin used music as a escape from the real life tragedy that altered the course of his life.

“I had a cousin that was killed outside my grandma’s house when I was in school,” Studdard recants. “It was kinda just a defining moment for me. I was depressed and ended up at that time dropping out of school. Music was where I could find hope. It was an outlet of expression for me.”

TEVIN SEIZES AN OPPORTUNITY

Going after his dreams with veracity, Tevin would catch the attention of some of the city’s most influential people. He recalled the time that his music made it to WNBA legend Tamika Catchings. “My senior year of high school I sent some songs to Tamika and she really liked them,” he said. Seeing the opportunity to get one step closer to his goal, Tevin came to Tamika with an ultimatum.

“I told her if she liked my music then could I write a song for the Indiana Fever,” he said. “But, the catch was that if the song was good enough for the Fever, then she would let me perform it at Conseco (now Bankers Life) Fieldhouse. She gave me her word and I jumped in the studio like Superman!”

It’s like the worst that they could tell me was ‘no’. If you got the dream inside of you, work your behind off it.”

Tevin Studdard on his go-getter mentality
#SaturdaySpotlight feat. Tevin Studdard

TEVIN GOES BEYOND THE MUSIC

Flyer for Tevin Studdard’s grand opening of Tevin’s Vision (Photo Cred: KPRN.TV)

I caught up with Tevin a few weeks ago as he celebrated the grand opening of Tevin’s Vision. On a Wednesday afternoon, Tevin reached out to 100 small business owners and from his newly acquired building inside Washington Square Mall. Tevin would flood the dying establishment with 133 total business owners! Stores like Sears, Montgomery Ward and LS Ayres which occupied the building years ago could never warrant this much traffic! Tevin was filming a new online series called To-Go Plate. He invited chefs and restaurant owners to sample their dishes and highlight their respective businesses.

Tevin Studdard photoshoot for Tevin’s Vision (Photo Cred: Tevin Studdard Twitter Page)
Tevin Studdard on the set of his new online series “To-Go Plate” which features Black chefs and business owners (Photo Cred: C3 Photography & Media)

From there Tevin would proceed to meet and greet with every single vendor that was in the building. I watched as Tevin took plate after plate from every chef! He proceeded to canvas the mall and shake hands and embrace all the vendors in attendance. It was a testament to how much Tevin wants his people to win. On October 2nd, Tevin will be doing it all over again with the second helping of Tevin’s Vision with the goal to have over 200 business owners and vendors on site!

IN CLOSING

(Photo Cred: Tevin Studdard Facebook Page)
Tevin Studdard with the masses as he celebrated the grand opening of Tevin’s Vision in Washington Square Mall (Photo Cred: Tevin Studdard Facebook Page)
(Photo Cred: Tevin Studdard Facebook Page)

One day you’re gonna wake up with your dreams staring you right in the face. You better be ready.

Tevin Studdard

It was a pleasure to meet with such a motivated and driven individual! Stay tuned in for our live interview with Tevin. As always, we thank you for tuning in to the #SaturdaySpotlight and tune in weekly for more dope content!

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TenthLetterMedia & Straight Official presents the #SaturdaySpotlight

Celebrating Hip-Hop, Lifestyle & Culture Straight Official Magazine & TenthLetterMedia presents the #SaturdaySpotlight

#GetSOM via @TenthLetterMedia

For nearly a decade, Straight Official Magazine has been the source for your daily dose of hip-hop, lifestyle and culture. Serving as the home publication for the Worldwide Fleet DJ’s, SOMag has worked to both keep you up-to-date on the latest news in music and entertainment and breaking new artists. When TenthLetterMedia joined the team we began to work to discover the independent talent nationwide. Saturdays were ours as we connected like Voltron to bring readers a dope feature known as the #SaturdaySpotlight.

Perfect TIming

It was during that time the city of Indianapolis was on fire, with a plethora of artists that were making hip-hop more than just a weekend thing. The landscape became more diverse and at the same time, more business minded to change narratives and for some artists like Indianapolis rapper TRAJIK to reach unbelievable heights. The first artist that I covered early in my career that ended up gracing the cover of the city’s largest newspaper as the face of this movement is a testament to the change that he spoke to me about way back in the day. Before he snagged roles as an actor in Empire & Proven Innocent, we featured him in the magazine on the heels of his Welcome To Traptown album release in 2019.

From there, it was all gas and no brakes…

Within the same year, another major talent from Indianapolis began to make noise as producer Playbwoi Tha Great was signed to Bad Azz Music and we were right there with a feature about his dope visual for his single “It’s Clear To Me” from his RockSolidForever 2 album release. In ten years of music journalism, I have sat down with some of my favorite artists, but there’s something about doing so with not only hometown artists, but with friends that makes these features hit different.

Like when we got to chop it up with the homie Matthew “M-80” Markoff on the heels of his comeback to the mic with his “Done Done It” release and the amazing interview we had with the one and only T-Quest, we have had a niche for bringing you the brightest and most talented acts from across the land.

And we intend to keep a good thing going…

Left: Matthew “M-80” Markoff, Right: T-Quest

DON’T CALL IT A COMEBACK…

In coming back from a situation that was out of our control, we are formally introducing the weekend feature back to the masses! This time around, we are looking for more than just artists. We’re looking for business owners, models, producers, comedians… whoever you are we want to shine the light on you!! We’re looking to discover more dope artists like T. Harris, Dead Silence, Illy Octane & Ro Wilson.

From Left: Dead Silence, Right Illy Octane

Ro Wilson (Photo Cred: TenthLetterMedia)

As always, we thank you for rocking with Straight Official Magazine & TenthLetterMedia as we celebrate Hip-Hop, lifestyle and culture! If you are interested in being featured in the #SaturdaySpotlight then check out the flyer down below for more information. Stay tuned in for more dope content and remember, it’s the #DueSeason so #GetSOM!!!

T. Harris (Photo Cred: TenthLetterMedia)
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Rick Ross Claims Next Project To Be “His Best Yet” | @RICKROSS

NEWARK, NEW JERSEY – AUGUST 26: Rapper Rick Ross attends the 2019 MTV Video Music Awards red carpet at Prudential Center on August 26, 2019 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images)

#GetSOM via @TenthLetterMedia

RICK ROSS is back in the news again. The Miami rapper is confident his new album Richer Than I’ve Ever Been, will be his magnum opus. Even without an official release date or track listing, Rozay feels as if this will be the one that will get the fans back excited.

Rick Ross (Photo Cred: Rap-Up.com)

RTIEB was set to be released earlier this year. Ross took his time and delayed the project to take more time in perfecting it. Ross was on The Bakari Sellers Podcast not too long ago and he spoke highly on the album and what fans should expect.

(Photo Cred: HipHopDX)

“Really I feel this is the best album. I make progress every day. The words I use, the positions I’m in. The things I’m able to say. Some of the stuff I’m saying on the album gon’ separate this album from others. A lot of people are going to say Rozay shouldn’t have did thaaaat. I think I should. Why not? That’s what the game needs. I’m only going to bring what the game needs.”

Rick Ross-The Bakari Sellers Podcast

Finally, Ross is also attempting to get his driver’s license. With many luxurious cars at his disposal, the Maybach Music general has taken to social media to air out his grievances with the DMV. The pursuit has been trivial and comical, as you can see in the video below.

Rick Ross explains his issues in trying to acquire his driver’s license (Photo Cred: SOHH Twitter Page)

It’s good to know Rozay has a huge heart. Let’s just hope the DMV has the same sized one!

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50 Cent & More Set to Headline 2022 Riviera Maya Golden Sand Festival | @50cent

50 Cent
50 Cent (Photo Cred: Hollywood Reporter)

50 Cent intends to set 2022 off with a BANG! He along with several other artists will be headlining the 2022 Riviera Maya Golden Sand Festival. The event takes place on January 12-16th. The line up that will bring back the flavor of both the 90’s and 2000’s. With performances from Lil Kim, Fat Joe, Kelly Rowland & Ludacris just to name a few! Fif made it official via his Twitter page this week and the anticipation is already beginning to build!

Billboard reports that the winter will heat up with this blend of both Hip-Hop and R&B stars. The idea is to take us back to simpler times. With good music, food and drinks (which are all included in your stay). The four-day, five night event includes pool parties, daily yoga, wellness and meditation sessions and a COVID-19 money-back guarantee. Check out the Pollen website for more information.

#GetSOM via @TenthLetterMedia and check out more Hip-Hop news right here.

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JA RULE & FAT JOE ARE NEXT UP FOR A VERZUZ BATTLE | @jarule @fatjoe

Fat Joe & Ja Rule (Photo Cred: Complex.com)

JA RULE & FAT JOE ARE NEXT UP FOR VERZUZ

The next round of Verzuz has been set! In two weeks, two of New York’s most renowned MC’s will go head-to-head for the culture. Ja Rule and Fat Joe will be LIVE from New York on Tuesday, September 14th. We’ve been treated to some memorable battles so far. Like the unforgettable Lox vs. Dipset battle that left Madison Square Garden looking more like a crime scene when it was all said and done.

(Photo Cred: Twitter.com)

TALE OF THE TAPE

AllHipHop.com reports that after the announcement the Terror Squad and Murder Inc. vets expressed interest in doing a Verzuz. Just not against each other! Ironically, both MC’s wanted 50 Cent as their competition as Fat Joe expressed on The Morning Hustle last year. “I think the guys in the trap, I think the girls, I think everybody [would] be like, ‘Oh wow, we got a Verzuz 50 Cent [with] Fat Joe? Oh, I’m tuning into that joint.’… That’ll be the ideal one.”

Ja also voiced his reasons for wanting to participate in a Verzuz to HipHopDX stating that while “it would make the most sense” to battle 50 Cent that it would be highly unlikely. “Listen, man. Everybody don’t want the smoke. Everybody don’t want this smoke. I got heat. Let me tell you something, when I do my shows, I can rock. I’m telling you it’s like an hour of straight hit records. No filler. All crab meat, n***a. … All meat in that m############ crab cake, n***a.” 

Fat Joe (Photo Cred: Complex.com)

“Ja Rule is sayin’ he loves Hip Hop first and foremost and he wants to do this for the culture. C’mon, you guys want the smoke for real.” 

Fat Joe on The Fat Joe Show
Ja Rule (Photo Cred: Fox News)

But if I did one, if I did do a Verzuz, I would want my Verzuz to be fun. That’s what Verzuz is supposed to be about—the celebration of music and the art, and the artistry.”

Ja Rule on his take on doing a Verzuz

Tickets for the event will go on sale on September 7th. The live stream of the event will take place on the Verzuz Instagram Page as well on Triller and Fite TV apps. It will be an event you WON’T want to miss!!!

#GetSOM via @TenthLetterMedia & check out more Hip-Hop news right here.

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YOUTUBE REACHES 50 MILLION PREMIUM & MUSIC SUBSCRIBERS

(Photo Cred: TheVerge.com)

YOUTUBE REACHES A MILESTONE

You see them every time you try to view that cool video you saw on YouTube. The consistent ads that keep us from what we came to see right away. Tempting us with a one month free trial, that will keep those ads from showing up ever again. While you think that the majority of us would just click on skip, according to Google there are 50 million people who think otherwise. Google is reporting that their YouTube Premium and YouTube Music services have, or at the least extent, have been given a try by 50 million subscribers. The Verge reports that while Google doesn’t break down what that 50 million means, people are growing legs on a continued trend in their YouTube experience.

THE JUMP FROM FREE TO FEE

With the emergence of so many available streaming services, Google is staking claim in the music subscription service industry. YouTube is touting they are the fastest rising streaming service of its kind via a global newsletter from Lyor Cohen, Global Head of Music at YouTube. While only reporting back in December of 2020 that they were around the 30 million mark, Google is still accountable for breaking down the significant surge in overall memberships and trial ships during that time period.

Lyor Cohen, Global Head of Music, YouTube (Photo Cred: Wikipedia.com)

The unique offerings of YouTube Music and Premium are resonating in established and emerging music markets alike. We’re seeing impressive growth in countries like Korea, India, Japan, Russia & Brazil where music is a top passion.”

Lyor Cohen

For $9.99 a month, music subscribers are able to enjoy ad-free music downloads of all their favorite music. The premium subscription, billed at $11.99 gives its users the keys to all the doors of YouTube! This includes features that range from being able to play music videos and songs while your device is locked. Or, while you’re busy with another app. This flexibility wasn’t available with Google’s previous attempt at entering the music streaming landscape (Google Play Music). This could be an initial argument as to why Google has seen such a turnaround in subscriptions since 2019.

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KANYE WEST TAKES BEEF WITH DRAKE TO NEW HEIGHTS @kaynewest @champagnepapi

Drake & Kayne West (Photo Cred: GC Images)

KANYE WEST PUSHES THE ENVELOPE

The ongoing beef between Kayne West & Drake has been elevated to new heights. Along with verbal shots fired at each other, West pushed the envelope this week. He took advertising for his Donda release to new levels. This is a move that will hit Drake close to home. As the two artists vie for Billboard spots with West’s Donda release on Sunday and Drake’s Certified Lover Boy release slated for September 3rd, Kayne went so far as to place DONDA billboards throughout downtown Toronto (Drake’s hometown).

IT GOES UP!!

Kayne West places DONDA billboards throughout downtown Toronto and above Drake’s Certified Lover Boy advertisements (Photo Cred: DJ Akademiks Twitter Page)

HipHopDX reports that the two artists jumped their rivalry off after Drake took a jab at Kanye on Trippie Redd’s “Betrayal,” to which Ye responded by channeling his inner Joker and exposing Drake’s home address on social media — a move that got a Joker-esque chuckle out of the OVO rapper. This move by Ye shows that the beef is ongoing and shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

(Photo Cred: Complex.com)

KANYE WEST VS. DRAKE (TALE OF THE TAPE)

Both Donda & CLB boasts several big name features. Drake listed some of his features on the billboards including JAY-Z, Future, Lil Baby, 21 Savage & Young Thug. Kanye’s ongoing story is how verses from Chris Brown and Soulja Boy were removed from the album. Both artists have voiced their angst towards the Chicago MC. Iit should be a sight to see how this long-lasting feud will pan out over time.

LOG IN TO STRAIGHT OFFICIAL MAGAZINE TO GET YOUR ISSUE OF HIP-HOP, LIFESTYLE & CULTURE

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[MUSIC VIDEO] Zachery Le’on Releases “Black Elderberry” Music Video

*Original Publish Date August 15th 2021

Zachery Le’on (Photo Cred: Francis Nwoso)

#GetSOM via @TenthLetterMedia

ZACHERY LE’ON is riding the wave of his fifth studio project release Black Elderberry to rave reviews. Le’on planned to release the project last summer. The ongoing pandemic had something to say about that. Now that everyone’s officially back outside, what better way for Le’on to flex than to drop the official music video for Black Elderberry this week!

Zachery Le’on – Black Elderberry

Hailing from Indiana, Le’on has become a mainstay in the Indianapolis Hip-Hop landscape. The laid back and meticulous flow of Le’on flows smoothly with the track produced by Hungerforce. Black Elderberry is a ride-out track with serious replay potential! Shot at Cleo’s Bodega and produced by Najah Tai, the video features cameos from some of Naptown’s most renowned artists including SKYPP and Mr. Indiana just to name a few.

(Photo Cred: Francis Nwoso)

Do it for the love, not the money and fame/Do it for the west 28th is what I claim/Do it for the city, they’ll remember the name/If you ain’t following the road to progression, get out my lane

Zachery Le’on-Black Elderberry
(Photo Cred: Francis Nwoso)

Check out the official music video for Black Elderberry down below. As always, we thank you for rocking with TenthLetterMedia & Straight Official Magazine as we celebrate Hip-Hop, lifestyle and culture!

Black Elderberry is available NOW for steaming and download! You can get your copy by clicking here.

You can follow ZACHERY LE’ON on all platforms at Linktree at @zacheryl3on

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WE’RE BACK!!!

#GetSOM via @TenthLetterMedia

hack /hak/ v.

2..use a computer to gain unauthorized access to data in a system.
“they hacked into the bank’s computer”

SO WHAT HAPPENED??

You think that it can never happen to you, right? We’re all cautious to a fault when it comes to our online security. You take all necessary precautions to protect what matters most from changing passwords to cache cleaning.

But then one day you wake up and grab your phone or head to your laptop. You notice things aren’t the same from the night before. Passwords aren’t working and it’s causing you to really think to yourself…

“Have I been hacked?”

This trend took a major turn last week as the country of Afghanistan was overtaken by the Taliban. The country’s media organizations as well as their entire government was taken down by a group of hackers known as the Yemen Cyber Army. The world has been watching as the regime has had the people of Afghanistan in the grip of fear over the past 48 hours.

What our readers saw when trying to access Straight Official Magazine amidst the fall of Afghanistan on Monday evening (Photo Cred: TenthLetterMedia)

No one’s exempt to these types of attacks. TenthLetterMedia and Straight Official Magazine both were hacked on Monday night. Our readers saw a dark screen with the headline “HaCKED By Yemen YE ALI. ” This has us down for a few hours initially. I was in a line at a local gas station earlier in the day and read a headline on a newspaper that said AFGHANISTAN FALLS . The subheading read “Yemen Cyber Army Takes Down Government.”

Afghan citizens pack inside a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III as they are transported from Hamid Karzai International Airport in Afghanistan, Sunday, Aug. 15, 2021 (Photo Cred: CNN.com)

I thought to myself, “that’s way over there and I don’t see how that can affect us.” Once the site was up, we were hacked once again. We were wiped out as our coding team caught wind to what they were doing.

All of our hard work just gone in less than 24 hours. There were so many questions. Why us??

SO WHAT’S NEXT??

Lucky for us, we have one of the best coding teams in the business! This slight hiccup only sets us back in terms of content. Before the hack, we were revamping Straight Official as this year marks the ten-year anniversary of the publication. As the FLEET DJs home publication, our staff consists of the coalitions’ best writers, DJ’s, radio personalities and models. Each member spending the course of a decade making names for themselves through these digital pages.

We intend to get the eyes of the world on Fleet by getting to know them better. With over 500+ members and growing, there will be endless stories to tell on how this organization is changing lives. We will also celebrate all facets of our changing society and culture. We’ll have fingers on the pulse of news, health and wellness, sports, technology and much more. We are launching several new podcasts, including the new Straight Fire Podcast which will premiere this month via Twitch.

Straight Fire Podcast Host List (Photo Cred: Da Artist Workshop)

WE’RE LOOKING FOR YOU!!!

In the pursuit of our vision, we have found the best success when we have the manpower to do so. We are building both brands and a publication that will represent the views and beliefs of the people. What better way to do that then to include the people that we cater to! The possibilities are endless with a network that promotes both unity and growth. You don’t have to be a DJ to join Fleet! They are in pursuit of the best in a variety of fields related to the music & entertainment industry.

Log on to www.fleetdjs.com or at www.straightofficial.com and apply to join the hottest online publications in the industry! We are looking for bloggers, vloggers, writers, photographers, videographers, models, interns and much more. We intend to keep grinding for another ten years and we’d love to have you along for the ride!

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