Put That Song On Replay

For the second edition of 'Put That Song On Replay' I've decided to honour the shining stars of Afrobeats and so in no particular order...

                  

P Square - Danger
P Square have duo-handily put Afrobeats on the map - they have proved that hard work and perfecting your craft pays off. Paul and Peter Okoye (P Square) are up there with Fela Kuti and King Sunny Ade as one of Nigeria's hottest exports. 

Dewaves - Owo (Money)
This has a very, very, very catchy hook which is always a good thing. Like most songs we hear, 'Owo' (Money) is about getting paid, getting girls and popping champagne.

Wande Coal - You Bad ft. D'Banj
Wande Coal has arrived and he has brought a couple bangers with him. With tracks such as 'Bumper 2 Bumper', 'Who Born The Maga' and 'Taboo' his album Mushin2Mohits is set to be a chart topper. If not I'm sure his nude pictures on Twitter have done enough to keep him relevant until he drops his new album.
NOTE: The link above is to the story about the nude photos not the nude photos.

Jaywon - Gbon Gbon Gbon ft. Terry G
This song has been on my iPod for less than a week and so far I've listened to it 76 times - yes, 76 times (and counting). What can I say this song is a delight to listen to and it's even better to dance to.

Olu Maintain - Yahooze
If you haven't heard this song by now, I really need to ask you, "Where have you been?" This song (although it's based around the notion of fraud) is a certified banger. 'Yahooze' is so popular that even Colin Powell couldn't help but throw up his hands and join Olu Maintain on stage at the Royal Albert Hall in 2008.

30 Seconds In The Mind Of...

Alison Awoyera

A Fab Black Women Only Drinks The Best

Alison Awoyera, 22, born and raised in London is a passionate young journalist. She graduated in 2009 from Kingston University with a degree in Media & Television Studies. Since graduating Alison has been on a mission to conquer the world, she has interned with several big names in publishing and she is now about to wrap up her intern at the Catch 22 Academy.

What couldn't you live without?

This is gonna sound really cliche but I couldn't live without God.

What would you say is your worst habit?

Being abrupt, it's in between being abrupt and talking too much. I've got a lot - I haven't quite figured out a balance.

What do you find really annoying in other people?

Clinginess - excessive clinginess. There are times when I just like my own space.

What is your guilty pleasure?

(Laughs) That sounds really naughty. Pretending I'm in music video - it's quite fun.

Most Treasured Possession?

My heart.


Alison's Favourites
Song
At the moment - Come To The River by Parachute Band


Video
                


Website
Hotmail - not very exciting but I like to check my e-mails on the go

You can follow Alison on TWITTER or check out her BLOG

DesignTwoThreeSeven

2...3...7...Vogue

The Bernie Grant Arts Centre is host to some of London's hottest businesses - Creative Engagement, Martine Rose and of course there's Catch 22.

Fehintola Betiku talks to Ahmed Akashar, founder of Design 237 to find out more about the man of Unit 18.

“When you're a creative your inclination is to be in control of your own destiny,” says 33 year old Ahmed Akasha, the creative director behind the graphic design company Design 237.

From a young age Ahmed had his sights on doing something big, his initial plan for life was to become an architect but after studying Architecture at uni for two years he realised it wasn't for him and found his calling in Multimedia.

Once he had his hands firmly in graphic design he figured it was time to expand and start his own business and in 2003 Design 237 was born.

Ahmed describes his job as being a combination of two things, “As a graphic designer you're somewhere in between art and science - it's a challenge trying to find the balance between beauty and form.”

Design 237 is located in the neighbouring office to Catch 22 and similar to the founder of Catch 22, Tokunbo Ajasa-Olluwa, Ahmed knows of the struggles that young people face when starting up their own businesses.

His advice to young business men and women is, “Have goals set in place, manage your expectations and research”.

Continue to follow Ahmed and check out his MySpace

Just Look Over Your Shoulder

Big Foot?

Last week one of my best friends asked me to come out for a meal, at first I was a little resistant because I'm all about my sleep nowadays and I don't relish in the idea of loosing anymore sleep. 

Anyway I obliged and we ended going to a restaurant in Islington called Mem & Laz and the menu in that place was ridiculous - they cook every meal in any recipe book. 

I ordered Bangers & Mash which was beautiful, I tasted a little Pan Chicken and I dribbled at the sight of their homemade burger and curly fries. The meal was lovely and the prices of the meals didn't send a chill up my spine, but this post isn't about amazing food at good prices, instead this post is about the importance of friends.

We all know defining friends isn't easy, as some so-called "friends" don't deserve the title however for those who can be deemed worthy of the title you've gotta love them.

Real friends know how to put your mind at rest when your stress levels hit an all time high, they know how to make you laugh when you thought you'd never laugh again and when your hurting their actions or words are the most comforting thing in the world.

Nonetheless, I think the key thing about friends is that they ultimately define the type of person you are and although each person in a group of friend has their individual personality traits the thing that keeps your group together is the fact that you have the same views on various issues. 

In the past I have found it very hard to define the type of person I was and I believe that the type of people I was hanging around with was a big part of it because they were nothing like me. So if you find that on more than one occasion you have disagreed with someone in your group of friends or the entire group's view on whatever or just felt uncomfortable because you weren't able to express yourself, then it might be time to think about whether the people you're hanging about with are truly your kind of people.

To conclude, even though making friends is all about accepting people for who they are, that doesn't mean you should compromise who you are because being fake to avoid conflict will only lead to conflict.

Be yourself and be happy. Love the friends that make you happy and leave the ones that...don't!

                      

Untitled

Blinded By Love

I no longer wish to feel like this, the exhaustion is another form of depression.

Rejected by the man that haunts my sleep, I fear one day my heart will seize to beat.

Filled with pain that thing which is trapped between two lungs shall never be released.

The tears are absorbed by my pillow but the emotions flood the page.

Dedicated To The Lover...

I'm Guessing They Found Each Other Irresistible

As I hear the kisses he applies to my neck, my knees start to weaken. 

 

His hands move from my hips to my inner thighs and I’m on my back again, we kiss, the taste he leaves in my mouth is delicious. 

His kisses always keep me hungry but he finds many ways to satisfy my appetite. 

Listening to his heartbeat as I lay on his smooth chest, I can tell that he is as nervous as I am. 

Perhaps afraid? 

Afraid of what we could become. 

I think of things I would be doing if I was not with him, and I get nothing. 

The dates in my diary will always be open, for me to receive his love. 

Love? 

Much more lover, no definition as to what is going on but the moments we spend together I cherish, until we go back to our normal lives.

His scent is a combination of where he rests his head and the things that he wraps his beautiful skin in. 

I close my eyes, when I open them, I see him, I see my lover, my darling lover.

I return to my bed and he sleeps alone in his, I hope.

How I Got My Media Break...

Jean Hannah Edelstein

Thinking Of A Master Plan

Jean Hannah Edelstein, 29, is the news and feature editor of Glamourmagazine.co.uk, she was born in America, brought up in Canada and now works in London as a freelance journalist. To my surprise Jean agreed to talk to me and tell me how she got her break in the media...

I have always been very interested in writing and journalism, when I was 16 I was an editor on the weekly paper at my school. I also worked on my university newspaper and did a master’s degree in media and communications. As a teenager I wanted to work in television but that changed because online media didn’t exist to the extent that it does now.

I got my media break when I starting writing for a magazine that some friends of mine started, called Bad Idea – they didn’t pay anything. However it was a chance for me to get my work published, after that I did work experience at The Sunday Times and the Observer and I also started writing for the Guardian online.

I find my job as an editor both fulfilling and stressful! we have to write, edit and publish many new articles every day - working online means working very quickly. Even though the pressure is constantly on it is lots of fun and I really enjoy it.

My number one piece of advice to aspiring journalists is to gain as much online experience as possible because that is where most jobs are going to be in the future. Also, be prepared to do quite a lot of work for no or very little pay when you’re starting out. I encourage aspiring journalists to be flexible – because jobs are limited and the industry is always changing, if your idea of where you want to work and what you want to do is too fixed then you may well be disappointed and find that it is difficult to progress.

Finally, the quote I live by is... 

"I don't care to belong to any club that will have me as a member"

– Groucho Marx


You can follow Jean at Twitter or check out her blog

Today We Join These Partners In Money Matrimony...

One Ring Too Short?

When my intern ends in five weeks I'll have the opportunity to begin a work placement at one of Catch 22 media partners. Their partners are amongst the UK's biggest publishing houses, such as Redwood Groups, Haymarket, John Brown Groups and Trinity Media.

Below I have chosen my top three partners that I would be honoured to work with...

Conde Nast 

"We create buzz. Build brands. Break boundaries." 

At current Conde Nast own 15 publications and their circulation is 1,539,661 (per issue). Vogue is Conde Nast flagship magazine, the magazine is sold worldwide and is renowned for its innovative fashion shoots.

If I were to work for Conde Nast, I would like to write for GLAMOUR because it is a women's fashion and lifestyle magazine, but unlike Vogue the fashion presented in GLAMOUR is more high street than straight off the catwalk.


Recent News
The managing director of Conde Nast UK, Nicholas Coleridge, has predicted that more publishers will be creating Apps for Apple's iPad.
Read More...

Bauer Media Group

"Bauer Media is a division of the Bauer Media Group, Europe’s largest privately owned publishing Group."

Bauer Media Group is a UK based company which operates on two platforms - Magazines & Radio. The company has a circulation of 2,814,745 (per issue). Grazia is Bauer's most recent publication that has been adopted by the UK with arms wide open.

If I were to work for Bauer Media Group, I would like to write for Grazia as it attracts a similar audience to Conde Nast magazine GLAMOUR, because it is a women's glossy.


Recent News
Bauer Media launching Grazia TV online.
Read More...

National Magazine Company (NatMag)

"NatMag publish some of the most admired and well-established magazines in the UK"

NatMag has a circulation of 3,050,689 and produces consumer magazines.

If I were to work for NatMag, I would like to write for their men's magazine Esquire. Although Esquire is very different from Grazia and GLAMOUR I think it contains similar content but obviously for the opposite sex.


Recent News
Jeremy Langmead, the editor of Esquire magazine after three and half years.
Read More...

Nonetheless I would be more than happy writing for any of Catch 22's partners, so hopefully there's no hard feelings. 

Is Time Running Out?

The Cake I Never Got To Taste

As my Mother hits five decades I think of all the great things I would like to achieve by the time another three decades are added to my life. I think of the unrealistic timeline I have embedded in my mind, you know the one I'm talking about - dream job at 23, married by 25 (27 the latest), kids before 30 and billionaire by 40.


Now I'm 20, meaning I have about two years and a bit to get to where I need to in order to be at my dream job by 23. At 21 I should technically be with the man of my dreams if I'm planning to be waltzing down that isle come 25. Kids aren't at the top of the agenda after watching 'One Born Every Minute' but as for billionaire I have roughly seven years to think of a get-rich-quick scheme that's gonna ensure that I'm living comfortably for the rest of my days.


Looks like my to-do list is going to need more than one sheet of A4...

Put That Song On Replay

So this my first official post - meaning it isn't part of a Catch 22 assignment - and I thought to myself what better way to officially introduce myself other then presenting my five favourite songs at the moment.


Kick starting off the countdown we have...

Aggro Santos - Saint Or Sinner
This song by Aggro Santos formerly known just as Aggro is classic feel good song, that has a catchy hook which will get you singing along and dancing. This is one of the few songs that I can listen to on my iPod during my Tube journeys to work that eases the stress of the overcrowded carriage whilst someone elbows me in the head and my foot becomes victim to trampling.


                 
Diddy Dirty Money - Hello, Goodmorning (Remix) ft. Rick Ross & Nicki Minaj
Hello, Goodmorning by Diddy's group Dirty Money is a certified banger!
I'll be the first to put my hands up and say that Diddy isn't the best rapper hip hop has to offer but I'll also be the first to say that he knows how to make good music. The original version of the song features vocals from Southern rapper T.I. but the remix which features The Boss Rick Ross and our very own Barbie Nicki Minaj make this song a masterpiece.



Ciara - Ride ft. Ludacris
After the disaster that was Fantasy Ride Ciara is back with the first single from her fourth album Basic Instinct. Ride is a very sexy track in which I think Ciara has gone back to what she is good at - which is keeping the her pitch of her voice at a level which listeners won't find jarring. If this track is anything to go by then she might actually have a chance to give her competitors a run for their money.


                  
Florence + The Machine - Blinding
I absolutely love this song, literally there is nothing more I can say about this track - just listen to it!

Tinchy Stryder - In My System
The Prince of Grime is holding onto his thrown with his new single. In My System fits the sound of that what is being played on the airways throughout the UK. It's clear to see he has come a long way from his Mainstream Money days as he is definitely cashing in them cheques.

30 Seconds In The Mind Of...

Savrina Joseph

It's Savrina Not Sabrina

Savrina Joseph, 25, was born in Leyton but raised in Essex and she's the oldest of three children. She graduated in 2007 from Thames Valley University with a degree in Journalism. Since graduating she has interned at various organisations and been an administrator on a youth project. Savrina is currently embarking on one of her most challenging interns at the Catch 22 Academy in North London.

What couldn't you live without?

My phone.

What would you say is your worst habit?

When I talk I use my hands - I'm doing it right now.

What do you find really annoying in other people?

Rudeness. I can't stand rude people.

What is your guilty pleasure?

It's quite lame - I'm a Saturdays fan. It's not something I go around telling people.

What is your dream job?

To become a fashion journalist for Elle magazine.

Savrina's Favourites

Song

Bang, Bang, Bang by Mark Ronson ft. Q-Tip & MNDR

Video

Website

ASOS

You can follow Savrina on TWITTER or check out her BLOG