“hey, girl, what’s the deal?” I love every time Michelle called me and texted with that greeting. it’s so unique to everything she does and says: being her authentic self with some razzle dazzle. there are so many moments and memories I have of her that capture just that, and it’s been cathartic to hear during this difficult time how she also impacted so many other people with her special spirit and voice.💚
Chellez is the ultimate best friend who became family. the kind of sisterhood they write books and movies about, but this was super real, through the ups and downs. having her in this lifetime with Laura, Inez, Iran, Yobi and Susie is a profound blessing. sharing is caring, and even in friendship, L did that when she introduced us. and to witness her connection with Natalie, Nicole and especially Shayna. in getting to know her mother Minerva and her family over the years, I understood why Chellez is so loyal.
I’m going to miss our adventures and the joy and silliness that flowed from her soul. watching hours of Peewee’s Playhouse together, our rap talks, and connecting on family, friends, fun and fckry. we were each other’s confidants. listening to her express herself through music was ill. she’s the best DJ. so proud of where her talent and skills took her in her career, even behind the scenes. as hard as it was, I felt honored to be asked and write her obituary to celebrate the amazing person she is.
I am so grateful to God that our lives aligned recently, that we got to spend time together and have our conversations. we went to eat at a Thai spot, and if you know, she loves her some Thai. then walked and talked as we sat at a bus stop until nearly 4 a.m. real NY shit. she kept laughing and saying not one bus was stopping for us, even though we weren’t trying to get on it anyway.
she never forgot about me, despite how busy life gets. I will always treasure our last call. this is the most difficult part. while another life has begun for her, the love we all have for her here is immense. a piece of my heart is gone. to hear that laugh again will be heavenly. in Michelle’s words, “Cheers to everlasting friendship. My soulmates for life.”
everyone loves a good story time so here we go.🙂 I’ve been working on this interview with Pooh Shiesty for three years. unfortunately, when he went to prison, he was at the height of his career and wasn’t able to enjoy what he had worked hard for. “Back in Blood” was booming and we had just put him on the Freshman cover.
when he was released this year, he could’ve gone to anyone for his first post-prison interview after being gone for so long, but he and his team trusted me to help share his story. I appreciate that because it doesn’t always work out that way no matter how long you’ve been putting the effort into it. I actually interviewed him twice in a two-week span.🗓️
in early December, I went to Texas to connect with Pooh Shiesty about getting a second chance. he’s aware that things could’ve went very differently for him. Pooh’s done everything right since coming home, including making a hit with “FDO.”🎶
I also got the opportunity to produce the BTS for his “FDO” music video while I was out there. spoke to video director Cotto0verdidit, “FDO” producer TP808s and Big30 while Pooh was doing his thing. his rose gold car collection is elite. one thing I didn’t know is that it gets cold in Texas. I went and bought gloves out there for day 2 since we were going to be outside for the video shoot and I’m a big baby when it comes to the slightest bit of cold.🥶
Pooh, V, Ariana, Carla, Shauna and Sean all helped make this happen. and if it wasn’t for Selam continuing to say my name, we wouldn’t have gotten this far. 💚 while you’re relaxing from all the Christmas craziness, watch the videos at the link in my bio. 🫶🏼
this cover is a statement on many levels. J.I.D and Joey Bada$$ each had a remarkable year so far and dropped standout albums reflective of their skills. if you’ve heard both projects, the bars are immaculate.🤌🏼 and that’s why they’re here: they’re pushing lyricism forward. it’s amazing to see where they’ve come from and headed to in the process. witnessing their career growth is so dope, like working at the Freshman shoot with J.I.D or speaking to Joey back in the All-Amerikkkan Bada$$ days.
really proud of this issue. a lot goes into making the magic happen and what nobody sees. the cover coming together is a full-time job on its own, so two teams having to synergize.🤯 Vanessa killed that! the rest of the features are so solid and I appreciate every publicist and writer who worked with me to get those over the finish line. we did that.🫶🏼
I interviewed Joey for the cover, so if you’re down for an insightful convo, my link in bio has the story. V talked with J.I.D. I also spoke to both Joey and J.I.D individually for their solo video chats coming soon. and who doesn’t love a play on words. I created the Bars & Noble cover line and seeing people take time out to say it’s hard makes me smile.😊I used to sit on the floor of Barnes & Noble, look at the magazines I wanted to write for then jot down the names of editors so I could reach out to them to pitch ideas. it’s a fun full-circle moment.
other interviews include Hit-Boy, Chance The Rapper, Rob49, KenTheMan, Bay Swag, Curren$y, Wallo267, Hurricane Wisdom, Babyfxce E, Hanumankind, Ghostface Killah, Conway the Machine, Pluto, TiaCorine, singer Isaiah Falls, comedian Josh Joshson, Vice President of Music at SiriusXM and Pandora Joshua “J1” Raiford and a deep dive into how the art of the album rollout looks these days highlighted by Clipse’s excellent album, Let God Sort Em Out. link in bio if you’d like to buy an issue.🔗💚
Photography by Ahmed Klink
JID styled by Alanna Holton Rose
J.I.D cover interview by Vanessa Satten
Joey Bada$$ styled by Aaron Christmon + Marquise Miller
Joey Bada$$ cover interview Georgette Cline
Group video interview by Jordan Lo
Video filmed + edited by Sean Edwards
daily reminder: you are beautiful and real 💚 thanks @envsnfest
and since I haven’t told a joke in a while: what do you call a fish who raps? Swim Shady 😂🐠
