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Dragon’s Den star Levi Roots is headlining Let’s Do Business Brighton next week. The entrepreneur will speak about how he turned his Reggae Reggae Sauce into a multimillion-pound business on Thursday (May 12). Doors open at the Brighton Racetrack event at 10am and Levi will be speaking between 11am and noon. The exhibition will feature over a hundred businesses showcasing their services and products, as well as free Google workshops during the afternoon and speed networking at 2.30pm. Admission is free. Event organiser Wes Game said: “We are delighted to welcome along this year’s guest speaker, Levi Roots, who will be recounting his inspiring story tracing his route to fame and fortune. “Let’s Do Business Brighton is a fantastic opportunity to connect with hundreds of business owners and companies under one roof in a friendly environment, so call in for a visit anytime between 10am and 4pm.” The Let’s Do Business Group is a not-for-private profit company helping businesses to start-up and grow throughout the south east of England. Source

Legendary reggae singer Bunny Wailer had to cancel a last-minute gig he had on Friday in Fort Lauderdale due to the flu, according to a statement issued by the musician's agent. He also canceled a Sunday show in Atlanta. Fans had gathered in the Culture Room to see singer perform on stage when a midnight announcement revealed that Wailer, 69, was in the hospital where they were running tests. "To my Fort Lauderdale and Atlanta fans, I have been unable to fulfill the last two dates of my 40th anniversary Blackheart Man Tour in your area … due to a viral flu that had been affecting my band since we hit Austin, Texas (April 17)," Wailer said in an announcement released by his agent. Wailer's statement said he and his musicians were at "various stages of recuperation." Wailer praised his band for delivering a full roster of shows "despite the uphill battle and toll" the illness had presented. The Fort Lauderdale and Atlanta gigs were Wailer's final two dates of a 16-city North American tour, which kicked off April 13 in San Francisco. Wailer hopes to reschedule his missed show at the Culture Room for later this summer.

Among the myriad R&B samples that appear on Drake's fourth studio offeringViews -- ranging from Ray J's "One Wish" to Mary J Blige's "Mary's Joint" -- one standout cameo comes from dancehall legend Beenie Man. After Views' release on Apple Music late Thursday night (April 28), the Jamaican star gushed to Billboard about Drizzy's breezy number "Controlla," previously released as a collaboration with dancehall act Popcaan, which contains a sample of Beenie Man's 1995 track "Tear Off Mi Garment." Below, Beenie Man discusses how he landed on "Controlla" and offers an update on his forthcoming Unstoppable album. Drake samples your song "Tear Off Mi Garment" on "Controlla" from his new album Views. Did he reach out to you first? They reached out to me to clear the sample then he reached out to me to do an intro for the song [Ed. Note: Beenie Man appears at the end of "Controlla."] It’s a big deal. For somebody to take a song that I’ve been done for 15 years, to release and put it out -- it’s a big deal. It’s always great. For him to idolize me like that, it’s a big deal.[Laughs] Drake has been dabbling in dancehall. Why do you feel like mainstream artists are embracing it more on their records? Dancehall is in the mainstream now. [Sings the hook to Rihanna's "Work"] No. 1 Billboard song. Dancehall is a culture that everyone wants to be a part of. Nobody wants to be part of a culture with no meaning in it. Right now, everybody tries to kick it with the dancehall. It’s our music. And it’s not going nowhere. We make dancehall so we can feel good about ourselves. When everybody starts singing "daggering, daggering, back it up, back it up," [it's clear] we set the trend. We’re not here to change it. As the self-proclaimed king of dancehall, do you feel like you have to protect the culture? I have to protect the culture. Even when I go on tour, I don’t do other songs, just dancehall music. I introduce the world to what dancehall is 'cause I’m the king of it, and I have to work to keep it up. Jamaica needs trendsetters. They make a trend so the next artist can follow that trend. I stand for dancehall 100 percent and I’m still working and making music for a new album, Unstoppable. [I've been] working on it for nine years now. [Laughs] When are you expecting to release the album? I will release the single next month on [May] 25th then after that, the album. Akon is on the album as well. There are a few artists on the album but I don’t really want to say. Source

Currently one of the most sort after tickets in the international Reggae space, Entertainment soul recording artiste Nesbeth was in fine form over the weekend when he invaded Barbados for the 2016 installment of the much publicized Reggae On The Hill Festival held at the Farley Hill National Park. Commencing with a beach party on Sunday, April 24th the week-long festivities culminated on Sunday, May 1st with a stellar line-up boasting names such as Alaine, Natural Black, Richie Spice, Romain Virgo, Freddie McGregor, Chronixx & The Zinc Fence Redemption Band, Nesbeth and a plethora of local talent. Kicking off the proceeding at approximately 11am the crowd enjoyed a flurry of acts before silence inundated the venue as the night’s penultimate act Nesbeth prepared to enter the stage. According a review on the front page of the ‘Daily Nation’ one of Barbados’ national tabloids, “The most commanding performance came from Jamaican Nesbeth who received the loudest crowd response. Then there was silence and for a brief moment, the pulsating vibes at Reggae On The Hill were placed on mute as the lone voice of the Jamaican Reggae star paid tribute to his late wife Ann-Marie Elliot. The singer of the popular song ‘My Dream’ told the large crowd at the Digicel 4G Reggae Festival at Farley Hill about their love story before singing an acapella, the number he sang at his wife’s funeral in March it was then that the fans allowed the singer to soak in the moment.” …And indeed he did, and soon thereafter the vibe was back at fever pitch as the Trench Town native unraveled classics such as Gunz Out , Board House, So Let It Be, Taste Victory before closing off his thirty minutes set to much fanfaronade with the monster hit My Dream. “I would like to personally thank the organizers and the people of Barbados for the wonderful reception they have given me . It was a very humbling experience and I will definitely say… this will not be my last time on this beautiful island” – a sweat drenched Nesbeth told members of the international media following his performance. Prior to Barbados, Nesbeth an avid supporter of the impoverished and disenfranchised sect of our society was in the U.S lending his support to help raise funds for the New Jersey based non-profit organization JAHJAH (Jamaicans Abroad Helping Jamaicans At Home) Foundation. The primary goal of the Foundation is to help improve the quality of healthcare that is delivered at public hospitals and health centers in Jamaica. Another of their goals is the commitment to assist with improving education on the island. Meanwhile, on the musical front Nesbeth has released the much anticipated follow-up to his monster hit ‘My Dream’ the new single dubbed D.I.A.L (Devil Is A Liar) in the same vein as its predecessor aims to inspire while dismissing detractors with a simple but very direct message. This carefully crafted composition conceptualised at the iconic Tuff Gong Studio, recorded at Mixing Lab and mixed by virtuosos Barb Wiya Music is very trancy, makes you feel inspired and lifted with it cross appeal. The amazing harmonies that rang out in "My Dream" are very evident in D.I.A.L. The lyrics, though simple, are masterfully woven together.

Born to Dominican and Cuban parents, Alexandra Tatis is a New York City native who has beaten the odds and has overcome the status quo when it comes to being a minority in the United States. Although faced with adversity and difficult moments in her life she has been able to rise above the critics through her love and dedication to writing. Ever since Ms Tatis was a young girl she has always loved writing. She received the talent from writing from her father who although he doesn’t live in New York, Ms Tatis was very much influenced by him. Alexandra Tatis is currently working on her 3 book series which you will see in your local bookstores and all book tech platforms soon. Her 3 book series will give you deep inside look of her life growing up in New York City and her struggles with depression and anxiety. Although deep and mystic writing style, those who have read her drafts say that with this series she will be able to impact other people’s lives, man or woman. Her books will have a bit for everyone from those trying to make it out the hardships of life to the successful who are still holding back from life. Ms.Tatis is a humble, joyful, witty, passionate, deepx mystic and wild spirit; she is a force to be reckoned with and once the world finds out about who she is and her come from, trust that not only will she make a difference in your life but without you even knowing she will make a difference in your family's life as well. Ms. Tatis mission is to guide people to tap into their imagination through free writing. She is passionate about bringing forward the stigma of mental and emotional issues in the POC community. She wants to take a stand through Transformational /Expertinal work to touch, move and inspire the planet and guide people to feel empowered and heal through their struggles and not feel powerless. Ms. Tatis resigned from her day job as an Staffing Coordinator in the Medical Field and is currently working on her 3 books series. She is also a Leadership Senior Coach as part of being in Service and Contribution. She will obtain a certicfication to become an Empowerment Life Coach this year and is also working her way to contributing articles of self reflection and tips in publications. Ms. Tatis is ready to play to win and she wants to shift the planet with love and understanding one person at a time.

CODE announced the winners of its third annual Burt Award for Caribbean Literature, which recognizes outstanding writing for young adults by Caribbean authors, at the 2016 NGC Bocas Lit Fest in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. Tamika Gibson received the first prize of $10,000 CAD for her first novel, De First Family. Born in Trinidad and Tobago, Ms. Gibson now lives in the US Virgin Islands. Florenz Webbe Maxwell of Bermuda won the second prize of $7000 CAD for Girlcott, and Danielle Y.C. McClean of Trinidad and Tobago, now based in Tennessee, took home the $5000 CAD third prize for The Protector's Pledge. The winners were selected by a jury administered by The Bocas Lit Fest and made up of writers, literacy experts and academics from the Caribbean and Canada. The three 2016 winners: Danielle Y.C. McClean, Tamika Gibson and Florenz Webbe Maxwell De First Family and Girlcott are unpublished manuscripts, and The Protector's Pledge was self-published. CODE will facilitate the publication of all three novels by connecting the authors with Caribbean publishers, and will also purchase up to 6000 copies of the winning titles and donate them to schools, libraries and community organizations across the region. “It is a great thrill to discover and recognize such fine literature for youth,” said CODE Executive Director Scott Walter. “Our job now is to ensure the novels end up in the hands of young readers throughout the Caribbean. High quality, culturally relevant books have long been known to help encourage the love and habit of reading, and these winning titles are sure to find an eager audience.” “We are all winners - readers, writers, society, the book industry,” says Marina Salandy-Brown, founder and director of the Bocas Lit Fest, “our partnership with CODE is a high impact one, and it is now up to us in the region to do our part in nurturing the intelligent and passionate readers of the future, using these wonderful literary tools that have been put at our disposal. We are very grateful to CODE.” The 2016 shortlist also included: The Demise of the Queen’s College Adventure Club by 2015 first-place winner Imam Baksh; The Truth Is by 2015 third-place winner Lynn Joseph, Trinidad & Tobago; and Barberry Hill by Carol Mitchell. The Burt Award for Caribbean Literature was established by CODE—a Canadian charitable organization that has been advancing literacy and learning for 55 years—in collaboration with the Literary Prizes Foundation. CODE’s Burt Award is a global readership initiative that includes programs in the Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, and Canada. To date, CODE has distributed 15,000 award-winning books to readers in eleven Caribbean countries. It further supports local writing and publishing through workshops for writers and editors and through reading promotion initiatives, such as sponsoring events that connect winning authors directly with young readers. About CODE With 55 years of evolving success, CODE is Canada's leading international development agency uniquely focused on advancing literacy and education in some of the world's regions in greatest need. By acting to establish and ignite engaging learning environments through the development and publishing of locally authored and designed children books, training teachers and teacherlibrarians, resourcing libraries as well as distributing significant numbers of high quality reading materials, CODE focuses on inspiring young minds to improve their literacy and comprehension with the hope that they become critical thinkers and life-long learners, all in working towards nurturing a literate civil society. www.codecan.org.

Astute Aaron Kedar knows a thing or two about singing reggae, training, exploring and recording his voice – testing his limits, finding his style - since he was a young boy growing up in a house filled with music of all genres. As Bongo Kanny – releasing his single “Alien Invader” for Map Music in the summer – Kedar shows off a skilled combination of observations, influences and unique delivery culled from everything he has ever done before. Highly rated on the worldwide Roots Reggae scene, Aaron Kedar’s previous credits include working with Ruff Cutt, the Sun cycle crew and even the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Now breaking out as a solo artist in his own right, the North London-based Rastafarian singer is now ready to bring his shrewd social commentary and huge vocal melodies to a bigger audience. The name Bongo Kanny started taking shape in his teens, Kedar, aged 14, searching the dictionary and being captivated by the definition of ‘Canny’ – knowing, prudent, careful and wise… Bongo was a new addition Aaron landed later from other artists and DJs on a visit to Jamaica. He explains: “It’s a term they give to elders, they said it suited me because of the way I conducted myself, I think I was seen as grown up.” Softly-spoken and comfortable in his own skin, Kedar gently pushes home the point that creating this music is the culmination of his life so far; experiences that go way back to the beginning of his own personal life development. Instead of writing a teen angst-ridden diary, he voiced his growing pains and frustrations through speakers. “I’ve always taken myself seriously as a vocalist, since a young age. It helped that I was always surrounded by music – my dad plays the bass – and I was always taken to band rehearsals. I don’t know what happened to me, but I’ve always felt this deep deep love for music, this passion inside of me,” he says. Describing his music as pure roots reggae, Kedar says it was all a painstaking process of elimination when he was first starting out, testing his vocals, listening back, testing again, toying with microphones and turntables in the house. He says: “I chose roots reggae because it’s where I’m allowed to be honest the most, that’s my nature. That’s why I don’t make R&B, I don’t make rock music. I could easily do those things, all types of music inspire me, but I found that it doesn’t fit or suit who I am, my voice.” A wise nature is certainly a bonus for a lyricist who keenly observes the world around him and yet never writes down or records any notes before recording songs. Consistently stretching his curious mind and analyzing his viewpoints, Kedar hopes hard-line topics like the fate of Africa as a nation or outsider politics in the UK can sit side-by-side with party vibe songs. “The music should always help people should feel good, even if they have something to think about when they get home,” Kedar says. “’Hard Road’ is about me expressing to the people who have suffered in the world. Africa for example is still fruitful – there are possibilities there and people must not be afraid of Africa” Kedar enthuses about his new title track. “People have this vision that it is just a dark and corrupt place, but I’ve been there, I’ve seen ordinary people just living, under stress and strain, surviving normal life. I want to remind people not to be swayed by the mass media. I want to be a form of media too. Music is a huge influence on behaviour in people’s actions and reactions. I want to create positive reactions too.” Debating whether it was a conscious or sub-conscious decision to finally sign to the Map Music record label, allowing himself to be marketed for the first time, Aaron Kedar hits the crux of it when he says: “Music always has been a powerful means of communication – I want to communicate with everyone.” Stepping up to the mantle as a prominent artist in his own right, Kedar says it’s still thrilling when he plays live shows with his band. “I’ve played a lot of gigs over the last 10 years, all over, in Germany, France, Switzerland, EXIT festival in Serbia, Spain… I love performing live, it’s one of the highlights. I can just put ‘me’ out there and with the band behind me we can really show off the energy, sharing the musicianship, changing up the musical flow to fit the mood,” he says with real passion. With the new EP in the bag and a debut album in the works, it surely can’t be long before BoNgo KaNny gets to spread his words of wisdom and of course his unique ‘riddims’ to the masses in the UK, Europe, Jamaica and beyond. In May 2014 Bongo Kanny was signed to Born Free Records

A Business to Business networking environment is being created with the aim of giving access to emerging Saint Lucian fashion designers and style and makeup professionals to the 2016 Saint Lucia HOT Couture inner circle of international industry experts here for the event. One of the objectives, therefore, is to enable them to expand their own professional network, meet, learn and exchange ideas. Serenity Park will be transformed into the HOT Couture Design District on May 05 from 10:00 AM until evening. The Design District concept envisages a dynamic environment for designers, trainers, aspirants, buyers and their publics to rub shoulders, forge connections, do business and catch up on trends and opportunities. The post catwalk trunk show, a standard feature of high fashion catwalk events, will be a highlight. As such, patrons interested in pieces from the HOT Couture signature catwalk collections displayed at the Sandals Grande can meet the designers in person and purchase directly. The Design District will be replete with a Beauty Bar for make-over demonstrations, a photographic exhibition, music and a swimwear and accessories showcase. Peruvian Designer Luis Machicao will style a lucky randomly selected person, who will also get to walk away with a Machicao piece. At least two local designers have been named to participate in the Design District showcase – Intimates designer Victor Lascaris (RI Swimwear) and Alvina Prosper with her one-of-a-kind handcrafted jewelry. It is expected that other suppliers will also have the opportunity to showcase their work and do business. Cinnamon Event Productions, producers of Saint Lucia HOT Couture 2016 has been working with the Saint Lucia Tourist Board to ensure a strong legacy component emerges with the presence here of a number of fashion celebrities. Romero Bryan from the UK and Saint Lucian born/US based Myriam Belasse, two top names in UK fashion, will conduct master classes. Some of the other designers will visit schools and deliver inspirational talks on the morning of May 05, and will dedicate the second half of the day to the Design District. For more information about the 25th Annual Saint Lucia Jazz and Arts Festival visit http://www.stluciajazz.org - See more at: http://www.stlucianewsonline.com/b2b-opportunities-shopping-and-entertainment-at-hot-couture-design-district/#sthash.WynUhezg.dpuf

Tatiana Poblah is a Montreal-based artist of Haitian and Beninese descent. Her beautiful illustrations ooze bright colours, femininity, and style. (Be warned…it’s hard to take your eyes off of them!) In an exclusive interview with Pride News, Poblah dished about her culture, her creative processes, and her 225 Portraits of 2016 project. Below you will find the full interview with Poblah: Let me start off by saying that your art illustrations are absolutely stunning! Now that we’ve got the obvious out of the way, start off by telling us where you’re from and a little about yourself. So let me start off by saying thank you for this interview I was born in Montreal. I spent my teenage years in South Florida, and now I’m based in Montreal. I’m a first generation Canadian and my parents are from Benin (West Africa) and Haiti, which was interesting growing up because we were exposed to different cultures – Caribbean, African, American, and Canadian. This exposure influences the way that I approach my art and the way that I design. Did you always want to be an artist? What and/or who inspired you to pursue this? I always knew I wanted to live a creative life. When I was in the first grade I attended a Leonardo da Vinci exhibit which changed my life. I remember seeing drawings of his inventions and seeing the titles next to his name and instantly connecting. My mother saw this in me and pushed me towards a career in art and architecture, and today I hold an AEC in fashion design and both my bachelors’ and masters’ in Landscape Architecture. If you had to pick one artist who you admire the most, who would that be? I’m not sure whether the word is admire, but rather respect for me. I admire people who create something and make it incredible whether it’s in an artistic field, in business or in science. When it comes to artists in visual arts, however, I respect those who lived full artistic lives and who impacted their peers and the generations after them – Pablo Picasso, Frida Kahlo, Elsa Schiaparelli, Salvador Dali, Andy Warhol, Antonio Lopez, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Jeff Koons are some of the ones whose careers I study most. What tool (paint, pencils, markers) do you use to create your pieces? Why? I draw using markers. I learned to paint with watercolors and acrylics before I started using markers but I had no patience to wait so I switched to markers. I love them because of how they flow, because they blend well, and because the colors are so saturated. We’ve noticed you only feature females in your illustrations. Can you tell us why? I grew up in a very woman centric environment. My mother is a beautiful and intelligent woman and all her friends were the same way. Growing up, I saw all these Black women with degrees, careers, and families, who were always dressed well and spoke impeccably, and who were so lovely to be around. I loved it. I loved seeing them at parties with their bright lipsticks, chiffon dresses, big hats, and colorful scarves, while we kids looked like little princesses and princes. It made me think that being a woman was wonderful, and it stuck with me when I began to draw girls. Where do you get inspiration for your future illustrations? It depends. Sometimes I draw inspiration from the past, sometimes, I draw friends and loved ones, and sometimes I am inspired by bad ass women with great style. How long do your illustrations usually take to create? I like to work quickly with markers while they are wet, so on average an 8×10 illustration takes me about 1-3 hours to create and scan. If I am doing a digital collage (working with hand drawings and digital images) it can take 1-3 days, because I have to sketch, lay it out, draw, and create the collage. I usually like to wait a bit to edit the piece to let it sink in. On your website you talk about your 225 Portraits of 2016 project. Tell us about this and what inspired you to start it? How did you come up with the number 225? Does it have significance? I undertook a “365 days of Illustrations” challenge in 2013 and it was so much fun that at the beginning of the year I decided to produce 225 portraits this year. I don’t draw portraits often and I thought it would be nice to develop a new skill. I take on these challenges to force myself to draw more often. I wanted to draw and post on weekdays so I chose 225 as the number of days I thought would make sense for my schedule. 225 portraits in a year sounds like a big task! Tell us a little bit about your artistic process. When is the best time of day for you to create? Day? Night? Do you listen to music while you’re creating your art? Are there any other specific rituals involved in the process? There are days when 225 portraits sounds like a crazy undertaking to me as well, but I take it one portrait at a time. I usually sketch and then draw a week’s worth of illustrations on weekends, and I prefer drawing in the morning because there is more light. I used to do all my art late at night but recently, my brain is mush at night. I rarely listen to music when I draw, but I do like to have my favorite action movies like the Blade and Bourne trilogies playing in the background. I also need to have all my materials set out before I start because I rarely take a break before completing each piece. What piece of advice would you give to any emerging artists? Being an artist is wonderful but it’s like any other career choice – you have to put in the work. You keep at it, you improve your skills, you challenge yourself, you grow, and you start again in order to create the best body of work you could possibly leave behind; because at the end of the day, you are the only person who is responsible for the creation of your work. What is the best life lesson you’ve learned thus far? I have not accepted all projects that I have been offered because I knew what goals I have for my work. Some people have called me silly for doing so, but I have stood my ground and now I am proud that I have done so. When I was younger, at times I questioned myself, but as I have grown older and more experienced, I have more faith in my skills, myself, and the universe so I am happy that I chose to be authentic to myself and my art. For more information on Poblah or to purchase her illustrations, visit:www.tatianapoblah.com. Follow her on Twitter: twitter.com/tatianapoblah and Instagram:www.instagram.com/tatianapoblah/. Tatiana Poblah is a Montreal-based artist of Haitian and Beninese descent. Photo courtesy of Tatiana Poblah Source

Actress and Grammy nominated recording artist Antonique Smith joins the cast of the upcoming FOX police brutality series, "Shots Fired". Antonique joins the already revealed A-list cast; Sanaa Lathan, Helen Hunt, Richard Dreyfus, Stephen Moyer andTristan Wilds, just to name a few. The Gina Prince-Bythewood and Reggie Rock Bythewoood penned and Brian Grazer produced "event series" is inspired by recent events that have sparked national outrage and the Black Lives Matters movement. "Shots Fired" examines the dangerous aftermath of the racially-charged shootings in a small town in North Carolina. Lathan stars as an expert investigator and Smith plays a potential key witness to a murder in the town. In honor of Earth Month, on Friday, April 29th, 2016, Antonique Smith will be releasing her latest music video for the moving power ballad, "All We Really Have Is Now" from her debut EP, "Love Is Everything". The climate-crisis focused visual, serves as a reminder of the natural disasters and fatalities that we are facing due to climate change while also reminding us to appreciate who and what we have because tomorrow is not promised. A New Jersey native, Antonique's approach was to highlight Hurricane Sandy in 2012 and all the lives that were lost due to the climatic causes. "All We Really Have Is Now" Full video will be released on Friday, 4/29 ABOUT ANTONIQUE SMITH: Antonique Smith is a singer, songwriter, actress, and social justice activist, primarily known for her starring role in the blockbuster film, Notorious, as well as her leading role in the Broadway musical, RENT. In 2015, she was nominated for a Grammy Award in the Best Traditional R&B Performance category. Antonique is currently being seen in the TV One original film, "Stock Options". Later this summer, Antonique will co-star in the upcoming Queen Latifah executive produced film, "Deuces" and will have a recurring role in the newly announced FOX drama-series, "Shots Fired", Executive Produced by Gina Prince-Bythewood and Empire's executive producer, Brian Grazer. Having been on a 20 city "Act On Climate" tour with the Hip Hop Caucus and also singing for the Pope's climate rally for over 100,000 people on the National Mall in D.C., Antonique is a serious advocate for climate justice and human rights. For more information, please visit www.FollowANT.com and follow her via Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. CONNECT WITH ANTONIQUE SMITH: Facebook: /AntoniqueSmithFB Twitter: @AntoniqueSmith Instagram: @AntoniqueSmith

When Sondra Anderson moved to New York City in 2010, she had no plans of being in the entertainment business , much less in a position to make an important impact on the industry. Being adopted at age 2 from South Korea and raised by an American family in Minnesota in an all white community, her own identity was unclear to her before moving to the East Coast. When she married her Director/Producer husband, Lorenzo, in 2011 and was asked by him to be his entertainment manager, her eyes were opened to what the industry was really like and her passion to make a change in it became a mission that she can now stake claims to as her own. In 2012 she formed her company, Poyzen Productions, with one of its main goals being to bring more Asian American entertainers into the forefront of the industry. Her first project was The A-Style, a reality show with an all Asian American cast of aspiring entertainers. The series was released on Sondra's YouTube channel, Poyzen TV. It's success helped bring Sondra and her company to what will ultimately be a major point in dealing with Hollywood's continued struggle with its lack of Diversity . In 2015. Sondra and Lorenzo, who happens to be black, created a drama series, called The Fever. The storyline revolves around the main character, Amber Choe, the owner of a high end matchmaking services that specializes in interracial couples. But diversity not only lies in the shows storyline but also in its very diverse and unique cast and most importantly in its main character, Amber, who is not only Asian but is also a Lesbian. Sondra's role as the shows Executive Producer took a major turn while also doubling as the shows casting director and trying to find an Asian actress in New York willing to take on such a provocative role involving partial nudity and lesbian love scenes and lots of four letter words that don't exactly fit the stereotype of a young Asian American woman. That said, Sondra took on the daunting task of becoming Amber Choe in The Fever with her husband Lorenzo being both the shows writer and director. Amber Choe and The Fever are the epitome of what's missing in terms of diversity in Hollywood and American media. An Asian American actress in a non stereotypical role as the shows lead character being written and directed by an African American male., with a storyline revolving around diverse relationships with a cast that includes Caucasian, black, Asian, Hispanic and East Indian and mixed-race actors. Characters that are straight, lesbian, bi-sexual, good, bad, but are anything but stereotypical set in the melting pot of the world, “New York Fucking City” as Amber says to one of her clients. The shows pilot episode has already generated the attention of at least one major networks which sent a rep to one of the production dates but in December 2015 the new startup VOD platform, Cineplay TV made firsts moves on the show and acquired distribution rights for the full season scheduled to be released in September 2016. Thus Sondra Anderson and her character, Amber Choe, have a an important mission to show Hollywood what diversity is all about both in front and behind the camera. The Fever is now in full production. In New York City .

On Sunday April 24 Lil’ Kim shocked her fans with an unrecognizable new look via her Instagram. Kim, 41, posed with blond hair and puckered lips, hardly bears any resemblance to her former self. Within hours of the photo appearing online, social media users were speaking out about the musician’s drastic makeover. “I grew up listening to Lil’ Kim, I loved her because she was so confident & I admired that, not realizing she was hurting. @LilKim.” one Twitter user wrote. Another fan wrote "Who is this." A Twitter fan remarked, "There's no way this is Lil Kim!" In an interview with Newsweek over a decade ago Lil” Kim that she didn't think she was attractive regardless of what people told her. She blamed her negative interactions with men for her poor self esteem. "All my life men have told me I wasn't pretty enough—even the men I was dating. And I'd be like, ‘Well, why are you with me, then?'" she said. "It's always been men putting me down just like my dad. To this day when someone says I'm cute, I can't see it. I don't see it no matter what anybody says."