Gianni- Detroit’s Next Sizzling Rap Act

By Efe Iyare  (11/10/2015)

Beyond punchlines, metaphors and freestyle, Ikechukwu Orabuchi alias Gianni, is talent mixed with panache. Besides almost always exhausting large notes with scribbled words and metaphors, Gianni is consistently honing his craft and anticipating his big break. Currently independent, the Detroit talent is eager to echo his voice in the hip hop scene as he anticipates making a grand entrance. With two hot singles (Till Death ft CoalCash Blac and gods) and videos already in the internet stratosphere, Gianni is more energized than ever, to stamp his authority as one of the most gifted Mcs of his generation. For Gianni, hip-hop music shaped his formative years, tapping influence from Pac and Biggy tracks, D12 and Eminem. Most recently, he has his ears open to Future, Travis Scott, Drake and Jcole sounds. Gianni represents a refreshing and unique sound that once was considered obsolete in the music scene.

The city of Detroit has not been in the best of economic state; however, the motor city is famous for producing some of the most respected talents in the game such as Eminem, Big Sean and Dej Loaf. Despite starting off independent, Gianni is rapidly growing  a huge online fanbase. His debut track “Till Death” ft Coal Cash Blac, underscores his vibrant and intelligent hip hop persona. Upon its release, the video immediately racked up 10,000 views in less than 2 weeks, not bad for a debut video of a rising act.

Born to Nigerian parents, Gianni never fails to acknowledge his African roots, while still putting on for his city Detroit– the best of both worlds, as he often refers to it. Not many Detroit acts can match up to the talent and passion Gianni brings.

He listens to music and doesn’t limit his ears to just hip-hop. Versatility is key; appreciating different art forms with the potential to harness and create a fine blend, is what he considers true talent.

The Kings of Vine are Cashing Out!

 photo: http://www.ora.tv

By Efe Iyare (@iyareplaymode) 10/17/2015.

Nowadays, people don’t need 15 minutes of fame, they just need 6 seconds or less. Ever since the short-form video sharing service, Vine gained notoriety largely due to some of its comic users who constantly upload quirky and extremely hilarious videos on the platform. These internet sensations have  built a social community, gaining a massive following in the process.

King Bach, Destorm Power, Brittany Furlan, David Lopez, Brandon Calvillo and other prominent Viners have at least 2 million followers on the Platform as well as secondary social platforms like Instagram, Twitter & Facebook which they integrate into their Vine profile. For the most part, these individuals are comedians reflecting on everyday happenings in the neighborhood, in schools, at home or among friends and peers. They communicate in a witty and comic way, providing entertainment for their audience to relate.  Any situation, product, love relationship or celebrity can be used as a subject of comic entertainment cleverly by Viners. King Bach and Jerry Purpdrank for example, are famous for promoting Nike Air Jordan brands of sneakers. Brittany Furlan makes a jest of Dora the Explorer ( A kiddies cartoon) to evoke laughter and fun. David Lopez leverages on Hispanic stereotypes, often playing the role of fictional Mexican character “Juan” a funny and edgy gardener who does all sorts of crazy things.

photo credit: readwrite.com

But it’s not all laughs, Viners are getting smart with their talent, attracting endorsements from some major brands willing to interact and engage their brand with millions of millennials who follow these Vine stars.

King Bach (Andrew Bachelor) for example, has 14 million followers on his Vine Platform (10/14/2015). He has done notable product placement for Jimmy Johns. Jason Hahn (Complex.com) notes that King Bach makes between $10,000-15,000 a month from brand endorsements. Bach has also showcased notable Hollywood celebs in his Vine videos like Don Cheadle, Justin Beiber & Floyd Mayweather. Brittany Furlan (8 million followers), can make up to $20,000 for a branded vine (complex.com). Curtis Lepore, another famous Viner, charges $1,000 for “revining” someone’s video and $16,000 for posting a sponsored message. (complex.com)

Not everyone has to be in Hollywood to be famous and rich nowadays. Having a Vine account and getting creative with it might just cut it.

Source: http://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2014/12/vine-stars-money/curtislepore

America’s Wonder Woman– Hillary Clinton is Poised for the Oval Office

 photo credit: slate.com

By Efe Iyare (@iyareplaymode) 10/13/2015

From First Lady to the 67th United States Secretary of State, to Democratic front-runner, Hillary Clinton proved her mettle in last night’s Democratic presidential debate. Besides her intelligent response to tackling questions and her composed demeanour that surprisingly attracted nods from Donald Trump, Hillary has shown that she has the public’s ear, and she might now have their hearts.

NBC news described her performance as “The Harlem GlobeTrotters vs the Washington Generals.” Despite the never-ending controversy surrounding her private email use, Mrs Clinton remains focused and pursues her ambition for Presidency doggedly to the reproach of the Republican Party.

Photo credit: nydailynews.com

The Democratic debate didn’t have a worthy challenger for Hillary, Sanders was probably the only worthy contender that had anything reasonable to say at the debate, if you also consider the social media mentions his name or quotes received. “Slander displayed the same rhetorical flair he’s shown all campaign. As usual, he identified several real challenges the country faces, passionately condemning income inequality, a “corrupt” campaign finance system, the continuing human contribution to climate change, and overcrowded prisons, among other things.” (Business Insider)

Hillary’s responses reflected an unapologetic tone, as she expressed her views and ideas on what needs to be done to push America forward and change lives. “Debate Hillary Rodham Clinton at your own risk.” Doyle Mcmanus of the LA Times noted. As the political drama continues to unfold like the suspense-filled episodes in Netflix’s House Of Cards, Americans can sit back and expect the best from Mrs Clinton.

sources: http://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/hillary-clinton-passes-her-first-major-test-n444271

http://www.businessinsider.com/the-moment-hillary-clinton-won-the-first-democratic-debate-2015-10

http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-1014-mcmanus-democratic-debate-20151014-column.html

Where does the Compass point for Today’s Millennials?

 Photo credit: thirdeyeawakening.wordpress.com 

Efe Iyare (@iyareplaymode) 10/05/2015

Technology seems to be a driving force in today’s global climate. The world has come to embrace the advent of technology and can’t seem to get enough of it. Apple, Google, Samsung, General Electric, IBM, HP, Sony and other global tech giants, are transforming the world with some of the most innovative and trend-setting technology known to man.

Rewind the clock 50-something years back (I’m not that old), when smart phones and personal computers were still figments of Steve Jobs and Bill Gates’ imagination, before the era of selfie sticks, selfies, Vines, Instagram and online ordering of delicious pizza, I often wonder how my parents ever made it through this era. My guess is my father must have written series of love letters to my mum like Shakespeare, without the “emojis” of course. Before the advent of technology, the renowned millionaires and billionaires were old men, with  funny-looking mustache, a smoking pipe, a hat and walking stick. They made their fortunes primarily in shipping and oil.

 Photo Credit: millennialmagazine.com

The advancement of technology heralded the birth of the .com era, leading to the rise of a new generation of millennial icons, who amassed wealth and notoriety. These trail blazers inspired us all to achieve greatness, disrupting the mentality of being highly successful only in your declining years.  Zuckerberg (Facebook) Jack Dorsey (Twitter) Evan Spiegel and Bobby Murphy (Snap Chat) Shawn Fanning and Sean Parker (Napster) and other tech billionaire trend-setters, made their marks in history for their outstanding achievements. But its not just in technology, millennials are leaving footprints in politics, science,education, engineering and other fields of human endeavor. Life is beyond selfies, tweets and Instagram posts. As a fellow millennial, it is my prerogative to create change and impact the world, leaving a lasting legacy for the unborn generation bearing my last name.

Let us all be great!

The Phenomenon Called Serena

                                                        photo credit: nymag.com

By Efe Iyare (2:20am, 9/5/2015)

Serena Williams is nothing short of a prodigious tennis marvel. Her agility, skill and exceptional dedication to the sport has made her renowned and fierce in the history of the game. Nymag.com in a recent interview named her “the best women’s tennis player in the world”. You would think such an assertive remark would get severe backlash, especially from internet trolls, on the contrary, when you stand a high probability of winning all four grand slams in a single calendar year, it doesn’t get clearer than graffiti on a wall that Serena remains an acclaimed champion of the sport. Nymag.com further stresses how winning the U.S. Open would make her a phenomenon in the world of sports and an inspiration to dedicated and motivated young women who aspire to be like her.

Born in Saginaw, Michigan thirty something years ago, Serena didn’t become a star overnight. With careful guidance, coaching and mentoring by her father, Serena and her sister, Venus, eventually sparked global interest in the world of tennis and beyond, claiming several laurels on and off the tennis court, including multiple grand slams. As a matter of fact, Serena holds 21 single grand slam titles in the sport as of today.

But it appears winning championship titles isn’t what got our female tennis champ this far, her winning mentality played a vital role in shaping the phenomenon the world celebrates today. Adweek.com revealed a recent Gatorade “win from within” ad campaign, which shows footage of Serena as a child being asked by a reporter “If you were a tennis player who would you like to be like”? Little Serena’s response- “If I were a tennis player I would want other people to be like me”. such bodacious reply mirrors her trail blazing vision. A vision that has sustained her through a 16-year voyage of success, challenges, overcoming criticism, fear and insecurities.

Serena without a doubt, embodies the modern day feminist, considered to be strong, independent and beautiful.

Sources:

http://nymag.com/thecut/2015/08/serena-williams-still-has-tennis-history-to-make.

http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/ad-day-young-serena-williams-sees-future-excellent-gatorade-spot-166676

MTV VMAS 2015. The Good, The bad and What The @#$%

By Efe Iyare (08/31/2015)

August 30, 2015 heralded a night of glamour, glitz and revealing outfits as the Microsoft Theater,  Los Angeles ushered in some of the biggest and fast-rising celebrity figures in America. The Vmas has grown to be one of the most anticipated and largely viewed award ceremonies in the United States as well as globally.

This year’s event was hosted by America’s bad girl Miley Cyrus,  whose trail of controversial outfits and provocative behavior has left little to our imaginations as to what she can possibly do next. Nonetheless, Miley hasn’t falling short of remaining a fan favorite with her buzz meter reaching an all time high no thanks to her Lady Gaga mixed with Madonna creative persona. The organizers for some reason felt she would be a great host for this year’s event, probably looking from the perspective of viewership they could garner by having her host  the event. How right they were. From the red carpet, Miley showed the world what she was made of by wearing an overly revealing silver-clad dress that conspicuously exposed her private body parts as the paparazzi had a field day taking countless photographs of the star.

Let’s talk about other celebrities for a second. Taylor Swift is having an incredible year so far. Her album “1989” though released last year, has stamped the singer’s prowess as a pop icon and renowned global artiste. Swift got the most nomination nods in this year’s MTV VMAs 2015. Kanye West received the Vanguard Award for the night which proved to be one of the most memorable scenes of the night as Mr. West revealed his plan to run for President in 2020.

Other highlights for the evening was Justin Bieber’s emotional breakdown during his performance as well as Miley’s revelation of her new album “Miley Cyrus and her dead petz”.

And the winners were……

Best hiphop video- Nicki Minaj, Best Male Video- Mark Ronson ft Bruno Mars, Best Female Video- Taylor Swift, “Blank Space”, Artist to watch -Fetty Wap “Trap Queen”. Video of the Year – Taylor Swift ft Kendrick Lamar “Bad Blood”.