Profile: Sun Jung Im (Get Gelled)

   

Get Gelled can be found on Irwin Avenue in Toronto.
Photo courtesy of Facebook.

In between the hustle and bustle of Bay Street and the eclectic personality of Yonge Street, just south of high-end shopping centres on Bloor Street, sits Irwin Avenue, a quiet side street in Toronto made up of mostly small townhouses. It’s here, in an unassuming brick building, that you’ll find the nail boutique Get Gelled. Once inside, you’ll find it’s the exact opposite of the street it’s on - it’s charming, elegant and well put-together; it stands out. And so does its owner, Sun Jung Im.

The 30-year-old, who goes simply by Sun, can’t remember a time in her life when nails were not important to her.

“My mom was telling me that when I was in kindergarten, if my nails aren’t painted, I wouldn’t go to school. So she’d always paint my nails a bright red colour,” she says. “When I heard that story, I opened up the old albums, and in every single photo, if you see my nails, they’re painted red.”

  

Im says she's been passionate about
nails since she was a child.
Photo courtesy of Sun Jung Im. 

However, Im never thought about owning a nail salon. In fact, she has a diploma in hotel management, and moved across the country from London, Ont., to Whistler, B.C. to work at the Four Seasons hotel in 2008.

But when the economy experienced a downturn in 2008, Im found herself back in London, Ont., living with her mom, without a job.

After a year of an unsuccessful job search, a lot of tears, and settling for part-time work as a bartender, Hye Sook Park, Im's mother, came up with an idea.

“She told me, ‘Sun, you love to do your nails, why don’t you learn it? I think it’s a good time to learn it,’” Im recalls. She agreed, thinking of it as something that would be fun, and could help her decide if she wanted to enter the nail industry.

Unsatisfied with the limited options for learning nail art in Canada, Im began looking into the Asian market, where she says nail art has exploded in the past decade. She settled on a school in Jongno, a district in South Korea’s capital, Seoul.

Im says her program was unlike anything offered in Canada. Instead of learning cosmetology as a whole, her entire year and a half was spent focusing on nails, whether it was nail design, different nail products, or gel nails. While attending the school, she entered national nail competitions, and ended up taking first-place in one, and third in another. She also received her teaching license, and worked part-time as an educator.

After two years full of school, teaching, winning awards at national competitions, and working for local nail salons, Im had made up her mind. She wanted to do nails for the rest of her life, and she wanted to open a business in Canada. She worked out a plan with her mother, and together they decided to start up the business in Toronto. They found a condo in the city before flying back, and once they were both settled in, Im began working for all kinds of salons.

Her plan was to find out what salons in Toronto had to offer, at all levels, starting from the bottom. She started at a quick in-and-out salon, where she worked for a total of two days.

Im (left) says her mom Hye Sook Park (right)
played a big role in helping her 
get to where she is now.
Photo courtesy of Sun Jung Im.

“I didn’t want to work there for more than that,” Im says. “It was brutal. It was so dirty, and had awful customer service. They didn’t even talk to their customers!”

After that, she went on to work at a higher-end nail salon in the city. Im says after a few months of working there, she realized that there were only two types of salons available in Toronto, and both were on opposite sides of the spectrum.

“There’s nothing in the middle. So I though, okay, I’ll make this. Right in the middle. Pretty sure there are a lot of people looking for nail places that are a good price, but not too high-end, where they can get a good price and good service,” she says.

And that’s how Get Gelled came about. It wasn’t easy to get it to where it is now, in its fourth year of business. Im found the building, but knew there was serious work to be done, as the space she chose hadn’t been renovated in 30 some years. Luckily, Im’s older sister Sun Hee Im, who is an interior designer, offered a helping hand. She not only completely redesigned the interior of the salon, but she also created the company name and logo.

The salon owner also credits her mom for helping her realize her true passion, and then working with her to turn her dream into a reality.

“My mom is the world’s greatest supporter,” Im says. “She is always with me, taking good care of me, and supporting me in everything I do.”

Im officially opened the salon on Jan. 7, 2012. While business has been steady since the opening, she says she hasn’t reached the peak just yet.

“If I’m still getting a good clientele after five years, then I can say we are really successful and I’m a successful woman. But right now I can’t say anything,” she says.

For her, the most important thing about her business is to always be able to provide her clients with the best service, and to keep up-to-date with the latest trends in nail art. She says she’s always researching and studying to stay current. 

     

Im's older sister Sun Hee Im (right) created the
salon's logo and also redesigned the salon's interior.
Photo courtesy of Sun Jung Im.

As for the future, there are still a few big dreams she wants to turn into realities. Opening more Get Gelled salons around Toronto, and later down the road, across Canada, is one of them.

Another is to win the big nail competitions around the world, including in Russia, Germany, Las Vegas and Asia – all to prove to herself that she is good at what she does.

But Im’s biggest goal is the most challenging: changing people’s perceptions of her craft by teaching it.

“I want to teach whoever wants to learn. If they have a passion for learning designs I would love to teach them and share it with them,” she says. “People still think that doing nails are still a low job. They don’t see that it’s a professional job. I want to make nail artists a thing. Nail technicians… it makes it sounds like people working in a factory. This is really professional work. You have to train, and you have to go to school, which is the same as becoming a doctor, right?”

You can find more information about the salon on its website or Facebook page. 

Do more, not less: My lesson from JPA

I don't usually dwell on the passing of people I don't know personally, especially not athletes or celebrities. Granted, I do feel saddened by the news of their deaths, because a life lost is a sad thing, especially when that life is one that was shared in the public eye. Eventually though, the moment passes and my life continues.

But with the news of Canadian skier Jean-Philippe Auclair's passing, it's been different.

JP Auclair died in an avalanche on Sept. 29, 2014 

I fell in love with freestyle skiing after I saw TJ Schiller stomp a switch 1440 at the X games in 2006. After that day, I decided I wanted to be able to do what he did. I did extensive research into the sport, took ski lessons, and watched more ski movie segments than Hollywood films.

I gained a lot of respect for the athletes I saw in these movies. They pushed the boundaries of the sport, made their tricks look effortless, and eventually made a case for freestyle skiing to expand into the Winter Olympics.

One of the athletes I respected most was JP Auclair. Not only did he co-found Armada Skis (one of the coolest ski companies out there, in my opinion) with fellow pro-skiers Tanner Hall, JF Cusson, Julien Regnier and Boyd Easley, but he also proved that skiing didn't have limits and could continue to grow and change. His ski edits showed that he was a creative perfectionist, and that extreme skiing was not second, but rather equal to, extreme snowboarding. On top of it all, he came off as a kind, humble guy who loved what he did, wanted to share his craft with others, and wanted to do good in the world.

Finding out that JP, along with Swedish skier Andreas Fransson, was a victim in an avalanche while climbing in Patagonia made me feel awful. I was stunned when I saw the news pop up on my Twitter feed. I couldn't believe it. I was not fortunate enough to know him personally, but I still felt as if I'd lost someone important. For me, JP was someone I watched and looked up to during my adolescent years. He was one of the athletes who inspired and kept my unrealistic dreams of being a skilled freestyle skier alive. Even after that dream died, I still watched JP's edits and followed his journey from freestyle skiing to big mountain powder skiing. He was never stagnant; there was always a project to follow and something to learn from him.

It almost feels wrong to have such a strong feeling of grief over his death. I feel like I'm intruding on something personal that only the people who really knew him have the right to feel. I can't even begin to imagine what his family and close friends are going through, and I know my own sadness does not compare to those feelings. However, JP had such a huge influence on so many people he didn't meet. People from around the world have come together on multiple websites and social media to grieve together and talk about how JP influenced their lives. This post is my way of doing that.

After reading multiple blog posts. news stories, tweets and memories shared about him, I realize I can't dwell. I have to celebrate life - my own, the lives of those I love and those I've lost. I have to celebrate his life and everything he accomplished while he lived it. JP lived in the moment, made and followed his own rules, and died doing the thing he loved most. Not everyone lives that way, and the fact that he was able to is something that should be celebrated.

In the trailer for the 2011 ski movie All.I.Can., JP can be heard saying, "We feel like we need to be doing less of this, less of that - but I don't think it's about doing less. I think it's about doing more."

He's right. We could all do more. For each other, for ourselves, for those who need it most, for the things we are passionate about. Unfortunately, for a lot of people, myself included, it took his death to realize it. JP did more, every day. Now it's my turn.

Thank-you for everything JP. I know you're already doing your thing on the other side.

JP Auclair. Photo by Chris O'Connell.

JP's passing leaves a void in a lot of people's lives, most notably those of his partner and five-month-old son. To help them out, please donate to the Auclair Fund. 

The skier also started his own non-profit, which was dedicated to the betterment of mountain communities. To support the cause, donate to Alpine Initiatives. 

Profile: Dana Stoutenburg

At a café just north of 8^th street in Calgary, a waiter announces that he has a latte made with one pump of hazelnut and almond milk. As she takes a sip of her drink, 27-year-old actress Dana Stoutenburg jokes about how with her, nothing's simple. She loves a good challenge, and it's knowing exactly what she wants that has helped her overcome the ones she's faced in the past.

   

Dana Stoutenburg. Photo by Nicole Zylstra 

She first stepped on stage at the age of eight, as a dancer. She says she was extremely shy as a child and would even hide behind her mom at family events. It wasn’t until her best friend asked her to join a summer dance camp that Stoutenburg realized how much she enjoyed performing – and all that came along with it.

 “I loved all the shoes I could wear,” she laughs. “And all the cute little outfits, and getting my hair and make-up done for shows.”  

As she grew older, she saw that playing different roles was very similar to psychology – another one of her passions – because each role requires her to look into someone else’s life and try to figure out why the characters she portrays act the way they do.

Stoutenburg came to Calgary five years ago, after graduating from a two-year intensive musical theatre program at Randolph Academy in Toronto. Before that, she earned a diploma in theatre performance from Vancouver’s Capilano University.

Unfortunately, like many new graduates, Stoutenburg’s experience in the market did not go as she’d hoped.

“I ended up finishing school in Toronto and not getting anywhere,” says Stoutenburg. “[The industry] was a big beast, and I was just not prepared for that.”

Nine months later, she found herself in Calgary. It was a move that allowed her to be closer to her mom, who had helped line up a part-time job for the actor, as well as a way to restart after her experience in Toronto. She started auditioning for all the major theatres in the city the next season, once she had familiarized herself with Calgary.

When the larger stage gigs didn’t work out, Stoutenburg went smaller, first getting a supporting role in a community theatre production, followed by the lead role in the next year’s show. It may have been a smaller stage, but that didn’t take away from what was required of the actor.

“[Community theatre] is still a full-length show. I was still on stage for the same amount of time as if I’d been on a regional theatre stage. And it was still requiring that commitment and providing that challenge and opportunity for growth.”

Stoutenburg says that actors, as much as they hate to admit it, are often looking for validation. This comes in different forms, whether it’s hearing positive feedback following an audition or earning the lead role in a play. This validation was something she struggled to achieve in theatre. She was even told to stick to a "money job" that was "safe and steady" a few times. Instead of giving up, she took her multiple rejections as learning experiences, and decided to head back to class and try to expand into film and television.

 “I took that opportunity I guess,” she says. “I thought, ‘Maybe I’ll just try [film].’ I just decided that was going to be my next go.”

This next step in her journey seems to have worked for her. Stoutenburg has appeared on different television shows, including AMC’s Hell on Wheels, as well as various web series, short films, commercials, and, most recently, an indie feature film called Empyrean.

This film is the actor’s most intense experience to date. She was cast in one of the principle roles, and spent three weeks – her longest to date – shooting on set.   

  

    Thompson & Stoutenburg on set. Photo by Arthur Lefroy

Empyrean was written and directed by Thomas Robert Lee, and tells the story of William Fischer (played by Cody Ray Thompson), who is in a life-altering accident and begins to experience unexplainable, supernatural events. He starts to lose himself and retract into his conscious, away from those around him. This causes a rift in his marriage to his wife, Ingrid (Stoutenburg), who is dealing with her own quest for meaning.

The film is currently in post-production, and will hopefully be part of different film festivals in September 2015.

For Stoutenburg, the lead role in this film was a reminder that acting is the one thing she wants to do for the rest of her life. She hopes to be in a position where she is able to work back-to-back projects, in Vancouver, Los Angeles, or wherever the work takes her. She wants to be surrounded by the people she loves, and be working regularly as an actor. And of course, she wants to be challenged.

“After this experience with Empyrean, it’s hard for me to go back to a really simple script. I want to work on pieces with challenging relationships that challenge me to go to a place to pull from challenging times in my life.”

For now, she’ll have to deal with a challenge that has nothing to do with playing a role in a film. After her five-year stint in Calgary, the actor has decided it is time for her to move on. At the end of July, she will be moving back to her hometown of Vancouver to further pursue her goals.

“I’ve grown a lot and that’s why I have stayed here for the time that I have,” Stoutenburg says. “I wanted to make sure that I had the fight and the clarity of how I want the next phase of my career and my life path to move in. I’m not going to go unless it feels right in my gut. And it really feels like I’m ready to go.”

For more information on Dana, visit her website.

To stay updated with Empyrean, like the Facebook page. 

Everyday people and places that will help you network

"It's not about what you know, but who you know."

I can't be the only recent (kind of) graduate who's been told this when talking to people about the lack of job opportunities for people my age, especially in my field.

Networking is an important factor when it comes to getting a career these days. The career advisors and professionals I've spoken with all seem to agree; getting a job is not as much about what you know as it is about who you know. (NB: Knowing someone doesn't mean you have to be their best friend. Don't be afraid to ask people with more experience to help you out, even if you've only talked to them once before or if you've just met. Most of them are more than willing to help you out. Plus, you can't get help if you don't ask for it.)

So how do you network? According to my sources (multiple career advisors, professors, and people who already have careers), the best way to get your name out there is to join an association or group in your field, join online conversations with fellow group members, and attend networking events put on by these associations.

This is excellent advice, but if you're like me, you want a little practice before you start making first impressions on people who could help make or break your career.

Luckily, networking is basically talking to people, sharing your story, and listening to theirs. This can be done almost anywhere, but I've put together a list of five people and places that will help you build up your networking skills.

1) Volunteering

Whether it's at a specific place every week, or at random events around your city, volunteering is a great way to meet new people. Volunteers are supposed to be approachable and talkative, which is the perfect excuse to talk to strangers without seeming like a creep. And the great part about volunteering is you never know who you're going to run into or what kind of stories you'll hear.

2) Career advisors 
As busy as they are, career advisors want to help. If you still have access to the ones from your own university/college, definitely take advantage of them. Tuition is not cheap, so you might as well use the resources offered to you to the fullest. They may have direct connections for you, and if not, once they speak to you (and once you add them on LinkedIn so they can view your online resume and portfolio) they'll be able to keep you in mind for when they do meet someone who could be helpful to you.

3) Your current job
If you're already employed somewhere, you're surrounded by networking opportunities. Talk to your co-workers, your managers, your bosses, your customers, different staff members you see in your office, etc. They could have friends working in your field of interest, or they could give you suggestions on how to get the job of your dreams that you may not have thought of on your own.

4) Social events
Have you ever been invited out to someone's birthday celebration but declined because the only person you knew who would be there was the birthday girl/guy? Next time you find yourself in this kind of situation, GO TO THE PARTY. Not only is this a great networking opportunity, but it's also a super easy way to make friends.

5) Your neighbours
Remember when it wasn't weird to be on a first-name basis with your neighbours? A lot of people don't, but your neighbours are people who are easily accessible and could have great contacts in your industry of choice. You'll never know until you talk to them. Plus, who doesn't love friendly neighbours?

5 Dos and Don'ts of e-mail etiquette

Writing e-mails is easy, right?

Wrong. I'm willing to bet that everyone has sent or received an e-mail they were not impressed with. Sometimes it's for an unforgivable spelling mistake, like the sender replying to you and addressing you by a different name (even though you clearly typed it out in your original e-mail to them). E-mail etiquette is something a lot people need help with.

So, to help you out (but really to complete an assignment), I've searched the web and found the most common tips from Microsoft, The University of Toronto, and The Huffington Post.

DO: Be informal.
You don't want to sound like a robot or an automated message. Be professional, but conversational. Don't use big words when you wouldn't use them in a conversation over the phone or face-to-face.
DON'T: Be sloppy. 
Remember who it is you're e-mailing. If it's your best friend, you can use abbreviations such as LOL or OMG. If you're sending a message to someone in your company, where you all know certain acronyms, use them. Just don't send an e-mail to someone you hope will hire you and throw in a TTYL (talk to you later).

DO: Keep it short.
No one wants to open an e-mail and find a two-page essay waiting to be read. Try to be brief and to the point.
DON'T: Leave out key points.
Keeping it short doesn't mean cutting out crucial questions or statements. Make sure you get your point across and get all of the required information in. Leave out anything that isn't pressing.

DO: Watch your spelling, grammar and punctuation.
It seems like common sense, but a lot of people aren't careful when they're shooting off e-mails. Misspelling a word, using too many exclamation marks, and switching between past, present and future tenses isn't a good thing when it comes to e-mails.
DON'T: Rely solely on spell check. 
Spell check is so useful. Unfortunately, one word can have multiple meanings or spellings, and spell check could fail you if you aren't careful. Make sure all of the words you decide to change with spell check make sense in the context of your e-mail.

DO: Re-read your e-mail before sending it.
Have you ever hit the "send" button and then realized you never finished a sentence? Make sure you read over your e-mail so you catch spelling and grammar mistakes, and to make sure your e-mail makes sense. If you aren't sure, read it out loud to yourself. If it sounds like a conversation, you're good.
DON'T: Over-think the e-mail.
It happens. You think you'll just do a quick check and 20 minutes later you've re-structured your entire e-mail. Chances are, what you had written originally just needed some fine-tuning, not a complete replacement.Trust your gut.

DO: Respond promptly.
It's no fun to wait. Most people expect responses within 24 hours, so make sure if you receive an e-mail or a reply to an e-mail that you send one back.
DON'T: Send pointless replies.
Another common sense thing that is sometimes overlooked. Before you hit reply, ask yourself if anything important has to be said, or if there are any follow-up questions to what you've received. If not, it's probably best not to fill up the other person's inbox with a one-word response.

Dad's advice (19.10.11)

"I'm sure you did fine. And if not, you'll do better the next time. And even if you have to retake the class, that's fine. That's what you'll do. Just don't stress out. There's enough of that in life."

 

Mom's advice (16.10.11)

"Go have some fun. It's not good to just be with your books all day. Go out with your friends. Watch movies. Go clubbing once and a while. Even if you don't make Dean's list this year, it's okay. Just make sure you enjoy yourself."

- Mom

 

 

Canada's got talent (pt.2 - SonReal, Shad&Dallas, Young Fateh)

SonReal - Where's Waldo

     Less than a year after releasing The Lightyear Mixtape, Vernon, B.C. native SonReal has dropped another album that his fans and hip-hop lovers alike will enjoy.
     Where's Waldo showcases SonReal's abililty as a vocalist, not just as a rapper. Like his past albums, there are socially conscious songs, like "Out There," which deals with issues such as living on the streets and teen pregnancy, and more personal songs, like "Clap for me." 

      With featured artists like Saukrates, Rich Kidd and Ali Milner, and producers like 2oolman and Classified, each song is unique and catchy. 

      The final track, "My Life Outro," may be the most inspiring. It tells the story of SonReal's struggles to get to where he is now, from sleeping on his friend's couch, to feeling like giving up, to hearing words of support and working hard to make it.

      Overall, Where's Waldo shows growth for SonReal as an artist, but manages to keep the same qualities that make the artist stand out from others - the upbeat music, the sometimes conscious, sometimes personal lyrics, and SonReal's unique voice. The album gets 4.5/5 stars.

Shad & Dallas - Two Songs

    Possibly two of the most talented in their own genres, rapper Shad and alternative artist Dallas Green (City and Colour, Alexisonfire), come together for one of the best collaborations of the year.

    Green's soft, crooning voice and Shad's profound, poetic lyrics work perfectly with each other to integrate classic hip-hop with light rock.

     The album will appeal to listeners of both genres, and like most of Shad’s music, will leave listeners with something to think about.

     The album originally came out as a 12" vinyl, and was released on iTunes soon after. Staying true to the album name, there are only two songs, which is disappointing because listeners will definitely be left wanting more.

     Because the combination of Shad and Green is unexpected, but still works, and because there is a message behind the music, Two Songs gets 5/5 stars.

Young Fateh - Mr. Wall Street

            Californian-turned-Torontonian rapper Young Fateh shows that he has grown since his first mixtape but that there is still room for improvement with his latest release, Mr. Wall Street. 

      Some of his lyrics remain unchanged from his previous work, like those on “Killin Em” and “Run this Town,” and sound like many other rap songs with topics such as superiority over other rappers and objectification of women.
       “G-20 Cypher” and “Light Up” are the highlight of the album. “G-20 Cypher” is an attack on the police and the way the G-20 Summit in Toronto was handled. “Light Up” is a personal track, discussing Fateh’s feelings towards his old home (California) and his new home (Toronto), his struggles as a Punjabi rapper, and dealing with those who put him down.
       By using beats from songs like Kanye West’s “Homecoming” and Drake’s “Successful,” Young Fateh’s songs will easily get stuck in your head. With clever (though not always original) lyrics and a variety of other talented featured artists, the album is worth a listen. Fateh is slowly but surely on his way to becoming a full grown rapper, and this album shows it. Mr. Wall Street gets 3.5/5 stars.

Canada's got talent (pt.1 - K-Os, Humble the Poet, Noyz, B Magic)

K-Os - The Anchorman Mixtape
     K-Os never seems to disappoint, and his latest mixtape proves that hip-hop is still alive and well. From the first track through to the last, listeners are given a dose of the usual creative, rock/hip-hop mix of beats K-Os is known for. There are a few collaborations as well, including fellow Canadian rapper Drake on "Faith," and singer Sebastien Grainger on "Black Water."
     K-Os continues to use turhtful lyrics, making his songs easy for listeners to relate to. "Black Water" was inspired by the BP Oil spill earlier this year, and the different musical styles of Graigner and K-Os mesh surprisingly well together. "SheClipse" touches on the rapper's relationship with hip-hop, "Holy Cow" talks about the ups and downs life can throw our way, and "I wish I could believe" mentions that the rapper never owned a gun but still faced hardships in life.
     The only thing about this album that didn't make sense was the addition of clips from Will Ferrell's film Anchorman. For those of us who haven't seen the film, they don't make sense and they don't seem to fit the theme of the songs.
     Overall, The Anchorman Mixtape is another great album from K-Os. The rapper gets 4 out of 5 stars.


Humble the Poet - 00:03
     Conscious rap is a sub-genre of rap that brings awareness to social issues such as violence and various forms of discrimination. Humble the Poet, a Sikh rapper out of the Rexdale community in Toronto, is one of many conscious rappers in the world of hip-hop today. His latest mixtape, 00:03, will leave listeners with something to think about.
     Humble loves Toronto, and he is proud to represent his city. His opening track, "I am Toronto" pays hommage to the city and the talent it's produced, including rappers Kardinal Official, K'naan and Drake, and anyone else contributing to the "Toronto hip-hop movement." 
     Each track features a catchy beat topped with thought-provoking lyrics. There are collaborations with other up and comers on the album as well, such as Selena Dhillon (also from Toronto), Noyz (Toronto), Mandeep Sethi(California) and Ras Ceylon (California).
     Sikh Knowledge produced most of the album, and his talent also shines through. Along with producing the songs, he raps his own verse on the track "Life of an Immigrant." The song tells the stories of Humble's father, a cab driver who faced discrimination due to his heritage, and Sikh Knowledge's mother's struggle with violence and Hepatitis B, which eventually lead to her death. The track is powerful and forces listeners to face the reality that many immigrants deal with everyday.
    Listeners may not agree with all of Humble's messages, but the fact that he is using hip-hop to discuss issues like racism, violence against women, and politics, which is not common within the hip-hop genre. 00:03 gets 4 ½ out of 5 stars.


Noyz -The Shadow Gallery
       Toronto rapper Noyz proves that rap can be a tool to tell relatable stories with his mixtape The Shadow Gallery. 
        Songs like "All of Me," which covers the death of a loved one and its effects on a family, and "Through the Eyes," which discusses three different perspectives of three different generations are heartfelt and personal, but can still be relevant to many.
         An impressive element of Noyz's music is the lack of curses in his songs. He is able to express many different emotions without the use of vulgar language, which is refreshing to hear, especially considering it's rap music.
         "Definition" is one of the best tracks on the album. It was produced by and features vocals from Montreal's Sikh Knowledge. "Black Box", "Origin" and "All of me" are also notable tracks.
         Noyz has an obvious passion for rap, and the stories he puts forward through his music are easy to understand and relate to. He gets 4 ½ out of 5 stars.


B Magic - You Got It For Free Volume 2
       B Magic is a member of Humble the Poet's Believe Me Music Crew. His raps aren't as socially concious as his comrades and are  more generic, but he is not lacking in talent.
      With beats from songs by hip-hop greats like Lauryn Hill, Mos Def and Talib Kweli, this album is very catchy. However, the lyrics reveal that Magic still has a lot of growth to go through before reaching the level Humble and Noyz currently sit at.
       Many of Magic's songs degrade women and claim superiority over other rappers - the usual recipe of a rap song. That being said, there are tracks that show Magic shouldn't be ignored.
       One of the most socially conscious raps on this album is "Bombs over Baghdad" which features Noyz, who takes the perspective of a soldier in Iraq, while Magic plays the role of an Iraqi civilian. The beat is from Mos Def's "Auditorium," in which rapper Slick Rick speaks of experiences with Iraqis and their mistrust for American soldiers.
       Magic also exposes his softer side when he raps about an ex-girlfriend in "Say Something" and "Ex Factor." The pain he feels over the break up is obvious, and many listeners will find it easy to relate to the emotions he expresses.
      Overall, this is a decent album that showcases talent in need of some growth. You Got it for Free Volume 2 gets 3 ½ stars out of 5.




You can find all of the artists, as well as downloads to their albums, here:
K-Os
Humble the Poet
Noyz
B Magic


Also check out some featured artists, and producers who worked with these artists:
Sikh Knowledge
Dviousmindz
Ras Ceylon
Mandeep Sethi
Selena Dhillon

Reviews, reviews, reviews

The Town

Anything that anyone remembers of Ben Affleck's disastrous Gigli days will be forgotten after watching his latest film, The Town. The crime drama not only stars but was also directed by Affleck. It includes critically acclaimed actors Jon Hamm (Mad Men) and Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker), as well as Golden Globe nominee Rebecca Hall and Gossip Girl's Blake Lively. The story is an adaptation of Chuck Hogan's Prince of Thieves and revolves around a group of four friends who make a living out of bank robberies. The brains behind all the operations, Doug MacRay (Affleck) falls in love with a bank manager (from a previous bank heist) who he is supposed to be keeping an eye on. He tries to get out of the lifestyle he leads, but is forced to stay in the game for one final heist.

The storyline of the film is very intriguing, and the movie is fast-paced and filled with action. There is an intensity that can be felt throughout the movie, and viewers can sympathize with the characters. The acting is incredibly well done, and the story does have a typical Hollywood ending. The Town gets 5/5 stars.

Easy A
This comedy features Superbad's Emma Stone as main character Olive. Other notable actors include Amanda Bynes, Penn Badgley and Lisa Kudrow. The story depicts the life of average, mostly unnoticed, Olive (Stone). One rumour, followed by a favour for a friend, turn Olive's status from non-existent to the topic of everyone's conversation in an instant. At first, Olive doesn't mind the attention, but soon, events spiral out of control and Olive's reputation is at stake.
The film is light hearted and very funny, and even though the storyline is predictable, it is still clever and manages to keep viewers' attention. Easy A gets 4/5 stars.

The Social Network 

This film was surprisingly well done. The acting was impressive, with Jesse Eisenberg playing the lead role of Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg, Andrew Garfield playing best friend Eduardo Saverin, and Justin Timberlake playing paranoid, cocky, Napster creator Sean Parker. The film is based on the story of Zuckerberg and the creation of Facebook intertwined with the lawsuits that followed. We are given flashbacks to the Harvard days of the characters, and then we are shown scenes from the on-going lawsuits.
There are many comedic moments throughout the film, which help lighten the mood of the mostly serious storyline. The actors fit their roles perfectly, and they are believable and make their characters easy to relate to. The storyline gives viewers an in-depth look at the stories of all those involved in the creation of the popular social networking site and can almost turn viewers against Facebook and Zuckerberg. The Social Network gets 5/5 stars.  

Favourites of the moment

Posh - Lucy Jackson

This book revolves mainly around the lives of six very different people living in the Upper East Side of New York. It tells the tale of different relationships between different people. There's a bipolar rich kid who's mother cares more about her dog, Boyfriend, than him. There's his middle class girlfriend who is willing to do anything for him, no matter what. There's her mother, a former writer, now a cab driver, who struggles to make ends meet. There's a principal of a private, well established, reputable school who is having an affair with a professor. The lives of these characters are entertaining, yet even with their loads of money and sometimes over dramatized problems, their emotions are real, and readers will find it easy to relate to at least one of the characters.

****

B.o.B Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Rae - B.o.B

21-year-old Atlanta native Bobby Rae, known to many by his stage name B.o.B, released his debut album late last month following the major success of his first single, "Nothin' on You." The success won't be stopping anytime soon, as Rae's latest release, "Airplanes," which features Hayley Williams of Paramore, is rapidly climbing the charts and being purchased more on iTunes. With featured artists such as Eminem, Lupe Fiasco and Rivers Cuomo, Rae's album delivers a diverse set of tracks that make listeners want more.  ****

Distant Relatives - Damian Marley & Nas

After their first collaboration together, "Road to Zion," reggae and rap stars Damian Marley and Nas team up again, this time for a full album. Distant relatives is the perfect combination of hip-hop and reggae, and it includes a mix of upbeat and mellow tracks. Like "Road to Zion," the songs hold strong messages. In "Count your Blessings" Marley sings about looking past the negativities in life and being thankful for what we have. Nas uses his clever lyrics to add a rugged touch to the softer reggae sounds of Marley, and the album is one that fans of both reggae and hip-hop will enjoy.

****