Apr
02

GO BANG! Magazine: Celebrating Four Years of Making Noise!

On November 24, 2019, I accepted an offer for my dream job with a radio station, as a freelance writer and social media manager. This was my first time fully pursuing my dream of being self-employed, so I took a leap of faith and accepted the position, as a side hustle to my main job. […]

Mar
21

Cover Story: TAMARIE T. & THEE ELEKTRA KUMPANY

Photo courtesy of  Seed Lynn   Established on the southside of Chicago in 2013, Tamarie T. & Thee Elektra Kumpany stand as torchbearers of a transformative musical odyssey, inviting audiences into the realm of Exotik Funk—an original, authentic sound curated by Tamarie T. himself. Within this sonic universe, a rich tapestry unfolds, intricately weaving together […]

Mar
02

Cover Story: “ROBBI THE PROMOTER” – CELEBRATES 30 YEARS OF PROMOTING!!!

Photo credit: Angieski   For 30 years, Robbi’s been treating Promotion as an art form! He puts his heart and soul into every aspect. His innovative and evolving marketing strategies, captivating social media posts, and engaging content truly captures the essence of events, which generates significant buzz among a target audience. Robbi The Promoter is […]

Feb
29

COVER STORY: The Black & Brown Gay Community’s Influence in the Formation of HOUSE

Photo courtesy of: GRAYAREA.CO In honor of Black History Month, let’s give props to the Black & Brown members of the gay community and one of their many contributions to the world… HOUSE!!! House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in the African American and Latino LGBTQ+ communities of Chicago and […]

Feb
27

Cover Story: CHICAGO’S OWN “DJ SLUGO” – GHETTO HOUSE PIONEER, LABEL OWNER, PRODUCER & REMIXER

Photos courtesy of DJ Slugo   DJ Slugo has been performing since the early 1990’s as a founding member of Chicago’s infamous Dance Mania label, along with co-conspirators Paul Johnson and DJ Deeon. Slugo is world-renowned for his hits including, “Wouldn’t You Like to be a Hoe Too?“, “A Blunt“, “Godzilla Track“, “Where the Rats?“, […]

Feb
17

Cover/Literature/Music: HOLLE THEE MAXWELL BOOK, CD & TEE SHIRT SIGNING EVENT

Photos provided by Holle Thee Maxwell & Connie Carroll: When you mention the name ”HOLLY MAXWELL”, you have mentioned a name that is respected all over the world. She IS “THEE entertainer’s entertainer” and IS better than she has ever been before! Musically, this lady has done it all, traveled everywhere and knows everybody that […]

Feb
10

Music: HOUSE PIONEER DJ/PRODUCER JESSE SAUNDERS NEEDS OUR HELP!!!

Photos courtesy of Facebook DONATE As most of you know, our brother in House music, Jesse Saunders suffered a severe stroke in November of 2022. Since then, he has been hospitalized, then in rehab, non-vocal, getting fed through a tube, his walk staggers, and he had been trying to get back to some semblance of […]

Feb
01

HAPPY BLACK HISTORY MONTH!!!

Salute to Black History Month in Chicago! ✊ February is Black History Month, and Chicago, its birthplace, offers a vibrant tapestry of events and experiences to celebrate the rich contributions of the Black community. Here are some ways you can join the celebration: Immerse yourself in history: Bronzeville: Take a self-guided walking tour of Bronzeville, […]

Jan
12

Cover Story: DJ/PRODUCER BLACK COFFEE INVOLVED IN SERIOUS FLIGHT ACCIDENT

Photo courtesy of Facebook & Article reprinted from Mixmag Magazine  Black Coffee is currently receiving medical treatment after he was involved in a “severe travel accident on a flight” while travelling to a show in Argentina, supposedly from turbulence. Please join me in prayer for a full recovery for Black Coffee.         […]

Dec
17

COVER STORY: “Are you really Barack Obama?!”

Shared from The Obama Foundation Santa… err… President Obama stopped by an elementary school on the South Side of Chicago on Tuesday to spread some holiday cheer, and one student couldn’t believe her eyes! Take a LOOK!!! We hope this brings a smile to your face and puts you in the holiday spirit. Forward this […]

Dec
17

COVER STORY: TV/Film/Music: OZIE NZERIBE “SWAGGER” ACTOR & RAPPER

Photos courtesy of Facebook     Ozie Nzeribe, also known as “ZMNY” is an 18-year-old international rapper with genres reaching Hip Hop, melodic and lyrical Rap, R&B, and Afro Beat. He’s an Actor, Model, Humanitarian, and well-rounded scholar who appears as a series regular role on “Swagger”, with Kevin Durant’s basketball drama series on Apple […]

Nov
30

COVER STORY: Chicago’s WTTW Searching for House Dancers!!!

Dancers pictured: (female) Cortney LaFloy & (male) Pierre Andre’ Evans @ Chosen Few Picnic’s 25th Anniversary (2015) in Chicago, IL   Information reprinted from https://www.facebook.com/akaBA   Young and mature House music dancers needed for a WTTW-TV taping!!! We are doing a re-creation of the Warehouse club in the 70’s and 80’s. WHEN: Monday Dec 4, […]

Sep
06

COVER STORY: HOUSE COMMUNITY UNITE AROUND CRAIG LOFTIS TO SAVE “THE LODGE” NIGHTCLUB

Photos courtesy of Facebook.com CLICK HERE TO DONATE#25ToStayAlive One of our own…Chicago’s own…House’s own…Craig Loftis, pioneering DJ, music producer, club owner and one of Frankie Knuckles’ proteges, needs our help. His club, “The Lodge”, one of Chicago’s only southside clubs dedicated to House music, culture and the community, was recently closed by the City of […]

Aug
15

COVER STORY: SOUL TRAIN DANCERS MEET “BRANDY’S DISCO BALL!!!”

PHOTOS COURTESY OF ISAIAH JAMAL EVANS / CALI VISUALS EXCEPT WHERE NOTED OTHERWISE – @IsaiahJamalEvans @CaliVisuals     On Sunday, August 13, 2023, Chicago native and former Soul Train Dancer Brandy Sanders brought her fabulously fun “Disco Ball” to the town where the dance began, CHICAGO! It was held at the posh South Shore Cultural […]

Jun
23

Cover Story: CHICAGO’S “THE WAREHOUSE” RECEIVES LANDMARK STATUS

With the support of House music fans, Preservation Chicago, the city of Chicago, and Mayor Brandon Johnson, the building that once was the location of The Warehouse received landmark status by the Chicago City Council. City Council’s Committee on Zoning, Landmarks and Building Standards approved landmark status for the building during its Tuesday meeting. It […]

Jun
11

Arts & Culture/Event: “Grand Opening” of INTERNATIONAL AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSEUM, S.C.

The International African American Museum (IAAM) explores the history, culture, and impact of the African American journey on Charleston, on the nation, and on the world, shining light and sharing stories of the diverse journeys, origin, and achievements of descendants of the African Diaspora. Located in Charleston, S.C., at the historically sacred site of Gadsden’s […]

May
13

Cover Story: RECAP OF BARACK OBAMA’S RECENT TRIP TO CHICAGO on 5/10/23

Photo courtesy of Obama.org Reprinted from email:  http://www.Obama.org Recap video link   Hi Pierre, Earlier this week, I made a trip home to Chicago to hear firsthand from some of the inspiring young people and leaders who are a part of Obama Foundation programming. From meeting in a church I first visited as a young […]

Mar
19

COVER STORY: “CHICAGO PHOTOGRAPHER TURN MODEL” Guthrie Lamont Bonnétt NEEDS YOUR VOTE!!!

  All photos courtesy of Peter Koutun Photography THE WAIT IS OVER!!! Fashion World Grammy’s “2022 – 2023 Male Model of The Year” Candidate VOTE: ATOC Guthrie Bonnétt Voting starts NOW thru April 1st @ https://bit.ly/3Zw4kJz Scroll down to: Male Model of The Year category VOTE: Atoc Guthrie Bonnétt FOR MALE MODEL OF THE YEAR 2022-23 […]

Mar
12

Cover Story: “MUSIC & MEDICINE” PODCAST INTERVIEWS PIERRE ANDRE’ EVANS

WOW!! CHECK THIS OUT!!! SHARE SHARE SHARE PLEASE!!! I’m sooo excited to be a guest on the “Music & Medicine” podcast with the incredible Moshe Lewis MD. Thank you my brother! Great big shout out to the best Publicist in the world…mines Desirae L. Benson for connecting me. THANKS ARIES QUEEN! Take a listen and […]

Feb
28

Cover Story: JE’NIECE McCULLOUGH & HER “BERNIE’S DAUGHTER” BLOG

All photos courtesy of Je’Niece McCullough & Facebook.com/Je’NieceMcCullough Je’Niece is the only child of the late and legendary comedian Bernie Mac. She holds a B.S. in Psychology and an M.A. in Mental Health Counseling. She worked for several years in social service. In 2005, she left the field and began working for her father as […]

Feb
01

Event: Live Stream: At Tyre Nichols’ Funeral Service, Sharpton, Harris Demand Police Reform

Courtesy  & Reprint of BET Television:BET Staff Tyre Nichols, the 29-year-old motorist who died three days after a vicious beating by a group of Memphis police officers is being laid to rest on Wednesday (Feb. 1) in a ceremony that has seemed to become a morbid, and all too frequent ritual in Black America: the […]

Feb
01

HAPPY BLACK HISTORY!

HAPPY BLACK HISTORY FROM GO BANG! MAGAZINE  

Jan
28

TYRE NICHOLS AND THE MEMPHIS POLICE DEPARTMENT (VIDEO & INVESTIGATIVE TIMELINE)

  Photo courtesy of FACEBOOK   These videos were recorded on the evening of January 7, 2023, in Memphis, Tennessee. Video 1 (11:04 mins.) is a police-issued body-worn camera near the intersection of Raines and Ross Rd. Videos 2, 3, and 4 are video footage at the second location, a residential neighborhood. Video 2 (31:04 […]

Jan
26

Event/Music/Poetry: CELEBRATING CHICAGO’S DJ/PRODUCER/REMIXER TERRY HUNTER GRAMMY NOMINATION

Photo courtesy of Facebook Wednesday, January 25, 2023 was the day in Chicago, IL for a celebration of The Chosen Few Djs’ Terry Hunter being nominated for a Grammy Award, for the remix of Beyonce’s hit single “Break My Soul.” In addition to Terry Hunter being nominated, poet J. Ivy was also nominated for a […]

Jan
21

Sports: TORI “SHO NUFF” NELSON / BOXING’S 13-TIME, 4-WEIGHT DIVISION WORLD CHAMPION

“Tori “SHO NUFF” Nelson is a 13-time, four-weight division Boxing World Champion. Her success has been inspiring. With fans and supporters from all over the world, Tori has a magnetic personality that is felt by all who meet her. In fact, Tori was inducted into the Boxing Hall of Fame in October of 2022, during […]

Jan
18

FRANKIE KNUCKLES: “THE GODFATHER OF HOUSE” The Man; The Music; The Memories

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia   IN HONOR OF FRANKIE’S 68TH BIRTHDAY, I AM REPRINTING A TRIBUTE I PENNED FOR FRANKIE ON  3/31/14, THE DAY OF HIS PASSING…. FRANKIE KNUCKLES: “THE GODFATHER OF HOUSE”The Man; The Music; The Memories(January 18, 1955 – March 31, 2014)First of all, I want Frankie’s family and loved ones to know […]

Dec
24

Music: FELTON PILATE / CON FUNK SHUN

All Photos courtesy of Felton Pilate/ConFunkShun Felton Pilate is best known as the lead singer of Con Funk Shun, an R&B Old School band created in 1974, while in Memphis, TN. Pilate was born in Jackson Mississippi to Felton Pilate Sr., a naval physician, and Benita Akines Pilate, a music major and social worker. After […]

Mar
28

DJ/Remixer: STEVE SILK HURLEY

Steve “Silk” Hurley, a Chicago native, is a producer, songwriter, DJ, and 4-Time GRAMMY® Nominated Remixer. He began his career as a DJ, artist, producer, and pioneer of Chicago’s “House Music”. After creating several No. 1 hits with RCA, London, and Atlantic Records as a recording artist, Silk shifted his focus to songwriting, producing and […]