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Real Deal ComeDy Jam’s FRee URban liFestyle magazine

niCki minaJRappeR-FashionistaoR ConFUseD- sista?

tRibUte togRegoRy isaaCshaRRison Vs haye:FRienDoRFoe?

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insiDe!

issUe 02 /// DeC 2010 - Feb 2011 /// FRee

Urban lifestyle magazine

Urban lifestyle magazine /// www.RDCJ.net 3

06 Cocktails

07 nicki minaj: Rapper-Fashionistaor Confused-sista?

08 harrison vs haye: Friends or Foe?

11 in 2011 you too Can have a six pack

12 mental health

15 politics - what’s it all about?

16 hair

18 Real Deal Fashion highlights

19 Real scents, Real love...

20 look like the Real Deal

21 why goal-setting is a must for high achievers

23 last tour

24 gallery: birmingham

25 axel the entertainer

26 gallery: london

27 the RDCJ anthem

28 gallery: bristol & Cardiff

29 the Chill

30 a tribute to gregory isaacs

CoVeR stoRy: niCki minaJRapper-Fashionista or Confused-sista?


4 Urban lifestyle magazine /// DeC 2010 - Feb 2011

31/3/11



what a year

2010 has been. Remember we had a

snow storm over new york in February that grounded all flights for a couple of days. wow, we thought, that was unusual. then we had an ash cloud hovering over europe that grounded all flights for

about 2 weeks. as luck would have it both these

freak occurrences happened exactly over the period when the Real Deal Comedy Jam were attempting to fly comedians in from the Us. also we’ve had a change in government from labour to Conservative and the fall out of that has been major public sector cuts. oh and we also re-branded and re-launched the RDCJ magazine as not only the supplement Real Deal Comedy Jam tour magazine. but now officially as the RDCJ ‘Urban Culture and lifestyle magazine’, sounds

good aye. we’ll i’m going to keep my editors section really brief on this occasions. i’d like to thank a few people for their efforts and contribution. larry logan for your guidance support and direction. Janine bucknor for your creative input. the journalists that contributed and finally to all the companies and organisations that advertised with us. i’d like to wish all the readers a happy and prosperous 2011. good health, wealth and success to you all. i hope you enjoy our this edition of the RDCJ

magazine.

RDCJ editor nathan wilkins

thanks goes to... Guidance - larry logan • Journalists - lorraine Copes, tiny, Dr kirstie, shell Jarrett, gok one-two, alexander Davis, will edwards, neville Coley, Rochelle Robertson • Chief Magazine Designer - Janine bucknor • Design - projay • Sales Executives - samuel nelson, Damien blackwood • Sponsors - taboo energy, mishmash, JC hair, turbo windscreens, Uplands auto Centre, all nation, barbershop • Photographers - simeon thaw, andre t. hesson, alton

webbe

Cocktails


i don’t know about you but these cold winter nights have been getting me down recently. there are only so many nights that i can justify

watching reality tV stupidity, as a fun night in.

my ritual of late has been getting home from work freezing cold, feet like blocks of ice, jumping into about 5 tracksuits, dashing on a couple more pairs of socks, my favourite woolly hat and depending on the severity of my coldness, my best winter gloves.

it’s got to a point now where this idiotic behaviour has just got to stop. Dressing up like a woolly mammoth every night is all good and well for getting warm, but all i end up doing is watching every piece of junk on tV from when i get in until its time for bed. i want some proper fun in my life. now in my books venturing out in the snow or these arctic conditions is a no go, so i came up with this to heat up my nights in without me and the mrs dressing up like polar explorers.

article by alexander Davis

C o C k t a i l s

I n g r e d I e n t s :

H o w t o m a k e I t :

I n g r e d I e n t s :

H o w t o m a k e I t :

nicki minaj


like her or not nicki minaj divides and provokes opinions, the buzz on the street has translated to popularity, and with popularity has come

record sales. in the first week of release her début album “pink Friday” has sold 371,000 copies. if this is anything to go by, nicki may well have hit the successful female rapper jackpot or has she?

prominent female rappers over the past three decades, have all played their part in evolving today’s female rapper. in the eighties arrived the ‘door finders’, think monie love, Queen latifah, salt-n-pepa, and mc lyte. these women commanded respect from their peers, but in some instances made attempts to blend in with their male counterparts in both style and clothing.

the late nineties brought the ‘door knockers’, lil kim, Foxy brown, trina, Da brat and eve. learning from the ‘door finders’, this wave of female rapper was distinctly feminine, were welcomed into “crews”of male peers, however skill was sometimes overshadowed by lack of clothing or lyrical content. learnings translated into record sales, and relative to the growth seen in hip hop music sales, they enjoyed successes too.

lauryn hill and missy elliott’s solo albums were released soon after the ‘door knockers’, but its clear to see that they didn’t need to knock, they had the keys. both artists are multi talented, and critically acclaimed due to abilities in rapping, singing, writing, and producing, all of which translated to heightened

record sales.

Fast forward to 2010, it would seem nicki minaj has taken on board all learnings from female rappers before her, and has damn near kicked the door of its hinges. appearing to tick most of the boxes that female rappers have aspired to do in the past, without alienating any fan bases as Foxy and kim would have done through purely lyrical

content. a fine balance of respect from her peer group, rapping ability, and a sexy fashionista, nicki is bringing to the masses what R&b artists such as beyonce, and Rihanna have been doing for a decades.

the fire that fuels negative debate is nicki minaj’s reluctance to confirm or deny the rumours, which would in effect contradict everything she claims to stand for. From nose jobs, to butt and boob implants, her sexual orientation, her writing ability or not, how she secured her record deal, the list goes on and on.

as rumours are unconfirmed, we only have facts to judge her on, and the facts suggest that she is a young, animated, eccentric, and a very talented female rapper, who has the potential to become the first female rapper of this decade to go global.

© lorraine Copes 2010

niCki minaJRapper-Fashionistaor Confused-sista?

harrison vs haye: Friends or Foe?


aUDley haRRison Vs DaViD haye

november 13th saw one of the most anticipated and controversial heavy weight fights in british boxing history, not since the lennox lewis vs. Frank bruno bout more than a

decade ago has the hype surrounding a domestic match up captured the attention of the public and critics alike.

the setting for such a prestigious occasion was the m.e.n arena in manchester where the 20,000 strong sold out crowd waited for what many thought was the “inevitable to happen”.

this all begs the question

was there really beef or was it

all bullshit?

harrison vs haye: Friends or Foe?


now in case you’re not familiar with the fighters, the wba Champion, David haye (the good looking chap) has had a brilliant career to date, his fights are always exciting and explosive, he has knocked out 23 of his 26 opponents only loosing once before beating the giant Russian nikolai Valuev, to win the title in 2009. the challenger however, came onto the scene with a bang, winning a gold medal at the 2000 olympic games, his career spanning a decade has brought many boring fights, bad defeats and poor defences, he always talked a good game and even though he has all the physical attributes and technical knowledge it takes to be a champion he never delivered, making him the laughing stock of the boxing fraternity who’ve nicknamed him audrey or ordinary harrison.

so, why all the hype? well it turns out that both these guys were very good friends in their amateur days back in the 90’s, they trained and competed together in hundreds of tournaments in over 30 countries often sharing the same hotel room. harrison at this point was by far the better of the two with haye actually looking up to him and idolising him as his mentor, this is probably the only thing they still agree on today. however, this soon came to an abrupt end after a sparring session where haye is said to have taken liberties with his mate in front of lennox lewis, which generally means he got his arse bust and didn’t like it, the two fell out and the bad blood between them started. David went on to do big things and ordinary? well he talked a lot! so now we

have the perfect grudge match where two opponents definitely don’t like each other and above all that is what captivated the whole boxing fraternity on both sides of the equator. its seems that during the lead up to the fight harrison became a better salesman than a boxer, because as we all knew David would deliver...harrison did a pretty good job of convincing us he would cause a major upset and knock out the champion with his huge ego, to win the title. there’s a saying insanity, is to expect a bad situation to change although we continue to repeat the same actions, well for a while a lot of us were as deluded as harrison because we actually gave him a fighters chance, after all as his pre-fight slogan suggested “yes we can” all he had to do was land the left hand! if only the actual fight lived up to all the pre-fight hype.

Round 1both fighters square off, look at each other, move around....hmm time to catch up on those emails, put the washing on, make a cuppa....”Ding” the round ends.

Round 2time to send a text “omg this fight is bollocks lol”.

Round 3now its turns out that the champ had already set this round for the annihilation of his former pal facing him across the ring, because over the next 60 seconds a large can of whoop ass was opened and poured all over harrison, he literally had snot boxed out of him and as the referee jumped in to stop haye inflicting anymore punishment on his opponent who’d twice

been on the canvass, the 6ft 6” southpaw who had persistently told us “yes we can” during the lead up to what turned out to be a money making farce soon realised what we all really knew all along. “no you can’t”.

but i’m quite sure that his £1million purse is a great consolation for not winning the title, however, the controversy surrounding the fight didn’t stop at the final bell. it turns out that the boxing board of control are currently deciding whether or not to pay ordinary harrison or withhold some of his purse because they think his performance which consisted of a single jab thrown throughout the whole 3 rounds was not sufficient enough to be considered a fight. hayes performance was also in question after it came to light that he had purposely held back, he had told all of his family and friends to bet on round 3 and he didn’t want to let them down, its also allegated he himself earned another £100,000 to add to his reported £5million purse, not bad for a nights work.

this all begs the question was there really beef or was it all bullshit? Did these two crafty cockneys pull the wool over everybody’s eyes to get paid? harrison had previously complained that back in the day when he was king he looked after David, but now he is the champion he’s gone past me without looking back, well in my opinion he looked after you that night mate!

written by our boxing columnist tiny

health


in 2011 yoU too Can haVe a six paCkDo you faithfully do

abdominal crunches every day - but still have a lower

abdominal region that’s lose and flabby? Firming and toning the lower abdominals is one of the most challenging aspects of getting into shape. why? because most men and post-menopausal women store lots of fat there, and the problem becomes more pronounced with age. Combine that with a few pregnancies and the result is flabby lower abs. are there ways to tone the lower abdominal muscles and eliminate that annoying “pooch”?

how to tame Flabby loweR abs: is it a laCk oF FiRmness oR Fat?some well-meaning fitness buffs assume that abdominal exercises are all that’s needed to firm up the lower abdominal region. Chances are the problem stems from a combination of poor muscle strength and too much abdominal fat. Focused abdominal exercises will only solve part of the problem.

even if you firm up your lower abdominal region, you won’t have a six-pack if it’s covered by a layer of body fat. if you have a visible “pooch” you can grab with your hands, there’s a layer of body fat that’s making any abdominal musculature you have invisible.

FiRm the loweR abDominal Region: attaCk it FRom two anglesthe answer? if you have too

much abdominal fat, increase the intensity of your aerobic exercise. higher intensity workouts activate fat-burning hormones like epinephrine and growth hormone better than low or moderate-intensity exercise. instead of doing 45 minutes of moderately intense exercise every other day, cut your aerobic workouts back to twenty or thirty minutes - and do interval training instead.

to do interval training, work out at the highest intensity you can for one minute and rest for two minutes, alternating back and forth. During high intensity intervals, you should be working so hard that you’re unable to talk or even string together a complete sentence. this burns significantly more calories than moderate-intensity exercise. the shorter time interval reduces production of cortisol, the “stress hormone” that causes fat storage. For maximal results, do high-intensity interval training every other day. talk to your doctor before doing high-intensity exercise.

tone loweR abDominals Using FoCUseD exeRCisesit’s difficult to specifically target the lower abdominal region with exercises. most people think that leg lifts tone the lower abdominals. in reality they work the hips more than the lower abdominal region. two of the best exercises for toning lower abdominals are the hanging leg raise and reverse curls – using good form, of course.

Follow up by doing plank exercises to firm and tone the entire core region. Do three 15 rep sets of each exercise every other day for best results. gradually increase the number of reps as you become stronger. your lower abdominal region should burn by the last repetition. if not, you need to do a few more.

toning loweR abDominals: the bottom line?Combine exercises with a good nutrition plan that limits processed foods and high-glycemic carbs and you should see results in six to eight weeks. some women with flabby lower abs who have been pregnant have a condition called diastasis recti where the abdominal muscle separates. this causes a flabby, distended tummy that doesn’t respond to diet or exercise. if this applies to you, see your doctor.

Dr. kirstie

mental health


barbershop birmingham is a community magazine aimed at promoting dialogue on issues related to mental health that is

specifically targeted at young bme men within inner city areas of birmingham. in particular, it targets those men who are least likely to engage with health, social care and mental health. – namely, bme men be they caught up in the criminal justice system, or are drug users, gang members, not in employment, not in further education, not engaging with society and not having an awareness of how to best engage with their mental health. it has a multi-cultural focus addressing issues of faith, culture and race in mental health and promotes an understanding and co-operation between communities.

barbershop features topical articles, personal accounts, interviews with community members, poetry, artwork and unique comic book case studies of real life experiences of mental health. the barbershop is the focal point for distribution as for many bme men, such venues are viewed as social hubs where people open up, in short, barbershops can be cornerstones in society for many men.

barbershop birmingham has attached to it many opportunities for training and gaining an accredited qualification, three of the training opportunities being website design, photography and radio broadcasting.

F o R m o R e i n F o R m a t i o n C o n t a C t :Stephen Lewis 07976896044

Email [email protected]

mental health



politics: what’s it all about?

heard the one about the boy who asked his father to explain politics? his dad replied “i’m the breadwinner so let’s call me ‘Capitalism’.

mom looks after the money so we’ll call her ‘the government’. we take care of your needs so we’ll call you ‘the people’ and your nanny she’s the working Class. your baby sister is ‘the Future’.”

late that night the son hears his sister crying and checks on her, finding her sat in a full nappy. he goes to his parent’s room but his mom is fast asleep. peeking into the nanny’s room he sees his dad screwing the nanny.

the next day he triumphantly tells his father “Dad, i understand politics! while capitalism is screwing the working class, the government is sound asleep, the people are being ignored and the future is in deep s**t”.

Did the boy’s summary resonate with you or are you uninterested in politics? it’s not likely that Cameron

has ever counted the days to payday or that Clegg has ran out of credit on his phone so it’s common for people to disassociate themselves from these ‘men in grey suits’ running our country. you may even think “what’s politics got to do with me?” but if you drive a car, pay taxes, have children, study, travel, access health services or use public transport then you’re already involved!

politics affects each and every one of us and the only way to make changes is to be involved but first, be informed. like the drama of the soaps? Check out prime ministers Questions. enjoy a good row on springer? watch bbC Question time. prefer being nosey at status updates on Facebook? have a look at the forums on you gov.

politics has everything to do with all of us… and that’s the real deal.

by shell Jarrett

what’s it all aboUt?


hair

amazing upmarket salon with

exceptionally low prices

across several cities as a supplier of quality wefted hair and lace front wigs. Joy began looking for an ideal location for her first hair salon. through customer demand, there was a strong need for full salon services, besides other services clients wanted relaxers and treatments. the vision was to have a high class looking salon that would blow the minds of those who visited it and provide all the services one would expect. no expense was spared and in late 2009, Joy opened the salon on the prestigious Colmore Row in birmingham.

JC hair is now much more than just a retailer of high quality virgin hair extensions. Joy and neville were most concerned about customer comfort and convenience when designing the salon, so with confidence they ensure every visit will be a pleasant and thrilling experience.

Joy founded JC hair in early 2008; however the journey began when Joy was only

14 years of age. Right from this beginning Joy had immense passion and energy for the hair and hair dressing. having had good success, as an employee, in salons across bradford, leeds and birmingham Joy decided it was time to set up her own business. in 2005, with the help of her husband and business partner neville Coley; Joy began her research importing hair from ex soviet Republics, south america and across asia in search of high quality pure virgin hair. in 2007 Joy was confident with her list of suppliers across the globe, having worked closely with them to produce high quality wefts and lace wig designs. in 2008 the first shop was opened in the piccadilly arcade in birmingham as a retailer of virgin hair extensions. by the end of 2008, JC hair had a strong reputation

as well as entertainment the salon has a lounge, free refreshments and free snacks to have you feel as comfortable as you would be in your own home. JC hair also understands that discretion is important to many of our clients. For this reason, there is a dedicated 1-2-1 private room complete with backwash and necessary equipment.

with expert stylists who form a great team, JC hair is able to complete every hair service to a high standard and in a professional manner. because it is situated within the busy city centre, the team understand that time is very important to clients; so they guarantee to address needs in a prompt fashion without the client feeling rushed. also, JC hair is always in touch with the very latest celebrity hair styles and its team pride themselves on being able to replicate them for your pleasure.

everything about JC hair is high class except its prices, which are surprisingly low. the virgin hair, the lace wig fitting technique, the weave technique, the look of the salon and the customer service are all high class and unique; so please try it for yourself.Joy has provided a brief guidance on hair types, so you’ll be better informed before making your next purchase of hair extensions Virgin hairthis highest quality extension hair has never been processed in any way and is pure. this term covers hair from the continents of the americas, europe and asia. this hair could last for several years if properly cared for and performs extremely well. this hair can be chemically altered to achieve different colours and textures.

remy hairRemy or remi hair is the complete hair strand and has not been weakened by stripping (removing the cuticle). however, this hair has undergone some form of processing (permed, heat treated or dyed) so it should be treated gently. once virgin hair receives any such processing short of removing the cuticle, it is referred to as remy.

non-remy hairnon-remy hair is mostly referred to by its misleading title of ‘100% human hair’. this is the most commonly available hair on the market. the roots and tips of hairs are all mixed up (cuticles in different directions) which causes problems with tangling and matting. this hair is sometimes sold as ‘100% human hair tangle free’. this hair type has been stripped of its cuticle to reduce tangling and matting. non-remy hair will not last as long as remy hair due to the processing it has received.

Synthetic hairsynthetic hair is made of a wide array of different fibres. synthetic hair will not last as long as 100% human hair because it tends to tangle and frizz uncontrollably. however, there are exceptions and technology has allowed for types of synthetic hair to minimise these issues

yaki hairthis term is given to hair with a similar texture to afro Caribbean hair. this hair type is a lower grade than 100% human hair as it is often diluted with animal and synthetic hair.

women’s Fashion


sheep skin boots

Capes

Update your winter wardrobe with one of this seasons key looks. the sexy aviator Jacket, the fabulous Cape and the o-so cool sheep skin boots. i know i’ll be bagging these in the January sales. these beauties maybe where the trend stakes are right now, but a one season wonder they sure aint!

top shop £150 all saints £495 karen millen £399

miss selfridges £85 top shop £85 karen millen £225

top shop £80 karen millen £225

w o m e n ’ s F a s h i o n

Real Deal Fashion highlights

aViatoR JaCkets

art

icle

writ

ten

by th

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CJ h

igh

stre

et s

py g

ok o

ne-t

oo

kg wentworth £190

perfume Review


if you have been struggling to find that ultimate fragrance, struggle no more. we have taken the trouble to research the market and have selected the top three ladies and gentlemen’s scents. seek them out and judge for yourself. after all beautiful smells are in the nose of the beholder. so with Christmas gone and

Valentines around the corner, maybe one of these will become the perfect gift for you to give or even receive. Real talk!

p e R F U m e R e V i e w

Real sCents, Real loVe...

article written by the RDCJ high street spy gok one-too

FoR himFoR heR

lady million by paco Rabanne

he wooDby DsQUaReD²

the one gentlemenby D&g

Floraby gucci

Flower bomb (limited edition)by Viktor & Rolf

1 millionby paco Rabanne

men’s Fashion


guys hope you weren’t feeling a little left out in the last RDCJ fashion edition. this month we have included some styles that hopefully will be to your taste buds. this time of the year is party season so to ensure your looking hot and on top of your game checkout some of the key trends we have put

together.

m e n ’ s F a s h i o n

look like the Real Deal

River island £90

article written by the RDCJ high street spy gok one-too

allsaints £80 River island £40

gRey skinny sUitmimone waistCoat

ChaRm tRoUseRs gReCo wCap Dby

ted baker £85Reiss £89


self-improvement

if there is one, constant behaviour to be found amongst high-achievers, it is that they are all goal-setters. without exception, they set specific,

measurable challenges on a regular basis. this article addresses the question of why this habit is so ubiquitous amongst top performers.

now, first of all, we should consider what exactly is, and is not meant by the term ‘goal-setting’. a goal is not simply an aspiration or a whim or anything half-hearted. it is a true statement of intent whether the goal is written down or not. writing down your goals is indeed an important procedure, but it is not imperative. the most important characteristic of a goal is not that it is written down, as some people would have you believe, it is that the goal is absolutely believable for the person setting it.

of course goals should conform to the smaRt (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timetabled) acronym guidelines but without doubt, the most important characteristic is that they should be realistic for the person concerned or, in other words, they should be believable. without a realistic expectation of achieving the anticipated outcome, the power of this powerful technique is lost.

the reason that goals need to be believable is simple. For the mind to problem-solve its way to the imagined destination (the goal), it must emotionally commit to the task. believability literally enables this most astonishing achieving mechanism we all share as creative human beings. when we can emotionally commit ourselves to the achievement of some future outcome, our creative mind is enabled and we are open to possibility; just as a fatalistic or pessimistic mindset closes off that same possibility.

it is an interesting to note that the horizon of possibility extends with practice. in other words, as

we begin to make use of this technique and achieve goals that cause us to stretch in order to achieve them, so our ability to believe is also extended; and so too is our ability to believe in what it is possible for us to achieve. this is an exciting prospect for most people: you will be effectively providing the proof of your faith by your works - as st James said, ‘faith without works is dead’.

so, it seems that high-achievers have all proved this truth for themselves. they have all set and achieved goals and with each achievement have been able to extend their faith-horizon until they were able to set really big goals and also were simultaneously able to believe in them. that’s how they liberated the creative power of their minds to find the answers to the most challenging questions and solve problems that others thought would never be solved.

this same power resides within you. in order to become a high-achiever, you need to start small: set those goals, make them believable, achieve them, and by achieving them extend your own horizon of possibility. this is the route to significant self improvement and it too can become your plan to develop your abilities and become the high-achiever you always thought might be lurking somewhere within.

Short Summarywithout exception, high-achievers set goals. but there is much more to using this powerful technique than simply setting targets. what many people don´t understand is how this powerful technique is actually used by the top achievers to expand their ability to achieve.

will edwards

whygoal-setting is a mUst FoRhigh aChieVeRs



the Real Deal Comedy Jam toured the Uk in september and october 2010 visiting Cardiff, birmingham, nottingham, bristol and london.

as per usual a cast of the premium urban stand-up comedians were hired to do what they do best and they didn’t disappoint. hosted by our regular host kat this show featured four other comedians. axel, special p and from new york Jewish comic Jason andors and our headline act smokey suarez. like everyone expects from us we tried something different on this tour. instead of the usual DJ supplying the music we introduced a live band with our host kat playing some improv games in between each performer. kat was on form and was very funny

throughout the tour, i’m sure he got his butt out in every city, lol! before the tour i was really looking forward to seeing smokey suarez perform, he didn’t fail to impress me. i thought he was

excellent although he didn’t get the response i was expecting in all the cities on the tour. his received his best reaction in bristol, the bristol crew seemed to love him. my personal favourite performer was axel, i thought he was excellent, he really reminded me of Richard blackwood when he first came on the scene. but my opinion counts for nothing, the only thing that matters is what you all thought so since the tour ended you have all been voting for favourite performer of the tour. with an overall majority of your votes our Real Deal Comedy Jam performer of the tour with 46.8%, please take your bow Jason anDoRs.

nathan wilkins

my peRsonal FaVoURite

peRFoRmeR was axel, i

thoUght he was exCellent

Jason anDoRs

kat

axel

speCial p

smokey sUaRez

46.8%

41%

32%

20%

7.1%

thelast

toUR

gallery


galleRy biRmingham



of “excitement beyond words”, when he got the call from RDCJ to tour, and whilst he had a very vague idea on what touring with the team could be like, through word of mouth and the internet, the experience completely surpassed his expectations. “the aura, the positivity, and family vibes” all contributing to what axel describes as “just the best experience ever!!!”. these feelings of exhilaration multiplied by 10, when learning he would make his début on the RDCJ television show.

host kat, has been somewhat of an inspiration to axel, in his ability to “work the crowd, think on his feet, and build up the anticipation prior to the comedians entrance to the stage”. bristol and birmingham both have stood out as axel’s two favourite cities on tour, because of the love, the numbers and the after parties.

axel exudes a thirst to learn, self belief, confidence and pure positivity, if what we have seen so far is anything to go by, we have most definitely found a future star in the making.


lets cast our minds back, think eddie murphy’s character in the 1987

beverley hills Cop. axel Foley, was if you remember screamingly funny, and its by no means a coincidence, that the hottest new comedian hitting the Uk comedy scene just over 18 months ago, also goes by the very same name.

axel the entertainer has always been the class clown, and because of this was nicknamed axel by school friends some years ago. the name stuck, and the inclusion of “entertainer” demonstrates the height of axel’s dreams to take this success beyond being a stand up comedian in the future.

the new generation of a comedian is upon us, and at the tender age of 22 axel has done the ground work, attending a comedy school, gathering advice about the industry, and practicing his skills. as a huge fan of comedy shows for many years, axel realised, whilst watching kojo on stage that he no longer wanted to sit in the audience watching other great comedians command the stage, he decided that he was going to be that guy. his first ever gig was at the sunday show, on mothers day in 2009 which went extremely well, and the rest is as they say history.

axel describes his the feeling

toURing with the Real Deal ComeDy Jam FRom the eyes oF...

some‘Real DealComeDy Jam’FaCts aboUtaxel: REaL: a real and interesting fact about axel is he is also a bus Driver.

DEaL: axel’s best ever deal is his four door car, for practicality reasons!

ComEDy: Favourite and most inspirational comedians include slim, Richard blackwood, and kat

Jam: Favourite slow jam of all time is keith sweat “ nobody”.

gallery


galleRy lonDon



VeRse 1 (Casey)behold the show that’s bout to explode like explosives / by far the dopest the next sensation for showbiz / the Real Deal Comedy Jam so stay focused / it’s the Uk’s no1 stand up comedy show and that’s no ish.

Jokes are so gritty you cant bring ur pickney / better mind how you laugh cause you might pop your kidney / the kind of place where sitting at the front is so risky / Comedians could expose you and tell you how dry your lips be.

even worse if girls weave looks high and itchy / or your body resembles the physical structure of a pigmy / it’s the, Real Deal, brum city legends / they cause mass asteria when ever the show presents.

always full of surprises never leaving you undone / big up nottingham, bristol, manchester and london / the Uk following, hollering at the greatness / betta believe its an explosion of comedy entertainment.

ChoRUs it’s the Real Deal Comedy Jam, it’s the Real Deal Comedy Jam / it’s the Real Deal Comedy Jam, it’s the Real Deal Comedy Jam / it’s the Real Deal! / Comedy! / it’s the Real Deal Comedy Jam! / yo it the Real Deal!Comedy! / it’s the Real Deal Comedy Jam!

VeRse 2 (soweto)Comedy Jam hot like porridge and yams / ya better have dress sense and a doctor to hand / you can laugh so hard that your tonsils expand / and you’ll have to be carried off in a hospital van.

got comic crossing forests and land, rocks in the sand / pentalk! / it’s preposterous man! / best show your poker face / Don’t look

dopey like “oh hi, i just smoked an 8th”

oh and if your slightly over weight tho! / Definitely don’t get caught holding a plate yo! / an o, to any rows around 3 don’t try to frown and play it low key down beat! / you can get called out of the crowd loudly / trying to act like, “i know he ain’t talking about me”

monumentous girls with round measurements your in session with the world renown specialist / Real Deal! / so how many will forget crowd etiquette raise the roof and shout loudly if your now getting it!

Chorus

VeRse 3 (Casey)nathan, Damian sammy and nzinga / are ahead of the game you disagree i’ll raise the finger / other comedy jams are whack / RDCJ to the rescue / the only click all the comedians wanna step to.

7 years on it its time to pay homage to the / Real Deal ComeDy Jam / Cause they’ve been on it like, nutmeg on porridge / expressing comical knowledge / embedding it in your forid / so your never forgetting what it was all about.

niceness, pleasurable vibes with / kat b and slim cause there bound to make your sides split / black white or asian everybody’s invited / to the alexander theater they will show you what live is.

they host special guests that come from JamaicaUk, Usa. the lands of Canada / the best of the best comical stand ups will amaze ya / sponsored by wilkobaby sharper than surgical lazers.

Chorus

lyRiCs FoR

anthemi’ve heard so many people create their

own words to the Real Deal Comedy Jam

anthem. well no need for that! here are the

lyrics to the whole rap, so now you’ll be able

to sing along without worrying about saying

the wrong thing!listen on line now

atwww.rdcj.net

gallery


galleRy bRistol & CaRDiFF



being a student in birmingham here for 2 years, i had found it hard to find events that were completely different

from your bog standard rave. one day i received a broadcast message explaining this new event called, ‘The Chill’ a new and exciting event to hit birmingham. well needless to say i was excited that finally i could meet some new people and just chill out in a mature environment. they boasted human sized Jenga, wii, Comedy, giant snakes and ladders and with an over 18 age policy. now this was right up my street, i decided to head down there and check it out.

the night was brilliant. the theme was blind Date, with members of public selected to go on a date to nando’s. the host was hilarious

the music was banging, and i was so happy that i had made the decision to attend the event, i just had to let all of you wonderful people who read the RDCJ magazine know about it. now word has it that the next event is on the 12th of January at the Review bar in the arcadian. if i was you i would not miss out on this opportunity to experience something different. birmingham is moving forward in 2011 literally. that’s all the information i have at the moment, but if you would like to know more, then join ‘the Chill group’ on Fb, or text 07535674899.

Rob Rochelle, a student from manchester studying at birmingham University

a tribute to gregory isaacs


if like me you are of west indian parentage, the name gregory isaacs is one, that

when mentioned triggers all sorts of memories from the mid-eighties of playing lovers rock on a sunday afternoon, whilst awaiting your sunday dinner. gregory has often been described as a pioneer of lovers rock styled reggae music. whilst never achieving the same levels of success in record sales as the likes of bob marley, Dennis brown, or Jimmy Cliff. gregory won on the hearts of the people on popularity, initially in his home country of Jamaica, he then went on to receive the same love on an international stage.

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(15th July 1951 - 25th october 2010)

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a tribute to gregory isaacs


on the 25th october 2010, gregory isaacs, also known as the cool ruler, lost his battle to lung cancer at his home in south london. when a legend dies, we of course have to pay our respect and reflect on his early career, the turbulent success, and premature ending of this ambassadors life. with a career spanning over 30 years, its estimated that the singer released 500 albums in Jamaica, the Uk and Us. without a shadow of a doubt gregory has proven that music is indeed timeless, releasing tune after tune he was associated with his exquisite yet nasal tones.

gregory was born to humble beginnings in Fletchers land, kingston Jamaica in 1951. gregory s early career was actually as an electrician and cabinet maker, but his heart was in music, and that was ultimately where he saw that his future lie. his recording career actually begun in the late 60’s, when he made his recording debut with a duet with winston sinclair “another heartache”, which was recorded for producer byron lee.

he soon after went on to form a group called the Concords with penro bramwell, which after the release of several singles, and no success, gregory decided to abandon ship and go it alone. he then went on to record for prince buster, though still not content, started his own label in 1973 called african museum record label. this label continues to this day to churn out reggae classics, so for those of you who thought that Diddy was the first to venture into label ownership, gregory was about twenty years ahead of him.

From 1974 onwards, the

notoriety started to come, the late seventies saw success in particularly for the album “in person” which went on to sell over 45,000 copies. 1978 came a deal with Virgin Records, and gregory also stared in the film rockers in the same year. when his deal with Virgin expired, gregory was quickly snapped up by Uk based label Charisma. he went onto produce a further two classic albums “lonely lover” and “ Cool Ruler” . in 1981 he made his first appearance on reggae sun splash, and continued to make appearances for the next 10 years thereafter.

island Records went on to make undisclosed offer for gregory in 1982, that he simply could not refuse. at this label he produced his first international success “night nurse”. which was later covered by both simply Red, and lady saw. two years later, gregory was on the move yet again, leaving island records, and he went on to record and produce two further classic albums for for friend tad Dawins.

it was from this point onwards, at the height of his success gregory was plagued with both legal and personal problems, at one point ending up in jail in kingston for 6 months on a firearms charge. Upon his release from prison gregory was ready to record for anyone who was prepared to pay him for work, due to financial problems.

more importantly gregory learnt from his past mistakes, and moved on with his career, in an interview, he said of that period in his life “Drugs are a debasing weapon, it was the greatest college ever, but the most

expensive school fee ever paid – the cocaine high school. i learnt everything, and now i’ve put it on the side”. gregory’s turbulent personal life, and fast living cost him not only his teeth, but the quality of his voice, but like a true fighter he put the past behind him, and continued to do what he loved, produce and record.

1985 onwards saw gregory record for some of reggaes greatest DJ’s including sly and Robbie, king Jammy, and king tubby. Fast forwarding to more recently in 2008 his album “brand new me” was nominated for a grammy award, and gregory went on to release a final album before his passing in 2010 called “ isaac meets isaac with king isaac”

For those of us who know gregory’s musical style well, gregory had two sides, he was a roots singer, who’s songs were filled with fire, feeling and suffering, as well as a lover man, who’s music conveyed passion, devotion and heartfelt love.

which ever side you connected with, gregory has endured a roller coaster ride of a career spanning over three decades. i will be remembering him for his creation, his contribution, his passion, and his plight.

he will be missed, and his music eternal.


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