We will never forget 2020. Our lives were turned upside down and many of us were inspired to pursue new passions in our free time, including Bella Poarch, who joined TikTok in April. Unlike most people who merely picked up a hobby or mastered a new recipe, Poarch is now the third most followed creator and has the most-liked video on the entire platform. “I still feel like I’m the same person,” Poarch says. “Sometimes I forget I’m famous because of Covid-19 and I don’t really go out much. I’m sure it’ll be interesting when the world opens up again.”
For Brooke Candy’s Inked debut, she went big. REALLY big. When given the freedom to create a concept for her cover shoot, Candy saw an opportunity to do what she does best—push the boundaries. “We wanted to do something that had more depth than your average photoshoot against a white wall in a sexy bikini,” Candy says. “I told my best friend and costume designer, Seth Pratt, and he sent me photos of this fetish called macrophilia. It’s a fetish where the individual derives sexual pleasure from being at the mercy of a giant. We thought it would be great to run with this concept and have me play both parts—both the dominant and submissive roles.” Think 1958’s “Attack of the 50 Foot Woman,” 1959’s “The 30 Foot Bride of Candy Rock” or the 1999 music video for Lit’s “Miserable” starring a larger-than-life Pamela Anderson.
There’s a new viral sensation emerging from the crevices of social media every single day, so it takes someone with true star power to keep hold of the spotlight and make a lasting career from their 15 minutes of fame. Danielle Bregoli seized the moment and refused to let her sudden burst in notoriety go to waste, capitalizing on her larger-than-life personality and a plethora of musical talents. Now known to the world as Bhad Bhabie, she’s soaring to new heights.
In 2020’s “Infamous,” Bella Thorne’s character Arielle Summers takes inspiration from the outlaw Bonnie Parker of Bonnie and Clyde. This couple’s story has been romanticized by movies and television shows for decades, however, no one has captured their criminal crusades quite like the protagonists in this film. “Infamous” allows social media to take center stage, with Thorne’s character recording their robberies for what would become millions of adoring fans. Her motivation behind committing robberies isn’t for the money; it’s for the glory, recognition and infamy.
At age 13, JoJo made history as the youngest artist in America to land a No. 1 single, and then again as the youngest nominee for an MTV Video Music Award. JoJo astounded audiences with her powerful pipes and it seemed like she was priming herself to be the next R&B superstar. But, due to a failing record label, it would be 10 years until the world heard from JoJo again. Now, with a brand new album tearing up the charts, JoJo is back and here to stay. On May 1, JoJo released “Good to Know,” showing her resilience and fortitude as an artist who’s fought hard to continue making music. “When people ask me, ‘Why did you decide to keep going?’ I just don’t understand what the alternative is,” JoJo says. “This is something I started when I was a little girl and I refuse to let the industry, the politics and the things that were outside of my control define me. When you keep going, that’s how you win.”
Mom sexuality has taken a 180-degree turn in the past several decades, catapulted by “American Pie,” where the word MILF was born. Today, moms are hotter than ever and the phrase “mom bod” is a total compliment. Newly admitted to the club, Kehlani embraced being a young, hot mama and allowed motherhood to empower her as an artist, entertainer and woman. “Being a new mom, I’ve never felt sexier in my life,” Kehlani says. “I’ve never been more in tune or more emotionally accountable. Once you become a mom, you have to be really accountable for your emotions and your emotional turmoil.”
At 11 a.m., on a gray and drizzling morning in December, a line has already begun to form around the block outside Pier 36 in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Doors won’t open at the NYC venue for at least seven hours, however, that hasn’t stopped fans from holding out for their favorite artist. I make my way toward the entrance, keeping an eye out for someone whose guise might disclose distinguished status. On the contrary, I find Bobby Greenleaf, Post Malone’s assistant manager, smoking a joint next to a solitary hot dog cart. We head to a white van, which takes us to Post’s penthouse suite at Central Park’s Viceroy Hotel.
Many of us spend our entire lives searching for our passion. That thing that makes us jump out of bed in the morning and makes our hearts dance when we talk about it. That thing we’ll make major sacrifices for, whether or not they’ll actually come to fruition. For Katorah Marrero, better known as Young M.A, her passion has always been music and at the age of 9, she converted a closet into a private studio and used a karaoke machine to record her own raps. “I used to be in class writing raps, acting like I was studying. I tried to do well in school, but I had so much passion that it became a priority,” M.A says. “I chose music first before any other career because I knew for sure that it was something I was going to do. I never had second thoughts about it.”
When it comes to legends of cannabis, there’s no one who has been more iconic as an entertainer, activist, and overall influence than Tommy Chong. His career in entertainment began during the early 1960s and he was soon discovered by the Queen of Motown, Diana Ross. Later on, while performing stand-up in strip clubs, he was introduced to a man named Richard Marin, also known as Cheech.
Over the last few years, more artists than ever before have bucked against rigid music genres. Machine Gun Kelly and Mod Sun, who made names for themselves in hip-hop, are now making pop-punk music. Ice-T goes back and forth between gangsta rap and thrash metal. These artists laid down the groundwork for iann dior, who refuses to be defined by one specific genre. “I want to be the first artist to be able to dominate every genre of music,” dior says. “When I go to the studio, I could want to make a pop song or a punk song. I have the right people around me to be able to do whatever I want, so why not experiment and see what happens? The thing is, with me hopping onto different genres, my music still sounds like me. And the fans, they adapt to it.”
In tattooing, we’ve become accustomed to seeing all sorts of sleeves—arm sleeves, leg sleeves. But a butt sleeve? Who would have even dreamed of such a thing? Comedian Nicole Byer, that’s who. “On my right cheek, I have a watermelon, a peach and a strawberry that says ‘Juicy’ and a chili pepper that says ‘Muy Caliente’ and then I have a lemon that says ‘When life gives you lemons, suck a dick,’” Byer reveals. “On my other cheek I have a cupcake, a lollipop and an ice cream cone that says ‘It’s sweet, just taste it.’ I have a hamburger and a hot dog that says ‘Stick it in these buns.’ I got all of these because I thought they were really funny and I still think they’re really funny.”
Elvira never intended to get a tattoo. Nevertheless, here we are, profiling the beloved actress in Inked because, despite her intentions, she now has one. This story begins with “Epic Ink,” a tattoo reality show that aired for one season on A&E in 2014 and followed the artistic exploits of Area 51 Tattoo in Springfield, Oregon. Elvira was brought on the show to surprise a super fan who was getting a huge tattoo homage to the Mistress of the Dark. Then, one thing led to another, and Elvira found herself in the tattoo chair.
There are thousands of inspirational quotes about personal growth out there. And to be frank, most of them make us want to scoop out our eyeballs with a melon baller and say, “That’s it, I’m leaving social media for good this time.” But, there’s a nugget of truth behind every Pinterest post that says “The Best is Yet to Come.” The potential for growth is what keeps an artist hungry to create, and one of the best ways to experience that growth is through introspection—a process Alexandra Sholler, known professionally as Alison Wonderland, underwent for her third studio album, “Loner.”
Never underestimate the importance of an album’s title. Coming up with a good one can often be the most grueling part of the entire process. Sure, an artist can get away with the occasional self-titled project, but more often than not you need a catchy moniker that sticks in a listener’s brain—but not something so wild that it’s the only thing they’ll remember (we’re looking at you, “Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water”).
A butterfly begins life as an unassuming caterpillar and then changes into a vibrant butterfly seemingly overnight. Chrissy Chlapecka went through a similar metamorphosis as she transformed from a college student struggling with her identity to a pink-haired, self-proclaimed bimbo dominating TikTok’s algorithm.
Millions of teens fantasize about becoming famous musicians, but without access to infinite funds or the connections that stem from nepotism, it’s nearly impossible to know how to even start the journey. Lyzzie Larosa, better known as babychaos, may have figured out the cheat code to making it on your own in 2022.
Juliet Simms is dead. But with every end there is a new beginning: From the filth and dust that remained of Simms rose a new being ready to wreak havoc on rock ‘n’ roll—Lilith Czar. “I felt this longing for something more meaningful, something bigger and something that could represent change,” Czar says. “Considering everything I’d gone through in my career, a light bulb went off and I became a completely different person. I knew I wanted to completely shift directions and change everything.”
Luxury, at its core, is entirely perception.
Lobster was once served exclusively in jails and oysters were shunned by all but the poorest class. Fast forward a hundred years and lobster and oysters are among the most revered delicacies for the upper crust. Now Jordan Rondel, also known as The Caker, is working to elevate the oft-disparaged box cake mix into the realm of fine dining.
TikTok has become the new Myspace, no cap. No, you can’t rank your top eight friends and Tom is nowhere to be seen. The similarity comes in the way the platform serves as a springboard for countless musicians eager to launch their career. One of these musicians is Australian TikToker turned pop singer Peach PRC, who’s the latest to make the leap from social media to the mainstream charts.
Mei Pang didn’t set out to make a bold statement when she started getting tattooed, she just wanted to get a cool tattoo. Nonetheless, the celebrated beauty influencer with more than 1.7 million TikTok followers ended up making an enormous impact with her unconventional artistic choices. “When I got my thigh tattoo, I just got the one and I walked out of the shop super psyched about it,” Pang says. “Then I got home and I felt a little bit lopsided. So the next day I actually booked the exact same tattoo mirrored on the other side. And my tattoos have been symmetrical ever since.”
Alice Glass is a survivor, but she isn’t every survivor.
For her debut solo album, Glass knew she wanted the project to address her experience with the band Crystal Castles and the alleged abuse she endured, but she needed to do so in her own way. “The record itself is a last desperate cry, but it’s not one that needs sympathy,” Glass says. “It’s sort of an amalgamation of suffering. But I didn’t write from the perspective of coming out on the other side as a stronger person or being sympathized with, it’s somewhere in the middle. This isn’t an album about the idealized survivor that we see in the media who’s overcome extreme odds. It represents the things that have happened in my life, how I’ve taken control and addressed it.”
In hip-hop, a rapper’s name is everything. History won’t remember Jacques Webster II or Calvin Broadus Jr., but it will remember Travis Scott and Snoop Dogg. On the other hand, sometimes changing your name is an essential part of your artistic growth. At the start of 2021, only a matter of months after dropping the album that put her on the map, Latto chose to change her name from Mulatto as a way to move on from the negative connotations of this word and start fresh. “I was in a mindset of wanting to change my name,” Latto says. “I felt that it wasn’t being perceived in the right way and I wanted to address the name change, but I wasn’t sure how I wanted to address it yet. I was like, ‘I could do a mini documentary, I could make an Instagram post, I could do an Instagram live.’ But I was like, ‘Nah, fuck all of that. I’m a rapper and I need to address this in music.’”
In Miami, chonga is more than just an aesthetic, it’s a way of life.
Chongas are young, working-class women, traditionally of Latin descent, who are sexually expressive and decorate their bodies with loud, flashy and often cheap clothing. Kasey Avalos, known to the world as La Goony Chonga, was introduced to the chonga lifestyle at an early age and before long, it became a large part of her identity. Today, she’s embraced being a chonga in full force and for Avalos, chonga goes deeper than a stage name or an in-your-face attitude. “Being chonga keeps me humble,” Avalos says. “It reminds me to always work with what I’ve got and that it’s not about how much your clothes cost, but how confident you feel in yourself. It’s about being able to look like a million dollars in an inexpensive outfit. As long as I’m chonga, I’m reminded of who I am and what I came from.”
It’s easy to see how kids fall in love with hobbies such as music, art or sports, but what would lead a child to a fascination with true crime? How does a kid become enthralled by abduction, torture and murder? For makeup artist and true crime storyteller Bailey Sarian, it runs in the family. “Growing up, my mom was a 911 dispatcher and she would take me to work with her,” Sarian explains. “I would sit in and listen through the headphones to the 911 calls. That’s when my curiosity was first sparked. We look back on it now and laugh because she probably shouldn’t have been taking me to work with her.”
On November 13, a Friday, we sat down for our Zoom call with Rebecca Black. The woman sitting across from us shows remnants of the 13-year-old we all remember from her viral video, such as her wide smile and large dark eyes. But 10 years have passed and Black has evolved, adopting bright blue locks, a peppering of tiny tattoos and an e-girl aesthetic. That’s right, 2021 will be the 10-year anniversary of “Friday,” and boy, I bet you feel pretty old, don’t you? Now, Black is back with brand new music and ready to go viral once more. “In a way, I’m relaunching myself,” Black says. “This project is very honest to myself and my goal with all of this is to enjoy every moment of what I’m doing. It was created with a lot of risks, but they’re risks that I enjoy getting as a fan to other artists and I want to have that experience for my own.”
From Grammy wins to Top 100 chart records, we’re living in an era where more women are succeeding in rap than ever before. Not only are women flourishing in the genre, they no longer need a male cosign to make it big. This new generation of women brought new perspectives to rap and, as one of the fastest rising women in the game, Rico Nasty is using her rhymes to shed light on a topic that’s seldom discussed in society, let alone in hip-hop. “Growing up as a woman, when you get mad people either take advantage of or take pity on you,” Nasty says. “They try to victimize you or say that something’s wrong with you, you’re crazy and you’re doing too much. It’s OK for men to lash out and break shit if they want to. But if a woman does it, it’s always been unlady-like.
The music industry is built on underdogs. As fans, we want to see the little guy succeed and we’re compelled to support someone whose rise to stardom has been an uphill battle. However, for Derek Smith, known to the world as Mod Sun, finding the confidence to pursue his passions has been a journey years in the making. “I always wanted to be a singer, but I was told for the majority of my life that I wasn’t a singer,” Mod says. “I was in bands surrounded by incredibly trained musicians with perfect pitch who told me that I wasn’t a singer and that killed a lot of my confidence. But there was a burn inside of me that I always wanted to sing.” Against the odds, Mod Sun is an artist who’s thriving in multiple disciplines right now, debuting his crossover album “Internet Killed the Rockstar” with a collaboration from Avril Lavigne, as well as co-directing “Downfalls High” alongside Machine Gun Kelly.
It took spending a night in a Malaysian jail cell for Maggie Lindemann to find her purpose as an artist. “I was performing and someone tried telling me to get off stage in the middle of a song,” Lindemann says. “I got off and people from immigration told us I didn’t have the right papers to perform there. I was really scared and we ended up getting taken to the immigration center and got booked. I was in a jail cell for over 24 hours and then we were on house arrest in the hotel for five days until they finally let us go back to the U.S.”
Back in 2016, fans of the critically acclaimed Netflix dramedy “Orange Is the New Black” were introduced to the character Brandy Epps, a member of the prison’s white supremacy gang. Actor Asia Kate Dillon brought Brandy to life and, over the course of the show, portrayed a character that couldn’t be further from their real self. However, eagle-eyed fans may have noticed that the producers snuck part of the actor’s true identity into the character, through Dillon’s real neck tattoo—lettering that reads “einfühlung.” “The tattoo means empathy or one feeling,” Dillon explains. “I discovered that German was the first to translate the word empathy out of Greek. It was translated in the 1860s by a German philosopher who was trying to come up with a word for the experience that people have when engaging with art.”
Rappers find their personas in a variety of ways. Childish Gambino came up with his name using a randomized Wu-Tang Clan name generator. Waka Flocka Flame drew from Fozzie Bear’s iconic catchphrase. Baby Goth based her brand on the duality of light and dark, finding inspiration from one of Rob Zombie’s most legendary characters. “I named myself Baby because I love horror,” the diminutive rapper says. “Rob Zombie’s wife plays this character Baby Firefly in his movie ‘House of 1000 Corpses,’ and I related to her. She’s like Harley Quinn—she’s super light and sweet—but she’s also really dark, cynical and evil.”
Can you even have a sport without a great rivalry? Tyson vs. Holyfield. Red Sox vs. Yankees. Duke vs. North Carolina. When it comes to the World’s Strongest Man, no rivalry is as savage as the beef between Eddie Hall and Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson (You know him as The Mountain from “Game of Thrones”). Now, after years of throwing verbal punches online, they’ll be throwing punches for real in The Heaviest Boxing Match in History. “At the end of the day, we’re both 350-plus pounds of body weight and we fucking hate each other,” Hall says. “So there’s only one way this is going to end—knockout.”
“The only tattoo on my body that means anything is this Grim Reaper with a feather sickle,” Dillon Francis says, pointing to a tattoo on his left arm. “When I was around seven, I watched ‘E.T.’ and had nightmares for two years that E.T. was going to tickle me to death.”
In one word, Ty Dolla $ign is versatile. Not only has he shown different sides of his sound through his own chart-topping singles, his vocals have complemented hits by Fifth Harmony, Post Malone and Megan Thee Stallion. “I saw a tweet where someone said, ‘Ty’s voice is like fucking hot sauce, it’s good on anything,’” Ty explains. “I was like, ‘What am I doing on these other songs that I haven’t been doing on my albums?’ With my new album, I made sure to include all the frequencies of my voice and whatever I was giving away to Kanye or Mustard, I made sure to have it covered.”
Before the internet and social media took over the music industry, many artists got their break by passing out demos in person or mailing them to labels for the chance of being discovered. Most of the musicians you hear today, however, found success by posting their songs and videos online, either growing an organic following or getting noticed by a celebrity. Alesso went with the old-school approach and got his work in front of his idol, Swedish House Mafia’s Sebastian Ingrosso. “I met him through his father in Sweden. He used to go to this coffee shop where my girlfriend was working at the time,” Alesso says. “She gave him my CD and he listened to it the same day, which is crazy.”
It only takes one song for an artist to make it big. Cardi B was once dismissed as a Vine star with marginal fame until “Bodak Yellow” hit the airwaves and in the blink of an eye she became a household name. Prior to releasing his 2019 single “Roxanne,” Arizona Zervas had a feeling this might just be his “Bodak Yellow” moment. “I always hear my music so many times that it’s hard for me to get excited about it,” Zervas says. “But I remember saying that I thought it could be on the radio. Then that came true, along with many other things, and it definitely changed my life in a good way.”
It only takes one night to change the course of your life, and no one knows this better than Deon Cole. Born and raised in Chicago, Cole frequented many comedy clubs in his youth and after watching Eddie Murphy’s first stand-up special, his friend inspired him to get on stage and give it a go. “My friend bet me $50,” Cole says, “and I never looked back after that.”
Zhavia Ward grew up surrounded by music and her family supported her aspirations from day one. Ward picked up her love for music from her mother, who’d sang lead in a metal band called Xenoterra. And when it came time for Ward to choose her own path, there was no question she’d follow in her mother’s footsteps.“I’ve definitely been working on my craft since I can remember,” Ward says. “There was never a moment where I was like, ‘I think I’m going to do this.’ I just knew that this is what I’m supposed to do and I’ve always felt that way. I’ve been singing ever since I could get a word out of my mouth.”
DaniLeigh was born knowing her purpose in life and put it into practice at an early age.. As a singer, DaniLeigh reaches millions of people around the world every day, and her breezy lyrics instantly uplift those who hear them. “I felt like I [always] knew what I wanted to do with my life, and that’s to inspire people,” DaniLeigh says. The singer commemorated this with her first tattoo, which reads “Inspired to Inspire.” But even before DaniLeigh could legally go under the needle, she was already on her way to inspiration.
In hip-hop, iced-out chains, bands of Benjamins and custom Lamborghinis are flaunted as a signifier that you’ve made it big, and the best way to get there is by being yourself. The key to building a long-lasting career is authenticity—rappers who put out a fake persona to their fans often fall by the wayside. On the surface, Tay Money is a white girl who grew up on a cattle farm in a tiny Texan town, but deep down, she’s always been a bubble rap Barbie. “Tay Money, I’ve always had her in me,” Money says. “It took a few years to groom her because I was growing up and doing things to be cool. Now, I’m doing things because it’s who the hell I am.”
At 24 and 25, New Orleans based cousins Aristos Petrou and Scott Arceneaux Jr. made a pact to allot the next five years of their lives to making it in the music industry. If they failed, the consequences were steep. “We decided to give this ‘til we were 30 and if we didn’t make it by 30, we’d fucking kill ourselves,” Petrou, who’s now known to the world as Ruby da Cherry, says. “This is all we wanted to do and if we couldn’t do it, we didn’t see a point in living.”
On ABC’s 15th season of “The Bachelorette,” lead Hannah Brown met dozens of suitors who tried to win her heart (and America’s). One of those men was Mike Johnson, a financial advisor from San Antonio who instantly charmed audiences with his conviction, confidence and megawatt smile. Although Johnson came onto the show self-assured and ready to find love, he wasn’t always the calm and collected gentleman we saw on screen. “I’ve had [self-love] for a while, but my biggest test was when my ex and I broke up,” Johnson says. “After we broke up, I didn’t leave my apartment for 10 months. I was a prisoner of my own mind, to be quite honest.”
Every band has their story of how they came together. Keith Richards and Mick Jagger grew up together in Kent, meeting as teenagers to form The Rolling Stones. Ozzy Osbourne caught the attention of his Black Sabbath bandmates after putting out a local ad reading, “OZZY ZIG Needs Gig.” The founding of Cheat Codes, on the other hand, began with a laundry room. “On January 4th, 2012, I moved to Los Angeles and didn’t know anyone. Through mutual friends, I found myself at a Denny’s and Trevor [Dahl] walked in with that exact yellow beanie,” says Matt Russell, one of the three DJs of Cheat Codes. “I was like, ‘Hey, I remember you. We played a show together when I was 18 years old at this pizza place in St. Louis.’ A couple of months later, he needed a roommate and I wanted to save some money, so I told him that we had an empty laundry room and we’d only charge him $200-300 bucks a month.”
In Hollywood, many entertainers juggle careers in different disciplines simultaneously. But, if you were to ask any of these stars which career they prefer, most would have a clear answer. Chris D’Elia is a prime example. D’Elia may be known for his acting roles in shows such as “Whitney,” “Undateable,” “The Good Doctor” and “You,” but his heart lies with stand-up. “For a while, people were asking me what I would rather do and I thought saying I was a stand-up comedian who acts was a way to shut down that question,” D’Elia explains. “I love both of them, but in stand-up I’m in control and as an actor you wait for jobs and are a little more at the mercy of the job. As a comedian, I can go up on stage every night if I want to.”
While we may not remember every superfluous math lesson or out-of-control party that happened in high school, many of us recall who won the coveted title of class clown. In Hollywood, many former class clowns have gone on to successful careers in comedy, such as Robin Williams, Amy Schumer and Kate McKinnon. However, for Kurtis Conner, it took time for him to step out of his shell. “I always thought I was funny, but I was never really outgoing,” Conner shares. “I was never the kind of person to be like, ‘Everyone, look at me!’ But I guess that’s kind of what I do now.”
For those who aren’t familiar with the video series “Aries Kitchen,” let me break it down for you. “Aries Kitchen” is a hub for chaos and creativity, with host Julien Solomita whipping up crazy culinary concoctions with varying levels of success for online audiences. While the menu may change, Solomita always ensures one unifying key ingredient per dish—the lovable lawlessness that keeps viewership high week after week. “I’m a living example that you don’t have to be great at something for people to want to watch you doing it,” Solomita says. “I’m a minor league chef and I’m totally OK with that.”
In today’s hip-hop industry, it’s not just rappers who get to enjoy the spotlight. Producers, songwriters and DJs are taking center stage as hip-hop has become increasingly mainstream One of the most recognizable names in music today is Murda Beatz, who’s worked with the likes of Travis Scott, Migos, Nicki Minaj, Kanye West and Drake. Murda came into hip-hop as a teen from Ontario, Canada, but in a few short years, rose the ranks by committing to the grind and rubbing shoulders with industry heavyweights. Today, he’s not only producing beats for multi-platinum hits, but releasing solo music and appearing on headlining tours. This is only the beginning for the 25-year-old hot shot.
On a quick pan of the Metroflex Gym in Long Beach, Calif., you’ll see a number of hardcore athletes training for the next big competitions in bodybuilding, powerlifting and Olympic lifting. Standing out among these men and women is Nick Santonastasso, who despite being born with one arm and no legs, makes gains just like everyone else on the floor. “I’m showing people firsthand that it’s not the physical body that holds us back, it's the thoughts we continuously tell ourselves,” says Santonastasso, a man who learned from day one that everything is earned and nothing in life is handed to you.
While most of his career has been dedicated to being the class clown of YouTube, there’s more to Jesse Wellens than pulling off a viral pranks. Over the last 10 years, Wellens has developed a presence online, and in that time subscribers have watched him mature as a creator, and have learned about some of the real life challenges he’s had to overcome. We sat down with Jesse to learn where his love for pulling pranks began, how he’s stayed positive throughout dark times and what his viewers can expect to see in 2020.
This Fall, a brand new tattoo competition show is coming to Paramount Network. Ink Master: Grudge Match brings back former contestants and gives them the opportunity to go head-to-head with their biggest rivals from the franchise. And Ink Master champions Ryan Ashley Malarkey of season 8, DJ Tambe of seasons 9 and 10 and Cleen Rock One of season 11 have returned to the competition, this time serving as judges. We sat down with the three judges to get the inside scoop on the brand new series, which premieres on October 1st at 10pm ET.
Close your eyes. Now imagine the type of lifestyle which makes an individual susceptible to a heart attack. Open your eyes. Standing before you is Bob Harper, who at 54-years-old has trained overweight Americans on The Biggest Loser for the past 15 years, was once an avid CrossFit athlete and overall, has maintained a near perfect physical physique throughout his lifetime. But, on February 12th of 2017, Harper’s life was thrown off balance when he suffered a widowmaker heart attack, which according to the Institute of Medicine has a survival rate of less than 10 percent.
Going from one career to another is no easy feat and in almost every scenario, there’s something to lose. Finding success requires someone to think like an athlete and always be one step ahead, even when life knocks you off your feet. For Brendan Schaub, he’s won the game despite losing some seriously significant matches along the way.
Adam Grandmaison, known the world over as Adam22, became one of the leader hip-hop podcasters nearly overnight. He’s recognized for scouting and profiling some of today’s leading rappers, from Lil Yachy to XXXTentacion to 6ix9ine, right before they made it to the mainstream charts.
With an album set to drop on April19th rapper Blackbear is expected to make massive waves on the R&B charts in 2019. Born Matthew Tyler Musto, Blackbear left high school in the ninth grade to focus on music. By 17, he’d left home to work on his solo career with Ne-Yo in Atlanta, and in a few short years, went on to collaborate with musicians such as Justin Bieber, G-Eazy, Mike Posner and Machine Gun Kelly.
At just 22 years of age, India Love has already accomplished more than most could hope for in their lifetime. She began her career as an influencer, amassing a staggering 3.7 million followers on Instagram and earning her very own television show on BET. Since then, she’s made her debut as a hip hop artist under will.i.am’s personal mentorship.
With 6.3 million followers and counting, Supreme Patty is one of the most talked-about 20-year-olds on social media. In his short time on Instagram, he’s built a brand on pranks, stunts, and crazy challenges that have captured the attention of content sites such as WorldStarHipHop and celebrity entertainers like Tekashi 6ix9ine.
At just 16 years old, Kailyn Lowry’s life changed drastically when she became pregnant and was featured on the MTV reality television show, “16 & Pregnant.” Now, nearly 10 years later, she’s not only a mother to Isaac but also two more boys — Lincoln and Lux — has published three best-selling books, and to top it off, recently launched her own line of CBD-infused hair products.
Singer-songwriter Dennis Lloyd is quickly becoming one of the most talked about rising artists, with nearly 1 billion streams on his breakthrough track "Nevermind." Following the success of this song, he's currently charting with a sequel titled "Never Go Back," which chronicles his breakup in Israel and in the new vertical video, Lloyd shows fans a new perspective of the relationship.
On reality television and in real life, artist Ceaser Emanuel runs New York City's Black Ink tattoo studios. Born in the Bronx but finessed in Harlem, Emanuel went from a no-name artist to starring in one of the most successful tattoo reality shows in history and owning a multi-million dollar empire of successful shops throughout the country.
When it comes to the rap game, L.A.’s Ty Dolla $ign is at the very top. From major collaborations with Lil Wayne, Wiz Khalifa, and The Weeknd to smash solo tracks like ‘Paranoid’ and ‘Blase’, the Almighty Dolla seems to have cracked the code to hip-hop success.
He’s colorful, he’s cute and he’s trending on every major streaming site. Fat Nick has quickly become one of the most talked about artists in the game and he’s expected to have one of his biggest years yet. Known for collaborating with Pouya, Blackbear and $uicideBoys—he’s at the epicenter of the alt rap scene right now.
When you’re in the middle of an international tour and you have a few days in New York City where you just put out a killer performance a few nights earlier at the Governor’s Ball, what do you do to relax? Well, if you’re Belly you smoke a little weed (maybe a lot of weed), grant an interview to INKED magazine, go live on Facebook and get tattooed by Victor Modafferi…all in the same afternoon.
While musician and models may be made for each other on paper, more often than not, their relationship never stands the test of time. However for L.A.-based rapper Ghostemane and NY alt-model Ivory Suicide—they’re making it work against the odds. For our 2018 Sex Issue, we believe that it’s important to not only highlight the seduction of the sex industry, but put a focus on real relationships. Believe it or not, but sex exists beyond the constraints of a computer screen—it’s also a very important aspect of every romantic relationship
Close your eyes and reminisce on the time where Vine was in its prime. Those were the good ol’ days, am I right? None of this Musical.ly noise, but a time where people could create content gold in a tight six-second-loop. Alas, those days are long over and our favorite Vine stars have made their moves into other branches of social media celebrity—from the Paul brothers stirring up controversy on an international level to Lele Pons breaking the sound barrier on YouTube. But what about the stars of the iconic “Suh Dude” Vine? Well, as it turns out, one of its creators is also a legend in the world of EDM. Tanner Petulla, a.k.a. Getter, is a highly sought after DJ and has collaborated with the likes of Skrillex, Datsik, and Borgore. And with his debut full-length album dropping in mid-2018, we decided to meet up with him to learn what fans can expect from Visceral.
For the past 30+ seasons, Chris Santos has served as a recurring guest judge on Food Network’s “Chopped.” However, this is far from his biggest claim to fame in the culinary industry. For the past several decades, Santos has owned and operated some of New York City’s top-rated restaurants. We sat down at his latest launch, the Lower East Side’s street art-inspired Vandal, to learn about his entry into the culinary arts and how he built a restaurant empire in the most competitive food city in the world.
While many people celebrate their sobriety each year it comes around, model and activist Yves Mathieu East commemorates his anniversary in an extremely unconventional way. For East, he wears his sobriety on his sleeve, or in his case, his face. That's right, he has a face tattoo for every single year he's been sober.
Every season, NBC’s America’s Got Talent introduces the nation to dozens of talented acts across music, magic and comedy. And during their 13th season, we were introduced to 27-year-old electric violinist, Brian King Joseph. Not only did Joseph impress the judges with his incredible musical abilities and megawatt smile, he won over audiences with his inspiring story of struggling with neuropathy. Joseph stopped by our studio in Los Angeles’ fashion district to discuss his introduction to violin, his shocking medical diagnosis and his experience performing alongside Lindsey Stirling.
Like a phoenix from the ashes, Andy Black broke out of his shell as the lead vocalist of Black Veil Brides to become a successful solo artist. Now, he’s fresh off the release of his second solo album, “The Ghost of Ohio” and has proven he’s not a one-trick pony. We sat down with Black at our New York headquarters to learn more about his new music, as well as his impressive collection of tattoos.
