So Icy Music Producer Zaytoven

Zaytoven is among the top music producers from Atlanta spearheading the success of various music artists through his beats such as Gucci Mane and Usher. Born in Germany as Xavier Dotson, the origin of Zaytoven’s name comes from his similarities to German composer and pianist Ludwig van Beethoven. Both men were born in Germany and they mastered the piano and organ at a young age.

Since Zaytoven’s father was in the military, his family moved from Germany to San Francisco, California. Zaytoven moved to Atlanta, Georgia after his father retired and began to make noise in the Hip-Hop industry as a music producer.

It was in Atlanta where hit met one of the top rappers representing the South, Gucci Mane. The first encounter between Gucci Mane and Zaytoven was in a casual setting. Zaytoven was attending barber school when a fellow student introduced him to Gucci Mane. He explains that Gucci Mane was more interested in launching his own Nephews’ rap career at the time.

After some convincing, Zaytoven got Gucci Mane to be start writing his own lyrics and rapping. According to his bio, Zaytoven and Gucci Mane worked together to produce “So Icy” in 2005 which peaked at #23 on the Billboards Hot Rap Tracks chart.

In addition to producing beats, Zaytoven is the author of “From A to Zay” and is an actor in the movie Finesse directed by Al Nuke.

For more information on Zaytoven himself, visit his website www.zaytovenbeatz.com, follow him on Twitter @zaytovenbeatz, and follow him on Instagram @zaytovenbeatz.

BY LAURENT OCTOBRE

The History of Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day is known nationwide as the day that mothers across the country are honored for all the love they provided their children with and sacrifices they made for them.

According to the History Channel, the origins of Mother’s Day dates back to 1908. Anna Jarvis created the holiday after her mother’s death in 1905. The death of Jarvis’ mother inspired her to have a day that would appreciate everything mothers do for their families on a daily basis.

In May 1908, she received funds from a Philadelphia department store owner named John Wanamaker and held the first official Mother’s Day celebration in a Methodist Church in West Virginia.

Jarvis began to advocate for Mother’s Day to become an official national holiday. She argued that American holidays were focused too much on male accomplishments. Jarvis established a letter writing campaign to newspapers and high-level politicians encouraging the creation of a day held every year to appreciate mothers across the country.

In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson signed a bill that officially makes Mother’s Day a national holiday that is celebrated the second Sunday in May.

Initially, Jarvis was excited that the holiday would be officially celebrated nationally. When businesses such as florists and card companies used Mother’s Day as an opportunity to make profit, Jarvis was disappointed because she intended the holiday to be a personal event between mothers and their families.

Although Jarvis fought to get Mother’s Day removed from the calendar until her death, the United States of America continue to celebrate the holiday after more than 100 years since it was established.

The Victoria Washington Experience Weekly News Update

It’s the Victoria Washington Experience and here are some news events that happened.

Sherri Shepherd lost her battle with her ex-husband Lamar Sally about their child, according to TMZ.  She was proven to be the mother of the child who was born via a surrogate. Sally and Shepherd have been fighting in court since August, when the child was born. Shepherd claimed she was tricked into having the baby by Sally. Sally is, “ecstatic with the ruling,” and told TMZ that he wants Sherri to apologize on television the same way she did when she accused him of tricking her into having a baby and being a gold digger, according to TMZ.

Rachel Roy, Damon Dash’s ex-wife, gained full custody of their daughters Ava and Tallulah, according to TMZ. This was news to him because he did not even show up for the hearing. Also, Dash wanted full custody of his daughters. TMZ stated that Dash and Roy would accuse the other of, “being an unfit parent.” Dash believed that Rachel would threaten to cut one of the girls with a knife and would drive home drunk with one of the girls as well.  Rachel claimed that Dash would smoke weed around the kids, according to TMZ. Dash was ruled to only get supervised visitation. Rachel received a three-year restraining order against Dash, according to TMZ.

K. Michelle, reality TV personality and studio singer, is getting a butt reduction, according to SandraRose. She said that she got butt injections to, “elevate her poor self-esteem,” but that did not work out. She found out how difficult it was to wipe herself while in the bathroom without having to twist her body into weird positions, according to SandraRose.

Mendeecees Harris, reality TV personality on Love & Hip Hop: NY, will be going back to prison. He plans on pleading guilty to, “trafficking mass quantities of cocaine,” and is free on a $600,000 bond, according to SandraRose. Before Harris heads back to prison, him and his fiancee, Yandy Smith, will have their wedding in a VH1 spin-off.

This is your weekly news update with the Victoria Washington Experience. We keep your experience updated.

BY JULISSA DUCHATELLIER

EDITED BY LAURENT OCTOBRE

Freddie Gray Death

An African-American man died after he was arrested and taken into custody on April 19.

Freddie Gray slammed his head on a bolt inside the police van escorting him, according to sources.

Gray’s death caused a lot of rioting and fighting throughout the city of Baltimore. Loring Cornish, an artist from Baltimore, created an exhibition that sparked a lot of concern. He hung dolls that were sprayed in black paint to, “represent black men who are being killed, lynched, and murdered legally,” according to the Huffington Post.

During the rioting, a woman was seen beating up a teenager who ended up being her son, stated the Washington Post. Toya Graham, who is a mother of six, was named “mom of the year” and said, “That is my only son,” and she did not want him to be the next Freddie Gray at the end of the day. She also said what he was doing, disrespecting police officers, is not justice.

Six police officers were charged in the death of Freddie Gray on May 1, stated the New York Times. They were charged with a list of crimes such as manslaughter and murder in Gray’s arrest and fatal injury. Three of the officers were white and the other three were black. One cop was a lieutenant, who has been on the force for 17 years.

BY JULISSA DUCHATELLIER

EDITED BY LAURENT OCTOBRE

The Victoria Washington Experience Weekly News Update

It’s the Victoria Washington Experience and here are some news events that happened this week.

Jay-Z’s streaming music application, TIDAL, is a huge failure, according to SandraRose.  Tidal is a streaming app that rapper Jay-Z has started and subscribers can spend $20 a month to stream his music and receive a personal phone call from him. It is reported that Jay-Z is removing his 1996 album, Reasonable Doubt from Spotify along with his other albums to save his app from further failure.

Nicki Minaj and rapper Meek Mill are engaged after 2 months of being in a relationship. Minaj met Meek Mill after he was released from jail 2 months ago, according to SandraRose. Nicki Minaj posted a picture on her Instagram page of the extravagant engagement ring. Also according to this site, Meek Mill is still having trouble paying his, “exorbitant attorney’s fees.”

Aaron Hernandez, former tight end of the New England Patriots, was convicted of a murder on April 16. According to SandraRose, a Massachusetts jury ruled that Hernandez was convicted of 1st degree murder for the killing of Odin Lloyd back in June 2013. Also according to this website, Hernandez was, “found guilty of ‘extreme atrocity or cruelty’ for shooting Lloyd six times.” Hernandez was sentenced to life in prison and given no possibility of receiving parole.

Tina Knowles, Beyoncé’s mother, got married and is officially off the market. According to the NY Daily News, Tina, 61, married Richard Lawson,67 , who is an actor, in Newport Beach, California on a 140-foot yacht named, “Eternity” on April 11. The Daily News said Tina’s daughters Beyoncé and Solange were in attendance alongside Jay-Z and Blue Ivy. Tina divorced Matthew Knowles, Beyoncé’s father, back in 2011.

This is your weekly news update with the Victoria Washington Experience. We keep your experience updated.

BY JULISSA DUCHATELLIER

EDITED BY LAURENT OCTOBRE

Sexual Assault Awareness Month

Since 2001, the month of April has been observed nationally for awareness of sexual abuse and assault according to a timeline on the Sexual Assault Awareness Month website. “A lot of survivors are suffering from the effects of sexual abuse,” stated Alissa R. Jones, Founder and Director of Survivors With Voices.

Jones was a victim of sexual abuse. She stayed quiet for 23 years because she believes that there is a stigma on people who claim to be sexually abused.”They’re lying. People don’t believe them,” Jones said in reference to the public’s view on sexually abused victims. She explains that the victims remain in silence about their past abuse due to the fear of people perceiving them to be dishonest about their claims.

Jones uses the Survivors With Voices foundation to help people who have been sexual abuse to tell their stories and begin to heal. She is the author of The Stones that Built me Strong. The book discusses how Jones used the tribulations of being abuse and raised in an unstable household to make her become a strong individual and live a successful life.

You can follow Alissa R. Jones on Twitter @AlissaRJones and find news updates on Survivors With Voices through the foundation’s twitter @SWVFOUNDATION. Go follow Victoria on Twitter @TheVickiii to learn more about her guests and interviews.

BY LAURENT OCTOBRE

The Victoria Washington Experience Weekly News Update

It’s the Victoria Washington Experience and here are some news events that happened across the country.

According to the Huffington Post, travelers on a United Airlines flight to Denver subdued an unidentified man who approached the cockpit stating he had a bomb. Flight 1074 immediately landed and the unidentified man was covered in bruises after the incident but none of the other 32 passengers were injured.

Former notorious hip-hop icon Marion “Suge” Knight fainted in court when he heard his bail is set at $25 million according to the LA Times. After the incident, he received medical treatment at a jail hospital.

R&B Singer Chris Brown is officially off his probation after more than six years stated the Huffington Post.On Friday, Brown tweeted “IM OFF PROBATION!!!!!!!! Thank the Lord!!!!!!”

Little League player Mo’ne Davis can add shoe designer among her many accomplishments. According to Elle magazine, Davis collaborated with M4D3 (Make a Difference Everyday) to create a limited edition line of sneakers. The money accumulated is sent to the Because I Am a Girl charity foundation, which helps underprivileged girls worldwide.

If you having trouble with getting job interviews, consider looking at your e-mail address. According to Daily Mail, researchers performed a study that shows people who use formal e-mail addresses are more likely to advance in the job application process than those who use informal e-mail addresses.

This is your weekly news update with the Victoria Washington Experience. We keep your experience updated.

BY LAURENT OCTOBRE

R&B Singer Angie Stone: Arrested with Domestic Aggravated Assault

  Angie Stone was arrested for knocking her daughter’s teeth out over an argument about a messy room and her grandchildren. Diamond Stone,30, and Angie got into a verbal altercation after seeing how messy Diamond’s room was asking her to clean up her room and to take care of her kids. Diamond did not like how her mom was speaking to her so she tried to punch her mom and as a reflex, Angie threw a metal stand at Diamond’s face and her teeth were knocked out, according to sources. Diamond’s teeth have been rotting in her mouth for a long time and that is why her teeth fell out after her mother threw the metal stand at her face, according to a close source to Angie to TMZ . Diamond punched her mom first and a family friend broke up the fight but could not say who hit who first, according to sources. It is not known if Angie has an attorney, the Daily News said.

BY JULISSA DUCHATELLIER

EDITED BY LAURENT OCTOBRE

Behind The Success Of House of Cards

House of Cards fans spent the weekend bingeing the Netflicks series in response to the release of Season 3 according to the show’s casting director, Kimberly Skyrme. “Don’t give any spoiler alerts!” are some of the posts that Skyrme saw on various forms of social media.

Lamont Easter plays as Frank Underwood’s Secret Service and admits to binge watching the show himself. “The acting is absolutely superb,” Easter said. Skyrme stated that House of Cards is a political show that is sophisticated and gives an insider perspective in the world of politics. “I think people wonder is this based on reality or is it totally factitious,” she said. “Or,is it somewhere in between.”

House of Cards has thirteen Emmy nominations for 2014 and Easter attributes the show’s success is due to its ability to break into new media; streaming online. “I believe its one of the first shows of this magnitude to simultaneously be available in multiple western countries around the world,” he said.

Follow Kimberly Skyrme on Twitter @KimberlySkyrme for possible updates on House of Cards and to know more about the man who plays Frank Underwood’s Secret Service, go to Lamont Easter website www.lamonteaster.com and follow him on Twitter @LamontEaster. Go follow Victoria on Twitter @TheVickiii to learn more about her guests and interviews.

BY LAURENT OCTOBRE

Marketing Your Business

One of the core foundations in launching and maintaining a business is marketing. The connections an entrepreneur has can be one of the factors that determine how lucrative their business is.

Marketing guru Brian Horn explains that potential entrepeneurs should not underestimate any connections they do have and any form of publicity they received can be used to further market their business. “If you have to say it’s a radio show, say it’s a radio show,” Horn said in reference to exposure people can use to market their business. “And that impresses to everybody.”

Horn suggests that people who have made the decision to start their own business should not view themselves as an expert and be able to microspecialize.”One, know who your target market is and what you are offering them,” Horn stated.

For more marketing advice from Brian Horn, go to his website www.theauthorityexpert.com and follow him on Twitter @brianhorn. Go follow Victoria on Twitter @TheVickiii to learn more about Brian Horn and her other guests.

BY LAURENT OCTOBRE