Paulina, More Than Just a Story

Paulina is a 17 year old girl living in a Cambodian gambling community in the United States. Immersed in a vibrant world where bets and wagers are a part of everyday living, young Paulina has found herself attracted to the game; a love understood and shared by her father, Sam, and an avid community of Cambodian gamblers. Met with strong disapproval from her sister Sopheap, Paulina remains strongly tied to the community. But soon she finds herself in the midst of her father’s war with addiction, and the realities of this world is unmasked; Paulina must inevitably choose between the world she is drawn to and the life she might someday want.

Written and directed by Caylee So, a Cambodian American from Northern, Virginia, Paulina is a story of family, addiction and sacrifice. A story that for some, might hit pretty close to home.

This short film goes into production in December, filming in Southern California. And due to the nature of the film, numerous personals of Southeast Asian decent are needed to fill the roles of patrons of a gambling house. All the support is needed from the SoCal community in order to make this project a huge success. Those interested are encouraged to email paulina.film@gmail.com or visit http://www.paulinafilm.com/ to learn more about this remarkable story.

The visual style for “Paulina,” the movie, aims to define the three main stages to which the protagonist goes through her journey:

• The enjoyment of the perfect world (fun, vivid, colorful, inviting)
• The realization of a menacing habit (asphyxiating, dangerous, mysterious, disappointing, confusing)
• The decision to grow up and save herself (hopeful, controllable, promising) Likewise, the cinematography of this project also attempts to portray the culture that Paulina is part of, as a way to bring the audience closer to the main character, and thus, to the story.

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Ali Kulture Leaves an Imprint in Hip-Hop

We have the pleasure of introducing a head turner from the DMV that goes by the name, Ali Kulture. He's had the opportunity to perform at numerous venues in DC and Virginia opening up for major acts in the game. Born in Pakistan, raised in San Jose CA and currently residing in Virginia. Mr. Kulture has been turning heads for quite some time now with his witty lyrics, brash delivery and unique rhyme patterns. Life is a test of will and Ali has an uncanny ability of capturing moments in his life with his music. Connected with family from the bay area under the umbrella of Greenhouse / Hunnitproof records, he carries the torch in the DMV. The recent momentum of hip hop in the Washington Metropolitan area has created a great arena for talent to shine and Ali Kulture is turning a lot of heads. Lyrics without substance are a façade and Ali puts soul into what he speaks. Being Muslim and an entrepreneur, Ali is dedicated to bringing about a change in the industry and leaving his mark one way or another.

Let it be known that Muslim rappers have influenced Hip-Hop for many years now. There are prominent players in the industry that share the same beliefs as Ali. Some are only rumored to be Muslim while others have proudly displayed their beliefs in the media. Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, Mos Def, Freeway, Beanie Siegal, T-Pain, Jurassic 5, Rhymefest, AZ and Akon have all publicly expressed their religious beliefs using Rap music as their medium. Q-Tip, a former member of A Tribe Called Quest, converted to Islam back in the 1990s as well as Flesh-n-Bone of Bone Thugs & Harmony. Both Nas and Common have written lyrics inspired from the teachings of Islam.

How is Islam connected to Hip-Hop?
"It's part of our history and culture in Islam," says Tai, 25. "The traditional books of law and philosophy in Islam were written in poetry, and students memorize them with drums, basically singing out the poetry. And if you `beat' that up, it sounds just like rapping."

The connection between hip-hop and Islam was a natural one in the African-American community, where the religion already had strong roots.

"Islamic beliefs and values are seen as the standard in hip-hop," says Adisa Banjoko, a San Jose author who is writing a book on hip-hop and Islam. We used to go by Jihad, which means struggle in Arabic, but after Sept. 11, it was misinterpreted to mean holy war, and that's not the message we bring at all. Islam says to keep positive and be a role model, to make a difference. We try to reflect that in our music."

Read more about this topic, here.

Needless to say, Ali Kulture is making his way to the top of the DC music scene. You can catch him LIVE IN CONCERT this Thursday, November 10, 2011 at Dirty Martini located at 1223 Connecticut Ave NW, DC. Doors open at 8:30pm with performances scheduled to being at 10:30pm. Also performing that night will be Dope Inc. of the DMV and Paradise Inya Citi, lead vocalist for Cultural Affairz Band.

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Hollywood Hosts Open Mic Every Wednesday

This just in, starting November 9, 2011, Ms. Toni C. of The Hollywood Hangout Morning Show on GoGoRadio.com will be hosting an Open Mic style event each and every Wednesday at Let's Chat Cafe.

This opportunity is opened to all aspiring artists in the DC Metropolitan area. Independent labels are encouraged to sign up their clients for this astounding opportunity to showcase their talents for others see and hear. There will be a live audio & video broadcast on http://gogoradio.com/ with Ms. Toni C. interviewing each performer before and after they hit the stage.

Happy Hour will start at 7pm and performances are set to begin at 10pm until midnight. For artists to sign up, they simply have to send an email to thehangoutlive@gmail.com with clean tracks and a brief biography.

The Hollywood Hangout Morning Show
Monday-Friday 9am-1pm 



Hollywood is entertainment personafied. The local artist from the DMV has expanded himself greatly from club promotions, hosting open mics, hosting parties, hosting local TV shows, and also radio. So its only right that The Hollywood Hangout would be a show that matches his personality. You will have no choice but to enjoy his antics. The show ranges from discussions on serious topics, silly issues and alot of randomness. Be Prepared to be entertained as Hollywood helps you get your week started every morning well into the afternoon from 9-1pm.

http://www.gogoradio.com/

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Jay2da Reps For The Locals

Locals know him. Fans love him. Critics can't help but talk about him. This rising DMV star has opened up for major celebrities such as Wale, Juelz Santana and Paul Wall. Jay2da, born Julian Johnson, was raised in East Bridgewater, MA. He started rapping at the tender age of 7 by freestyling and writing down rhymes with his father. After moving to the DMV in middle school, he took some time off from music to focus on sports, but eventually started rapping again at 17 with his high school friends. Later he was introduced to GD by Ali Assadi, and they formed The Hammer Boys. They released one mixtape title "The Dean's List" with DJ Capcom under HMG and REAL Dope! Records before splitting up and going solo. Jay2da is known for his unique word play, rhyme scheme, and everyday life content. He is heavily influenced by the 90s, partying, and the world around him.

Recently he has started his own crew crowned The Locals, as well as a clothing line called Locals Only. If you are a fan of Jay then you are an old friend from down the block to him, your now a Local and part of the Locals family. After teaming up with Future Promotions and HMG, there is no limit to how far this movement can go. With hometown love and support anything is possible, and according to Jay2da, "Local love is the best love."

 Here's the official video for his popular song, Levis. Download his mixtape here.

Catch up with Jay2da on any social media platform.

Facebook: Jay2da
Twitter: @RollitUpJay

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