In The Spotlight: Web & Graphic Designer Duane Lindsey II

Another day, another spotlight! If you are or represent an upcoming artist, designer, dancer, etc., please visit our Features/Submissions page for more info on how to be featured on The Spotlight! 

Today, we have business owner and graphic designer Duane Lindsey II! 

Duane owns his own production company DLINDZ Productions, which offers web and graphic design, video production, and photography! He got his start back in the Myspace days, loving the celebrity page designs on the social media site, and soon started learning how to do his own custom layouts. Once the designer had the Adobe Photoshop program down and was creating his own layouts, he started designing layouts for other people. Soon after his high school graduation in Akron, OH, Duane moved to Atlanta, GA, where he has resided for the last 9 years. “[I] felt that it was more opportunities to excel here in whatever I decided to do for a living,” he said of the move.

I asked Duane about what made him turn his love for graphic design into a real business. “Honestly, I didn’t really plan on starting one initially. I was just doing what I enjoyed to do,” the entrepreneur admitted. “But I decided to go ahead and start a business once I was starting to get an overwhelming amount of people asking me to make stuff for them. I started charging people to really cut me some slack. That was when I saw the potential in myself to actually pursue a business using all my skills.”

Some of Duane’s graphic work

With his talent and business savvy, Duane has been able to achieve a lot since he started, including managing rap group, The LVRDS, which he says is his biggest accomplishment. Because of their potential to grow and become better, he has pushed himself to grow and enhance his skills in order to make them look better. Because of this, they’ve gotten the opportunity to open up for acts such as B.o.B and Usher. Another proud moment of his includes working with PJ of Famous 2 Most (F2M). He was even formally with We Are Toonz when the Nae Nae dance was created. Duane created the Nae Nae logo and directed the viral video that helped the dance tremendously on social media and YouTube. He also created Famous 2 Most’s Whip Dance logo (and viral video which has over 4 Million views on YouTube!

The creation of the popular Nae Nae Dance came about for Duane when former LVRDS member PJ called on some of his old dance members to join We Are Toonz for a dance competition. While they were practicing, trying to figure out a dance move to put in their routine, PJ did a funny dance move imitating a ghetto girl. Fellow group member Levi told him to do it again cause it was funny but it was dope at the same time, and he told PJ to put his hand up while doing it. That’s how the Nae Nae was created. While no new work is currently on the horizon with DLINDZ Productions and We Are Toonz, Duane hopes they work together again in the future.

In addition to The LVRDS and Famous 2 Most, Duane has also worked with Freco & Merlo (creators of the Drop Dance), Keem, Young Mafia Inc (creators of the Swazzze Shuffle) and producer Bangladesh who produced hits such as “A Milli” for Lil’ Wayne and “Lemonade“ for Gucci Mane.

Over the next five years, Duane would like to build an ambitious team as well as a good foundation for his business. He would also like to help other people in the same field who wish to start their own businesses doing what they love to do. 


Check Duane out on his official website and YouTube page. You can also connect with him on Facebook and Twitter!

BONUS: Top 3 Albums Currently Listening To

Drake – Views
Travis Scott – Rodeo
The Game – The Documentary 2

Sharon Leal to Portray First Live Action Version of ’Miss Martian’ on ‘Supergirl’

Blavity / Us Weekly / Wikipedia

For all my DC fans this is MAJOR news! 

Fictional superhero M’gann M’orzz aka Miss Martian is set to appear on The CW‘s “Supergirl” in this upcoming second season! The beautiful and talented Sharon Leal, who has appeared in numerous movies including Why Did I Get Married, Why Did I Get Married Too, Dreamgirls and the TV show Grimm is set to play the role!

In the DC Universe, M’gann is Justice League member Martian Manhunter’s niece that comes from Mars in order to cultivate her extremely strong powers. In the first season of Supergirl, we were introduced to the Martian Manhunter who is played by (SPOILER ALERT!) David Harewood. No other details are known about how many episodes she’ll appear in or if she’ll still play Martian Manhunter’s niece but this is still great news to me as a DC Fan!

The Spotlight will keep you updated on more details!

MOVIE TRAILER: ‘Star Wars: Rogue One’

IMAGE VIA DISNEY/THE VERGE

For all you Star Wars fans, the trailer for the next installment in the franchise Star Wars: Rogue One, has officially dropped! 

According to the movie’s official website, the project is a standalone film that tells the story of when “a group of unlikely heroes band together on a mission to steal the plans to the Death Star, the Empire’s ultimate weapon of destruction. This key event in the Star Wars timeline brings together ordinary people who choose to do extraordinary things.”

The movie is scheduled to hit theaters in December, and as with most movies, we’ll get more details as the release date gets closer. In the meantime, check out the trailer below!

Rihanna Reportedly to Star In ‘Ocean’s Eleven’ Spinoff ‘Ocean’s Eight’

Looks like Rihanna is headed back to the big screen!

According to Deadline, the Barbadian princess has signed on to join the likes of Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway and rapper/actress Nora Lum aka Awkwafina for an Ocean’s Eleven spinoff film, Ocean’s Eight!

The movie reportedly will be produced by the original director of Ocean’s Eleven, Steven Soderbergh and will be directed by Gary Ross.

For RiRi, this is another major step in her acting career after she recently signed on for the upcoming season of Bates Motel on A&E, as well as the Summer 2017 movie Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets directed by Luc Besson.

With all these major names and as a fan myself of the George Clooney and Matt Damon-led remake of Ocean’s Eleven, this new ensemble caper sounds like it will be good but we shall see when the movie officially hits theaters. No release date is known yet but The Spotlight will keep you updated!

Do you think you’ll want to see Ocean’s Eight?

Image via Steve Grantz

In The Spotlight: Poet Jonte "Luki" Barrett

Another great spotlight for you guys! As always, if you are or represent an upcoming artist, designer, model, etc., please visit our Features/Submissions page for more information on how to be featured on the blog!

Today on The Spotlight, we have brillianty talented and breathtaking poet Jonte “Luki” Barrett!  Hailing from Washington, D.C. (“It’s DC or nothing!” sje confidently said), Jonte started creating poetry back in 2007, and has recently started performing as Luki (pronounced “lucky”). In fact, she recently performed  at the Moonz Conference 2016, an annual conference for fans of Wale to connect, support and build with each other!

When I asked her about her inspirations, Luki gave honor to the people in her life. “My grandmother [and] the dope people I do poetry with that are more than a squad but a family, have all inspired me to be a better poet and more importantly a better woman,” the poet admitted. Some of her favorite poets include Langston Hughes, Maya Angelou, and Nikki Giovanni, but there are three other poets that she said inspired her artistry as well motivated her to grow into a better person:

Orville the Poet: “who has shown me that no matter the struggles that life throws your way, you have a purpose to live for. Things will get shaky along the way but God will never leave you alone,” Luki said.

ThePoeticRockstar is “the epitome of the perfect balance of strength and vulnerability,” she claimed. 

Epiphany is “such a great mom and dope poet that proves that there is always room to grow and learn and that finding a safe space to create is essential to this growth and learning,” the poet added.

Describing her poetic style as “reflective,” Luki believes that it’s through poetry that she’s able to tell her story, and hopefully inspire or help someone else in the process. She also uses her craft to display her beauty because she wants to show other women that, no matter your struggle there is beauty in it!

Besides poetry, Luki also loves to sing and dance,  However, her favorite talent is her ability to teach! “Kids are my first love and then poetry and soon I’ll be able to combine the two,” the poet revealed.

As for some of her plans for the rest of 2016, Luki plans to create a special poetry project together, but, most importantly, wants to continue to uplift as many black women as possible. “There are so many queens that don’t know they are queens yet!” she stated. We are definitely rooting for her and will keep all fans notified of more Luki poetry and news!

Check out one of her recent performances below!

3 Albums and/or Artists Currently In Luki’s Rotation:

“Anything Wale is definitely always in rotation. Need to set out some time to listen to his new mixtape Summer On Sunset. I love oldies like Smokey Robinson, The Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Ray Charles but I also listen to Drake, Future and rappers of today. Not a fan of the direction music is going (except for Le…he’s my fave) but I’m hopeful we will have more Jill Scott, Lauren Hill and Erykah Badu in our future.”

Check out Luki on social media!
Facebook- Jonte Luki Barrett
Twitter- @LukisPlace
Instagram- @LukisPlace
YouTube- Luki

In The Spotlight: Hip Hop Artist J. Smith

Time for another spotlight! If you are or represent an upcoming artist, designer, dancer, etc., please visit our Features/Submissions page for more info on how to be featured on The Spotlight! 

Our latest spotlight artist has been one of my favorite up and coming artists for a very long time! His name is J. Smith, hailing from the Euclid/Cleveland area in Ohio. Attending the same high school as Kid Cudi protégé King Chip, who was a few years ahead of him, J. Smith said he got his start from a “fluke situation” when he was asked to be in a rap group by a fellow rapper by the name of Pyro. Smith said he went home, found a microphone, downloaded the Adobe Audition program and hasn’t looked back since!

When asked about some of his inspirations, Smith said,

“Everything inspires me. Before I use to not put my feelings, emotions on a record.  Even when I would try I wouldn’t fully commit.  I’m very private honestly; I like being the lowkey guy.  I had a fear of opening myself up on a song and just being completely honest about life and the experiences I been through.  But listening to rappers like Drake, J.Cole, Future, Chance The Rapper, and so many more, I began to understand why I felt their music so much and it was because they were telling at least some of my story or something I could fully relate to in their records. “

Admitting that he has the most respect for Drake, Smith revealed that he was impressed by Drake’s honesty on all his records. The artist also mentioned that 2 Chainz is one of his inspirations because he feels like over the last few years 2 Chainz’s lyrical abilities have gone unnoticed. He also mentioned other artists such as Kanye West, Audio Push and Lil’ Durk as artists that he looks up to.

Back in 2013, J. Smith moved from his home of Cleveland to Phoenix, Arizona to attend law school. When asked if this move has had any impact on his music, he said despite the lackluster amount of talent that he’s noticed how different hip-hop culture overall is out West compared to the Midwest. He The move had an impact on his life in general because around 2013, 2014, he couldn’t write a song to save his life. Smith was ready to stop making music and focus on his career as a lawyer, until one day something just clicked. Ever since he’s been in a zone, and now he thinks every time he writes, it’s something special.  Smith also admitted his new surroundings out West have allowed him to learn a lot about himself.

With J. Smith’s new project, Flowers For My Pain (released on June 27), he hopes to really show other artists and listeners of his music how unique he really is. Throughout this time of developing the project, the artist admits that he was dealing with personal problems, such as his mother’s drug issues and going to jail. He delves into this and more on “Mama’s Drugs” on the EP.  As an only child, Smith admits “it’s just a blessing I’m in this position,” and that, overall, he is trying to be like Dale Earnhardt and “find his own lane” by just being himself on tracks. Check out the mixtape in full below!

So what’s next for J. Smith? The artist plans to go back to studying to take the Arizona bar exam as well as focus on pushing his new mixtape. Besides that, he wants to take his Elevated Livin’ collective (which includes hip hop artist Sav) to the next level and continuing to inspire and motivate others!

Follow J. Smith On Twitter: @PressRecord_ 
Follow Him On Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jsmithelevatedlivin/

In The Spotlight: Neo-Soul/R&B Artist K. James

Time for another spotlight! If you are or represent an upcoming artist, designer, dancer, etc., please visit our Features/Submissions page for more info on how to be featured on The Spotlight! 

Today, we have neo-soul and R&B artist, K. James, whose music video for track “Koolin’ ” was recently featured on the site. The artist has always had a great appreciation for good music with a message, containing real experiences. “Music has always been in my blood,” K. James said. “Since I was 5 years old, I grew up listening to my mother’s radio full of artists such as Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, Teddy Pendergrass, R. Kelly, and The Temptations.” He went on to add, “It has been a dream of mine to express my creativity through song, giving people something to relate to and making a living while doing something I love was all the motivation I needed to pursue this dream of mine.”

K. James’ soulful sound is inspired a variety of artists including Erykah Badu, R. Kelly, and Ray Charles. He said he’s inspired by these three specifically because they are all very unique in their personal lives and are able to create great music that is relatable to their situation and defines who they are. The artist considers his brand of singing Jazz-Hop, a term created by his fellow label mate/friend Boss Frank because of his smooth delivery and vibe. As a crooner, K. James says that he takes pride in singing from his soul, while never forgetting his Chicago stepping roots and combining that with his love for R&B and hip-hop to create his own identity. K. James says his style is also original because everything he writes and sings comes from the heart. It’s all derives from personal experiences he’s had or currently having in his life especially while dealing with the reality of growing up and living in the current climate of the city of Chicago.

The singer is currently prepping his new project, Cuffin’ Season for a late summer/early fall release. He is also getting ready to release the official first single, “Power Tag,” from the project which features Boss Frank on it as well.

Besides the release of his upcoming mixtape, K. James plans to draw as much buzz as possible to his movement and provide great music with live performances across the city of Chicago. “This year is all about spreading the message of good music from good people,” he said. “Changing the image of ‘Chiraq’ and giving music lovers a window to what Chicago is striving to be or wants to become not the current situation of danger and violence we face currently in all urban cultures around the country not just my hometown.”

The Spotlight will definitely be eager to check out his new project when it drops and will make sure to spread the love to all our fellow Spotlight fans! Follow and Check out more from K. James below!

3 Artists Currently In Rotation: Bryson Tiller, Daft Punk, Kendrick Lamar

Check out more music from K. James:

SoundCloud- https://soundcloud.com/k-james-4

Reverb- https://www.reverbnation.com/kjamesmusic

Follow K. James at:

Twitter – https://twitter.com/just_kjames

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/kemonj

For bookings and interviews, please contact: Manager: Jennie Beat -Street Beat Ent. – jennie.thebeat@gmail.com

90S TV Show Favorite ‘Hey Arnold!’ to Be Made Into New Movie

Nickelodeon has dropped the news that, as a part of the network’s 25th Anniversary of original creator-driven animation, there will be a new Hey Arnold! movie, tentatively titled Hey Arnold!: The Jungle Movie!



The movie will not only pick up from where the show ended but finally answer the question that plagued many fans of what happened to Arnold’s parents! Hey Arnold!: The Jungle Movie will be written and executive produced by the series’ original creator Craig Bartlett, feature the original voices from the cast, and will be produced by Nickelodeon Animation Studios. The original cartoon aired on TV from 1996-2004 before being cancelled.

So far no details on when the movie will be released have been given to us but we here at The Spotlight will keep you all informed when it does!

Image via The Source

Donald Glover Joins ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’

Donald Glover (aka Childish Gambino) will be joining the cast of the upcoming film, Spider-Man: Homecoming!

The movie, which will be released by Marvel sometime in 2017, will star Michael Keaton as the main villian. Tom Holland and Robert Downey will be returning as Spider-Man/Peter Parker and Iron Man/Tony Stark, respectively, while we’ll also see Marisa Tomei as Aunt May and Zendaya as the female lead.

Details of Donald’s character are being kept secret for now, but rumor is it that we may get introduced to the Miles Morales character that he played on the Disney XD show Ultimate Spider-Man. In the meantime, the artist and actor will be releasing Atlanta, his new FX show that he both wrote and produced soon!

Image via The Hollywood Reporter

In The Spotlight: DJ/Producer Damiar "Dmain" Pennant

Another great spotlight to end the week! As always, if you are or represent an upcoming artist, designer, model, etc., within the entertainment industry, and you are interested in being featured on The Spotlight, visit our Features/Submissions page!

Today’s feature is coming from my fellow Full Sail University alum, DJ and producer Damiar “Dmain” Pennant! With his recent bachelor’s degree in Recording Arts from the school, the young DJ and producer is ready to take his career to the next level!

Born in the Bronx born and raised on the east side of Columbus, Ohio, Dmain learned how to make beats back in 2006 from one of his friends, using FL Studio Demo Edition. “Since then I’ve continuously made instrumentals to improve my beat making and producing skills,” the producer said.

Things really started moving for him while in college at Ohio’s Tiffin University in the fall of 2009, where he started spinning music at house parties. Dmain even took over a Toledo DJ’s set when everyone in the bar wanted more turn up music! He soon hooked up with his friends and fellow artists Foday & Mark to release a three-track EP called Yours Truly that was geared towards the ladies.

The DJ is inspired by various artists, not putting himself in a box by only listening to specific genres. “I enjoy hearing new great material to jam to or DJ on a set. Music is really my life,” he revealed. “I listen to music every time when I’m on the go, which is a lot.” When asked about makes him different from other DJs or producers, he stated that it’s his natural creative work flow that makes him stand out. “I make instrumentals and raps on the spot. I don’t like to think too much when I’m being creative, because my ideas flow a lot better when there isn’t any thought to it,” Dmain said. “[I] just go and do it and hear the final result. I make changes here and there but I like to keep it natural. I don’t think I’m too different though, because we all want to be in the same place and that’s the entertainment business.”

Check out some of his production work below!

Besides some DJ sets scheduled in the Orlando, FL area, Dmain has new music with an artist by the name of Z-Mac and is preparing for his big move to Atlanta in September so that he can start shopping his instrumentals there. When asked what has been the biggest in accomplishment in his young career so far, he said it would have to graduating college from Full Sail University. As a fellow alum of Full Sail University and a fan of his persistence and grind, I’m looking forward to all the new things in store for Dmain!

Check him out on social media:
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/dmainevent-1 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/dmain_event
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Dmain_Event 
Snapchat: https://www.snapchat.com/add/Dmain_Event