For the holiday season, Ohio rapper Stalley is reminding blue-collar creatives of one thing — spending quality time with family. 

The reminder couldn’t come at a better time as essential workers are burdened with the day-to-day task of keeping our lives as normal as possible.

Reminiscing on his blue-collar roots, Stalley pays homage to hardworking, middle-class people from his hometown of Massilon to his more recent home of Brooklyn, NY, through new merchandise that represents essential workers everywhere.

Stalley is launching his highly anticipated new collection of “BCG” merchandise aptly named after his label Blue Collar Gang, within his new music video.

Viewers can shop his merch line straight from the player of Stalley’s new music video for his single “Why You Lying,” exclusively on droppTV, the “shoppable Netflix” for hip-hop and streetwear enthused Gen-Zers.

A blue-collar creative through and through, Stalley grew up in an automotive community in Ohio, where he found a love for fixing cars and working with his hands.

His family members would work at factories like Chevy, GM, Chrysler to make a living, and he would learn how to handle cars as a by-product.

It’s obvious Stalley won’t ever forget his blue-collar roots. He is still into cars, performing and riding through Harlem, NY in a ‘79 Chevy Caprice in the “Why You Lying” music video.

This one is for the blue-collar creatives

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A post shared by BCG (@bluecollargang)

Stalley’s last merchandise drop sold out within 48 hours retailing two styles of hoodies, socks, two different tees, and three hat designs.

His new album Speak No Blue, themed after Picasso’s Blue period, drops as an inspiration to blue-collar creatives — the dexterous and those grinding to make it through each day.

And as the world still suffers from the pandemic, and Stalley is unable to tour there is still a sentiment for him to “tell my story – every day.”

This time Stalley’s merchandise will be available for purchase through the droppTV platform. As other platforms like Twitter expand into areas like stories, and TikTok almost faced a nationwide ban, Stalley wants to come with more visuals as “safe as possible.” 

This means that artists are compelled to create more visuals. Stylist and fashion brands are also inclined to be more conscious of the newly given power of music videos with droppTV and the information-sharing era.

Speak/See No Blue by Stalley has been inspired by Picasso’s Blue period when the great artist created work after a friend committed suicide.

Picasso created art during this period Stalley recalls,

“Despite uncontrollable conditions and loss, which COVID kind of made me feel, so I called it See No Blue as in looking past the bad to see the beauty/art on the other side.”

He felt the support from the everyday people who are essential to society, for who he designed his Blue Collar Gang merchandise. Stalley recalls the uniforms he would see the people from his town go to work in, and how it represents the “grind and grit” he puts into his music. 

Graphic designs and images like a bucket of paint being poured over a BCG logo, serve as a callback to his worldview as a blue-collar creative. He spent time learning about fabrics and production quality for his BCG latest collection.

Sourcing streetwear brand quality fabrics – using the same blanks as top brands – Stalley has made available limited pieces that will last in your wardrobe.

As humble as it may be, the spirit of the BCG brand is to not only tell Stalley’s story but also be the inspiration for blue-collar creatives to maintain peace and happiness.

Stalley has felt this love all over the world, seeing Blue Collar Gang merchandise on fans in places like the MDK festival in Warsaw, Poland, or in and around Brooklyn, NY, where he has spent most of his time in the past 20 years where he has been working on his music. 

The Ohio rapper recognizes the independent spirit of the borough, just as hardworking as his family upbringing, his music represents that to the fullest.

Stalley admires those who commute to work every day – a part of the car culture he knows – and concludes, “the most intimate place you can be with your music is in [the] car [bus, or train].”

This time Stalley’s merchandise will be available for purchase through the droppTV platform which includes the droppTV app on iOS and Android.

Look out for this article on PAGE magazine.

Pharrell Williams is, at heart, an environmentalist and humanitarian, as much as he is a Grammy award-winning artist and super-producer.

He has spent a considerable amount of time mastering the details of both business and the nuances of efficiency in those areas of life. 

Whether he was in his studio creating tunes with Teddy Riley at the height of his career or discussing the stars, planets, and all that orbits within our future with former Astronaut Leland Melvin, Pharrell is always intentional in his craft.

We all know Pharrell can make a beat that we all call dance too. But what has really got our attention is his ability to tie in his love for all things circular and sustainable.

Usually, we see Williams dressed in the latest gear and topped-off with a few layers of diamonds. But on the other side of the flaunt, Pharrell has had a keen sense of care for the planet as early as 2007, where he collaborated on the hit song “Hey You” with Madonna. 

The song was available for download with 25 cents of the first one million downloads to be donated to the Alliance for Climate Protection, in support of Live Earth. Later that year, on July 7, Williams performed at the Brazilian location of the concert series for Live Earth.

From there, Pharrell would embark on the advocacy of saving our planet. Williams and his band N.E.R.D. would join The Gorillaz as they toured their Escape to Plastic Beach World Tour in October 2010.

The Gorillaz album Plastic Beach was conceptualized by co-founder Damon Albarn who was on a beach close to his house one day when he was “looking for plastic within the sand.”

In 2020 Albarn doubled down on that sentiment by referencing his reason for a sequel album and stating, “the need to keep reminding people that we need to change our habits.”

Pharrell Williams has always found a way to align himself with the stars. In this case, he has aligned himself with humanity, circularity, and sustainability. Even his biggest tune to date was a remedy to societal angst and titled, “Happy.”

We can only bow down to such greatness and humility, and this is why we are giving Pharrell his seeds to the flowers that he would more than appreciate through growth. The growth reaffirms his belief in maintaining what remains on planet earth.

Dedicated to the youth and future generations

Pharrell Williams founded a non-profit organization called “From One Hand To AnOTHER” (FOHTA) which its name is in part derived from his “I Am OTHER” production company.

Since 2008, FOHTA has believed that every child has great potential to be a success if they have the right tools. Williams has since partnered with NASA‘s Associate Administrator for Education and former Astronaut Leland Melvin to initiate S.T.E.M. (science, technology, engineering, and math) programs for students.

On the FOHTA website, Williams has asserted, “if every community with under-served youth had a community center that was devoted to augmenting the learning experience needed to succeed and provide exposure to different technologies, arts, and resources, kids could find their own tool – their key to a successful and fulfilling future.”

Investing in better solutions

Pharrell Williams has been fortunate enough to establish his streetwear label, putting his mark on fashion. And in 2010, he solidified his awareness for the environment and the waste issues with plastic and consumerism.

Williams joined BIONIC yarn, a company he initially invested in, as their acting Creative Director and holds that position today.

He joined co-founders Tim Coombs and Tyson Toussant, who launched the plastic recycling and material manufacturing company with the idea “that company can successfully marry purpose and profit.”

Merging fashion with sustainability

After joining forces with BIONIC, Williams conjured a collaboration with his textile manufacturing company with G-Star Raw in 2014. The “Raw for the Oceans” campaign recycled plastic found in the ocean into denim.

This collaboration ultimately fused the denim brand with Williams’ futurist aesthetic. Williams would become co-owner of G-Star Raw in 2016, overseeing all from collections to advertising, branding, and business strategy.

Spreading humanity through fashion

In 2014, Williams also signed a long-term partnership with Adidas for an NMD “Human Race” collection released on July 23, 2016.

Famously, the “Human Race” collection was a social cause campaign for Pharrell to spread humanity through fashion.

The collab advanced into the Parley division of Adidas, which uses ocean plastic to make parts of the Boost model sneaker line, which first launched in 2015.

Louis XIII Cognac “100 Years”

Climate change became more apparent as we progressed into the second decade of the 21st century.

Pharrell has always been a man of foresight and understood that if the climate were to continue making progress at its current rate, we will eventually destroy the world.

French luxury cognac brand Louis XIII commissioned Williams to help encourage change. So he composed a song that will debut 100 years after its creation. The song’s name?

“100 years.”

In 2017, “100 Years” was produced and recorded on to a one-of-one record made from clay found in the Cognac region in France.

This record sits in a safe designed by the burglary protection company Fichet-Bauche and is indestructible unless submerged in water. As global warming continues, sea levels will rise, and that is the very point of this production.

If the climate stays where it is or even improves, the record will survive. Otherwise, this record will weather beyond repair.

Williams is challenging the world to combat those effects inflicted by the human condition. We should hope that this song can be heard by those who will live to see 2117. 

Look out for this article on PAGE magazine.

The holiday season is often a slow period for creativity.

The creative industry – as well as other professional fields, especially those that outsource creative projects – tends to slow its production capacity down in exchange for quality time with family. 

Usually, a creative spends most of the year isolated in their creative spaces. Making moves with ambitious ideas, collaborative endeavors, or personal projects consumes us for the sake of creative growth. 

With the COVID pandemic still in the air, this time of year may be subject to the same kind of isolated, social distancing we have grown – somewhat – accustomed too, for the safety of others and ourselves.

Being home for the holidays will have a different meaning, and that traveling by plane is a sketchy move as well. In our current residence, we should spend time refocusing our creative energy and tackle those ideas in your head.

Holiday season laziness is common. Tap into that creativity and pick up that project you were “working on”

You can start by picking up that project you put down recently. You may have started on a cool video edit, or illustration, or a rebranding project. That was a start, now is the time to dig into your desktop and open that file up. 

Find the inspiration to complete or continue your project. Turn that canvas, pick up those brushes, and start over if you need to. Chances are, your perspective and creativity have evolved since you last touched on your idea.

Get rid of your cooked ideas

Start on a new idea during the holiday season – you know the one that has been itching the creativity in you. With plenty of time to brainstorm, you can advance your concepts with some ‘out there’ thinking. No idea is too crazy and likely will be made in the practical sense. So, fear shouldn’t hold you back.

Take the seed of your idea and plant it on your to-do list. You are the only one who has to know about this idea, and protecting it comes naturally. With more time to bunker down and get started, as a creative, these holiday months away from your family will be like any other time of the year.

Assemble your holiday season squad

Find a holiday season squad to tackle a project. Many of your friends or associates may still be headstrong about their projects this time of year.

Those are the people during the holiday season who can boost your creativity in the process. Finding those who are serious about their work 365 days a year may be a blessing for you. 

You may still want to define the holidays as a wind-down of the year, but with an ambitious ally in your network, take notice of them and see if there is anything you could be of help with.

That ‘intern’-mittent growth

Resist selling yourself short because of your skillset. You can always offer up your services as an intern of a sort. Allowing for opportunities opens you up to growth as a creative within your network. 

Sometimes others just need hands on deck to get things done, and if you’re available, consider tagging yourself in for the greater good. Better, take the initiative if you haven’t been struck with anything new on your end. 

To do something outside of your creative field is always better for you in the long run. You will gain more insight into the creative process outside of your wheelhouse.

Offering you up to more work in the future and more elaborate ideas.

Use your creativity to make moms proud during the holiday season

Use your creativity for something that your whole family can enjoy for the holiday season, especially your mommy. It can be your gift to them and stay in their thoughts as you are temporarily away.

Perhaps your family usually has a hard time understanding you as a creative, and that’s alright. Use the time to, maybe write a funny song about them that cheers them up.

Or create a family portrait using your design, photography, or painting skills. 

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Make some thoughtful mini-sculptures, or drawings, or print some images that remind you of them. That way your family can value you as an artist and a family member.

Crafts and other creative applications are ways to keep your mind off the distance between family and a way to advance who you are as a creative. There is no love lost here, only the opportunity to gain.

Don’t think that you’re skipping family time for personal gain. This is what we all must succumb to at the moment. Instead, use the time to continue to connect virtually. You can still play games and share your meals over facetime.

Look out for this article on PAGE magazine.

It takes a savage to know a savage, especially when it comes to networking.

Winter is coming and the season is only going to make the creative space you created a tad more lonely. With that said, wise creators will use all their tools to remain a networking savage. Additionally, it’s important to stay relevant in the minds of your friends, followers, and potential clients and collaborators.

Never underestimate all the different channels there are to network. Stay in touch, get familiar, reach out, or introduce yourself. Less travel time to the office means more engagement with associates and colleagues through these multiple channels. 

Networking savages know this, too well. They are the ones finding uniques ways to say “Hi” and close the deal with a valued connection they can learn or grow with. Being active in this sense has to do with your approach to networking and reasoning for it.

If you have no real desires to accomplish anything, you may just be wasting your time that could afford for self-improvement. You ultimately waste someone else’s time that they offered you, hoping you would provide a great learning experience, or they could give you some gems that would help your career or reciprocate in their favor.

Plan out everything you want to do and accomplish when networking. Know who you want to talk to, connect, collaborate, and share with before you try to strike a conversation.

Therefore your approach, whether through DMs or email, will be genuine in tone. People will know you are serious, and you will have an opportunity to make a case for your art.

Every channel of communication is just that, so communicate often. It’s what is needed right now as companies and people are struggling to find talent or jobs that are fleeting.

And who knows, you may be subject to finding a real business partner in the process.

Look for these following outlets for networking in your everyday life, and you’ll see there are many outlets to building your brand and furthering your creativity. Be sure these connections you want to make are mutually beneficial.

Social Media Apps are a networking savage’s best friend

Best believe that social media is the current printing press of modern time. Use these apps as assistants in this case. Comment, like, message, all without hesitation.

You are on these channels like Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Tumblr, Snapchat, and TikTok to connect with people for numerous reasons, like dancing, cooking, graphic design, fashion styling, or makeup application, to name a few.

One new platform you should consider joining is the ClubHouse app, well hopefully you get an invite. The new voice chat-based social media app is not only making waves in the tech world, but it’s also the talk of the town amongst creators from all walks of life.

Welcome to the Clubhouse app

So what’s all the hubbub around the Clubhouse app about? The platform is more than a vibe ad mimics the spontaneity of parties and large social interactions… Remember those?

Via the app users can start off in the main room with many other people, and then break into smaller groups for side conversations. Furthermore, there is no requirement to speak.

What sets the Clubhouse app apart from other social networks?

Once you join a room, you don’t need to be locked in order to participate. The Clubhouse app already has a $100 million valuation, despite not even having a full website.

Some takeaways… If you see something you like that sparks your interest, then dive into the feed and let that person know what you think. If you have any expanding ideas on a subject or topic of their interest, inquire with them about a possible collaborative project. 

Networking savages love FaceTime, Zoom Or Google Meet

Underestimating the effects of Zoom meetings and Facetimes will set you back some years; decades maybe. People are well aware of the pandemic and can overlook the invasiveness of the dreaded FaceTime meeting or one on one discussion.

If you are fearful of giving your likeness to a group of potential strangers, understand that boat is big. Getting familiar with what you look like is a part of your marketing strategy and fully evolving into a networking savage.

And with facemasks becoming a mandatory thing [until further notice, hopefully], you should want people to recognize who you are when it’s time to hire or bring on board for projects.

Public Marches, protests, rallies… Stay safe tho

With all the marches that have happened over this Summer, we saw the unity in humanity.

We’re connected as a human race and saw those who stood for good and witnessed heartbreaking evils. More importantly, we found out that we all, most of us, want the same things in life.

With common ground, a lot of us found this time to form coalitions for change and reform. Artists voiced their views in various mediums. And we aligned on issues that moved us. Find these moments in today’s world to “build back better.”

Engagement groups were made for us to weave thorugh

Apps like Discord, Slack, GroupMe, WhatsApp, and Telegram provide a great range of group organization and a regular channel to communicate with like minds on a global scale.

Whether into fashion, music, art, or creative obscurity, these places have seamless flowing, open forum style conversations. Reminiscent of the early 2000s forums of the Dot Com bubble.

Follow up using that email newsletter

Newsletters can be great for spreading a message you can communicate to people individually and in associated groups. Emails are a formal messaging system that you, essentially, want to keep the chain to a minimum.

Things get messy after numerous responses. With a newsletter, sending your message to a ‘CC’ group or ‘BCC’ should be a bit more formal and broad, like casting a net to see who will surface and reply with interest.

Covid testing facilities because you never know

Although this is a weird way to network, there may be fewer chances to connect with friends with winter creeping up.

As you remain healthy and avoid COVID, regular testing may be coming to a thing in your life. Especially if you have to travel during these times, you’ll be testing frequently.

You may as well make a friend through all that social distancing. At least you know they care about their health as much as you do yours. Or, you can invite a friend who needs a test done or would like one as a time to bond.

Good luck you networking savages!

Look out for this article on PAGE magazine.

Working from home might still be a thing in the years to come and creatives will still have one struggle in common — networking. Actually, you can bet that networking as a creative is going to remain a conundrum. We are no longer “out and about” anymore, and we evaluate spare time crucially as the distance is – literally – implied.

Networking was a struggle when we did it in-person. Now it’s become an even bigger “digital” struggle.

If you are an introverted creative this is quite possibly a most confusing time. You are right at home, in your creative bubble, where you love to be.

But as a creative, you are well aware of getting your voice, and your art, out there. Social media may play a part and can be a help when it comes to the struggles of networking.

Still, actively communicating with like minds, mentors, colleagues, friends, and family is a challenge we all have to accept in today’s world.

Setting goals to maneuver the struggles of networking

Likely, you haven’t set a goal for networking – why you would want to ask for someone’s time. With a goal in mind – maybe you want to pivot your career, or you’d like to start a project – you can come up with the right questions to ask yourself what you want to accomplish or happen. 

Speaking with your intended mentor figure or creative peer, obtaining valuable information you need becomes a focused strategy that will help you translate your needs coherently – to someone who may not even know who you are.

If you’re going to borrow someone’s time, consider using it wisely and have thorough points of interest to discuss.

With the internet at your fingertips, it’s easy to brainstorm and get extensive information on who you’d like to create a bond with.

But networking is hard especially when you take the human aspect out of it. Having a genuine interest would be a major entry point to networking in today’s world.

Spending time learning about a subject or person of interest, or even in common, will help you connect over time.

It’s a form of flattery to acknowledge someone else’s accomplishments and to recognize their talents. But maybe you don’t want to come off fake. It isn’t fake if you’re just uncomfortable expressing your admiration. It can be endearing to the other person you want to connect with. 

This is where just being yourself – being human – matters. Everyone has flaws and the internet may cover them, but to connect with people and groups, a genuine person is more acceptable.

Take the creative approach to networking

Being a creative consist of more than your ability to bring your imagination and thoughts to life. A part of you wants to be tucked away in your creative corner, ultimately making it hard to communicate your passion.

The struggle of networking and engaging with peers and potential mentors at this time can be easier than assumed. 

With engagement groups like Discord or Slack, sliding into DMs, and joining Zoom events or other platforms, you can surround yourself with the inspiration and network you have been looking for.

Networking is really, really important

Networking is crucial to getting new clients and making new partners, helping you progress with your creativity. It’s a solid opportunity to get someone interested in what you are creating and why it belongs in the world.

Valued advice from someone in your field who has extensive or adjacent knowledge on career paths, ideas, or concepts, can be within earshot of these channels.

You can also learn more about what your network is up to creatively. We have all been working on those side projects during quarantine, and perhaps some of your peers or mentors have something you would love to help them with per your skills.

Recognize this as a chance to show them you can help bring their vision to life. It might be you’re only opportunity to conquer the ongoing struggle of networking.

Most people won’t take the time to dive into your work as you would like them too. But showing them your interest in helping will entice them to know more about you in return.

The best thing about creating a network is having a support system of people who can help you where you are unable to help yourself, vice versa.

Sharing the wealth can lead to a bigger network

Even if most of us are working from home, we want to gather and be communal beyond our walls. And IG Live and Zoom meets are sufficing those urges lately.

Focusing energy on a topic of interest, from your perspective or others, is what can create necessary substance for your platform. Consider offering your knowledge in exchange for others to offer theirs. 

Making connections in groups can culminate in great relationships outside of them. The open discussion also grows your community.

Allow for others – even those who may not seem like ideal group members – to enter with warm welcomes. It’s the eusocial behavior of a society that broadens the group’s creative range. And you open your thinking to new ideas in the process.

Subject to the internet for social gatherings as an alternative to lockdowns worldwide and overcome the struggle of networking. Use the time to work your digital-savvy. Although for some, that may not be easy to conduct as nerves take over, and we may feel adequate.

The beauty of the struggle

Nevertheless, people are more open and accepting of genuine displays they can get familiar with. Regularly using IG Live and Zoom meetings can be anxiety-filled when starting.

Therefore, keep in mind that you are sharing a part of yourself people are interested to know more about. That’s the beauty of the struggle, the beauty of networking. That one person can take an interest in your passion as they may be driving in the same lane.

Humanity is key to networking in this case. Websites, portfolios, and social media accounts are great for showing your work, but what you want is people to know about you as a person.

It shouldn’t matter who you are as a creative, ultimately your creativity is endless, and it can be something you need a network to tap into and reach your goals.

Look out for this article on PAGE magazine.