On last Tuesday May 7, Atlanta's elite were treated to a culinary soiree to celebrate the official launch of S3 Catering.  The creative team Nirjary Desai, Rajan Mistry & Chef Bhavesh produced a very distinguished affair and presentation of their signature dishes.  High in the clouds on the 49th floor of The Commerce Club located in downtown Atlanta, guests enjoyed red carpet arrivals, a live DJ, signature giftbags, the Social Box interactive photobooth, open bar and all of the cuisine that one could imagine. Singer/Songwriter Anoop Desai of American Idol made a special appearance and a lucky guest won a private dinner for 8 courtesy of S3 Catering.
For more information visit S3Catering.com

Photo Credit: Kate Byars

We definitely didn’t see this one coming! Note the sarcasm.

In recent news, the last of the original American Idol judges Randy Jackson has confirmed that this season will indeed be
the last for “The Dawg”.

In a statement released a couple of days ago to the public, Jackson states:

“Yo! Yo! Yo! To put all of the speculation to the rest, after 12 years of judging on 'American Idol,' I have decided to leave after this season,” 

And if you are a believer of the old adage “where there is smoke, there’s fire”then you’d probably be assuming that he is not the only one.

Rumors are swirling, that the show’s executives are looking to make some serious changes in order to revamp the show and revive the steadily declining ratings.  Competing with NBC’s “The Voice” and Simon Cowell’s “X-Factor”, Idol has its work cut out for them.

I think the fans might appreciate that Idol gets back to the basics. For years American Idol set the standard for the television music competition and now it seems like the leader has fallen victim to becoming a follower. In an attempt to stay relevant over the years, Idol spent big dollars on big named judges like Steven Tyler, Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj. While those names are nice to have, Idol missed the mark when relying on the judges to bring viewers to the show. 
 
Don’t get me wrong, it’s totally entertaining to see the constant shade throwing theater that is Mimi and Nicki but after a while it gets old and makes the audience feel like it’s contrived for views. We don’t care if Nicki feels bullied by Mariah nor do we care if Nicki’s presence threatens Mariah. We shouldn’t turn to Idol to observe the struggles of two women trying to maintain and feed their egos. The show is about music and vocals. Who can sing the best and win the
title. That’s it. Point blank period.

The recent headlines make American Idol look more like a God awful episode of the Bad Girls Club then a musical
competition.

Wishful thinking would pray that the executives at American Idol uphold the contracts, pay these people their money (if they haven’t already) and send these celebrities swiftly on their way. That way these folks can go back to being
stars and legends like they were pre – Idol and the executives can focus on providing a show that has the viewers
invested in the talent on stage not the bickering of the judges. I have

Alex J.

A born entertainer, Mary Fakhoury has been singing and writing her own music (In English, French and Arabic) since she was five years old. A Grammy member for the past 7 years, Mary has been nominated twice for "Best New Artist" and "Best Song."

A double threat, Mary is also an accomplished actress, having studied acting for eight years, including at the prestigious, Act One Studio, and then privately, with several renowned Broadway legends. It should therefore, come as no surprise that with her singing, acting, and modeling in television and magazines, Mary's fans around the world have recently topped over 1.5 million in less than six months.

Mary remains proud of her other accomplishments, including her education at Columbia University, where she earned a Bachelors and two Masters degrees.  When pressed, Mary will also admit to having won several beauty pageants, including the title of Ms. Illinois.  Beautiful and talented, Mary is a proud native of Chicago and currently enjoys living in Los Angeles, CA.  IMDb Mini Biography By: Anne Jordan 

UPTOWN Magazine in conjunction with MarketingCamp LLC and SEMAJ Consulting presents PROJECT13 the 2013 day of change. This highly anticipated multicultural event was created to acknowledge and support 13 selected nonprofit organizations and campaigns dedicated to impacting the lives of those in need in the Atlanta community. This red carpet evening will feature 13 exclusive silent auction items, live entertainment, complimentary specialty-themed cocktail bars, passed hors d’oeuvres, mixing and mingling among Atlanta’s most recognizable tastemakers, notable figures, VIP guests and more. It will be an explosive night that promises to pique all of your senses while advancing 13 extremely worthy causes. Tickets available at PROJECT-13.info

ONE SON is originally from Lanette, Alabama and after serving four years in the Army he appeared at the Famous Apollo Theatre where he received a standing ovation.  In 2002 he released a project called A Soldier's Story, along with two other veterans. The song and video In Remembrance Of The Fallen was dedicated to the victims of 9-11 and featured on varies media outlets. It also allowed him to perform for the soldiers at varies post exchange stores in the US.  

In 2003 he released a project called A Poor Man's Testimony along with the song and video Hear My Cry which was played on BET as well as the song Sincerely which gathered media attention because it dealt with Infant Death Syndrome.  A Poor Man's Testimony was also well received in Japan incluidng an interview by the popular Japanese Hip Hop site Playerzball.  After courting several record deals he decided to stay independent which allowed him to travel overseas, thus inspiring a project called The Voice: From Bama 2 Baghdad in 2006.  He wanted to not only tell his story but let everyone see what went on behind the lines in Iraq, so he incorparated interviews of soldiers and Iraqis. As a result he was interviewed by Center Stage Magazine, and the song Hard 2 Kill was featured on the largest radio station in Europe BIG FM. In 2010 he released the project Microwave Age along with the video Crossroadz which dealt with the positives and negatives of the hip hop culture.

His latest project Canvas was released August 2011 with the single and video O-La-A helping the project gain momentum.  Thus far the results have been a ten song deal with the largest company that license for film, TV, and video games also the single Enchantress is receiving radio play across the US, Europe and Africa. ONE SON was featured in the Red Pepper Newspaper in Uganda, also he appeared on Jam Agenda, and the Hit Makers show which airs on NBS this was also in Uganda Africa. His song Can I was played on the cooking show Giada At Home, and the instrumental for his song Enchantress was played on the Mary Mary reality show on We TV. His music  has also been featured on allhiphop, bet.com, mtv.com and vh1.com.  


Stay tuned to One Son on Facebook & Reverbnation!

M.A.D.E. Cosmetics is a full service cosmetic company established with a purpose of building women's self-confidence through health and beauty information along with cosmetic products and services. M.A.D.E. was created under the pretense of one absolute standard- Marvelous All Day Everyday. Under this motto, M.A.D.E. wants to help women live well, feel good, look good and become constituents of health and wellness. The M.A.D.E. woman exudes confidence, natural beauty from within, is eclectic, creative, intelligent, and adopts a noticeable essence of being.  

Some favorites from the M.A.D.E. Cosmetics line include the Liquid Jojoba Foundation which leaves a beautiful natural finish to the skin.  Their recently released Velvet Veil Face Primer has been an instant hit with its silky smooth feel.  A bold pink lip color, called Remember Me and neutral hue called Undressed have been the front runners this spring season.  For more info or to purchase products visit www.mymadecosmetics.com . 

Hailing from Bedford-Stuyvesant, New York, Brasco has used his skill and artistry to transform beats, rhythm, and lyrics into masterful and soulful rap. At a very young age, Brasco embraced every aspect of music. At the age of 13, Brasco developed a studious approach to the craft of Hip Hop Music, its production and performance. With a growing interest in the art, Brasco began challenging himself to master the skills of producing and writing his own music.

2011 saw the release of Brooklyn, which has accomplished heavy rotation on all the major blog-sites, and other underground music outlets. With the demand for his music at an all time high, Brasco is capitalizing with the release of his Brooklyn 2 project, which is set to release this summer.

“I Got It Made” is a hot track with a hard-hitting beat and strays away from the conversation glut of similar music hitting the airwaves today. Brasco is showing luv to the essence of hip-hop by putting his spin on a classic track originally done by Special Ed. The video was shot on location in Washington Height, featured Cultural Art Center dancers, and curvaceous eye candy model Keilai. Brooklyn-based videographer Aipandchimp directed “I Got It Made”. 
Check it out below!

Instagram@Iambrasco  - Facebook@Brascobklyn  - Twitter@Brascobklyn - 
Youtube.com/brascobklyn - Soundcloud.com/brasco-5 - Reverbnation.com/Brascobklyn