How Will Pop Culture Fill In The "Oprah" Void?

Women, lifestyle fanatics, and aspiring media moguls will be scrambling to find a new guru to follow religiously once media queen Oprah Winfrey retires her world-famous talk show in 2011.

As one of the world's most influential women, Oprah uses her talk show platform as a lifestyle brand to encourage her faithful viewers to improve their quality of life. Health issues, fashion ideas, financial tips, family structure and psychological healing are recurring themes on the long-running "The Oprah Winfrey Show." Through her messages of self-improvement and fulfillment, Oprah's influence has made many small business entrepreneurs and lifestyle experts wealthy almost overnight as her loyal fans buy into the products, books and ideas that Oprah celebrates on her show. The most known successes are then little-known authors whose books are featured in "Oprah's Book Club." The highly-coveted book club made the likes of Toni Morrison, James Frey and Kaye Gibbons into high-grossing authors.

The number of entrepreneurs whose fortunes skyrocketed through the roof due to Oprah's magic are plenty. In 2000, Oprah chose Spanx shape wear as one of her "Favorite Things." The Atlanta-based clothing company quickly sold $50 thousand products in just three months. The company has helped millions of women feel a size smaller and made $350 million in retail sales along the way. In 2002 and 2005, Oprah selected Garrett Popcorn as one of her favorite things. The Chicago based company had a hunch there would be a rise in sales – but not to the extent that occurred. The afternoon of the broadcast in 2002, the company had 100,000 web hits and the sales for the month of December increased by 100 percent. Garrett Popcorn went from making popcorn eight hours a day to 24 hours a day. The mention of Lori Karmel’s struggling "We Take the Cake" bakery shop on The Oprah Winfrey show in 2004 pulled her company back to life and out of bankruptcy. Today, the company’s sales are more than $1 million a year. The ultimate icing on the cake is Lori and her team now bakes high-end wedding cakes for posh hotels that sell for $5,000 to $20,000 each. Lisa Price has loved fragrances ever since she was a child. Her mother encouraged her to make and sell her own fragrances at a flea market more than 15 years ago. An appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show took the small business to the world stage. Today Carol’s Daughter is a multi-million dollar company.

In addition to her lifestyle topics, Oprah's public influence and star power made her the elite interviewer whom celebrities flock to promote mainstream projects, raise awareness on society issues or confess exclusively to a shocking revelation. In 1993, legendary entertainer Michael Jackson gave Oprah's show its biggest viewership ever as she was the only journalist Jackson would meet to address the public scrutiny about his sexual abuse allegations and his skin disorder. After years of falling from grace, superstar R&B diva Whitney Houston granted Oprah the official first interview in September 2009 as she made her musical comeback after a seven-year absence. Even the often-private silver screen icon Tom Cruise made headlines for his infamous couch-jumping antics while professing his love for now-wife actress Katie Holmes. Affectionately called "Oprah's couch," A-List celebrities and fame risers find solace on that infamous hot seat where being interviewed by Ms. Winfrey feels like conversing with a best friend or a big sister.

Celebrities are not the only people who find Oprah's daytime show the most coveted spot for successful launches. Winfrey built mini-empires around lifestyle professionals whom she recruited to serves as frequent guests on her show. As a result, Dr. Phil McGraw, Rachael Ray, Gayle King, Dr. Robin Smith and Dr. Mehmet Oz garnered their own radio and TV talk shows. Each of them has brought in high ratings especially "Dr. Phil," whose show hold the #2 slot in the most-viewed daytime show behind "Oprah."

With two years until the retirement of "The Oprah Winfrey Show," viewers, loyalists and critics wonder what will replace the phenomenon the media titan built. Budding entrepreneurs will have to rely on their own marketing and branding skills without the hope of Oprah sharing her love of their products to the world. Celebrities will have to find another celebrity whose star power and media clout will make them run to confess all or promote a new project. Authors will place their hopes on word-of-mouth and grass roots marketing to push their novels. No media darlings will branch off into their own successful spin-offs as overnight successes from Ms. Winfrey's franchise. Even the networks who broadcast her will have to find alternative to match the lucrative opportunity the show has brought in.

If any other television entity could be a possible replacement of the Oprah effect, rival TV talk show star Ellen DeGeneres may be the next worldly, influential media titan. DeGeneres' popularity has quickly ascended as A-list celebrities stop by her show in droves and the opportunities in TV outside of her talk show are growing rapidly for the one-time comedic actress whose career suffered a major setback in the late 1990s after coming out publicly as a lesbian.

Regardless of the replacements for "The Oprah Winfrey Show," the influence, achievements and integrity the program has amassed will never be matched for decades to come. The media empire that Oprah built took many years to draw in the millions of loyal fans worldwide to follow her proverbial word in self-improvement. Thus, the show has seen all of her competition come and go over the past 20-plus years with short stints.

Ms. Winfrey's most watched interview with the King of Pop, Michael Jackson in 1993.

Oprah gives away free items to her studio in "Oprah's Favorite Things 2008" episode.

Carol's Daughter gets featured on the CNBC show "The Oprah Effect."

MUSIC VIDEO: "I Want To Know What Love Is" by Mariah Carey

R&B/pop superstar Mariah Carey finally drops the new music video for the second single from her Memoirs Of An Imperfect Angel album title "I Want To Know Love Is." The video of the cover song, which was originally recorded by pop/rock Steve Perry and his band Foreigner, was shot in New York City by the ubiquitous Hype Williams.

"Love Is" is the classiest single Ms. Carey has released in a long time. The video captures more of the emotion of the song and family bonding rather than the singer's skimpy, sexy image that Carey forces onto viewers. Thus, a beautifully produced video was born.

Noticed a Black male couple featured frequently in the video? That is a rarity among music video. It is a surprise that Lady Gaga did not concoct that idea first.

Enjoy!

Is Rihanna's "Rated R" Worth The Hype?

Right now, all eyes are set on Rihanna. Media, bloggers, fans and critics around the world have given much of their attention to the international pop singer from Barbados as she prepares for the release of her fourth studio album Rated R.

As the Rated R U.S. release date [November 23] draws near, Rihanna, born Robyn Rihanna Fenty, has been photographed and made the top subject of interest more than any celebrity in recent weeks. From her envelope-pushing red carpet high-fashions and

ever-changing hairstyles, many critics have applauded her "comeback" as an ascension to "the hottest chick in the game" title. However, many more have commented about her first interview regarding the February 2009 incident where the world felt sorry for an abused and battered Rihanna by the hands of her on-and-off again boyfriend R&B crooner Chris Brown. Rihanna's "20/20" interview with Diane Sawyer drew top-rating viewership numbers as did the repost videos on hundreds of blog sites.

Publicity over a celebrated music artist's personal matters and public appearances guarantees a great amount of anticipation for a new project. However, the performer's music must equally draw or succeed the general press attention to ensure sales of new albums, singles and concert tickets. After the global breakthrough success of her 2007 album Good Girl Gone Bad, the pressure must be heavy for Rihanna and Def Jam [the record label] to guarantee that Rated R

prolongs the momentum of success.

So far, five recorded songs have been leaked from the Rated R sessions. According to the finalized track, "Bubble Pop," an electro-pop dance tune that samples heavily on the classic house single "Good Life" by Inner City, did not make the cut. Notwithstanding, "Pop" has the potential of being a clubhouse classic. The haunting pop ballad "Russian Roulette," the album's first single made the top ten in pop charts in a few countries despite the controversy over its title and precarious lyrics. "Hard" positions itself as the second single to the delight of R&B listeners whose markets do enjoy as much of Rihanna's tunes as pop radio. Featuring Atlanta rapper Young Jeezy, the tune is the first single for the young diva that sound entirely like a R&B record versus pop. While "Wait Your Turn (The Wait Is Ova)" is the buzz track from the album, the newly leaked "Cold Case Love" reaped much approval from critics and fans alike. Though it sounds like an autobiographic tune regarding her much publicized incident with Brown, the epic ballad produced and written by Justin Timberlake stands out as a favorite from Rated R showing that Rihanna's vocal abilities can handle big ballads despite dismissed as not a good singer as her contemporaries Beyoncé and Mary J. Blige.

The five leaked tunes suggests that Rated R will take a similar direction of its predecessor by having a smörgåsbord of sound without any two songs sounding similar regardless of

producers. All songs are hit-worthy. The difference lies in the artistic direction. Good Girl Gone Bad contained obvious pop hit that played safe with no new sounds. The new album pushes the boundaries wide open leading the Bajan beauty in new music territory with theatrical
musical backdrops and epic production that has not been heard of regularly since the early 1990's. The test occurs in a couple weeks. Will Rihanna's fans and music listeners will get the genius of Rated R, or will it be ahead of its time?

Listen to these leaked tracks and judge for yourself.

"Bubble Pop"

"Cold Case Love"

"Russian Roulette"

"Wait Your Turn (The Wait Is Ova)"

"Hard" (featuring Young Jeezy)

Celebrating Black Artists From The Great Depression

When people are asked to name celebrated artists, the likes of Leonardo da Vinci, Vincent van Gogh, Pablo Picasso and Andy Warhol would come up most often because of their worldly, most famous works of art such as the Mona Lisa, The Starry Night, Three Musicians and 1000 Soup Cans respectively.

As a lover of art, I appreciate pieces that capture the Black American experience. More so, I love familiarizing myself with pieces of art by key Black American artists of the early 1900's. I am enamored by sketches of that era because forms of artistic expression, especially in paintings and drawings, seemed to be the only form of communication in telling our stories when Blacks could not be in text books and major publications in a positive or honest light.

Therefore, I have highlighted three prolific Black artists during the Great Depression era whose work impressed and touched me today.

John Woodrow Wilson

Born in 1992, John Woodrow Wilson is a noted sculptor, painter, and printmaker, John

Wilson is best known for his powerful portraits of African American men that results in vivid figurative images done in bronze, oil, charcoal, graphite and print. Wilson’s interest in figural art can be traced to his childhood in Roxbury, Massachusetts, where he took life drawing classes taught by students at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. In 1939, Wilson was accepted into the school on a full scholarship. He studied with the German émigré artist Karl Zerbe, who exposed Wilson to German Expressionist art and encouraged him to explore social issues in his work.

In 1943, when he was 21, Wilson created a revolutionary series called Deliver Us from Evil, which conflated images of Nazi oppression of the Jews with depictions of social injustices against blacks in America. While he continued to explore themes of racial discrimination and class oppression, Wilson developed a greater international focus and an interest in monumental art through his studies in Paris and Mexico.

In 1953, he returned to the United States to raise his family in an African American community and to participate in the growing civil rights movement. Wilson also helped to develop the art department at Boston University, where he served as a professor until 1986. After his retirement from academia, Wilson began making prints with James Stroud at the Center Street Studio in Boston, including a suite of etchings that illustrate Richard Wright’s short story Down by the Riverside and several prints based on his monumental sculpture Eternal Presence and on the King commission.

William E. Smith

While there is little information about the history of William E. Smith (b. 1913, d. 1997), I am showcasing his three of his most notable pieces from the Black experience of the 1930's and 40's. The Lamp Post, 1938 in linoleum cut, Pay Day, 1941 in linoleum cut, and Recreation, 1944 in pen and ink with graphite on paper impressed me most. As America experienced the Great Depression and as Black Americans were not treated as fairly as whites before the Civil Rights era, these paintings capturing the joys and tranquility of Black people highlight against the norms of Black expression, which is particularly about the blues and hard work. The symbolism of hope in these paintings show the lightheartedness that served as a necessity for Black Americans.

Dox Thrash

Dox Thrash was born in Griffin, Georgia, on March 22, 1893. He was the second of four children in his family. Thrash left home at the age of fifteen in search of work up north. He was part of the Great Migration (African American) looking for industrial work in the North.

The first job that Thrash got was working with a circus and a Vaudeville act. Three years later, he moved to Chicago, a town that was opening its mind to Black artists. He got a job as an elevator operator during the day, and used this source of income to attend the School of the Art Institute of Chicago at night.

Dox finished his education and worked odd jobs, moving from place to place and struggling to

support himself. In 1925, he settled himself in Philadelphia and took a job working as a janitor. In his free time, he continued his art and used his talent to create a poster for the 2nd Annual National Negro Music Festival. This gained him local recognition and opened doors for new artistic endeavors. He became active in the Tra Club of Philadelphia, giving his work a wider audience.

Thrash is most widely known for his work on the Federal Art Project from 1936-1939. While working on this project, he invented the process of carborundum mezzotint, a printmaking

technique. Carborundum mezzotint uses a carbon-based abrasive to burnish copper plates creating an image that can produce a print in tones ranging from pale gray to deep black. The method is similar to the more difficult and complicated mezzotint process developed in the seventeenth century. He used this as his primary medium for much of his career and created his greatest works with it.

Thrash spent the later years of his life mentoring young African American artists. He died in 1965 and was posthumously honored almost 40 years later in Philadelphia with a show called, “Dox Thrash: An African-American Master Printmaker Rediscovered”. He is best known for his realistic depiction of African American life in the 20th century.

Our Favorite Pop Divas Make Big News This Week

Pop singer Madonna's newest greatest-hits set "Celebration" may have received a lukewarm fanfare in the United States, but she is the queen of Europe. The entertaining icon celebrates a third week atop the European Album charts, where her album stands in the runner-up position in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Finland and France.

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Speaking of pop music icons, the two biggest musical influences of today's gay black and white communities are uniting for a music video. You read that correctly. Pop superstars Beyonce and Lady Gaga will team up to shoot a music video for "Video Phone," the final single from Beyonce's triple-platinum selling "I Am...Sasha Fierce" album. Gaga will deliver an extra verse to the song, and the video is expected to have lots of choreography with more than the usual two background dancers Beyonce featured in past music video for "Sasha Fierce." Sasha meets Gaga should generate one of the decade's most entertaining visuals.

Wouldn't it be a monumental moment to witness these pop sirens on the same concert bill?

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International pop star in-the-making Alexandra Burke, from Britain, will release her highly anticipated debut album titled "Overcome" in Europe. Dubbed as the international Beyonce by highly-revered music critics, Burke won Britain's "Pop Idol" in 2008 as did fellow British pop diva Leona Lewis two years earlier. Lewis crossed over world-wide with her 2008 U.S. debut album "Spirit." If surpassing records Lewis held in debut single sales within Europe shows any indicator of how her debut album would be received, Burke will become a force to reckon.

Check out her debut single "Bad Boys." The song, which features a hot rap verse by international hip-pop hitmaker Flo-Rida. The critics praised the tune by heralding its pop genius production as catchy as Britney Spears' 2008 worldwide #1 hit "Womanizer." Burke, herself, delivers powerful vocals on a potential U.S. hit that will crossover in spring 2010.

"Bad Boys" is currently on heavy rotation in my iPod. I can relate to every lyric in that jam. Having a voice as strong as vintage Whitney Houston mixed with choreography that trumps Beyonce's burlesque style makes Burke my favorite new artist of the last five years.

listen to "Bad Boys" by Alexandra Burke (featuring Flo-Rida)

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Global dance/R&B/pop legend Janet Jackson has unveiled the tracklisting of her upcoming greatest hits album "Number Ones." The must-have definitive two-disc album will feature one new song titled "Make Me," which débuted in September one day after the singer's tribute performance to her deceased older brother Michael Jackson at the MTV Video Music Awards.

Outside of America, the 34-track double album will be titled "Janet Jackson: The Best" and hit stores a week later on November 23. Thirty of the 34 songs have reached number one on various Billboard magazine charts. "Ones" marks Jackson's second hits album, following 1995's Design of a Decade 1986/1996. The song listing to Janet Jackson's Number Ones is as follows:

DISC 1

1. "What Have You Done for Me Lately"
2. "Nasty"
3. "When I Think of You"
4. "Control"
5. "Let's Wait Awhile"
6. "The Pleasure Principle"
7." Diamonds"
8. "Miss You Much"
9. "Rhythm Nation"
10. "Escapade"
11. "Alright"
12. "Come Back to Me"
13. "Black Cat"
14. "Love Will Never Do (Without You)"
15. "The Best Things in Life Are Free"
16. "That's the Way Love Goes"

DISC 2
1. "If"
2. "Again"
3. "Because of Love"
4. "Any Time, Any Place"
5. "Scream"
6. "Runaway"
7. "Got 'Til It's Gone"
8. "Together Again"
9. "I Get Lonely"
10. "Go Deep"
11. "What's It Gonna Be?!"
12. "Doesn't Really Matter"
13. "All For You"
14. "Someone to Call My Lover"
15. "All Nite (Don't Stop)"
16. "Call On Me"
17. "Feedback"
18. "Make Me

House Music Download: DJ Derrick Wize

Though many areas in the United States are facing colder and rainy weather this weekend, I provide you a great deep house mix that will warm up your spirits and keep you in a festive mood indoors. Check out this house music mix by Derrick Wize titled "The Good Stuff, Volume II."

You can download the mixtape here.

Check out the track listing, listen and enjoy!

1. "In the Forest "- Hatcher Edit
2. "B Simple"- Juice (featuring Lotus)
3. "Hydro Soundclash" - Skinny Fresh & Rube
4. "Speakin in Tongues" - Nikos
5. "People Want Music" - Gene Hunt
6. "It's Over Now" - Manzel
7. "Aguas Puras - Papo Sanchez & T Hunter
8. "Hey What You Doin'?" - Chicken Lips (featuring Zeefungk)
9. "I Feel Like" - Kaskade
10. "Wait A While" - Lawrence Richie & Andrew Riley
11. "Higher Level" - Digital Funk Addicts
12. "Give A Little" - Andy Caldwell
13. "Rainfall" - J Boogie (featuring Omega)
14. "Divided/United" - Ramus Faber (featuring Apollo vs. Melo)
15. "The Dub" - Nikos
16. "What You Need" - Rispoli &Montefiori

17. "Luv'n Feelin" - East Los Soul

House Music Download: DJ Boxx

Attention all house music lovers!!! I am certain that I am not the only Future Forward reader who is very passionate about house music. You know what I am talking about. The soulful, rhythmic genre that makes you feel blissful, sexy and liberated. It keeps your body moving on the dance floor. It brings your spirits to a youthful high.

If you love house music as much as I do, then you will enjoy this gift that I am sharing with you. I present a great 80-minute mix of sensual, soulful house music produced by one of my favorite DJs. DJ Boxx spun records at my 2008 White Party to the effect of filling the dance floor throughout his set of house classics and steppers' music.

Since my 2008 White Party, I have enjoyed the mixes that DJ Boxx has shared with me, including his most recent creation titled "House Is What I Am." I hope you enjoy the mix too. Just press play and get enraptured in 80 minutes of bliss.

1. Real Thing - Melachyor
2. Not Just Words = Looweer
3. Peace (Ezels Rmx) - Marcel Schooler
4. Who Can I Run To - Bam
5. Kitty Kat Ft. Coffee - Jovonn
6. Ritmo Da Rua - Brian Tappert
7. Theorema Del Faya - Ian Friday
8. Delicious - Jose Carretas
9. Send For Me - Boxx
10. Sunday Mornin - Terry Hunter
11. Sex In Africa - Jovonn
12. Escuchame - GU
13. Moa - Luis Radio
14. Mirror Dance - Afefe Iku
15. Baby Yagas Revenge - Jay Rags
16. Mi Rumbero - Looweer
17. Run (Beats) - Monique Bingham
18. Fugama Unamathe - Qness

Made The Move To East Coast; Now A Future Forward Contributor

I feel the love and welcome as a the newest contributing member of The Future Forward.

For those who are unfamiliar with me, I am Waddie Grant. Currently, I live in Newark, NJ, working with the brothers of The Future Forward on building a successful network of professionals and the movers and shakers of the Black gay community. So far, I have been living in the east coast for a month, and I love living in New Jersey and enjoying New York City when I am not grinding.

Before I made the move to New Jersey, I lived in Chicago for the past eight years. During my time in Chicago, I made a splash in Chicago's Black gay/lesbian community with my event planning experience and network. I earned "socialite" status when I hosted social events for my friends and acquaintances including happy hour nights, potluck gatherings, New Year's Eve parties, celebrity club happenings, and themed events. Most notably, I hosted the widely-mentioned white parties, which has served as the highly-anticipated perennial event of Chicago Black gay/lesbian professionals. After each successive event, most particularly working with the talents of Jensen Atwood, DeMarco Majors and Jason Steed, I have always met friends and attendees with the question of when the next event will take place. Hearing those questions and similar compliments makes what I do for the community socially very rewarding.

August 2009 was the most stressful month I have endured in recent years. I needed to finalize plans for the third annual white party with Jason Steed as host. My employer recently downsized my department, and I was one of its casualties. From there, I have decided to make my move to New York City -- finally. With that plan, I had less than thirty days to make plans with moving, finalizing bills, finding residence, saying "see you later" to close friends and other stressful complications that come with moving to another state. Additionally, I had to deal with naysayers who did not envision the success I want to chase in New York City as well as people who wanted to sabotage my white party and moving details. There were moments when I wanted to scream, fight and hate the world. Ultimately, I let out a couple hours of tears two nights before I moved when the realization of all that happened and will occur have finally dawned on me. Fortunately, my best friend Lawrence helped me through that month emotionally, physically and spiritually.

On the last day of August, I moved to Newark, NJ, to realize my dream. Of course, I did not meet my plan of living in Harlem, but that will come soon. I arrived at the airports with a wide grin, huge jitters and widened eyes realizing that I will follow my aspirations of becoming a more successful blogger, writer, publicist and event promoter in the New York City area. Immediately, I have been working on those goals through networking with key individuals who have sought the right connections to patch me through. Even meeting some of my online friends and fellow bloggers with whom I have chatted and networked seemed like unwrapping Christmas gifts. During the month of September, I experienced many highs as a new resident in the east coast.

Of course, life cannot be perfect. No matter how glamorous I have painted a picture about my residence in the east coast thus far, I have met one huge obstacle. Job hunting in today's economy, especially in the greater New York City area, is one of the most challenging tasks anyone can face right now. I felt like that I made the mistake of not beginning my job search immediately after I moved right now because I am quickly spending up my saving without having any income flowing. I do not regret that decision because I have enjoyed what I called "my extended unpaid vacation." Now, that I feel a little settled, I have begun my aggressive job hunting this week. I have interviewed with three agencies and one employer. While the prospects for me are promising, I feel nervousness at high extremes by putting much pressure on myself to land a good-to-great paying job.

In the meantime, I keep busy updating the look and contents of my popular blog G-Magazine Now as well as working with my new online family at The Future Forward. I am also working on my fitness goal with my new membership at the New York Sports Club. While there are a plethora of good-looking, working-class men of all heights and sizes, the thin and fit friends I possess make me want to shed off this excess weight I have picked up since 2006. I have been brought into the fold of a popular online radio station 99.3Jamz and sealing deals on managing great talents in public speaking and acting. Very soon, I will have paying daytime office job to support all my other ventures. Then, I will find my Harlem apartment and be able to enjoy New York City the way I envisioned.

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*Does anyone know an insider to get me a great paying job as an Executive Assistant who have worked with top-tier executives?