Covid In The Jails - A First Hand Exposure

As the heart of COVID is hopefully in our rearview mirror, it is important to learn from what happened and how people we treated during those times. Jejune was lucky enough to get an exclusive interview from an ex inmate who recently was released from prison, but was there for the entirety of the pandemic. For the privacy of this individual we have kept this interview anonymous. It is heartbreaking to see how mental health was completely dismissed during this time and how the prisons took advantage of the situation to milk these, mostly poor prisoners, of their money while they so hungrily craved their loved ones during scary times. Please read on.

Editor's Pick, zIssue 44Kira BuccaAugust 23, 2022prison, prison reform, covid, COVID testing, covid-19, COVID, jail, pandemic livingComment

A Little Of Everything With Revell Carpenter

LA and NYC-based actress Revell Carpenter is more than a familiar face. Without a doubt, Revell’s training in LA, NYC, and London prove her to be an asset for all her industry endeavors which include directing and writing. Amazingly she has been at work since seven years old, and now you can see Revell starring in her short film “Goodnight”, an emotional and gritty film about ending a relationship. Other than “Goodnight”, you can see Revell in “All American: Homecoming” and “The Deadly Debutante”. With so much under Revell’s belt, you are sure to love her. We urge you to get to know Revell through our interview! If you would like to learn more about Revell’s short film, her work at the New York Public Library, and the overall fabulous human being she is, please continue reading!

COVER - Double Dose Of Dopeness - Aint Afraid

Get a double dose of dopeness with Aint Afraid! Detroit-based Twin sisters Sakinah (Straingth) & Zakiyyah (Wizdumb) Rahman make their presence known through positive and honest messages from their music. Singing since the age of two, both sisters collaborate to share their gift with the world while also showing off some much-needed melanated Muslim representation. Influenced by the likes of Beyoncé and Lauren Hill, you can, without a doubt, admire the R&B and grace in their music and demeanor alike. Although they pull music influences, their fashion is 100% Aint Afraid; Sakinah and Zakiyyah pride themselves on their brilliant and authentic fashion taste, proven by Aint Afraid's sewing skills, one of their many talents picked up during lockdown.

In their latest album, which happens to be their debut, they provide 11 impressive tracks, some titled "Smile Today," "Somebody Loves You," and "Grow,"; All songs showcase their ability to spread harmony with a soulful and fun twist. All music from the album is streamable on Spotify, so Jejune urges you to check it out!

You think Aint Afraid can't get any cooler? Think Again! Sakinah and Zakiyyah are heavy advocates for education in the Gambia and even helped raise funds to build an all-girls school for students. Ain't Afraid uplifts the audience through their music and in their community alike. This is why Jejune is so excited for the sisters to be this month's cover! If you wish to learn more about Aint Afraid's music, their unique stage names, and all the fantastic humanitarian work they have done so far, please continue reading below.

The Future With Omicron

This time last year the world was faced with the toughest holiday season yet, but with the hope that next year would be significantly better. With the possibilities of further lockdowns, weakening vaccinations, and new restrictions being increasingly discussed, many now fear a repeat of 2020. Despite this being the last thing governments want to do, with the increasing fears of the new Omicron variant will it be the harsh reality we have to face?

Articles, zIssue 39Saanvi SethiDecember 22, 2021covid, omicron, testing, nyc, london, lockdown, restrictions, biden, boris, covid-19, delta, variants, CDC, NHS, vaccines, covid vaccines, WHO, booster, Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, virus, masks, mandates, immunity, researchComment

Melissa Lamm: Finding Happiness Right Where You Are

When pandemic pessimism is back on the rise more than ever, it makes some of us more productive. Toronto-based musician Melissa Lamm is one of them. She spent last summer's lockdown on her balcony. While the pandemic upset her honeymoon plans, she wrote a song about it. Her latest single ‘Balcony’ is about appreciating every moment wherever you are. Other than her chill pop melodies, she does a lot of live-stream fundraisers on her Twitch channel. She has been raising money for different organizations such as Alzheimer's Research UK, Australian Brushfire Disaster, and NAACP Legal Defense And Education Fund with her live streams. We talked to Melissa Lamm about her music and lockdown days. Check out our interview below to find out more about Melissa Lamm.

Art, zIssue 36Başak YirmibeşogluSeptember 8, 2021#melissalam, #music, #popmusic, #pandemic, #covid19, #balcony, music artist, female artists, covid, lockdown, melissalammComment

Nadine Gagne Sings for a Better World

There are many things wrong happening in the world, but there are also outstanding ones. And one of them is Nadine Gagne and her work with Indigenous children in British Colombia. In the past months, hundreds of children were found in unmarked graves at former residential schools across North America, and still, many people are unaware of when and why this happened to them. Socio-economic marginalization is a vast topic, but it needs to be discussed. Gagne recently launched a song with The Star Collective Nations, called "All Nations" to bring awareness to their community and to call for love for a better and more united world. Jejune had the opportunity to interview Gagne and learn more about this beautiful project, how the Indigenous community has been dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic, and much more. Please, keep reading to inspire your soul.

Kerry K Is Changing Lives One Pair Of Shoes At A Time

Meet Kerry Korentang, an eleven-year-old non-profit owner who has donated over 900 pairs of shoes to Ghana natives. Kerry’s mission to provide comfortable shoes to children in need was born after a trip to Ghana when she noticed children in rural areas going barefoot to school. Not letting her age or experience stop her, Kerry worked alongside her family to start the Kerry K Foundation. Since its inception, the Kerry K Foundation has not only focused on Kerry’s first goal of providing shoes for children, it has also branched out to include clothing and advocacy. In her spare time, Kerry is a pageant queen who uses her platform to spread awareness for her cause. We love the work that Kerry and her team are doing and we are excited to share their story with you! Continue reading for our exclusive interview with Kerry K below

Articles, zIssue 35Forrest JohnsonAugust 20, 2021Africa, shoes, Give back, beautypageants, beauty queen, covid, Humanitarian, kids, children in need, Ghana, nonprofit, #nonprofitComment

Sam Louis And Coping From The Confines Of Isolation

Sam Louis is the name to know in 2021! This Canadian artist gets real about navigating his emotions during isolation. His previous hit, “Driftin,” is meant to be an emotional escape from the confines of isolation. We recommend blasting this song at max volume in your car speakers to get the full effect. This powerful yet somewhat dark song (the good kind of dark… don’t worry) is a metaphor for lonely nights where it feels as if we are actually driftin. Not only is Sam Louis a talented musician, but he is also an advocate and music teacher who specializes in music therapy. This coincided perfectly with his desire to teach the importance of using music to heal the soul, just as it continues to heal him. Jejune is thrilled to speak with Sam about his emotionally uncensored song “Driftin,” his life as a music teacher, and his newest single “Die Tonight,” which dropped August 6th! So tune in and continue reading this interview for all things Sam Louis.

Understanding the COVID-19 Vaccines

Over a year ago, all of our lives were changed forever. This pandemic has challenged everyone in ways that we never thought possible. But there is finally a light at the end of this seemingly unending dark tunnel —the vaccines. With more and more people getting vaccinated every day, there is hope that we can get back to some semblance of normalcy.

The Talented & Fabulous Tamela D’Amico

Tamela D’Amico is an established actress and singer, residing in Los Angeles. She is best known for her role on Disney’s “Best Friends Whenever” and Amazon’s “Englishman in L.A.”, for which she was awarded “Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Web Series” by LA WEB FEST. Tamela is also a recording artist and her music has been heard on more than 140 national radio and cable outlets. She sings the theme song “Love and the Gun” in both English and Italian for the film, Rob the Mob. In Tamela’s latest film, One Little Finger, Tamela plays Raina, an American Neurologist researching music therapy in India. The Indian-American film is an inspirational story on music therapy and purpose is to educate people about the abilities of those with disabilities. All of the money earned is going straight into the One Little Finger Foundation. At the moment, Tamela is working on a new antiviral film project that includes short films threaded together from all over the world about the pandemic experience. Please read our full interview with Tamela D’Amico below.

Fighting Homelessness & Poverty with HOPE

During one of the largest economic crises our country has ever seen, when cities are forcing landlords not to evict tenants who can’t pay, thousands have lost their jobs, and the number of homeless has yet to be calculated, there is hope. There is hope in Tiny Homes. Hope of the Valley’s Tiny Homes Villages is one of the most beautiful initiatives I have heard about so far in 2021. In one of the cities in the US that has the worst numbers of homelessness, Los Angeles, this organization is just stating the fight, and they are doing it in style. They have set up a transitional micro-village, where people wanting to pull themselves off the streets are given the resources to do so. Hope of the Valley has no only done this smartly, but also sensitively for the people who are moving in. They make sure they are safe, clean, feed, and even have a dog park for those with pets. I’m so excited to share with you our exclusive interview with the CEO of Hope of the Valley, Ken Craft.

The Limit Doesn’t Exist for Hadar Cats

As a young child, Hadar Cats was in every theatre production at her school and attended performing arts summer camps. These experiences were the springboard into the world of film and made her debut in Amazon Prime’s AKA Nadia & Incitement. In her latest film, My Dad’s Christmas Date, Hadar stars alongside Jeremy Piven in a heartwarming story revolving around love and family. Besides being a talented actress, Hadar has been competing as a professional Equestrian since she was seven years old and speaks three different languages. She is also an advocate for animal rights and works closely with The Freedom Farm Sanctuary. Check out our interview with Hadar Cats to learn more about her.

Dan & Méz Exudes Luxury & Sustainability

After Daniele Madonia and Clemens Kholbacher randomly met each other by chance at a local bar in their hometown of Austria, their passion for veganism and fair fashion inspired them to create, Dan & Méz. Dan & Méz offer chic and timeless watches that are 100% sustainable and vegan. Dan and Méz challenges the status quo and tackle the unethical policies of the leather industry. Their products have also been featured in GQ, InStyle, and Ecocult. Daniele and Clemens are determined to change the whole leather industry and establish vegan & eco friendly leather as the new norm. Check out our interview with Daniele and Clemens for a deeper understanding of the brand, the inspirations behind it, and what they hope to achieve with Dan & Méz.

COVER - Marcy Richardson, The Show Must Go On

What is your favorite part of New York City? If you live here, why did you move here or why did you decide to stay? If you just love to visit, why is that? I think almost every single person who loves NYC loves it, at least partly, for the arts. I moved here 10.5 years ago, 100% for the arts. I then fell in love with the grit and the people. My people, artists who make magic happen. These are the people who are being ignored. These people are hard-working and living off their art, now they are not allowed to work at all, and they are given no alternatives. This pandemic has taught us many things about our society, and one of the loudest messages is that “the arts do not matter.” But I ask you this: How will we look back on this pandemic in history? It will be through the photography, the songs, the murals, the books, and who knows what else amazing ideas and creations come from this lockdown. We won’t be all sitting around watching videos of Trump or Cuomo’s daily briefings. We will be looking towards the art. Look back on history. How do we think about the most famous moments? From a painting, a song, or a poem. We need to be supporting the arts more than ever right now! Not only do they mark our history, but they give us the most important gift of all —hope.

Jejune had the pleasure to sit down, chat with, and photograph an amazing hard-working artist in New York City, Marcy Richardson. When the pandemic hit all her venues closed, but like most NYC artists, she is full of passion and grit. She will weather this storm and come back to the stage like a phoenix. Please read further to learn a bit about Marcy’s journey.

Editorials, Cover, Editor's Pick, Most Popular, zIssue 29Kira BuccaJanuary 29, 2021performer, singer, actress, newyorker, aerialists, theatre, newyork, covid, pole, pole dancers, artist, nyc, HustlersComment