Taji Mag is the physical embodiment of the positive Black experience. Our brand embodies the traditional and modern royalty of Pan-African people via our quarterly print and digital publication and live events. While reclaiming OUR narratives and imagery, Taji offers our readers quality advice to assist them economically, healthy options to maintain a happy lifestyle, think pieces to test the societal norms that are not meant for us, #BlackLoveConvo to increase the self and communal love in all aspects, and beauty and fashion inspiration to sustain the legacy of our Black artistry.
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Today the 53rd NAACP Image Awards announced 16 nominations for Warner Bros. Television Group including some of our major favs, Queen Sugar, created for television by Emmy® winner/Oscar® nominee Ava DuVernay, and All American, from executive producer/showrunner Nkechi Okoro Carroll. They are both up for the Outstanding Drama Series category.
53rd NAACP Image Awards Warner Bro Nomination Highlights
Queen Sugar on OWN
Queen Sugar has received six nominations, including Outstanding Drama Series and acting nominations for Rutina Wesley (Nova Bordelon), Dawn-Lyen Gardner (Charley Bordelon West), Kofi Siriboe (Ralph Angel Bordelon), and Bianca Lawson (Darla).
All American has received three nominations, including Outstanding Drama Series, an acting nomination for Daniel Ezra (Spencer James), and writing for Nkechi Okoro Carroll.
Acting nomination for Anika Noni Rose received an acting nomination for the series Maid.
Director Cierra Glaude received a Breakthrough creative nomination for Queen Sugar.
Complete list of Warner Bros. Television Group Nominations
THE REAL (Warner Bros. Unscripted Television/Syndicated): 2 Nominations
Outstanding Talk Series
Outstanding Host in a Talk or News/Information (Series or Special) – Individual or Ensemble: Garcelle Beauvais, Adrienne Houghton, Loni Love, Jeannie Mai Jenkins
TED LASSO (WBTV/Apple TV+): 2 Nominations
Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series: Ashley Nicole Black, “Do the Right-est Thing”
Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series: Leann Bowen, “Lavender”
THE VOICE (Warner Bros. Unscripted Television): 1 Nomination
Outstanding Reality Program, Reality Competition or Game Show (Series)
Watch the 53rd NAACP Image Awards on February 26th at 8pm EST on BET.
Often, when a gifted person becomes famous and has a child, society waits to see what talents the child develops and if they mirror their parent in any way. iNTeLL, the first-born son of U-God from the legendary rap group, Wu-Tang Clan, definitely doesn’t disappoint. It’s arguable that his pen and cadence may even outshine his father’s (which is all we really want as parents anyway), but iNTeLL never misses a beat to homage to his pops (and uncles). 2nd Generation Wu is led by iNTeLL with other Wu spawn, PXWER (son of Method Man), and features SUN GOD (son of Ghostface Killah) and Young Dirty Bastard (son of Old Dirty Bastard). Taji Mag went to Staten Island to chat with iNTeLL about his motivations and future.
Taji Mag: How did you discover you have bars? iNTeLL: When I was 13-years-old, my best friend told me after hearing my poetry.
Taji Mag: You are multi-disciplined, list off some of your talents outside of rapping and acting. iNTeLL: Painting, photography, melting wax on canvas, organizing, curating, executive producing.
Taji Mag: How was 2GWU conceived? iNTeLL: It was conceived once I was conceived. However, it started in 2019 after my production company, Intellectual Entertainment, did a joint venture with the independent label, Dock Street Records. I then had the space and funds to cultivate the idea into a reality.
Taji Mag: What are some of your accomplishments that you’re most proud of? (Brag a bit lol) iNTeLL:
I’ve Collaborated with Method Man, Inspectah Deck & Masta Killa from the Wu-Tang Clan. I’ve Collaborated with Snoop Dogg, current president of Def Jam Records. I’ve Collaborated with 88-Keys, whose work on DONDA is Grammy nominated.
Established my own Production Company
Established my own independent music label
Landed Placement on Peter Rosenberg’s, of hot97, debut album
One of My Hip Hop Idols and Lyrical Mentor from afar, Lupe Fiasco, referred to me as “Royalty”
I got to do a song with Del The Funkee Homosapien, another one of my Lyrical Mentors from afar
Have had Several Songs played on the Radio, FM & Sirius Satellite
Received Over 1million Streams on a song
Created 2nd Generation Wu which will be remembered forever Alongside WU-TANG CLAN because WU-TANG is Forever For The Children.
Taji Mag: Verzuz is allowing us to see our Hip Hop favs put on full shows in their 50s, how are you preparing for longevity in your health and wellness? iNTeLL: Method Man started Tical Athletics, I’m bout to go to the gym with him and only drink seamoss.
Taji Mag: As the sun of U-God, do you feel pressure to carry on the Wu legacy? Why or why not? iNTeLL: I did in my teens, but got over that early because their shoes not even the same size for me to be trying to fill them. I decided to use their soul to build my own shoes and walk my own path. A Legacy Branched out from a Legacy. Hip Hop is a Tree, not a totem.
Taji Mag: What gems have you received about/applied to the game from any OG WuTang member? iNTeLL: Take your time. Let them hear you.
Taji Mag: What have you discovered from your journey that you would pass on to a potential 3rd Gen Wu member? iNTeLL: With Art, There are no rules.
Stay connected with iNTeLL at @gftd.iNTeLL! Check out his music below and tell us what you think in the comments!
Taji Mag is the epitome of ‘Cultural Drip’ – elevating Black brands, narratives, and imagery to new levels of Black Excellence. We embody the traditional and modern royalty of Pan-African people via our quarterly digital and print publication and live events.
Release Sept 7 2021 | Vol28 of Taji is packed full of Black Beauty & Culture fulfilling its theme of Fire! This volume’s cover features features the #SlayBells of @Queen__Reinvented. Gracing the pages are the Editor’s Pick, #BlackLoveConvo: “Bitchin’: The Sound and Fury of Rick James is a Music Love Story” by Dapper Dr. Feel; our Community Spotlight, Lady M Mannequins; our highlighted Hair Feature with Debra Hare Bey; “Solo Travel: Audacious Adventure” with Ty Vaughn by dCarrie; “The Value of Values” by Jashua Sa’Ra; “The Childhood Challenge” by Janelle Naomi; Our Vol 28 contributed photo story, “Fire;” Fitness Highlight, Dorian DuBois of EFitBrand; Vegan Fun with Earth’s Pot’s Savory Veggie Flatbread; “What Banks Don’t Want You to Know” by M’Bwebe Ishangi, Founder of Cryptowoke Financial Sustainability Movement; Featured Art Piece by @TheOneWillFocus; Comic Appreciation with INFINITUM by Tim Fields; Black Business Highlights; and more!!
Taji Mag is the epitome of ‘Cultural Drip’ – elevating Black brands, narratives, and imagery to new levels of Black Excellence. We embody the traditional and modern royalty of Pan-African people via our quarterly digital and print publication and live events.
Oftentimes, viewers of shows like The Voice and American Idol wonder what happened to the contestants after the show. The Voice has a solid Country following so a few of their artists are able to chart, but what about everyone else? I had a wonderfully candid conversation with The Voice season 12 winner, Chris Blue, where we discussed what he did after the phone calls stopped and the excitement for his current projects. If you haven’t yet, check out his recent release, Moon, on all major platforms. See the full Video interview below.
Taji Mag (TM): What do you feel is the difference between this project and your previous projects? Chris Blue (CB): I think for this one, it’s something people have been asking for. People have been asking for Moon, essentially, since I finished my time with NBC. It was a journey getting them here but now they’re like ‘thank you, finally, this what we’ve been wanting and we gon blow this thing up’… and that’s what they’ve been doing! So I think that’s what’s different. Back2TheFuture was a great song because I felt like I needed to say something, I needed to have my imprint on society, but as far as my musicality and my art and my VISION… Moon, to me, is it. It’s that cross between what’s new and the respect of what I have to what’s old. It’s old school/new school. You’ll hear influences of the Weeknd, Michael Jackson, and you get to the end of it and it’s like where’d this Afrobeat vibe come from? The reason I did that was because I’m still learning about my heritage, I’m a descendant of the Jamaican-Caribbean-African heritage. I’m really digging into my ancestry now. I was like maybe THAT’S why I love curry chicken…
(TM): Did you feel like you couldn’t produce the same type of artistry during your time at NBC? (CB): Yea… I mean… Yea. I feel like I was somewhat restricted on what I could do. My first anything as a solo career happened on NBC. I wasn’t out here grinding grinding grinding before that show. So when I won and got the accolades, the money, and the deal, it was great, I get to do what I want to do. I’m telling people now, I won but at the same time I lost because for about 2 years, I think, I realized like I’m losing myself. I’m losing who I am. I’m losing Chris Blue…
(TM): Was there a lot of outside influence on who they wanted you to be as an artist. (CB): There was. There was a lot of influence on what they wanted because, again, it’s a business. A lot of people have to remember it’s the music business. So that word business sometimes outshines the music in most cases, especially when you’re dealing with other people and other people’s money and they have to figure out how am I going to make my money back? So when you start to see this is trending and this is what most people will like and this is selling, let’s reshape and redefine you and make you fit this. The issue with that with me is and was I’m not that. I’m me. I can only do me well. I can’t do that well. So I lost. I lost a lot of confidence in myself. I lost a lot of belief. Because I’m not becoming that, the telephone stopped ringing as much, my emails weren’t blowing up, I wasn’t getting as many messages on Instagram, and everything just started to collapse. I was just like well maybe I wasn’t that good… It messed me up in a lot of ways, so much that my family started to feel the effects of it. My mom just sat me down one day and was like you’re changing. I was like dang, what you mean by that mama. That was one of the defining moments for me that brought me back. If I’m gonna do music, I gotta do it my way, I gotta do what I love and I can’t do it to spare feelings or to pacify anyone else.
You can’t sustain living a certain way that’s not conducive to what you want to live like. You can’t do it. It don’t work. You’ll wake up every day hating yourself. You’ll become the perfect example of the person who wakes up to the 9-to-5 job that you hate.
(TM): Makes note of how I’ve watched contestants change from the beginning to the end of the show to fit cookie-cutter molds and that, by the end of it, I’m just skipping through each episode to see who they chose as the winner. (CB): It’s funny you say that. I had to learn this as well. The American public ain’t stupid. Y’all are not dumb. You watch artists on them shows and you be like ok dope, they this, they that, but ya’ll know, nah, this is show. Some people have to be reminded it’s a show, right, so the expectation that as soon as you come off of a show like that you’re supposed to just blow up… I didn’t realize that going in. That’s a TV show. They have to do what’s best for them. It’s on me to get out here and actually work and grind and build. I tell people, I wish… If could do it all over again, with the same result (big smile), I would. I would go in thinking like an artist. I wasn’t thinking like an artist. I was some green, wet behind the ears, new-to-this-thing singer. I wasn’t an artist. I just want to sing. Put me on the stage, give me a microphone, let me SANG, let me do what I do. If I could go back and do it again, I’d have my team in place, I’d have everything ready to go so that by the time they said and the winner is I’m ready to use that launching pad to actually launch off.
(TM): What else are you working on now? I hear you’re doing a docuseries? (CB): Yea so ya boy just got a leading role in a docuseries that we’re getting ready to shoot next month at a studio in Atlanta. So I’m excited about that. The role I’m playing is a guy who I feel like is me right now. Everything this bruh is going through, that’s ME. Everyone feels good about this docuseries, It’s real. It’s raw. It’s uncut. You’ll see a lot of truth a lot of reality. I believe highly in putting things into the atmosphere, when you put things into the atmosphere, God’s ear, he hears.
So happy that Chris Blue is stepping into his true artistry and exploring multiple avenues of his creative genius. Click here to stream Moon. Follow Chris Blue on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter. Stay tuned for more updates and real conversations.
Release Jun 7 2021 | Vol27 of Taji is packed full of Black Beauty & Culture fulfilling its theme of Utopia! This volume’s cover features the #SlayBells of @UniquelyWiredM and @JaymisonBeverly by @iamNayMarie. Gracing the pages are the Editor’s Pick, #BlackLoveConvo: “Concrete Cowboy: Becoming a Man and Father” by Dapper Dr. Feel; our Community Spotlight; our highlighted Hair Feature with Tajah Olson; “Solo Travel: Building Confidence Through Travel” by dCarrie; “Just My Imagination?” by Jashua Sa’Ra; “The Childhood Challenge” by Janelle Naomi; Our Vol 27 contributed photo story, “Utopia;” Fitness Highlight; Vegan Fun with Earth’s Pot’s Spicy Sushi Rolls; “How to Fight Racism…Financially” by M’Bwebe Ishangi, Founder of Cryptowoke Financial Sustainability Movement; Featured Art Piece; Comic Appreciation; Black Business Highlights; and more!!
Taji Mag is the epitome of ‘Cultural Drip’ – elevating Black brands, narratives, and imagery to new levels of Black Excellence. We embody the traditional and modern royalty of Pan-African people via our quarterly digital and print publication and live events.
Release Mar 7 2021 | Vol26 of Taji is packed full of Black Beauty & Culture fulfilling its theme of Diasporic! This volume’s cover features the #SlayBells of @TheOnlyWayIsMarbz by @_OKOBE_. Gracing the pages are the Editor’s Pick, #BlackLoveConvo: “Jingle Jangle: The Film Every Child Needs While Growing Up ” by Dapper Dr. Feel; our Community Spotlight on Greeting Cards by Adeyemi Artistry; our highlighted Hair Feature; “Solo Travel: How Travel Made Me A Better Person” by dCarrie; “The Texture of Education” by Jashua Sa’Ra; “The Chaos Theory of Education” by Janelle Naomi; Our Vol 26 contributed photo story, “Diasporic;” Fitness Highlight: @eliteperformancenyc; Vegan Fun with Earth’s Pot’s Jalapeño Honey Po’ Boy; “Are You Financially Prepared For This “New Normal”?” by M’Bwebe Ishangi, Founder of Cryptowoke Financial Sustainability Movement; Featured Art Piece by Janelle Naomi; Comic Appreciation with Ezerea, Tales of the Zauberer by William C. Davis; Black Business Highlights; and more!!
Taji Mag is the epitome of ‘Cultural Drip’ – elevating Black brands, narratives, and imagery to new levels of Black Excellence. We embody the traditional and modern royalty of Pan-African people via our quarterly digital and print publication and live events.
Release Dec 7 2020 | Vol25 of Taji is packed full of Black Beauty & Culture fulfilling its theme of AfroFuture! This volume’s cover features the #SlayBells of @NoriRaneMUA (by @BymshaBrownePhotography with @NYCNory). Gracing the pages are the Editor’s Pick, #BlackLoveConvo: “Jurnee Smollett Talks Lovecraft Country, Activism, and Breonna Taylor” by Dapper Dr. Feel; our Community Spotlight on Nichelle Consulting; our highlighted Hair Feature by Angela Plummer; “Solo Travel: Are You A Performative Global Ally?” by dCarrie; “Micro Betrayals?” by Jashua Sa’Ra; “Building the Image Nation” by Janelle Naomi; Our Vol 25 contributed photo story, “AfroFuture;” Fitness Highlight: @itsdreamsworld; Vegan Fun with Earth’s Pot’s Wontons; Think Tank, “Lack of Love” by Brianna Burnley; Earth’s Cabinet LLC, Aligning Your Body Holisticly; “The Garden Metaphor Of Finance” by M’Bwebe Ishangi, Founder of Cryptowoke Financial Sustainability Movement; Lovely Leo Skincare Awakens All of Your Body’s Senses; Featured Art Piece; Comic Appreciation; Black Business Highlights; and more!!
Taji Mag is the epitome of ‘Cultural Drip’ – elevating Black brands, narratives, and imagery to new levels of Black Excellence. We embody the traditional and modern royalty of Pan-African people via our quarterly digital and print publication and live events.
Born and raised in West Africa Liberia, Diezie Sahn is a promising actor, screenwriter, and director, specializing in martial arts and fight choreography, now based in Atlanta. He has acted and performed stunts in several short films, despite battling a speech impediment, and has received the CMF and TERMINUS “BEST ACTOR” Awards. His recent Lead role in the P.S.A, “Corona Man,” went viral. Before breaking into the film industry, Diezie lived in an Ivory Coast refugee camp during the Liberian Civil War. He refuses to allow anything to stop him from achieving his goal of empowering others through film.
Taji Mag (TM): What inspired you to become an actor?
Diezie Sahn (DS): I remember vividly at the age of 7, in the town we were living called “12 houses,” my siblings and I were attending a small community school and my mother had been encouraging me to sing in church. She decided that she would register me to perform in the Bible play, “King Solomon”, and I was to play King Solomon. I was completely terrified! Here I was, a stuttering 7-year-old child, who now had to perform in front of hundreds of people at the end of the school year. The entire school would think I was a joke. I was upset with my mother and didn’t care to see what she saw in me, but my mother was relentless. She drilled the entire play with me for days so that I would be prepared for the role. To this day, I still remember my lines. When the big day came, I was beyond ready. That was when I realized that acting and performing was my purpose in life. On stage, I can speak freely through the characters and truly express myself. For the first time, my voice was heard. I felt free and happy.
TM: What films, directors, and/or actors have influenced you?
DS: Every film I’ve ever seen growing up influenced me in some ways. Western films, the Asian martial arts films that were popularized at the time, and Nigerian (Nollywood) films. I was intrigued by the Asian films because of the action, the western films introduced me to real acting, and the Nigerian films opened my mind to telling our own African stories. I believe that life is a busy intersection we all crossing through to create a path that fits each of us. My influences are the ones like myself who didn’t allow stuttering to stop them from becoming great: Bruce Willis, Steve Jobs, Samuel L Jackson, James Earl Jones, Legendary B.B King, Steve Harvey, Harvey Keitel, Kendrick Lamar, Elvis Presley, John Gomez, Marilyn Monroe, Emily Blunt, Julia Roberts. The list goes on! They inspire me to persevere.
TM: What type of films do you most look forward to creating/participating in?
DS: I look forward to playing James Bond one day or I’ll create my own James Bond-style movie with an African actor as the lead. I’d also like the opportunity to play a superhero. I think it would be awesome to see an African man in the sky doing something out of the normal beside flying to out of his country.
Harlem born and raised, indie rapper-producer XAV. released his debut single “Jiggy” in July to fans who have been patiently waiting for his first single as a solo act (XAV. is one half of the group Xav and Ola). The single was written and produced by XAV. with a seamless feature from fellow Cleveland-born rapper, Trill Mah, who adds to the melodic aesthetic of the track with their own witty, sharp lyricism. The single, “Jiggy”, is a lighthearted track that is the perfect addition to your summertime playlist. In the lyrics, XAV. lets us in on his more playful side as he’s detailing his interest in a young lady, eager to know if she’s interested in getting jiggy with him.
The visual for “Jiggy” was shot before we ever heard the phrase ‘social distancing’. In true indie-artist fashion, XAV. tapped into his community to vividly transform his single from lyrics to screen. Friends and fellow artists gathered to take us back to a time when tripping and vibing with your friends at house parties and on rooftops was a reality. The overall vision was flawlessly executed by Indian female filmmaker and photographer, Tashi Bhutia, who directed and edited the visual.
Quarantine has been a personal experience of ups and downs for all of us. XAV. is using this time to continue to create and engage, whether that means releasing new music, talking trash on XBox, or using his platform to be outspoken about systemic racism and police brutality. For XAV., the debut single “Jiggy” is only the beginning.
“I do this 100% indie with love, creativity and thoughtfulness,” says XAV. “I hope you feel that in the song and video. There’s so much that I have been working on during this time and want to continue to create art that speaks to the humanity of my community. I want to make sure that I am creating art that allows us the freedom to vibe without restriction.”
To keep up with all things XAV. be sure to follow him on Instagram and Twitter.
