Atlanta R&B Live featuring Ne-yo

Wednesday (Feb. 13, 2008), I had the opportunity to attend the launch of an event called "Atlanta R&B Live". The featured artist was grammy-award winning Ne-yo and the opening act was Cheri Dennis. The event was held at Justin's and it was full of music industry tastemakers.

It was a very sexy event with a backdrop set up as you walk in where celebrities and other individuals were invited to take pictures and the entrance to Justin's was draped in white gauze. The event was sponsored by Hennessy and those who got tables were treated to a Hennessy tasting along with dinner. The performances were great. Cheri Dennis has a great voice and delivered a good performance. Her new single is a great dance song and I hope it does well. Check out her website and hear her new single.

Now I am a big fan of Ne-yo and his music. I have both of his cds and they are both on steady rotation in my car. I like his uptempo, midtempo and slow songs, which makes his cds very easy for me to listen to. I have wanted to see him live for quite some time now and it was a pleasure to finally have the opportunity to do so. He was very engaging live and sang some of my favorites from his current cd, Because of You. He also sang an unreleased single that peaked my interest in his next project. I am still a big fan of his and I can't wait to have the opportunity to see him in a big concert but this intimate setting was a great way to be introduced to him live. If you're not familiar with him, check out his website and myspace page.

Overall the event was great and I look forward to attending more in the new series. As an avid R&B lover who wishes there was more good R&B out there, I look forward to everything this event has to offer. Below are some pictures from the event as taken by a photographer with All the Parties. Check out their website, www.alltheparties.com.

Cheri Dennis


Ne-Yo
Myself and Nicholas


Faatimah York of K'orus Wines and Ross . Get more information about K'orus Wines, check out their website: www.koruswine.com
It's a french wine company that makes wine more approachable for novices and experienced wine drinkers alike. It's also a company that is focused on targeting the African American consumer but everyone is invited to try K'orus Wines.

Dealing with loss

So far 2008 has been a year of loss for me. I've experienced loss on a few different levels. I've experienced personal loss (the loss of my grandfather on January 27, 2008), professional loss and material loss (someone went into my car and took all of my car audio stuff with the exception of the factory radio February 9, 2008). Now the personal loss saddened me deeply and I will miss my grandfather but his passing marked a release for him because he was in a lot of pain. I just wish I had gotten the chance to spend more time with him growing up but I really enjoyed the time I did spend with him. He was a very colorful man and quite debonair.

Now my professional loss made me sad at first but I realized that it was for the best and that you can't always do business with friends. I'm just glad I made the decision to step away so that the friendship wouldn't suffer. I know I'm a different person when I'm doing business and sometimes friends don't understand the separation.

The material loss was more upsetting because someone went into my car as it sat in my driveway and took things out of it. Now I'm annoyed that I have to replace these things but I'm more disturbed at how unsafe I feel at my own home. I also lost my car key so I had to get the lock changed for my car's ignition (the cheapest option) to prevent the thief (who may have found the key) from coming back and driving away in my car.

Overall this period of loss has given me some perspective. It has definitely made me stronger and more comfortable allowing myself to be upset about things. Now I won't even begin to say that I have worked through it and am ready to move on. These losses will be with me for some time, but it hasn't erased my optimism. This is still the year for me to continue to move forward and build on the foundation I have been laying over the past couple of years.