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gregd

Having always possessed an affection for communication, especially in the written form, it would seem inevitable that the choice of writer/journalist would be made by this New York City product. In his quest to find his niche, it became more evident, at the behest of many close friends and acquaintances, that he should not miss his calling. What was once a hobby, or past time if you will, became a full fledge passion, and budding career.

With published work in a number of online as well as print publications to his credit Basquiat, or known commonly as Jason Bourne is quickly becoming a sought after talent in the literary and media sector of industry. Crediting numerous influences and encouragements as the foundation for his progress, humility lies within as this eager-author and media consultant has an ambition that is unmatched and sure to carry him to his zenith. As a contributing writer for well respected brands as well as serving in the role of managing journalist, content acquisitions he has been fortunate to interview some of the industry's brightest up and coming as well as established stars. With credits including Leading Independent selling artist in history Tech Nine, to Former Roc-A-Fella artist, now Division I standout Young Chris, hit-making Producer DJ Spinz, Newly signed MMG Artist Rockie Fresh, to Freebandz/ A1 Executive, Rapper Rocko, back to Stellar Fashion Designer Staci Sherri, Entrepeneur first lady to PA State Senator Mrs Shari Williams, and NFL Star Rennie Curran to name a few, Basquiat is hard at work honing his skills; with his eyes set on being this generations premiere journalist, Basquiat is becoming increasingly adept with the management of and contribution of digital content. Adding event host to his resume, he relies on consistency and depth in diction; the sky is certainly the limit. His diligence has made him someone to definitely keep your eye on. The self proclaimed "Writer of Writers" seeks to improve with every line, and challenge himself to bring his potential to fruition. The next Bonsu Thompson, or Sway for that matter, as he often jokes will cement his name amongst the greats when it is all said and done. Check out a listing of his credentials:

CREDITS:

CONTRIBUTING AUTHOR:

PARLE MAGAZINE

THE FRESH CLASS

IGRIND

365 HIP HOP NETWORK

THE LEVITY BALL

CR8TIVE SHFT

SONIC ECLECTIC

HIP HOP U

GRIND OFFICIAL

GET SIGNED MAGAZINE I GOT NEXT MAGAZINE HIP HOP TIMES

Connect via Social Media

IG @basquiatlxents

Twitter:@basquiatlxents

Email: basquiatmind@gmail.com

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Where Titans will speak

With excitement building up to the maiden edition of the Makeup in Nigeria Conference (MINC), organizers of the conference have unveiled speakers for the event scheduled for Wednesday April 30, 2014 at the Lagos Oriental Hotel, Lekki. The conference will be a learning experience to build and equip the nation’s next set of pioneers, leaders and innovators in the beauty industry with various topics like _“How To Create A Niche And Signature Trademark In _MakeUp_ Artistry”, “The Future of Film & TV MakeUp in Nigeria”_ and _“Social Media and the New Face of Business Communication” among other topics.

Speaking on the conference; Teniolami Adejuwon, Project Manager of MINC and CEO of Beauty by Nature said “This conference will afford makeup artistes the opportunity to tap into the vast wealth of knowledge and experience of the speakers we have lined up and It is our goal to ensure that the conference gives birth to a new generation of beauty entrepreneurs”. CEO of House of Tara; Mrs. Tara Fela Durotoye will be speaking on “The Role of Local Talents in Shaping the Industry Growth Model”, Managing Director of L'Oréal Central West Africa, Idy Enang will speak on “Accelerating Growth in the Nigerian Beauty Industry; L’Oreal as case study and Obi Asika CEO Storm 360, will be taking a business class on how Makeup Professionals can use Social Media to power their business to the next level”.

All the way from the United States of America are Buntricia Bastian Clayton – a global makeup instructor who has been in the business over 35 years and Nigeria’s very own Khuraira Musa, who owns an airbrush line; both will be taking masterclasses to share their knowledge and experience with the attendees.

TV makeup maven, Lola Maja of Sacred Creative Artistry will be taking a MasterClass on “Working behind the silver screen – Camera, Lights and Action” and “Introduction to special effects and creative artistry” Lola had this to say about the event: "My goal for this conference is to educate and empower new and established makeup artists for TV/Movie industry and to network and strengthen unity in our trade".

Other speakers and trainers include Industry Veteran of over 25 years Bayo Babalola Haastrup, Eni Balogun of Lise Beauty, Bimpe Onakoya; Artistic Director Maybelline NY Nigeria, and Nigerian-born London based professional makeup educator, Bolanle Okusanya Feyita, as well as Pro-Makeup sensation; Joy Adenuga; both coming in from the United Kingdom.

According to Tara Fela-Durotoye; “The makeup industry in Nigeria and Africa as a whole is growing at a phenomenal pace and gaining international recognition. We already have international brands setting up shop here, so this conference is coming at the appropriate time, to see how we came better grow local talents and position them for international recognition” Participants are assured of leaving the conference energized and empowered to build sustainable businesses out of the creativity and passion; certificates of participation will also be awarded to all pro-attendees. The Makeup in Nigeria Conference is powered by House of Tara and Maybelline NY. For more information on how to register visit: www.makeupinnigeria.com or call 08091770582.

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Timi Dakolo1

Living his dreams! Timi Dakolo to share on his journey at The Incubator this Saturday... Other speakers include Audu Makori, Tara Fela-Durotoye & Chude Jideonwo Nigeria’s king of soul; Timi Dakolo will be sharing on his life, career, musical journey at the 2nd edition of Live Your Dreams Africa scheduled for Saturday April 26, 2014 at the Incubator, opposite City of David Church Road, Victoria Island, Lagos. "Being able to share my story amongst people that I truly admire is such a dream come true. I'm hopeful participants will learn something from my story about working hard towards achieving their dreams. I always believe that it is never impossible to achieve your dreams," said Dakolo. The event, organised by award winning author and life coach, Bankole Williams is a platform to help Africans bridge the gap between the potentials they possess and their current reality. This second edition will showcase people in different walks of life who have, against all odds, consciously pursued their dreams and are today celebrated for what they do. Other speakers at the event include Tara Fela Durotoye, Chude Jideonwo, Audu Maikori, Ik Osakioduwa, Toyosi Ogunseye and Olakunle Soriyan.

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GH-Badboy-Saaa

GH Badboy -(Feat. French Lastarz) GH Badboy Is A Ghanaian artist based in the uk. he’s a song writer, composer and producer and works across various genres in music. GH Badboy debuts his first single ‘’saaa’’ featuring french lastarz. he’s also currently working on his afrobeat mixtape which is due to release in september or november this year. Enjoy this fresh joint from GH Badboy and look out for the full mixtape soon. be sociable, share and don’t forget to leave for your comments. [audio mp3="http://www.aphroden.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Saaa-Feat.-French-Lastarz.mp3"][/audio] Connect with him on Twitter @badboyfromgh @LastarzPro

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Y! Africa - Yvonne

Y! Africa continues its twin cover tradition!

Last week, it unveiled its first cover with Africa's youngest billionaire, Ashish J. Thakkar sharing his inspiring story of surviving his environment and building a global business. The 32-year-old from Uganda is founder of the Mara Group and the Mara Foundation.

This week, it has issued the second cover - actor, producer and serial entrepreneur; Yvonne Nelson. The Ghanaian superstar talks about her work, her businesses, her vision for the creative industry, and where she sees Africa's future.

"Y! Africa is focused governance, enterprise and technology, but it also has an eye firm eye on the culture," says its associate editor, Tunde Kara. "The culture weaves the underlying thread that advances the aspirations of any people, and those like Nelson who are its glittering stars, make it possible."

Y! is available in stores and from vendors across Nigeria, and is also distributed in Ghana, Rwanda and South Africa. In Nigeria, you can also pay for the magazine with your mobile phone or online at Okada Books www.okadabooks.com) and Exodus Estore (www.exodusestore.com), and have it delivered to any part of the country (click on magazine, click on the Y! Africa logo and place your order).

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AAA chiyana_design_cover

A lot of fans say that this new Abuja turned Lagos based Nigerian sensation in the new face of the female category in the Nigerian music industry in all facets of show business, is a bombshell the world will have to reckon with. With her style, and some-what porch attitude, this down town “NWA MAMA” translated- Mums daughter, AKA ‘Go getter’ IS MORE THAN WHAT MEETS THE EYE.

Chidire Mariazu popularly known as CHIYANA is a very simple person with no alter ego who stands for HER, HERSELF and HER STYLE but not forgetting her Fans. She hails from the stable of Imo State. She started singing from the age of 7 and later on joined her local church choir. In 2005 Chiyana started up her music career professionally but at the same was the backup dancer for the popular singing group STYLE PLUS, amazing right?!... For the love and passion of music, she enrolled in Peter Kings College of Music Badagry, Lagos, where there was also the likes of Asa and popular producer Papii J. In 2010 she move to Lagos and joined a group called ‘Scad’ but later broke out in 2011 to start her solo piece. Chiyana taking the bull by the horn after going through ups and downs has now dropped a smashing Hit single titled ‘TIKWESE’, produced by Tri-Tonez, mixed and master by G-Whynez, with the video directed by Chuks (Sound Anatomy Camera Works). Here she expresses her femininity and shocks the world with her flawless blend of sophistication, brut, afro sense, simplicity, doubtless vocal strength and allure. You think you’ve heard good music?! Listen up, watch and enjoy… DOWNLOAD VIDEO WATCH VIDEO

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food-mood

If you could make a few changes to improve your physical and financial health, wouldn't it seem like a no-brainer? The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers these suggestions:

Give up smoking to reduce your risk of major health problems. It's never too late to quit, and you can pocket the money you save.
Check out available resources to find an affordable health care plan.
If you're pregnant or a new mom, subscribe to the free text service "text4baby" to get tips on healthy pregnancy and caring for baby.
Make sure you're up to date on all recommended vaccines to help ward off serious illness.
Don't take medications that aren't necessary, such as an antibiotic for a viral infection.

The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests how to make breakfast a priority:

Leave enough time in the morning for your child to eat without feeling rushed.
If necessary, prepare breakfast the night before by making hard-boiled eggs, pouring cereal or slicing fruit.
Prepare healthy "grab and go" favorites such as bagels and cream cheese, homemade muffins, apple slices or hard-boiled eggs.
Make sure your child goes to bed early enough to leave time in the morning for breakfast.
Think of outside-the-cereal-box breakfast options that offer protein, fruits and vegetables.
Learn the breakfast offerings at school or day care -- and make sure they're healthy.

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Gossy

Every week, African Start-Up follows entrepreneurs in various countries across the continent to see how they are working to make their business dreams become reality. At 23, many people around the world are still at university -- at that age, Gossy Ukanwoke had already started one. The young entrepreneur is the founder of Beni American University (BAU), Nigeria's first private online university. Launched in late 2012, the school allows students to access their classes at any time of the day with any internet-enabled device. "We are providing executive programs for graduates who are looking for employment and want to build up their resumes, or managers who want to climb up the hierarchy of their companies," says Ukanwoke, now 25. "We also have courses targeted at people who want to start their own business." 'Nigeria's Mark Zuckerberg' Ukanwoke's idea to start BAU came from his previous online venture called Students Circle, an educational social networking site he'd launched while in university that allows learners to interact and access free resources from leading schools. "When I created Students Circle in 2010," explains Ukanwoke, "I found out that ... many were looking for certificates, hoping that they could get something they could use to maybe find employment or get a promotion in the workplace.

"There was a need for a new institution to be created in Nigeria," adds Ukanwoke, who was once described by Forbes as "Nigeria's Mark Zuckerberg." Now, some 18 months into his new business endeavor, Ukanwoke has hired 10 instructors and has about 200 students, with an average age of 26. But the startup's journey so far has not been without challenges -- Nigerian laws require universities to have a physical campus so last year Ukanwoke went and bought land in the country's Benue State with the goal to build a private campus that could accommodate some 10,000 students. The project is expected to launch next year, but in the meantime the web courses are up and running -- a 12 week online program can cost between $100 and $300. Among the courses offered are corporate diplomacy, global marketing, leadership and management, digital journalism, project management and entrepreneurship and innovation, which is the university's most popular class. "It's good because I have four kids," says Chinenye Madukwe, one of BAU's students. "I have opportunity to work at the same time, because I have a small interior design outfit." Oo Nwoye, another BAU student, says he enrolled "for the knowledge." "It is just helpful for my business and that is the most important thing to me," he explains. Education is key A son of two teachers, Ukanwoke says he is driven by his passion to use technology to solve social problems. "I grew up within the framework where education was put at a very high level of importance, and entrepreneurship is something that I always wanted to do," he says. "Without education I don't think we can do any progress," he adds. "It's not just about getting a certificate -- education is about teaching people how to make a living and teaching people how to live; how to interact with others, how to lead their lives and make something out of themselves," continues Ukanwoke. "With education comes discipline and we need a lot of discipline in Nigeria as well, so education is really important." Ukanwoke relies mainly on social media to advertize but says that it's student referrals that are increasing BAU's enrollment. "We still have a long way to go, we have a lot of work to do, a lot of policy wrangling too," he admits. "But it's a work in progress and we are quite happy with where we are."

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pete

A San Diego boy has the gaming world's attention after he exposed a security flaw that let him log into his dad's Xbox Live account, without permission, on the family's Xbox One console. "I was like ... yeah!" young Kristoffer Von Hassel said to KGTV-10, a CNN affiliate. Kristoffer's father, Robert Davies, noticed soon after Christmas that his son was logging into his account and playing games that weren't appropriate for his age. When he asked how, Kristoffer showed him a hack that seems simple in retrospect but is fairly impressive considering a 5-year-old found it.

Kristoffer would go to his dad's account and type in an incorrect password. That would take him to a password verifications screen, where he would simply tap the space bar repeatedly and then press "enter." "How awesome is that?" asked Davies, who works in online security himself. "Just being 5 years old and being able to find a vulnerability and latch on to that. I thought that was pretty cool." He told KGTV that Kristoffer has figured out three or four other "hacks," including getting past the lock on a smartphone by holding down the "home" key for long enough. Dad reported the vulnerability to Microsoft. And Microsoft acted, issuing a fix for the vulnerability. "We're always listening to our customers and thank them for bringing issues to our attention," the company said in a written statement. "We take security seriously at Xbox and fixed the issue as soon as we learned about it." The company has even included Kristoffer's name on a list of security researchers who have helped make online Microsoft products safer. For his discovery (or, more accurately, for reporting it with his father's help), Kristoffer will receive four games, $50 and a year's subscription to Xbox Live from Microsoft.Whether a career in computer security awaits remains to be seen.

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Eni Balogun

History was made on Friday, April 30, 2014 at The Oriental Hotel, Lagos, Nigeria as makeup artistes, beauty entrepreneurs and influencers converged for the first ever Makeup In Nigeria Conference. The conference hosted by Kemi Lala-Akindoju with over 700 attendees present had 8 masterclasses by seasoned Nigerian makeup artistes and international artistes with over 250 years combined experience. Masterclasses were handled by Eni Balogun, Lola Maja Okojevoh, Bayo Haastrup, Bunmi Oyeniyi, Funmi Irantiola, Buntricia Bastian, Joy Adenuga and Khuraira Musa.

According to Tara Fela Durotoye, CEO of House of Tara International during her keynote address on The role of local talent in shaping the industry growth Model " Creating a balance between foreign and our indigenous makeup brands is very important...we as Nigerian beauty companies need to set the pace for the international brands in Nigeria and every stakeholder needs to pull every person to make the Nigerian beauty industry a force to be reckoned with internationally".

Honorary awards were presented by Mr. Hakeem Adeniji; Director of Commerce, Lagos State Ministry of Commerce and Industry and Mrs. Tara Fela Durotoye on behalf of the Organizing Committee chaired by Bolanle Okusanya Feyita to the makeup industry pacesetters like Chief Opral Benson and Bayo Haastrup as well as supporters of the industry; Alhaja Tejuosho and Alhaja Kudi of Kuddy Cosmetics. This was followed by a panel session with Commissioner, Lagos State Ministry of Trade and Industry on Building; Mrs. Sola Oworu, Mrs. Lola Odedina; Head Corporate Affairs, GTBank Plc, Mrs Tara Fela Durotoye; Founder, House of Tara International, Mr. Sekou Coulibaly of L'Oreal and Mrs. Bolanle Okusanya Feyita of Makeuppro.

Managing Director of L’Oreal Central West Africa; Idy Enang said during his keynote address “World over, the makeup industry is a multi-billion dollar one, with Nigeria and the African continent as a whole at the heart of it all. The singular fact that international brands like Maybelline are making its way into the African market with Nigeria as its main market is a sole testimony to the fact that we are ripe for business and that is the reason I'm standing here before you, for us to enlighten one another on innovative ways to globally position our indigenous beauty and makeup brands”.

Friends of the industry present at the event included Eryca Freemantle, Duupe Odeniran, Fela Durotoye, Steve Harris, Ezinne Alfa, Michelle Dede, Isio Wanogho, Noble Igwe, O.C Ukeje, Bola Balogun, Isoken Ogiemwonyi, Samantha Dimka, Tosyn Bucknor, Kaylah Oniwo amongst others.

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Music Video Director - Nigeria

Lagos|Nigeria: MTV Base has revealed the nominees for Best Video at the MTV Africa Music Awards KwaZulu-Natal supported by Absolut & The City of Durban. Competing in the prestigious award category, which celebrates the artistry and creativity of the music video as a medium, are: Amr Singh for “Heaven” by DA LES; Kyle Lewis for “Sleepwalker” by The Parlotones feat. Khuli Chana; Terence Neale for “Ragga Bomb” by Skrillex feat. Ragga Twins. Nigerian director Clarence Peters is nominated twice, for “SOS” by Yung L and Burna Boy’s “Run My Race”. Celebrating musicians and achievers who have made the most impact on African youth culture throughout the year, MAMA 2014 will feature dazzling performances from African and international artists, including the awards’ signature collaborations between artists of different genres and cultures – a high point of every show. Other Nigerian nominees include 2Face, Davido, Don Jazzy, Flavour, Burna Boy, Chidinma, Dr Sid, Ice Prince, P Square, Olamide, Phyno, May D, Tiwa Savage, Wizkid and KCEE.

The winner for Best Video will be chosen by MTV Base. Voting for other categories is already open at www.mtvbase.com and runs until midnight on 4 June 2014. MTV Base has also revealed that tickets for the 2014 MTV Africa Music Awards KwaZulu-Natal are on sale at www.computicket.com, on 0861 915 8000 and at Computicket retail outlets. Seated tickets cost R450 (incl. VAT) while general access (standing) tickets are R200 (incl. VAT). Doors to the ICC open at 18:30 CAT and close at 19:30 CAT. The MAMA festivities start at 20:00 CAT and the main show premieres across Africa on MTV Base (DStv Channel 322) and MTV (DStv Channel 130) at 21:00 CAT.

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phyno

Rave-of-the-moment rapper, Phyno joined Mavin Records artiste and latest MTN ambassador, Dr Sid to perform the remix of his hit single, Surulere at Star Music Trek, Ekwulobia. Fans went estatic when the South Eastern favourite made a surprise entrance on stage to perform his part on the Surulere remix in which he featured alongside Don Jazzy and Wizkid. This is the sixth stage of Star Music trek 2014 and Phyno will also be performing this Saturday May 10 in Onitsha. Watch their explosive performance here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOVVDEpzA5M

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tie

James Bond famously distrusted any man with a Windsor knot. For him, it was too symmetrical, showing vanity and selfishness. Well, today, we're going to make Bond go nuts because there are some beautiful and intricate tie knots out there that require a little hand dexterity and patience before they can be executed. If Bond didn't like Windsors, imagine what he would say about an Eldredge! Never fear, though, because there are incredibly simple and functional knots here as well such as the Pratt. 1. The Eldredge Knot https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=-CQCdUTc6cI 2. The Trinity Knot https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=QPyxTrhsBiM 3. The Cape Knot https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=gUVBQ00iwTI 4. The Four in a Hand Knot https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=lASljI58a9M 5. The Merovingian or Ediety Knot https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=qFdk-IT2cmg 6. The Onassis Knot https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=005QQKj_Cq4 7. The (ENORMOUS) Balthus Knot https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=0QCYcIXfZSY 8. The Cross Knot https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=-irXG0K3Wfo 9. The Pratt Knot https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=rgORgQizMQY

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Mafikizolo

As the countdown continues to the 2014 MTV Africa Music Awards (MAMA), an all-star line-up of the hottest MAMA nominees and DJs are set to headline Nigeria's very own Road To MAMA party. Laying fair claim to be the party of the year, the pan-African club tour arrives in Lagos on May 30th.

MAMA nominees, Davido, Ice Prince, KCee, Burna Boy and Chidinma will be thrilling party lovers at the Lagos edition of the Road To MAMAs alongside superstar DJs like DJ Caise, DJ Obi, DJ Humility and DJ Spinall.

Road To MAMAs Nigeria, a pan-African club tour, will hold in Lagos on Friday, May 30, 2014 at the Marquee, Federal Palace Hotel in Victoria Island, Lagos. MTV Base has also revealed that South African Afro Pop group, Mafikizolo will storm Lagos, Nigeria for the R2M concert which features contemporary artists and music, making waves across the continent, criss-crossing the continent in the build up to the MAMA awards.

Road to MAMA Nigeria provides an electrifying taster of the upcoming MTV Africa Music Awards, which are taking place in South Africa for the first time at the ICC, Durban on 7 June 2014. Nominees will compete in 18 different categories including Best Male, Best Female, Song of the Year, Artist of the Year and Best Video. Tied for first place in the nominations for the 2014 MAMA are Davido and South African artists Mafikizolo and Uhuru, who each scored 4 nominations while going directly head-to-head for Song of the Year, Artist of the Year and Best Collaboration. Following closely behind with 3 nominations each are P Square (Best Group, Artist of the Year, Song of the Year), South Africa’s Mi Casa (Best Group, Artist of the Year, Song of the Year), and Angolan artist Yuri Da Cunha (Song of the Year, Best Lusophone and Best Collaboration). To download a full list of nominees click here.

Broadening the scope of the MAMA awards in 2014, achievement in non-music fields is recognised in three “lifestyle” categories including “Personality of the Year”, “Transform Today by Absolut”, and the “MTV Base Leadership Award”. The “MTV Base Leadership Award” is awarded to a young African man or woman under the age of 40 who is inspiring young Africans by their leadership and extraordinary achievement in a prominent field (including but not limited to: the arts, business, politics, science, entrepreneurship and charitable work). “Personality of the Year” recognises personalities and achievers active outside of the music space who are excelling in their chosen field and who are representing Africa in a positive light, both at home and abroad, in disciplines such as comedy, fashion literature and sport. "Transform Today by Absolut", which forms part of ABSOLUT's Transform Today campaign, is aimed at celebrating the power of young individuals who transform the image of Africa through their creativity and vision. Voting for the MTV Africa Music Awards is open at www.mtvbase.com from 16 April 2014 until midnight on 4 June 2014. Doors to the Federal Palace open at 9:00 pm. Tickets are available at www.afritickets.com, priced N5,000.

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MAMA-Nominee-Party-Flyer(1)

Just a few weeks to Africa's biggest music awards - MTV Africa Music Awards, MTV Base will host the select list of Nigerian nominees to an exclusive party, which will hold this Saturday, May 10, 2014. The event which is set to hold at D'Place by Papas in Lekki, Lagos will feature top celebrities like Olamide, Burna Boy, Dr Sid, Phyno, KCee, Chidinma, DJ Spinall among many others.

As the countdown to the MAMAs continues, an all-star line-up of the hottest MAMA nominees and DJs will headline Nigeria's very own Road To MAMA party. MAMA nominees, Davido, Mafikizolo, Ice Prince, KCee, Burna Boy and Chidinma will be thrilling party lovers at the Lagos edition of the Road To MAMAs alongside superstar DJs like DJ Caise, DJ Obi, DJ Humility and DJ Spinall.

Road To MAMAs Nigeria, a pan-African club tour, will hold in Lagos on Friday, May 30, 2014 at the Marquee, Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos. This year’s MAMAs will hold on the 7th June at the Durban International Convention Centre (ICC), South Africa.

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BOJ and Dr SId

Last weekend was filled with merriment for Nigerian A-list celebrities and socialites at the MTV Africa Music Award 2014 nominees party which held on Saturday, Saturday, May 10, 2014 at the popular club, D’Place in Lekki, Lagos. The event, which was put together by MTV Base and was supported by Absolut Vodka to celebrate Nigeria's enviable reputation in music within Africa and beyond had guests come out in their numbers to support the MAMA 2014 nominees.

Guests mingled with top celebrities as they were treated to exotic cocktails from Absolut. The party later started with an enthusiastic selection of hit music from DJ Spinall, which got guests screaming with delight. Superstar artistes and nominees who were present at the event, took over the mic as they thrilled guests to some of the biggest songs making waves in Africa.

Close friends, Phyno and Olamide brought the roof down as they performed their hit collabo,Ghostmode as well as Phyno’s monster track, Alobam. Phyno and Dr Sid later drove guests wild with excitement as they performed the remix of Surulere.

Notable faces at the MAMA nominees party include Senior VP, Viacom Africa, Alex Okosi, DJ Jimmy Jatt, Tiwa Savage and husband, Tee Billz, Dr Sid, Kaffy, Burna Boy, IllBliss, Olu Maintain, Olisa Adibua, BOJ and Toolz.

Other guests include Eva, Sasha, Orezi, Ehiz, Mo’Eazy, Lamboghini, Maria Okanrende, Koch, Osi Suave among many others. To herald this year’s MAMAs, the pan African club tour, Road To MAMAs will hold later this month, May 30, 2014 at the Federal Palace Hotel in Victoria Island, Lagos.

MAMA 2014 will hold on the 7^th of June at the Durban International Conference Centre in South Africa.

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lupita-2

Lupita Nyong’o always turns heads on the red carpet, but for her latest high-fashion outing, the star may have left a few spectators scratching their heads at the same time. PEOPLE’s Most Beautiful Woman made a major impact in a custom emerald-green Prada net dress featuring a crazy number of embellishments — glass beads, crystals, cascading feathers and chandelier drops. She teamed the look with gem-studded green suede sandals and a coordinating clutch, also Prada.

And she topped the look with a vintage Cartier necklace worn as a headpiece and oodles of other vintage Cartier jewels. (She might be the most embellished star at the ball.) What do you think of Nyong’os look? Are you a fan? Did she totally miss the boat?

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kate-middleton-600x450

We’d gotten so used to seeing new photos every day of Duchess Catherine’s outfits while she was on the her tour Down Under that we’re finding ourselves in royal wardrobe withdrawal. The cure? To start thinking about what she’ll wear next. So we rounded up a few looks we’d love to see her in at future events. Oh, and Queen Elizabeth II, if you’re reading this, you better sit down for it: We went a little outside the box with our picks and even selected a jumpsuit and a print-on-print dress. Like my colleagues, I have a minor Kate obsession. (I mean, I actually went to a salon to try out her hairstyles.) So this was a really fun story to research. I know she has to dress appropriately for her royal outings, but my pick is for a fun date night with Prince William, while baby George is with the nanny. This gold Diane von Furstenberg design (far left) still has a flirty-yet-demure skirt, but thanks to the low-cut lace top and metallic color, it would be a great statement piece for the Duchess to have in her wardrobe. Plus, I think the gold hue with her hair would be perfect.

Catherine Kast, Writer-Reporter: This Charlotte Taylor dress (second from left) has a standard Kate silhouette: cut close to the frame, but still long enough to be ladylike. But rather than a solid color, it’s got a mix of not two, but three prints! If I were Kate, I’d pull out the radiant orchid color from the floral pattern and rock these Jimmy Choos (center bottom) in a similar hue. I know they’re open-toed, so not super-regal, but a girl can dream! Bonus? Both items are on sale — perfect for a girl who likes to rewear her sensible looks. And to “princess it up,” she could totally add these citrine diamonds she wore last year.

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We all know Kate looks stunning in a white ensemble, but one article of clothing that we have yet to see the Duchess of Cambridge rock is … wait for it … a jumpsuit! (Hey, Michelle Obama did it!) This Rachel Zoe piece (second from right) is perfect for a future queen-to-be, with classic tuxedo styling and a tailored fit that she is sure to love.

And just to make sure the Queen doesn’t faint over the sight of bare arms, I could see her adding this light-blue Maison Scotch blazer (center top). (Does the color remind you of a certain polka dot dress?) I would suggest finishing the look with her favorite L.K. Bennett nude ‘Sledge’ pumps and matching clutch for a perfect, polished princess look (try saying that five times fast!). Victoria Beckham is a British designer with a long history of dressing beautiful ladies — I think she’d be the perfect pick for Kate’s next dress, despite her Spice Girls-slash-football-WAG background. I’m not saying Kate needs to step out in a high-waisted jumpsuit with a matching cape, but I’d love if she played with her signature silhouette a bit.

That’s why I’m partial to this simple shift with a flowy skirt and elegant gold chain detail at the hip (right). It would look stunning on Kate’s slim figure and it’s even got that lower hemline favored by the Queen. And she could stick to all her favorite accessories to make sure she didn’t venture too far out of her comfort zone. Victoria, you should pack up a few of these in different colors and send them over ASAP.

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OJTII

The Central Working Committee for The Future Africa Awards & Summit (TFAAS) 2014 has today announced the media campaign for 2014.

The campaign is themed #ThisIsAfrica, and is led by five of Africa's brightest young leaders: actress and activist Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde (Nigeria); serial entrepreneur Ashish J. Thakkar (Uganda), iROKO founder Jason Njoku (Nigeria), water advocate Saran Kaba Jones (Liberia) and Red Media Africa co-founder Chude Jideonwo (Nigeria).

This follows the awards' successful engagements annually over the past nine years including the viral 'i am the future' and 'I represent Naija' campaigns. The 2014 edition was launched last week during the World Economic Forum on Africa, and has also been expanded to The Future Africa Awards & Summit, a 2-day ideas-fest, where the continent's most influential leaders and institutions with portfolios on youth will gather to chart immediate action-points for expansion of jobs and opportunities, as well as good governance and citizen engagement.

Nominations end on 12 June, 2014 via the website thefutureafrica.com/awards/the-future-awards-africa-2014-nomination-form/ or via SMS on +234 802 2222 6712. The Future Africa Awards & Summit 2014 is supported by Microsoft, the US Consulate and the Tony Elumelu Foundation. Official Media Partners are EbonyLife TV, AfricaMagic, Ventures Africa, Bloomberg TV Africa and Y! Africa. Official Online

Partners are MemeBurn, BellaNaija, NigeriaNewsDesk and Premium Times. The official bloggers for 2014 are Omojuwa, Olorisupergal and Ameyaw. Cool FM is the host radio station. Channels Television is the host TV station. For more information, visit @TFAAfrica on Twitter or the website www.thefutureafrica.com/awards. The official hashtags for 2014 are #ThisIsAfrica and #TFAAS2014.

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Right now, as many as 250,000 semi-trucks are hauling refrigerated trailers full of frozen foods, fresh vegetables, and other perishable goods along U.S. roads. Yet such vehicles burn about 25 percent more fuel than unrefrigerated trucks. At fault is what industry buffs call forgotten polluters: auxiliary “donkey” engines that chill a trailer’s cargo and cumulatively emit unknown tons of carbon and pollutants each year. In attempt to curb fuel consumption and reduce pollution—especially in developing countries, where consumer demand is driving a rapid increase in the number of refrigerated vehicles hitting roads—inventor Peter Dearman has developed a cryogenic engine system. Dearman’s contraption absorbs the heat of goods inside a trailer with liquid nitrogen, boiling the liquid, and then uses the expanding gas to power devices that further chill cargo. A fully functional prototype is scheduled for road testing in the United Kingdom this July. If all goes as planned, Dearman says the industry might soon kick the need for donkey engines.

How It Works:

1) Factories compress air into a -321°F liquid. (Ideally, renewable energy drives this process to create a carbon-neutral, zero-emission cryogen.) The liquid air is pumped into a Dearman-refrigerated truck's storage vessel for about 62 percent the cost of diesel fuel, and a full tank provides about eight hours of operation. 2) The ambient heat of cargo boils the liquid air back into a gas. The super-cold air moves through a heat exchanger, providing about two-thirds of a truck’s refrigeration capacity. 3) The pressurized air feeds into the Dearman engine to drive pistons that power fans and a compressor. 4) The compressor chills a refrigerant, which pumps to a second heat exchanger and provides the remaining one-third of refrigeration capacity. The system is estimated to harness about 40 percent of the energy used to liquefy the air as it boils into a gas—roughly the same efficiency as a diesel-fueled engine—yet it emits only cold air.

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