Bonnarroo Festival Interviews: ASAP Ferg, Chromeo, Fitz & The Tantrums & More Via What’s Trending

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What’s Trending was onsite in partnership with Ford in Nashville, Tennessee at the 2014 Bonnaroo Festival this weekend. Not only did WTLive pick one lucky winner to perform at the fest chosen from a contest online, the crew interviewed ASAP Ferg, Chromeo, Fitz & The Tantrums, Cage the Elephant, Hannibal Buress and many more. Thanks to everyone who made the interviews possible from the Third Floor Network.

ASAP FERG:

FITZ AND THE TANTRUMS

CHROMEO

CAGE THE ELEPHANT

HANNIBAL BURRESS

To view more interviews with Hunter Hunted, Syd Arthur and more visit: www.youtube.com/whatstrending

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Have You Met Manny On The Streets?

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Former Third Floor Radio intern, Lizzie the Intern visited 102.7 KIISFM in LA to talk to host, tastemaker and actor Manny on the Streetz. Read below and get inspired by his story or listen here:

TFR:
Tell us a little about yourself Manny. A little mini bio.

Manny on the Streetz:
A little mini bio… I work in radio. I work for Ryan Secrest in
the mornings. And I’ve been with Ryan for 9 years. I’ve been with Kiis for a while. I
do radio, I also do, I’m an actor, so I came out here for Jacksonville, Florida. So I’ve
done a couple guest star, co-star roles on like iCarly, a bunch of other tv shows, doll
house. So I do that and I produce tv-shows and reality shows also as well.

TFR:
So you’ve been all around entertainment since a young age.

Manny on the Streetz:
Yeah, I always wanted to. I knew this is what I wanted to
do at such a young age. I kind of fell into radio, I guess, off a whim. My friend was
working in the street team and that’s how I got started. And somebody backed
out and they said we need to fill a position, and I said, “Look, I was doing shows
at Universal and Magic Mountain here like performing on stage or whatever,” and
they were like, “Would you like to go into radio?” I saw what he did. He got VIP
everywhere, and hung out with all the celebrities and partied. And I was like, that’s
what I want to do. So that’s how I got started.

TFR:
Were there any challenges for you reaching your goals in entertainment as a
Filipino or Asian American?

Manny on the Streetz:
Yeah, definitely. I think I speak for a lot of Filipinos and a lot of Asians in the entertainment business. I think we are all proud and supportive of everybody that are Asian and Filipino in the entertainment industry whether it be radio, tv, film, whatever. DJ E-man who’s at Power 106, him and I, we always talk about it, like how we are still in radio for a long time you know. But yeah, I think the tough challenge is, especially in LA, you get mixed into being Latino or
even black, nobody knows where to categorize us. We kind of just I guess stood our
ground and hopefully people realize that you know that we are Asian and Filipino.
The favorite thing is the difference in cultures, the diversity in cultures, and we
accept it. You know, us Filipinos we’re mutts. I mean we can range anywhere from
being Caucasian, to Black, to Hispanic, to Puerto Rican, to you know Chinese, to
Vietnamese, to whatever. I mean I think we blend in so well in terms of our culture,
and that’s what I like about you know being Asian and being Filipino. I was actually
born in Japan. And I have a lot of different friends also.

TFR:
So you are just very relatable to different types of people? And you are very
culturally diverse?

Manny on the Streetz:
Yes, very.

TFR:
What is the day in the day in the life of Manny on Streetz?

Manny on the Streetz:
It’s a busy one, I get up at 3:30 every single morning for the last 9 years.

TFR:
How do you do it?

Manny on the Streetz:
You know you force yourself. And you’re like, “Okay, I have
a job, a lot of people are struggling to have jobs, so you got to get up. You have to
force yourself 3:30 every morning. And then I mean I’m usually not done here ‘til
like about noon. So that’s already a 9 hour day, and after that I have like special
appearances for the radio station or whatever. So you know sometimes I cover red
carpets and I don’t get home ‘til 7pm, 8pm at night.

TFR:
So do you just knock out right when you get home?

Manny on the Streetz:
Yeah, I do. I normally have about 12 alarms going off at
different times, at five-minute increments.

TFR:
So what inspires you? What keeps you motivated and keeps you going?

Manny on the Streetz:
What inspires me… I think the joy of living and meeting new
people. And also wanting to reach my goals that I’ve always wanted to as a kid you
know. See myself on the big screen someday, even if it’s a small role or you know
whatever.

TFR:
Any special rituals before going on air?

Manny on the Streetz:
I shake my leg a lot. I don’t know if that’s a nervous kind of
thing, because there are 3 million people listening at any given time. So I write down
things a lot before I go on air just because I want to add some more things. That’s it
really.

TFR:
What is something about you that most people don’t know about you but
would be surprised to know about you?

Manny on the Streetz:
I play guitar. I play drums and keyboard. And I wanted to be
the Filipino Michael Jackson.

TFR:
Do you dance too?

Manny on the Streetz:
Yeah, I did.

TFR:
Wow, so you’re like a triple threat!

Manny on the Streetz:
Let’s jus say I was going in the route of Bruno Mars until
Bruno Mars blew up. He’s cuter.

TFR:
Is it hard to do everything all at the same time? ‘Cause you’re just so talented
in so many different ways to keep focus on one thing…

Manny on the Streetz:
Uh no, I think it just keeps the creative juices flowing. You
know being at the radio station so fun, so easy that it becomes like clock work. You
become like anchorman and it become like, “Yeah, I can do that, I can do that, I can
do that.” So it’s always fun, so all the other things you’re still learning, so until I
get to what to do at radio to get what I do in film and tv, it’s still I guess a working
progress.

TFR:
What’s the funniest memory in at work or in your life thus far?
Manny on the Streetz: Funniest memory… I don’t know if it was the funniest
memory, but it was a fun memory. We got to go to Michael Jackson’s house, Me and
Jojo on the radio, who’s in the evenings at Kiis. We were there for I want to say his
birthday, something like that. He had a big ole’ party and KiisFM gave away
55th tickets, so we got the honor of bringing him his birthday cake. Jojo and I carried his
birthday cake along with Mike Tyson, and Aaron Carter, and Nick Carter. And we
were on stage, and Michael was standing there, and we brought the cake up, and
Michael was a kid and grabbed into his cake, and we had a big ole’ food fight and he
started throwing the cake around, and we got cake all over us. That was the most
funnest and most exciting experience of my life I guess.

TRF:
That’s great. That’s an amazing memory. So what’s he like in person?

Manny on the Streetz:
Michael Jackson… very quiet. I don’t know. There was so
many aura around him. You see him and it’s like “Oh my god, it’s Michael!” I mean, it
was Michael. You become speechless. It was great.

TFR:
What are your next goals? What are you currently working on, and what are
you working toward?

Manny on the Streetz:
I’m producing a reality show, which will be announced soon.
I’m not in it, but I’m just producing it. I produced a short film with Cory Hardrick,
whose married to Tia Maury, from you know, the two Maury sisters, Sister Sisters.
So I produced a short film which is going to festivals right now. There’s like 3 or 4
festivals that picked it up so that’s… I’m just trying to get into the world of film and
tv I guess, along on top of being here at the radio station.

TFR:
That’s really great! I know you Manny on the Streets, but where can we find
you?

Manny on the Streetz:
my Twitter… @MannyStreetz And that’s with
Facebook, Twitter, and online at MannyOnTheStreets.com

Have You Met DJ CARISMA?

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Lizzie Wynn sat down with one of our favorite Power 106 mixers, DJ Carisma who we’ve known for years since her early days. We are proud of her growth as she can now be seen currently as a headlining DJ at live events such as Powerhouse in front of tens of thousands of people or in music videos of artists she and her Young California click support like the one HERE for Adrian Marcel.

Listen to the full interview here and make sure to follow her @DJCARISMA or www.djcarisma.com
to see when she will be on the radio next or LIVE at events.

“With a name that truly portrays her character, DJ Carisma adds much more than just charismatic flavor to every mix. The Los Angeles based DJ, whose style clearly reflects the diversity and culture of the city she represents, has continued to develop her craft through countless hours of spinning behind the decks. Her background in music and education has led to a tremendous amount of skill and talent. Undaunted by the limited amount of successful females, Carisma’s passion for music and unmistakable entertainment presence are undoubtedly a reflection of her talent, regardless of gender. DJ Carisma’s unique style and enthusiasm for music entertains all fans. Her diverse music library that ranges from Hip-Hop, R&B, Electro, House, Dance, Indie, and Top 40 has earned her fans and artist connections of many musical genres.”

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Streetwear Brands Rack Up Success In Reinvigorated Fairfax Are By LA Register

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BY JOSEPH PIMENTER/LA REGISTER STAFF WRITER

Dennis Calvero, owner of the streetwear brand Crooks & Castles, stood in the middle of his 4,000-square-foot flagship store on Fairfax Avenue and, with a sly grin, nodded and looked at his clothing empire.

A customized bluish-gray Mercedes-Benz station wagon sat just inside the store’s entrance. Snapback hats, belts and socks waited inside custom-made walnut cabinets. Customers sifted through jeans, shorts and graphic T-shirts.

He stepped outside and looked at the other streetwear stores quickly joining the landscape.

Along North Fairfax Avenue in Los Angeles, once home to Jewish delicatessens, butcher shops and thrift stores, a new fashion and cultural revolution is underway.

Lining two blocks on North Fairfax – south of Melrose Avenue and north of The Grove – popular streetwear brands Crooks & Castles, Supreme, Flight Club, Hall of Fame, The Hundreds and Diamond Supply Co. have set up boutiques.

Supreme got here first, in 2004. Others followed, and a couple of years ago Fairfax became streetwear central.

Young men and women walk around, decked out in crisp caps, ironed printed T-shirts, slim-fit pants and new basketball shoes. Like Melrose Avenue, it’s common to see mainstream celebrities here.

“This is the spot for streetwear,” said Nick McCall, a 19-year-old from Las Vegas carrying $300 in goods. “We have (streetwear) stores in Vegas, but it’s not like this.”

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Once a cult following, streetwear has become an annual multibillion-dollar industry, said Bill Nosal, vice president of young men’s clothing at Magic Marketplace, a premier biannual trade show. Streetwear is a fusion and an evolution of skate, surf, hip-hop, urban and high couture fashion.

There was a time, decades ago, when people were pigeonholed into a set of clothing, Nosal said. Surfers and skaters would only wear Stussy or Quiksilver. Those into urban fashion wore Fubu and Rocawear.

But the internet and the social-media explosion, Nosal figures, means young adults see new fashions from around the world … quickly.

“All of these cultures have merged,” Nosal said. “Now you see kids in the street who have a far more broad spectrum of what they are wearing. … It’s like music. The kids are grabbing their style from so many different influences and it’s constantly evolving.”

Aaron Levant is the founder of Agenda, a streetwear trade show. He said having a row of stores along Fairfax Avenue has spurred the popularity of streetwear: “Like Melrose and La Brea, these shopping districts allow consumers to interact, engage and experience what the streetwear brand is all about.”

On Memorial Day weekend, Shay Sanchez, on his way home from performing in Arizona, stopped off to shop at Fairfax.

The 24-year-old Bay Area rapper, wearing a White Sox cap, Nike Air Jordans and a backpack that sprouts wings, said streetwear isn’t defined by what you wear so much as the attitude – or swagger – one carries when wearing the clothing.

“It just has to pop,” Sanchez said. “It’s whatever catches someone’s attention, head-turning and flashy. And I like being the center of attention.”

To be that center of attention, you’ll have to shell out some money. Streetwear doesn’t run cheap. A plain T-shirt with a small Crooks & Castles name on the tag can cost $30. Supreme sells tank tops for $60. Basketball shoes retail $100 to $200, but rare or limited edition ones from Nike’s Air Jordan brand that sell out quickly can easily cost $450 to $1,200 at Flight Club.

This stretch of Fairfax Avenue became the streetwear capital through a combination of rising rent and redevelopment, said Jacqueline Canter, a manager at Canter’s Deli and chairwoman of the Fairfax Business Association of Los Angeles.

The Fairfax Avenue area has historically been a gateway to Jewish immigrants and once boasted the largest population of Jews in Los Angeles, according to the Jewish Virtual Library.

Canter, the 54-year-old granddaughter of the founder of the famed deli, on North Fairfax since 1948, remembers walking around the block and hearing Yiddish music blasting from music stores and seeing Jewish women come out of Leader Beauty Shop with their hair in a bouffant.

“It’s a different vibe now,” she said. “Instead of seeing senior citizens and hearing Yiddish music, I see a younger crowd, hipsters and hear rap music.”

In 1997, Canter was a board member of the Los Angeles Neighborhood Initiative Fairfax Village when it received a $300,000 grant from the city to improve the Fairfax District. New street lights, a crosswalk and decorative concrete sidewalks went in.

A developer began purchasing buildings around the same time, then quickly boosted the rent, pushing out many mom-and-pop Jewish shops that had been there for decades, she said.

Canter doesn’t mind mingling with the youth culture: “As long as we respect each other and get along.”

Calvero, the co-founder of Crooks & Castles, said the first office for his clothing company was on Fairfax, a block away from his store now.

When Crooks started becoming popular, he opened a storefront on Melrose, then moved it a couple of years later to Sunset Boulevard.

But seeing other streetwear brands line the old block, Calvero said he always wanted to come back to Fairfax. When the National Council of Jewish Women’s thrift shop closed, Calvero grabbed the lease and opened there last year.

“This is where we wanted to be,” he said. “This is where we belong. We’re home.”

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Contact the writer: 818-434-9144 or jpimentel@losangelesregister.com