What Heritage Means To Me
Remembering who you are, and improving on self and community 101…
I guess as a self proclaimed novice under the teachings of Garveyism I’ll start with the sound importance of learning and understanding who you are and to the best of your abilities every salt grain iota that would make up the very culture and people you are of. As said by The Honorable Marcus Garvey “A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots”. Meaning the dialect, the diet, the literature, the spiritual system, the music, and even more substantial- the history. All essential in what it takes to have an upper hand on life with what I see as key guides to fundamentals like, self esteem, pride, a place of belonging, growth in community, wealth, politics and especially an overall sturdy enough foundation in being born into an atmosphere providing even teaspoons of these ingredients which alone would dare your genetic structure to have your back enough to provide you with the tools for mental health and both personal and communal success. – Anne Idea

VS the most high – warfare
Generational Knowledge

The Parallels of Sports and Life
Jonathan Baker
One of the reasons for the popularity of artist like "Drake" and his dominance over Hip Hop and Pop the last few years is the "intro-spectiveness" and vulnerability of his music. You can see the effects of this approach all over the culture. A person's music usually reflects their philosophies or ideologies, sometimes inadvertently. One of the most insightful quotes from Aubrey is found on the song Thank Me Now from his platinum- selling major label debut Thank Me Later where he raps:
"You make friends with Mike but gotta AI him for your survival
Damn, I swear sports and music are so synonymous
'cause we wanna be them and they wanna be us. "
Just within this small portion of a single verse he sums up a struggle we as, not only creatives but people in general struggle from; the disease of dissatisfaction.
Though sports is its own medium, with unique sacrifices, requirements, and rewards, its uniqueness is also what creates its parallels in all other facets of life. As bold as a statement as that may seem, we all can see the beauty in the overcoming of adversity. Some of our trials are self created while others are due to outside forces but all of these tribulations can made plain through parabells found within sports.
Every quandary is a new opportunity for enhanced understanding. I've yet to encounter a human who would quantify their life as easy, or with identical circumstances. With that being said, from a young age people gain an understanding of symbolism and the power of its use. Symbols have been used since our beginnings to bridge gaps in understanding between both, eachother as humans, and ourselves and animals. Sports is representitive of that in both its positive and negative sense. Entertainment is undisputedably a tool used by the elites to distract and pacify the masses, but it also become a tool to understanding the human experience and making it more palpable. We all understand the importance of heroes and the narrtive that they drive. You're immovable if you can't see the poetry in enduring 82 games, or the inspiration in overcoming hundreds of brutal hits to rush for 2,000 yards in a season, or the gratification of pitching a perfect game.
We as humans, in an increasingly confusing world long for understanding. We now have so much knowledge at our finger tips we can become overwhelmed and disillusioned. We, as we always have, rely on symbols and parallels just to make sense of so many concepts and situations to grand for us to process. Now more than ever we need to see the simplicity and conncectivity of everything. All of life's idiosynchrocies and mysteries are reflected in our sports like in our art. Sports is art and art is life.
Prosper- J.Baker

UFC Mafia Review

Mobb Deep’s Prodigy

Born in Hempstead, New York. Prodigy became a member of the duo Mobb Deep. Propelled to awareness partially by fellow rapper Nas, who took a similar approach lyrically on his Illmatic album from 1994, as well as with the aid of a successful single, "Shook Ones Pt. 2," Mobb Deep released The Infamous in 1995. Sadly to say, on June 20, 2017, it was reported that Prodigy died in Las Vegas, Nevada after having been hospitalized a few days earlier. Mafia Magazine offers its love and condolences to the Johnson family and friends. You will be missed...
Cleveland Albino: Street Graduate and Entrepreneur

TOM MARVEL – Comfortable in Our Own Skin

The ability to find beauty in the faults, expressions, and attitudes through pictures is but a small bit of what attracts most photographers…. For Tom Marvel, his long-time hobby (dating back to high school) turned more into a professional attribute encapsulates all of what makes expression wonderful… To read more, please subscribe to the March 2017 issue of Mafia Magazine here!
Onyx – Shotgunz In Hell

Top 3 BillBoard this week
Coming in at No. 1 is Hip Hop artist "Drake" with his smash single "God's Plan"
No. 2 is Singer/Song Writer "Ed Sheeran" with his amazing single "Perfect"
No. 3 is Pop/R&B artist "Bruno Mars" ft. Hip Hop artist "Cardi B" on his hit single "Finesse"
ADINA HOWARD

HEATHER DELEON: TREASURE TO THE ART WORLD

LAJOY LAMPKIN: THE JOY PROJECT

D.R.E LLOYD: TRUE EMCEE POWERFUL MESSAGE

DJ FREDDY

Dj Freddy Ayeee was inspired to become a Dj after the death of a close friend. From that moment DJ Ayeee pressed forward. He began doing house parties and his name spread quickly. DJ Ayeee eventually worked his way to several venues and bars. The Break Room Bar in Fullerton, CA was a spot DJ Freddy Ayeee caught attention. DJ Freddy Ayeee’s continued to grow and began working with Rich Reems of SavRichRecords. Be on the lookout for a new mixtape release soon. Here’s DJ Freddy Ayeee in his own words- To read more, please subscribe to the March 2017 issue of Mafia Magazine here!
Surviving a Traffic Stop: 5 Ways to Deal With Law Enforcement

We have all driven by someone that has been detained by the police on a highway. We have all felt a sense of relief that it was them instead of us. On the other hand, we have all at some point been on the receiving end of a traffic stop. Clearly it is no fun getting detained by a traffic cop, but it is not the end of the world. Here are 5 ways to deal with law enforcement officers. 1. Remember police officers are just regular people doing their jobs. They have to provide for their families the same as us. Don't give them attitude when they stop you. Listen to what they have to say pertaining to the reason why they stopped you. Sometimes they stop you because they can see things we can't and that very reason could save your life. 2. Provide any vehicle documentation they request. Keep in mind that by law we are required to carry this documentation and their job is to ensure that every citizen is in compliance with the laws for their state. 3. If you feel you were wrongly pulled over you can state your case but remember to not be offensive or do it in a disrespectful way. Don't forget they are people too and not all cops are corrupt. 4. Be patient you must understand that their equipment is limited and it takes a while for them to verify your information. They are going as fast as they can. 5. Stay informed of the laws for your state. Know your rights and their limits as to what they can and cannot do and give them the respect that you expect from them. The next time you are stopped by the police just remember these 5 tips and you could emerge from the experience with a warning and not a ticket. Police Officers are just people trying to earn a living trying to do their jobs and the good cops do outweigh the bad cops. Give them a chance cooperate and you will be fine.