About McKinley Franklin

SK8 – Taylor Gang

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Omaha, Nebraska-born, LA-based artist SK8 has risen to acclaim with an insatiable desire for his craft. Beginning music in his early teens, the now 27-year-old recording artist has opened for the likes of Lil Wayne, Rae Sremmurd while also working with Wiz Khalifa.

SK8’s devotion to his music has been evident through the course of his career, earning him widespread success – which he doesn’t plan on ceasing anytime soon. 360 Magazine’s Vaughn Lowery had the opportunity to speak with SK8 regarding his rise to critical notoriety, where his creativity stems from and his star-studded new album Last Day on Earth.

Listen to SK8 on 360 MAG PODCAST HERE.

To truly understand the talent that is SK8, it’s important to appreciate his start in the music game. Nathan Maloley, also known as SK8, has had a passion for music his entire life. He began making his own music and downloading his tracks onto CD’s when he was in his early teen years.

Even taking choir for a few years in school, SK8 remembers his early beginnings writing music. While growing up, he found “that [music] was almost my escape. I would always go home […] and look up YouTube beats and [begin] writing.”

Back in 2013 and 2014, artists were constantly being found online via social media. SK8 recalls searching for new artists to listen to, “I really wanted to find a new artist, like, who was the up-and-coming artist?” Little did he know, his time was swiftly coming.

Stuck in the middle between a potential basketball or music career, SK8 juggled his two loves throughout high school leading into college. The Omaha community knew about his dreams to become a rapper, and this led to further connections with the people around him.

SK8 attended Hastings College in Nebraska, a performing arts school which allowed him to also play basketball. During his freshman year, artists would frequently come perform at the school, which led to SK8’s early performance gigs. SK8 would open for the artists coming to the school, gaining him even more recognition within the music industry.

His freshman year, SK8, too, decided that he was going to go after his dream of chasing a professional music career, dropping out of college, and giving up basketball. Moving back home with his mother, SK8 dove into music, which took off quickly after.

His debut break into the scene came from his collaboration with Jack and Jack, popular Viners back in the mid 2010’s. The Viners went to SK8’s high school and decided to link up and work on music together. They came together to create “Like That,” a track that ended up going certified gold independently.

This collaboration ultimately kicked off his career, and SK8 joined Jack and Jack on their tour. Taking full advantage of his time on the road, SK8 made it his mission to connect with a new fanbase. “I was the guy that was opening up, like, yo ‘Imma get as many fans as I can.’” He remembers bonding with fans after the shows, gaining more of a following on social media after the tour closed.

Joining Jack and Jack on their tour opened even more opportunities than SK8 could have ever foreseen. Through the widescale exposure that he gained on tour, this allowed SK8 to connect and open for popular rap artists Rae Sremmurd and Lil Wayne.

Well on his way with a whole new set of fans, SK8 embarked on his first solo tour in 2016 celebrating his Skaterade project. The tour was a great time for SK8 to travel and meet his fanbase. He recollects the thrill, stating, “It was a really, really cool tour to see where my fans were at, and just [to] independently be on the road, it was a really good time.”

Soon after the tour wrapped up, SK8 began contemplating what his next steps were going to be. After accomplishing so much in the early stages of his career, what would come next? He had a longstanding dream of opening his own label, to which he began to pursue while connecting industry professional James McMillan.

McMillan and SK8 joined forces to start the imprint known as Alignment Records. The two began pitching their record label and found partnership with Atlanta Records swiftly after opening up Alignment.

Continuing further with the process, SK8 questioned who would help oversee the project, “Sh**, I got the label, but who’s gonna manage this sh**?”

And then, it seemingly all fell into place.

Having met Wiz Khalifa in Los Angeles a few times prior, SK8 recalled one late night in the studio where the two artists began their first collaboration track together. At 4 AM, Wiz happened to be at the same studio as SK8, where SK8 showed Wiz some of his new tracks. The pair started going back and forth in the studio, knocking out a hook and verse, completing their first joint track.

After this night, they kept in touch via Wiz’s manager Will Dzomback. Dzomback was very interested in SK8, inviting him to sign with Taylor Gang Management. Platforming SK8’s talents to a whole new level, this collaboration set his career to new altitudes.

Previously more immersed in the rap/hip-hop genre, SK8 showcases a newfound rock/pop punk era on his new album Last Day on Earth. He accredits his longstanding love for rock music back to his adolescence.

“My dad listened to Bob Marley, that was his favorite artist, […] I grew up listening to Red Hot Chili Peppers, and also my hip hop inspirations too, I’ve always listened to a bunch of sh** like Nirvana and Kurt Cobain.”

The start of SK8’s transition to the rock/pop punk sound arrived after working with Machine Gun Kelly’s drummer, Rook, in the studio. Rook and SK8 met in LA a few years back and have stayed friends for quite some time.

Bouncing off of each other in the studio, they began recreating and mixing old rock classics. Popular tracks from artists like SK8’s beloved Red Hot Chili Peppers and Nirvana became completely transformed; SK8 had found his new sound.

“[Rook] started just playing some live instruments, […] he started playing some sh**, I think it was the ‘Pages melody, and that was kinda the first song that we were like ‘this is gonna be tight,’” said SK8. “I listen to a lot of old school stuff, […] I wanted to just strip the music, and not just go on beats. We really took the time, went in there with guitar riffs.”

Tracks like “Girl Next Door” came out of this genre blend experimental phase that SK8 boarded on. “It was really cool bringing Wiz into that feel, too,” he says about combining hip-hop with rock influences, “I’ll have my whole album finished, and you know, I’ll have verses open just in case, […] he came to me and was like ‘Nah, that one right there, ‘Girl next door.’”

The addition of live instrumental pieces took the album to whole heights. SK8 accredits this while speaking about the vision for Last Day on Earth, stating, “The motivation really was like, yo, I wanna create something that’s authentic to me but still I wanted to, like, have live elements, […] I didn’t want to just rap and do melodies over just beats. I wanted to create something that had all live elements.”

In the works since the start of the pandemic, Last Day on Earth has been a long time coming. Taking over two years to perfectly craft and complete the body of work allowed SK8 to fully enjoy the experience of making the project.

“I really enjoyed making this project,” he begins, “I had a really, really good team around me that helped me bring this album to them, so I have to give props to them, for real.”

Considering what’s next for SK8, the sky seems to be the limit. At the forefront of his priorities is to stay consistent and continue pushing out new music that he believes in.

The two-year hiatus between his previous drops allowed SK8 to have “a good period of time to actually really find the sound that I wanted to find, and now that I found it, I’m really dialing in.” He remarks, “I wanted to tap into the real me, I didn’t want to tell a story that wasn’t me, I didn’t want to do nothing that wasn’t me.”

For those with aspirations of starting a career in music, SK8 has some great advice. “It may sound cliché, but never give up. If it’s something that you really, really enjoy and really love doing, just don’t give up, there’s been a lot of ups, there’s been a lot of downs […] don’t give up, your time is gonna come, you’re gonna get your break.

“You don’t have to be mainstream, you don’t gotta to be the biggest artist in the world, you can still make music and make money at the same time. That’s what I, like, wake up and am always grateful and blessed to wake up and do music, that’s what I love.”

Article by: McKinley Franklin x Vaughn Lowery

SK8 press photo via Jimmy Fontaine for use by 360 Magazine

Media Workflow Automation: How to Optimize Your Media Assets

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Introduction

In the age of digital media, businesses cannot afford to waste time or money on inefficient workflows. Media workflow automation is a process that can help businesses optimize their media assets and save time and money. Media workflow automation can be used to optimize tasks such as transcoding, metadata management, and file storage.

Media Workflow Optimization in Business

Media Workflow Optimization is the process of optimization tasks related to the creation, distribution, and management of digital media assets. Media workflow automation can help businesses improve efficiency, save time, and reduce costs.

Why is Media Workflow Automation Important?

In the age of digital media, businesses must be able to move quickly and efficiently to stay competitive. Media workflow automation can help businesses optimize their workflows and save time and money. Media workflow optimization can be used to optimize tasks such as transcoding, metadata management, and file delivery.

What are the Benefits of Media Workflow Optimization?

There are many benefits of media workflow automation, including:

Improved efficiency
Reduced costs
Increased productivity
Improved quality control

What is a Media Asset Management System (MAMS)?

A media asset management system (MAMS) is a software solution that helps businesses manage their digital media assets. MAMS can be used to automate tasks such as transcoding, metadata management, and file delivery. MAMS can also help businesses reduce costs and improve efficiency by providing a central repository for all digital media assets.

How Does MAMS Help Reduce Costs and Optimize Workflows?

MAMS can help businesses reduce costs and optimize workflows by:

Automating tasks such as transcoding, metadata management, and file delivery
Providing a central repository for all digital media assets
Enabling collaboration between different departments within your organization

What Are Some Key Features to Look for When Choosing a MAMS Solution?

When choosing a MAMS solution, it is important to look for a solution that offers:

Scalability
Flexibility
Ease of use
Integration with existing systems
Support for industry-standard formats

How Does Backblaze Fit into the Equation?

Backblaze is a leading MAMS solution that offers all of the aforementioned features. Backblaze is also easy to use and integrates seamlessly with existing systems. In addition, Backblaze offers support for industry-standard formats and is scalable to meet the needs of businesses of all sizes.

Conclusion

Media workflow optimization can save businesses time and money while improving efficiency. Media asset management systems help reduce costs by optimizing workflows across departments. Backblaze is a leading MAMS solution that offers data backup to help protect your media assets.

Kay Flock – Shake It

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Today, New York City drill star Kay Flock drops “Shake It,” an energetic new anthem for the Boogie Down Bronx. On “Shake It,” Kay Flock recruits Dougie B, Bory300, and the one and only hustler Cardi B to round out the Bronx quartet. They combine their styles fusing raw lyricism over a rapid drill beat to create a track that echoes the spirit of their hometown.

The RingRing Visuals and Jochi Saca directed video was filmed across their neighborhood’s staple City Island and includes a cameo from fellow drill rapper B-Lovee. Listen to “Shake It” HERE and watch the video HERE.

Kay Flock kicks off “Shake It” unleashing his signature gruff as he glides across the Elias Beats-produced beat. Dougie B and Bory300 join the mix adding their own drill flavors trading off bars in the confident chorus Cardi B takes the crescendo verse, letting loose emphatic bars challenging any would-be rivals. She mandates “Try to play me, you know I perform.”

The hasty “Shake It” visual channels the tenacious bond and pride of the Bronx residents. Dougie B, Bory300 and Carid B collectively rally their borough dancing by City Island’s Firehouse deli in a night-out celebration. The video includes a mural of Kay Flock along with cameos from his friends and family.

Last year Kay Flock released his critically acclaimed debut project The D.O.A. Tape, which featured standout tracks from G Herbo assisting on “Being Honest” to “Is Ya Ready,” which was named one of The New York Times’ best songs of 2021. The accolades continue to rack up for Kay Flock with Billboard, Pitchfork, XXL, HotNewHipHop, No Jumper, and more labeling him an artist to watch. To date, Kay Flock has amassed over 250 million streams

About Kay Flock

Kay Flock’s vision of drill music feels raw and free-spirited with an unburdened, electrifying take on his city’s sound. The New York rapper has spent the last couple years making tracks that bring some of the movements strongest future stars together while amplifying his own, pitching drill as collaborative, energetic, and most of all, alive.

His raps, captured in street smashes like “Brotherly Love,” featuring fellow Bronx MCs B-Lovee and Dougie B, demonstrate the thrill of the ecstatic genre. Every bar is spit with the pedal pressed all the way to the floor. In ways, his rise is similar to other New York drill artists, climbing from humble beginnings to the verge of the mainstream, but Kay Flock hails from the Bronx, a neighborhood that hasn’t so far produced the genres stars. He grew up in a rugged environment he describes as “dangerous” and, as a teenager, found escape in Brooklyn drill as well as the music of Chicago rappers like King Von.

In the Bronx, Flock made lifelong friends in B-Lovee and Dougie B who, in 2020, introduced him to recording. Almost immediately, you could recognize Flock’s unmistakable talent and his city did. Early singles like “Being Honest” and “Is Ya Ready” put Kay Flock on the map. Now, Flock has emerged as the Bronx’s and arguably New York City’s hottest new rapper. Even as Flock’s star rises, and the co-signs roll in from The New York Times, Pitchfork, No Jumper, Billboard, XXL and artists from Cardi B, G Herbo, Lil Tjay, Meek Mill, Fivio Foreign and he doesn’t plan to switch up. He’s staying true to himself.

Quarterhead × Camylio – Is It Love

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Revered DJ/production duo Quarterhead are back this year with yet another enthralling original production, “Is It Love”. This time around, they’ve linked up with Camylio who provides a melodious vocal to the energetic endeavor.

The new track directly follows up Quarterhead and Max Giesinger’s collaborative track “Nichts mehr zu sagen” from this February, in addition to Camylio’s single “i tried” from earlier last month. Out now via Casablanca Records/Republic Records, “Is It Love” is available to listen to across all streaming platforms. LISTEN HERE.

The four-on-the-floor tune is replete with consistently pulsating bass, a propelling ambiance, and a high octane flair that’s maintained with ease from start-to-finish. Throughout its entirety, it also features Camylio’s textured vocal, which captivates the listener with each passing second. Rolling basslines and an infectious energy are paired alongside emotionally-charged lyricism, in turn creating a feelgood, club-ready anthem that also pulls at the heartstrings of the listener.

Placing a central focus on love and its intricacies, the track delves into the universal concept heavily, and serves as a prime accompaniment to Quarterhead’s lively signature production sensibilities. A quintessential dance-pop crossover opus, it serves as a stellar new addition to the Universal Music Germany imprint and to both artist’s flourishing back-catalogs.

“Writing a big anthemic club anthem with a happy sad feeling was on our agenda for a long time. When we jumped into the studio with Danish singer Daniel Schulz last fall, we knew it was time to give it a shot. The song is about the strongest feeling in the world: Love. And the way Camylio delivered his vocals was the perfect match to the melodies and lyrics.” – Quarterhead

ABOUT QUARTERHEAD:
Quarterhead is a multiple gold and platinum awarded DJ/writer/producer duo consisting of multi-instrumentalists Josh Tapen and Janik Riegert from Germany. Their works include songs and productions with Cheat Codes, Ofenbach, Robin Schulz, ATB, HUGEL, Felix Jaehn, Ella Henderson, Lum!x, Alle Farben, KIDDO, Juan Magan, ILIRA, Benjamin Ingrosso, and many more.

After producing and singing on Lum!x’s international hit “The Passenger” (which now sits at over 100 million streams on all platforms) in early 2020, the duo has been currently riding the wave of their own massive worldwide hit “Head Shoulders Knees & Toes.” Since its release, it has accumulated over 500 million streams on all platforms, multiple platinum and gold awards in most European countries, a Spotify Global #50, a Shazam global top 30 ranking, and a #8 spot on the European radio charts. With over 52 weeks inside the German Top 50 radio charts HSKT now ranks it as one of the top radio songs of the early ‘20s.

The duo is also involved in Ofenbach’s follow-up single “Hurricane” together with Ella Henderson, which now sits at over 100 million streams across all platforms plus multiple radio top 10s all across Europe. Their current lean towards a more credible house sound brings forth their songs “Love So Sweet”, “Eyes On You” with DJ Superstar HUGEL, and “Juice,” all of which were released via iconic club labels such as Defected Records or CR2.

ABOUT CAMYLIO:
Clad in a classic black shirt against a dark backdrop, Camylio leans into his microphone, presses down on the ivory of his keyboard, and sings with enough passion and power to stir the world to its feet. It’s a scene meant for a stadium, but he’s in his bedroom framed by a smartphone camera yet beamed out to an audience of millions on social media. Throughout 2021, he performed like this at a dizzying pace and quietly emerged as a phenomenon renowned for a Richter Scale-registering voice. For his 16^th birthday, his parents allowed him to choose either “a car or a laptop.” Thankfully, he chose the latter, spending countless hours poring over song credits and learning how to produce via YouTube and Twitch.

During November 2020, he launched his TikTok with one video daily. He filled an Amazon shopping cart with a $200 backdrop, ten black hoodies, ten black long-sleeve shirts, and five black short-sleeve shirts in order to maintain a consistent aesthetic. His cover of “Dusk Till Dawn” by Sia and ZAYN exploded with 7 million-plus views.

Eventually, he broke the internet as his take on SLANDER’s “Love Is Gone” feat. Dylan Matthew generated north of 50 million views in under ten days. He caught the attention of Republic Records and signed to the label. After shaking the internet, the 20-year-old New York singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer properly introduces himself with his 2021 debut EP all the songs i used to love and latest single “i tried.”

Amelia Moore – crybaby

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True to her social media handle (@icryatwork), Amelia Moore approaches her music with a fierce commitment to total emotional transparency an irresistible counterpart to her kaleidoscopic alt-pop sound. Both qualities shine on her new single, crybaby. Moore’s bluesy, fluttering vocals cut to the quick as she addresses an ex, “do u like to make me cry baby / cuz u do it all the time baby / when did god give u control of the rain.”

Frequent collaborators Pink Slip and Inverness produced the track. Download / stream crybaby, which is from the young singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist’s forthcoming EP, HERE.

Moore, who recently wrapped up a sold-out North American tour with Capitol Records label mate FLETCHER, amassed over 10 million combined global streams and two million video views with her first three singles: sweet and sour, vinegar and moves. In less than six months, she’s already approaching 70,000 followers on Spotify.

Ones To Watch named Moore as one of The 25 Artists to Watch in 2022 and she’s been the subject of features in Billboard, DORK, Notion, among others. Hailing her as “our newest alt-pop princess,” The Honey Pop said, “There couldnߣt have been a better song than sweet and sour to introduce us to Amelia’s wildly unpredictable sound.“ PAPER praised vinegar for having “the most powerful chorus of 2022.” Billboard put moves on its list of 10 Cool New Pop Songs, while The Line of Best Fit observed, “moves has an intoxicating energy and joyous playfulness, setting a new gold standard for an artist used to shattering expectations.“

EARMILK declared, “Amelia Moore is destined for greatness.” Learn more about the 21-year-old Georgia natives journey from homeschool to Hollywood HERE.

D&G × Gianpiero D’Alessandro

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Dolce & Gabbana join forces with cartoon designer Gianpiero D’Alessandro to debut their brand-new limited-edition T-shirt collection launching TODAY!

The exclusive selection of tees was created by the renowned designer, writer, artist, graphic designer and visionary Gianpiero. His work pulls inspiration from the likes of Walt Disney and Andy Warhol, with bright and animated references.

Having worked with esteemed individuals and brands such as Snoop Dogg, Justin Bieber, Nike and Netflix, its only right that Gianpiero teams up with Dolce & Gabbana for the new collection.

Regarding the alliance, he stated, “For me, Dolce&Gabbana represents everything that’s beautiful about Italy. I still remember the first time I met Stefano and Domenico and I gave them some drawings I had made for them. During that meeting, they began to tell me about their story and how it all began.

I remember the passion in their eyes. It’s a pleasure for me to collaborate with the brand that has written and continues to write the story of the fashion world.

“Proudly made in Italy”. I chose to create these graphic elements for the collection because in my imagination, Dolce&Gabbana is a happy “place” and I wanted these designs to incorporate certain emotional virtues for people to experience, such as a carefree childhood. The “Sweety Bunny” character is accompanied by “Baby Carrot” and together they represent the concept of family. Of love. Values that Dolce&Gabbana has always infused into in every single one of its projects.”

Dolce & Gabbana x Gianpiero D’Alessandro collection via Cara Forte Diaz D&G PR & Editorial for use by 360 Magazine

McLaren Press Conference

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McLaren Racing and Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (NYSE: ICE) team up as ICE was announced an Official Partner of the McLaren MX Extreme E Team. To debut their brand-new partnership, McLaren officials took part in a news conference at the Exchange, and the Number 58 McLaren Extreme E race car sat outside while the professionals talked all things McLaren x ICE.

360 Magazine’s very own Vaughn Lowery attended the conference and had the opportunity to speak with McLaren Racing Senior Principal Race Engineer Leena Gade and McLaren EX Extreme E Driver Tanner Foust. Listen to the official 360 Mag Podcast episode HERE.

Vaughn talked all things McLaren sustainability, diversity and female empowerment with Leena Gade, McLaren Racing’s Senior Principal Race Engineer.

Leena raved about the importance of McLaren and ICE sharing beliefs regarding approaching work in a green way while also encouraging diversification in the workplace. Working in the spaces of engineering and racing that are conventionally white male dominated, Leena stressed the importance of representation within the field.

As a daughter of immigrant parents, Leena’s family moved to the UK from India to build a new life for Leena and her sister. Driven to build a successful life full of opportunities for their children, Leena’s parents story resembles that of one that a surplus of Indian families goes through. Leena emphasized this, while placing emphasis on how they encouraged hard work and dedication to achieve their ambitions.

“Anyone can do this,” she stated, and continued about how it’s important for everyone to have someone to look up to that looks like them. She remembered as a child how all the racers she looked up to were white men, creating conversations about range in the field. These factors are exactly why the partnership between McLaren and ICE is one that she got behind.

Preserving the Earth, too, is another associated value that the two corporations believe in. Leena spoke on how its vital that McLaren aligned themselves with another entity that took climate issues as seriously as they did. It’s vital that our society considers the significance of the modern climate, and that there’s no reason for the crisis to become so intense.

Vaughn also had the chance to sit down with Tanner Foust, one of McLaren’s EX Extreme E Drivers. They chatted about how Tanner delved into the field of racing from starting out as a bio major, how Extreme E driving differentiates from the norm of racing and the continuing inclusivity of McLaren.

With a 25-year career as a racer, it might shock you that Tanner had early dreams of becoming a doctor. Attending University of Colorado majoring in biology, Tanner was always interested in racing, but didn’t quite know how to get his start in the field. Taking on a job with an inventor that made amusement park rides, he found inspiration in his boss that went after his aspirations and lived life each day not feeling like he was “working.”

Deciding to get a job as a mechanic for a local Colorado racing team, Tanner found his start into the world of racing. He then worked his way up and learned how to turn this passion into a profitable job. This has to be his number one piece of advice for anyone aspiring to dive into their dream career; obtain a job that is close to the one that you want, and slowly work your way to that goal.

When asked the question of what his biggest accomplishment with racing had to be, Tanner recalled the first time that he was able to make a livable income from racing. Turning this passion into a fully fledged career was a massive achievement for Tanner, and he aims to give younger people guidance to also become a professional driver.

Now fully immersed in the field of racing, Tanner finds McLaren racing to be unlike any racing he’d previously taken part in. Extreme E approaches racing in a different light with fast sprints and difficult racing terrains. He accredits McLaren to challenging what he thought he was previously capable of and opening him up to a brand-new realm of racing.

Like Leena, Tanner spoke to the great advancements that McLaren has been making towards a more sustainable and inclusive approach. Motorsport is evolving to become more gender and carbon neutral, which is something that Tanner advocates for fully. The extraordinary team working behind the scenes day in and out continues to advance the space of motorsport.

Written by: McKinley Franklin

McLaren x NYSE/ICE Conference via Vaughn Lowery for use by 360 Magazine

Mclaren Racing Extreme E at NYSE in NYC via Vaughn Lowery and 360 MAGAZINE

Chef Adrianne Calvo

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Highly acclaimed chef, author, television personality and YouTube host Adrianne Calvo embodies the essence of the American dream. Opening her very own restaurant at the age of 22, she has become a living legend and a source of inspiration for those wanting to follow in her footsteps.

Receiving smashing success with her first venture, Chef Adrianne has since branched out with an array of restaurants, has been named Miami New Times Best Chef, appeared on an array of Food Network shows and is the youngest professional to cook for the United Nations.

During April of 2007, Chef Adrianne opened her first restaurant, Chef Adrianne’s Vineyard Restaurant and Bar, also referred to as “Chef Adrianne’s.” Having graduated from Johnson and Wales University with a Bachelor of Arts in 2004, the new restaurant was a risky decision, but it sure did pay off. Swiftly, the restaurant grew and gained widespread notarization due to Chef Adrianne’s signature Maximum Flavor.

Guests and Critics alike fell in love with her cooking; and Chef Adrianne’s was awarded Best Restaurant by Miami New Times’ Readers’ Choice Awards in 2014 and 2017. Continuing to receive praise by being named one of the 17 Most Important Restaurants in Miami by Thrillist, Chef Adrianne was only just beginning her career.

Chef Adrianne has cooked for the United Nations and its ambassadors, competed on Chopped and Beat Bobby Flay via Food Network and has been acknowledged for her cooking in Bon Appétit, Better Homes & Gardens, USA Today and Saveur.

Her passion for the culinary world and spirit of adventure inspired her to launch Emmy Nominated YouTube series “Searching for Maximum Flavor,” which has been nominated for an Emmy Award. In the show, Chef Adrianne meets with creators while reviewing iconic dishes and adding in her namesake Maximum Flavor.

360 had the opportunity to chat with Chef Adrianne about her success thus far, what made her interested in becoming a chef, and what we can expect to come in the future.

Q: When did you start dabbling in cooking and when did you know you wanted to pursue a career in the field?

A: I have always loved food. I used to come home from school and watch Great Chefs of The World, followed by more cooking shows. But at that time, I thought I wanted to be a journalist. Watching cooking shows was just entertaining until my junior year of high school. I was placed in home ec by mistake, and I had to wait two weeks for schedule to change. During those two weeks, Johnson and Wales University came to do a demo and talk about how they’re the leading culinary school. It was what I call the lightning strike. From then on, I knew I wanted to be a chef.

Q: What was the most difficult part in opening your own restaurant at such a young age?

A: 22 is too young to open anything much less a restaurant. Restaurants are equally demanding as they are rewarding (if successful). I didn’t have normal 20’s. I didn’t have my first real drink till I was 25. I didn’t go on a vacation for 8 years and I spent every day working the line for 11 years straight. I had to stay focused and determined. Looking back at that exchange to where I am today, it was all worth it.

Q: What has it been like receiving so much praise from critics, social media all the way to your beloved customers?

It’s a beautiful thing. I thank God for it every day. I believe I don’t deserve it which is why I keep working harder and harder. This industry doesn’t stop. And want to feel like have earned their love.

Q: How did the pandemic affect your businesses?

A: Thank the good Lord, our loyal customers kept us afloat doing take out.

Q: Tell us a little bit more about your signature maximum flavor.

A: When I decided to go to culinary school, I entered culinary competitions to raise money for college. I started winning, a year later I kept winning. By this time, the judges were talking amongst themselves about how I was winning. The answer was – Flavor. One judge advised me to write a cookbook with all my winning recipes. I took his advice and thus was born my first cookbook, ‘MAXIMUM FLAVOR,’ making me the youngest cookbook author at the time. That lead me to be on the Montel Williams show. He held my cookbook in the air and told his audience and all of the country glued to their TV screens, that they had to buy my cookbook because the scallop recipe he tried from [the book] changed him. He spent all his life hating scallops until he had them Maximum Flavor Style. The book sold like crazy.

Q: Tell us about “Baked,” one of your newest concepts, and what more we can expect from this expansion.

A: Baked by Chef Adrianne started as a Bakehouse I acquired to make bread and desserts for all my restaurants- an internal operation. I’ve always been in love with everything from scratch. I think you can just tell when something is made by hand, or chemically doused. I could buy desserts from any vendor and just defrost, slice, and throw on a plate. But that’s not Maximum Flavor. I am currently working with GoldBelly on a national direct to consumer campaign.

Q: What can we expect next from Chef Adrianne?

A: God willing, I hope to expand my wine label “A Family Vineyards.” After the wild success of “A Cabernet,” I think a Rose’ or Sauvi B is next.

Article by: McKinley Franklin

Is Miami the Center of Crypto?

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Much thanks to Mayor Francis Suarez, Miami has become a hub for the crypto community according to Brock Pierce who credits it to Florida’s good weather and low taxes.

It’s no surprise that the city hosted the world’s largest bitcoin conference that attracted 30,000 to 50,000 visitors at the Miami Beach Convention Center this past week.

With almost 50k visitors, there was a lot of engagement at the convention on South Beach, so 360 spoke with the Head of Developer Relations at MobileCoin, Collin Lowenberg to get the inside scoop on what we missed.

Q: Collin, what was the most exciting thing to happen at the conference?

A: Peter Thiel said Bitcoin will go up 100x, the government will never be in control and banks are swiftly going bankrupt. Thiel even tossed a bunch of $100 bills into the crowd. Don’t forget he was a White House advisor and is the largest shareholder in Palantir.

Q: Do you agree with him?

A: No, I think his anti-bank anti-traditional banking anarchist thing is off balance. Chill out bro.

Q: What else happened at the conference?

A: Everything that happened around the conference was more interesting than inside the conference. I didn’t really need a badge or ticket to attend the event, it just wasn’t worth it. All the major players had their own events. Ledger, SFOX, Monero, Crypto week was bigger than just Bitcoin Miami. There were several side conferences including Shitcoin conference, kadena conference.

Speaking of the other conferences, we spoke with Mack Rivkin, Co-Founder and CBDO of Flake DAO about Miami NFT and how he got into the space.

Q: How did you get into NFTs?

A: I got into NFTs for the first time this year when I was asked to collaborate with my comrade Mike Brooks with his business, Flake DAO, we have been working on that since the beginning of the year. Since then, I have been collecting a lot. And I’ve been running a company that is helping artists. Prior to that I’ve been in the web3 space as an investor since 2016.

Q: Prior to Web3, what is your background?

A: My day job is in the marketing field, more specifically growth and performance marketing working for pikeman and Cheesecake Factory, tech startups, freelance and consultation. My background, though, is in theater. I have been running a lot of underground events, like warehouse parties, popups, fundraisers and festivals. A lot the work transpired through my burning man crew, especially with the web3 space. I got into web3 events through [my friend] Shannon O’Donnell who needed help with her event at ETH Denver and we’ve pulled off some pretty cool activations since.

Q: You said you spoke on a panel at NFT Miami?

A: The panel was called Just DAO it. It was a panel of people of varying levels of perspectives and experience regarding DAOs. My partner Mike Brooks and I were on this panel with 3 others, not including the moderator. We were interviewed by a woman from Tron Network. We talked about who we are and our relationship to DAOs.

Q: Where are DAO’s heading?

A: I don’t know. DAO’s heading, in my opinion, are highly idealistic. It’s a system of governance, idealistic like true decentralization. It’s arguable as to whether or not if we’ll ever have a process that is truly decentralized, as long as humans are involved, because humans by nature are imperfect. We are not robots. But what we can do is leverage a lot of new technologies like Discord for bringing people together from all around the world. Organizing the space into rooms where people can have varied discussions by people or bots.

Speaking of bots, there are so many ways that bots can be used to automate these communities. Bots can be used to automate the DAOs and voting. When DAOs are first being formed it recovers a lot of oversight. Its highly centralized. The goal down the road is to build something highly decentralized. Movement DAO is one of the strongest corporations that I’ve seen in terms of how they run. They’ve got a lot of amazing systems in place, and they figured out a way to prioritize decentralization. But honestly, 99% of DAOs is so far off from the ideal and that includes ours. One think that is important to keep in mind is nothing is going to be perfect right away.

Q: Were you able to attend any exhibits?

A: I hit up every vendor booth I could. The conference hall wasn’t that large. In terms of panelists I saw Eric Lapoglia, he’s the one who put everything together, and Mark Cuban.

Q: Did Mark Cuban speak on anything specific?

A: I left midway through his talk because I was not impressed. He was one of the headliners. Web3 is a revolution. That’s my belief and why I’m so excited to be in the space. I believe so strongly in decentralization because our systems, our financial system specifically, is not working for us, I mean the majority of us. The wealth gap is widening every year and it’s sickening we are losing power everyday.

Regarding Mark Cuban, I didn’t know a ton about him outside of shark tank. I have a lot of respect for the guy, and I appreciate when public figures vouch so heavily for web3, it brings a lot of necessary momentum for web3. But, I think the reason he is involved is to make himself wealtheir. I got that impression because the topic he was giving wasn’t about providing value to the people, it was about promoting his new app. So, putting more money in his pocket. And there’s a reason he got to where he is. He’s a salesman. No judgment, but not my vibe. It’s not why I’m in the space.

It’s not just a criticism with him, but a lot of folks in the space. A lot of people are in crypto and in NFTs because they want to get rich. There’s nothing wrong with that, but a lot of times people don’t understand the importance of what’s happening here. We have the tools to revolutionize how we operate in terms of how we operate, like global trade, and politics and put more power in the hands of people like you and me. It’s not a get rich scheme. Outsiders feel like it’s a pyramid scheme. It’s because of the people who shout the loudest are doing that. But for me it is about community and redefining our place in the world.

Q: Are you hopeful that these tools will be used to revolutionize the system?

A: I have a very strong point of view. I have two options, I have a strong point of view and either A) I can try as hard as I can to be a part of the movement and educate people on my point of view and why I think this is so important to get involved in and find the people I am aligned with and gather that momentum and I could be part of that or B) I could sit idly by and let things ride its course. Right now, I am taking path A. I do have hope and see that things are moving in a positive direction.

Just in the past 5 years headlines regarding crypto and NFTs are gaining a lot of attention. The government is now talking about things like this, talking about bitcoins and Ethereum. We have a country, El Salvador, is building a city built entirely on bitcoin. We are heading in a direction. The world is not black or white. It’s not a bad direction, but it’s a direction. I have my beliefs, but they are my beliefs. I am a cis white American man and that impacts my experience in the space. Bridging gaps is always something I have been very passionate about. I’m trying to create systems that are accessible and equitable for everyone. My focus right now is artists. I’ve been focused on creating opportunities for artists for a long time.

After talking with both Collin and Mack, it seems as though there is a stark difference between the conference and those throwing their own surrounding events. Those who want to uphold the status quo and those who want to dismantle it with a crypto revolution. Which side are you on?

Article by: Bee Davies

Louis Vuitton Pre-Fall

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Louis Vuitton’s Men’s and Women’s Pre-Fall 2022 collections remind us of why we admire the luxury fashion house.

The Women’s Pre-Fall 2022 collection showcases an array of accessories platforming bold color stories and ready-to-wear pieces. Whether you’re in search of a scarf, new pair of shoes or sunglasses, Lous Vuitton will have the perfect accessory to add to your luxe collection. Check out some of the stunning new handbags.

The Pre-Fall 2022 Men’s Daybreak Capsule Collection dives deeper into spring fashions and was designed by the late Virgil Abloh. Standing as the second part to the Louis Vuitton Pre-Fall 2022 Men’s Collection, Abloh’s collection personifies his style and methodology as Louis Vuitton’s Men’s Artistic Director.

Regarding the collection, Abloh explained, “My philosophy is very much informed by the clothes that people actually wear. What I do is an analysis of a generation: what do people buy and why do they wear it? That question naturally creates an equal interest in tradition as it does in changing tradition. But it’s also about challenging myself and exploring different land. That is creative freedom.”

Louis Vuitton Pre-Fall 2022 Men’s Daybreak Capsule Collection