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Replay Introduces Squid Arcade

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We’ve already come too far to end this now. Replay Lincoln Park, Chicago’s favorite pop-up bar at 2833 N. Sheffield, is back again with the announcement of their latest pop up installment, Squid Arcade. The games begin Friday, November 5 through Sunday, November 28, as this Lincoln Park bar transforms its gaming areas into a Squid Game inspired haven (or hell) with childhood inspired tabletop games throughout, weekly karaoke, along with K-Pop DJ guests during their weekly DJ sets, weekly Squid Game inspired competitions, themed cocktails and food menu, a Squid Game costume celebration, and a marbles guessing game where participants can win $583,855.00 won! This event and all of the games are free, with no reservations, tickets, or tokens required.

During this limited time pop-up, there will be themed events inspired by the South Korean drama series that include themed karaoke, weekly competitions like Dalgona Cooking Cutting, Red Light/Green Light and Marbles, where participants have the opportunity to guess how many marbles are in Replay’s Pig Jar, with the winner winning $583,855.00 won, or $500 in cash. Patrons will enjoy DJ sets on Thursday through Saturday with guest K-Pop DJs throughout and a Squid Game costume celebration on November 13 where fans have the opportunity to reuse their costumes for one more night. Fans will also have the opportunity to sip on featured cocktails named Dalgona, Watch You Temper(ed), They were stones…, The Squid Game, VIP as well as Red Light and Green Light Shots. A themed food menu will also be available.

“The popularity of this show right now is insane, so we wanted to pay tribute and continue the hype with a pop up inspired by the games for Chicagoans to immerse themselves in,” said Mark Kwiatkowski, owner of Replay Lincoln Park. “Whether you are a guard, a participant or a VIP, we invite you all to stop by and enjoy some games with some tempting prizes.”

The Squid Arcade inspired pop-up is 21+ and is reservation free. Covid-19 restrictions will be practiced, and protocols will be strictly observed to ensure the safety of patrons and employees. Please note, this is not an official event sanctioned by Squid Game.

Replay Lincoln Park features over 60+ free vintage arcade games, including pinball, air hockey, skeeball, and more. With no cover or tokens needed, Replay Lincoln Park invites guests for great fun from 5 p.m. – 2 a.m. Monday – Thursday, Friday 3 p.m. – 2 a.m., 12 p.m. – 3 a.m. Saturday, and 12 p.m. – 2 a.m. Sunday.

Google Partners with Livn

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As Google continues to develop its pilot program called ‘Things to do’, Australian based travel connectivity hub Livn has been announced as Google’s newest global connectivity partner and is now targeting U.S. attraction businesses for expressions of interest in registering for free through the Livn platform.

Via the ‘Things to do’ pilot program, operators can now list their own website’s product booking pages to get direct bookings straight from Google search results for free, avoid higher costs of sale via intermediaries and inflated commission rates as well as regain control over distribution, content, and the customer journey.

From sports stadiums and themed entertainment tickets to historical activities and nature and wildlife tours, ‘Things to do’ will allow users to easily compare options via mobile or desktop for visiting their favorite attractions and will be able to click through to the operator’s website to complete the transaction. It means more booking options to customers and puts more control back in the hands of small, medium, and large attraction operators.

Livn’s role is to claim, create and power the ‘OFFICIAL SITE’ button that takes potential customers directly to the operator’s website from Google Search results. This provides a level playing field between operators and large OTAs, minimizes intermediaries, reduces cost of sale, and increases the operators’ bottom line.

Steve Martinez, Founder and Chief Commercial Officer of Livn has been instrumental in making the partnership happen, saying, “it’s exciting to see the result of years of engagement with a Livn and Google partnership that can give tours, activities and attractions operators better brand control over distribution as well as a much-needed boost given the events over the last 18 months”.

As Livn is not a reservation system or an Online Travel Agency (OTA) they take no commission, but instead act as a connection between the operator and consumer. Operators retain ownership of the official site tickets button, the customer, and end-to-end analytics to better manage the entire customer booking journey and experience.

The result for operators? Lower costs, increased direct bookings, and full ownership of customer acquisition. Additionally, with 83% of mobile bookings being completed after a smartphone search, ‘Things to do’ allows operators to be where their audience is.

Livn Chief Executive Officer Mark Rizzuto expressed the partnership with Google as a highlight for 2021, stating, “we are thrilled that Livn can help play a part in the revival of travel and help attractions be ready for the bounce back and resurgence of digital bookings.”

“This is the future of distribution for attractions and soon will be extended to tour operators and activity providers. It helps to level the playing field providing opportunity for the hundreds of thousands of providers in the American travel ecosystem with a more affordable and sustainable model of distribution” Rizzuto added.

“We are demonstrating early success with Australian-based attractions and now is the time to help attraction operators in the United States. The old way of distribution need not be. There’s a clear, better alternative with no cost to register prior to the end of this year,” Rizzuto urged.

About Livn

Livn is a travel technology company and is Google’s new global connectivity partner in the introduction of the ‘Things to do’ pilot program. We are helping tours, activities and attractions operators transition their businesses to get more direct bookings by driving users from Google Search results directly to the operators’ website.

Alesso Launches New NFT

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OneOf, the green NFT platform built for the music community, artists, and fans has revealed the details for this week’s Drops in DJ/producer and EDM superstar Alesso’s “Cosmic Genesis” NFT collection.

Alesso‘s NFT Collection will be attaching two space tourism experiences from World View to his NFT One-of-Once Cosmic Genesis collection.

“Space exploration is just heating up,” says Alesso. “My first NFT is an exciting, ongoing cosmic journey. It was my hope that it would culminate in an ultimate experience and, thanks to World View and OneOf, I’m thrilled to offer my fans two space voyages in my first ever NFT collection.”

Cosmic Genesis consists of NFTs representing 4 chapters of an epic music and artistic journey through the cosmos. Chapter 1 through 4 tokens of the collection are now available, with the final “OneOf One” single-edition NFT containing all 4 chapters and extended content will go live in auction Thursday, 11/4, at the Dreamverse event during NFT.nyc. The “OneOf One” token holder will be guaranteed a seat on a Stratospheric space flight powered by World View, while collectors of any NFT tokens in the collection will have a chance to win a golden ticket for a second seat.

“The collective desire to explore the unknown is a hallmark of human ambition, and part of the pioneering spirit of the crypto and NFT community,” says Lin Dai, CEO of OneOf, “we are thrilled to help bring Alesso’s artistic vision to life with this incredible first ever NFT collection that actually sends you, the token holder, to space.”

About the Drop

Alesso’s debut NFT collection—built around a series of four specially-designed sci-fi videos created by famed animation house Rough Draft Studios—conjures a distant galaxy with a soundtrack by Alesso. The collection’s drops range from free NFTs to a single, one-of-a-kind token.

The 3333-token, limited edition NFT collection launched with October’s “The Portal,” featuring a free NFT Decoder and “The Arrival,” a Gold Tier NFT featuring the Chapter One video that could be unlocked with the Decoder. “The Formation,” unlocks Chapters II-IV of the video series and offers exclusive curated experiences and collectibles from Alesso through Platinum and Diamond NFT tokens.

The collection culminates in a separate “OneOf” single-issue token NFT auction on November 4, where Alesso will debut the full 4-chapter COSMIC GENESIS video live at Terminal 5 in New York City during his performance at Dreamverse—-the first-ever NFT Art & Music Festival, presented by Metapurse. The auction, with bids starting at $6,666, offers the highest bidder Chapters I-IV of the video series plus a special final cut, as well as two tickets to space courtesy of World View.

About Alesso

A global maverick in the dance world, Alesso has repeatedly proven that his influence transcends boundaries and crosses over into countless genres. The multi-platinum, Grammy-nominated Swede has collaborated with such eclectic artists as OneRepublic’s Ryan Tedder, Calvin Harris, Marshmello, Tove Lo, Liam Payne, Hailee Steinfeld, Florida Georgia Line, Anitta, The Stray Kids, and more. To date, he’s headlined every international festival ranging from Coachella to Tomorrowland to Ultra Music Festival to Electric Daisy Carnival. With his latest venture, Cosmic Genesis, Alesso has partnered with world-renowned animation studio RoughDraft to create a never before seen audio-visual experience.

Camila Cabello × Myke Towers × Tainy – Oh Na Na

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Off the heels of her latest release, “Don’t Go Yet,” three-time GRAMMY® Award-nominated, multi-platinum, and chart-topping singer/songwriter Camila Cabello partners up with platinum selling superstar Myke Towers and critically acclaimed top Producer/Artist Tainy on her new song, “Oh Na Na,” a high energy bilingual song that mixes English and Spanish. Listen to the collaboration HERE! The song was written by Tainy, Camila Cabello, Ilya Salmanzadeh, Savan Kotecha, Alejandro Borrero, Ivanni Rodríguez, Myke Towers and Rickard Goranssonand was produced by Tainy/ NEON16.

About Camila Cabello

Multi Grammy nominated Cuban born singer/songwriter Camila Cabello (Epic Records) released her debut solo album, CAMILA in January 2018 to rave reviews. It debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart at the same time as her single “Havana” Reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, making Camila the first solo artist in nearly 15 years to reach the #1 spot on the Hot 100, Billboard 200 and Artist 100 charts in the same week. Camila also became the #1 artist on global Spotify. She took home awards for Artist of the Year and Video of the Year for said hit at the 2018 Video Music Awards. At the end of 2018, Camila was nominated for two Grammys for the 61st Annual Grammy Awards including “Best Pop Vocal Album” for her album, CAMILA, and “Best Pop Solo Performance” for “Havana” (Live). Beginning her official solo career after four years in Fifth Harmony, Camila released her RIAA 9x platinum smash hit “Havana,” in August 2017 where it obtained the #1 spot on the pop radio chart, marking her second top 40 #1 as a solo artist. “Havana” became the most streamed song of all time by a female artist and was the number one song of 2018 globally. Her triple-platinum single “Never Be The Same,” was released in January 2018 and peaked in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Camila became the first artist in history to have two multi-format number one singles as the first two singles from their debut album.  Camila had previously earned a chart-topping smash with her double platinum-certified hit “Bad Things” with MGK which generated over 400 million on-demand streams.

Camila released the global smash single “Señorita,” with Shawn Mendes in June 2019, it debuted at #1 on iTunes worldwide and broke Spotify’s record for the biggest debut from a male/female duet in its history. “Señorita” was the most streamed song of any song released globally on Spotify in 2019 and was nominated in the category of “Best Pop Duo/Group Performance” for the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards. In December 2019, Camila released her sophomore studio album, ROMANCE, which is certified platinum. At the 62nd Grammy Awards, Camila gave a stunning performance of her track, “First Man,” where she sang directly to her father in the crowd. Camila is the first female artist since Adele to triple up atop Billboard’s Hot 100, Billboard 200 & Artist 100 charts. Maintaining her momentum, “My Oh My” reached #1 at Pop Radio in 2020, becoming her 5th total number one as a solo artist following the success of “Señorita” the prior year. Camila is also an ambassador for Save the Children. In August of 2021, Camila released her new single “Don’t Go Yet” from her highly anticipated upcoming album, Familia. In September 2021, she made her acting debut starring in CINDERELLA. The film is directed by Kay Cannon and produced by James Corden and Leo Pearlman.

In 2020, Camila, along with Movement Voter Fund, launched the Healing Justice Project, which provides direct grant funding for culturally relevant mental health and wellness resources to youth activists and grassroots organizations working at the intersection of racial and economic justice, electoral organizing and other movements that work towards bettering and moving this country forward. 

About Tainy

Leading a new wave of Latin music and culture for over a decade, famed producer and artist Tainy is the mastermind behind some of music’s most iconic hits. A four-time GRAMMY© nominee, three-time Latin GRAMMY©, and multiple BMI Award Winner, Tainy has been churning out career-defining hits for artists as well as his own, including Daddy Yankee, Bad Bunny, J Balvin, Rosalia, Lauren Jauregui, Zion & Lennox, Anuel, Ozuna, Don Omar, Wisin & Yandel, Kali Uchis, Rauw Alejandro, Jhay Cortez and more. In 2019, Tainy made his artist debut reaching the top charts with hit singles: “I Can’t Get Enough,” ”Adicto,” ”Callaita,” #1 Latin Pop and Airplay single “Agua” and GRAMMY® nominated “Un Dia (One Day).” In 2021, Tainy continued pushing the culture forward on a global scale executive producing, Selena Gomez’ first full Spanish language body of work “Revelacion,” “Sunbathe” alongside Miguel, and Bad Bunny and Jhay Cortez’ “Dakiti,” which went No. 1 globally. In addition, Tainy continues to break records as the only producer to ever sit at the #1 spot on the Billboard charts for 102 weeks. His latest two hit releases pack massive star power; “Summer Of Love” with Shawn Mendes and “Lo Siento BB:/” featuring Bad Bunny and Julieta Venegas.

About Myke Towers

With Latin music’s global notoriety and top of charts take over, critically acclaimed lyricist and multiple Latin GRAMMY®-nominated rapper-songwriter Myke Towers is one of today’s hottest and most sought after artists. The Puerto Rican native is one of Spotify’s top ten most streamed Latin artists and has accrued over 2.3 BILLION streams. Sitting on 41 charting tracks this year, Myke is one of the most in-demand rappers in the movement. Earlier this year, Myke signed and his label Whiteworld Music signed a GLOBAL distribution deal with Warner Records and Warner Latina. His Last album, LYKE MYKE, released in March of this year has been highly praised and deemed within best albums of 2021 by Billboard, Spin, Rolling Stone, Complex and more. This followed his 2020 critically acclaimed sophomore album Easy Money Baby, which debuted at number 1 and has garnered over a billion streams combined alongside being certified 4x Platinum by the RIAA. Certifications also include “La Playa” (5x Platinum), “Diosa” (3x Platinum), “La Playa Remix” (1x Platinum), “Si Se Da” (10x Platinum), “Si Se Da Remix” (7x Platinum) and “Girl” (4x Platinum). His next album, MICHAEL, is slated for release in January, 2022.

3Breezy – Can’t FWU

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After reeling in tens of millions of streams and earning acclaim from American Songwriter, FLAUNT Magazine, and more, rising Camden, New Jersey, R&B/hip-hop artist 3Breezy unveils a new single and music video entitled “Can’t FWU,” out now on Capitol Records. Listen HERE.

On the track, he leans into thumping drums and smooth guitar with a melodic cadence. Pouring his heart out about a doomed relationship, he croons the hook, “I can’t fuck with you,” before warning, “Take a look at where ya at, I told you in the end Breezy gonna have the last laugh.” Directed by AROD2UP, the accompanying visual brings the story to life as it pulls no punches in its depiction of a rough breakup with a light at the end of the tunnel when our hero moves on.

It stands out as the follow-up to his recent single “Self Love.” Inciting critical acclaim right out of the gate, American Songwriter hailed it as “technically elegant and sonically moving” and promised it “sets the bar high for Breezy’s upcoming music.” It also garnered looks from Imprint, Hip Hop XXIV, and more. However, FLAUNT summed Breezy up best, christening him “Your new favorite R&B/hip-hop artist.”

The single paves the way for Breezy’s new project Catch A Breeze, which is available for pre-order and is set to be released on November 12. The album caps off an incredible journey from Breezy who, in unprecedented fashion, changed plans from being a veterinary technician to producing and releasing his own songs. Now, he wants everybody to Catch A Breeze.

Check out the full tracklisting below!

3Breezy will also be releasing a documentary in November, giving us an inside where he comes from, family in his life, and upcoming music.

“Self Love” followed on the heels of his June video for “Message to Her,” which was itself a tender, introspective R&B ballad inspired by a DM from a fan who was in a tough place. The record, self-released by Breezy last November, already has 3.5 million plays and, overall, in his short journey he’s amassed nearly 30 million streams in the U.S. alone. Breezy kicked off his career in October 2020, quickly issuing a number of singles and his debut mixtape, Murda She Wrote, captivating audiences with his easy knack for storytelling and deep sincerity.

As Breezy prepares his new project, Catch a Breeze, he’s only just beginning to fully explore this sensitive side of himself, crooning hazy confessionals and uplifting anthems over modern production. Breezy’s empathy runs deep, he grew up in a rough part of Jersey, surrounded by sisters and aunts who helped him learn how to listen, and how to be strong for others. Having good shoulders to lean on has led to Breezy becoming just that for his listeners. Though he has only been making music for about a year, songs like “Self Love” and “Message to Her” continue to prove he’s a bonafide hitmaker capable of intensely personal songcraft.

Tracklisting

Henny On Ice
Forever (feat. KB Mike)
Toxic Traits
Alone In Baja
Can’t FWU
Message To Her
Self Love
Last Love Song (feat. Sally Sossa)
Gangsta Wit It
Life Of The Party
All On Me
Shit I Like (feat. Rocko Ballin)
Breezy Story
On A Search

Encanto Soundtrack

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Set for release on Nov. 19 from Walt Disney Records, the Encanto Original Motion Picture Soundtrack features eight original songs by Tony and Grammy-winning songwriter/composer Lin-Manuel Miranda (“Hamilton,” “Moana”) with score by award-winning composer Germaine Franco (“Dora and the Lost City of Gold,” “Little,” “Tag”). Sebastiaĭn Yatra performs the original song “Dos Oruguitas” in Spanish in the film, as well as “Two Oruguitas,” the English language version of the song, in the end-credits. Previously announced artist Carlos Vives performs “Colombia, Mi Encanto.” The soundtrack is available now for pre-order. The physical soundtrack will be available on Dec. 17. Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Encanto” opens in theaters November 24, 2021.

Born in Medellin, Colombia and raised in Miami, Latin GRAMMY-nominated singer/songwriter Yatra said, “It’s always been a dream of mine to be a part of a Disney movie and it really hits the heart when it’s a Disney movie about my country and showing the best of what we have to offer, which is love and family and miracles.”

“Dos Oruguitas” marked a first for Miranda. “This is the first song I ever wrote beginning to end in Spanish,” he says. “It’s about the journey of Mirabel’s grandparents, their realization that sometimes you have to let go, you have to do the impossible.” The song is performed in the film in Spanish by Yatra.

On diving into the music of the Colombian-set story, Miranda said “A lot of the rhythms are familiar to me, but the instrumentation and orchestration is different and often unique to Colombia. One of the most fun things is that the accordion is so central to the music. It was really a joy immersing myself in artists I didn’t know and doing deeper dives into those I’ve grown up loving like Carlos Vives, who we’re lucky enough to work with on this movie. This entire process has been about falling in love with Colombian music and culture and getting to play in that space.”

The Encanto Original Motion Picture Soundtrack features eight original songs and a full original score, plus one reprise and one end-credit version of a song from the film. The digital version of the soundtrack also includes instrumental versions of the songs.

The Songs of Encanto

“The Family Madrigal” – performed by Stephanie Beatriz, Olga Merediz & Cast

“Waiting on a Miracle” – performed by Stephanie Beatriz

“Surface Pressure” – performed by Jessica Darrow

“We Don’t Talk About Bruno” – performed by Carolina Gaiten, Mauro Castillo, Adassa, Rhenzy Feliz, Diane Guerrero, Stephanie Beatriz & Cast

“What Else Can I Do?” – performed by Diane Guerrero & Stephanie Beatriz

“Dos Oruguitas” – performed by Sebastiaĭn Yatra

“All of You” – performed by Stephanie Beatriz, Olga Merediz, John Leguizamo, Adassa, Maluma & Cast

“Colombia, Mi Encanto” – performed by Carlos Vives

“Two Oruguitas” – English language end-credit version of “Dos Oruguitas” performed by Sebastiaĭn Yatra

Award-winning composer Germaine Franco is behind the original score for “Encanto.” Franco worked closely with filmmakers and Miranda to create a signature score that complemented the songs and story.

“Encanto” is directed by Byron Howard (“Zootopia,” “Tangled”) and Jared Bush (co-director “Zootopia”), co-directed by Charise Castro Smith (writer “The Death of Eva Sofia Valdez”) and produced by Clark Spencer and Yvett Merino. Bush and Castro Smith are screenwriters on the film.

In the film, the magic of the Encanto has blessed every child in the family with a unique gift from super strength to the power to heal every child except one, Mirabel. But when she discovers that the magic surrounding the Encanto is in danger, Mirabel decides that she, the only ordinary Madrigal, might just be her exceptional family’s last hope. The voice cast includes Stephanie Beatriz, Maria Cecilia Botero, Wilmer Valderrama, Adassa, Diane Guerrero, Mauro Castillo, Angie Cepeda, Jessica Darrow, Rhenzy Feliz and Carolina Gaitaĭn.

G Herbo Monster Energy Tour

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The Monster Energy Outbreak Tour is pleased to announce chart-topping and platinum-certified rap star G Herbo as the headliner for their final tour of 2021, which kicks off in Philadelphia, PA, on November 12, 2021.

Tickets are on sale now and are available for purchase HERE and HERE in all markets. Be sure to get your tickets for a city near you.

“I’m excited to partner with an iconic brand like the Monster Energy Outbreak Tour and reconnect with my fans in person again. This is gonna be my biggest and absolute best tour period,” shared G Herbo.

“We had a great experience working with G Herbo for our Monster Energy Live On Location virtual series last year, and we’re excited about the idea of translating virtual to the stage in front of sold-out crowds,” adds Steve Glazer, Monster Energy Outbreak Tour Founder/Producer.

The Monster Energy Outbreak Tour is G Herbo‘s first time on the road since the release of 25, his highest-charting album, which peaked at #5 on the Billboard 200 chart upon its release this past July. 25, which features Polo G, 21 Savage, The Kid LAROI, Gunna, and more, continues to put G Herbo at the forefront of Chicago’s distinct style of drill rap.

Complex states, “We’re used to hearing Herb be vulnerable on tracks, his album PTSD attests to this, but 25 finds the Chicago Drill pioneer in some of his most honest moments.”

Listen to 25 HERE,

G Herbo‘s recently released the visual for “Stand the Rain (Mad Max).” The Oz On The Track and Chase Davis-produced clip shows G Herbo gracing the fictitious cover of Forbes magazine’s “30 under 30 edition” while rapping over a hard-hitting beat boasting about “not reaching his goals but still sh*ttin’ on his peers.” The sentiment rings true as G Herbo is a force to be reckoned with as 25 has already garnered over 182 million streams.

Watch the visual HERE.

G Herbo Monster Energy Outbreak Tour Dates

Friday, November 12, 2021: Philadelphia, PA: The Met

Friday, November 19, 2021: Wallingford, CT: The Dome

Saturday, November 20, 2021: Washington, D.C.: Fillmore

Monday, November 22, 2021: Cleveland, OH: House of Blues

Wednesday, November 24, 2021: Chicago, IL: The Riviera Theatre

Friday, November 26, 2021: Raleigh, NC: The Ritz

Saturday, November 27, 2021: Atlanta, GA: Tabernacle

Tuesday, November 30, 2021: Little Rock, AR: Little Rock Music Hall

Wednesday, December 1, 2021: Birmingham, AL: Iron City

Friday, December 3, 2021: Easton, PA: One Centre Square

Saturday, December 4, 2021: Elizabeth, NJ: Ritz Theatre

Sunday, December 5, 2021: Boston, MA: Big Night Live

Friday, December 17, 2021: San Francisco, CA: August Hall

Sunday, December 19, 2021: San Diego, CA: House of Blues

Monday, December 20, 2021: Santa Ana, CA: The Observatory

Thursday, December 30, 2021: Los Angeles, LA: YouTube Theatre

About G Herbo

After quietly grinding for years out of his native Chicago, G Herbo established himself as not only a platinum-selling, chart-topping phenomenon but also as a staunch mental health advocate and proponent for change in the black community. Following a string of acclaimed projects, his critically celebrated third album PTSD bowed at #7 on the Billboard Top 200, received praise from Rolling Stone as “his most vulnerable album to date,” and yielded one of the most important songs of 2020, the platinum-certified title track “PTSD” [feat. Juice WRLD, Lil Uzi Vert, & Chance the Rapper]. His fourth full-length offering, 25, soared to the Top 5 of the Billboard Top 200, marking his second consecutive Top 10 and highest debut to date. Racking up hundreds of millions of streams right out of the gate, Pitchfork attested, “As Chicago’s G Herbo has gotten older, his music has become more urgent.” Simultaneously, he appeared on multiple #1 albums such as Pop Smoke’s Faith (“Run Down”) and The Kid LAROI’s F*CKLOVE3+: OVER YOU (“Don’t Leave Me”) as well as collaborating with Dave East and Harry Fraud. With a larger-than-life fanbase, G Herbo has shared the stage with everyone from Miley Cyrus to Marshmello. G Herbo remains a pillar of hip-hop and the culture.

A Little Spark

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By: Merilee Kern

Whether gifting for the holidays, a birthday, Valentine’s Day or “just because,” children’s literature is a timeless gift that can impact the recipient, families and society at-large in meaningful ways. This truth is exemplified with “A Little Spark ” children’s book authored by Chris Parsons—a truly unique title that was recently awarded the prestigious Mom’s Choice Award Gold Medal for best in family-friendly media. Fittingly so, as this distinctive interactive, read-along chapter book is centered around the noble theme of finding, and doing, good in the world.

A Little Spark is redefining children’s literature by driving its overarching message home by combining a compelling narrative and cast of identifiable characters with full color illustrations; a custom-scored musical soundtrack of original songs like this accessible through QR Codes while reading the book; an audiobook featuring delightful performances; fun on-and-offline activities; and invaluable life lessons that are highlighted throughout each chapter. It’s a heartening activity to enjoy with young children, grandchildren and students.

To complement the beautifully illustrated 160-page chapter book, Parsons collaborated with renowned music producer Bruce Faulconer to develop the full album with an original soundtrack and accompanying audiobook. “Lyrics range from playful to heartwarming and, in one instance, even a bit ominous,” noted Faulconer. “The music keeps the reader poised and, at times, thrillingly on the edge of their seat. We worked with an amazing group of performers and have created something truly special that’s resonating with kids and adults, alike.”

Enhancing the read-along story and the various audio components, A Little Spark also comes complete with a free companion online Resource Library available at BeThatSpark.com, which boasts over 50 book-related family activities like coloring pages, character puppets, word searches, mazes, dance videos, character drawing video tutorials and more. A “Parent’s Guide” is also available to help plan and optimize the overall experience.

“Parents, grandparents, caregivers and educators are indelibly seeking great content to engage with kids, and A Little Spark is written with purpose and intention toward that end,” said Parsons. “The storyline, and the various lessons embedded throughout, underscore that even the smallest creature can make the biggest difference. This takeaway message is especially important for young, impressionable children to hear because they so badly want to be seen and heard…in today’s culture more than ever.”

“Children’s literature is a powerful force that can shape and nurture the minds of kids,” continued Parsons. “In the case of A Little Spark, the combination of a great story, captivating illustrations and rich characters—in combination with mood-inducing music—can truly engage young minds in an impactful and immediate way. It’s one that not only entertains and inspires young audiences, but also helps them develop critical thinking skills and encourages a sense of adventure and the confidence to take that first step.”

As per the Mom’s Choice Award, “A Little Spark is an innovative, inspiring, and entertaining tale about unlikely comrades who join forces on a quest to defeat a threatening enemy. A little Spark reminds us that, to awaken our passion and spirit, we all need something in life to make the world be a warmer place, and to always look for ways to ‘Be That Spark.’”

Working in partnership with a teacher advisory group, the “Be That Spark” elementary education pilot program launched this October in multiple first grade classrooms. This one-of-a-kind scholastic program combines the book, music and all of the related material into a formal academic lesson plan designed to provide a fun, inspiring experience for educators and their students. The Be That Spark program includes a focus on helping students develop positive character traits based on the characters and lessons from the book. It aligns with U.S. standards by creating meaningful and challenging lessons for students intended to increase their reading, listening and comprehension skills.

“Our panel of judges really felt this book merited a place on our list of the best in family-friendly media products that parents and educators can feel confident in using,” said Dawn Matheson, CEO, Mom’s Choice Awards. Other accolades include A Little Spark earning its place as an Amazon new release best-seller in a number of categories, including #1 in Children’s Music Books.

Nigerian Youth Kidnapped, Sold into Slavery

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By: Yuval David

More than 1,000 students have been kidnapped from schools in northern Nigeria since December. The kidnappers are Islamic militants, often referred to as ‘Bandits,” and they consistently grow stronger in Nigeria. Many of the kidnapped students have been released for large ransoms of all their families have, but many are killed in captivity. Negotiations of ransoms tend to end in killing of the hostages. The head teacher at one of the schools in Nigeria told reporters that many parents sold most of what they owned in an effort to raise funds totalling more that 30 million naira (about $72,900 USD). The hostages are as young as 4 years old, and are often held for at least three months without their parents.

The greatest number of victims, hostages never to be seen again, are young girls who are raped, sold off into slavery, and forced to marry their captors.

Learn more in the video HERE.

Save the Children International, a non-governmental organization (NGO), has observed these attacks. The group claims the increasing cases of attacks on students has put the education system of Nigeria at extreme risk. Save The Children International stated “from January to August 2021, over 1000 children were abducted in Nigeria, with so many of them still in the hands of their abductors.”

Mercy Gichuhi, Nigerian Director of Save the Children International said “When education is under attack, a generation is attacked. Children, girls, and women are more vulnerable at times of attack, putting them at a higher risk of traumas, fear, gender-based violence, physical and sexual abuse.”

The Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack (GCPEA) stated that between 2015–2019, there were over 100 reported attacks on schools in Nigeria. The Islamist attacks increased between 2020 and 2021, which led to the closedown of many schools due to fear of being attacked.

About Yuval David

Yuval David is an innovative actor, host, and filmmaker with a creative mantra to entertain, uplift, and inspire. He is a captivating performer and compelling storyteller who uses his platform for sharing narratives that affect social change, specifically on behalf of highly respected US and international organizations that raise awareness for the marginalized and under-represented, inspired by his LGBTQ + and Jewish identity, and his Israeli-American roots.

As an actor, Yuval plays major roles in feature films, television, theatre, web, digital media, and voice overs. These include, “What Would You Do” (ABC), “Madam Secretary” (CBS), “The Michael J Fox Show” (NBC), “Beauty and the Beast” (Disney), in addition to productions with HBO, Comedy Central, Dreamworks, AFI, and theatres across the globe.

As a TV Host/Presenter, Yuval focuses on societal, humanitarian, and entertainment programming.

As a filmmaker, Yuval produces, directs, and writes films, documentaries, web-series, digital and TV content, including the award-winning episodic series, ‘One Actor Short,’ ‘Pranks of Kindness,’ ‘Better World with Yuval David,’ ‘What Makes You Beautiful,’ and numerous other web series.

Yuval’s exceptional work has been screened at more than 100 film festivals and taken home more than 75 awards from international film festivals, including The Big Apple Film Festival, New York International Film Festival, NewFilmmakers Film Festival, NYC Independent Film Festival, Hollywood Just4Shorts Film Festival, Top Shorts Film Festival, Vegas CineFest International Film Festival, IndieFest, Accolade Global, American Picture, Atlanta Film Festival, and Global Webisode Festival, just to name a few

Inspired by his Jewish and Israeli-American roots, Yuval advocates for all marginalized communities through his creative work and social action, including the Israeli Consulate, the Shoah Foundation, the Jewish National Fund (JNF), Keren Kayemet, Stand With Us, A Wider Bridge, The Aguda, American Israel Cultural Foundation, Chabad, The Jewish Learning Institute, #EndJewHate, and JewBelong among other organizations. Yuval is frequently invited to host, MC, and speak on behalf of cultural, humanitarian, philanthropic, social and political initiatives and institutions.

Yuval David is also a go-to host and narrator for video and documentary features for Jewish, Israeli, LGBTQ, Arts, Cultural and Humanitarian Organizations and Initiatives, including The National LGBTQ Task Force’s Creating Change national conference, the Shoah Foundation, the Jewish National Fund (JNF USA), and Stand With Us.

Don Broco – Bruce Willis

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To celebrate the launch of their UK headline tour, and the release of their brand new album Amazing Things, Don Broco have unveiled what might just be their most amazing video yet for Bruce Willis. A loving homage to lead singer Rob Damiani’s hero, the video finds the band featuring in some of Bruce’s most memorable on-screen outings, whilst blasting out his Die Hard catchphrase “Yipee Ki Yayyy Motherfucker!”

The song is one of the most joyful highlights of Amazing Things, which has been lavished with praise by critics and fans alike. It’s yet another genre-bending masterpiece with electro, rock, pop, metal and more all wrapped up in their own unique blend, bringing to mind the likes of Deftones, Beastie Boys and Linkin Park amongst others, but simultaneously sounding like nobody else on earth.

Fans have been wildly enthusiastic about the singles released through the summer, with “Manchester Super Reds No.1 Fan”, “Gumshield”, “One True Prince”,“Uber”‘ and “Endorphins” all being accompanied by spectacular videos that are as unique as Don Broco themselves.

Amazing Things is the band’s fourth album, and follows the release of 2018’s Technology which was a Top 5 album in the UK charts and has had over 100 million streams to date, and also 2015’s Automatic, which provided the band with their first Top 10 album in the UK.

A ferociously good live band, acclaimed for their relentless high-octane performances, Don Broco have previously sold-out arena shows across the UK, headlining Wembley Arena after selling out Alexandra Palace as well as festival performances around the world including Vans Warped Tour, Download, Reading & Leeds, Slam Dunk & more. They are currently on a major headlining tour of the UK which includes multiple nights in UK cities, featuring two shows at London’s Brixton Academy and ending with a special sold-out hometown show in Bedford.

The band also recently announced they would be returning to the other side of the pond next spring for a 32-date North American headline tour. Tickets will go on sale this Friday, October 29. A full list of tour dates and information on tickets are available HERE.