Athleisure Mag APR ISSUE #76

ISSUE #76

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table of contents

issue #76

apr 2022

71

STYLE FEATURES

THE PICK ME UP

104

151

148

IN OUR BAG

ROCK THIS WHEN ENJOYING

YOUR NEXT EPIC VACATION

BEAUTY FEATURES

LEMON BEAUTY

The Scientist of Movement - Tanisha Scott

This month, we talk with 3X MTV VMA nominated Creative Director, Performance

Coach, Choreographer and dancer, Tanisha Scott. We talked about how she fell in

love with dancing, choregraphing the iconic Gimmie the Light as well as a number

of videos and being a Creative Director for Lizzo, H.E.R., Cardi B and more!

16

154

ATHLEISURE BEAUTY

The Legacy Continues

Titus Welliver

We caught up with Titus Welliver known for his roles in LOST, Deadwood, and who

plays Harry Bosch in Prime Video’s Bosch. We talk about how he came to working in

the industry, how he came to the show and Amazon FreeVee’s Bosch: Legacy.

46

74

LIFESTYLE FEATURES

ATHLEISURE LIST

RAMEN MISOYA

9DRIP

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EDM DJ/Producer YVES V shares his

9DRIP with us.

56

9PLAYLIST

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58

EDM DJ/Producer Ferry Corsten shares

his 9PLAYLIST with us!

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ATHLEISURE LIST

[SOLIDCORE]

AthleisureMag.com - 10 - Issue 76 | Apr 2022

The Art of the Snack

Sushi AMANE

We’re heading to NY’s Sushi AMANE, an omakase restuarant that is located in the

lower level of MIFUNE. We find out more about the 2 seatings available each night

for 8 guests per slot.

62

It’s All Just Story

Rodney Barnes

78

We chatted with award winning screenwriter,

Rodney Barenes about how he

got into the industry, his various roles,

HBO’s Winning Time and graphic novels.

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63MIX ROUTIN3S

107

Brian Michael Smith

We catch up with 9-1-1: Lonestar fan

favorite, Brian Michael Smith about his

63MIX ROUTIN3S and his Morning, Afternoon

and Night.

R3DCARP3T

112

We get the inside scoop on 9 of our favorite

red carpet looks from awards season

this year at the GRAMMYs, OSCARS and

SAG and how their teams pulled it off.

9LIST STORI3S

Gorjana Reidel

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176

Co-Founder of jewelry brand, gorjana,

Gorjana Reidel, shares her must-haves

in beauty, style and fitness.

Issue #76 | Apr 2022

- 11 - AthleisureMag.com


This month's cover is 3X MTV VMA nominated

Creative Director, Choreographer,

Performance Coach and dancer, Tanisha

Scott. You've seen her iconic work as a

choreographer with Sean Paul in Gimmie

the Light and has continued to work with

an array of artists from Beyoncé, Rihanna,

Lil Nas X, Drake and more. She currently

serves as Creative Director for Lizzo, Cardi

B and H.E.R. A number of videos and performances

that she created have become

part of major cultural moments in Hip Hop

and those movements have found their

way into memes, Tik Tok videos and on an

array of dance floors.

Her ability to bring her love of dancehall,

freestyle and knowing what is natural

to the body transcends her work

for music videos across genres, touring

and award show performances. We talk

about her love for dance, getting into

the industry, those she collaborates with,

continuing to add to her skill sets and

how she continues to leave her mark.

ATHLEISURE MAG: What was the moment

that you realized that you fell in love with

and wanted to dance?

TANISHA SCOTT: Honestly, dance has

been part of my life and I can literally say

this without it being cliché – for forever.

My parents are Jamaican , my father loves

music and he was actually a DJ on the side

– not just house parties, but he would go

out with his friends and spin. Before I was

even born, music was all around within

the family. I knew it was something that

was super special to me not only because

of my shadow – my brother, my sister

and my dad playing, but I just knew how

much it helped me feel good. It helped me

to really open up. I’ll tell you this, when I

was really, really young, I had an issue

with stuttering and I found that through

dance, I didn’t have to speak that much

and I can speak through movement and

I can express myself and people would

smile and laugh and would want to dance

too without me having to actually say

something and feeling insecure about it.

I knew I loved dance and that dance was

actually a part of me and a very important

part because of that journey. I

didn’t realize that until I got older and

saw that it actually made a difference

for me in my life.

AM: That’s amazing. You were a background

dancer for Mya when you first

started. How did you transition from

being a dancer to a choreographer and

adding that to your body of work?

TS: Yeah, reluctantly, I can say that I

didn’t want to call myself a choreographer

for about a year after Gimmie

the Light happened. Gimmie the Light

happened because my dearest closest

friend, Director X (DMX What’s

My Name, Sean Paul Gimmie the Light,

Drake Hotline Bling) is also from Toronto.

He and Taj Critchlow who is his longtime

manager have been so close to

me! He didn’t ask me to choreograph

the video, he told me I had to! I fell

into it, I was scared out of my mind not

knowing what to do because I felt that

I was a freestyle dancer and that’s all I

knew – how would I put moves together

for other people? He just told me to

figure it out. It wasn’t until I reached

out to my mentor, Luther Brown (Janet

Jackson Dammmn Baby, Lizzo Juice,

Ozuna BAILA BAILA BAILA) who is the

king of Hip Hop and stepping in Toronto

and he mentored me and a bunch

of other kids. It wasn’t until I reached

out to him and let him know that I

didn’t know how to choreograph and

how would I do it? He broke it down to

me and said what I would do especially

is go to the mirror, figure out some

moves, see what looked good on me,

put it on some people and make sure

that it looks good on them and there

you go – from the basic aspect of it.

I choreographed the music video and I

was like it’s not going to be much. Sean

Paul was singing this song which was

older at the time when it came out in

North America. Being of Jamaican descent,

you know that we’ve heard this

song for forever. So it was like, I’m go-

ing to do this video for Sean Paul – yes.

It wasn’t anything that I had to think of

when it came to the movement because

it’s what we did in the clubs, in the basement

parties so I put all of our moves together

and felt how it should flow – did

the video and that’s it. Nobody knew

that Gimmie the Light was going to blow

up the way that it did in North America!

No one had any clue of it. That’s how

it happened and then before I knew it,

people were like, you need to get this

choreographer. I would say, the dancer,

because I danced in that video but I

didn’t feel like a choreographer – so reluctantly

it happened – blame it on X!

AM: How does your love for dance, dancehall

and being from Toronto inspire and

infuse your work?

TS: Oh gosh, I think the reason why it inspires

my work is that it’s the only thing

that I know innately that I wasn’t taught

to do. I was not taught in any kind of

professional dance when I was younger,

we just did dancehall because I come

from a Jamaican lineage, music is all

around and that’s what we’re going to

do right? I just dance the way I knew to

dance where it’s already in my blood. So

that, no matter what project I do, you’ll

always find a piece of it. I find that my

choreography is organic and authentic.

I don’t do traditional movement for anything

that is cool or in, in style or whatever

the trend is. I literally follow suit to

what the music calls for. If it’s dancehall,

then I’m going to give you dancehall, if

it’s Hip Hop, I’m going to give you Hip

Hop and if it’s something else, then I am

going to give you that. I attribute that

to the fact that I am a freestyler where

I actually watch and I pickup visually a

lot easier and do things that makes me

feel good in my body as if I’m about to

freestyle as opposed to putting together

a segment of moves that are regimented

in a specific style or technique

of a dance. So I think that that’s how I

get to flip flop. You’re always going to

get a little piece of dancehall, but at the

same time, I’m a battler at heart so if I

see somebody do something, I’m going

to do it and do it better and that’s the

way that I choreograph.

AM: I like that and that’s why it’s authentic

because you’re freely leaning into fluidity

because that’s what you’re feeling.

As a choreographer, what are you looking

for when you’re working with an artist

or maybe someone who isn’t even a

dancer – is it hard to work with someone

like that who doesn’t dance, but they’re

going to need to dance for that video?

How do you go about that process of

making that story and making them feel

comfortable and let them dance?

TS: You know what? Would you believe

me if I said that I actually prefer artists

who don’t dance?

AM: I would actually understand why

you would like that because you don’t

have to breakdown or have someone unlearn

what they do and you can just flow!

TS: Exactly! It’s for this one main reason,

they end up becoming a little more fearless

in what they do. Because I’m not

a trained dancer, I understand the fear

or being unsure of how to move, what

to do and what looks good. Because of

that, I find it very easy to look at someone

and tell what their strengths and

weaknesses are. I work with both to create

something that is signature to them.

For instance, Kelis and Bossy – her whole

walk thing, Rihanna obviously with her

hips, anything that I do with any artist –

Alicia Keys with her walk how she does

it to the side and plays the piano with

the side – using one hand on the piano

but doing it while leaning – it’s so much

more interesting to create something

that is signature to that person.

Honestly, anybody can choreograph –

literally. It’s just a series of movements

together to express whatever you want

to express. Some people just want to

have trendy moves, some people want

to tell a story, some people are just a little

more intrinsic with their movements

– there are an array of things. What

gives me joy is working with artists and

giving them their own signature imprint

so that the choreography is not a Tanisha

Scott choreography that so and so

is doing. It’s what Tanisha Scott has created

that is based off of this artist and

that it is an imprint so the dancers look

like them, they move in a certain way

and that’s what I find more interesting

is working with someone from the core

and being able to build from the ground

up – who are you, what is your persona,

what is the zhuzh, what is the story that

you want to tell. That is more intriguing

and satisfying!

Now, artists that can dance, the palette

is open – let’s try tap, let’s do jazz, silks

– there is an array of things! What pulls

at my heart strings where I just become

the scientist of movement, is when I’m

like, “ooo this will be amazing” and then

you see them blossom, it means the absolute

world to me. That is much more

fulfilling.

AM: Love that! Going back to Gimmie the

Light video, what do you think it is about

this video that after all of these years,

that reaction is still there? The feeling is

still there. Since that video, we have seen

tons of amazing things and technologically

there are different things, but the

song and visually there is that feeling

that you still get when you see it. How

does it have such staying power?

TS: I’ll tell you something, I feel that it’s

because it is so organic and it’s so freeing

like you can’t even explain or break

it down to how everybody moves in that

music video. It was just captured in the

right way and it was just a vibe! Like, you

can’t fuck up a vibe! Like you can’t not

feel a feeling – you know what I’m saying?

It wasn’t technical at all! It was just

people moving and grooving in a way

that was just something that felt good

naturally in your body that connected

to the music perfectly. Individuals captured

it and it made it cool. It was swaggy,

it was fun! You had PonyTailz doing

the Spidermen, you had Dainty Crime

which was a crew of guys in there jumping

up and down, it was entertaining. It

also didn’t feel like you couldn’t do the

moves. Everybody at home wanted to

try because it felt like, “oh I think I could

do this.” That’s what makes it so good

and continues to be so.

It’s like YMCA, everyone can do that and

you want to jump in – that’s what I think

it is.

AM: I think so too and conversely, we

were on set shooting one of our covers

and Hotline Bling came out. I hadn’t seen

the video yet and we’re all prepping for

the shoot and I was asked if I had seen

the video. We’re watching this video and

I knew it was Director X, but the vibe had

elements of Gimmie the Light as well. Of

course, I find out that you did that and I

can see why I felt those homages to the

other video. What was it like being on

this project and obviously another Toronto

connection – and it was fire!

TS: Yo, Hotline Bling, what made it so

special from the beginning is because

it was Director X, who had me involved

and of course, it was Drake. I remember

Drake saying, I need that Tanisha Scott/

Gimmie the Light moment. So, I’m like,

“let’s do it brother” and I had previously

worked with him before. He said he

just wanted to let loose – almost like not

taking anything too seriously and to just

move and vibe. So I was like, let’s go – literally.

What made the video so amazing

is of course it was beautifully shot, but it

was that synergy once again. It was the

visuals, it was X's understanding what

it takes, it’s Drake that’s part of it. Let

me tell you one thing, that man has his

finger on the pulse of not what’s new

or next, but 2 slots or 4 years ahead. He

knew more than anybody, he knew that

this was something. He is so smart and

he said, let’s just vibe and we had fun.

We freestyled and we literally just had

fun on set joking around and it became

what it became.

Who would have seen me coming up

with dances that actually became a

meme, people are doing it and it’s a signature

Drake move! It was a blessing because

I’m working with my friends and

we’re honestly friends where we trust

each other so much that there’s no micromanaging

of anything. It’s like, I’m

going to do this and this makes sense to

this and it makes sense to that – so let’s

do that. Then Drake is like let’s do this

and we just made it happen. So trust and

just going with your gut and not just doing

things that you think is right or what

someone else thinks is right.

AM: Well once again, it’s just beautiful

and it will be 20 years from now where

there will be those relevant elements

that have a different vibe in respect to

Gimmie the Light but it still has that

warmth –

TS: That simplicity.

AM: It’s so simple and I do love an over

the top production as well, but I also like

when things are paired down and you

can focus. No matter how many times

you watch it, there’s something that

pops up and it just figures that you were

involved as well!

So it’s always fun to see your work as a

dancer and a choreographer but it’s interesting

to see you as both in the same

project. Does it feel like a balanced moment

when we get to see you as both the

dancer as well as the choreographer?

TS: That to me – being a dancer during

doing something that’s choreographed,

unless I’m freestyling – doesn’t really

feel good. But, if I’m on camera choreographing

doing what I do, that feels balanced.

But if I’m dancing, I can’t perform

to my best when I know that I have choreographed

for other people are around

me and I’m looking for where they are

in their space. I’m still thinking as a choreographer

as well as what is my artist

doing and I feel like I’m cheating – it

doesn’t feel good. Because when I

dance, I zone out and I let go to be free.

In that moment, I’m not on guard. When

I’m choreographing and I’m on camera

doing choreography or creative, I feel

like I’m at home. I’m able to not just express

what it is that I do and get the job

done, but I want other people to learn

as well. There are other levels to creative

direction and different aspects of it as

well as even for the dancers. There are a

lot of things that we can do because the

longevity of a dancer is not that long so

you have to think of other things to do

that can still play into your love of dance

– you don’t lose it, but you just evolve.

AM: You look at a person like Debbie Allen

who she can still –

TS: I mean queen, queen, queen!

AM: You just look at her and even when

you watch her in something that she isn’t

dancing in like when she is in Grey’s Anatomy,

she has a flow to her movement

that when she crosses over to the other

side of the room, you’re transfixed!

TS: Preach Kimmie!

AM: I love flow and it doesn’t just exist in

dance, but when you see those who are

dancers and they still have that style in

other portions of their life, it’s beautiful

to see! You can tell the flow and musicality

that some people have even when

there isn’t anything being played.

TS: She doesn’t know this and I never

met her but she is such an inspiration.

AM: She’s amazing! She has that eye and

you know she’s watching.

There are so many videos where your fingerprint

has graced those productions

and moments. How is that for you to do

it from a video standpoint versus being

on someone’s tour with Rihanna versus

doing something for TV like the BET

Awards? Do you have to think differently

Awards? Do you have to think differently

for space or just the mediums that are

being used?

TS: I do and I’m glad that you asked that

question. I think that that’s what keeps

me excited because it’s not the same

thing over and over again. It allows me

to stay on my toes.

So when we breakdown for a music video,

a music video has edits and the primary

thing about a music video is centering

around the artist. So if there is

choreography involved, it’s for a specific

section. I always have enough dialogue

with the director understanding what

the environment is – are we dancing in

a box, dancing on platforms, dancing

on a wet floor, what are the costumes,

what is the vision and go from that. I

choreograph in sections that I know will

be used. If you were to choreograph the

whole song, you already know half of

that isn’t even going to be seen or used

unless the artist is in it. But even so,

there are different things that we have

to see. That’s one way and how I deal

with music videos.

When it comes to tours, I have to now

consider not just what the director of

the music video is shooting, the type

of frame that it is – is it overhead, is it

specifically for the camera. With a tour,

I choreograph for the naked eye. The

naked eye means the expansion of it –

it’s entrances and exits because we see

everything. You can’t control what one

person is seeing when you have thousands

of people watching. So it’s the beginning

of the song, the ending of the

song and how the next song comes in.

So it’s the thread that I use and the bigger

purpose and I also choreograph the

movement for me which is never little.

It’s always a lot bigger because I tend

to choreograph for those in the nosebleeds

that aren’t so close – they have

to have some kind of entertainment

so that they can see and feel it and you

have a successful show.

For an awards show, it’s a hybrid of

both. I actually prefer the awards shows

because I get to hone in on the director

portions that I went to school for about

6 months at the NY Film Academy to

learn music video directing. Not so much

to be a music video director, I wanted to

know how to choreograph and to speak

to actors, actresses and dancers and to

know what different frames were so I

could be better choreographer. So I get

to hone in on that when I am creative directing

and choreographing the awards

shows, I’m able to set the tone – the feeling

of this is The Wiz so it’ll be different

colors here and there, we have a yellow

brick road and we formulate that. Now,

how do we put in the choreography into

it – this person enters here, that person

enters there. Ok great, now with the

camera, what do I need to see first? I

need a close up shot of the artists walking

on the yellow brick road and now I

add a steady cam with a 360 turn to a

smaller lens where I see 1 person pop up

and then the next. We then go to a jib

for a wide so I get to utilize everything

that I have learned to put together a

piece which hopefully, my next dream

or chapter, is to be able to do Broadway.

That to me is everything from when I

do these awards shows because I get

to think outside of the box and actually

create a real piece. I have my hands in all

aspects from set design to lighting – it’s

everything to tell what that story is for

what I want in that moment.

AM: I really like getting that insight and

I expected a lot of what was said, but I

really liked hearing about the hybrid environment

of an awards show that is a

defined box but still a little more open

versus other areas. To hear your process

in how you work that makes me think of

our photoshoots where we’re creating

that set, bringing in the team, sketching

out the moodboard, bringing in the styling

etc to create this concept. So by the

time I arrive to the actual set day, I have

played so many things in my mind for

those hours.

TS: Prep is no joke!

AM: For sure! At some points as you’re actually

seeing it all together, you feel like it

already happened because you were so immersed

and bringing it life in every way.

TS: Oh my God I swear, I think we’re twins!

AM: When you’ve seen videos that you’ve

done that have been given various awards,

obviously a video is the culmination of

what you’re doing, the talent, creative

teams, director etc – with all those things

coming together and showing everyone’s

versatility and work – what does it mean

to you to have that award given to a project

you were involved in?

TS: I feel so accomplished, so much more

than even if I were personally receiving it

for myself. When people hire me, I sign a

contract in the air – it’s not a real one but

it’s where they trust me to deliver to the

best. When they are awarded, the team is

awarded and/or the video is awarded – I

know that I have done my job and that I

have gained the trust. I know that what I

set out and put out to do happened. I’m

definitely a woman of my word. If I say

I’m going to show up, I show up. If I say I

am going to make something happen, I’m

going to make something happen. With

these videos, it’s definitely a collaboration

– you have a director at the helm, but

nothing is independent from one another.

The gaffers, the stylists, the stage PAs,

like we’re working and a lot of times, you

don't know these people and you have

never worked with them before, so you

have to get on board and have the same

common goal. When that’s achieved and

it’s achieved with an award at the highest

point, I feel so much more pleased with

the job because it’s good and then It’s

onto the next! It’s all about hurry up and

wait and then on to the next.

AM: So with everything that you have done

from a video perspective, you’ve also done

other things from campaigns to commercials

to even working outside of the genre

of Hip Hop. You’ve extended the multi-hy-

phenate nature of your work beyond

creative director, dancer and choreographer,

but also performance coach. What

is a performance coach as you worked

with Sarah Jessica Parker for her campaign

with Intimissimi.

TS: Ok Kimmie, I like you, I swear you’re

asking all the questions. Ok, so a performance

coach is involved when there are

no specific movements given. But it is

having somebody portraying the emotion

that they want them to portray

through their body through movement.

So it can be anything that you do, but it’s

just narrowing it down to 10 beats. Now

they have the freedom to choose which

beat they want to use at this time. They

may switch at another time. But it’s always

showing you the vein or the box

that you need to be within. Like, here

are all the treats, you have 20 treats and

this is the box. It allows them to be more

individuals in that sense.

AM: That’s very interesting. I think it’s

great to have those that are multi-hyphenates

because they are able to pull

from a range of skill sets and that it can

be applied to a fuller spectrum so that

you’re able to do more than one thing

and you have longevity in other places

too. The touchpoints that you have

crossed by being able to take those skills

and to work with George Clooney and

large brands etc – it was interesting to

see the research and how you have really

optimized your talents and why it’s important

for people to do more than just

one thing.

You’ve been the creative director for

Cardi B and H.E.R. which is amazing and

what does that role involve for those

that may not know what that means in

this part of the industry?

TS: I work very closely with both of them

and Lizzo is a new client of mine as well

in this role. I basically sit with them and

it starts off with a conversation about

what it is and how they want their music

and themselves to translate visuallly

when they do live shows. There is always

some kind of thread or commonality that

I want to have from each show. If we’re

doing the VMAs, then doing the GRAM-

MYs and the BET Awards - all 3 should

have that element. Just like if you’re putting

an album together, the track listing

should feel familiar when you listen to it.

What is the vibe of the album? I like to do

that with the visuals. I’m not saying that

we’re always going to have H.E.R. playing

piano on a song – but if the song has

a heavy piano moment, we’ll do a piano

on this one and maybe the piano will fly

in on this one or we do a keyboard or we

don’t at all. You need to have some kind

of familiarity with what you do and then

ask how you express yourself so that we

can create this moment. From the styling

of how they want to feel, the mood of the

light – so I come up with all of those things

and I begin to paint the canvas as to how

they want their music to be looked at and

received.

AM: It’s also fun to see you pop up into

shows like when you were on America’s

Next Top Model, I enjoyed seeing you in

Legendary and in your show with Lizzo for

Watch Out for the Big Grrrls. How important

is it for you to also present yourself in

this element as well and how did you get

attached to these projects?

TS: It was another kind of Director X moment

where he said, you just have to do it.

So the original producers for Legendary

called me for Season 1. I had worked with

them on America’s Next Best Dance Crew.

They liked the way I worked with the contestants

on that show. They explained

that they were starting this new show

and it was about the ballroom world and

that they needed a mentor. They needed

someone that was able to translate

an underground culture, street style to

the mainstream without fucking it up basically

– without watering it down. They

knew that I had that eye and that I’m able

to choreograph things together for mainstream

through dancehall. They wanted it

to be 100% authentic but easy to the eye

as well with understanding. I agree and

again, Legendary has grown and we’re

on our 3rd season. It’s one of the most

fulfilling things that I have ever done.

Anything that has to do with culture –

street culture that’s my jam! I’m a freestyler,

I’m a street dancer, I come form

the world of dancehall so dancehall to

me is just like ballroom – just the bones

of it and what it represents. What it

does for the culture and the people

within that, I’m happy to be part of that

and what this show is doing for people

will allow the world to be able to understand

and experience true, real and authentic

ballroom – not the cookie cutter

waterdowned version that people love

to do after they get glimpse of what

this is. Being on camera for this is just

a bonus and it wasn’t something that I

planned on doing. Then they said that

they thought that having me in a segment

with the dancers during rehearsals

would be nice. I told them that as

long as they didn’t stop and bother us

while we’re rehearsing because they

have work to do and we can’t recreate

elements. I’m in love with this show.

With Lizzo, it was actually one of the first

things that we spoke about. We were

discussing working together to see if we

were a good fit to do creative direction

with her. Initially, it wasn’t choreography,

it was creative direction. Choreography

just came because she was looking for a

new outlook to help the new album – I

think she felt that she wanted to be able

to work with a woman. She just wanted

a different vibe and she has grown into

becoming more aware of things that she

wants as an artist. So visually, we started

to talk and then through us speaking we

got deep about where we started and

things that we have gone through and

she told me about the show. She wanted

me to come on and to speak to the

girls about my story and I thought, absolutely.

As we started, we were working

on a few festivals and creating. She

wanted to perform a song but change

up the choreography and then that ended

up being part of the show since I was

choreographing the missing pieces or

numbers that we wanted to add in. It was

only supposed to be 1 episode and it ended

up being more and it just happened

that way.

AM: We saw her recent hosting and performances

on SNL. Were you involved in

that choreography?

TS: Yes!

AM: Loved it!

TS: It was cute right?

AM: I was watching it and was like, that’s

her too.

TS: Yaaas! I did that and I did the creative

for it. You know, it’s a new album, it’s going

to be a dope album and really good.

She is singing, the vibe is so fun – it’s

funky. So we’re like, what do we do? SNL

is one of the most iconic running shows

in the world and I’m like we just need to

have people hear and listen to the song.

So instead of making a big dramatic set,

let’s keep it simple, but golden and sparkly

with lights. We just needed to give what

the song gives. It was good and a good

time and with her hosting too!

AM: Such a fan of her work but to have

her hosting and performing on SNL while

her series is streaming on Prime Video was

amazing.

We’re living in a number of moments right

now and in this body inclusivity time we’re

in to give space to everyone that has an interest

and the talent to do so, I think Lizzo’s

show to have someone such as yourself

who has worked with so many people

to work with these women, really drives

home the point that it’s not cool to identify

those based on their race, gender, sexuality,

body type etc and to dismiss them from

opportunities where they can be present

and own their gifts. This show is a great

way to draw awareness to the opportunities

that do exist for people.

TS: I love that! To me, what am I doing this

job for – for what? When I think of what

my legacy is, I just want everybody to

have an opportunity and a moment to

have what they want to have and then

it’s up to them to continue with it. So

give people the tools to be great to do

what they want. It’s literally limitless.

You’re right, it’s not cool to tell someone

that they are not the right look for

something. If you have the capability

and the chops to do something – absolutely

you should. Who is making the decision

to defining what the perfect look

is for something that is specific. You can

have it in your box for what you do, but

it should never be generalized.

With the girls, I said listen, we’re going to

open up this door and you need to kick it

down because I can only do so much for

you. There is that aspect of being real

and of course, it’s a sisterhood and we’re

not here to put anybody down. We’re

here to motivate and to uplift but at the

same time, I’m very real and I know the

kinds of circumstances that I have been

through. I’ve been the dark-skinned girl

where there was no makeup for you so

before for those young kids that didn’t

know, there was nothing. So I’d come in

with my hat down low because X is calling

me and Hype is calling me and telling

me to get to set. I’m the first one in

the makeup chair and the last one getting

my makeup done. So, I’d put on a

hat so that no one could see that I didn’t

have makeup on. Or the fact that I’m

chocolate, you can only have 1 of the 4

girls in the audition that will be chosen.

Half the time that I’m auditioning, I’m

like, "hey girl, hey girl” who is it going to

be this time – well you got the last one

so I’m going to be picked this time. You

know what I’m saying? I’m not a Size 0

so having to get sample sizes was never

the thing so my outfit was always the

other outfit. My butt is big. Not being a

trained dancer, I couldn’t do pirouettes,

leaps and jumps. To this day, I still put

myself in class learn and I am in beginners’

classes.

I’m not afraid to learn and that’s also

what I tried to teach the girls. You control

what happens to you in your life. Regardless

of what people want to say and

doors that have closed. We have all heard

the stories about what happened to Tyra

Banks and getting so many doors closed

and then of course look at her now. We’ve

all had that! But you have to keep pushing

and once you push and that door opens,

then you have to make sure that you

stomp so hard that your foot is cemented

into the ground and that they cannot

deny you.

That’s what I got, I said don’t look at my

face, I put my hat down, I didn’t need

makeup, I’ll be there on time, I’ll wear my

own outfit – I wasn’t doing choreography,

so I was doing freestyle and every time

out of those 100 music videos that I did,

I freestyled that. I made sure that every

single time I freestyled that I would get a

standing ovation that would make them

clap to make myself memorable. People

would say, who was that girl that did this

or who is that girl that did that and that’s

how I made my mark. I think that that

is the reason that I am where I am now

because of all the no’s, I took them like

a champ and I’m not saying that I never

cried or wanted to give up, but I just kept

going and every time there was an opportunity,

I just said yes and let me figure it

out when I get there.

AM: Tell me about the B Project campaign

with Good American.

TS: Ok, yaaas! That was so fly to me Baroline

Diaz is a VP of A&R at Interscope

Records. We had never met before and

she reached out to me and a few other

women in her network that she didn’t

know but admired and wanted all 12 of us

to be part of her campaign. It was strictly

for boss women that were self-made

who didn’t have anything easy but are doing

their damn thing. She just wanted to

celebrate us and to be able to recognize

others. Honestly before I even met her, I

thought this sounds fire and when I met

her, we had dinner and had some drinks

and I’m like, “you are like everything that

we need as a network for women that

really do truly empower one another.”

She doesn’t just say it, she lives it. We

even have a chat that we still everyday

talk with one another. Baroline is on it!

She’s on our Instagram and our socials

and she lets us know about so and so

who does this and we say, “yes.” Or

someone will say that they have something

and will ask to get our addresses

and they send it out. I’m going to help

out someone else in the group with one

of her artists. There are a couple of people

in that group where we’re all super

connected and we’re going to work with

each other and help lift each other as

well. There are just a lot of convos that

go on in the group chat whether we’re

helping one another out, sending scriptures

or just getting projects going. It

is such a great good sisterhood and it’s

such a great campaign that I was able to

be part of!

AM: It feels like you’re someone who is

always flowing from one project to the

next project or maybe it’s 80 projects that

are all running at the same time! What

do you have coming up that you are able

to share that you’re excited about?

TS: I can share 2 things – 1 halfway. I am

doing something with Disney and in NY

so that should be cool! It’s kind of like

wowzers and then another thing that

is coming soon is that I’m working with

Tom Holland and Sasha Lane on this Apple+

TV show, The Crowded Room. I can’t

give anything away with this show, but

I am so excited! I have the BET Awards

coming up with Lizzo! H.E.R. right now is

on tour opening up for Coldplay as well

as her own tour. I did the creative direction

for that. And working with Coldplay

too!

AM: Saw that, I’m a huge Coldplay fan. I

was like look at her rocking more spaces

then just her spaces!

TS: RIGHT! And then Lizzo’s tour is coming

and we’ll be announcing soon!

TS: I do!

AM: In looking at other things that you

have done, I know that at one time you

were the choreographer for the Brooklyn

Nets Kids dance team! How long were you

with them and why did you want to do be

involved in this?

TS: I started once Barclays opened up and

the Brooklyn Nets became a thing. So I

started working with the kids for about

5 years and then I passed it onto the assistant

of mine at the time only because

I started traveling for work and I couldn’t

physically be there! I actually got the job

through Jay-Z and my friend who is one

of the directors for the female dancer’s

entertainment group. For me, I chose to

work with the kids because honestly for

me, it’s not work for me when I work with

children. Because they’re so fearless and

they want to try everything, because

they’re always so ready to go – I get a lot

from them. I just feel really good being

one of their first teachers to show them

direction on how to learn, how to be, how

to respect choreographers, how to walk

in and just being part of their journey

and helping to help them find who they

are whether they want to do this or don’t

want to do this as a career. Whether they

want to continue or not, to me, that’s the

world. I love working with kids.

AM: It’s so important to have a positive

influence for dance. I remember growing

up that I started in ballet and tap at a really

young age. I liked ballet and I remember

that the teacher told me that due to

my body type there wasn’t a place for me

in that arena and that there weren’t any

Black ballerinas and that I shouldn’t do it.

So, we’re talking the early 80s, I didn’t do

it and I just did tap instead. The teacher, I

thought at the time, was super nice and I

believed what she said.

So to have a teacher that makes sure that

you feel seen and allows you to go after

something if that is your interest without

putting barriers up, made me think that

what you did for those kids was amazing.

Now do we know if I would have really

done ballet – but I know you shouldn’t

tell a 3 or 4 year old that they shouldn’t.

TS: No that’s absolutely right! That

shouldn’t have happened. You said it

perfectly, we need voices that allow

people to be seen and to encourage

them and to let them know you’re good

enough. You should hone in on what

you have and what you want. Golly, you

need a second opinion sometimes.

AM: I know! But it was back then, so I

didn’t know that there would be a Misty

Copeland that would come along and at

the time and where I grew up, there was

no reference. But it did make me realize

from then on that when I would go

in whatever space, I fought for myself

and place there and if it was something

I wanted to do, I would make it happen

regardless of what was said.

You also worked for a program with the

Block Institute for Autism. Why did you

want to be involved in this?

TS: Because I realized that there are

things that are bigger than me and that

there are things that are more rewarding

than the biggest celebrity and the

biggest brand. Does it even matter if

you can’t enrich the lives of those that

are not seen. People are important and

if there is a need and especially with

dance and what it has done for me and

how it makes me feel, I want to be able

to work with and teach and empower

those that are in my reach. When I got

the opportunity it was through a friend

of mine that I talked with who worked

with the Block Institute. I asked what

they did and he explained that they

provide extracurricular activities and I

asked about dance. He explained that

sometimes they would go in the gym

and I let them know that I would come

in and help and I did it for 3 years.

Life is short. God gave me a gift and it’s

not for myself and it’s not for the riches

or the popularity – it’s to enrich and to

give hope, love and acceptance to others.

I’m not keeping this to myself. I don’t like

to dance alone! I want everybody to come

and dance with me! It was pretty easy and

a very quick yes from me. I actually miss

doing it and I do want to start something

up like that again. I really really do and I

just have to make time for it. Thanks for

reminding me about it! It’s important.

AM: I liked seeing that. We have been covering

various autism stories from Autism

Speaks Gala which included noted chefs

and Andrew Zimmern was one of the hosts

of the night, his son is autistic. It was a

beautiful gala at Cipriani’s downtown and

then Prime Video has a series streaming

now, ‘As We See It’ which focuses on autistic

adults and how they engage in the

world and their relationship to one another,

their families and they aid. It showed

the depth of what it means to be autistic

and how that can be from one person to

the other as it’s not a monolithic experience.

So to have someone such as yourself

to give of your time in addition to everything

you do, to infuse something you love

to them is pretty awesome.

TS: Thank you. I really need to do more

and it’s not enough.

AM: You do what you can in the hours of

a day and I have taken 1 24 hour clock and

made it 72 hours!

TS: Ha yes you’re right – let me stop!

AM: So when you’re not doing projects,

how do you take time for yourself to have

a reset? Because when you’re working

with so many people and playing checkpoint,

you’re doing 72 hours in a 24 hour

cycle and you’re being 25 people!

TS: I’ve never heard it so eloquently stated

like that! I literally when I have that time

and I’m searching for it right now, I drop

everything and go to Jamaica. I’m gone –

the beach, the sand, the air – that’s what

I need. If I can’t get away, then I’m in my

bed watching any type of reality TV – like

Love Island!

AM: Have you watched The Ultimatum

yet?

TS: I just started! Because I just finished

–

AM: Love is Blind!

TS: Yes, I’m still in the first episode, are

you watching it?

AM: I already watched it. I am a queen

binger because that is how I decompress!

I love reality shows for a number

of reasons – obviously it’s interesting to

be able to see the people, you’re seeing

designers coming through and there’s a

lot of education that you can learn from

the area that’s being covered, regional

knowledge, restaurants etc and to know

that that’s not you watching it all go

down! Because I’m here for the drama as

long as it’s not my own!

TS: Yes, same here!

AM: Who are 3 people that assisted you

to be where you are today in your career?

TS: Director X, like I said, I’ve never met

her before but Debbie Allen. She mentors

me from afar there are things that

she has done that are just so impressive.

I’ll also say, my closest friends that are

like my family and my brother and sister.

They’re always like, how did you do this

– this is great – keep going! Do t his and

do that. They also ignite my fire. They

give a lot of reassurance from them.

@tanishascott

PHOTO CREDIT | FRONT + BACK COVER,

PG 18, 21, 26 Carey Bradshaw | PG 22, 25,

29, 30, 32 Courtesy Tanisha Scott | PG 35

+ 36 Amazon/Watch Out For the Big Grrrls

| PG 39 Ali Page Goldstein/HBO Max

| PG 40 HBO MAX/Legendary | 9LIST

STORI3S PG 180 Mohamed Sadek/Gap-

Fit |

We've been fans of Prime Video's Bosch

where we follow along as Harry Bosch

solves a number of cases regardless of how

many feathers he ruffles in the process. On

May 6th, the story continues on Amazon

FreeVee with Bosch: Legacy. We see how

Bosch continues to fight for victims as his

daughter Maddie Bosch continues to walk

in her father's steps and how he will reconnect

with former nemesis, Honey Chandler.

We enjoy the way Titus Welliver leans into

his characters and draws us in. Whether

it's his work in ABC's Lost, FX's Sons of

Anarchy, HBO's Deadwood and countless

other TV shows and movies, we know that

Titus is going to leave quite a memory with

us in the characters that he plays.

We talked with him about becoming an actor,

working in the industry and taking on

Bosch which comes from a series of books

written by Michael Connelly.

ATHLEISURE MAG: What was the moment

that you realized that you wanted to be an

actor?

TITUS WELLIVER: Oh boy, you know, I

think I was born acting. I don’t know

about that, I think it’s difficult or I can say,

it was right after I realized I didn’t want to

be a firefighter or a policeman anymore

like all little boys do.

Actually, there was a filmmaker named

Rudy Burckhardt and he made some films

and he asked me to be in a film of his when

I was about 5 and it was a very simple little

bit where I played a little boy that had

a shiny penny in his pocket and he was

walking down a road. He had a hole in his

pocket and he lost the penny and the penny

was stolen from him by this stingy old

man. I remember sort of thinking that it

was kind of fun, but I didn’t really consider

it any further than that. I did some little

bits in school plays and things like that.

I really was initially trained to be a painter

– a fine artist, that’s really what I wanted

to do. But I always had an interest certainly

in film and I watched a lot of television. I

was spending a summer with my mother

– she was living in Boston, but I didn’t

go to school there so I didn’t have any

friends there and I didn’t know any kids

there. She was living in an area where

there just wasn’t that kind of accessibility

and I was sort of left to my own

devices which meant I was just going

to the Cineplex – to the movies all

day long. She signed me up at a place

called The Actors Workshop in Boston

and I was 14 years old. I was reluctant, I

wasn’t a camp kid, I liked sports camps

and things like that. I went and after the

first day, I came back to my mother and

asked her if I could do more days of that.

I ended up doing 5 days a week and it

was a professional school for both adult

and kid actors. I did that and I spent the

summer doing that, but I still stayed on

the trajectory that I was going to go to

art school and I painted and I studied

and studied.

I did a few productions in high school

and enjoyed doing that and after a year

of art school, I was left kind of cold to a

certain degree and I had a conversation

with my father who very directly said to

me, “you know, when you’re not thinking

about girls and drinking beer, what

do you think about?” I said, “I think

about acting.” My father said, “so not

painting?”and I said no. He told me that

I needed to be an actor. That was kind

of it!

AM: What’s your process like when

you’re thinking of attaching yourself

to projects? We’ve enjoyed seeing your

in Deadwood, Sons of Anarchy and of

course Bosch – what are you looking for?

TW: Well, when you’re starting out, it’s

about paying your bills, but also gaining

experience. I mean, I did a lot of

teeny tiny parts in plays, in short films

and things because I was just trying

to learn and gain that experience. So

there’s that, but I think that more then

anything, it starts with the writing. I've

read a lot of bad scripts and I have acted

in a few. But when the material is good,

then it’s on! Then you realize that you’re

in the presence of some material that’s

going to challenge you and also that it will

hopefully teach you something. Because I

always say, I like to be in a constant state

of learning and getting better. I think that

with time, age and experience, the hope

is that we evolve and certainly as artists,

otherwise, you get kind of bored and you

go and do something else. I’ve been extraordinarily

fortunate that I have worked

with great writers, producers and directors

over the years – David Milch (Deadwood,

NYPD Blue, Hill Street Blues) and

Steven Bochco (NYPD Blue, Doogie Howser,

M.D., Brooklyn South) to name a few

and here I landed with Michael Connelly

(The Lincoln Lawyer, The Dark Hours, The

Poet) and Eric Overmyer (The Wire, Boardwalk

Empire, The Affair) and Tom Bernardo

(Bosch, Bosch: Legacy) – a very gifted

and dynamic group of people. To be given

the opportunity to play this very iconic

character, he’s kind of like Santa Claus for

an actor, he goes down the chimney every

time that I go to work and it’s nice.

AM: We’ve been a fan of Michael Connelly

books for a number of years so when

Bosch went to Prime Video it was exciting

and then that you were going to play the

title character, we knew that it was going

to be so good. How did that come together

for you to be part of this?

TW: Well, I was initially sent the script and

I read it very quickly. I had only read one

of the Bosch books many many years prior

to. Unbeknownst to me, my younger

brother had read and re-read the books

and to this day possesses a kind of encyclopedic

knowledge of Bosch as well as

everything that Michael has written.

Through a series of mishaps, I kept trying

to meet with Michael and the meetings

kept getting pushed off and I was shooting

Transformers: Age of Extinction which

had me traveling all over the place in Chicago,

Michigan and then Hong Kong. We

just kept missing. I got a call a couple of

months later from my manager who told

me that I had a little window and Michael

Connelly was in town and I would be

able to meet with him. At that point, I

thought that that boat had sailed as it

had been a couple of months that had

passed. I went in and met with him and

the producers and the director and I was

– as my grandmother would say, I was

blessed at that moment. I left that audition

feeling good, but you know, I have

been doing this long enough and have

enough humility to know that that’s all

you can do. I got the call from my manager

that I had been cast as Bosch and

to say that I was thrilled was an understatement.

It was just more realized after

the first day of shooting that I knew

I was part of something that was different.

I’ve played other cop characters

and I’ve done lots of procedural cop

shows. Look, when you’re doing something

from the ground up, it’s tricky

but, when you have source material,

like Michael Connelly’s books, you have

to work really hard to mess it up. You

know, in less capable hands, it could be

very very messed up. The temptation to

sex things up for a lack of a better word

– to have him wearing Brioni suits, driving

a fast car and jumping in and out of

bed like James Bond, I was relieved that

there was never any kind of consideration

to do anything because I have always

felt that if it ain’t broke, there’s no

need to fix it.

Because of the ways that Amazon and

the executives work which is at the

beginning of the studios, they have a

prime directive which is to get the material,

but then to delegate the process

to the creative people and not to micromanage.

They delegated to people that

they knew that they trusted. They really

did that and they stood behind the

show. When we needed things, they always

showed up. Because we had such

a great group of writers and producers,

we were excited by the acceptance and

the invitation into people’s homes for

the show and the success of the show.

But I think that we always felt that it

speaks back to what I said in evolving

and learning. I felt that the show just

continued to get better and better and

here we are now in Bosch: Legacy which is

a continuation of the work we have been

doing for all of these years.

AM: For those who might need a refresher,

where did we leave Bosch in season 7 and

where do we pick up with him again as we

continue his saga in Bosch: Legacy?

TW: Well, Harry’s you know in the last

season of Bosch, he’s so completely fed

up and disenfranchised that he gives

his badge to the Chief of Police and says

he’s done. There’s a great line that Irving

(Lance Reddick – Bosch, John Wick franchise,

The Wire) says to him in that moment,

he says, “who are you gonna be

if you’re not a cop and you don’t have a

badge, who are you going to be?” Harry

says, “I guess we’ll find out.” In the final

scenes for a little Easter egg scene, we

find Harry filling out his paperwork to become

a private investigator.

We pick up a little over a year later after

that season and Harry is working as a private

eye, but he’s doing divorce cases and

things here and there. It’s not like he’s got

this bustling business and Maddie (Madison

Lintz – The Walking Dead, Bosch,

Bosch: Legacy) has joined the force and

has been on the force for awhile. She’s

still working with a training officer, so

she’s a boot and she’s trying to find her

own legs, but she’s Harry’s daughter and

it’s really in her DNA, she carries a lot of

the work ethic and the same characteristics

and has the same moral compass as

well as independent thinker which places

her at odds, but she’s out there doing

it. We find Chandler (Mimi Rogers – Mad

Men, Bosch, Bosch: Legacy) sort of reeling

from the very serious PTSD from almost

being killed and the person who orchestrated

her attempted assassination and

Maddie’s looks like he’s going to go free.

You find that everybody is in these states

of being kind of fractured and broken.

You know, Harry is untethered, he's kind

of wandering and he's always been a kind

of an isolated character, but he's more

isolated than ever now. Maddie, as she’s

navigating it, she’s also trying to come

into her own because Harry’s legacy has

cast a very, very big shadow and that’s

not all great! Harry’s reputation was one

of being a closer and a great detective,

but he pissed a lot of people off because

he was a very direct guy and not exactly

user friendly. The name Bosch on her uniform

is not necessarily a great thing and

she doesn’t use her father’s reputation

as commerce within the department. So

we find these characters really navigating

things at the same time and interacting

so it doesn’t necessarily feel like it’s a

triptych, everything intertwines. But it’s

also not like you have Maddie, Chandler

and Harry having dinner at the house

together – it’s not contrived like that.

They’re all living their different lives and

they’re all finding their way.

AM: How excited are you in being able to

continue this story?

TW: I’m very excited and the idea when

we were shooting the final season of

Bosch, there was a heaviness for everyone

involved. We had become very very

close like a family as productions do and

we were all invested and were very, very

connected and committed to our characters

and to the show and so when

the opportunity presented itself that

we would continue, obviously with a

smaller ensemble cast and the ability to

focus more on 3 central characters, but

still bring in the characters that people

know and love that populate the Harry

Bosch universe – it’s a thrill! I’m very

excited for the show to come out there

because the fans of the show that have

been so incredibly supportive over the

years are really eager and hungry and

they want to see what it’s going to be

like. I have confidence that we will meet

and surpass their expectations.

@tituswelliverofficial

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDIT | PG 46 - 51 + 55

Prime Video/Bosch | PG 52 Amazon Free-

Vee/Bosch: Legacy |

THE ART OF

THE SNACK:

SUSHI AMANE

Last year, we covered MIFUNE in our feature,

Athleisure List. Now, we're sharing

another restaurant located in the lower

level of this restaurant, known as Sushi

AMANE. We took a moment to talk to Executive

Chef Tomoyuki Hayashi who creates

an omakase menu at his Michelin starred

restaurant with two seatings. He talks

about how he stays inspired to create the

menus, dishes he suggests and how you

can enjoy your next meal there.

ATHLEISURE MAG: Executive Chef Tomoyuki

Hayashi, tell me about where you

trained and your culinary journey that

brought you to Sushi AMANE?

EXECUTIVE CHEF TOMOYUKI HAYASHI:

After graduating college, I apprenticed

under top sushi masters in Tokyo for many

years. The president of the company I was

working for at the time offered me an opportunity

to work in New York. I jumped

at the opportunity to work and live overseas.

At the time, very few sushi restaurants

offered omakase, most of them

were serving set menus and a la carte

menus. Before helming Sushi AMANE, I

was the Executive Chef at Sushi Azabu for

many years. Back then, Sushi Azabu was

one of the first Japanese restaurants that

introduced the omakase concept to New

Yorkers. With omakase now mainstream

and Sushi AMANE being an omakase-only

concept restaurant, I have taken on the

role of Executive Chef at Sushi AMANE to

offer my own rendition of omakase.

AM: Tell me about your 8 seat omakase

counter that is located inside MIFUNE.

What can guests expect in terms of the

ambiance and how they can get there?

EXECUTIVE CHEF TH: Although Sushi

AMANE and MIFUNE share the same entrance,

we are two separate restaurants

and operate independently of each other.

Once you enter MIFUNE, guests will

be guided by our staff to Sushi AMANE.

In a way, Sushi AMANE has a speakeasy

vibe as it’s hidden away on a separate level.

Most MIFUNE customers are unaware

and surprised to learn that there is an-

other restaurant on the lower level and

I think Sushi AMANE customers will

pleasantly enjoy the short journey from

MIFUNE to our intimate space below at

Sushi AMANE.

AM: Tell me about your omakase menu.

EXECUTIVE CHEF TH: Every omakase is

different but my omakase course flow is

as follows.

The omakase starts with a light white

fish, a meatier full-bodied fish, then

shellfish that’s different on the nose and

in texture, followed by a warm dish, a

palate cleanser course and finally the

nigiri courses. With this course flow

in mind, I plan and order my fish from

Toyosu Fish Market and the fish market

in the Kyushu region of Japan.

AM: How do you go about planning what

will be on the menu and is it based on

seasonality?

EXECUTIVE CHEF TH: I create my

omakase with the best ingredients the

market has to offer, so I do not rigidly

stick to seasonality. It just happens that

most of the times the best ingredients

are at its peak during a particular season,

so the seasons are reflected naturally

throughout my omakase.

AM: Where do you get inspiration from

when you are planning the service?

EXECUTIVE CHEF TH: I get a lot of information

and ideas for my omakase and

learn about the trends of the Japanese

market by talking to my fish vendors,

fellow sushi chefs, and industry insiders.

Lately, YouTube and Instagram have

been a great source of inspiration and

creativity. It’s a great way to follow the

latest trends in Japan as well.

AM: What are 3 dishes that you like to

include in your rotation of omakase

menus?

EXECUTIVE CHEF TH: For the small dish-

es served before the nigiri courses, the inclusion

of my grilled sea perch over uni rice

is a must. In the nigiri courses, I always include

baby red snapper and bluefin tuna.

All wild caught and I always source them

from Japan for their superior flavor.

AM: For those that have never enjoyed

omakase, is it just one menu offered each

night or do you offer an option of omakase

menus that you can select from?

EXECUTIVE CHEF TH: At Sushi AMANE,

I offer an omakase course that can be

enjoyed by customers who have never

experienced omakase and experienced

omakase diners alike. If someone has a

dietary restriction to certain fish and seafoods,

I am happy to adjust the menu for

them as well with advance notice.

AM: What are 3 sakes that we can enjoy

with our meals?

EXECUTIVE CHEF TH: At Sushi AMANE, we

have a wide range of sakes that changes

frequently, but my favorite is Kikuhime

B.Y. Library Release 2005, Daiginjo. As the

name suggests, it is a rare sake that has

been carefully aged for over a decade before

being released and it pairs beautifully

with sushi omakase. Daiginjo sakes are

typically aromatic and pair well with sushi,

but I am particularly fond of Kikuhime’s

dry and crisp style that compliments my

sushi well.

AM: With only 8 seats available, how many

seatings do you have and what is the reservation

process? Can a party book all 8 tables

for a private dinner?

EXECUTIVE CHEF TH: There are two seatings

each night Tuesday-Saturday at 6pm

and 8:30pm. Reservations can be made

through Resy. A party can buy out all of

the seats for a private dinner by emailing

us at sushiamane@gmail.com.

IG @sushiamane

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDIT | Sushi AMANE

ATHLEISURE LIST: West Village, NYC

RAMEN MISOYA

When the first Ramen Misoya opened

in the East Village in 2011, it was the first

restaurant in New York City to serve

exclusively Miso Ramen – no shoyu,

shio or tonkotsu styles of ramen.

They wanted to bring Ramen Misoya

to the West side as well. To serve authentic

bowls of ramen you have to

make ramen broth from scratch – no

shortcuts so a large kitchen is needed.

This location is spacious and has

a large kitchen to accommodate their

authentic approach to making ramen.

It is located speakeasy-style underground

in a landmark building with

a small sign above the stairs. Once

guests descend and enter the first set

of doors, a bright orange door leads

to the restaurant's main dining room

just a few more steps down, the design

is sleek and modern, with a light

color palette, blond wood furniture

and décor elements, and surprising 10-

foot ceilings that make the space feel

open and airy. The two dining rooms

(seating 30 total) feature exposed

brick and white walls, tiled floors and

different types of seating - banquette,

booth, table and counter seating perfect

for solo diners. And there is a

large window that allows diners to

peek into the kitchen.

Kome, Shiro and Mame miso are the

three miso types that we use at Ramen

Misoya. Kome and Shiro miso

are made of soybeans and rice, while

Mame is 100% soybeans. Kome is a

standard miso and most people are

familiar with its salty taste. Shiro is

produced in the Kyoto area and, compared

to Kome, it is milder and a little

sweeter. Mame is very unique for its

rich texture and darker hue because

of its pure soybean paste.


We suggest the Hokkaido-style Kome

Miso Cha-Shu Ramen which is a rich

tasting pork-chicken broth with slices

of miso-marinated and braised pork

(cha-shu), ground pork, bean sprouts,

scallions, corn, menma (bamboo

shoot), and miso egg.

Shiro Miso Spicy Ramen is made with

white, less salty miso in a Kyoto style,

with ground pork, bean sprouts, scallion,

fried tofu, menma and miso egg.

Konayuki Ramen, a kome miso broth

with parmesan cheese and butter - all

of them come with the usual ramen

toppings just like the classics. Vegetarian

ramen broth made with mushroom

and seaweed is also available, offering

meatless options of all the classic ramens.

You can enjoy sake by Chiyomusubi


Sake Brewery, which was founded in

1865 in the prefecture of Tottori in Japan’s

Honshu. The labels feature distinctive

illustrations by Shigeru Mizuki,

the famous Japanese manga artist and

creator of GeGeGe no Kitaro manga

series. Each sake is made with different

rice, creating different flavor profiles

that pair well with their ramen.

RAMEN MISOYA

535 Hudson Street

NY, NY 10014

misoyanyc.com

@misoyanyc

PHOTOS COURTESY | RAMEN

MISOYA


ATHLEISURE LIST: Culver City + Hollywood - LA, CA

[SOLIDCORE]

[solidcore] is a 50-minute, full-body

strength-training workout that uses

slow, controlled movements to break

down the slow-twitch muscle fibers so

that they build back stronger and leaner.

Described as “pilates redefined,”

[solidcore] differs from a traditional

pilates class by bringing different levels

of intensity and efficiency to the

workout and the overall experience.

With a focus on empowering [communities]

and creating a space where

everyone feels inspired, included, and

seen, [solidcore] is on a mission to help

people create the strongest version of

themselves.

If you have yet to do this kind of workout,

we suggest heading to the studio

15 minutes prior to class so that you

can have a demo with your trainer,

learn about safety information, get

hands an assistance and even learn

about modifications that you can use

throughout the workout. Their classes

are designed so that even in a group

setting, you can get personalized interaction

that will help you optimize

your workout and experience.

You'll find that during the workout

that this version of pilates is unique

as they focus on results that overload

and break down your muscle fibers

and then giving them time to recover

and adapt. By using rotating monthly

muscles it prevents plateaus and creates

balanced bodies. This method

helps people build long, lean muscles

that frames your physique and increases

your metabolism.

We also like that after your class, you

can still be connected with others

who also enjoy working out at this studio

by staying in touch via their social


social channels whether you're looking

for encouragement, tips or chatting

with those who are in your class.

Whether you're taking one class or

are looking for the membership that

works best for your location or your

travel needs, you should visit their site

to see the options as well as the studios

that are available near you.

[solidcore]

Culver City

8900 Venice Blvd. Unit 106

Culver City, CA 90232

Hollywood

6677 Santa Monica Blvd.

Unit 103

LA, CA90038

solidcore.co

@solidcore

PHOTOS COURTESY | [solidcore]



This year when the NBA unveiled their

75th Anniversary Team of retired and active

players, it included 17 members who

played for the Lakers which includes the

Showtime era of the 70/80s with players

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson.

To understand the importance of this era

and what it did to how we enjoy the game,

and how it moved the game forward in

terms of commerce and making players

brand, Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers

Dynasty illustrates the dynamics at

play.

We talked with Rodney Barnes, who has

written for STARZ Heels, STARZ American

Gods, Everybody Hates Chris and more. He

shares how he got into the industry, the

positions he has held, his approach to his

work, being the Executive Producer and

writer for Winning Time, Zombie Love Studios

and his passion for comic books and

graphic novels.

ATHLEISURE MAG: You’ve worked in various

positions in the entertainment industry

as a Production Assistant, showrunner,

Executive Producer and an award-winning

screenwriter. With all of these roles, what

was the moment that you realized that you

wanted to work in this industry?

RODNEY BARNES: I was going to Howard

University and I was in the School of C

(Howard University Cathy Hughs School

of Communication) and I was working at

Georgetown Law Center as a campus cop

at night and I found out that the movie

The Pelican Brief was coming to my job to

film some scenes. So I was really excited

because it’s one thing to go to school for

this and it’s another thing to actually be

able to see it up close. So I signed up for

all of the overtime details and I got them

all. I started watching the movie being put

together and it was so exciting! So I met a

guy and he was the PA, he was a Key Set

PA. So I asked him how I could get a job

doing what he did. He said that that weekend,

they had some big scenes that were

taking place at the Washington Monument

and that if I wanted to come and do

it for a day, they'd be happy to have me.

So I did it and it was the most exciting,

fun and best $100 that I ever made in my

entire life! It was something about it that

felt right. I felt more purpose in doing that

and being close to this thing that I wanted

to be close to then I did doing anything

else that paid a lot better. I quit my job at

Georgetown and started working as a PA

full time.

AM: What a story, we always tell people

that we embrace the multi-hyphenate. As

someone who has worked in a number of

roles and continues to do so from writing

and producing, when did you know that

you wanted to take on these areas and

what the specific area was that you wanted

to start in first? Or was there just a confluence

that took place to make all of this

come together?

RB: I knew I wanted to be a writer, but

I knew what I didn’t know. I knew that I

didn’t understand how any of this worked

and I had a very fundamental understanding

of what writing was and telling stories.

Quite frankly, emotionally and psychologically,

I wasn’t mature enough or evolved

enough to be able to take on the big job.

So, working as a PA, I look at it as being an

apprentice. I had an opportunity to meet

people, to sort of find my tribe, to figure

out the psychology of how it would work

and to just get my legs under me which

was a bit like bootcamp. It was always

writing, but I had to build up to the idea

of being able to take my shot at it because

it just felt too big.

AM: What do you think was the biggest

thing that you learned from being a PA

that has helped you with your career or

was it just being able to see all the parts

that were moving and to be able to understand

how they connect?

RB: There was that. I think that the thing

for me was that I always had this idea that

everybody in Hollywood must be a genius

and I haven’t met a genius yet. But,

what I have met are some folks that have

worked really really hard at their craft. It

sort of demystified the entire process for

me in being able to see it up close and to

be able to observe. I wouldn’t say that I

was a vital part although I know that some

people would disagree. It was sort of the

type of thing where getting to know people

as friends and mentors even though

that’s a problematic word as no one put

their arm around me and said, “son this is

what you do.” But they allowed me to be

in their circle and to be able to see how

the sausage is made. I got an opportunity

to be able to just see things up close and

to decide whether or not I could do it, if I

wanted to do it and the closer I got to the

thing that I wanted, the better that things

got for me, but I wouldn’t have been able

to do any of it if I hadn’t been a PA.

AM: From a screenwriting aspect, you

have written a number of things. I loved

your work in American Gods which I loved

that show and obviously Winning Time

and then you look at shows like Everybody

Hates Chris. How do you get inspiration to

write and then where do you start from

when you’re trying to put words to paper

to create these worlds for us?

RB: I never looked at it from a place of inspiration

because if I need the emotional

investment to do it, then I’m not going to

be inspired some of those days and I’m

still going to have to do it. For me, the difference

was, approaching every day like

I’m at work which was no different then

when I was at Walmart or Target or any

of those places that I worked at along the

way. I had to get up, I had to work, I didn’t

feel like it and then somewhere midday

or so, it got a little bit better and then a

little bit better. I sort of approach writing

in the same way. I have a lot of resistance

on the days that I don’t feel like doing it,

but it needs to be done because I have a

deadline. 78% of the time, I’m able to be

disciplined and I’m able to get it done and

the other times, I might go to the movies,

sit and watch a game or do something

else when I’m supposed to be writing. But

I think it’s more of a discipline of doing

the thing than an emotional component

to it. There are days where I feel it and if

I'm writing something like a horror driven

thing like in my graphic novels, I'm enjoying

it a great deal so it’s easier to do, but

whether I feel it or I don’t feel it or am

some place in between, I still do it.

AM: Just to circle back to American Gods,

one of my minors in college was Classical

Civilization so it covered mythologies of

the world in addition to Greece and Rome

and included African and Asian nations.

So when I watched it, I loved seeing all of

these stories that came to life. What was it

like writing for that?

RB: It was great! The best thing that came

out of it was my relationship with Orlando

Jones (Sleepy Hollow, American Gods, The

Good Lord Bird) who played Anansi/Mr.

Nancy on our show. I had a similar thing

as you, I didn’t do it in college but I studied

a lot of different types of mythology

and some of these characters like Anansi

and Bilquis and others, you don’t really

get to hear a lot about them. Because

of comic books, you get Thor and Zeus,

Odin and Hercules and those guys but oftentimes,

Gods of color don’t get a lot of

love. Even when they do, it’s in secondary

roles. Working for American Gods and I’m

a huge Neil Gaiman fan. So to be able to

play in that sort of world and get some

genre credits under my name was great

as I have a comic book company and I also

tell a lot of genre driven stories so being

able to legitimize that beyond wanting to

do it was always something that I wanted

to do.

AM: It was such a phenomenal series. I

remember seeing the episodes and being

able to see some of these characters that

I had read about being brought to life so

fully, it kept me glued and it was truly incredible.

So as a screenwriter, what is that process

like in terms of getting attached to a project

and how does one pitch themselves to

get into this work?

RB: Well my agents do a lot of my pitching.

They typically open doors, but I’d say

that about 75% of the work that I get, out-

side of the things that I create, really

comes from via word of mouth. Right

now it’s a good time because of Winning

Time and people seemingly are enjoying it

and you get a lot of offers to do things because

they like it which I am grateful for

and it is a blessing. More often than not,

it’s about putting yourself in the right position

you know? People know that I write

graphic books and comic books so whenever

a project like that comes around

and it seems like they can use a writer

like me, oftentimes, they’ll call or not so

much now because I have been doing it

for awhile but maybe 7 or 8 years ago, if

it was something that I had heard about

that was coming down the pike, I would

tell my agents to keep an eye out on it and

then see if maybe they could get me up

there to be considered.

AM: Is it a different flow for you when

you’re writing for the BET Awards or the

Oscars – is there a different approach because

it’s a live audience or a different format

then just a show or even the comic

books?

RB: Not really, I look at all of it like it’s story

whether it’s writing a joke, Chris Rock or

one of his specials or whoever I’m working

for for the Oscars or an awards show.

Even a joke is a story. It has a beginning, a

middle and an end. Whether I’m telling a

funny story or a horrifying story or a dramatic

story, at the end of the day, it’s all a

story. So, I approach it all the same way.

The biggest thing for me is really understanding

who’s going to be interpreting

the words. Like, I work a lot with Chris

Rock, and I know him really, really well so

if I’m going to pitch something to him, I incorporate

that knowledge into the pitch.

Like, I can sort of filter myself and know

that he wouldn’t like this or he would really

like that part. In writing the shows, I

have built a great relationship with a lot

of our cast and so, I try to write to their

strengths as well as to the story that I am

trying to tell. When I am saying that I’m

writing to their strengths, I'm talking dialogue.

There is a cadence to how people

talk and if you can make it easier for them

to interpret the words, I think that they

become more comfortable with it so it's

really more so about having familiarity

with it for the task at hand.

AM: Also in your body of work, you have

been a co-producer and a producer in

shows like Heels, Winning Time and Wu-

Tang: An American Saga. We’ve had a number

of WWE wrestlers as our cover and

shared their stories so seeing Heels was

another show that we enjoyed. When did

you realize that you wanted to add these

roles into your body of work and how does

that change your perspective especially

when you're also writing the show as well?

RB: Well it’s funny, those titles of producing

can mean a lot of different things. Earlier

in my career, say on My Wife and Kids,

when I was a producer, it wasn’t really a

lot more to do than sitting in a room and

writing. It’s sort of like the government,

government jobs they have G-1, G-2 as you

work up and it’s sort of like that in television

in writing as well. If you do it long

enough, you start out as a staff writer

and then you move up to a story editor

and then an executive story editor and

then you go up through the WGA (Writers

Guild of America) classifications that go

with moving up. But then, in certain gigs

like in Everybody Hates Chris, I was in the

writer’s room and wrote a number of episodes,

but I also produced the voiceover

that you would hear in every show. So I

would write the lines and go with Chris

Rock and go record the lines together

and then I would place them in the show

in editing. So, to me that was actually the

beginning of actually producing and so on

different shows, that idea of what a producer

means is something different.

On Winning Time, I actually work with the

actors whether it’s working on set with

their lines, working with the director to

see whether or not a shot is sort of lining

up with how we saw it when we were writing

the show – it can mean a lot of different

things. There are some shows where

I have been an EP and it didn't mean anything

more than just writing a show and

putting it together or on some shows I'm

actually tangibly doing something different.

On American Gods, I wrote and also

worked on the set with the actors and

the director as well and putting it all together.

On Heels, not so much. Marvel's

Runaways – not so much. But it’s different

with each one, so it’s a classification that

comes with being a TV writer and as the

responsibilities go, it has more to do with

what that show requires.

AM: When I first heard about Winning

Time last fall, I knew I was going to love

it, I remember as a kid in 1986 loving this

team even though I grew up in Indiana and

it continues even though I live in NY now.

So seeing this story, hearing about this

story and getting this inside scoop of what

was going on has made it really enjoyable

to watch. How did you get attached to this

project and what made you want to be involved?

RB: Max Borenstein (Kong: Skull Island,

Worth, Godzilla vs Kong) who is our showrunner

and the other Executive Producer

as well, he and I have been writing together

for about 10 years and when Jim

Hecht (Fairly OddParents, Ice Age 2: The

Meltdown, The Ice Age Adventures of Buck

Wild) first optioned the book, he got the

book to Adam McKay (Talladega Nights:

The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Vice, Don’t

Look Up), and he got it to HBO and they

said they would do a pilot I believe, I don’t

know if the project was picked up then.

They hired Max, Max called me and I said

yes that I would want to be a part of it.

That’s how it started.

AM: It’s an incredible cast and I love McKay

films and the people that are in it. In terms

of writing this where you had Jeff Pearlman’s

book Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley

and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of

the 1980s, how much source material did

you have as I know players of that time as

well as the franchise didn’t reach out to

you on this. How did you coalesce these

things all together to create this story and

to provide that insider feel?

RB: Well we were really fortunate that

book. So we studied a lot of books and

Rick Fox, former Laker was our technical

advisor, we talked to a lot of folks who

were around the team at that time who

worked for the organization, YouTube

– we did a lot of research everywhere –

articles anything that we could find. We

sort of incorporated into the narrative

and some stuff we had to tie in together

for dramatization purposes.

AM: Obviously with the people that were

involved, John C Reilly (Gangs of New

York, The Aviator, Anchorman II: The

Legend Continues), Jason Clarke (Brotherhood,

Chappaquiddick, Silk Road), Rob

Morgan (Stranger Things, The United

States vs. Billie Holiday, Don’t Look Up),

Jason Segel (How I Met Your Mother, Dispatches

from Elsewhere, Hotel Artemis)

and Adrien Brody (The Grand Budapest

Hotel, Peaky Blinders, Succession) etc,

there are actors in there where there is a

lot of secret sauce. You have actors who

were athletic but didn’t play basketball

and having to do so for this role, having

Quincy Isaiah play such a key and iconic

person who was new to this platform,

how did all of this come together to get

that energy, to make an audience believe

that these people who be playing this

game even though they didn’t necessarily

have this background?

RB: Francine Maisler (Uncut Gems, Being

the Ricardos, Dune) is our casting director

and she did a great job finding folks.

Sometimes you get lucky like in the case

of Quincy who is from Michigan and was

an athlete – a football player. He had to

lose 80lbs or so to come down to being

able to have a Magic Johnson-like look.

Solomon Hughes who plays, Kareem

Adbul-Jabbar is an educator, is 7-feet

tall, plays jazz and he played basketball

on a professional level before. You just

get lucky sometimes. I think that that’s

across the board in finding people that

not only have the talent but also the

emotional stuff.

If you think about our players, they have

to learn how to play the game because

some had never played the game before,

they had to be convincing to learn how

to play a particular way that their character

played, they had to go through physical

training everyday and then they had

to learn their lines and then they had to

act. So there would be times when they

would have to come from training, be

on set, leave their work, leave set and go

and play basketball everyday for however

long – for a year or so. Then there is the

training that went into it before hand and

always having a good attitude about it as

they were going. We got really really fortunate

to find the folks that we found.

AM: When did you realize that you were

going to be Maurice?

RB: I’ll tell you when I was working, Max

was working on a movie called Worth in

NY that’s on Netflix now. I was working

on the first season of Wu-Tang: An American

Saga. I was in Staten Island, he was

in Manhattan. We would meet on the

weekends and we would go over it with

Jim Hecht and Rebecca Bertuch (Worth)

and we would work on putting the show

together. Every now and then, this name

would pop up, Maurice, Maurice, Maurice

– like who the hell is Maurice? Oh, you’re

going to see and it was like an inside joke.

They knew that I didn’t know. When we

were officially on board and we started

in the writer’s room in LA, we had all the

pictures up of the actors on the wall and

then there was a picture of me. I was like,

“why is my picture on the wall?” They

said, you’re going to play Maurice and I

was like, “oh, ok – haha Maurice.” So Max

actually wrote Maurice’s lines and the

only scene that I had at one time was the

scene with Pat Reily where I don’t let him

in The Forum. I thought, “ok, I can do that,

I’ve been a security guard my whole damn

life!” I know how to say you can’t come in.

You don’t even need to even write out the

lines just let me stand there and I know

how to not let you in some place. Then,

all of a sudden, I started seeing Maurice

pop up in other scripts! He's like a leprechaun

where he sort of shows up in different

places and I'm like, "why am I popping

up?” and then I had a walk and talk which

is very difficult as an actor because you

have to walk, you have to think and you

have to move which was in episode 5

where I had that scene. I was nervous

about that scene. Actually, I messed up

the scene that is on. I messed up a line

but Gabby Hoffman (High Maintenance,

Girls, Transparent) who plays Claire Rothman

is so great, you would never know

because she kept going and I kept going

and so that was it and they cut and we

went on with the day – but I messed up.

It's cool, the network likes it, everyone

likes him and I think that Maurice is going

to come back and probably say more

words.

AM: We always like when he pops up!

RB: Well, thank you! As long as I stay big

and relatively menacing and intimidating,

Maurice will probably be around.

AM: What has been your biggest takeaway

of being part of this particular

project, seeing it come together and the

reception of people loving this?

RB: Anytime you work hard at a thing for

a long time that is intended to entertain

people, you always want that to land the

way it is intended so that people are entertained.

I think that we’ve got a great

reception and that people really seem to

like it and it’s sort of gratifying because

I and a lot of people give a lot when you

do these sort of things and it’s not easily

assembled. For me certainly being able

to talk about African American culture

as it pertains to sports in a way that is

sort of elevated is always an honor. It’s

a good thing.

AM: Well, you guys have been greenlit

for a second season. What does that

look like, what do you want to tackle –

will it continue with these same players

or will it be another part of Laker history

or even another time in NBA history for a

Winning Time situation?

RB: As of the moment, the plan is to

continue on in the same narrative and

to just keep telling the story as we have

been. Even now, when we first started

the process before, we were going in the

third or fourth iteration of what you see

on screen now – we were going to go a

lot faster. Then, the decision was made

during COVID to slow down the process of

storytelling and we had to go back to the

drawing board a couple of times to slow it

down. I say all of that to say that you never

know. We could speed up a couple of

seasons, we can keep going the way that

it is, but I think that the plan for now is to

continue going in the direction that it is.

AM: One of the things that I enjoy especially

with a lot of the HBO shows is that

there is a companion podcast and literally,

I can’t wait until Mon to listen to the show

which drops right after the episode airs on

Sun. I listen to JB Smoove and then I listen

to your podcast. It’s great to get your

insights, what’s going on – the Rob Morgan

episode was really great to hear. Every

episode is great as there are so many tidbits

that can be enjoyed. How did you get

attached to hosting this podcast and how

much input do you have over who ends up

being on the episode with you?

RB: Very similar to how I became Maurice.

Somebody thought that it would be

a good idea to have me do it and my first

reaction was, I have never done a podcast

before and they were like, “oh you can do

it.” I think that I tried to back out a couple

of times and they were like no just give it a

shot. I think that I got better as time went

on which is sort of the course of life, the

more you do it, the better you get at the

thing that you do. But, it also helps that

I know everybody. Everybody that I have

had on so far whether it was Snoop Dogg,

Rob Morgan or Quincy, or Max or whoever,

I know them. It’s like having a conversation

with someone who is a friend and

not so much like talking to someone who

is a stranger.

They always ask me who I would like to

have on and I try to spread it around be-

tween the cast members, but also the

people behind the scenes. I had Todd

Banhazl (Janelle Monae: Dirty Computer,

They Call Me Magic, Hustlers), I had

Max, I had Jim Hecht, Rebecca, I had

Sarah Scott (Pam & Tommy, The Offer,

The Flight Attendant) our intimacy coordinator.

I had Idan Ravin whose the basketball

coordinator. I had our director

Salli Richardson (The Chi, Altered Carbon,

The Wheel of Time) and Tanya Hamilton

(Big Sky, The Deuce, Snowfall). I try

to mix it up where you have one of the

cast members and then someone who is

a technical part of the team so that for

people who are interested in being part

of the business as one time I was, you

can actually hear some of what they do

and realize that there are a number of

jobs besides the big 4 or 5 at producer,

director, writer. There are a lot of other

things to be done and some things may

spark to someone and hopefully that

podcast can help a little bit.

AM: We love seeing the birth of the NBA

as we know it today as this entertainment

platform with next level dancers,

club lounges and had this came together

with Dr. Buss. This has become the standard

for what it means to go to a NBA

game. Being able to hear more about

Jack McKinney and his time with the Lakers.

I knew he was a coach for the Pacers,

but I didn’t know about his backstory.

What is it that you want audiences to

walk away with after watching this season

or subsequent seasons?

RB: Always with our show, we have

what you know and the thing that you

can Google and find out. Who won the

game, who lost the game and those

types of things. But there’s also those

things that you didn’t know. Like in the

case of Jack McKinney, a lot of people

had forgotten not just him, but the accident

that he was in – the basketball accident

and how that changed the course

of the Lakers coaching dynamic. So, being

able to tell some of those stories

and show the Shakespearean dynamic

of the coaching system with Paul West-

head and Pat Riley, most people know Pat

Riley being the Lakers coach and they sort

of identify with just him, but there were

other guys too.

I think that the other side of that coin is

Spencer Haywood who was a big part

of NBA free agency and a lot of how we

look at basketball today in the fact that

we can look at James Harden and see him

go from team to team to team or LeBron

just being able to go to the Heat and all of

that – a lot of that has to do with Spencer

Haywood and going to court to battle for

free agency rights for players. When I was

growing up watching the NBA, I’m from

Maryland so we had the Bullets, now the

Wizards. Usually if a player got drafted,

he played with one team for his entire career.

It was big news when a player would

move from one team to another.

Now, when you look at the change and the

evolution both in the style of play when

you look at the Showtime offense of Jack

McKinney that evolved and to Spencer

Haywood’s contribution, that you see in

these 2 gentleman, it has a lot to do with

the way that the game is played and it’s

rarely recognized over the course of history.

Anytime we can incorporate things

that folks don’t know, it’s always a treat!

AM: Usually, when an episode concludes,

we’re usually Googling about 4 things! It

becomes a great way to understand how

far the game has come in really such a

short period of time and how things are

so different and the shoulders that people

stood on to get to where we are now.

RB: Exactly.

AM: Where did your love for comic books

come from. You have Killadelphia that

you’re writing, Marvel, Star Wars universes

and Lucas Film Studios – where did this

come from?

RB: The only inciting influence that I can

find in my mind and my heart was that my

mother was a school teacher. Before computers

and all of that stuff, she would go

to the public library to do her lesson

plans and she would bring me. There

was always this area where you would

have kids like in a pen, your Cat in the

Hat, Curious George books etc. I had no

interest in any of those books because

under those books was a box and in

that box was comic books. I knew exactly

where it was and I don’t think that

they ever changed them in all the years

that I went. I would just sit in the corner

and read them for hours. It sort of

became a thing where it was infectious

you know? The moral throughline and

some of the stories were more evolved

than what my 5 or 6 year old mind could

handle but I was intrigued by that idea.

Then later, people would give them to

me and my grandfather would call them

funny books back then. They would give

me a stack of them and it was a way to

keep me quiet. Later on, when I would

have odd jobs, I would buy them. This

was during a period of time where you

could get comic books anywhere – the

convenience store, liquor store, virtually

any place that had a spinner rack full of

comics. Now, you have to go to a comic

shop on Wed to get them. But back

then, they were readily available and

they were only 20 cents or a quarter.

Now they’re $4 if not more.

It was just a love that just evolved along

with my life. In the beginning, it was

mostly about the art and the story. Then

in my teen and later years, there were

guys like Alan Moore (Watchmen, V for

Vendetta, Swamp Thing) and Grant Morrison

(Doom Patrol, New X-Men, Fantastic

Four 1234) and Frank Miller (Daredevil,

The Dark Knight Returns, Sin City),

they sort of made it like literature and

evolved into something that was more

serious and that kept me involved and

then later television and film like most

people. So there has always been this

relationship.

When I was younger, I tried to write

comics professionally, but couldn’t find

a way in. Like a lot of things that I’m sure

people feel with television and film, it’s

a tough nut to crack. But even more so

back then, there weren’t a whole lot of

African American characters and there

wasn’t a big indie space when I was coming

up. It was just Marvel and DC and every

once in a while there’d be a new company

that would pop in. They didn’t have

the same distribution chain as DC so you

were relegated to those 10 characters

maybe if there were 10. I think that a lot

of times, companies back then felt like

unless you were writing for a character of

color, what’s the point of hiring this person?

So for me, I wanted to take a shot at

writing a comic so when I was on the show

Runaways which was a Marvel show, they

liked my work and I sort of leveraged the

appreciation of my work to say, “hey if

you guys have any relationship with Marvel

Publishing, I’d love to write a comic

book.” They gave me Falcon. I quickly

realized that I had no idea what the hell I

was doing or how to write a comic book.

I just took my shot. It was received ok-ish.

Then again like the podcast, I kept doing

it again and again and again and I got better

and better and better at it and then I

had the idea for Killadelphia and started a

whole new thing. Now I write 10 books a

month and I have my own company and

it’s taken on a life all of it’s own.

AM: Which is amazing and I know in looking

at your IG, you were talking about The

Mandalorian which I’m a fan of. You have

a project coming out in June – can you tell

us more?

RB: Yes, it’s June the 22nd, The Mandalorian

adaptation of the TV show and it’s

the first adaptation that Marvel and Lucas

Film have done with a project. It’s basically

straight adaptation of that story. They

don’t let you deviate too far from the story

because it’s Star Wars cannon and you

can’t really interfere or add new things

because it’s connected to the television

show. So I basically do my version of the

television show would be.

AM: It’s still very cool though!

RB: Yes, it’s an honor to play in that space.

I just finished IG-88 Star Wars: War of the

Bounty Hunters and I did Lando Double

or Nothing earlier. I love to play in the

space. I have a Luke Cage short that’s

coming up and maybe a Luke Cage miniseries

coming up for Marvel. So anytime

you get to play in that space, it’s always

fun because it’s such a big fan base that

you get to connect with that many people

is always an honor.

AM: You created Zombie Love Studio

which deals with creating original graphic

novels and things of that nature, what

are some things coming out of there that

you want to highlight?

RB: The first book is Blacula, a reboot

of the Blacula character from Blaxploitation

era in Oct/Nov which should be

dropping then. I also have another book,

Florence and Normandie and alien attack

story that takes place on the corner

of Florence and Normandie famous

because of the Rodney King riots that

started from there. I’m writing that with

Xzibit. I have Tales from the Crip with

Snoop Dogg which is the Crip Keeper. I

have a book called Crownsville which is

set in one of the first black mental asylums

in America that’s a ghost story.

There's a bunch of other things that

we’re developping that are moving

along. There aren’t enough hours in the

day, but I’m really excited about it all and

it’s coming together slowly but surely.

AM: The depth of what you’ve done is

truly phenomenal. What are things on

your bucket list that you have yet to do

or areas that you want to put into that

body of work that you haven’t but that

you’re still interested in tackling.

RB: Well certainly, developing the Zombie

Love books and Killadelphia and

things like that into my Substack page

where I do 4 of the books. 3 that are connected

to the Killadelphia world which

is the book that I do at Image. There are

3 books that I do at Image, Killadelphia,

Nita Hawes’ Nightmare Blog and Mon-

arch an alien attack miniseries that I am

doing. My Substack page has 3 other series,

Johnny Gatlin who is a gun slinger in

hell and hell is like the Wild West. 20 Degrees

Past Rigor which is a zombie story

set in Flint, Michigan where zombies are

connected to the polluted waters of Flint.

The Butcher of Black Bottom which is a serial

killer story set in 1920’s Black Bottom

section of Detroit. Then there’s Elysium

Gardens which is in the back of Killadelphia

which has an ongoing story on a Substack

page. So, there are those books as

well. There’s a lot of stuff and next, I hope

to adopt a lot of those things into other

forms of media whether it’s animated,

live action or television or those kinds of

things.

AM: Because you have so many projects

that are just in constant rotation, how do

you deal with the overlap? Do you have to

be at a certain point before you take other

things on – do you slice it up like a pizza

and mix it the best that you can?

RB: Ha! That’s basically it. I try to tackle

each thing as the day comes at me. I usually

get up at 4 in the morning and then

I start writing and I get the comic book

stuff done in the morning. Then I tackle

my day jobs like Winning Time or anything

else that I have in front of me and I take it

as the day comes. Whoever is yelling the

most that is owed the thing to them – so

yeah! Whoever’s voice is the loudest at

the moment!

AM: I think that the time that we’re living

in right now, although there is still a need

for a lot more representation, to think of

myself now versus the younger me who

wouldn’t have thought to know that there

would be an Ava Du Vernay (A Wrinkle in

Time, Queen Sugar, Girls Trip), yourself,

Shonda Rhimes (Bridgerton, Inventing

Anna, Grey’s Anatomy) all these people

that are moving storytelling forward. How

important is it for you to reflect that in

your work and to have POC be able to see

themselves as well as for others to understand

why they need to be an ally and to

make these spaces more open?

RB: Well I think it’s important because

the world doesn’t connect in the same

way anymore like physically. We don’t

talk to each other the way that we used

to and it wasn’t perfect back then either.

It’s more important than ever to be able

to tell stories that have a ring of truth or

some semblance of honesty. That way

you get to see people as they are good,

bad and indifferent more so than as a

caricature or something that feels contrived

in some way. I think that a lot of

the biases that we hold with each other

comes from those depictions. I know

since 1619, a concerted effort was made

speaking directly to African American

culture to make us less than human.

There’s one idea of being less than human,

but you have to reinforce that on a

regular basis. So you either make them

caricatures or villains – one extreme or

the other. If that idea has the ability to

sort of ferment for 400 years or more

then you’re at a place where it almost

becomes truth because you’re so used

to seeing that be the case.

So when you have this culture that is

fighting for a slice of the pie or some

semblance for respect and dignity, living

in a culture and you’re sort of burdened

by living with that depiction. It's really

a hard thing to overcome because then

even the culture itself starts to believe

it – is this who I am and some people do.

That can be problematic in its own way

because you start to devalue yourself

and people who look like you.

So I think that the more folks that can

get in for various gender, sexual orientation,

race or whatever it may be – to be

able to speak to your truth in an honest

way cannot only help you and the group

that you’re in but also people outside

of that group so that they have a better

understanding of who you are and the

struggle that you navigate just to be a

human being and to have a human experience.

AM: Who are 3 people that you feel were

profound, instrumental or helpful to be

in your career?

RB: Damon Wayans (My Wife and Kids,

Lethal Weapon, Major Payne) is always

first! He was the first person that

gave me an opportunity to work on a

television show. Were it not for him, I

wouldn’t be here. Don Reo (Everybody

Hates Chris, Two and a Half Men, The

Ranch) who was the showrunner and

creator with Damon on My Wife and

Kids. He helped take whatever raw ability

I had and allowed me into a space in a

way that pushed me to a space where I

was able to see for myself what I had to

do. I’m eternally grateful to him as well.

I have to say that there is a tie for number

3 Allen Hughes (Dead Presidents,

Menace II Society, The Book of Eli) of the

Hughes Brothers, a director. He helped

me to bridge art and commerce. He gave

me an opportunity to write in a different

type of way and helped me find my

way of doing art. He was very supportive

in that. Then, Max Borenstein who is

our showrunner on Winning Time who

sort of did the same thing but in a different

way. There’s a push sometimes

that you need to get out of where you

have been to where you want to be and

Max was very helpful in being able to

push me. Beyond him pushing me, was

me pushing me as well. There are a lot

of other people and if you had given me

10 or 20, I could have continued on with

other people who have helped me even

if it was just survival – that’s important

as well. So when it comes to writing and

being a professional writer, those people

come to mind.

@therodneybarnes

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | PG 78 Warrick

Page/HBO MAX | PG 81 - 85 STARZ/

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| PG 91 -102 HBO MAX/Winning Time |

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COVID-19 vaccination is recommended for everyone ages 5 and older. You can get vaccinated if

you have:

Diabetes Liver disease A history of blood clots

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Heart disease

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such as a pollen allergy

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taken by mouth

Food allergies A lready had a COVID-19 infection

Other health conditions

Plans to become pregnant, or are

pregnant or breastfeeding

It is especially important for people with underlying health conditions to get vaccinated, as many

are at increased risk of getting severely ill from COVID-19.

The only reason you may not be able to get a COVID-19 vaccine is if you are allergic to an

ingredient in the vaccine or had an allergic reaction to a prior dose of a COVID-19 vaccine or to

another vaccine or injectable medicine. Even if you have or had an allergy, you still may be able

to get vaccinated, but you should talk to your health care provider before doing so.

COVID-19 vaccines do not contain preservatives, latex, eggs,

mercury, fetal tissue or human cells, gelatin or other animal

products, antibiotics, or microchips. Speak with your health care

provider if you have questions about vaccination.

COVID-19 vaccines are free, safe and effective.

Get vaccinated today!

For more information, visit nyc.gov/covidvaccine.

The NYC Health Department may change recommendations as the situation

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Bingely Books

WHIZ LIMITED: THE FINEST OF

TOKYO STREET

Rizzoli

Hiroaki Shitano

We love a good coffee table book and

Whiz Limited: The Finest of Tokyo Street

looks at the past 20 years of the brand's

collaborations with iconic people/brands

as well as their designs. This Japanese

streetwear brand was launched by Hiroaki

Shitano in 2000 with a following from

Japan, Hong Kong and the mainland of

China. He is know for his influences by Hi-

roshi Fujiwara.

From its origins of handmade

and painted tees, the label includes

an array of items that incorporate

eccentric Japanese

aesthetics. Growing up in the entertainment

district of Shinjuku,

you can see the influence of this

area within the palette and style

of his pieces.

In addition to the history of the

brand, we are reminded of collaborations

with A Bathing Ape,

Hello Kitty, Disney, Kappa and

the estate of Keith Haring to

name a few.

There are also images of the

sneaker collaborations that include

Puma, Mizuno, Converse

and more. This is a new fave for

our coffee tables.

LOVE THE FOODS, THAT

LOVE YOU BACK: CLEAN,

HEALTHY, VEGAN RECI-

PES FOR EVERYONE

Rizzoli

Cathy Katin-Grazzini

In Love the Foods That Love You

Back: Clean, Healthy, Vegan Recipes

for Everyone, we have a recipe

book that although it focuses

on vegan cuisine, it aims to

please herbivores, carnivores,

omnivores and flexitarians.

Recipes reinvent a number of

our global favorite foods in a

plant-based way. She provides

tips on how to stock our pantry,


We get the inside scoop from Vittorio

and Fabio on secrets of regional Italian

food and modern takes on these dishes!

We also learn about the Serafina story

where a survival pact birthed the

launch of their first location in NYC in

1995 and includes restaurants around

the world from Dubai to Japan.

illustrating the building blocks of the

recipes and keeping us inspired. In addition

to our favorite dishes, there are

those that are new to us which allows

us find our next must-eat meal. We think

this is a necessary book for your collection

whether you're plant-based or

simply like to include this in your meals

throughout the week.

SERAFINA: MODERN ITALIAN

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COOKING

Rizzoli

Vittorio Assaf + Fabio Granato

With over 100 recipes, recipes are easy

to follow and you get a culinary education

from regional to local traditional

history as well as learning about quality

ingredients. There is also a knowledgebase

from farmers, fisherman, orchard

planters and more.

If we can't make it to our favorite location

in the city, we know that we can

make something incredibly comforting

at home for friends and family.

Here in NY, Serafina has always been

a great place for a business meal, celebrating

with friends over cocktails and

more editor dinners than we can count.

The Italian comfort food and ambiance

is always one that we enjoy when we

dine here. Serafina: Modern Italian Cuisine

for Everyday Home Cooking allows

us to enjoy our favorite dishes from

home!



Bingely Streaming

JULIA

Max Original

HBO Max

We have watched PBS' The French Chef,

watched Julie & Julia and have read a number

of books. There is so much to learn

about Julia Child's story and HBO Max's Ju-

lia delves in by covering the beginning

days of her public access TV

show off the success of Mastering

the Art of French Cooking.

We see her creating her show behind

the scenes, brokering a deal

to even getting it on air, innovations

that were created for this

show that have become staples

on our favorite shows and more.

We learn the process of writing

cookbooks, what's involved in

testing recipes as well as what

it's like working with publishers.

We also meet culinary figures like

James Beard as well as known

writers like John Updike.

In addition to looking at the beginnings

of celebrity chefs and

the kinds of portfolios that we

have come to know about them,

we watch Julia navigate these

spheres that didn't have a rule

book, the importance of working

with friends and family in order

to get to where she got to and

the importance of her legacy. We

highly suggest listening to the official

companion podcast, Dishing

with Julia after each episode hosted

by Kerry Diamond of Cherry

Bombe.

THE ULTIMATUM: MARRY

OR MOVE ON

Netflix Original Series

Netflix

We enjoyed seeing Love is Blind

which hosted and executive

produced by Nick and Vanessa

Lachey. They're back with a new

show, The Ultimatum: Marry or

Move On where couples who have


dated for 2 years call an ultimatum

where they get married or they go

their separate ways. We hear from

each couple on which one made the

ultimatum or why they feel they need

more time.

The couples meet one another,

spend time to see who they want to

live with for 3 weeks, then they connect

with their significant other for 3

weeks and then a decision is made.

This is yet another social experiment

that delves into interpersonal relationships

and is worth continuing to

the reunion show as well.

POWER: DON KING

Somethin' Else

Spotify

We enjoyed POWER by Somethin'

Else where they focused on the The

Maxwells as well as Hugh Hefner.

Season 3 focuses on boxing promoter

Don King from his early days, han-


dling the careers of Muhammad Ali, Roy

Jones Jr and Mike Tyson, his fall from the

sport and how his business models have

found their way to UFC as well as content

creators who have found their way to the

sport.






Athleisure Mag APR ISSUE #76

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