Andrew Kacer

Andres Cobre: Divine in Detail

We’ve all seen our fair share of graffiti while traversing the unique layouts of our own individual cities in which we reside. Personally, my experience with graffiti is with the city closest to home, Atlanta, largely tagged with various forms of graffiti – whether it be a full wall mural or something as simple as the letters “ATL” spray-painted alongside an overpass. This intriguing art form can serve many purposes, stemming from a movement, a way to communicate, or simply to amaze.

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Mia Morris: One Woman Band

Exclusive interview with Va Mag's Andrew Kacer

“A lot of these older men classify me and my music as, ‘She’s bringing rock back.’ I don’t wanna bring anything back, I’m trying to make new rock.”

-Mia Morris

These days, it’s quite rare to find a high school girl who prefers the likes of The Beatles or Led Zeppelin over a pop artist like Doja Cat - or whoever the latest TikTok sensation may be. However, after conducting an exclusive interview with17-year-old Mia Morris, I discovered that classic rock runs deep through her veins. “Growing up, in the house my parents would always be playing the best music. Obviously, I’m a little biased, but you know, I like classic rock: The Beatles, Police. I just grew up knowing really rad music.” 

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Patina Miller: Born to Perform

Shy, reserved, soft-spoken – not often are these words associated with a Tony-Award-winning actress and performer. Growing up, Patina Miller would watch from the pews as her grandmother sang for the church that she ministered for. Although she and her family knew that she too could sing, Patina took a little convincing from her mother and grandmother to let her voice be heard.  Once she began singing in front of her peers in the church that she fell in love with performing in front of a crowd.

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BIA: Hitting Her Stride

There are moments in life that we often consider our “call-to-action.” This might include a big speech or some sort of performance where we must summon the courage to overcome all fears we may have and seize the moment. For rapper and singer-songwriter BIA, a once-in-a-lifetime meeting with record producer Pharrell Williams brought forth the “moment,” when her character and musical talent were put to the ultimate test.

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Karim Webb: Serving the Underserved

When discussing important figures in the African-American community, people that come to mind are often associated with a celebrity or ‘fame’ status and their efforts to give back to their community,  names like Lebron James and his “I Promise School,” which provides schooling to more than 1,300 Akron Public School students, or Chance the Rapper who co-founded SocialWorks, a foundation which has raised more than $2 million for Chicago Public Schools. Both have done incredible things for their communities, however, oftentimes overlooked are those lesser-known individuals who have accomplished so much with the resources they have been given.  

Introducing: Karim Webb, an LA based restaurateur whose passion for food and giving back to the community has earned him multiple awards including Black Enterprise Magazine’s Franchise Company of the Year.

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