canvas

october 2009

THE GI N NS
speak on glenville,
football, and giving back
shaw hi g h school
alumni weekend &
battle of the bands
mike adams + best hs football + tuff luv + ohio hip-hop awards
1
canvascleveland.com
 supporting...
local culture, community, & business
in Northeast Ohio

canvas october 2009

PUBLISHER artillerygroup llc
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF jay bobo
sales+marketing
ashley taylor, damien conner

editors
latesha williams, patricia bobo

layout
goodproduce

photo
adam miclot, jay bobo, herb bias
design
goodproduce, the detroit studio, baruch design

contributors
andre cisco, arnold hines, ashley taylor, doug
alford, princess henderson, jay bobo

PUBLISHED BY GOODPRODUCE / AG LLC

1360 E. 9th Street, Suite 823
Cleveland, OH 44114
canvascleveland.com

Printed by HotCards.com

Copyright 2009 GOODPRODUCE / ARTILLERY GROUP LLC

Reproduction without written permission of artillerygroup llc is
prohibited.

3
 contents
EXTRAS
07 editors note
24 party pictures
26 event calendar
28 the list+

PEOPLE
08 mike adams
- love & relationships
09 courtney conwell
- tips for young professionals

ART&MUSIC
14 listen up: james agnew

SPORTS
22 top hs football players

BUSINESS
15 tuffluv
- women in sports

FEATURE
18 the ginns
- glenville, football, & giving back

4 CANVAS OCTOBER 2009

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 Editor’s Note
O ne door opens, one door closes. It
hasn’t been an easy trip developing
this magazine. Some days are harder than
others. We’re constantly second guessing
ourselves. Did we make the right decision?
Are we working hard enough? Will this work
out in the end?

My grandmama used to call it nerves. I guess

I’ve inherited them from her but along the
way I’ve learned to not worry about tomor-
row and be content with today.

I’m fulfilled knowing that I’ve been blessed

with an enormous opportunity to work for
myself when many people are unable to find
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares jobs. For every challenge we face and every
the Lord. “Plans to prosper you and not to harm hill we climb, there’s someone not too far
you, plans to give you hope and a future.” from us dealing with and overcoming some-
thing much more difficult.
-Jeremiah 29:11
Cleveland never crossed my mind after
(Courtesy of Courtney Conwell, p9) graduation but my life path brought me here
and I accept it with open arms. Canvas exists
for a reason beyond my own will and for that
reason despite my “nerves” I work hard and
rest assured by faith.

This issue would not be possible without

most importantly my Creator, Mom and
Dad, the Canvas Magazine staff, and our
unbelieveable advertisers.

See you in November!

Jay Bobo
jbobo@canvascleveland.com

7
 | love&relationships

Three things that you notice in

a woman? Face, body, and hands.
I’m not a feet person but I do notice
them. I don’t want her feet bigger
than mine.

What are some turnoffs? What

are some turn-ons? Stink breath.
Also, a chick that lies for no rea-
son. If I’m keeping it real, why
can’t you?

How did you meet your signifi-

cant other? In college, I used to
mikeadams have house parties and I knew she
had a boyfriend at the time. So I
defensive back approached her while the R.Kelly
& Jay-Z song “Somebody Girl is
Bio: at This Party” and asked for her
Currently plays number. She said, “No, I’m in love
with my man.” So I put her on ice
for the Cleveland
and when I found out they weren’t
Browns together anymore, I caught her at
another party and then I was in for-
Status:
ever.
In a relationship
What’s the worst experience you
Location: have had with the opposite sex?
Westlake I was chilling with a girl and my
brother had let another girl I was
School: talking to in the room. Neither of
University of them was my girl, so I didn’t care.
Delaware
What’s your idea of a perfect
first date? Great conversation and
drinks at a nice type of lounge or
jazz spot - not too loud and with a
nice crowd.

8 CANVAS OCTOBER 2009

 young professionals |

ESPN & ABC: Monday Night Football & NBA

courtneyconwell

Age: Tell us about yourself? I am a production assistant for both ESPN

23 during Monday Night Football and ABC during the NBA season.

Title: Describe your typical work day? No matter what sport or which net-
Production work my work is usually consistent. As a production assistant I do a
lot of behind the scenes work. I serve as the liaison between the Arena,
Assistant
production crews, CEOs, VIPs, talent and whoever else is in town af-
filiated with the live telecast.
Location:
Shaker Why is your job important? I’m the link that helps make things run
Heights smoothly. Nobody can pull off a successful telecast alone. It takes the
teams, the coaches, the camera men, the talent - everyone working
School: together with the producers and directors.
Duquesne
University What advice do you have for people seeking a similar career path?
Intern! Intern! Intern! You must get experience. Apply everywhere,
Degree: that’s the only way to get your foot in the door.
BA, Public
Relations What is the salary range for your position? The majority of the
& Advertising people you see working for ESPN are freelance, there isn’t a set salary.
It depends on your contracts and how many games you cover.
However I can attest, the pay is good.

What’s your favorite quote? “For I know the plans I have for you,”
declares the Lord. “Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans
to give you hope and a future.” -Jeremiah 29:11

9
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12700 Shaw Ave

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Free Birthday Parties

(complimentary invitations & bottle of champagne)

Contact 216-870-1376 for more information

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10 CANVAS OCTOBER 2009

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Dolled
Up!

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ask about our small business advertising rates
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12 CANVAS OCTOBER 2009

13
 | listenup

JAMES
AGNEW
C leveland is home to a number of great
artists and musicians like the late great
Gerald Levert or Bone Thugs. There are also
others who are unfamiliar to most of us like
James “Mook” Agnew, accomplishing great-
ness slightly beneath the radar.

James has worked with a myriad of artists

including Anthony Hamilton, Diddy, Co-
nya Doss, and the Kindred Family Soul.
Recently, he auditioned and won a spot on
Sean “Diddy” Combs’ TV show, “Making
His Band” on MTV which lead to his current
position on tour with Sean Kingston.

Born in a musical home to a classical trained

singer mother and drummer father, James
credits his parents for his interest in music.
He says “I feel like God chose me to be a
musician. I feel like at the end of the day I
was chosen to make a name for the city and
bring the industry standard back.”

James encourages younger musicians to not

only work hard and have dedication but to
keep God first. “Study and practice, every-
thing will fall into place.”

Though on tour and constantly traveling from

one gig to the next, James will be back home
words gabe crenshaw
here in Cleveland on October 28th with the
Sean Kingston Tour. Be sure to attend and
written by Rohnesha Horne

support this local born and bred role model

as he strives to accomplish his dreams and
lead the way for the next generation.

Find out more about James Agnew at

CanvasCleveland.com

14 CANVAS OCTOBER 2009

 local entrepreneur |

written by Andre Cisco II

TUFF LUV
PROMOTIONS Danielle Davis, Age: 25 & Patrice Horton, Age: 25

O n September 20th, 2009 when Buffalo Bills standout strong-safety, Donte Whitner,
helped lead his team to victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Buffalo Bill’s Head
Coach Dick Jauron wasn’t the only coach cheering Whitner on. Patrice Horton and Dan-
ielle Davis, founders of TuffLuv Productions Public and Community Relations Firm, were
also cheering; only they prepare athletes like Donte Whitner for a different field.

Founded in 2005, TuffLuv Productions

works with athletes, entertainers, and cor-
porations to promote positive public images
through services, which include public rela- TUFF LUV
tions, community outreach, marketing, man- Event Planning & Public Relations
agement and event planning.

At just 25 years of age, both Horton and Davis

Start-up Year: 2005
have worked with the likes of Terrell Owens, Start-up Costs: 20k (approx)
Gerald Levert, The Isley Brothers, and many Clients: Donte Whitner, James
other notable public figures. While their cur- Hardy, Pacman Jones...
rent list of clients, which already includes
several prominent athletes and corporations,
continues to grow, they remain committed to“Our passion overrides our pride. We stay
making TuffLuv a respected brand. up late, work longer and harder to make
sure the TuffLuv brand is protected and
Whether they are in a board meeting, back- respected.”
stage, or on the sidelines, Patrice Horton and
Danielle Davis use simple principles, hard
work and a little bit of TuffLuv to coach Read the rest of our interview with TuffLuv at
CanvasCleveland.com
their clients to success.

15
16 CANVAS OCTOBER 2009
Fashion
meets
makeover

17
theGINNS
With more than 30 years of community experience, a
school that bears their last name, and multiple media
mentions between them both, we bring you the Ginn Men.
written by Princess Henderson & Andre Cisco II

18 CANVAS OCTOBER 2009

O
feature |

ften in our society the good deeds try to do this!” I was fortunate enough to
of positive black males are over- have older cousins to show me what not to
shadowed by evening news reports do, we need others to do the same, and we
of crime in many of our underrepresented need more African Americans to give back
communities. The media often paints a ste- to the community.”
reotypical image of black males that fails to
give notice to the neighborhood role mod- Sr: “The community needs to stop sitting
els that inspire us to be great and promote back and talking about the changes that need
positivity. to be made. We need to be about! As adults
we say it’s not our problem. We are all at
Ted Ginn Sr. and Ted Ginn Jr. have long RISK. We have to understand that!”
been examples of hard work and positivity
in Cleveland. Recently, we sat down with What’s the best advice your dad ever gave
the father and son duo to discuss their keys you? Jr. “Be respectful and have discipline.
to being successful and the importance of Being respectful can get you out of situa-
actively serving in the African-American tions where you might be in trouble. Being
community. disciplined is the ability to handle certain
situations on your own. Those are the two
Tell us about yourselves. Sr: “I’m Ted values in life that most young people have
Ginn, the Executive Director of Ginn Acad- problems with.”
emy. I have 30 years of experience working
within the Glenville community as well as What’s the importance of hard work?
Glenville High School. I advocate for chil- Sr: “Hard work is the key to being success-
dren and educate African American males ful. I believe that once you value your suc-
on being successful.” cess, then you will realize hard work pays
off.”
Jr: “I’m Ted Ginn Jr, an alumnus of Glen-
ville High School. I’m currently a wide re- “If you don’t work as
ceiver for the Miami Dolphins.”
a young man, how are
Talk about the work you’ve done for the you going to be able
community. Sr. “My work in the commu-
nity is everyday work. It’s the example of to work when you’re
hope. It’s a daily job having an impact on thirty or forty.”
kids. I have a passion for understanding the
youth and helping them pan out their indi-
vidual life plan. My goal is to show them a “I used to tell Ted hard work beats talent
way that they can be successful in life and be and talent doesn’t work hard. I’m a strong
able to put them in a position to reach their believer that the harder you work the luckier
full potential.” you can be whether its in your relationships,
being a man, a father, a businessman, or an
Jr: “I give back by mentoring through mini- educator; you have to work hard at it. You
camps during the summer. I try to lead by have to understand how far it can take you,
example of what you can accomplish being when you’re young you have all the energy in
that you are from an area like Glenville and the world to work hard. You have to take ad-
the city of Cleveland.” vantage of your youth. While you’re young,
energetic, and healthy….work hard!”
What are you’re thoughts on the commu-
nity? Jr: “We need black males to mentor Jr: “As long as you’re working hard on
the young guys and tell them “tdon’t do this, something, it can turn around and work out

19
 | feature

for you. You have to do it everyday. Aca-

demic wise I wasn’t the best, but with hard
work and dedication things worked out great
for me in the long run.”

“From my experience with the game of foot-

ball I learned the significance of dedication.
You have to learn how to play the game.
The game doesn’t change, but the terminol-
ogy does. If you don’t know how to come in
and hit the weights and learn your playbook
when your coach is not around, then you
might not be able to succeed. You have to
give your all and do things your way.”

What advice would you give to young ath-

letes? Both: “Athletics is only a vehicle we
use being an athlete opens up your world. At
Glenville High School there is always more
than one plan. Take Travis Freeman for ex-
ample, he has four careers. Don’t put your
eggs in one basket, have other alternatives.
At Glenville we have a program where we
continue to push kids to create a life plan. “
Victory is
What are some tips for young men in gen-
eral? “Have an education, have a dream and
right around
pursue it, have the courage to be different, the corner.
have discipline, set goals, and be respect-
ful.“

What’s next for the Ginn family? Sr:

“What’s next for Ted Ginn Jr.? Well, that he
will have a great career and continue to set
an example for kids, not just Glenville but
for the entire nation. For the future of Ginn
Academy, we plan to continue to provide
housing for people in the community and 
&
UI
4U
touch the lives of people around the coun-
try.”


What are some questions you think we

should have asked you? Sr: “People have -BEJFT
DPNF

the wrong perception about me, my son, and WJTJU
VT
GPS

family. There’s a story of how we got here. 1BNQFS
.F

People never ask you how you feel, when 1MFBTF
5IVSTEBZT

you are in the business of being an
DPOUBDU
VT
GPS

advocate.”
NPSF
JOGP
Read the rest of our interview with The Ginns
at CanvasCleveland.com

20 CANVAS OCTOBER 2009

21
 HS FOOTBALL SPOTLIGHT
I
t’s football season so we decided to round up some of the best local high school play-
ers from around the city. Some of these guys like Tyrone Williams (Shaw) and Darryl
Baldwin (Solon) have already declared the university of their choosing, while others
are still a bit unsure. Keep an eye out for these future college all-stars!

Nate Morris #3
Receiver
Senior
Warrensville Heights HS
Schools considering: Akron, Toledo, Kansas

Nate caught 42 passes for 532 yards and seven touch-

downs. On the defensive side, he had 90 tackles and
four sacks last year.

Dominic Flewellyn #52

Left Tackle
Senior
Maple Heights HS
Schools considering: BGSU, Ball State, Kansas, &
Northern Illinois

Dominic is regarded as one of the top run blockers in the

city. He is 29th in the Plain Dealer’s Top 40 HS football
players.

Latwan Anderson #1
Defensive Back, Safety
Senior
Glenville HS
Schools considering: West Virginia, Cincinnati, Geor-
gia, & Ohio State

Junior year, Latwan made 2nd team All-Ohio with 50

tackles, five interceptions and six touchdowns in 2008.

22 CANVAS OCTOBER 2009

 feature |

Tyrone Williams #18

Receiver
Senior
Shaw HS
Schools considering: Ohio State

As a sophomore, Tyrone made 1st Team All-League, 1st

Team All-District, 2nd Team All-County, and 2nd Team
All-State in his first year ever playing football.

Christian Bryant #2
Cornerback / Receiver
Senior
Glenville HS
Schools considering: Ohio State, Michigan State, UVA,
& North Carolina

Ranked the 13th best cornerback in the nation, Christian

had 41 tackles, two sacks, and three touchdowns last
season.

Darryl Baldwin #85

Defensive End
Senior
Solon HS
Schools considering: Ohio State

Darryl had 37 tackles last season, 19 for losses. He

caught eight passes for 109 yards and three touchdowns.
He is ranked 21st best strongside DE in the nation.

23
| event pictures

Shaw High School: Alumni Weekend

September 6, 2009 - The alumni of Shaw High School held their annual All-Alumni
Weekend barbecue. The event was held at Forest Hills Park.
photos by jbobo - canvascleveland.com
 Shaw High School: Battle of the Bands
September 19, 2009 - Music Through the Streets held their annual band competition.
The event was hosted by Shaw HS and held at the CSU Wolstein Center. 25
| event pictures

“Ohio Hip-Hop Awards”

September 19, 2009 - ITW Marketing & ESP Enterprises presented their annual
music award show at the Cleveland Convention Center.
photos by jbobo - canvascleveland.com
dj lance (yo gabba gabba)

“Lux Saturdays at Lust”

September 19, 2009 - Word of Mouth & Cleveland365.com present their new
weekly event at Lust Nightclub in downtown Cleveland.
 calendar - october 2009
Would you like to add your event to the our calendar?
Email us at info@canvascleveland.com for more information

CONCERTS// EVENTS//
10/10 BB King 10/02 McCafe Experience
@ House of Blues by Cleveland’s First Fridays & Sunset Fridays
@ Sunset Lounge
10/10 Dwele
w/ DJ Krate Digga 10/04 Hair Addict
@ Stage Door (University of Akron) @ Headlines by DeFranco
Contact 440-605-0500 for more information.
10/15 BET’s 106th & Park Tour
w/ Trey Songz & Mario 10/08 Laughter is Medicine
@ House of Blues w/ Rob Allen, Al Jackson, & Gregorio
@ Bogey’s Comedy Club, 28060 Chardon Rd
10/17 Rickey Smiley & Fantasia Contact 440-944-9000 for more information.
w/ Tye Tribbett, Kirk Franklin, & Marvin Sapp
@ State Theatre 10/09 The Mixer
w/ DJ EV & DJ Pana
10/17 Blueprint @ Lust, 1303 W. 6th St.d
w/ Edotkom, Rime Royal, Phatburner, Mr. 44 Visit livinlegendsllc.com for more info.
@ Grog Shop
10/31 Twelfth Annual Fall Caberet
10/22 Jay-Z presented by Greater Cleveland Chapter of
@ CSU Wolstein Center Blacks in Government.
@ Solon Valley Party Center
10/24 Wiz Khalifa Contact William Young (440) 567-7487
w/ Keyel, Fam Famous
@ Grog Shop COMMUNITY//
10/09 BPACF Awards Dinner
10/28 Sean Kingston The Black Professionals Association Charitable
w/ Tye Tribbett, Kirk Franklin, & Marvin Sapp Foundation Scholarship and Awards Dinner
@ State Theatre @ Renaissance Cleveland Hotel, 6pm
Visit bpacf.org for tickets and more info
11/21 Conya Doss
w/ DJ Krate Digga 10/09 “Putting America Back to Work”
@ Stage Door (University of Akron) The Great Cleveland Job Fair (FREE)
@ IX Center, 9am -3pm
Contact Terri Wynne (440) 863-2334)

28 CANVAS OCTOBER 2009

29
 the list +
Would you like to add your business to the list? Contact us now to advertise
your information, email us at info@canvascleveland.com

SHOP//
brigade
1785 coventry rd EATS//
932-0700 sergio sarava
13225 shaker sq
next coventry 295-1200
1800 coventry rd
BARBERS//
371-0777 el taino supreme clientele
3038 scranton 1649 lee road
621-4888 932-4845
style lounge
1273 w. 9th st
664-1104 luckys cafe flawless
777 starkweather ave 7812 superior ave
622-7773 391-4166
heart&sole
1781 coventry rd
397-2923 xo primesteaks all-starz
500 w. saint clair 12619 larchmere blvd
621-5652 231-7827
athletes foot
2545 e. 55th st
361-2223 bluepointe grille major league
700 w. saint clair 2541 e. 55th
875-7827 361-1381
villa
4071 lee rd
751-5656 taste of jamaica supastarz
3936 mayfield rd 2541 e. 55th
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powterpuff
2671 w. 14th st
274-1220 mr. wonderfuls SALONS//
5354 lee rd. headlines
475-9233 5160 wilson mills rd
jeanology
2110 s. taylor 440-605-0500
932-5326 bodega
1854 coventry bangs
932-3050 4149 mayfield
691-7777
b&m barbeque
5501 warrensville ctr hair cafe
475-8720 3964 mayfield rd
291-0799
mallorca
1390 w. 9th st transformers
687-9494 4110 mayfield
382-8200

30 CANVAS OCTOBER 2009

 listings |

BARS// HEALTH//
madisons nulife fitness
4066 mayfield rd 3615 superior ave
381-4995 481-4446

winners jumpstart fitness

770 e. 185 call for more information
383-9300 905-7591

20/20 martini fit challenge

2020 center st 5225 northfield
776-0202 662-7830

visions urban active

5120 warrensville ctr 131 market st
332-1760 440-892-4653

thenail&toe manicures.pedicures.acrylics
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boutik .retail.boutik-on-the-go

3964 mayfield, inside of hair cafe

contact: 216.323.5687

31
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