College Underground Magazine Issue 5 | Page 6

AYI JIHU - CHINA’S 1ST R&B STAR AND ICON (Con’t) What does the future hold for the "Chinese Star" Ayi Jihu? What should the world expect from you? I'm heading to the States to start my other adventure! Continue with what I've done and take it up another notch! It's exciting times for me. I will be completing my new album, The Rebirth, finish shooting all the videos, and the movie Fear Chaser. And much, much more, so keep an eye out for my updates. Lastly, any advice to the ladies out there trying to get it and make it happen like you are on all levels? Any thanks or shout outs? There's no secret formula but to work hard and be dedicated. Be aware of how strong your mind can be. We are all stronger than we think. Never give up your dream, don't pick and choose to do what you like but to do all the hard bits around as well, you will learn quick. Be true to yourself, as when you are real and genuine people will feel it they know, and no one will bring you down. Big shout out and thank you to my team in USA, Thailand China and UK, without them I cannot do it myself, and they have been supporting me constantly, I appreciate all my friends family fans from all over the world, who always shows love and support keep me going and motivated and my mentor Eagle E who believed in me before I believed in myself and guided me. DAVE TOLLIVER By: Terrance Hazly “Real talk, I’ve been around the game since I was 4 years old, being with my uncle slash dad, Lynn Tolliver around the radio. I probably started doin’ radio when I was like 15, that was in ’86 around Cleve- land. Then I started doing Men At Large in 1990. So roughly, over 30 years.” These are the words of Cleveland vocalist & native Dave Tolliver in this edition of the Industry Insider. As we get more in-depth, this is what he had to say about how the music game has changed since he started: “Well I think back then it was pure, organic, a lot of hard work and it meant something to people. I think now, people just take it as this get rich quick thing, which is not always true. Everything in en- tertainment is really like a façade a lot of times. It’s definitely changed from the traditional way of shakin’ hands & kissin’ babies and meeting people and going to the radio station and all that differ- ent stuff and now you just push a button on the computer. I think it’s gotten less personal and more gen eral. It’s no personal attachment, nothing for the soul involved, it is what it is. I know back when I was a kid, the top athletes had letterman jackets. You knew when you saw somebody with a letterman’s jacket on that was somebody special, somebody unique, somebody different. Now they just lettin’ everybody wear’em. Like getting in the honor socie- ty, now everybody can get in. If you turn in some homework you’re in the honor society. (laughing) That’s how different it is now.”