Ladies, if

you are tired of wearing a T-shirt over your bathing suit, this article is

dedicated to you. If you don’t want to be mistaken for a beached whale while in

Cancun, this article is for you too.  

 

July

is National Bikini month. Some of you women may not be happy about this;

if so lets do something about it. When you aren’t happy you have to do

something about it, in this case you will eat healthier and exercise

more. We got a good response from the men with the first Beach Body Fresh article [May 29], so let’s get to it!

 

Below

is the plan. I saw the big girl in the “Lollipop” video just like you did,

and that is not who you want to be when wearing a two piece. Consider

this quote to live by, “If you want to wear the two piece, don’t order a

three piece!”

 

Legs

 

So,

you feel a little insecure about wearing really short shorts or a bathing suit

because your thighs are fat.  My mother is a larger woman, I’ve seen this

first hand. Look here, Dream Girls are trying to be Beyoncé or Jennifer Hudson,

so the way you get your legs right is by avoiding the four myths below.

 

Myth 1– If I just use a machine on the area I don’t

like it will tone up. Understand that if you sit on one of those inner

thigh machines in the gym and squeeze your legs together for an entire workout

you will NOT end up with a toned body. You

will have big thighs, they will just be stronger. Variety is the key for

toned legs.

 

Myth 2- Riding the bike will make your thighs

smaller. No! Have you ever seen Lance Armstrong’s legs? They look

like horse legs. The bike makes your thighs bigger, but the Stepper on the other hand is better if you are looking

to reduce size and tone up. The stepper engages the glut muscles the

most and because the gluteus is the largest muscle group in the body, it can

burn up the most calories compared to the other cardio machines.

 

Myth 3- The elliptical is great cardio for your

trouble areas. The elliptical will get your target areas but only if

used backwards. Most elliptical machines can move

in both directions, backwards and forwards. By moving it backwards you

engage the hamstrings, which are the muscles at the back of your thighs instead

of the front ones, which are the quadriceps.

 

Myth 4- Weight training will bulk you

up, so you shouldn’t do it. Never

avoid weight training if you want a well toned body and sculpted thighs. The

lower body has the largest muscle groups and these muscles when developed can

contribute major elevated metabolism benefits. This means you burn more

calories while doing your cardio. 

 

Lower

Body Workout – Four sets:

Quads

Superset-Barbell

Squat 8reps, Leg Press 15reps

{one

minute break}

Leg

Extensions, 10 reps

Hamstrings

Dropset-Leg

curls  25reps (point your toes downwards, this way you fully engage your

hamstrings!)

Outside

of thighs

Seated

abductor machine, 15reps

Inner

thighs

Dumbbell squats with feet pointed, 15 reps

Calves

Calf

raises, 25 reps

 

**Do lots of stretching before and after

your workout

 

Arms

 

Another

key target area for women is the back of the arm. At Chicago Fit 4 Life we call

it “wavy arm,” because when you wave your arm, the fat waves back at you! 

The “wavy arm” is a combination of fat and untoned muscle which is just hanging

around. You do not need to spot train that one specific area, but you

should add variety to your upper body program, with many different

exercises. If you want arms like Ciara, here is what you do:

 

Watch

Erika Shevon, R&B Queen of Chicago, going through the workout: 

www.youtube.com/watch?v=cV16x-rOHk8

 

Upper Body Workout – Four sets:

 

Chest

Superset-

One arm frontal raises (cable cross over machine) 10 reps, Frontal raises

resistance bands, 15

{one

minute break}

Shoulders

Superset-

Shoulder Press 10 reps (dumbbells), shoulder press resistance bands, 10 reps

Upper back/Triceps

Reverse

frontal raises

Chest

Push-ups,

10 reps

 

Perform all workouts in a circuit until you

have finished the four sets.  

 

Abs

 

The

critical component of loosing stomach fat relies on your metabolism and certain

hormones flowing through your body. This is why shorter, more intense workouts

are much more efficient.  This means walking or sitting at a stationary

bike reading for your workout will not give you the body that you really want.

When performing your cardio you should feel like Jordan Sparks and Chris Brown –

like you have NO AIR !

 

Success key 1- You cannot spot-reduce the

midsection by doing extra ab exercises like

crunches or sit-ups. You must first burn

off the body fat through proper cardio in order to define the area. Abdominal

training by itself will not do much.

 

Success key 2- Although carbohydrates have

an important role in the body, do not base your meals on them. Try to avoid simple sugars like cane sugar, honey, fruit

juices, syrups, and even a lot of fruit (i.e. apples, oranges, bananas).

 

Success key 3- If you want proper ab

development, you need to add resistance (weight) to your ab exercises. Abs are muscles just like any other muscle. Grab a

dumbbell, either hold it in front of your face, or let it lie on your upper

chest under your chin, and perform regular crunches.

 

Success key 4- Drink at least a gallon of

clean water each day as well. It will

help in nutrient absorption and digestion and will help flush toxins from the

body. 

 

30 minute routine – repeat two times

nonstop:

 

Three

minute incline running

One

minute jump rope

One

minute ab shockers

60

second plank

30

second side planks

30

second side planks

Three

minutes of stretching

 

Bonus Tracks – Eating while on Vacation:

 

Rule 1- Turn in the mini bar key. This is too tempting and once you start drinking, any

inhibition you had regarding your diet is thrown out the window.

 

Rule 2- Find a market place or grocery

store.  Grab some fresh fruit,

vegetables and sandwiches to eat instead of going to a restaurant for every

meal. The portion size is always bigger at a

restaurant than you would normally eat.

 

Rule 3- If you have to go out and eat

at a restaurant, do so only when you are hungry. Try to wait out your hunger pains by engaging in some

activities. 

 

Rule 4- Do not eat late at night (i.e.

after 8pm ). When your body gets ready for sleep

and slows down, it also burns calories at a much slower pace.

 

Rule 5- 

Exert some will power. Just stop at a certain point. I have had clients come off a vacation

gaining 10 extra pounds just because they felt that a vacation is a free-for-all. What

happens in Vegas may stay in Vegas, but what you eat comes back home! 

 

This

is for all those single ladies out there; get your body right and you won’t be

single for long. Mariah Carey and Janet Jackson both got their bodies

right one landed a man and the other one landed Nick Cannon. You

heard Kanye say “a nice stomach and you can maybe land a ball player.”

 

Definitions of exercise terminology: 

 

Superset-  It is performing two exercises with no break. Perform

barbell squats and jog immediately to leg press machine with no rest in

between. 

 

Dropset-

Start heavy and continuously lower the weight when you burn out until you hit

rep goal. Let’s say you start at 50 pounds and can only do 10 reps – drop

the weight to 30 pounds until you cannot perform any more. Let’s say that

number is 10 reps, then perform five reps.  

 

Dumbbell squats with feet pointed- perform squats by holding a dumbbell with both hands in

the middle and feet pointing 45 degrees outwards.

 

Calf Raises- Stand on the edge of a platform or anything that is

elevated like stairs, and tip toe, flexing the calf and go all the way down for

a good stretch.

Siddiqu Muhammad is an ACE

(American Council on Exercise) certified personal trainer, NFPT

(National Federation of Personal Trainers) certified personal trainer,

a Professional Athlete Strength and Conditioning coach, and

Motivational Speaker. Send questions to him at

ch*************@***oo.com. To view more of Chicago Fit 4 Life’s eating

and training philosophy visit www.cf4life.com

 

A mere mortal relying as much on wit and

intelligence as he does brawn, DC Comics’ Batman is a character ranking up

there in popularity with Superman and Spiderman. The Batman franchise of films has been much

beloved and much maligned. A tricked out Batmobile, yes. Nipples on the

frikkin’ Batsuit, negative.

 

With the upcoming release of The Dark Knight, here is a look at some past Batman flicks to get

you set for that highly touted sequel to Batman

Begins you are sure to be watching sometime on Friday, July 18.

 

Batman: The Movie  (1966)

 

Save for those die-hard Batman junkies, many

didn’t realize when watching Adam West’s Batman TV show, and it’s subsequent

movie, the show was essentially Batman Lite.

 

Yeah, the “detective” elements where mildly

present and the “Pow” and “Bam” animations, just about all of Robin’s dialogue and

the campy jokes were nothing like the Dark

Knight Batman creator Bob Kane intended. But hey, watching Adam West’s Batman

battle a shark is entertaining, in a

ridiculous sort of way.

 

Batman  (1989)

 

Michael Keaton donned the cowl for Tim Burton’s

lauded film adaption of Batman. But

the star of this movie was Batman’s arch nemesis The Joker, masterfully played

by Jack Nicholson. Though purists were thrown for a loop by some of the movie’s

plot turns (Joker does in Bruce Wayne’s parents, since when?), the film was the

start of a profitable franchise for Warner Brothers. And Prince’s Batman soundtrack wasn’t that

bad.

 

Batman Returns  (1992)

 

Danny Devito as The Penquin and Michelle Pfeiffer

as Catwoman – not a bad deal. And with critics and parents groups having a

hissy fit saying the film was too dark, the movie couldn’t have been that bad.

It didn’t blow away 1989’s film, but Keaton’s last turn as Wayne/Bats was a

pretty good look.

 

Batman Forever  (1995)

 

And this is where it starts to go downhill. Keaton

had dipped because he wasn’t feeling Warner Bros. decision to make Batman more

“family friendly.” Val Kilmer was decent, but the villains in this turn—Tommy

Lee Jones as Two Face, Jim Carrey as The Riddler—stole the show. Not

necessarily a bad thing, but let’s not forget the much mentioned travesty of

the Bat suit having nipples. Nipples

B! One highlight, Method Man’s “The Riddler” on the soundtrack was dope.

 

Batman & Robin  (1997)

 

Cali’s current governor as Mr. Freeze, Uma Thurman

as Poison Ivy, Chris O’Donnell back as Robin and Alicia Silverstone joining the

fray as Batgirl. Sounds decent on paper… but real rap, this movie was plain

garbage. Holy wackness Batman! After this sole turn as Batman, George Clooney

would redeem himself with Ocean’s 11

and Thurman in Kill Bill. The rest of

the cast, not so much. Oh, and Coolio makes a cameo.

 

Batman Begins  (2005)

 

After the nonsense that was Batman & Robin, the series was way past due for an overhaul,

and Batman Begins was the “reset” the

franchise needed. Christian Bale does his thing as a brooding, soon to be

trained assassin and prodigal son of Gotham City Bruce Wayne.

 

Based on a few of the beloved Batman series of

comics including Batman: Year One and

Batman: The Long Halloween, the

Batman had finally been translated to the film screen in the incarnation its

creator Bob Kane intended. The only faux pas is a hella annoying Katie Holmes

playing Rachel Dawes—bless you fast forward button.

 

The Dark Night  (2008)

 

The sequel to the near perfect Batman Begins is receiving much hype.

Early word is it will trump its stellar predecessor. With Bale and Gary Oldman

reprising their roles as Wayne/Batman and Commissioner Gordon, respectively and

along with Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent/”you ought to know already” and the

late Heath Ledger as The Joker, see this movie.Which Batman movie was your favorite? Who was the best Batman?

 

Back in the early ‘90s, Chris Webber exploded onto the

sports and Hip-Hop scene as a member of the University of Michigan’s legendary

Fab Five Freshman. With their bald heads, baggy yellow shorts, black shoes and

socks, swagger and their “me against the world” attitude, the Fab Five transcended

the game by bringing Hip-Hop culture to college basketball.

 

After Michigan,

C-Webb went to have successful 15-year NBA career, highlighted by the 1994

Rookie of the Year Award and six All-Star Game appearances.

 

Off the court, the Detroit native’s charity work is just as

impressive. Over the years, Chris has gone above and beyond with his time and

money to help people in need. His desire to want to help kids in the African-American

community shows the kind of heart Chris has.

 

On the July 25-27 weekend, Chris and some of the biggest

names in sports and entertainment head to Vegas for his Third Annual Bada Bing

Weekend at the Planet Hollywood Casino and Resort. All proceeds will benefit

the Chris Webber Foundation – which aims to build private schools in the

nation’s toughest inner-cities. 

 

C-Webb sat down with us to talk more about the big weekend, his thoughts on the League, his own career and of course, Hip-Hop.

 

AllHipHop.com:  You

finally hung it up this season. How’s retired life going so far?

 

Chris Webber: Well you know what’s funny, I don’t feel

retired yet, because at the end of the basketball season I always have this

time off, so I don’t think I’ll feel it until October when we usually start

training again. So I’m kind of in denial that I’m retired, so we’ll see how it

goes, hopefully it will still go well.

 

AllHipHop.com: With the injury, your last comeback attempt with

Golden State didn’t go exactly as planned. Are you comfortable with how it all

ended?

 

Chris Webber: Definitely because I did all I could do. I’m

always looking at KG when he won a championship, and I was just happy for him.

And I told him to “be blessed to play with two other great players” – it’s just

a blessing. You are here to make the most of it that’s what you work for. He

did the most that he could do, and I feel with my career looking back, I really

did the most I could do with what I had. Of course you make mistakes and you

would take some things back, but I had a 15-year career. Who would have ever

thought? So I’m just really happy about that. 

 

AllHipHop.com: Going back to your last team Golden State. A

lot of players have opted out so far this summer. What is your take on Baron Davis

leaving?

 

Chris Webber: You know, Baron’s a great guy. I know he

wanted to win a championship. I know that him bringing me there was an effort

for him to kind of do all he could do. I believe he was trying to get as much

help as he can get. I know he’s from the L.A.

area and I’m sure money had a lot to do with it. But at the end of the day, I

know Baron, and I know being close to home, and as a player believe me, you go

home in front of your nieces, nephews, kids and family it just makes life

better. So I’m sure that’s why he did it, but he’s one of the best point guards

I ever played with, so I’m sure he’ll make that team better.   

 

AllHipHop.com: Where do the Warriors go from here? If you

were Chris Mullin what would you do to turn around that franchise?

 

Chris Webber: That’s a good question. I just have to

re-evaluate everything. I know I have a leader in Stephen Jackson. I know he

can get it done. The little fella, their point guard Monta Ellis is awesome,

he’s gonna be an All-Star in one or two years. Also Biedrins. They have a

really good team, I just think that they are going to need a veteran presence,

and I see they’ve been talking to Corey Maggette and other people. The J-Rich

trade kind of hurts right now.

 

So, I don’t know, I’d just re-evaluate things and hopefully

keep my style of play, because in the West Coast, there are three teams that

made the playoffs this year that probably won’t make it. So I just to a lot of

praying and make sure I get the best player possible if I were Chris Mullin.

 

AllHipHop.com: Were you surprised Elton Brand didn’t stay in

LA to play with Baron? Because that would have been a scary combo.

 

Chris Webber: That would have been. But its so much more

than the guys you want to play with. I know that Elton is from New York and

he’s been on the West Coast a good seven or eight years, I’m sure he’s get

ready to get back home. Sometimes its just as simple as that. The East is wide

open and he’s got a better chance to win in the East than he does in the West.

He can at least make the playoffs.

 

AllHipHop.com: Tell us a little about the Third Annual Bada

Bing Weekend?

 

Chris Webber:  It’s

the third annual like you said. All proceeds benefit my foundation, and my

foundation centers around children and education in tough economic situations.

We’ve centered no into building schools in our inner-cities. I was fortunate

enough to go to college preparatory school in high school and that was only

because I could play basketball. I would like to build these kinds of schools

inside of our neighborhoods.

 

This weekend [July 25-27] is going to be a fun weekend.

Friday night we have a poker tournament and also have a concert, we have my man

Too Short and D-Nice – he’s gonna be out there and perform. Saturday, we have

our golf tournament and a pool party as well. And Saturday, we got Raphael Saadiq

and Gladys Knight performing. So its really just an event where we bring people

out and try to have as much fun as possible. We give you as much literature on

our situation and our children as much as possible. And we try to have fun and

try to give back as many donations. It’s just a weekend for both sides and let

people know that they have a way where they can help our children.

 

AllHipHop.com: What is your ultimate vision for these

schools?

 

Chris Webber: Well, the ultimate vision of these schools is

to educate and give self awareness and confidence to our children in the

inner-cities. To give them the tools, to give them the resources that they

don’t see in our public schools in the inner cities. I think our children have

been forgotten and they have been left behind and its up to us in the community

to make it better.

 

A lot of us in the work force know it’s really about who you

know, how hard you work and finding something that you love to do and sticking

with it. Our kids aren’t really being taught that. They are being taught they

can’t succeed, they’re being taught that they’re not smart enough to navigate. And

just I think to bestow our children, what jewels they are and it starts with

that education system. That’s my goal to give schools within the inner cities

of our country.

 

AllHipHop.com: How close are you guys to building these

inner city private schools?

 

Chris Webber: I am partnering with a school in Baltimore,

hopefully it can be done by 2010. And the cities that we are starting are in Atlanta, Detroit, Oakland and New York.

 

AllHipHop.com: You

are known for your extensive African-American art collection. What piece are

you most proud of?

 

Chris Webber: Oh man. Two pieces. Well you’re a writer, so I

guess I’ll say this one first. I have the original copy from Phillis Wheatley,

it was written in the 1700s. She was the first African-American woman to ever

publish a novel. But she’s the second woman ever to publish a novel, and she

got to go in front of John Hancock and actually recite paragraphs from her book,

because they actually didn’t think a Black woman was smart enough to be able to

write the words that she wrote. So that was very unique to me. My other

favorite, I don’t know if you have ever seen the movie Malcolm X?

 

AllHipHop.com: Yes, I’ve seen it.

 

Chris Webber: Do you remember when Malcolm X was in Mecca

writing a postcard to Alex Haley, who was writing an autobiography? I have one

of those postcards. And on it Malcolm X was writing to Alex Haley, telling him

how much he enjoys the land, and how the food is good, and isn’t it funny how

the monkey on the other side of the postcard playing the drums gets more

respect than the Black man in America.

 

And it’s funny to me. I mean it’s serious, because a monkey

did get more respect – but it’s just funny that he just put in that way and was

kind of laughing when he wrote it. And to get to show kids Malcolm X’s

signature and the fact that he converses back and forth with Alex Haley. To

know Alex Haley got that is very special. So those two were probably my

favorite two pieces.      

 

AllHipHop.com: When you were talking about showing kids

those your collection, what kind of satisfaction do you get when you show them

this art and get to explain the meaning behind them?

 

Chris Webber: You know what? It’s one of the best feelings I

have, because when we let the kids know where they’re from and who they are, I

think we expect more of ourselves and we realize that our existence is more

than our uncle or cousin that lives at home that we aren’t that happy about.

But when I show them this, they love it. And also make the point to show them “this

is stuff from Frederick Douglass’ house was burnt down when he died. And do

you know why his house burnt down? Because he taught himself how to read and

was an educator, he was in our government. He was taught by a daughter of a

slave how to read.”

 

I try to teach these kids that you only have obstacles, we

can do anything we want. And hopefully this African-American exhibit, and

hopefully these schools will teach the kids that there is no limit for what you

should dream about. And I just feel that kids in the inner city are taught not

to dream. But taught like, “I’m not going to make it, let me settle for this”

thinking. We got to re-program those computers in their minds to let them know

they can do anything they want.

 

AllHipHop.com: So you know this is AllHipHop, so we gotta

ask a few music questions.

 

Chris Webber: No doubt!

 

AllHipHop.com: You have made an album before. Where does

your musical career stand now with rapping or producing?

 

Chris Webber: I just produce. The album came out a long time

ago, and I never wanted it to come out. That was just stuff I used to do in my

basement with friends when I would produce. I did a song with Kurupt, and I

used to know him and we used to play when he got out of the studio, so I know

people thought I wanted to rap. I love rap, you know. But I just make rap and R&B

beats. I’m happy that Nas and some other artists gave me a chance to put stuff

on their albums.

 

AllHipHop.com: Growing

up in Detroit,

who were you favorite artists?

 

Chris Webber: The

good thing about Detroit,

we were in the middle. So I listened to everything. I remember when I had

friends in New York that didn’t hear Ice Cube and Too Short’s “Nothing But a

Word to Me.” So from X-Clan to Tribe Called Quest to Rakim to Heavy D. I

thought I was Big Daddy Kane for at least seven years, so I mean I grew up on

all Hip-Hop. I don’t know if you remember The Box, I don’t know how old you

are? You could order like videos for $3. So man, I got many ass whoopings from

my pops from videos.

 

Like anyone else my age or 35 and older, Doug E. Fresh and “The

Show,” Houdini… all that. Run DMC, Beastie Boys – eighth grade I remember

bumping that. Remember I’m from Detroit,

and all our rappers were local until MC Breed came out. So we had to listen to

everything. And plus, at that time it was just seeing Black people on TV, so to

me it was just the high top fade or the African leather necklaces, the yellow

at the peak at the high top, all that. It’s just the whole style.

 

It’s funny – when I watch kids doing the Superman and all

that, I was thinking, “I really used to be that

dude.” So yeah, anything within Hip-Hop during that time I used to love.

 

AllHipHop.com: What about now, who are you feeling nowadays?

 

Chris Webber: I definitely bump Game, Lil Wayne, Rick Ross,

Jeezy, T.I., UGK. But in my car though, it’s probably Jay-Z’s first album and The Black Album, probably three of Nas’

albums, one of Rakim and Run DMC – I listen to everything. So when it comes to Hip-Hop,

I love the new school I bump them so much.

 

But like, you quit the album when you get tired of it,

because I’d heard the Lil Wayne album so many times that I have to take a week

break from it and I’m gonna listen to all the old stuff and come back to it. I

really love the old school, but the young dudes are taking it to a new level.

 

AllHipHop.com:  What

is the last concert you went to?

 

Chris Webber: I saw Whispers with Stephanie Mills in

Oakland. Before that it was Jill Scott. And last Hip-Hop concert I was at was

Nas last year.

 

AllHipHop.com: Looking back, you had a marvelous basketball

career. What were your top three moments of your pro and college career?

 

Chris Webber: Well going to the Final Four my freshman year.

We beat Ohio State, they best us three times that

year and we didn’t even know we were going to make it. My second would be

getting drafted in the NBA. That was a dream and it was so great to be drafted

in Detroit. And right after the draft, I drove straight to a party I was having

for the city. It was great I feel like the city had a really great time.

 

And third? Wow…I would say just playing against the great

players I played against. From Jordan,

to Bird and those guys on the Dream Team, to Isiah Thomas, to young guys like

LeBron and Kobe.

So just being able to say I played great against the legends to me makes me

proud, so I think those three moments probably the best for me.

 

AllHipHop.com: Last

year you did some studio work with TNT. What was that like?

 

Chris Webber: Oh it was great. I was just getting my feet

wet, it was fun. Charles Barkley was my role model growing up, and to be able

to work with him and to be friends and have fun on the set was cool. Kenny

Smith is great too, so for me its good I get to stay in basketball. Its fun, I

love it.

 

AllHipHop.com: You seem very comfortable behind a camera.

Has it always been that way or did you develop that skill?

 

Chris Webber: I kind of developed it in high school. I went

to such a different place so I had to kind of get comfortable with it early. I

usually watch my broadcasts and study them. My boy Jalen [Rose] is on ESPN, so

I watch to see what he’s doing, how he’s doing it. So I definitely want to

learn. I do feel comfortable, but I know I can get better.

 

AllHipHop.com: Jalen’s been doing the media thing for years

now. Do you guys ever give each other pointers?  

 

Chris Webber: Yeah, definitely. We talked about it earlier.

About two years ago, I told him I thought I was going to retire before I played

with the Pistons, and he told me the same thing, and we just talked about the

things that we’d like to do. We talk sports [and] Hip-Hop all day long, so to

be able to do this is great. Since he’s on ESPN and I’m on TNT now, but hopefully

one day we can come together soon and work together on stuff.

 

AllHipHop.com: You two were Fab Five teammates at Michigan. Any

chance you guys get your other Fab Five teammate Juwan Howard to follow in your

guys’ footsteps?

 

Chris Webber: You know what, I don’t know. Juwan has always

been the smooth, laid back dude. He’s always been the man behind the scenes,

the battery behind everybody’s back, so I don’t know if Juwan wants to get in

front of a camera or just be producing the show that we’ll have. But Juwan has

a few years left to play, so he outlasted everybody so we’ll have to wait until

he retires.

 

AllHipHop.com: What’s in your future now? What else gets you

excited nowadays?

 

Chris Webber: Man, just my businesses. I have several companies

I started while I was in the NBA. I told Magic [Johnson] that I’m really trying

to chase his title. So I’m really competitive in this business thing. And

secondly, my charities. I just really want to put that energy out there to our

children.

 

I’ve been blessed to have good people around me to show me

the way. We can’t control what a child is going to do, but we can show them the

way – show them that they don’t have excuses and they have less obstacles. I

want to concentrate in business and philanthropy and change some lives. Those

are my two goals.

 

It is the continuation

of a legacy spawned by what has been far from Hip-Hop’s proudest moment. Flavor of Love gave us I Love New York, Rock of Love and Charm School,

and now the VH1 Celebreality machine has created a little brother for the MTV

generation.

 

From G’s to Gents brings together a group of 14 guys described as “rough

around the edges,” and gives them the opportunity to change their ways and

possibly earn a cash prize.

 

Originally rumored

to be a Charm School experience for

the male contestants of I Love New York,

the show follows a similar premise to what comedienne Mo’Nique did with the Flavor of Love all-stars, down to the

$100,000 prize given to the winner at the end of the season.

 

But these are not

guys seeking to extend their 15 minutes, having masked their desire for superstardom

by faking true love. As host Fonzworth Bentley explains, creators Jamie Foxx and

Chris Abrego were after way more than a ratings factor in televising this

social experiment.

 

The artist/author,

and Ambassador of the Gentleman’s movement shares with us how his latest

project goes beyond entertainment.

 

AllHipHop.com: So how did the

show come about?

 

Fonzworth Bentley: I’ve been turning

down reality shows, at least three a week for the last three years, because, as

far as reality, I didn’t really wanna do anything unless it was going to help

somebody else. And you did the interview with me sometime back in September

about the book [Advance Your Swagger: How to Use Manners, Confidence, and Style to Get Ahead]. I had been in talks

with a few companies about developing something around the teachings of the

book, because people were excited about it and enjoyed the book, it’s been

doing well.

 

I got a call from Chris Abrego, and Jamie Foxx had this idea to turn G’s

into gentlemen. And when he thought of it, he thought of me from the very

beginning.  The irony of it is, he’s been

wanting to do a show with me since he met me back in 2001. It’s kinda funny how

six, seven years later, we’re finally able to make it happen, which is a

testament to having relationships and maintaining favorable relationships.

 

AllHipHop.com: So how closely do

the topics you visited on the show work with what you wrote about in Advance Your Swagger?

 

Fonzworth Bentley: It was a perfect fit with the

book, and we wrapped a lot of the things around the book. And we added other

things on to it that, not just men need to know, but that especially the men

need to know. It’s basically about adding other tools to the toolbox, if you

will. Right now, if you’re living in the streets, or if you’re living even the

suburbs, or wherever you’re living, the only way that you know to go about

getting things done or working, or moving your dream forward, let alone just

whatever you do to survive, are the only tools that you know.

 

It’s kinda like, if you have a hammer and a wrench in your tool shed,

and that’s all you got, you gon’ break something! So this is just adding a

drill. If you got a vise, you can cut something event straighter. So it’s

really about adding some different tools to these gentlemen’s toolboxes. I’m

excited because every where I go, I would always get asked questions because

people know I started from an assistant point of view, and also I had an

incredible mentor that knows every gamete of the game. And that’s why I wrote

the book. And after I wrote the book, people would say, “Bentley, you really

need to do a show with this so that folks can really see this and learn.” And

so I think that the show is gonna be really impactful because it’s like, I can

see these guys making a transformation.

 

It was really interesting because, you know the winner gets $100,000. The

show started out with everybody [thinking], “I gotta get this $100,000. This

could change my life.” And as the show progressed, it turned into, “I don’t

wanna leave here Bentley, because I don’t wanna miss the lessons that you’re

teaching us.” We taught them lessons in how to dress appropriately for every

occasion, and they never really thought about it as in-depth as that. Lessons

in chivalry and gallantry. Lessons in how to put together your resumé, and how

to take the things that you’ve done and your work experience and make it look

the best on a resumé.  How to even go

about getting an interview, a lot of folks don’t know.

 

Etiquette, and business savvy; and there’s a different type of

conversation you gotta have if you’re talking to your person on the corner,

than if you’re talking to the person that’s in the boardroom. And nothing says

that you can’t do all of that. We have living, glowing examples right now,

especially in Hip-Hop, of folks that have made that very transition. From 50

[Cent] to Jay [Z], these are prime examples of folks who have made that

transition.

 

AllHipHop.com: You mentioned

some of the glowing examples of how this has worked for others. And you got

some people involved to showcase that first hand, right? Master P, Irv Gotti…

 

Fonzworth Bentley: Yeah. Master P is a

wonderful example of someone who not only started from nothing, but had a dream

to open a record store. And he named his record store No Limit! I mean, just in

the sheer idea of what he decided to name his company, folks really need to

think about when they brand and name their companies, what are they naming

their companies? He named his No Limit, and he did just that. He started with a

record store, then he did the label, then he said, “I don’t really need y’all,

I’ll sell these records on my own.

 

He did one of the most groundbreaking deals for Hip-Hop, and he took

the same mentality of the street and brought it to the record game. He has

upped his profile. His son did his thing. His son was an actor, and his son is

now going to USC. So Master P, I thought was the perfect person, especially

with the guys that I had on the show, he would be the perfect person to really

hit home with them.

 

AllHipHop.com: How did you guys

choose the contestants? Where you involved in that process?

 

Fonzworth Bentley: That happened before I got there. They

basically did castings nationwide. And they had people come in and a

series of questions: what they though a “G” was, what they thought a gentleman

was. And it wasn’t just about getting people who were the most street, who were

the most “G.” We wanted people that not only were that, but people that really

wanted to make a change. Otherwise, they just gon’ be there for TV, and that’s

not what we wanted to do. That’s not what this was about. We wanted people that

fundamentally wanted to make a change, but didn’t have anybody to actually come

to the hood and give them those tools and give them that opportunity so that

they could learn these things.

 

AllHipHop.com: How much of the

development of the show did you directly have a hand in?

 

Fonzworth Bentley: Well, after I was

brought on, it was like, “Ok, we definitely want you very much involved, we

want your voice, we want this to go the way you want.” You know, keeping it

real: most reality shows, for the host, they come in and they basically [get

told], “Here, we need you to hit these points, set up these challenges, and

we’ll have you out of here by five o’clock.” I told them before I signed on,

I’m not leaving at five o’clock. I’m staying here as long as I have to stay, to

make sure that they get this information. I don’t wanna test these guys on this

information, if I don’t fully believe that they have been taught the

information well enough to perform.

 

So many days, this was a good 18-20 days a lot of times, because I was

sticking around because I really cared about these guys. And most importantly,

there’s no reason for anyone to want to try and work on being a better man and

work on being person or really adopting the things that we’re teaching if you

don’t see anybody making a transformation. I was very much involved into who we

brought in to teach different lessons, so I had to make sure that we chose

great folks.

 

We had [designer] Ozwald Boateng to come in for the fashion lesson; we

got Sean Yazbeck, who won the fifth season of The Apprentice, to teach business savvy. Here’s a man who took an

opportunity of being on the show, to then working for Trump, to now having his

own enterprise. He really took that opportunity to the next level. We taught

them how to do a PowerPoint presentation, and then they pitched what they

thought would be a sound business to gentlemen out in L.A. called the Dolce

Group. You know [co-owner] Michael Malin won one of these reality shows [Big Brother], and now they have all

these hot spots all over: they have the Geisha House, Ketchup.

 

That’s why they were perfect, because here’s somebody who was sitting

in the exact same seat that you’re sitting in. He took this money and made

something out of it. He didn’t just blow the money that he made. So we were

really specific in choosing that. I was really excited about the commitment

from Chris Abrego and Jamie Foxx for really making this a real thing and not

just a comedic hodgepodge, if you will.

 

AllHipHop.com: What are some of

the other lessons?

 

Fonzworth Bentley: We said fashion and

business savvy. How to interview, the importance of first impressions, being

able to learn how to adapt to different cultures… a lesson in diction and

grammar, because we get so comfortable in how we talk. We had one gentleman who

had never left Miami in his life. That plane flight to L.A. was the first time

he left Miami. He ain’t been to Tampa. If you’re in your environment like that,

you talk how you talk all of the time. It’s about expanding your vocabulary.

 

We literally went through 10 weeks of lessons and challenges. And the

good news is, I’ve already gotten calls and emails from the guys. One of the

gentlemen, he called me on the cell phone and told me, “Bentley, I went for an

interview to be a waiter. I dressed appropriately and I had my resume together.

And because of how I presented myself,” he told me they made him a shift

manager, and he was like, “This stuff is real!” Now you know the economy that

we’re in right now. That’s an extra couple dollars plus responsibility in a

starting position, just off the things that he learned on the show. So that

made me proud. Some of the gentlemen, they’ve gotten into school.

 

AllHipHop.com: At the same time,

everything doesn’t always take. Are there people that you felt were unable or

unwilling to take what you were giving them? Or even guys who you felt were

just there for TV?

 

Fonzworth Bentley: Nah, those guys

were gone the first episode. As soon as they walked in the house, you see what

that is, and they exposed themselves. And I think that from that, even they

learned. Like, “Wow. I just walked in the house. Here’s a wonderful

opportunity, not only to learn something, but to win $100,000 and to learn from

someone that I know is a student of the game and has advanced his swagger. And

I don’t got kicked out the house on the first day. I will never mess up an

opportunity like this again.” So no matter which way you do it, it’s a learning

experience.

 

AllHipHop.com: What was the most

challenging thing about the whole set up for you?

 

Fonzworth Bentley: To be perfectly

honest, the most challenging thing was to see certain guys, who because of the

way their personality was, it would hold him back. There were certain guys who

really were listening to lessons, would perform well in the challenge, but

because they had bad attitudes, and because of ego, it would hold them back. That

was really frustrating.

 

There were people on the show who had been fired from every job because

of violence. So it’s like, Brother, when you’re messing up, it’s affecting you!

You’re hurting yourself. I can see you at the end, and look at you: you’re

messing this up because of a simple thing. What good is it to take it to that

level with another man? That’s what this whole thing was about: you can have

fisticuffs going mind to mind. And it’s like the reality is, every person who

got on this show learned that it’s actually very easy to be a G, but it takes a

lot more effort to be a gentleman.

 

AllHipHop.com: Do you feel like

you guys did a good job of showing them the value of putting that effort in?

 

Fonzworth Bentley: Yeah. And that’s

why I said, the one payoff was the $100,000. But then it was about, “Wow, I’m

learning things here from experts, and I’m enjoying learning it, and this is

stuff that I really need to learn and things that I really need to know.” A lot

of these guys had kids. So it’s like, you gotta step your game up not just for

yourself, but for your little one. And you know that this is stuff that you

need to not only have for yourself, but you need to be passing down to your

little one. And that’s something that they never could deny.

 

AllHipHop.com: Were you involved

with the editing process to? Because a lot of people who appear on reality

shows complain about the fact that the shows are edited to make them appear a

certain way. And for all of you and Jamie’s best intentions, there’s still

someone out there who’s wanting to make it good TV…

 

Fonzworth Bentley: Well, I can tell

you that one of the things that I said was that I wanted this show to be real.

And a lot of that has to do with the way that I conducted myself. And if I

really came from a real, teachable spirit; all of the guests came from a real,

teachable spirit and not really tryna lame folks out, then it’s gonna happen. People

had real transformations. That’s what’s gonna make this a really good show. It

ain’t just about the quick joke. These folks are really going through real

transformations.

 

That’s why I think people are gonna turn in, because they’re gonna really

get into these guys. There were guys I couldn’t stand. I was like, “I want him

off right now.” And then within another week, I really liked the guy and I was

like, this is a night and day. Because I think a lot of the things that we put

them through and challenged them on, it really helped to turn them inside out,

so to speak. There were some folks, it was rehab for them. There were folks who

came in the house that were addicted to drugs. Hard stuff.

 

AllHipHop.com: How did y’all

deal with that?

 

Fonzworth Bentley: Well, they can’t

get none. They’re locked in this house. But there were people that stopped

smoking in here. And it was amazing, because it wasn’t that we made them stop.

It started to be about, you need to be a better person and you know why. You got

somebody back home that’s looking up to you. That’s rooting for you to be

better. You can’t lose here. It’s too much to lose. And I would be very blunt

and very forthright in highlighting there lives to them. I think what it’s

really gonna be, is it’s gonna be some balance in the industry, and it’s gonna

be balance for television.

 

AllHipHop.com: Would you do it

again?

 

Fonzworth Bentley: Oh, I can’t wait to

do it again, because this is really something that I’ve already been doing.

Since my book came out, my goal has been to talk to 80 different schools in two

years. I’m at 65.

 

AllHipHop.com: Wow! And it

hasn’t been a year yet!

 

Fonzworth Bentley: Well, I started

before the book came out. Because I had been writing and drafting, and it takes

four months to print a book. So I started before the book came out. I targeted

a lot of single-gender schools. I’ve been everywhere from Harvard to the

Wharton Business School at [University of] Pennsylvania, to Morehouse, Spelman

and Clark. I’ve gone to speak to students because a lot of these students are

coming out of school, but they’re not getting the information that they need

for the real world, and that’s what I found has been missing.

 

Even at the high school and middle school level, there’s a couple of

school that have been adopting it as part of their curriculum. So this is

something that I’m about. And that’s what my whole mission is. Even with the

music, the whole Cool Outrageous Lovers Of Uniquely Raw Styles [C.O.L.O.U.R.S.],

this is a new school. Knowing how to treat a lady is cool. Knowing how to get

dressed up for every occasion is cool. Being a gentleman is cool.

 

You know just as well as I do, there are folks who grew up in middle

class neighborhoods, who try to act like they thugs because they think that

they’re gonna get accepted in Hip-Hop. And then they’re getting called out

‘cause folks who from they hood say, “He wasn’t like that. He never been like

that.” But you’re already seeing: the gentlemen’s movement is here, and it’s

about to be full pedal to the metal. And I’m talking about the pedals on the

steering wheel.

 

Oh, and there’s a G in gentleman. A true gentleman is someone who’s

classy, someone who’s chivalrous, but somebody who can be themselves in all

social situations, and can adapt. That’s a gentleman. So you don’t have to lose

your G. And that was the whole thing about the show. I didn’t wanna take away

the things that innately made each individual who they are. I just wanted to

give them some other tools, which would give them some other options, to then

be able to expand their territory.

 

AllHipHop.com: So give us some

tips for G’s who want to follow you into the Gentlemen’s Movement.

 

Fonzworth Bentley: If only people

around your way understand what you’re saying when you speak, don’t talk louder! You need to better

enunciate.

 

If you buy XXL shirts, and you weigh 140 pounds, and you’re taller than

four feet, that ain’t your size.

Stand up! Offer your seat to the older person getting on the bus. That’s

right – hold the handle bar for a senior.

 

If you hear “nice gators” and your wearing flip-flops, buy a

Ped-Egg.

 

If everyone at Starbucks knows that you’re behind on your rent, you’re talking

too loud on your cell phone.

 

Profanity is overrated; if you don’t believe me, let one out around

your grandma, then brace for the Rick Flare chop!

 

If all else fails, do whatever Obama does…