We’re on Uncreative Radio with Abebe Lewis and he’s predicting a new era for Miami.

There is great power in the spoken word. The right voice, the right message, the right delivery can change history. We’ve seen it happen time and again on platforms as prestigious as the political stage to those as unexpected as the performance stage. And that is what we’re here to talk about today.

We invited Abebe Lewis to the studio to discuss the power of music and the responsibility that too many artists are ignoring. 

Turn on the radio and listen to popular music. It’s unfortunate that so many of the artists that are thriving often take their voice and their platform for granted. They prioritize the fast track — a road derived from mimicking a shallow, inauthentic formula — so that they can get rich quickly. In many songs, the lyrics are meaningless, reduced to incoherent rumblings, random obscenities, and other hype-centric maneuvers. Are they fun to listen to? Sure. But what are they trying to achieve?

Abebe Lewis remembers a time when rappers and hip hop artists created music to bring about positive change. He remembers that music was a movement; that lyrics mirrored society; that enlightenment was their architect. He remembers these times. He recalls the artists who led the charge. Hell, he grew up looking up to them; learning from them. His family’s recording studio, Circle House Studios, has dominated Miami’s music scene for four decades. They originated countless hit productions, like the 1987 theme song to Cops and the Bad Boys franchise.

Abebe Lewis was there. His father and his uncle taught him. Music is his life… and the future he sees is getting us excited. 

Abebe Lewis is certainly qualified to discuss music and the artists carving out a piece for themselves. So, on this episode of Uncreative Radio, we’re being treated to an unscripted, insider’s look into the contemporary hip hop scene. The world is on the verge of a musical revolution and its origins very well may be Miami.

Join us and Abebe Lewis this Thursday, November 28th at 6 PM to find out what the future may bring. 

#UNCREATIVERadio airs every Thursday at 6 PM.

Our guests are some of the brightest minds in their industry. Most are self-starters and artists doing everything they can to establish their name among the best of the best. If you have great ambitions in life, then this is your source for art, entertainment, and inspiration.

Check out the other episodes when you get a sec!

We’re on Uncreative Radio with Rob Villanueva to discuss why successful athletes go broke, the fake veil of Instagram, and how creative professionals can improve their online presence.

Rob Villanueva is a creative consultant based in New York City. He is an expert at building brands for professional athletes and businesses that produce far-reaching financial benefits.

Rob Villanueva started out in I.T. in the world of PC. By the time he was 14, he was being paid for his I.T. work. From there, he got into network engineering, which started him on a 15-year career that led to Silicon Valley. Technology was his life right up until his brother, Charlie Villanueva, was drafted to the NBA. He quit his job. And started a new career which eventually brought him to the world of creative brand consulting.

In this episode of Uncreative Radio with Rob Villanueva, Rob shares his experience living alongside professional athletes in the NBA and how early decision making decides one’s financial future forever.

It’s all fun and games when a relative, a close friend, or even you get drafted to live out lifelong dreams of playing in the big league of sports. But at what point should that excitement be channeled into planning for one’s future? When Rob Villanueva’s brother was drafted to play for the Toronto Raptors, he followed him to the NBA. He enjoyed the excitement and partying. Who wouldn’t? Looking back, however, he realizes how many obvious money-making opportunities he failed to capitalize on. Or, in his words, “We should all be millionaires right now.”

Rob did not take advantage of those early years. A lot of the athletes in his company didn’t. Seeing their pitfalls, and learning from his own mistakes, led Rob Villanueva into the world of creative brand consulting where he recognizes and optimizes every financial opportunity for his client’s. Rob shares a ton of valuable insights on how to take advantage of opportunities when they present themselves and how planning for the future means the difference between a lifetime of luxury or financial woe.

Check out how our friend Karelle Edwards is taking advantage of her early career as an Olympic Athlete with a creative suite of personal branding.

From Financial Planning to Brand Building

A major part of Rob’s business is social media, particularly Instagram. We have that in common. Given his background in tech, he has many great insights that the average user doesn’t consider. If you use Instagram this is where you’ll want to tune in. Rob and Josh remove the veil disguising fake social media accounts and how they devalue your online presence. “Don’t be sold by the number of followers,” he says. “You have to look deeper than that.”

Stick around, because after we lift the veil, Rob and Josh provide pro tips designed to help creative professionals build rewarding social media accounts. If you want to make a career out of your art then you need to know how to harness authenticity, storytelling, and one other key ingredient…

Tune in Thursday, September 12 at 6 PM ET to Uncreative Radio with Rob Villanueva to find out how you can beat the social media algorithm and cash-in on unlikely opportunities.

#UNCREATIVERadio airs every Thursday at 6 PM. Our guests are some of the brightest minds in their industry. Most are self-starters and artists doing everything they can to establish their name among the best of the best. If you have great ambitions in life, then this is your source for art, entertainment, and inspiration.

Check out the other episodes when you get a sec!

Joshua Miller connects with South Florida Rapper, Sam Stan, on this episode of Uncreative Radio.

Sam Stan is a longtime friend of C&I Studios. We have worked with him on a number of creative projects from music videos, artist profiles, and recently on the debut episode of our Freestyle Friday series. We invited Sam Stan to the studio to talk about music culture and the grind required to make it in the music business as an underground musician going against the grain.

Sam Stan isn’t new to the rap game. Though, he goes about it completely differently. He’s more focused on building a following and creating valuable poetry than he is on signing a record deal. That’s been his guiding philosophy and it’s working. Sam has been making moves, climbing his way up, and establishing his name among some of our favorite artists. His style is reminiscent of Chance the Rapper but his lyrics are completely unique to his narrative. He’s blowing up on Spotify, exceeding 2 million hits on his single “Vroom Vroom.” And just released the EP Happy Camper. You can check it out here.

On Episode 8 of Uncreative Radio with Sam Stan, he shares his insights on his creative process, how his music is being received by other artists and the value of storytelling in rap.

Be sure to follow Sam Stan on Instagram to track his rising career!

More Episodes of Uncreative Radio

#UNCREATIVERadio airs every Thursday at 6 PM. Our guests are some of the brightest minds in their industry. Most are self-starters and artists doing everything they can to establish their name among the best of the best. If you have great ambitions in life, then this is your source for art, entertainment and inspiration.

Check out the other episodes when you get a sec!

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy… unless he finds a healthy work-life balance.

In this episode of Uncreative Radio with Joey Wright, Josh and Joey share valuable lessons on budgeting time and the importance of balancing work and play.

In today’s technological landscape, we are always plugged in. We carry our lives in our pockets; our work, our friends, our families, our passions… So, how do we disconnect; can we disconnect? Is it possible to salvage our sanity when we are constantly engaged? What happens when our work life becomes the only life we know? Most of us grew up hearing that we have to fully immerse ourselves in our work to be successful. But that was before technology. Now work goes around-the-clock 24/7.

Most of us have learned this lesson the hard way. If you’ve ever snapped and totally flipped out on a good friend or suddenly quit your job then you know what we are talking about. Our generation faces challenges that have never been addressed until now: unplugging when we are constantly plugged-in. Fortunately, you have Uncreative Radio to learn a thing or two…

Joey Wright solved his work-life balance by establishing a social life outside his craft. He has friends who are professional photographers and friends in other careers. This has helped safeguard his passion for photography. Rather than his craft becoming a chore or the only thing he knows/does, it has remained one of the greatest joys in his life. And that has translated positively into both his private life and career.

Before we get into all that, take a walk with Joey Wright and Joshua Miller as they reminisce on the early days of starting out as creatives… And share in the best “getting kicked out” story of all time.

Tune-in August 8, 2019, at 6 PM ET for Episode 7 of Uncreative Radio!

About Our Guest

Joey Wright is a professional swimsuit photographer. You can check out his portfolio by following him on Instagram.

We recently started a new community event for cinematographers, photographers, and models with Joey Wright and Chris Headshots. We host it at our studio in Fort Lauderdale and open it up to anyone with a camera and a vision. You can check out some awesome video recaps and photo galleries on our #UNCREATIVE Blog!