Home of the World Famous DJ Yoshi: Award-Winning Sports & Luxury Event DJ
I had to post this picture because it showcases the work of 2 of my favorite people in their respective fields:
Michael Jordan & Photographer Steven Wilkes
On February 17th Mr. Air Jordan turns 50… and I bet he can still cross over, take 2 dribbles, and hit a pull up jumper in your face!
Photo By Steven Wilkes
For additional information on Steven Wilkes, please visit StevenWilkes.com
It’s no secret that the adult film world has helped to shape the lives of billions!
According to Forbes Magazine The adult world is estimated to drive 2.6 – 3.9 BILLION in yearly sales.
Adult Video: $500 million to $1.8 billion
Internet: $1 billion
Pay-Per-View: $128 million
Magazines: $1 billion
Total: $2.6 billion to $3.9 billion
Even your favorite actors & actresses have tactfully released their home-made editions for press.
No one really knew who Kim Kardashian was until that scandal of her sex tape with Ray-J.
Millions flocked to google to find the Paris Hilton video.
When it comes down to it, many adult starlets have come & gone. But superstars have been born due to the porn world.
Jenna Jamison has become a household name. Female rappers have made references to Mandingo.
Since 2003, one name rings constant in adult film and tours… Nikki Benz.
The 31 year old Ukrainian video vixen took on the adult industry by storm, and she hasn’t slowed down. In fact, she utilizes her popularity and momentum to accomplish other personal goals…
But, I’ll let her tell you all about that.
DJ Yoshi: I’ve read that you were the one that actually contacted an adult film director to get your start. Why were you so interested in “porn” to begin with?
Nikki:That is true! I did seek out an adult film director myself and I was the one that 100% consciously got myself into adult films. At that time I was 20, stripping at a local Toronto strip club to save up money for college since my mom was a single parent working 2 jobs supporting two kids. My then boyfriend was a huge Jenna Jameson fan. The two of us were little freaks in bed so when he introduced me to Jenna, I fell in lust with her. I looked her up on google.com and found a lot of useful information. I thought to myself “She’s gorgeous, smart, and she’s made a career for herself by being a sex symbol”. Here I was stripping in Toronto to save up money, but I was also getting bored of it all. Going to the same club, seeing the same people over and over again. So I did a little bit more research. I found out that if I can do adult movies I can get magazine work (which at that time was more appealing) and I could feature dance which I still do and love! I realized that if I became an international sex symbol I’d bank and I’d finally get that freedom I always wanted. Freedom to be my own boss, freedom to travel and see the world. Once I set that goal in my head, I went after it – hard.
DJ Yoshi: Why did you decide to contact the director that you did to break in?
Nikki: To be honest his name was the first one that popped up. I typed in “adult film directors” on google.com and bam his name popped up. I took a chance. I emailed him my bikini modeling pics and he immediately responded.
DJ Yoshi: What is your most proud moment being an adult actress?
Nikki: I’m proud of my career. I work hard and I do mean hard. Being an adult film actress is more than just waking up at 6:00 am and showing up to set for my 8:00 am or 9:00 am call time. I travel for work constantly. Sometimes going from the club where I was just appearing to the airport with no sleep, being on set long hours, back to back media days, what ever it may be I definitely can say I put in 120%. I consider myself as an entertainer. I use my popularity of being an adult film star to achieve other things like being a successful feature dancer, a website owner, becoming a Penthouse Pet which brings me to your initial question. My proudest moment is becoming Penthouse Pet of The Year. There are a lot of porn stars out there, but there can only be one Pet of The Year. I also paved the way of being a hard core actress who became Pet of The Year. In the past, Penthouse would never consider giving that title to a hardcore film actress. I’m proud to say I was the first one!
DJ Yoshi: What is your least proud moment being an adult actress?
Nikki: Least proudest moment… don’t have one.
DJ Yoshi: Does your profession lessen the impact that sex has on your personal relationships? If you have a boyfriend or fiance, how does he feel about what you do? Are there insecurities that anyone that you’ve dated in the past or present may have with you being in adult film industry.
Nikki: Having sex on film is different than having sex at home. Sex at home is so passionate. The feeling I get from sex at work differs from the sex at home because it’s not the same emotions. Sex with my boyfriend (when I have one) is emotionally charged. I enjoy the sex at work too, but it’s not the same. It’s sex without emotion aka empty. No matter how much I enjoy sex, work sex is just that…work. The way I care for my boyfriend is not how I care for my co-star.
I am currently single and I intend to keep it this way for the next little bit. I’m just really concentrating on work and making myself more financially secure. I have always had a boyfriend and I find that they get in the way at times. I nearly quit everything and moved to Nashville for my last one, but I smartened up. LOL
Of course there are insecurities with the men I date. I’m sure it’s tough knowing that the one you love everyone jerks off to. And I’m sure it’s even harder when they know I’m on set, even though it is just work.
DJ Yoshi: What is your favorite position or thing to do on camera?
Nikki: I love all of the positions! On camera I think doggy style looks really good and it feels amazing. My personal favorite position which makes me cum every single time is “froggy style”. It’s like doggy, only I would lay down flat on my stomach and have the guys straddle me. Damn!
DJ Yoshi: What is your least favorite position or thing to do on camera?
Nikki: How can I have a least favorite position? Haha actually I do. Pile driver….my 34DD’s and pile driver don’t get along. If you don’t know what a pile driver is look it up then imagine me doing it with my titties!
DJ Yoshi: Do you find it harder to cum off camera with all the sex that you have on camera?
Nikki: Off camera my orgasms are beyond anything I will achieve on camera. At home sex is way better resulting in more intense and crippling orgasms!
DJ Yoshi: What turns you on? What turns you off?
Nikki: Good hygiene, sense of humor and humility turns me on sprinkled with confidence. What turns me off would have to be egotistical or arrogant attitude. Any guy that treats others poorly is a turn off! And if you have no sense of humor then we just won’t get along.
DJ Yoshi: What separates you from other adult film stars?
Nikki: Good question? I’ll leave that one to the fans.
DJ Yoshi: How do you deal knowing that there are millions of guys out there that a. find you attractive, b. just want you for sex, c. don’t care to know you as a person and only see your body and what you’ve done on film
Nikki: I deal with it very well. It’s part of being a sex symbol. Those that know me on a personal level truly care about me as a human being. They see beyond all of that sex symbol stuff. Underneath it all I am a human being with a very interesting job. I make a lot of men and women happy.
DJ Yoshi: How did you get into your cameo appearances with Fox Sports?
Nikki: Producers on Fox Sports were looking for a well known adult actress and boom my name came up. They contacted me and the rest is history! It was a fun 3 years of being part of the Cubed cast. Truly a great experience. Something I’ll cherish for ever.
DJ Yoshi: After you’re finished with the adult scene as an actress, are you looking to make that a full time career whether it be production, casting, management, etc? Do you aspire to do anything else in the future?
Nikki: You know 5 years ago if you were to ask me this same question I would say “Yes, I want to produce and direct”. I’ve produced for my website nikkibenz.com, I’ve directed a few things here and there but now that I have that under my belt I want to expand outside of adult industry. Yes of course I aspire to do more in the future, not just in the adult but in the mainstream world as well. Perhaps even music.
DJ Yoshi: If you could give the single biggest piece of advice to those looking to get into adult films, what would it be?
Nikki: Have fun, save your money and remember it’s a business. Treat it as such. If you’re in it to make a quick buck look else where because porn is forever. My friend Lisa Ann once said “Doing porn is like getting a tattoo on your face. Everyone will always know”. I agree with that statement 100%. So with that being said, be smart about your decisions and intentions of getting into porn. I got into it wanting to become the biggest name to ever come out of Canada. Boom!
DJ Yoshi: What projects do you have coming up? Tours? Autograph Sessions? anything?
Nikki: I’m always on the go! Lot’s going on. Best place to find dates for my upcoming feature dancing, appearances and so forth would be on nikkibenz.com and twitter.com/nikkibenz as I always post all the info on there. Keep an eye out for Michael Bay’s “Pain & Gain” starring Mark Whalberg and The Rock. I was flown out by Paramount Pictures to Miami to film something for the movie. It is slated to come out in April of this year.
DJ Yoshi: Being considered one of the sexiest women alive, how does that make you feel?
Nikki: It makes me feel good! It’s flattering.
DJ Yoshi: What do you like to do on a day when you’re not on location, working on a project or filming?
Nikki: Ummm I’m always doing something. I rarely have days off. If it’s not work related, it’s home related. Can’t stop. Won’t stop. Can’t hold me down attitude ya know.
DJ Yoshi: Do you consider yourself a Romantic or a Realist and why?
Nikki: I consider myself a realist. Been through too much bullshit to feel otherwise. I feel like I had enough experience to be a realist. Nothing wrong with that.
DJ Yoshi: Is there anything else that you’d like your fans to know about you?
Nikki: I want my fans a.k.a. Benz Mafia to know that I love them! I appreciate my devoted fan base. I feel lucky to have you!
Follow Nikki on Twitter: @NikkiBenz
Visit Nikki’s Web Site: NikkiBenz.com
– via (Reuters) –.
Pope Benedict said on Monday he will resign on Feb 28 because he no longer has the strength to fulfill the duties of his office, becoming the first pontiff since the Middle Ages to take such a step.
The 85-year-old pope said he had noticed that his strength had deteriorated over recent months “to the extent that I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me”.
“For this reason, and well aware of the seriousness of this act, with full freedom I declare that I renounce the ministry of Bishop of Rome, Successor of Saint Peter,” he said according to a statement from the Vatican.
A Vatican spokesman said the pontiff would step down from 1900 GMT on February 28, leaving the office vacant until a successor is chosen.
Effective Ways for DJ’s to Build Their Brand
By Christina Clark of The Adjency
I’m sure that you have seen your fellow DJ’s on TV shows, Major Award Shows and in magazines and you ask yourself “How can I get to their level?” “I’m talented and I’m the hottest DJ in my market.”
One of the ways that will help you to “spin” on another level is Branding.
Branding is the marketing practice of creating a name, symbol or design that identifies and differentiates a product from other products. Your goal is to develop a product that will resonate with a specific audience.
DO:
Identify what your brand is. Who are you? Who do you want to be? What do people perceive you to be?
Create a Fan base. DJ’s you are Artists. As with Singers, You have to identify who you want to buy your product. Who is the target audience that you want to cater to? Is it Corporate? Is it EDM? Ages 21-35? Who are the people that I want to know about me?
Prepare your assets. I know you scratch your head and say how is DJ XYZ getting so many gigs? Skill wise they are not a good DJ. There is a lot of truth to that statement and here is why. The most important element of developing your brand is the creating the perception of what you are so that people buy into what you are selling. So if I am a DJ, and I have the best looking website and I create the perception that I am the biggest DJ In World, then that’s what Talent Buyers, Fans, Corporate Brands will assume..
You can’t say you are the biggest DJ in your market and have 1200 Twitter Followers. You can’t have 150,000 Twitter followers and you spin at one club in Boise. It doesn’t make sense to your brand. The first introduction anyone has is your assets before they meet you. So make sure it the best!
Professionally prepare:
-Website
-EPK (Electronic Press Kit-Include Pictures and Bio)
-Photo shoot
-Logo
-Graphics
The Name Game. Create a name for yourself that fits who you are and is distinctive. Its so many DJ’s that have the same name and can be confusing. Make the investment and trademark your name.
DON’T:
Sacrifice your brand. Your brand is your reputation and you have to guard it with you life. Be mindful of words your use on social media networks, choice of representation (manager, publicist etc) and other brands you associate yourself with as well as places you perform in.
The ADJENCY is a DJ Public Relations and Brand Management Company representing Big Tigger, DJ Freestyle Steve, DJ MLK, DJ Yoshi, Producer DJ Nasty and DJ NVS STYLES. Follow The ADJENCY on twitter: @theadjency
On behalf of my team @ DJ Yoshi Entertainment I send 2 MILLION Thank yous to everyone that’s crazy enough to click follow, like, view pictures, read posts & whatever else you do on
DJYoshi.com and on my social media! If We hit 3 MILLION for the week next week, I’ll be giving away a pair of Monster Cable NCredible Headphones!
– Via AOL Daily Finance –
The New Year’s Day compromise on the fiscal cliff was designed to prevent massive tax increases from taking effect that many feared would devastate the economy. Yet even with the compromise, several new taxes in 2013 will raise tax bills for millions of Americans, and the groups that are the most affected by the changing of the calendar may surprise you.
Here’s a list of new taxes that took effect as of Jan. 1:
Payroll Taxes: Returning to Old Levels
For the past two years, just about everyone who has a job got a tax break of 2 percentage points on the Social Security taxes withheld from their paychecks. But on Jan. 1, the rate of tax withheld from employee paychecks rose from 4.2% to 6.2%, representing about a $1,000 tax increase for typical families earning $50,000. Already, anyone who’s received a paycheck in 2013 has likely seen the impact of this tax, with those who get paid twice a month having about $40 extra taken out under the FICA on their paychecks.
Few analysts expected the fiscal cliff negotiations to extend this tax break further. But given that it hits at just about everyone, it could have the biggest impact of any of the new taxes in 2013.
Medicare Surcharge
High-income earners will see a brand-new tax this year. Single filers earning more than $200,000 and joint filers with income over $250,000 could be subject to two new taxes.
With one tax, if your earned income goes above the threshold, then you’ll owe an extra 0.9% of your earnings in Medicare withholding. In some cases, this additional money may be taken directly out of your paycheck, although for joint filers, your employer may not be able to do so accurately because it doesn’t know what your spouse earns in order to get the calculation correct.
The second tax applies to investment income, including interest, dividends, and capital gains. For this income, you’ll owe an extra tax of 3.8% for any amount that exceeds the threshold. The idea behind this part of the new tax is to treat investment income for high-income earners the same way as earned income, making both types of income subject to the same higher Medicare tax rate.
New Tax Brackets and Rates for High-Income Earners
The biggest news from the fiscal cliff compromise was the return of the 39.6% tax rate for singles earning more than $400,000 and joint filers with income above $450,000. This rate is a carryover from the old rate structure that existed before the tax cuts of the early 2000s and represents a 4.6 percentage point rise from the old 35% rate.
In addition, taxpayers whose earnings are above these thresholds will see their taxes on dividends and capital gain income rise from 15% to 20%. Given that dividend rates could have risen as high as the 39.6% ordinary income tax rate, investors were fairly pleased with the eventual outcome.
Disappearing Deductions and Other Hidden Taxes
In addition to the explicit increases in taxes, some old provisions are back that will have the same tax-increasing impact. In particular, two separate rules that phase out certain deductions for high-income taxpayers came back this year after having been absent from tax law since 2009.
The phase-outs target two areas: personal exemptions and itemized deductions. One rule, known as the PEP, reduces the value of your personal exemptions by 2% for every $2,500 in additional income you earn over thresholds of $250,000 for singles and $300,000 for joint filers. The other rule, called the Pease phaseout, cuts the amount you can claim in itemized deductions by 3% of the amount of additional income you earn over those same thresholds, subject to a maximum reduction of 80% of your itemized deductions.
Those calculations are a bit complicated, but the net result is that you can end up paying thousands of extra dollars in taxes by losing the value of those deductions.
Finally, the estate tax rate rose from 35% to 40% this year. With the $5 million exemption made permanent, however, the impact of the tax will be limited to far fewer families than would have paid tax without the fiscal cliff compromise.
Start Planning
These new taxes for 2013 won’t make anyone happy, but by knowing about them early on, you can start planning for them right away. Doing so may not let you reduce your tax bill too much, but it’ll at least get you prepared for the hit to your paycheck and your tax refund next year.