We've kept a watch out, we've noted their grind, and we wanted to do things a little different this time. We made a long list; made sure it was right. So, trust when we say this list is quite nice ...
By Ayana Bryant-Weekes
Meet Advance Magazines very first Cover Guys! These men truly embody our motto, All About Advancement, continuing to grow and inspire others along the way with their innovative outlook on creativity and ambition. This is a cumulative list of notable businessmen and what makes them "NICE" at what they do.
Darryl & DeKoven Humes, are the founding brothers of Mature Look, a Detroit based men's clothing store in the heart of the city's blooming downtown area. Managed by the dapper duo, Mature Look has become not only a successful, black-owned clothing store; but with positivity and style, Darryl and DeKoven have created a movement that represents a commanding sense of style that the business-minded brothers believe every man should exude.
Damarqio Williams is an award-winning Motivational Speaker, Young Professional, Author, Community Ambassador and more considerably, a husband and father. DK grew up without his own father present, presenting one of the biggest challenges for him as an active father to his daughter. In January, DK launched Fatherless-2-Fatherhood (F2F), an initiative that aims to help black men who grew up without fathers embrace the responsibility and joy of fatherhood. F2F has evolved into a community for dads, providing mentorship opportunities for young fathers trying to navigate fatherhood and find ways to protect future generations from fatherlessness.
Alan "Snoop" Evans II was born into a family of great musicians, and it comes at no surprise that his musical journey began in a Detroit church. As a church drummer at the age of 7, "Snoop" began to grow as a musician by watching his uncles and aunts play and sing at his grandfather's church in Detroit. He learned to play bass by imitating his father's pedal work as he played the organ during church services. Snoop has performed with many of our favorite gospel artists in the span of his professional career like award-winning artists such as The Clark Sisters, Kierra Sheard, Karen Clark Sheard, Jonathan Nelson, Andre Crouch, Israel Houghton, Hezekiah Walker, Fred Hammond, Kim Burrell and many more as a touring musician and the principle Bass Player for the Word Network. Snoop's faith and personal integrity can be attributed to his sustainable career as a professional musician. Over the years, Snoop's love for and dedication to his faith, his family and his musicianship has afforded him title of one the most upstanding musicians in Gospel Music.
Marv Neal is a styling virtuoso; from runway to film, print work and personal shopping, Marv, also known as the Style Curator, is a Detroit-born fashion jack-of-all-trades. From handcrafting an iconic custom piece to bringing a photo-ready creative concept to life, Marv has an incredible eye and love for style and has established himself as one of the most stylish men in Detroit.
Rosston Llyod Ramsey is an extremely accomplished gentleman with a passion for legal reform and has resilience like none other. From birth, Rosston was positioned to change the world. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Leadership Studies from Morehouse College and more recently, graduated from Thomas M. Cooley Law School (Auburn Hills, Ml) with his Juris Doctorate. As the WMU Cooley Law School Leadership Award recipient, Ross had this advice as he recalled taking on too much early in his law school career and failing a class for the first time in his life, “Anticipate adversity and don’t beat yourself up when it happens…I was broken and pretty down on myself about it and instead of wallowing in it, I retook the course, got an A … and built my GPA up every term after that.” The ability to make an impact on community lives and have a direct effect on someone being abused by the justice system is the motivating factor for the aspiring Judge.
“Anticipate adversity and don’t beat yourself up when it happens…I was broken and pretty down on myself about it and instead of wallowing in it, I retook the course, got an A … and built my GPA up every term after that.”
Antonio Robinson is a visual artist and one-third of the nationally celebrated creative collective known as The Whlgns (Hoo-li-gans). 'Tony" constantly advances art and culture by infusing his artistic intuitiveness with cultural cornerstones. From drawing and painting to graphic design to graffiti and tattooing, Tony's index of talent is multifaceted. Tony has become an influence in the Detroit Art community through live visual art performances. Tony completed live paintings at a Murals & Sliders event held at Phil Simpson's Baltimore Gallery and even participated in a 48-hour live art experience sponsored by Tony Rave at the Griot Lounge.
More recently, he painted murals in Detroit's Communication and Media Arts High School hallways and bathrooms. However, his "A Dismissive Facade" series, which includes a range of mask-like figures with East Asian, Southern European, and African cultural influences, has earned him the most local recognition. Most of his pieces have been presented in community hangouts, cultural hubs, and other public places and everyday spaces that attract young Detroiters.
We're beyond inspired by the stories of these men and we believe they are blazing the trail and leading the charge of advancing the city of Detroit and its surrounding areas. Check out what they had to say!
Photos by Vent Creative Studios
Winter 2018
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