The World of Patrick A. Kelly: Sanity -Vs- Chaos

“The road leading to success can sometimes be long and arduous. Everything that can go wrong will. All of your primary support systems will fall by the wayside like it was planned sabotage.” – Patrick A. Kelly

First off, who is Patrick Kelly?

I’m an optimist. I’m the guy who isn’t afraid to take risks, win, lose, or draw. I’m that friend to people I know, and I’m an associate to people I come to know, but I’m always smiling, have an encouraging word to say, and want everyone to progress. Despite what some people may think, Patrick Kelly is the guy most people see and say, “He’s charming. He appears to be not too much on his game, so let’s see what I can get from him.” The funny thing is, since I was 12 years old, I realized what my gifts were, and often times I play the not-so-intuned guy just to flush out people’s personalities, motives, and purpose. I see everything. I observe people and notice things they may not know or care to know about themselves. Whether they want to or not, the truth always comes out, and I only rely on body language and my personal interactions with people. That is how I genuinely get to know them. I consider what most people say as 90% fluff (lies, deceit, agenda, camouflage, and game). So, in a nutshell, I am that guy who will help anybody, the guy that will give you 120% because he expects 120% in return – the guy when his name is on the line comes through. Earning your way, hard work, and follow through gets my respect. I do not appreciate or tolerate laziness, people who think they are above the rules, or some sort of entitled maniac. And I have zero tolerance when it comes to violence and disrespect.

So you’ve been getting a lot of flak from people you know about being a hard-ass, especially regarding your passion. What do you say to that?

I can only say that you live, and you learn. Many people want to mold you into something they can manage (control), but I’ve always been strong-headed and confident even when it didn’t appear. I’m sorry that certain people may feel intimidated by me, but that’s life. There are leaders, and then there are followers, and clearly, I’m a leader; I always have been, but I can follow too. Yes, I agree that I can be stubborn sometimes, but I’m also that guy who is man enough to apologize when I’m wrong. You must remember that when you find people who disapprove of you as a personality, you remind them of something they’re hiding from or striving to become.

You’ve been in Atlanta for what, 20+ years now? What are some of your accomplishments in music and entertainment, and who are some of the people you have helped along the way?

Yes, I have been in Atlanta now for 20+ years. I moved to Atlanta after my horrible spring semester at Towson State University in Maryland. I relocated here in the summer of 95, a time I will never forget because it was the first time I felt homeless. It’s not a pretty feeling at all. When I moved to Atlanta, I was supposed to transfer to Clark Atlanta University while working at Stouffer Hotel and live with my aunt and uncle in Decatur, none of which worked out. I didn’t like Clark, and my new job transfer and living situation fell through, so I was left to go on faith. I remember driving by Spring and 14th with tears in my eyes because I knew I wasn’t gonna go back home; I wasn’t gonna just give up after a few setbacks. By the grace of God, there was a guy I met while being in Atlanta for Freak Nik that year named Kevin Bryant, who introduced me to my first roommate, Craig. If you don’t know who Kevin Bryant is, he’s a soul/dance artist here in Atlanta who garnered his first hit dance single by remaking Chaka Khan’s single “Any Love.” As far as my accomplishments, I did a lot of modeling and TV work during my first few years in Atlanta and got a new job through one of Kevin’s friends Eddie Young who happened to be the manager of The Evergreen Conference Center and Resort at the time.

Throughout the years, I formed relationships and co-founded a clothing line called Whatever Wear, which Kevin and Lentheus Chaney were a part of. From there, I and an ex-friend Chuck Dobey founded SEID Entertainment and Production. I also was a part of Beautiful People, Megavibes, and The Urban Spotlight, a local talent show we did with DJ T-Wrex and DJ Tron of Urban Legends DJs, which ran for 13 months at the infamous Shark Bar Restaurant and Lounge. As far as people I’ve helped, I was Kevin Bryant’s graphic artist for over 12 years, which means I was in charge of all his street promotions and designs. We developed artists through SEID Entertainment and Productions and educated many artists on the music business, including signing our first gospel rap group, Reign Down (Carlos Jones and Tony B). Through our clothing line Whatever Wear, we did Morehouse Fashion Shows, The Black Expo, For Sister Only, Tribeca Clothing and Straight From The Apple, and Upscale Magazine, and we also worked with celebrity photographers Shawn Dowdell and Umari. Models who started with us and have made a name for themselves are Teck Holmes (“MTV’s The Real World Hawaii” & “Van Wilder”), Black Men Magazine Cover Model, Sincily, Ryan Neal, and others.

What is your passion for the music/entertainment business, and why start USL Magazine?

Well, my passion for life is to help people. I realized that during one of our Urban Spotlight shows, DJ Cowboy and E.T. (The Dirty Boyz and 107.9) attended. An artist approached me while standing at the soundboard and said, “Mr. Kelly, we really appreciate what you all are doing for us indie artists.” It wasn’t until then that I really realized my calling in music. Since I was a youngster, I’ve always been inspired by music, TV, and the movie industry. However, starting USL Magazine was brought up by Darryl, a colleague who happened to be working with us while we were taping the Ultimate Spotlight CMV TV Show. The TV show spawned USL, which I took from the show’s name. Starting USL Magazine was the next reasonable step with everything I had created before now.

What are you hoping to accomplish with the magazine, and who is your target audience?

The magazine speaks for itself. It’s a diversity of music and musical artists in conjunction with entertainment, fashion, lifestyle, and some satire. USL Magazine is primarily an online magazine, with print-on-demand quarterly. Regarding the demographic we’re trying to reach, they were obtained during our male model casting for the first issue. And we’re talking about young men and women of many races and cultures between the ages of 17 and 25 who are diverse, fashionable, and open-minded. We are also beginning to see a trend, especially with the hip-hop and dance community. In a nutshell, USL Magazine gives you a real-life attitude fused with music and entertainment with fashionable attire for the young and viable.

You’re doing sex stories and a past issue concerning 3-way relationships. Why did you choose to do a story on 3-way connections?

The whole idea for this piece was because I have either had scenarios of the sort presented to me or have heard of them, so I wanted to not only say my part on the subject but also find couples who have experienced it. It’s none of my business what people do in the privacy of their own homes. Their privacy is exactly what it means; their own privacy. But if you’re in a relationship, is it fair to say you love someone and you’ve given them your heart, yet you don’t really know them? This piece aims to help couples and people thinking about going into relationships to really think about who they are and what they want from it. We all know everybody lies, and you should usually worry about the ones protesting the most and the loudest.

So what was it like interviewing Day 26, and why did you choose them to be a part of the magazine?

We were actually solicited by Day 26’s publicist to get them in the magazine. With all the traffic on Facebook alone, they had gotten wind of the magazine and wanted to be a part of it. While interviewing the men of Day 26, I realized they were still real people, and their fame and prosperity had not changed them. Mike, in particular, was a bit standoffish at first, but he later warmed up to me. I gathered from the interview that these young men are trying to find their place in the business while still trying to make good music for their fans.

Tell us a little about the photo shoot you all did at The Atlanta Decorative Arts Center (ADAC). How was it all arranged?

Going to ADAC was a fluke because we were initially looking to do the shoot at The Aurum Lounge. After playing phone tag a few times with the owner, I called ADAC and spoke to Katherine about the magazine and what we wanted to do for a shoot there. Two days later, Anna Hajiyev (Art Director of USL Magazine) and I went for a tour, and we were introduced to the showroom owners who became a part of the shoot. Everyone at ADAC was very inviting except for one showroom, which will remain nameless in my book. Overall the shoot lasted for 8 hours. Anna shot 7 girls (Kotera, Kenya, Deanna, Tiana, Brynne, Kierra & Elena) and 2 dogs (Gracie & Coda) in 5 showrooms (J Nelson, August Avery, Moattar, Innovations USA & Smith Grubbs Associate) with 2 make-up artists (Patrice Story & Letitia), 2 hairstylists (Tamiko Burk & CJ), 2 wardrobe stylist (Nera B & Tomiko Couture), a clothing designer (Crystal of Nya Nya Couture) and 3 assistants (Papa, Manny & Ashley Dniece).

From what I’ve read, the magazine initially had a release date of Sept 2011. What changed the release date to some three months later?

 Believe it or not, we had been working so hard to have a release for September, but as you know, sometimes your plan doesn’t co-align with God’s plan. It’s hellish writing a magazine, especially when you want it to be perfect. Everyone contributing has to follow the plan and timetable set to accomplish everything if you hope to launch on time. We had three main problems which sidelined the launch of the magazine. One was getting the writers and transcriptionists to finish up with the interviews and editing, and then we had a late shoot because I wanted to include a local boutique in the premiere issue. Finally, the mother of all mothers happened; I began losing sight. I had been having problems focusing my eyes a month earlier, but I thought it was because I wasn’t getting enough sleep in school full-time and working on two magazines simultaneously. Then one morning, I woke up and saw doubles, and my eyes were going in and out of focus. You are talking about a scary situation. This went on for over 6 weeks, even after seeing the optometrist, who said I had a lot of CVS (computer vision syndrome) from being on the computer. Everything suffered from that point because I needed my eyes for everything I had to do. I got a 3.0 last semester because I could not spend hours on the computer. Now over two months later, I still have eye problems occasionally, but it’s not as severe as initially.

So you’re finally launching USL Magazine, a January/February issue; what do you all have planned for the spring and summer issues?

For the Spring issue, which will come out sometime between March and April, Celebrity DJ/Model Sky Nellor will be on the cover. We want feature interviews from Anthony Q (formerly of Day 26), Frank Ski, Miss Sophia, Diana Degarmo, prominent DJs in LA, some TV stars, and many others. A well-known rapper will be on the cover for the summer issue, plus we will be heading to Miami soon, where we will be shooting models for our summer swimsuit fashion spread. That’s all I’m going to say for now.

I hear you have a few online contests you’re about to launch. Can you give us some insight into the Fashion Sense Contest and what that entails?

The Fashion Sense Contest is definitely a signature brand of USL Magazine. I initially created it so that the readers could participate and be a part of the magazine, whether they were actual models or not. The Fashion Sense Contest is a process where we look for people for their everyday fashion inspiration. So, you can look for many different Fashion Sense Contests to come in which we will be giving away more electronics and teaming up with clothing designers, boutiques, and online retailers for co-branding purposes. USL Magazine has also teamed up with Anna Hajiyev Photography for a monthly “One Look Make Over Contest,” and it’s exactly as it says.

As a magazine editor, you basically control every aspect of the publication. When you are choosing models, what do you look for?

 Since I’ve been in the fashion scene for years, beginning my modeling career at 17, I’m more interested in a model’s personality than how shapely or cut their bodies are. Yes, I want a good-looking model that can sell a product, but if they are unique or possess a great vibe, they will draw me to them quicker.

Let’s talk about your cover model for the premiere issue. Kotera? Why her? What did you see in her to say; she’s the one for my magazine?

Believe it or not, when I saw Kotera from the photos during the model contest on Facebook, I wasn’t impressed at first. It was only when I invited her and the other female models to our first fashion shoot at ADAC that I realized the talents she possessed. Kotera is a natural. During the shoot, she required the most minor direction; her poses were on-point as if she could communicate to the camera telepathically. Anna only shot her once because she had to leave early for school, but that shot in the chair spoke volumes. If Kotera stays focused, keeps her business intact, and stays hungry, she will go far in the modeling world.

There are many magazines out there. Why start a magazine now, and what does USL Magazine possess that will make it stand out from the rest?

USL Magazine isn’t about recreating the wheel. However, it is about offering exciting and compelling stories, features, and hot topics people only think about and dare not say. The Atlanta market needs a magazine for an industry showing rapid growth. The music/entertainment industry here in Atlanta is buzzing because of the new tax breaks offered to new businesses. Being a magazine for artists and entertainers on the cusp of their careers is definitely needed, so that’s why USL Magazine is formatted the way it is. Plus, the magazine has favored. And when you have favor from God, that is all you need. I am genuinely humbled by the talent God has blessed me to work with thus far, and this is not even the tip of the iceberg. Refreshingly free-spirited is a moniker I want people to remember about the magazine and that we will always be honest about our business and continue to give people opportunities as long as I, my affiliates, and USL Magazine are appreciated.

Introduction Article By Patrick A. Kelly
Interview By Percy Howard