Being an east coast brother, it's painful to sit in LA traffic. It's bad sometimes on the east coast, but at least when we drive, we don't have to pack lunch and dinner for our endless journey.

Back to the story. As we navigate through the Hollywood Hills on our way to Tim Alexander's white mansion, the roads are narrow but the views are breathtaking. When entering the manse, you immediately think of all the stars, models and singers that have crossed over into the Visionaries lair. It's all white creating the perfect canvas for Tim to display his sexy, gritty and eye-moving photographs. The work is right in your face - Shemar Moore, Master P., Traci Bingham, Eric Benet and Nelly.

When Tim walks in, I'm thinking, damn, can I have those negatives of Traci Bingham? My professional brain drowned my Neanderthal thoughts and I quickly realize that Tim is on a schedule. I better chill and start talking. We chatted about everything from his future plans in filmmaking, The New Hollywood, blacks in Hollywood, Music and what's the deal with reality TV. "I want to create things that people have never seen. Whether in my photography, films, photo shoots or my writing. I like to think I am the full package but I also work very hard at all of it," says Tim.

I wanted to write more about talking with Tim but space limitations and UFP's belief that "a picture is worth a thousand words," I will sign-off now so that you can view Tim's work. Tim the creator, Tim the Visionary.

To learn more about Tim, please visit www.castlestudio.net

Saturday June 21st we have ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT PERFORMING LIVE so RSVP early. It's been more than eight years since AD has been together on a national tour. After becoming a ground breaking hip- hop ensemble of the 90's, winning accolades of originality and versatility, Grammy awards and multi-platinum songs; AD starts the new millennium supporting a nationwide tour without the
assistance of a label...completely independent.

Remember the Absolut Vanilia? How could you not, it is the best Top Shelf drink in the country? Remember the first hour is free food and ABSOLUT .... That's why everyone is talking about the monthly events....

Remember Big Brooklyn Red, he had everyone at Level One last month remembering what real music sounds like.

Remember DJ FINK on the wheels of steel? YEAH BABY

If you are tired of the same 10 songs played on the radio, you can listen this Sunday from 9:00pm-12AMpm on WSNR620AM and hear MUSIC FOR YOUR SOUL. If you do not want to wait you can listen in to the Absolut Soulful Sunday Radio Show anytime by logging on to www.clubbintv.com and double clicking the ABSOLUT BANNER AD in the left hand corner

See you at the ABSOLUT SOULFUL SUNDAY ACOUSTIC JAM SATURDAY JUNE 21st at Level ONE!

Imagine an interview assignment with a pimp. Not the R&B and Rap stars that claim their pimping is more heralded than Iceberg Slim, but a bona-fide, street tested pimp that has also served time in Federal Prison? What will I ask him? What will he ask me? Will I feel comfortable or will he be nervous? Will he be cordial or will he try to throw some pimp game on me? Whatever the case, I take the assignment. On a breezy, sunny Sunday in Los Angeles, I agree to meet and discuss the journey of former pimp, "Gorgeous" Dre. Dre was one of the high-rolling pimps featured in The Hughes Brothers raw, uncut documentary "American Pimp."

My journey takes place at the Magic Johnson Starbucks in the afternoon. Of all the people sitting outside enjoying the weather and partaking in Starbucks delights, I notice a brother sitting cool, calm, and collective. Delving in a low profile, heavy traffic area, I walk over and introduce myself. He stands and firmly shakes my hand. We both sit down. As I retrieve my interviewing materials from my bag, I observe everything about "Gorgeous," from his posture to his exfoliated brown skin. His short, cropped hair is freshly done. The persona flows with his name. "Gorgeous" was more than a well polished man. His physical statutes were half of what he is. One thing that I immediately noticed about Dre was an inner-mystery that intertwined with his pimp name, Gorgeous.

Wearing dark shades, he sits back as the wind flows through the roots of his sheen hair, as my tape recorder becomes the centerpiece of the table. I have gone from praise and worship at the Church of the Harvest International to Dre's School of Pimpology and Streetanomics. And the saga begins…

Born into the core of the streets, the Los Angeles native was bred from the pimp world. Taught the deep-threaded lessons of the streets by his father; Dre hustled from the heart of the 'gutter' to being the 'Count of the Streets.' Just like French novelist Alexander Dumas' "The Count of Monte Cristo," Dre's father's deep-woven street lessons molded him into the "Count of the Streets." His hustle birthed him from gutter to mansion and Versace. The history of pimping may be associated with prostitution or a woman selling her body for monetary gain. But in Dre's words, pimping was clearly about "image." An image he no longer glamorizes, but uses his experiences to educate, enlighten, and empower for a purpose.

"If I know that I got my people looking at me I can help them. See they'll listen to me, but they won't listen to a politician, because the politicians haven't been touched by their ills or their pits of poverty. I have. I came from the gutter and was able to rise with knowledge. That's impressive to some people. So I can give back to my young Black brothers and sisters and say, 'Look, your mind makes you somebody.'" While you are thinking about taking over communities, white folks are taking over countries. I was always aware that my mind made me powerful. I wanna keep feeding my people that your mind makes you somebody. Napoleon had power in his mind. My mind makes me strong."

Suddenly, a woman who remembers Dre from "American Pimp" interrupts class. The interview intrigues her so until she asks to be apart of it, but of course this writer and Dre politely decline. Class continues.

"People seem to associate the streets with violence. They think that because you are from the streets you are ultimately violent. I was never a violent person. My mind made me powerful. I wanna keep feeding my people that your mind makes you somebody."

Though his past was filled with the grit and grime of the streets, these days Dre is keeping busy with his own empire called The Executive Entertainment Empire and traveling around the country as lecturer and guest speaker to various colleges and universities lecturing on 'the game.' "When I go to these universities and criminal justice classes, those kids are amazed at the experiences and the street credibility I have. I'm not going around promoting pimping, because that's not why I'm doing it. I'm simply letting them know that the same thing I used in that game [pimping] is the same thing that White folks use to run their corporations. Ain't nothing different."

With his own entertainment company, Dre has basked several projects under his belt; from the genres of hardcore rap to hip hop and R&B to his own debut single called "Do You Remember?" which is an upbeat tempo of rap and R&B scheduled for an early fall release. Thanks to his opportunity with the Hughes Brothers, Dre has produced a highly, in-depth and intense documentary called "Master of the Game," a film featuring his former pimpettes and their thoughts and experiences on the pimp game.

This writer's time has exceeded, and the tape recorder has stopped. As I gather my tape recorder and notepad, another admirer approaches Dre, this time a Black man. I watch their exchange of greeting. There is a sense of pride in this man's eyes and respect he has for Dre. The man gives Dre kudos and accolades for his pure performance in "American Pimp." But wait. That was no performance. That was just "Gorgeous" Dre sharing the hard knocks of the game with the world.

As I get up from the table, Dre leaves me with his food for thought: "The strong control the weak. But the wise control the strong."

When asked if he would change anything about his past, Dre said, "I wouldn't change nothing. The good, bad, the ugly all makes me what I am today."