In the entertainment world, we depend on media personalities to not only deliver the news, but to ensure that delivery is expedited, interesting and accurate. And well, let’s be honest – we prefer that delivery to be wrapped in a fascinating and captivating package. Meet Mario “Yoey Yo” Martin, the well-traveled purveyor of dope media outlet My Hell Of A Life (MHOL).
My Hell Of A Life is one of the most vibrant sites out. It covers music, fashion, food, celebrities, movies, television, and just about any other form of entertainment you can imagine. Yoey is someone who is considered a gatekeeper to the entertainment world. He’s responsible for a lot of what we see and hear. And most importantly, he provides a young, fresh perspective that we can all appreciate. In addition to that, he immerses himself in urban entertainment culture. He even has his own apparel line that he hopes to expand in the near future.
We caught up with Yoey recently to find out what makes him tick. Here’s what he had to say:
THE HEAT MAGAZINE: Tell us a little about yourself.
YOEY MARTIN: I consider myself from the city of New Orleans, the 7th Ward more specifically. I was born in Tennessee because my biological father was in the army at the time. I moved back to my parents’ hometown of New Orleans before I was even 1 year old, so New Orleans was all I knew. My mother remarried and at the age of 10 I moved to Iceland for 3 years then to Germany for 3 more years because my step father was in the Air Force. I returned back to New Orleans for my senior year of high school and then attended Dillard University majoring in Communications. In college is when I started to realize I wanted to do something with media.
THE HEAT MAGAZINE: What got you into media?
YOEY MARTIN: What got my interest into media I believe was I always wanted to be talented in a lot of the areas I like to cover like art, entertainment, music, food, etc., but I quickly realized I’m not a good cook (LAUGHS), I can’t sing, I can’t draw or paint, and I haven’t started taking acting classes yet (LAUGHS). But what I did know was I enjoyed all those things and I figured, well I could just talk about it and showcase the people who are talented in those areas. Basically I realized my talent was my writing and reporting on topics I enjoyed.
THE HEAT MAGAZINE: Growing up, who influenced you musically and entertainment wise?
YOEY MARTIN: Growing up, my I was highly influenced by what my grandparents were listening to (LAUGHS). My mom worked a lot once my father and she divorced and before she remarried, I was living with my grandparents. So I grew up in a house where music from the 70’s was what I heard all the time. I was a kid growing up in the 90’s riding to school singing along to the O’Jays, Earth Wind and Fire and Maze and Frankie Beverly. I can remember – and it’s still there in my grandmother’s house – me sleeping underneath a poster of the Temptations! (LAUGHS) So it was oldies but goodies and a lot of Gospel, more specifically Mahalia Jackson, my grandmother’s Aunt. Mahalia’s name as kid was often a conversation at home and hearing her music in the house because it was something I know my family took pride in, being related to a musical legend from New Orleans. Now once I was old enough to start watching BET and MTV, in New Orleans like everyone else, I loved No Limit and Cash Money. As I got older and met people from New York and Cali living on the military base, it was Jay Z, Biggie, Nas, Tupac, and Snoop, and then it was Fabolous and Dipset.
THE HEAT MAGAZINE: New Orleans is unlike any place on the planet. How do you believe the culture of the city/region influenced you as a person?
YOEY MARTIN: New Orleans culture influenced me tremendously because even though I moved away for 6 years as a kid, I often would return home and visit and it was rejuvenating every time. I enjoyed being gone because it was an experience a lot of people from home may never get – to travel the world and meet all types of people, but what it showed me was there really is no place like New Orleans! We are beyond unique, we are a city that’s small in size, but big in heart. New Orleans went through Katrina. And we’re still here and when that happened, you watched us go to other cities and everyone in those cities knew who we were. Why? Because New Orleans people don’t act like nothing or nowhere else but New Orleans (LAUGHS). No one talks or walks like us. No one has this attitude of “man I’m doing me” (LAUGHS).
THE HEAT MAGAZINE: What’s your favorite food?
YOEY MARTIN: My favorite food is a mix-up between Mexican food and Italian food. I love me some Taco Tuesdays with margaritas. But then another night, I love eating my pastas with a glass of red wine – tuck in the napkin type thing (LAUGHS). Now if you talking New Orleans, my favorite foods are jambalaya with fried catfish or a large shrimp po-boy dressed!
THE HEAT MAGAZINE: What are some hobbies you enjoy?
YOEY MARTIN: My hobbies are real simple. I heard Jay Z say once all he watches is sports and movies. That’s me. I watch sports and movies all the time. My favorite movies are action, horror and mysteries. Sports? I love my L.A. Lakers and the New Orleans Saints.
THE HEAT MAGAZINE: Tell us about your apparel line.
YOEY MARTIN: My apparel line is MHOLBRANDTEES. It’s still in the early stages and I’m not sure exactly how far I want to take it. It was more like I had a couple ideas in my head I’d like to share and hope people like it.
THE HEAT MAGAZINE: If you could interview 3 people for MHOL, who would that be and why?
YOEY MARTIN: If I could interview 3 people for my website – that’s a hard question because my website covers so many topics so I’d like to question plenty of people. But okay – Top 3? I guess Lil Wayne, Leonardo DiCaprio and Kobe Bryant
THE HEAT MAGAZINE: Where did the name “My Hell Of A Life” come from?
YOEY MARTIN: My Hell Of A Life comes from my good friend and business partner Nick Reed and me. One day we were sitting talking about this idea of creating a blog, and then we said no, let’s go bigger. Let’s start a website and online magazine. So once we said let’s do it, we started talking about all the things we would want as content. We were discussing the places we like to eat and the music we listen to and the fashion we loved – just our lifestyle and I kind of blurted out, man we tryna show people a hell of a life. And that was it. But as far as the website myhellofalife.com, when you log onto the site the “my” applies to you. It’s you living a “hell of a life” with everyone else who loves the content we call our followers and fans #Hellofalifers.
Follow on Social Media:
Facebook Young Yoey Yo and Myhellofalife
Twitter @Mario_MHOL and Myhellofalife
Instagram @YoeyMartin_Myhellofalife and @Myhellofalife
EDITOR’S NOTE: We see big things for Yoey Yo and My Hell Of A Life, so stay tuned. There is much more on the horizon for the brand!
