Award-winning singer and songwriter Dennis Reed Jr. has much to celebrate on his 40th birthday this month. This spring, the Charlotte native signed with Rock Soul Productions, an entertainment company founded by Grammy-award winner and North Carolina native Fantasia Barrino Taylor and Yvonne McNair. 

Reed, who has worked with Fantasia for more than 10 years, and his Sainted Trap Choir — the modern gospel and hip-hop singing group he co-founded with local DJ Fannie Mae — sang backup vocals for The Color Purple star at this year’s Academy Awards. The group also shared the spotlight with Fantasia when she performed as one of this year’s Time100 Most Influential People. In addition, Reed and choir members accompanied R&B singer Andra Day at Super Bowl LVIII and played in front of thousands of people at Charlotte’s inaugural Lovin’ Life Music Festival in May. 

As the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture’s first musical artist-in-residence, last month he produced Liberation & Inspiration: A Celebratory Juneteenth Concert hosted by legendary gospel singer Kirk Franklin. The concert at Knight Theater featured performances by local musicians, African dancers and Sainted Trap Choir. Fantasia made a special appearance.

All this after Reed kicked off the year as a fiancé: He proposed to his longtime girlfriend, Charlotte media maven and content creator Ohavia Phillips, in late 2023.

“You know how they say it takes decades to become an overnight success?” he asks. “I started playing piano, singing and conducting choirs at age 10, so these amazing opportunities of late are catching up. I’m doing what I’ve always done and working hard — I’m just getting recognized for it now.”

It helps to have a star like Fantasia in your corner. “Dennis isn’t just an artist; he’s a vessel of inspiration,” Fantasia shares in an email. “That’s why I knew he had to be one of the first artists signed to Rock Soul Productions. His heart and passion are exactly what this label stands for, and I’m so grateful to have him on this journey with me.”

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My husband and I decided we needed to flip the script on travel last summer when our daughter told us she wanted to go to Bora Bora for her birthday — she was turning 8. I’m sure when I was her age, I couldn’t point out Bora Bora on a map, let alone think going for my birthday was a reasonable request. But not only can my daughter find the beautiful country on the globe, she believes going there isn’t remotely out of her reach. 

According to social scientist and demographer Mark McCrindle, Generation Alpha, born between 2010 and 2024 and the first to grow up surrounded by technology, are the most “materially endowed generation ever” and “the most technologically savvy.” They have unprecedented access to the internet, which means they have more information about the world at a younger age. They’re curious to visit new places as well as specific hot spots highlighted on YouTube or TikTok. According to Madden Media, now more than ever kids are determining where families take vacations and what they do when they get there.

But we weren’t taking our 8-year-old to Bora Bora for her birthday. She can wait to go like we did — for our honeymoon. As an only child, she already travels in a style that her parents didn’t experience when we were her age. We struggle with the idea that she is growing up expecting travel to be about luxury and comfort, but at the same time, we want a higher quality vacation experience at this stage of our lives.

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A first look at uptown’s new French-inspired restaurant.

by Krisha Chachra  |  photographs by Justin Driscoll

True to its name, Charlotte’s new uptown restaurant Coquette — which in French means playful, coy woman — flirts with combining modern French cuisine, exotic spices and southern flavors.

Mornings at Coquette begin with delightful pastries, quiches and coffees. By afternoon, the patisserie introduces charcuterie, cheeses and sandwiches. Once the cocktails and wine start flowing, the restaurant transforms from a classic French café to an upscale dining experience featuring mussels, oysters, coq au vin and duck-fat fried chicken, showcasing ingredients from all over the world. 

Open since late August, Coquette is another feather in the cap of Mother Earth Group, created by Jill Marcus, which also operates nearby Mariposa at the Mint Museum, vegan eatery Fern and catering company Something Classic. 

Located in the heart of Charlotte’s business district, Coquette’s décor turns heads with a blend of Parisian and French country design elements. The interior stands out with floor-to-ceiling windows, marble tables, elegant chandeliers, rustic stonework and colorful wallpaper that gives the illusion of stained glass you might find inside European cathedrals.

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