"DJ" -- Darryl James
UPDATE — 7/21/2011 — Investors from LSQ contacted me and earnestly pursued resolution with me regarding this issue. I provided my mailing address for them to ship me a money order to satisfy the full payment.
I received it this past week and this issue is resolved.
They also told me that Darryl James is no longer associated with LSQ. They made sure of that.
After speaking to two of them over several phone and email communications, I believe LSQ to be a publication backed by quality investors who intend on producing quality content for their readers.
Since Darryl James is no longer associated with LSQ, I will definitely follow what I believe will be a successful publication — may LSQ become the dominant website for cannabis updates and information!
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I want to share about a recent writing exchange I had with what was supposed to be a reputable entertainer, writer and magazine owner. I don’t want anyone else ripped off by this guy.
I answered an ad to write for a marijuana magazine, which I later found out was called Legal Smoker’s Quorum, or LSQ. The publication is distributed in California and Colorado. The ad said the pay was between “$50 – $200.” Darryl James, whose email shows up as DJ, contacted me to do an article for this magazine.
His email closing provided all the information you’d want and more to make him appear legitimate. I checked out his websites and found him on Twitter and LinkedIn and everything seemed to pan out. I accepted the gig, as I have with many throughout the years, and anticipated payment after submitting the article.
He was very good at communicating professionally via email BEFORE I submitted the article. Afterwards, though, I couldn’t get a response after emailing him three times within 10 days … until I told him I was submitting the article to another company.
He was condescending, asking me how long I’d been writing, and emphatically dictated that I refrain from allowing another company to use the article until after he published it in LSQ. Sad that I had to use that tactic to get a response from him.
LSQ Website Logo
Since that time, I never heard from him. He hasn’t paid me, neither has he responded. I just called him, though, and asked about payment. He was obviously irritated and eventually hung up on me after briskly and tritely (sort of) answering my questions about payment. A few short minutes later, he called me back accusing me of not being professional, calling me crazy and telling me to take my medication. People that do that have serious issues of their own and use this tactic to deflect their shortcomings onto the other person.
I don’t think I’ll ever see a penny from him, and even wonder if he plagiarized the article, attributing it to himself. His LinkedIn profile says he is a columnist for one magazine and an editor for another.
I saw a job ad on Constant Content a few days ago very similar to the ad he used on the Craigslist ad to which I initially responded. I highly suspect it is DJ’s ad. I haven’t written articles for any customer through this website, so I am not sure if CC requires them to deposit an escrow. If they don’t, I imagine he will rip off other writers, too.
Here are his websites, social network links, address and phone number in case you are a victim:
- LinkIn
- DarrylJames.com
- www.DarrylJames.com
- www.TheBlackGenderGap.com
- www.BridgeColumn.com
- www.TenaciousBooks.com
- www.BlogTalkRadio.com/DarrylJames
- Tenacious Entertainment
9701 Wilshire Boulevard
10th Floor
Beverly Hills, CA 90212
Toll Free 1-888-501-4448
follow me: www.twitter.com/darryljames
I only had one other company rip me off, but it wasn’t for a writing gig. It was for a remote project manager position. When I finally quit, the female CEO owed me almost $3,000. She failed to pay numerous other employees, too. Last I heard, her executive assistant was turning her permanent address in to the police. Without a permanent address, California police said they couldn’t arrest her. I suspect she is now in federal prison for wire fraud and other felonious activities, since she used the Internet to obtain fraudulent funding.
Writers need to stick together and communicate about these type of issues. Has anyone else been ripped off by Darryl James or another company? Let me know and I’ll add it to my blog.
Writing 4 Effect 
Eric Robinson
June 21, 2011
In regards to you getting paid please email at groovelinemag@gmail.com
Writing4Effect
June 23, 2011
I sent the person in this comment, “Eric Robinson,” an email as he requested. His response indicated that he was an investor and that the investors were not aware of the non-payment. He asked me if I would take down this post if I received payment. Here is his quote: “The owners were not aware of your dispute with LSQ. They are willing to pay you and get this matter behind them. If you are willing to remove the negative posting after the matter is resolved we can move forward immediately. This PMT is not coming from DJ. One of the investors will contact you. Again sorry for the mishap.”
I had to respond that I cannot take down the post, but that I would comment on here that the matter was resolved and NOT by DJ, but by his investors.
Don’t get me wrong — I would love to have payment for services rendered, but not at the expense of taking down this post. Why? It’s based on principle. He may not have only defrauded me, but other writers who innocently accepted his assignments. Other writers may also be at risk of being defrauded in the future. If I didn’t feel that was possible, I’d accept payment right now and take down the post yesterday.