PRECIOUS IS HERE

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT, SON: YOUR SAGGIN' ASS

I'll leave this up to you to discuss and I'll try not to rant, but truthfully, if you're past the age of 21 and you're still rocking this style, then why be surprised when this is the reaction you get from the so-called powers that be? Is it live, or is it Memorex? Are we being unfairly profiled? Or is it just a case of, in the words of Nippy, it's not right, but it's okay? Besides, what's the point of showcasin' your ground round to the public, playa?

WHAT UP WITH BEEZO?

The reason I haven't been posting items lately is because I'm still concentrating my energies on my next endeavor, which will include video wrap-ups of my thoughts on music, pop culture and politics. I want to take Beezo Blue to the next level, but that will take some considerable time and planning. Hopefully, I'll have some vids up within the next month, so, until then, here are some jams to apply to your daily soundtrack. N'joy.

WENDY HO BITCH I STOLE YO PURSE
Let's start thangz off with some funny shit!


ERIC ROBERSON featuring LALAH HATHAWAY DEALING (2009)

If you're not down with Eric Roberson, you betta recognize. Post-haste. This is straight-up uncanned, real RnB for your goddamn nerves, feel me?

LEDISI HIGHER THAN THIS (2009)

More of that real shit. You better get you some.

AS BEYONCE WOULD SAY, UH-OH, UH-OH, UH-OH, UH-OH

Okay kiddies, don't hate, but homebuscuit has officially taken booty-poppin' to the next level. I still don't know where to put my feelings about this. But I cannot deny the genius. Discuss.

FRIDAY NIGHT CHILL ZONE: FEELING YOU - OMAR featuring STEVIE WONDER

BEYONCE'S PERSONAL RESPONSE TO KANYE (PSYCHE!)

Okay, so it's not really Beyonce. But this woman really has her voice and facial expressions down pat, though! From Crunk + Disorderly

JUST WHITNEY

I just need some good, positive stuff right about now. Here's Whitney Houston singing "I Didn't Know My Own Strength" on Oprah.

WHITE MAN BEATS UP BLACK WOMAN AT CRACKER BARREL

Talk about coincidence. Earlier, I posted an item about former president Jimmy Carter and his feelings on the racial climate in politics. Among his remarks were his experiences growing up in Georgia, particularly as they pertained to racism. And now we have one Troy Dale, who upon exiting a Cracker Barrel restaurant(no f-ing joke!) in Morrow, GA, almost hit a child with the door. The woman, Tasha Hill, who was entering the restaurant with the child, calmly asked that he be more careful. He then proceeded to beat the woman down with his fists and feet while her 7 year-old child watched, calling her a "nigger bitch" in the process. The police are investigating the incident as a possible hate crime.

On the flip, Rush Limbaugh is attempting to fan the flames of racial hatred by insisting that a recent fight on a school bus in which a group of black kids beat up a white kid was motivated by President Obama's vision of America. It turns out the fight wasn't racially motivated as both white and black kids cheered the group on, but rather was over a choice of seating.

I have no further words for this.

FORMER PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER ON RACISM AND PRESIDENT OBAMA

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

During an interview with Brian Williams of NBC Nightly News, former president and humanitarian Jimmy Carter adressed the elephant in the room and said that he believes U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson's (read more about Joe here) outburst during President Obama's speech on healthcare was rooted in racism. This issue has been tiptoed around for too long, and quite frankly, it's time that someone finally had the courage to confront this head-on.

Much has been made about the tea parties, disruptive town hall meetings, Fox News ranters and other fringenuts being harmless, or a small minority of the right, but what does it take or how much time should pass before this idiocy spreads and infects more of the disillusioned resulting in violence against our president? Politicians are played a dangerous game of poking at the cookoo's nest with a stick and claiming that the denizens are just frustrated average folk. Not to mention the unprecedented blatant disrespect for the office of the president? Nazi! Socialist! Take our country back! Bury Obamacare With Kennedy! These are just some of the things being shouted at so-called patriot rallies and town hall meetings. It's fucking frightening, and as I read and watch the daily barrage of insults and attacks against a president who is, ironically, trying to engage in a bi-partisan effort to ensure universal healthcare for all, I sometimes feel physically ill. Okay, I admit that the healthcare issue is a bit complex, and I want him to "call out" those who are smiling in his face while simultaneously slipping the shiv in his back - and yes, I'm aware that this is how the Republicans play the game, but I wish the president would take off the kid gloves and call Joe Wilson an asshole just as easily as he called Kanye West a jackass!

That said, I know that our president is an assured tactician, and I wholly believe that he knows how to get the job done. It's only been eight months and there's much to do. But backhands must be served when due! And it's only a matter of time before the right mobilizes the fringe and for however ridiculous their claims, there is a growing movement. A potentially deadly movement.


Need further proof? Then watch this clip. It is ignorance in full bloom.


To those who are tired of the so called race card being played, face it - race is, and will continue to be an issue. Racism and prejudice against blacks, Asians, Hispanics, and other cultures is so ingrained into our culture, history and collective minds that it will most likely never disappear. It appears in every aspect of life including entertainment, fashion, the media, the classroom and the boardroom. Most of us do our best to compartmentalize it or develop thick skins in order to continue going about our daily business. There is also racism by minorities against other minorities. And a lot of us have made or laughed at the occasion racist joke, "slipped" an occasional slur or hold on to certain streotypical beliefs that were implanted into our minds as youths, which are then passed along, generation to generation. Or perhaps we may even have some innate feelings and ideas about race which needs to be addressed. But keep it real, it ain't going away no time soon, so wherever you stand, we must continue to encourage open dialogue and debate. It's pure and simple.

MICHAEL JACKSON ALLEGEDLY ADMITTED HE WAS ADDICTED TO PAINKILLERS

A video has surfaced in which The King of Pop admits that he was addicted to painkillers. During an inteview, which was conducted by a lawyer in 2003, Michael claimed that he could have been under the influence of drugs prescibed for injuries sustained during a tour. The purpose of the interview was to respond to a breach of contract lawsuit brought by former managers Dieter Weisner and Ronald Konitzer.

Unfortunately, the video, which was released by the British newspaper The Sun, is restricted to U.K. readers only, but hopefully, it willl be available on these shores soon.

Read the full article here.

2009 MTV VIDEO MUSIC AWARDS LIVE BLOG

I'm watching the pre-show, and already, I'm a little confused as to what's up with Janet Jackson's tribute to her brother Michael. I was under the impression that this was the main selling point of the show, but Alica Keys was interviewed and asked what she thought of the tribute to which she said, "Oh, I thought it was secret, but I guess it's out now." Hmmm, did our pre-show host drop the ball? Later, he interviewed Jermaine Jackson (sorry, but I just can't get past that painted-on hairline, bruh) who was coy about the tribute saying, in other words, that IF Janet WAS to perform, she'll kick some ass.

I guess we'll see.

Beyonce is being interviewed. In mid-sentence, some guy walks in front of the camera and without missing a beat Sasha holds out her arm, says, "Excuse me," waves him out of the shot, and continues talking. Love that. Bey also gives props to Janet.

And then the show began.

9:00 - Madonna pays tribute to Michael, citing their similarities, and the tragedies and triumphs of his career. She looks great! Pete Wentz bows his head in prayer(?!) Pink smirks and looks down at her lap. Is she not feeling Michael? Madonna? She also says that we abandoned Michael. Herself included. I don't know where to put this.....

9:07 - Dancers hit the stage re-enacting MJ's "Thriller". There are five Michaels, each depicting him in various stages of his career. Other hits follow, including "Smooth Criminal".

9:10 - Michael & Janet's "Scream" starts. It's Janet! She busts some moves. She sings a little bit. She seems a bit stiff. This lasts all of one and a half minutes.

WHAT?!

Beyonce need not be worried. THIS WILL BE HER SHOW.

Host Russell Brand is onstage. He's screaming cockney in his "delicious trousers". I begin to worry that I'm missing the True Blood finale, which I gave up to watch this. I do the math. I've now decided that I'm going to bail and watch TB. I'll check back in with highlights.
Out.

9:23 - But wait, it's Best Female Video. Taylor Swift beats out Beyonce's Single Ladies!!! Kanye West interrupts Taylor's speech and screams, "YOU LIE!" Kidding. He really shouted, "I'm sorry, Taylor, but Beyonce had one of the best videos of ALL TIME!" Beyonce's song "Ego" pops into my head, and it won't leave. Thanks, Kanye. My god, the internet will not be the same tomorrow. I know this because I, myself, am not the same after that. And the MTV Awards show has been officially stolen. And as it turns out, Kanye has kicked all of our collective asses.

With that, I can't take anymore. I'm going. For real, this time. Be back in a few.

9:47 - Okay, I'm back, with just the highlights, at this point. Lady Gaga revisits Madonna's Vogue performance from the 1991 VMA show - sort of. The song is about the paparazzi. I don't see any cameras or mad car chases, but she seems pretty angry, and she and her dancers are performing some sort of spastic-tragic ballet. Oh, now I hear camera clicks. She's now hanging in effigy, with blood covering her face. Is this in reference to Lady Diana? Deep.

10:19 - Ne Yo and Chace Crawford present the "Hardest Working Woman In Show Business", Beyonce. It's SINGLE LADIES! She's looking thick and juicy in a sparkly floral body suit confection, doing what she does best, backed by a Vegas-inspired flurry of legs, hair and booty. Mission Accomplished. I can now further sate my hunger for decadence by tackling a plate of skrimps & pasta alfredo with spinach.

10:29 - Diddy ("what'd I say?") and Jamie Lynn Sigler announce the Best Male Video. The audience does NOT forgive Kanye West, and promptly boo at the mere mention of his name. T.I. wins, thus averting a riot, and depriving me of some much-needed drama.

10:34 - Russell Brand is back and shouting something about "buck-toothed perverts". Actor Gerard Butler introduces Muse. Time to knock off a few more of these skrimps. I'm really appreciating this tall glass of Tropicana Tropical Punch w/ice. No, that ain't no plug! And please, somebody get Tracy Morgan to host next year's show!

10:47 - JLO! JLO! J to-the-l-to-the-fuckin'-o! Announces the best Hip Hop Video. Emimen wins. He's really calm about it. Nice.

10:49 - Kid Cudi performs a tribute to DJ AM. All smooved out on the quirk tip. I'm digging it. But they cut to a commercial! I'ma go get me some more juice.

10:56 - Russell introduces my boy Tracy Morgan and Eminem to announce the Best New Artist. I'm now convinced that Tracy is the new Biz Markie. Lady Gaga wins. She accepts the award covered in red lace from head to toe (an extension of the bloody face motif, I guess), which seems to shoot up toward the sky in a reverse hell effect. Oh, I get it - hell is really in heaven!! Oh my. She dedicates her award to the gays. Well, who do you think designed the outfit?

11:01 - A VMA first: Pink sings and performs a whole song while swinging on a trapeze. Thrills and chills, y'all! Will she slip? Is there a safety net? Who cares! Color me impressed.

11:11 - Jimmy Fallon and Andy Samberg announce the Video of the Year. Kanye gets booed again. Beyonce deservedly wins. The camera flashes to Lady Gaga, who's face is now covered by a white bird's nest. Beyonce graciously calls Taylor Swift onstage to finish her acceptance speech, which had been hijacked by Kanye.

11:23 - Jay Z and Alicia Keys perform a love rap to NY with a Yankee Stadium backdrop. This and Beyonce's previous act of good will seem to pull the show back from falling into the vortex to hell. The song is beautiful. I smell a new anthem.

11:28 - Michael Jackson's promo clip for This Is It reminds us of a promise that will forever remain unfulfilled.

The show ends. In summation, this show delivered on its yearly promise to deliver the crazy. Yeah, I missed the True Blood, finale, but that's why On Demand was invented, right?

UPDATE: Word around the internets is that the whole Kanye/Swift/Beyonce debacle was staged. Whatever. It was good tv all the same.

SATURDAY NIGHT CHILL - CHICO DeBARGE

You mean you don't have this CD in your 'collect yet?

Chico DeBarge - Oh No (2009)
From the album Addiction

NEW MUSIC FROM N'DAMBI - "CAN'T HARDLY WAIT"

After enjoying a lengthy stint as a backup singer for Erykah Badu, N'Dambi continues to bring the truth with her fourth release Pink Elephant, which will hit the streets October 6,'09.

Peep this clip of her latest release, Can't Hardly Wait. Support real soul music, y'all!

ON HIATUS

I'm currently working on assignments for another up-and-coming entertainment website which should be going live pretty soon. I'll keep you posted...

MY TAKE ON MICHAEL JACKSON

I haven't bothered to post on the passing of The King, as I wanted to give my thoughts after the memorial service. What with Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, Beyonce and just about every other still-living celebrity scheduled to appear and pay homage, I only thought it more appropriate to express my thoughts at tht time.

But rest assured, I, like most of you have grieved, and I truly miss him.

Stay tuned.

This TIME magazine cover features a Herb Ritts photo of Michael taken during the shoot for the In The Closet video. I consider that photo series to be the best post-80's images of him ever taken, by the way. Just beautiful.



BONUS BEATS:
Meanwhile, last weekend over in London, MADONNA, his closest peer (and let's not forget Prince, people), also gave it up for Mike during the opening night of her Sticky & Sweet Tour.

HOUSE YOU: DJN PROJECT - TAKE YOU AWAY

DJN PROJECT - TAKE YOU AWAY 2009

New truth from my man Louie Vega's new label, Vega Records.
This is the label's first release.

CHOICE CLIP: TRISH - BUMP

Trish - Bump from Trish on Vimeo.

Crazy, sexy, dope.

FRIDAY MUSIC THROWBACK: SUMMER 1980

CAMEO - WE'RE GOING OUT TONIGHT - 1980

Get dressed. Get fresh for the weekend.

A TASTE OF HONEY - RESCUE ME 1980


JERMAINE JACKSON - BURNIN' HOT 1980

This shit was fyre.

NEW MUSIC FROM EVELYN "CHAMPAGNE" KING

DIVAS OF COLOR feat. EVELYN CHAMPAGNE KING - ONE MORE TIME 2009

Ms. King is back with a juicy slice of club heaven. Rejoice, y'all.

FRIDAY NIGHT CUTZ

PHLASH & FRIENDS - RUNNIN' 2009

BEEZO'Z CHOICE CUTZ

LISA SHAW - HONEY 2009


FRED EVERYTHING feat. WAYNE TENNANT - MERCYLESS 2008


HAVANA - YEAH 2009

MUSIC THROWBACK THURSDAY

AL JOHNSON and JEAN CARN - I'M BACK FOR MORE 1982


THE ISLEY BROTHERS - HURRY UP AND WAIT 1981


EARTH WIND and FIRE - I'VE HAD ENOUGH 1982


TOM BROWNE - THIGHS HIGH 1981

KILL BILL'S DAVID CARRADINE FOUND DEAD

Not only do I remember actor David Carradine (older brother of Keith and Robert) from the great '70's show Kung Fu, but also as the titular character and star of my all-time favorite movie, Kill Bill.

He was found dead yesterday in a motel room closet in Bangkok. I, however, choose to best remember him as the recipient of The Bride's (Uma Thurman) Five Point Palm Exploding Heart Technique. R.I.P., Bill.

WHITNEY HOUSTON SET TO RELEASE COMEBACK ALBUM SEPTEMBER 1, 2009

And the comebacks keep on coming: Arista plans to release Whitney Houston's untitled comeback album this coming September. Brace yourself, kiddies. This is truly turning out to be the Year Of The R&B Vanguards.

SADE SET TO RELEASE NEW ALBUM NOVEMBER 2009

Things are definitely looking up, first with the return of Maxwell, and now your girl Sade. Her latest is set to be released just in time for the holidays. Thank Jeebus.

Read more about it here.

NEW TRAILER FOR "PRECIOUS" IS RELEASED

The new trailer for "Precious", formerly known as "Push" , has been released, and suffice it to say, has Oscar written all over it. Although there has been much talk about Mo'Nique's devastating portrayal of an abusive mother, newcomer Gabourney Sidibe's performance as the titular character appears to be just as strong. It also seems like Mariah Carey will officially silence her critics with regard to her acting chops. I'm gonna put it out there; I was moved to tears by just the trailer alone. And being a lifelong movie fanatic, this has NEVER happened to me before.

Bravo to all involved with this one.

PUBLIC UNVEILING OF OBAMA PAINTING CANCELED

Artist Michael D'Antuono planned to unveil a painting of President Obama which invokes the iconic image of Christ wearing a crown of thorns in New York City's Union Square today, but has since canceled the showing due to "pressure" from those who are opposed to the painting.

Some are calling it a cowardly move. I guess. It all reeks of the usual PR shenanigans to me. Discuss, if you must.

NEW MUSIC FROM MAXWELL

Following an eight year absence, Brooklyn's Own Maxwell returns to the airwaves with Pretty Wings, the first single from what he calls a 3-year concept album titled Black Summer's Night. Black, set for a July 7, 2009 release, will be followed by Summer's in 2010, and Night, which will hit the streets in 2011. There have been several false fits and starts regarding the release of this project, including rumors that CBS Records threatened to drop him from the label (pure bullshit, btw), so it's great to finally hear back from the boy. I'm hoping that he's still collaborating with people like legendary soul singer/writer/producer Leon Ware (Marvin Gaye, Omar) and backing band Sweetback, which itself is a side project consisting of members from Sade.

The R&B scene is in desperate need of substantive fare nowadays, so this should definitely sate the appetites of those of us who are feenin' for something stronger than autotune to lean on.

Good god.

Now where the hell is my boy D'Angelo at?








Maxwell - Pretty Wings (2009)

HARLEM'S BEST KEPT SECRET: JONATHAN BODRICK OF J.B. B.O.R.N.

I've had the pleasure and opportunity of knowing, and occasionally working with Jonathan Bodrick for over a year now, and as this article from Black Gay Gossip can attest, he is the Real Deal. His innate sense of what works for both men and women fashion-wise is impeccable, and you get the extra added bonus of experiencing his sharp and incisive wit, to boot, pardon the pun.

I've brought my mother, cousins, cousin's cousins and anybody else I could corral to his store, and they've all been made believers - not that it was all too hard to convince them that they could use the benefit of his expertise when it comes to putting together the perfect vintage/up-to-date mash up.

So congrats, Jonathan. Keep doing your thing, man!

Photo & Article Source

BEYONCE CLONES INVADE LONDON'S PICADILLY CIRCUS

If you ever had any doubt, there is now no way to deny that Beyonce has taken over the earth. Deal. Submit. Conform or perish, and all that.
Gotta say I'm impressed, though.

THE JAM: DAY 'N' NITE - KID CUDI

I can't get this cut out of my head.

GET UR SCUZZ ON - AMY WINEHOUSE WANTS YOUR BABY, GIRL

Today's Dopeness: Okay, I'm not taking this too seriously, and I gotta admit that while I haven't exactly been all that motivated enough to post stuff lately, (I've been aggressively job and apartment hunting) this item has somewhat restored my faith in all things twisted and the picture alone has succeeded in making me laugh my ass off, cry, and throw up in my damn mouth - simultaneously. And say what you will, but I give homebiscuit credit for doing her and not being the least bit apologetic for showing out, ya heard?

Amy Winehouse (there's only one, y'all!) allegedly wants her a black baby of her very own, but has supposedly run into some problems with her - oh, phuck it - just go directly to the source.

MELLOW GROOVE: LONG DISTANCE RELATIONSHIP - PAUL TAYLOR featuring TERRY DEXTER

SMOOVE HOUSE GROOVE: DON'T YOU DARE STOP LOVIN - GLENN UNDERGROUND FEAT. PEVEN EVERETT

MUSIC THROWBACK: FLORENCE BALLARD SPEAKS

I stumbled upon this clip a little late, but thanks to my sister Kim, I finally got a chance to hear Florence Ballard discuss, in her own words, the reasons why she felt she was phased out of The Supremes at the height of their popularity and replaced by Cindy Birdsong, then a member of Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles. One of the things I found most compelling about the interview aside from her frank manner, was not only did I grow up in an era when Motown was basically the soundtrack of most of my childhood, and those of you who did as well might also attest to the fact that Broadway musical and film versions of Dreamgirls notwithstanding, getting to hear Florence articulate her feelings provided me with some much-needed closure as to what was rumor and what was the real truth of the matter.

She managed to all-at-once convey a sense of vulnerability, accessibility, and overall come across as being an all-around sister "from down the block", with a voice that sounds as if she had truly been there and done that. I also particularly loved the strong southern lilt and cadence of her words, and for the first time felt as if I could finally match them with her face. Most striking though, is her admission that she was indeed an alcoholic, which she, whether she meant to or not, partly attributes to her downfall.

There are two sides to every story, and although most people tend to blame Diana Ross, her relationship with Berry Gordy, and her relentless drive to be center stage, Florence's admissions lend some much needed shading and details.

That doesn't make the story any less heartbreaking, I might add, as later photos of Florence, who died at the age of 32 from coronary thrombosis on February 22, 1976, show the embattled songtress as looking a bit well beyond her years at such a young age, yet somehow, amazingly beautiful. One can only imagine the struggles and demons she fought so hard against. But she did a legacy of solo songs, much of which are in the pop vein as opposed to the more southern or still bourgeoning northern soul sound, to which I think she might have been much better served. I imagine she might have even risen into the leagues of Aretha Franklin or Etta James, had she been given (or perhaps chose?) the opportunity to work with the right producers, and thusly, she might have been able to properly channel a lot her pain into some hair-raisingly classic R&B tracks.



I've also always been fascinated by "You Keep Me Hanging On", which I consider to be their best song, and the urban legend that attributed Florence's ultimate disappointment at recording the first lead, only to have Diana's voice layered over hers to create a fuller sound in the final mix. The vocal dynamics, bassline and guitar parts of the song are legend, and hearing her vocal peaks breakthrough from the background in key parts of the track has always prompted me to wonder how it might have sounded had the producers or The Powers That Be, so to speak, stuck with her as the lead, not only for this song and perhaps many others. 90's female group sensation En Vogue managed to improve upon this template by providing all members with the chance to shine as lead vocalists, and although the original lineup was thrown into turmoil when Dawn Robinson, a key member, left to pursue a solo career. In my humble opinion, they still embody the perfect version of the modern soul/R&B version of the female vocal group; honorable mentions for LaBelle,The Emotions, The Shirelles and The Jones Girls, of course! The resulting mix of the song still works, of course, but this version includes a final verse which features Florence more prominently as opposed to the radio mix, or the version you might be more familiar with. Check it out and see if you can notice the difference.



"GOIN' OUT OF MY HEAD"



"WALK ON BY"



R.I.P., FLO

THE FOREIGN EXCHANGE: ALL SMOOVED OUT

I recently discovered the song Come Around by The Foreign Exchange while fishing around iTunes, and was immediately hooked. I still can't stop repeat-playing this masterpiece of spaced out melody and hip hop beats accompanied by plaintive, yet soulfully sure vocals and tight bassline which sent my head into non-stop rythmic nodding. This is true ear candy for the grown and sexy set, ya heard? And if you're tired of the Top 40 auto-tuned hip-pop template currently in heavy rotation, here's a much-needed break. As I gleaned the info on their Wiki page, I was surprised to find out that the group is actually a duo, American rapper Phonte Coleman and Dutch producer Nicolay, who decided to collaborate after meeting on the message boards on Okayplayer.com , and thus began to swap music without ever having met in person(!), resulting in two albums of superior music in the vein of The Roots, Dwele and D'Angelo. I was also surprised to learn that the song was from their first album, Connected which was released in 2004! How did this gem get by me? Or by the masses, for that matter? This just further confirms the sorry state of radio today, and the garbage they rotate on an infinite loop that's supposed to pass for "true Hip Hop", and crammed down the throats of young urban audiences who, at this point, are probably inured to anything resembling quality when it comes to music nowadays. It's akin to a bird eating a worm and regurgitating it to feed its young. I mean, at the very least, is it too much to ask for some modicum of variety?

The good news is that they released another album, Leave It All Behind, in 2008. Click here to download the album sampler which includes the tracks, Take Off The Blues, All Or Nothing, Something To Behold, If This Is Love, and If She Breaks Your Heart.


PHOTO SOURCE: The Foreign Exchance Main Website


COME AROUND from CONNECTED


RAW LIFE from CONNECTED


SINCERE from CONNECTED


DAYKEEPER featuring MUHSINAH from LEAVE IT ALL BEHIND

COMING ATTRACTION: GIVE 'EM HELL, MALONE

Bloody. Cheesy dialogue. Crashing cars. Thomas Jane. Ving Rhames. I likes. This one should be hitting the theaters any minute now.

TAKE YOUR FINGER OUT OF THERE, PUT THIS MIX ON IN THE BACKGROUND AND CLEAN YOUR DAMN HOUSE OR SOMETHING

Enjoy this Soulrific Episode 46. It's for your nerves.


TRACKLIST:
1. Blah! (K-Murdock Remix) - Bilal Salaam ft. Luke Brown
2. I’ll Be Alright - Slakah The Beatchild & Ebrahim
3. The Lineup - Zo! & Asylum 7 ft. Metasyons, Finalé & Buff1
4. Yeah - Havana
5. Listening - J-Live w/Roy Ayers
6. Classifieds - Donnie
7. Destiny - Kenny Lattimore
8. Sweet Sun - Zanya Laurence
9. Spend The Night - Rahsaan Patterson
10. Undercover - Adriana Evans
11. Beautiful - Nate Krooks
12. Wishful Thinking


From ODEO

JAMIE FOXX BRINGS THE HOUSE: I DON'T NEED IT

MUSIC THROWBACK: JANET JACKSON - RUNAWAY

BEEZO DON'T WANNA GROW UP

THE BEATLES


THE JACKSON FIVE


THE BANANA SPLITS


SNUFFY SMITH


KIMBA, THE WHITE LION


GIGANTOR


THE DICK TRACY SHOW


SPIDER MAN

KANYE WEST IS TIGHT WITH CLEVELAND

Kanye West, along with Taraji P. Henson and Saana Lathan, will be doing guest spots on The Cleveland Show, a spin-off of Family Guy, the Illest Cartoon Ever.

I'm down with this.

(SOURCE)

THE RETURN OF J-TO-THE-L-O

Damn, I've been wondering what's been up with the Boogie-Down Bronx's favorite daughter Jennifer Lopez. Seems she's back as Anita in a Vanity Fair spread inspired by the movie classic, West Side Story. I remember as a kid watching this movie every year when CBS used to run it as an event, along with The Wizard of Oz. Both movies used to scare the hell out of me, although for different reasons. I used to freak out on Oz when they showed the legs of the Wicked Witch's sister sticking out from beneath Dorothy's house, and I always thought the violence in WSS was too real. Man, talk about times a-changing................

Still, I got a kick out of "Cool" (Boy, boy, crazy boy, stay cooool boy......gotta rocket, in my pocket, stay coolsy coool, boy), and all dat dancing and choreographed cutting up. I even cried at some parts. Yeah, so what??!! It was the early 70's, and for those of us who grew up back then, there was still some innocence to youth, you know, without the internets and For the Love of Ray J around to fuck up our minds. We still came home after school, busted open a bag of chips and watched Magilla Gorilla, Popeye, The Courtship of Eddie's Father, The Munsters, Courageous Cat, Bugs Bunny, Felix the Cat and The Flintstones while attempting to get some homework done. A special shout for my nephew Greg, a choreophapher in his own right, who played Chino in a regional production in Albany, New York.

So, yo J, thanks for taking me back. And you still got that back action on lock.

A special shout out for my nephew Greg Marsh, a choreographer in his own right, who played Chino in a regional production in Albany, New York.



Anita (JLo) breaks it down for the Shark crew,
and Chris Evans gets the First Cut as Riff

SO.......WHAT'S NEW? NOTHING! WELL, MAYBE A LITTLE SUMTHIN' SUMTHIN'

There just hasn't been anything happening lately that has compelled me to post, save for the cancellation of D.L. Hughley's show on CNN, allegedly due to his comparing the RNC to Nazi Germany, the on-going Chris Brown/Rihanna Saga and Rush Limbaugh, who speaking of which, was called a coward by a Democratic Rep. Brad Sherman for not accepting his challenge to debate.

Which left more time for me to browse the n-ternets for interesting things to read. I was not disappointed, as I discovered a couple of blogs that I've taken an instant liking to, such as The Black Snob which true to its name, sated my appetite for smart snark on the chocolate side. Another blog I discovered by way of Racialicious is Honky Talk, which claims under its banner that

"This is an anti-racism blog with a message geared to white folks. The mission of Honky Talk is to facilitate a discussion of racism between white folks and people of color in a safe space. The goal of Honky Talk is to end racism in our minds, our community, our state, our nation and our world through the education and unification of all oppressed people."

Yeah, pretty heady, but interesting. I'll be checking on it. HONORABLE MENTION: Afro Nerd

Other than that, I've also been juicing up my iTunes library and generally obsessing over Traxsource, which seems to have a never-ending supply of house tracks to download and buy. So for now, I'll just enjoy the silence and nice weather we've been having here in NYC.


Oh, and the picture is a snapshot I took of a reworked ad for Watchmen in the Clinton/Washington station on the G line, here in BK.

ALICIA KEYS, CHANEL IMAN, AMERICA FERRARA & PAULA PATTON DO ICONS FOR GLAMOUR

The current issue of Glamour Magazine showcases a few familiar faces in an homage to female American Icons. Nice.


Alicia Keys as First Lady Michelle Obama
























Chanel Iman as Althea Gibson
























Paula Patton as Billie Holliday


















America Ferrara as Dolores Huerta

MUSIC THROWBACK: IT COULD BE SWEET - PORTISHEAD (1994)

WEDNESDAY HOUSE GROOVE: IN THE MOOD - WAYNE GARDINER (2009)

MORE WEDNESDAY GROOVE: SoBeautiful - Musiqsoulchild

Musiq Soulchild - "sobeautiful"

WEDNESDAY JUMP OFF: SMOOTH - LINA

Of Race And Sex.................

I came across this one over at copyranter via Gawker. A German ad agency is promoting race-conscious clay dioramas in the spirit of awareness (KKKlay-doh! Get it?!), but I dunno. It sure seems like a Klansman is tryna woo a gay dude. Hmmm.... I smell a set-up. Discuss, if you must.

Sasha Fierce's Mama: The Official Portrait

The Real Sasha Fierce has approved the release of this photo.

Hood By Air: Can You Deal?

Eklektik Moves: Kuduro Courtesy of Caramimi Blog

My great friend and all around music muse Antoinette Celes from San Francisco posted this clip, amongst many others, which range from the music of Sun Kil Moon, Erik Satie, and The Cocteau Twins, to various musings on art and breathtaking photography on her blog CARAMIMI. This joint showcases dancers working it out to the sounds of kuduro, a mix of house and Carribean beats, which is popular in Angola. Shit is amazing.

Rich Medina @ Southport Weekender 41

I'm now an official fan of Philly/NYC-based DJ Rich Medina, who much like my friend DJ Ben Manzone, who himself is holding down a weekly Sunday jam throwdown called Masterfleet at coco66 over in Williamsburg, BK, keeps the vibe strictly organic with a mix of rare soul grooves, classic jack beats and funkified house along with a few kitchen sink elements. Yes, your soul can be saved, baby. Check out his homepage.

BONUS BEATS

Slumdog Child Star Beaten In Public By Dad

Azharuddin Mohammed, 10 year old star of the Oscar-winning smash Slumdog Millionaire, was subjected to a public beating today by his father who was frustrated by his son's refusal to comply with his wish to display him before an adoring public outside of the tent the family lived in.

No doubt exhausted from his recent travels and still riding high on what must have been a whirlwind of public appearances and interviews, combined with returning home to the realities of life in slums of Mumbai, maybe the kid just wanted to crash, you know?
Instead, he was treated to a hot dose of said reality, much like the one portrayed in the movie. After repeatedly slapping and kicking the boy, his father, Israel, then apologized.

"I was so confused and stressed by my son's homecoming that I did not know myself for a minute. I love my boy and I'm happy to have him home", he stated soon afterwards. Wow. Talk about life imitating art imitating life.

Read more about it here.

Jamie Foxx Rides With Opie, Blames It On The Alcohol

90's videoman extraordinaire Hype Williams hits you with a surrealistic mix of Hollyhood celeb cameos, including Quincy Jones, Samuel L. Jackson, Forest Whitaker, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Ron Howard(!), lesbian-lite, bourgie hoochies, and the ubiquitous T-Pain who, speaking of the nineties, seems determined to bring back the slo-mo-flash-2-bottles-of-overflowing-champangne-bottles-before-the-cameras move. No, wait. I think Hype already trademarked that shot back in the day. So.....is this what it's like to party large in LA? Whatever. It works for me.

On Blaming Rihanna: Um, Teens, Ur Doing It Wrong

There are actually a couple things I want to rant about this week - the whole Rihanna/Chris Brown affair and, of course,  New York Post Page Six cartoonist (and I use that term loosely) Sean Delonas's umpteenth failure in attempting to produce an image which reflects even the most minute trace of class or wit. I mean come on, if you've ever had the misfortune of viewing any of this man's work, you'd already know that he's a borderline talent or hack, at best. I've always found his style to be exceedingly repulsive and demoralizing in such a way that I'd experience a momentary lack of faith in humanity - and that is no mean feat. After all, as I mentioned in my previous post, I do have a taste for the horrific! That said, I'm glad the dialogue has been opened, and let's keep this up front - whether or not you find the cartoon in question to be racist, and it is, let us not forget that it also ran the day after the victim of the chimp attack had her whole damn face torn off!!

And speaking of battered faces, I find some of the reactions to the Chris Brown/Rihanna mess to be equally, if not more demoralizing. After gleaning the comments sections of some the most popular black entertainment sites, I started to feel as if there is no fucking hope for the current generation of African Americans, as I've read some of the most frighteningly idiotic comments from mostly female posters, who expressed their contempt for a victim of domestic violence. From accusations of "provoking" the attack to exposing Chris to herpes led the reasoning for such ignorant statements, and I simply had to stop reading in fear of my head exploding in frustration. I even got into a heated discussion with a few young female relatives of mine, who defended the perpetrator, all the while lying down on the tracks before the speeding train of perpetual ignorance and exclaiming that they don't believe everything they hear in the media. Granted. But why do I get the uneasy feeling that this is mostly the perception of mostly black teenagers? And throw in few young adults please, while you're at it.

Can this be the result of a basic lack of education? Home training? Perhaps it's contempt for the light-skinned black female, while simultaneously placing the light-skinned "fine" black male on a pedestal? Or is it the R Kelly Effect all over again? Why does the male, no matter what hue, always get a pass? Is it because of all the past pain and suffering and alleged burdens the black man has to shoulder play into it? My guess is it's a combination of all of these. I also believe that the way we perceive and portray ourselves in modern media culture, especially in music and television (hello Vh1!), has a lot to do with this. Constantly, in music videos and so-called reality shows, black females are shown debasing themselves to the extreme, eschewing any hunger and need for higher learning, professional achievement and self respect, all for the pleasure and entertainment of the male antagonist, in the hopes of winning his approval. The same applies to the whites in terms of these shows which portrays these women to be shrill, slutty, manipulative and lacking any semblance of integrity or class. Worse, we watch incredulously as they spout their own vapid reasons for wanting to participate in this sideshow. What's going on, people? Is it only entertainment? Clearly, much of what passes as reality TV is scripted, but I sincerely doubt that a lot of young kids who watch these shows can discern or even care to acknowledge this fact.

So, what can we do? It's pure and simple. Educate, educate, educate. Each one teach one. Make your kids pick up a damn book. It is the responsibility of the parents, got that? That's where it starts. That is all.

By the way, the Chicago Tribute has published an interesting article which touches on teens and their views on violence in relationships and the Chris/Rihanna affair. Check it out here.

Valentine's Day Special: Friday the 13th Part 12 - The Cold Heart of Crystal Lake

No apologies. I'm gonna come right out and admit that I'm a big fan of horror movies - the gorier, the better. Growing up in the 80's, I miss the danger and excitement of going to the movies on NYC's 42nd Street a.k.a The Deuce (fuck you Guiliani/Bloomberg) in the good old days where once, if you were so inclined, you could score the drug of your choice, a $20 "Ho Surprise" (back in those days, you didn't know what you was gonna get), a 40 in a brown bag, hit the games at Fascination or troll the peep shows, turn a trick at one of the hundreds of porn "palaces", get you some choice ass 12 inch singles from the record store in the A train station below 8th @ 42nd, or get your picture took in your best b-boy stance by the red tile wall - those who was there know what I'm talking about. At least it was interesting.

It's frustrating to experience the spectacle, forced elegance and sterilized version of what it looks like today, with its clueless, smug tourists and carpetbagging midwestern transplants who haven't the slightest clue that they wouldn't have lasted all of 5 minutes in the Times Square of yore. Y'all ain't really doing New York. Just check out one of my favorite blogs, ForgottenNewYork and you'll see what I mean. Best of all, back in those days, you could knock down 3 fitty for a triple pack of grindhouse/horror/karate flicks on The Deuce, and if you managed to navigate through the relentlessly sticky aisles and broken seats and got through all three flicks without getting your pockets cut out by a pickpocket or your ass sliced by a thirsty dope fiend lurking in the theater, you knew you was down.

Listen, I put up with Jason Goes To Hell, Freddy Vs Jason and Jason X , but it behooves me as to why somebody had the gall to remake or "re-imagine" a Deuce classic like the original Friday the 13th. I say re-imagine because this version is supposedly a mash up of FT13 parts II & III. Whatever. I'll probably go and check this out because it's supposed to have some choice kills, but I'm still kind of pissed. Call me a purist, but I miss the old school 70's/80's classiks like Sleepaway Camp, Autopsy, Maniac Cop, Last House On The Left (which is being remade by its creator, Wes Craven btw), The Power, The Beast Within, The Brood & It Came Without Warning, just to name a few. Back then, horror flicks didn't have a sense of humor, just straight up thrills. Hopefully, director Marcus Nispel's new version will restore my faith in horror movies that can still scare the shit out me.

I recently came across an article which listed a movie called Cold Heart of Crystal Lake as the 12th of the FT13 series. This short film was made by a fan of the series, director Joe Patnaud of Timberwolf Entertainment. Made on a budget of $250, it's pretty good, and a treat for all you blood hounds out there. Enjoy.