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Mos Def In Negotiations To Star In ‘Stringbean and Marcus’

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg)Category: News

Mos Def is in final negotiations to star in Stringbean and Marcus, an independent film that focuses on the relationship between two former Black Panther members who fall out of love.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Sophie Okonedo, who was nominated for an Oscar for her role in Hotel Rwanda, is also in final talks to star in the drama.

The movie is set in 1978 and is told through the eyes of a young girl.

“It’s not so much about the idea of race,” director Tanya Hamilton told The Hollywood Reporter. “I just wanted to show this world of ordinary people living under extraordinary circumstances.”

Although neither star is under contractual obligation as of press time, producer Sean Costello said both actors were committed to the project.

“Mos is one of my favorite actors; he’s fantastic,” said Costello. “Sophie has to play this character who’s both closed off and being open to helping people yet not being an angry woman. That’s what she did in Hotel Rwanda as this maternal, yet emotionally conflicted woman.”

Stringbean and Marcus is scheduled to start shooting this July in Philadelphia.

Ms. Wallace Taps Top Director Antoine Fuqua To Helm Untitled B.I.G. Movie

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg)Category: News

Voletta Wallace,

mother of slain rapper Christopher "Notorious B.I.G." Wallace, told

AllHipHop.com in a recent interview that critically acclaimed director Antoine

Fuqua well direct an untitled picture based on the life of the slain rapper.

The movie, which

is funded by Fox/Searchlight Pictures, is being produced by Ms. Wallace and

B.I.G.’s former managers, Wayne Barrow and Mark Pitts and will tell the life

of the legendary Brooklyn rapper, who was gunned down Mar. 9, 1997 in Los Angeles,

after attending a party by Vibe magazine at the Peterson Automotive Museum.

"The film

[will be] directed by Antoine Fuqua – a very nice director. He’s very talented,"

Ms. Wallace told AllHipHop.com. "Who is gonna play Biggie? I don’t know

yet. Who is gonna play me, I don’t know yet. But we are in the process of casting

now."

Fuqua has directed

such critically acclaimed films as The Replacement Killers, the Bruce

Willis driven Tears Of The Sun, and Training Day, which starred

Denzel Washington, who won an Oscar for his role in the film.

While many suspect

B.I.G. was murdered as a result of his feud with Tupac Shakur, police have never

solved either murder. Shakur was gunned down in Las Vegas, Nevada on Sept.7

1996 and died from his wounds on Sept.13, 1996.

Smalls was gunned

down just six months later on Mar. 9, in Los Angeles after attending the 11th

Annual Soul Train Music Awards at the Shrine Auditorium and Expo Center.

In June of 2004,

Ms. Wallace won a decision to bring a wrongful death suit against the LAPD,

which the Estate accuses of being complicit in Smalls’ death.

The investigation

into both murders continues and in July of 2005, the Estate of Christopher Wallace

won a major victory against the city of Los Angeles, after it was learned that

the Los Angeles Police Department withheld evidence that could have linked two

police officers and Death Row Records co-founder Marion "Suge" Knight

to both murders.

In a dramatic turn

of events, an unnamed tipster told the court that a significant amount of evidence

had not been given to lawyers of the estate.

The unnamed source

offered evidence that disgraced LAPD officers David Mack and Rafael Perez worked

in cahoots with Knight to gun B.I.G down.

U.S. District Judge

Florence-Marie Cooper declared a mistrial in the case, after Detective Steve

Katz allegedly "forgot" about critical documents pertaining to the

trial that were found in his desk drawer after a search of his office.

The city of Los

Angeles and the Los Angeles Police Department were ordered to pay the legal

costs the family of Christopher “Notorious B.I.G.” incurred during

the trial, for withholding the evidence about the rap star’s murder.

Wallace said a

new lawsuit was being planned to include Mack’s former partner Perez. The trial

is scheduled to resume this summer.

"All I want,

all I ever wanted is justice for my sons death," Ms. Wallace told AllHipHop.com.

"All I ever wanted was the truth. And that’s not asking too much."

In related news,

The Notorious B.I.G.’s posthumous album The Notorious B.I.G. Duets: The Final

Chapter, has been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association

of America (RIAA) for sales of over a million copies.

The album spent

seven consecutive weeks on top of Billboard’s Top Rap Album chart when

it hit stores in Dec. of 2005. The album debuted at #3 on Billboard’s Top

200 charts and featured the hit "Nasty Girl" featuring Diddy, Nelly

and Jagged Edge.

The album took

two years to craft and features verses B.I.G. recorded during his career paired

with new versions from a who’s who in Hip-Hop, including 2Pac, Big Pun, Scarface,

Ludacris, Snoop, Eminem, Jay-Z, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Nas, Juelz Santana, T.I.,

Missy Elliott, Jim Jones and many others.

B.I.G.’s three

previous albums, Ready To Die, Life After Death and Born Again

are also certified platinum by the RIAA.

Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival Announces New Location

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg)Category: News

The Tobacco Warehouse

will be the new site for the 2nd annual Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival (BHF), Room

Service Productions has announced.

The Festival is

a free, all-day, outdoor event celebrating Hip-Hop music and culture.

The June 24 affair

is part of the free programming that Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy is organizing

for State Parks at Empire Fulton Ferry State Park this summer.

"The celebration

of Hip-Hop music and culture will certainly provide exciting and diverse entertainment

for friends and families of all ages," stated Mary Ellen Kris, assistant

deputy commissioner of the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic

Preservation.

The Festival will

feature Hip-Hop performances, as well as jazz, soul and R&B. Performers

will be announced in the coming weeks.

"Our mission

is to shine the light on the positive aspects of Hip-Hop culture," said

Wes Jackson, president of Room Service Productions. "In a few years, the

waterfront will serve as a world-class venue for many performers. We’re just

excited to begin that process by bringing attention to this incredible venue

and hope to find a permanent home for the Festival along the waterfront."

For more information,

visit the official Festival website at www.brooklynbodega.com.

Who Owns Death?: The Plight of Cool C

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg)Category: Uncategorized

When I first learned that rapper Christopher “Cool C” Roney was set to die by lethal injection on (ironically) March 9, 2006, I was shocked and saddened. Like most Hip-Hoppers, I knew exactly who Cool C was and growing up in Pittsburgh, PA, I was quite familiar with his music. Even at 24 years old, I can still remember hearing the echoes of “Ooh, Ooh!” throughout my family’s apartment as my older brothers played “The Glamorous Life” before they went to a Friday night house party.

That jam still gets me on the dance floor to this day, but i think it is doubtful that Cool C will never perform that hit or even record again. He is currently on death row in a Pennsylvania correction facility for robbery and first-degree murder, which could make him the first rapper to ever be executed in history. Innocent or guilty, I don’t believe Christopher “Cool C” Roney should be executed as punishment for his crime, simply because I oppose the death penalty. The death penalty is an ineffective crime deterrent and have never proven successful in lowering crime or preventing crime. Therefore it should be banned. It does nothing but justify the same senseless murder that puts men and women on death row in the first place.

Pennsylvania has a long history with supporting the death penalty, which can be helpful in understanding how severe and unfair the death penalty truly is. According to reports, execution, as a form of punishment, in Pennsylvania dates back to the late 1600s, when public hanging was capital punishment for crime ranging from rape and burglary to “buggery”(in Pennsylvania at that time, “buggery” referred to sex with animals). Later in 1793, William Bradford, Attorney General of Pennsylvania published “An Enquiry How Far the Punishment of Death is Necessary in Pennsylvania.” In this document, he declared the death penalty was useless in preventing certain crimes, despite strongly insisting that it should be retained.

In the year 1794, the Pennsylvania legislature abolished capital punishment for all crimes except murder “in the first degree”, making this the first time in history murder had been broken down into degrees. This was done in response to Bradford’s stance on capital punishment. After centuries of executing criminals, the death penalty was later declared unconstitutional by PA State Supreme Court in 1972. As a result the two dozen death cases in the Pennsylvania prison system were sentenced to life instead of being executed. The law resurged for a while in 1974 until PA Supreme Court declared it unconstitutional again. A new version was quickly created, which went into effect in 1978 and still remains in effect today. The crime punishable by capital punishment in Pennsylvania is first-degree murder, or premeditated murder.

As you can see, the PA state legislature’s love affair with the death penalty has been a long one. Judging by history, PA legislature has never had substantial proof that the death penalty deters murder but they continue to make certain that the law exists.

After I thought about Cool C’s execution I became confused and disappointed. Confused, because I thought C, along with partner-in-rhyme Steady B, was serving a life sentence without parole, therefore ineligible to be executed. Disappointed because I already know too many brothers and sisters serving life sentences who experience the perils of jail life everyday. I felt like it was bad enough C had committed a crime and was serving time but now he would die in a place that many liken to “hell on earth.” Unlike most people assume, jail/prison is not a resort. Many outsiders, most of whom who have never visited an incarcerated individual or a jail itself, think prisons are adult playgrounds for criminals because they can attend school, wear the latest sneakers and watch BET.

However, that could not be farther from the truth. In jail, prisoners face violence, rape, racism, mental stress and many other daily dilemma in a confined environment they cannot escape. The risk of death is omnipresent and a life can sometimes be taken over a pack of cigarettes or even much less. Jail is not even the hardcore yet glamorized environment you see on HBO shows such as The Wire or Oz, where the theory is that if one possesses brute strength coupled with cunning intelligence they can survive in “the joint.” Toughness and wit aside, no one wants to go to jail. And for those who say, “I’ve got a good lawyer; I can fight the case”, I sure hope so. In the state of PA, which has the second-highest rate death row minority rate (second to Louisiana), 90 percent of the state’s condemned are unable to afford an attorney. And you can forget an appeal, kids, because the state of PA does not provide funding for indigent defendants.

This is a lose-lose situation in Pennsylvania, where if you a wrongly convicted of first-degree murder and cannot afford a lawyer, you have basically signed your life away without a chance to fight your case. Also, considering the fact that Blacks represent the largest percentage on death row nationwide, one cannot help but feel this insistence of maintaining capital punishment by legislators is deliberate towards the genocide of minorities in America.

And Cool C, if granted clemency, (the state of Pennsylvania has never granted one person clemency in its history of administering capital punishment), will have to live with the fact that he will never see his family or children besides when they attend a supervised visit nor will he ever enjoy the everyday things (driving to the mall, wearing his own clothes, living in his own home) that so many of us take for granted. In short, his freedom to live as a human being will be taken in exchange for the victim’s life taken during the robbery he was convicted of committing. Having one’s freedom (whatever your definition of freedom may be) taken away is essentially killing a person because you kill their spirit which embodies a person’s will to physically live. In my opinion, that is punishment enough. This is why I believe a life sentence in jail suffices as punishment for murder, not death by execution of any sort.

By now you’ve probably realized I oppose the death penalty as punishment for crime. That is true, but it does not mean I am an advocate for crime, especially not murder. Crime has and will always occur in this world, we cannot change that. However, when the punishment for a crime is not only ineffective in preventing it, as well as being unethical, when will we stop ignoring the facts and take action to stop this behavior?

My heart goes out to both the families of Cool C and Officer Lauretha Vaird (R.I.P.), who have both suffered tremendous loss. But despite all that has occurred, an “eye for an eye” is will not resurrect an innocent life or lower the murder rate. Let’s work at finding a real solution instead of putting a “temporary band-aid” on the ugly sore we call the murder rate in America, without losing lives in the process.

Bibliography

1. http://www.disastercenter.com/crime/pacrime.htm

2. http://usgovinfo.about.com/library/weekly/bldeathpenalty.htm

3. http://pittsburgh.about.com/cs/pennsylvania/a/death_penalty.htm

4. http://www.cpadp.org/facts.html

5. http://usgovinfo.about.com/

6. http://www.cpadp.org/facts.html

**Those interested in donating time or resources to Central Pennsylvanians to Abolish the Death Penalty, please visit http://www.cpadp.org/index.html.

Vakill: The Confirmation

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg)Category: Features

H

aving produced for All Natural, Cali Agents, and 7L & Esoteric, the Molemen are largely thought of as Chicago’s beat-society. But as Panik and Memo plug away at the boards, the microphone is gripped by an admitted fiend. Vakill has been releasing twelve-inch singles for a decade. In 2004, his Darkest Cloud album was revered by many as the independent album of the year. The work still has the press and fans talking, while others were left on a scavenger hunt just to find a copy.

Early this year, Vakill released his follow-up, Worst Fears Confirmed. A more polished effort, Vakill wants to extend his reach in a way true to his grassroots form. Including appearances by Ras Kass and Royce, this opus gives some veteran perspective in a season projected for its Chicago rookies.

Vakill discusses with AllHipHop.com his city. The MC reflects on almost twenty years ago, building with Twista. He also touches on what recently sent him packing from the Chi. Lastly, Vakill speaks about the last letter in “O.P.P.” in a way that may be an affirmation to some but an exclamation to others.

AllHipHop.com: In terms of the MC, Darkest Cloud was the most successful release that Molemen had seen. That said, what kind of pressure did you have going into Worst Fears Confirmed?

Vakill: Actually man, there was none. Reason being, we already knew Darkest Cloud was gonna be a one-of-a-kind album. It was just to establish myself among my peers as, “Look, this n***ga’s nice. Realize it.” It was a high-testosterone release. With Worst Fears Confirmed, it was to establish my all-around game, and to reach people in places the last album couldn’t – without compromising my creativity in the process.

AllHipHop.com: Explain to me your perception of the title.

Vakill: The worst fear is – “Okay, we know he can spit punchlines and all of that. But can he tell a good story? Can he ride the beat?” It was to answer a lot of questions. For the people who doubted me, it’s their Worst Fears Confirmed.

AllHipHop.com: On “No Mercy,” you pride yourself in never resorting to selling drugs, never been shot, all of these things that MC’s in the independent and mainstream are using today. What do you attribute the violent imagery – the monsters, the beasts, that you’re referring to throughout the album? Where’s the gully factor coming from?

Vakill: A lot of the s**t that’s coming out now is tablecloth rap. Let’s be honest, it’s not real. These n***as is puttin’ out too many mixtapes to be on the streets. These n***as is puttin’ out like five mixtapes a week. So, my whole thing with it is simple math, dog. You ain’t gotta be out here hollerin’ and screamin’, ‘cause if you hollerin’ and screamin’ about it, you obviously ain’t doin’ it. Everybody know where I’m from, in the neighborhood I’m from. The people that surround me, they know me well – as far as my credibility to scream or holler. If you listen to “Heart Bleeds,” that’s real talk. That’s me. That’s my life. I’ve shot at n***as like everybody else. But what separates me from a lot of these n***as comin’ with this gullyness is – just ‘cause I ain’t been shot or I ain’t sold rock, it don’t mean I ain’t did my share of dirt. I’m just not stupid enough to get caught. [laughs] That’s not what I want people to focus on with this record – only in certain doses. It’s been done to death. I’m not tryin’ to ride that wave. A lot of the [Hip-Hop] greats didn’t, and I’m sure a lot of those greats did their share of dirt too. Let’s get rhyming back to creativity as opposed to street credibility – that’d be fun. A lot of the s**t on my record ain’t true. I’d be behind bars. But in certain aspects, a lot of it is. In certain aspects, it’s a lot of the s**t that I’ve witnessed. But there are songs on there like, “Heart Bleeds,” where s**t is actually real. Real talk.

AllHipHop.com: You talk about creativity. I love this line, “Love don’t live here anymore, rent’s too expensive.” What’s that line mean to you?

Vakill: [Laughs] When I wrote that line, there was so many concepts involved in writing that line. I’m posted up in Indiana, right now for a minute. ‘Cause rent actually is gettin’ too f**kin’ expensive. [laughs] Aside from that, Chicago got a bad omen as far as the hate that’s spread out. I’m a firm believer that there’s power in numbers. It gotta start at home. A lot of us that done made it, we made it by not starting it at home. We wasn’t accepted right away at home. We had to get accepted elsewhere. Then, the people at home started to see it – and then they showed the love. Up until then, the love was vacant. We wasn’t gettin’ it until New York and West Coast is lovin’ ‘em. A lot of people in this town is band-wagoners. It’s the same with the artists. We segregated within our own city – North Side Rap, West Side Rap, and South Side Rap.

AllHipHop.com: We interviewed Naledge recently, and he said the same. Chicago may have more of that than Los Angeles.

Vakill: It’s terrible! It’s Willie Lynch all over. Creatively, there are some differences. West Side Rap has more of a high-hat, gangsterish, Twista sound. South Side is much more of the s**t that I’m doin’, the s**t that Naledge is doin’. The North Side is straight boom-bap, Hip-Hop, and abstract. By region in the city, the genres is broke down.

AllHipHop.com: In reviews, your delivery has been compared to Ras Kass a lot. What was it like to get in the booth with him on “Introducin’?”

Vakill: People first heard me and said, “Man, he sounds like Ras Kass.” I heard a lot of comparisons. Even when Wendy Day was managin’ him, she’d always bring up his name like, “You really remind me of this dude.” He hadn’t even dropped yet. The first time I heard him was “Come Widdit” with Saafir and Ahmed on The Streetfighter Soundtrack. I heard his vocal tone alone and was like, “Damn. Yeah, that’s who they talkin’ ‘bout.” It started to make sense. As far as my approach as to how I spit, my style is a Pharoahe Monch gone completely raw. [laughs] The way Twista and I and a lot of these guys started out, we’d take portions of people’s styles. LL [Cool J] did a song called, “Why Do You Think They Call It Dope?” [repeats verses]. We heard that for the first time, like “Oh, my Lord.” My man bet [Twista] that he couldn’t do that style. This was like Walking With A Panther back in ’89. Twista came back a whole damn song in that style! That’s the type of s**t we was on. [Pharoahe] Monch did “Bring It On,” and came with an off-beat, on-beat flow, I did the same thing. “What if a mothaf**ka straight did that whole style?” That was my whole approach. People think it’s Ras Kass, but really, it’s Pharoahe. [laughs]

AllHipHop.com: No disrespect to Copywrite or J-Live. But on this album, you’re working with Ras Kass and Royce Da 5’9” – two of the biggest indie artists. That’s different from the peers you’ve worked with before. Is that you seeing yourself in a new league?

Vakill: I knew eventually I’d work with Royce. I’ve known dude since like ’99. We did a show together when we was both just kinda gettin’ our feet wet. With Ras Kass, my album was done. We was ‘bout to ship it off that week. My man Panik was like, “What do you think it’d take to get you back in the booth? Let’s get Ras Kass.” It only made sense too, ‘cause his name and my name always been comin’ up in the same circles. We had a mutual friend who made it happen – my man Quest.

AllHipHop.com: You’ve worked with Slug. As an independent artist, the Rhymesayers distribution is crazy. You can go to Target and buy an Atmosphere record. But even bigger stores like Best Buy and Sam Goody aren’t always carrying your product. What can you do to expand your reach?

Vakill: The funny part about that is – now we startin’ to get stepped to. Sometimes you just gotta prove yourself. A lot of things ain’t gonna fall in your lap, man. Show and prove. That’s basically what it boils down to. Good music gonna always speak for itself. You can be in Cambodia, if it’s bangin’ – you gonna find it. That’s how Darkest Cloud was. It didn’t just came out like, “Bam!” It was over a lengthy period of time like, “Have you heard this? This s**t is crazy.” I just did a XXL article off the strength of an album three years old. My new s**t was comin’ out that Tuesday. That’s just good music.

AllHipHop.com: To have an album still get talk after three years is probably the biggest compliment a Hip-Hop artist could get right now…

Vakill: It was a crap-shoot. Obviously, it’s payin’ off. That was really an “I don’t give a s**t” album. [laughs] People actually clung to it. Worst Fears Confirmed is a lot more today – from the polished flow, and whatnot. We’ve already been approached about the distribution.

AllHipHop.com: My favorite joint on the record is “Man Into Monster,” which explores the dividing line that separates men from monsters. Did you have a particular experience that prompted that song?

Vakill: A couple. Most of the brothers that are behind bars right now – I feel that the main reason they behind bars is ‘cause of that monster. [laughs] Brothers is movin’ work at a young age to try and get the fly clothes, the fly chain, the fly cars, just to impress that monster. That monster may go along for the ride – but when they [locked up], they out. Some may stick around. There’s a positive and negative spin on everything. I love that monster just like the next man, but that monster has been the downfall of some of the greatest men in history?

AllHipHop.com: Exactly. In the song you say certain people didn’t make the Hall of Fame cause of that monster. All I could think of was Pete Rose. Who did you mean?

Vakill: Look at Wayne Gretzky. His wife is in a gambling ring. His wife – that’s another monster. [laughs] P*ssy is a powerful thing, man. For real. It can make the smartest man the dumbest n***a on earth. Women know how to use that monster. Women turn that beauty into a monster. When my crew heard the song, they said, “What you got against p*ssy?” I got nothin’ against p*ssy. I love p*ssy. But you gotta have p*ssy-control, or that s**t can be your biggest downfall. There’s a lot of brothers cryin’ behind bars ‘cause of p*ssy. [laughs]

AllHipHop.com: In the title song, you say, “A lot of new faces in the game, getting’ ahead of themselves, callin’ themselves ‘Kings of Chicago’,” That can be interpreted many ways. I’m not gonna pick at beef directly, I’ll let you elaborate…

Vakill: You got a lot of cats out here that been in the grind, dog. You gotta prove yourself. That’s a big, bold statement. To claim somethin’ like that, you better bring a lot to the table to claim that right. I’ve never considered myself the king of nothin’, I’ve always considered myself the crown. The crown is the symbol. Without the crown, you ain’t got s**t. The crown don’t move. You can take it for what it is. If you feel you the king, so be it. But by the end of the day, when I’m done with this pen, the people know.

Gordon Parks: The Original Visualizer

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg)Category: Uncategorized

A visionary sees what is and what will be. Lives tomorrow in the present tense. Truly understands contemporary for what it is: temporary. Gordon Parks was a visionary in the truest sense of the word. A visionary sees obstacles to achieving goals and makes them into examples of how to win. Mr. Parks was responsible for so many firsts in his lifetime before succumbing to cancer at the age of 93.

Born on November 30, 1912, Parks was the last of 15 children growing up in Fort Scott, Kansas during WWI and the Great Depression. Parks learned first hand about the need for attention and the desire to be heard. For Black America, in an era where our very existence on a human level was under assault on social, legislative and economic levels, Gordon Parks, decades before Cliff Huxtable and family invaded the televisions of America, provided a glimpse of us. He granted America access into our lives and experiences and introduced a level of normalcy to the Black experience that was previously ignored or blocked out from view. Not shucking and jiving, not waging wars with the hate that hate produced, not the victims of the White power structure, but as people. Citizens. Neighbors.

With a $7.50 pawnshop purchased camera at the age of 25, Gordon Parks began his career as a fashion photographer in Chicago. He got his first major work as the sole Black photographer for the Farm Security Administration, an FDR New Deal construct designed to garner sympathy for America’s farm owners. He became the first Black photographer at Vogue Magazine and in 1948 he began his well-chronicled career as the first Black photographer for Life Magazine. His tenure at Life lasted 20 years, and was not simply token patronage. Parks transcended the role of photographer and became a chronicler of global struggle and poverty. His photo essays were legendary, most powerful of which was the 1961 tale of a poor, sick Brazilian boy, Flavio de Silva, which touched so many, that the boy was able to travel to America for a life changing surgery and returned to Brazil with a new home for him and his family.

Gordon Parks captured the spirit of the activist without the anger. He understood the pressure of being Black in America during that treacherous time and was able to present it with nobility. He was Life’s eye during the Civil rights movement, a position that allowed him an intimacy that his white counterparts couldn’t match for obvious reasons. He learned to channel the rage of his youth into constructive endeavors. Outside of his over 300 photos published in Life Magazine, Parks was a writer, a poet, an accomplished essayist and even a composer, including “Martin,” a ballet based on the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

As skilled as he was capturing the lives of others, Parks possessed a keen self- awareness and an eye for introspection. He could look within and critique both himself and his people. He had numerous autobiographical writings and works, the greatest of which was The Learning Tree. Originally an account of his youth growing up in Kansas, The Learning Tree was published in 1963. Six years later, Parks became the first Black director of a major mainstream released film when it was brought to life in cinema. It was the first film written, directed and produced by a Black man. Critically acclaimed as well as historic precedent, it was one of the first 25 American films originally inducted into the Library of Congress’ Film Registry in 1989.

Visualizing the realism of our lives in actuality.-AZ.

Park’s genius at making the underground mainstream without co-opting soul and integrity was a tightrope walk that few have ever successfully walked. Perhaps his most stylistic example of this walk was the creation of perhaps his most popular addition to pop-culture-John Shaft. A shining example of Black manhood, Shaft (1971) elevated the genre of blaxploitation film. Shaft was on the right side of the law, intelligent, uncompromising, vulnerable, and masculine at a time when most depictions of Black males were drug users, and pimps, and the underbelly of society. Though the film was targeted for Black audiences, the production values were significantly higher than many movies of that genre and John Shaft was a rare three-dimensional characterization. He walked the line of law but stayed squarely on the side of justice without the righteous indignation. He was “real.”

Seizing the moment. It is perhaps a visionary’s best attribute. So it is entirely appropriate that for all the wonderful creations and art forms mastered by this modern renaissance man, that his greatest talent and most acknowledgement comes from his greatest passion: photography. Mr. Parks was a master at capturing the moment. Freezing those most intimate, most important, most innocuous, innocent instances, be they the glare of an imposing champion, or a tear on the cheek of a crying Black child, was Gordon Parks’ greatest triumph. In 1999, Parks even conducted the famous "A Great Day In Hip-Hop" photo shoot for XXL magazine, which was in front of the same building as the celebrated "A Great Day in Harlem" jazz photo. He made us real. Human. Relevant. It was his greatest gift to our people. I for one am eternally grateful for Gordon’s gift of visibility and viability. Because of Gordon Parks America could see Black people for what we truly are – PEOPLE. We will forever be in his debt.

Below is a list of Gordon Park’s various works. His accomplishments could never properly be captured on paper:

Books

Camera Portraits (1948) (Documentary)

The Learning Tree (1964) (Semi Autobiographical)

A Choice of Weapons (1967) (autobiographical)

Born Black (1970) (Compilation of essays and photographs)

To Smile in Autumn (1979) (autobiographical)

Voices in the Mirror (1990) (autobiographical)

The Sun Stalker (2003) (Biography on J.M.W. Turner)

A Hungry Heart (Nov. 1, 2005) (autobiographical)

Compilations of poetry and photography

Gordon Parks: A Poet and His Camera

Gordon Parks: Whispers of Intimate Things

Gordon Parks: In Love, Moments Without Proper Names

Arias of Silence

Glimpses Toward Infinity

Eyes With Winged Thoughts (released Nov. 1, 2005)

Films

Flavio ( 1961)

Diary of a Harlem Family (1964)

The World of Piri Thomas (1968)

The Learning Tree (1969)

Shaft (1971)

Shaft’s Big Score (1972) Director and Composer

The Super Cops (1974)

Leadbelly (1976)

Solomon Northup’s Odyssey (1984)

Music

Moments Without Proper Names (1987)

Martin (1989) (ballet about Martin Luther King)

Shaft’s Big Score

Ludacris Adds To Film Resume With ‘Heart Of The Game’

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg)Category: News

Ludacris has been

tapped to narrate an upcoming documentary titled Heart of the Game, which

features Joyce Walker (Paid in Full), Devon Crosby Helms, Maude Lepley,

Darnellia Russell and others.

Due in June, the

film tells the true story of the Seattle high school girls’ basketball team,

the Roosevelt Roughriders, and one player’s battle with trying to regain eligibility

to play.

Ludacris will also

appear in episodes of the NBC drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

in May.

At this year’s

Academy Awards, two films that Ludacris co-starred in, Crash and Hustle

& Flow, walked away with Oscars on Sunday (March 5).

"My stock

has definitely gone up," Ludacris told AllHipHop.com. "People can

get used to seeing me on the big screen more in the future [as I] continue to

choose projects that I feel will change people’s lives."

The Atlanta rapper

also applauded Three 6 Mafia for performing and winning Best Song for "It’s

Hard Out Here For A Pimp," a tune the group wrote and produced for Hustle

& Flow.

The trio was the

first rap group to perform at the awards.

"I witnessed

history and Juice [Three 6 Mafia’s Juicy J.] and [DJ] Paul performed and won

that award. I couldn’t have been more proud as it was a historical moment for

not only southern hip hop, but for hip hop as a whole. I feel like the Oscar’s

will never be the same."

In related news,

Ludacris will release his sixth studio album titled Release Therapy this

summer.

Biz Markie Releasing Limited Edition Beat Boxing Doll

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg)Category: News

Hip-Hop legend

Biz Markie is releasing a limited edition run of the Diabolical Biz Markie Beat-Boxing

Doll.

Biz Markie and

Extended Play have teamed up to create 1,000 hand-crafted Biz Markie action

dolls, which come complete with accessories and custom packaging.

The doll is outfitted

in a crisp mesh jersey, hand-tailored jeans and old school kicks (circa 1987).

Standing at nearly

2 feet tall, the Diabolical Biz Markie Doll comes with a three-finger "BIZ"

ring as seen on the "Just a Friend" 12" cover, the classic BIZ

hat and a detachable microphone that fits in either hand.

While the doll

is cast from a hard mold, the body is plush and when the belly is squeezed the

doll makes beat-boxing sounds.

The action figure

is also exclusively packaged in its own custom-made cereal box.

As the Ambassador

of Hip-Hop, Biz Markie first surfaced on the music scene in the early ’80s as

a pioneer of Beat Boxer & Emcee with DJ Marley Marl & the Legendary

Juice Crew All-Stars.

Biz’s humorous,

innovative and unorthodox approach has influenced generations and led Biz to

countless guest appearances with Hip-Hop’s biggest stars.

For more information,

including product details, photos and how to order the doll, visit www.bizmarkiedoll.com.

AHH Stray News: Reebok & Rappers, Bobby Brown, Russell Simmons, Ghostface

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg)Category: News

Rappers Nelly, Mike Jones, Lupe Fiasco, Daddy Yankee and others will launch their signature clothing lines at the “Rbk: Now Playing” invitation-only event in New York tonight (Mar. 8). Nelly will showcase his new Rbk sneaker collection, Derrty One, while Daddy Yankee will launch the Daddy Yankee collection. Mike Jones, Lupe Fiasco and Lil’ Wayne will promote Reebok’s new Rbk OG collection. The rappers have joined Reebok’s “I Am What I Am” global advertising campaign, which also includes 50 Cent, Jay-Z, Pharrell Williams and others. “Being part of Rbk gives me another outlet outside of music to express myself creatively,” said Nelly. “Artists today are the style leaders that youth look to emulate, and having my own signature sneaker collection lets me express myself in ways I can’t do through my music alone.”

R&B singer Bobby Brown was arrested for a motor vehicle violation in Massachusetts dating back 14 years. Brown, 37, was attending his daughter’s high-school cheerleading tournament when a Webster police officer conducted a warrant check, which revealed Brown was wanted on misdemeanor charges for unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and having an uninsured motor vehicle trailer. Police allowed Brown to drive to the police station after the cheerleading event. He was detained for an hour and released on $40 bond.

Russell Simmons and the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network (HSAN) have teamed with Chrysler Financial and Anheuser-Busch to launch the 2006 “Get Your Money Right” tour. The outing, which is meant to empower youth, will visit colleges across the country on March 25 at Wayne State University’s Bonstelle Theater in Detroit. According to Simmons, the tour will focus on financial literacy, banking, repairing and understanding credit report scores, asset and wealth management, vehicle financing and home ownership. The tour will be moderated by Dr. Benjamin Chavis and will feature various rappers, executives and financial experts. “Poverty and basic lack of knowledge must be challenged,” said Simmons. “‘Get Your Money Right’ is more than a theme. It is an achievable goal when you have the right information. We have high aspirations, but we know to fulfill the aspirations of the hip-hop generation, we have to take the subjects of financial literacy and empowerment seriously and talk with youth in a manner appealing to them.” For more information on the “Get Your Money Right” national tour, visit www.hsan.org.

Ghostface Killah has added a new track to his upcoming album, Fishscale. The rapper recently emerged from the recording studio with the new song, “Momma,” which features recently-signed Def Jam artist, Megan Rochell. Ghostface will also launch a nationwide tour to support the album, due March 28. The outing starts March 5, with 37 stops before winding down at New York’s Nokia Theatre on April 22.

Tour dates are listed below:

March 5 Millvale, Pa., Mr. Small’s Theatre

March 6 Cleveland, House of Blues

March 7 Detroit, St. Andrews Hall

March 8 St. Louis, Pops Nite Club

March 9 Indianapolis, The Vogue

March 10 Chicago, House of Blues

March 11 Des Moines, Iowa, House of Bricks

March 12 Minneapolis, First Avenue

March 13 Omaha, Maine, Sokol Underground

March 14 Lawrence, Kan., Granada

March 15 Boulder, Col., Fox Theatre & Café

March 16 Vail, Col., 8150 Café

March 17 Englewood, Col., Gothic Theater

March 18 Austin, Tex., Fader/Levi’s SXSW party

March 19 Boise, Idaho, Big Easy Concert House

March 20 Bend, Ore., The Domino Room at Midtown

March 21 Seattle, Showbox

March 22 Portland, Berbati’s Pan

March 24 San Francisco, Mezzanine

March 25 Santa Cruz, Calif., The Catalyst

March 26 San Diego, House of Blues

March 27 West Hollywood, Calif., House of Blues

March 28 Anaheim, Calif., House of Blues

March 29 Tempe, Ariz., The Clubhouse

March 31 Austin, Tex., Emo’s Alternative Lounging

April 1 Houston, Warehouse Live

April 6 Atlanta, Roxy Theatre

April 7 Carrboro, N.C., Cat’s Cradle

April 8 Asheville, N.C., The Orange Peel

April 9 Charlottesville, Va., Starr Hill Music Hall

April 11 Baltimore, Sonar Lounge

April 13 Boston, Paradise Rock Club

April 18 Providence, R.I., Lupo’s at The Strand

April 19 So. Burlington, Vt., Higher Ground

April 20 New Haven, Conn., Toad’s Place

April 21 Northampton, Mass., Pearl Street

April 22 New York, Nokia Theater

Reality Check

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg)Category: Reviews / Music

Artist: JuvenileTitle: Reality CheckRating: 3 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Sidik Fofana

Young boys in Middle America request fake gold teeth as stocking stuffers, “Magnolia” is no longer just a flower, and now there are several new and exciting similes to describe the movement of a female’s rear. It’s greatly in part thanks to Juvenile, former hood chairman and grilled mouth spokesperson of the Cash Money Millionaires. Most people, even the truant rascals in the home for the wayward, do not stay juvenile forever. Still here the man is, year after year of being in club, strip club, and backyard barbecue rotation, and still drumming. Maybe the rap name “Juvenile” is not as apt as the more descriptive “Rejuvenate”, because despite testy situations like being outcast from Cash Money, Juvenile is back with Reality Check (UTP/Atlantic).

In the very criminally tainted area of New Orleans that is home to the Magnolia Projects, Juvenile’s milestone 30 years of life can justifiably qualify him for the rocking chair. Still, as the wise are known to do, Juvenile approaches Reality Check with more than an arsenal of stories. From his former dispute with a certain Fireman that produced 500 Degreez of beef to his flesh heavy tribute to his deceased comrade Souljah Slim in the “Slow Motion” video, Juvy has strongly proved that he is a seasoned and savvy veteran.

There are a numbertracks that jump at you on his seventh, or so, full length. Last year’s “Rodeo” is a smooth Eddie Kendrick’s sample with a cool drum pattern similar to a New Orlean pimp’s relaxed heartbeat. Ludacris stops by the neighborhood on “Pop You” and “Holla Back” is an upbeat track that keeps the blood pumping steadily. Juvenile even poses some thoughtful queries for the average hustler on “Why Not” when he asks, “You hate jakes?/You just came home from a case?/ Can you make a name?/Will you be patient in the game?/Will you state your claim?/ And repetitions stay the same?” Overall the album has a very worthy combination of vocal presence and production that keeps it fresh. There’s a little something for the one night stands, for those aspiring dimestackers, and for people in need of a soundtrack their speedometer on the highway.

Besides dropping another strong album, Juvy has managed be a part of history by being one of the first artists to shoot a video (“Get Ya Hustle On”) in Louisiana’s Ninth Ward, post-Katrina. With the exception of unsuccessful lottery tickets like “Come Out Your Laundry”, this album will get a few good surfs in on the radio waves. It must be the Cajun carbohydrates because Juvenile is showing no signs of slowing down in the ’06.

SubTalk

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg)Category: Reviews / Music

Artist: SubCon (Sub-Conscious)Title: SubTalkRating: 3 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Henry Adaso

Let’s face it…it’s almost impossible for any artist who defies mainstream values to be accepted by the wider Hip-Hop audience (i.e. Little Brother). But New Yorker Sub-Conscious could care less about the mainstream audience. As SubCon’s sophomore album proves, his music is structured to speak to a specific audience in a specific language known as SubTalk (Eastern Conference).

SubCon jumpstarts his musical journey with the semi-autobiographical “Who Am I.” Relying on his conversational-style flow and unspoken humor, SubCon draws his listener into the hearts music, even unveiling the words to his first rap. His free-flowing rhyme structure is more evident on the poignant title track. Sub’s longtime friend DJ Eli whips up a thematic sonic that drives the track and adds replay value to it. And, when Sub said he’d “whisper a verse and keep attention like a screaming ambulance”, he lied. This former Bragging Writes champ has a brash delivery, and his flow is endearing and more ear-grabbing than a siren.

However, for every two replayable tracks, there’s a bland adventure that begs to be skipped immediately. Like the Breezly Brewin (of the Juggaknots) – featured “Bazerkowitz”, where Eli’s uninspiring production has only an insipid hook to rival for mediocrity. Thankfully, Sub revs the album forward by retreating into ol’school-steez on the electrifying “Is It Live.” The song relies on snappy kicks and urgent keys to produce a tune that will surely have heads nodding. Yet, another detour into bland production gives rise to the yawn-inducing “Ape S###.”

Sub puts things back in perspective on the blissful “Gaintaining” reminding us of the essence of Hip-Hop: heartfelt beats and gut-wrenching rhymes. With an identity that’s all his, and a style that oozes unheralded lyricism, SubCon has crafted an album that’s sure to leave an indelible impression in the minds of true-school Hip-Hop fans.

Security Screenings

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg)Category: Reviews / Music

Artist: Prefuse 73Title: Security ScreeningsRating: 3 StarsReviewed by: Dustin Glick

Prefuse 73 (Scott Herren) has made a name for himself as a producer of challenging experimental beats. His versatile style lends itself to everything from straight up hip-hop to abstract broken beat. On his latest album, Security Screenings (Warp Records), Prefuse returns with some more of the latter.

While his last release, Surrounded by Silence, featured rappers like Aesop Rock and Ghostface, Prefuse’s new project doesn’t have quite as much to offer on the hip-hop side. While it may be appreciated by fans of avant-garde beats, average hip-hop heads beware – Security Screenings is chock-full of beeps and clicks. That said, the album is a short and sweet 40 minutes of the exact kind of experimental electronic noodling Warp Records is known for.

Prefuse showcases his studio prowess throughout the album, creating virtual symphonies of synthetic sounds. On “No Origin” he mixes and mutilates jazzy horn samples. On “One Stars And Three Stripes” he creates a beat factory, with thundering drums and mechanical whirs standing in for pounding pistons and conveyor belts.

Security Screenings does feature two guest appearances, with Four Tet appearing on “Creating Cyclical Headaches,” and T.V. on the Radio’s Babatunda Adebimpe providing vocals for “We Leave You In A Cloud Of Thick Smoke And Sleep.” Unfortunately, considering the talent involved, both tracks are a bit disappointing.

Overall, Security Screenings is a solid effort, although nothing spectacular. Prefuse contends that the album “is not a follow up to Surrounded by Silence, but merely a transition between the last album and what’s to come,” adding that his next album will be something completely different. If that’s the case, Security Screenings</i? provides a tasty snack for Prefuse fans to chew on until his next offering.

Poor People’s Day

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg)Category: Reviews / Music

Artist: Bigg JusTitle: Poor People’s DayRating: 3 StarsReviewed by: Angus Crawford

Those familiar with Bigg Jus, formerly of Company Flow, will not be surprised by the title of his latest album, Poor People’s Day (Mush). However, new listeners will find the title a bit misleading, because the politically charged lyrics expected are too few and far between the scientific non sequiturs.

At his best, Bigg Jus evokes thoughts of Chuck D, albeit with a touch of Kool Keith, when he spits, “We want self-reliance and equitable consideration/We don’t need no IMF structure adjustment” on the inspired “This Is Poor People’s Day”. When Jus remains political, DJ GMan’s static and thumpin’ beats provide a nice backdrop for Jus on songs like “Supa N####” and the thought provoking “When They Start…1997 Uptop Sh*t”. Unfortunately he often veers from the social and political rhymes and DJ GMan’s production is wasted behind the disjointed lyrics.

Though many lines sound like rambling, luckily the CD comes packaged with lyrics for most of the songs. On “Halogen Lanterns” Jus mysteriously rhymes, “Hallucinating with visions of caterpillars chewing away at the neurovascular veins in your limbs”, which should leave most listeners confused.

Like most underground artists, Bigg Jus has carved his niche and his hardcore fans will enjoy every song on Poor People’s Day. Others should make sure they read along when listening.

Pioneering Photographer Gordon Parks Dies At The Age 93

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg)Category: News

Pioneering poet, photographer and filmmaker Gordon Parks died yesterday (March 7) at the age of 93.

Parks rose from poverty and went on to become the first black person to work at Vogue and Life magazines.

In 1969, he became the first black person to write, direct and score a major Hollywood film, The Learning Tree.

Parks also directed the 1971 hit movie Shaft, which helped usher in the “blaxploitation” film genre and has been sampled by numerous rappers.

Chicago MC Common, an avid fan of Parks, used one of his images for the cover of his 2000 album, Like Water for Chocolate.

Born in Kansas, Parks discovered his passion for photography in 1937 in Chicago, after seeing newsreel footage of the USS Panay being sunk by Japanese forces.

As a photographer for Life from 1948 to 1968, Parks covered various social issues and in his later years at the age of 85, he recreated Art Kane’s famous 1958 photograph, “A Great Day in Harlem,” which featured 57 legendary jazz artists.

In 1998, he gathered almost 300 of the most influential rappers to create “A Great Day in Hip-Hop,” which was used on the cover of XXL magazine.

Parks donated 227 pieces of his work to the Corcoran Gallery of Art in 1998.

MAGIC Fashion and Apparel Trade Show: February 2006

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg)Category: Alternatives

Twice a year, Las Vegas plays host to The MAGIC Fashion and Apparel Trade show, a four-day extravaganza where designers and manufacturers present next season’s collections to buyers, retailers, and press. Established in 1933 in Palm Springs, MAGIC was originally dubbed the “Men’s Apparel Guild in California”, and has evolved over the years into a buyers’ market showcasing apparel for men, women, children, and everything in between. The convention was moved to Las Vegas in 1989, and now attracts over 100,000 people from all over the world.

For the week of February 21-24 2006, the Las Vegas Convention Center was transformed into a labyrinth of booths filled with the hottest Spring and Fall fashions, and AllHipHop.com Alternatives was on hand to take in the scene.

The certified place to be is the convention center’s South Hall, Hip-Hop’s MAGIC home. Fashion enterprises such Phat Farm and Rocawear share space with independent lines such as Chilly-O and BUTTA. It’s pretty common to bump into celebrities at the South Hall – Paul Wall showed off his icy grill at the Miskeen booth; Russell Simmons made sure the Phat Farm booth was running smoothly; while other stars like Blink 182’s Travis Barker, DJ Kid Capri and crooner Akon were milling about.

At Nelly’s Apple Bottoms booth, the curvaceous finalists for his Miss Apple Bottoms 2006 from Atlanta, Houston, Oklahoma City, Cleveland and other major cities enticed a large crowd. In addition to the walking Apple Bottoms displays, Nelly premiered his children’s line and teased us with plans for a lingerie and accessory line later this year.

Los Angeles-based Joker Brand Clothing had an undeniable presence with their custom turquoise low-rider as the focal point of their booth. Joker Brand C.E.O. and esteemed photographer Estevan Oriol (a.k.a. Mr. Scandalos) and famed tattoo artist Mr. Cartoon were on hand promoting the newest pieces of their popular streetwear line. They are celebrating 11 years of authentic Latin West Coast Hip-Hop flavor, inspired by the low riders, graffiti and skate crews of their upbringing. New hat designs, plaid shirts, and a women’s t-shirt line are on the horizon as Joker Brand expands.

Around the corner, the multi-talented artists Chico and Maverick of Philadelphia-based Miskeen Originals demonstrated their skills. The creative company outfits many major stars, including boxer Bernard Hopkins, Bun-B, Snoop Dogg, Tony Touch and Alicia Keys. Each Miskeen piece a unique work of art. Adding to their Hip-Hop flair, colorful designs with Egyptian and Asian flavors are in the works for Spring. “We always want to challenge the customer,” explains owner Yaniv Zaken. “It can look unique, it can look crazy, and that’s what we are doing – trying to keep it fresh and taking inspiration from different collections.”

Independent t-shirt designer Chilly-O also debuted some of his new Spring and Fall looks. He explained to AHHA what the brand has come to represent. “Chilly-O is mature street fashion. We’re going after the people who still remember Hip-Hop, people 21 to 35, people who want to clean it up and bring class back to the hood.” Though based in Atlanta, Chilly-O is taking his fresh tees with sayings like “Pay Attention Before It’s Too Late” or “True Legend City to City” to create a buzz in New York, New Jersey, the West Coast and Texas. He is also experimenting with pastels, earth tones, and bright colors for the spring to “bring back some happiness and some hope.”

Streetwear isn’t only for the fellas, as Dickie’s Girl unleashed its plans for the Spring and Fall. They are sticking to their tried and true formula of basic pants, shorts and t-shirts, but are using more French terry and velour, introducing more fashion-driven products into their collection. Six new collections will expand upon their existing zip-up dresses and mini-skirts, highlighting bright colors for the females.

Ecko Branded and Ecko Red flaunted their Fall footwear, meshing the popular metallic trend into their men’s and women’s lines. Men can look forward to a classic white sneaker with silver or gold stitching and lots of croc-style treatments and accents. They utilize four different types of leather and feature “rhino skin,” the material from the classic Jordan 3 sneaker, in white, red, black, or grey. Metallics also cross over into the women’s designs in high-top sneaks, grafittied flip-flops and mesh mary janes. Ecko Red is also expanding upon their popular high-heeled nubuck boots with big plans for camouflage styles in Fall 2006.

What good is a fly outfit without accessories? Baby Phat is taking care of the details with Kimora Lee Simmons’ new watch and jewelry line for Spring. Chains are “in” – whether it’s a chain link watch band, or a multipurpose chain with a watch charm that can be wrapped around the wrist, neck or even waist. The “Ice Kitty” is a best seller with Austrian crystal on both the bezel and the face. Baby Phat is introducing Asian themes into its watch designs with Chinese dragons and Japanese flowers. Robin K. of Simmons Jewelry Co. asserted, “It’s first about fashion, then about the time.”

For those with a fashion-conscience, BUTTA (Bringing U The Treasures of Africa) is the first and only urban apparel line to source all of their finished garments and accessories from Sub-Sahara Africa. The independent company from Inglewood, CA uses 100% organic cotton, hemp and bamboo for their collection of comfortable men’s and women’s loungewear, t-shirts, beaters and fleece hoodies. President and CEO, Dr. Bill Releford explained, “By manufacturing in Africa, we create jobs and give the world a glimpse of the Africa nobody knows. There is a world out there that is truly hidden from us.” Their products are manufactured in Ghana, Uganda, Ethiopia, and Kenya among eight other African countries and help support the economies of our brothers and sisters across the Atlantic.

MAGIC is about working hard and playing hard – after all, it is Sin City, and the convention is infamous for its all-night party lifestyle. AllHipHop.com Alternatives met up with the Awesome 2, Special K and Teddy Ted, as they kicked off the week with a lush suite party at the Wynn Hotel, with Hypnotiq providing the spirits. In the Wynn’s luxurious Villa Suites, Andre Harrell, Young Jeezy, and Fabulous stopped by the exclusive showing of Origami’s Fall 2006 collection along with Harrell’s own line.

Rev. Run and Flavor Flav (sans Hoopz or New York) joined in the celebration with Phat Farm at the Hardwood Suite at the Palms Hotel. Meanwhile, at the other end of the strip, Oscar nominee Terrance Howard was on top of his spokesman duties as he introduced 310 Motoring’s latest footwear designs at the Wynn Hotel’s Lure lounge.

Luke Campbell: Drop a Bomb

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg)Category: Features

Over the past 20 years, Luther “Uncle Luke” Campbell has been no stranger to making mouths drop. But whether in shock or awe, the fact that the father to both the Southern Bass sound and the sexual music video movement, has fought his way for and in an industry that in his opinion doesn’t appreciate his contributions is undeniable. From going up against the Supreme Court to discuss freedom of speech and imagery, to turning Miami to the most hottest cities on the planet; Luke has done it all in the name of his love for Hip-Hop. But despite his battles, many have criticized Luke as not as a pioneer in the craft, but more as a destructive force on the game who’s raunchy videos have led to the less creative counterpart of Hip-Hop that we see today.

Despite his raunchier public persona, this West Indian born father of three has a softer side. Although over the years he has been painted as a womanizer and the king of video hoes, the real personal side of Luke is far from it. While he has been seen publicly with an entourage of women, it wasn’t until 2000 that Luke had his first girlfriend. The relationship which lasted a little over a year ended in heart break for the live emcee, although dealing with the issue for the first time Luke states it hasn’t deterred him from pursuing a relationship again.

With so much that is unknown about the Miami bred party emcee, Luke has decided to top off his two and a half decades in the game with the release of his long awaited audio book Uncle Luke – My Life & Freaky Times, the three-disc box set contains two tell-all audio books which will not only chronicle Luke’s freakiest escapades and nastiest tales from the notorious rapper’s life, but also will allow you to know who he is and he came to be known as the freakiest man in the industry. AllHipHop.com got a chance to sit down with Miami’s main man in charge and find out why he’s so under appreciated and where he intends to go from here.

AllHipHop.com: Although a lot of people think that your audio book is being released due to the enormous success of Karrine “Super Head” Steffans’ book, Confessions of a Video Vixen, you have actually been planning this book for a while, why did you decide to release your tell all book now?

Luke: Honestly, I don’t know my book and her book are even in the same category, this book deals with more than just freaky stories with my girls and celebrities, that’s just a small part. The basis of the book is about me and my life. It talks about how I started in Hip-Hop and my career; it is just full of stories and things that have taken place in my life. The difference between she and I is that she wrote her book in anger, I am not angry at anyone.

AllHipHop.com: What about the celebrity stories, you are dishing dirt on everyone from Sisqo to Aaron Hall; why did you choose to include these celebrity romps in your book?

Luke: People are always coming up and asking me what happened at this party and that party, but when I tell theses stories, I am not telling it to get back at a celebrity or anything. The stories I am telling, like with Aaron Hall and Gloria Velez, is just to talk about how far people will go to prove a point in this industry. Yeah Gloria [Velez] may get mad, but it’s a part of my life. Overall, I don’t want the few celebrity stories to outweigh the fact that the book is about my life, and how I became a part of 2 Live Crew, and ultimately to where I am today. There is so much that people don’t know about me or have even cared to ask and that is what I am trying to show people who I am.

AllHipHop.com: After all of the contributions you have made to the industry, such as going up against the Supreme Court but also bringing Hip-Hop to Miami which was initially looked at as retirement hotspot; why do you think that you are still continuing to be overlooked when people think of pioneers in the game?

Luke: What I am mad at is the journalist and stations that do these Hip-Hop tributes and conveniently forget to add the 2 Live Crew. It’s like everyone wants to forget what we did, and how we paved the way, actually fought for videos and artists to sound and look like they do. Even if the stations and magazines want to overlook me, these so called Hip-Hop journalists should step up and say something about what 2 Live Crew and I have done for this industry.

AllHipHop.com: Do you feel that the raunchy persona you appear to have has anything to do with the way you are snub by networks and during tributes?

Luke: I do, but I didn’t set out for me to appear they way I do to people. This is so far from the way that 2 Live Crew and I intended it to go. When we started, we were very in to the comedy that Redd Foxx was doing, and we thought it would be funny to incorporate that into music and Rap, next thing you know we are being called lewd and disgusting, when we thought that what were doing was funny. We were called it so much that we were like, “If people are going to boycott us and talk about us and we aren’t doing anything wrong, let’s get lewd and crude and give them something to talk about”. But honestly, I blame the media for turning my name and 2 Live Crew into what it is known as now. But regardless of how you feel about what I do, you still shouldn’t deny me or my contributions to this industry. Every one and their mommas are claiming to love Hip-Hop, those are the ones who should step up and say something, if you really care about the roots of this music.

AllHipHop.com: Seeing countless emcees given awards and continuously being overlooked by panels, as well by some not even being considered a part of Hip-Hop, how do you handle it?

Luke: Honestly, I’m hurt and I can’t lie. I get angry because I am human. But the way I have been treated over the past 20 years has played a major role in why I am no longer going to make music. After this album that I am releasing with this book, I am done with music and I am going to be launching my own adult magazine and entertainment business. I am going there, because over there, they don’t care about who you know or what label you are signed to. There are so many things that I have done that I receive no credit for, it’s ridiculous. All people want to do is label me as the womanizer or being crude, what about the fact that I was the first Black label owner in the South to put out and develop only Southern artists? Or the fact that a lot of the artists from the South that are getting all of this recognition worked with me in one way or another. I worked with Lil’ Jon, I knew him when he was over at So So Def spinning Bass music and creating Crunk while people were treating him like a stepchild. I developed Pitbull, Trick Daddy, the list goes on and on. But no one wants to speak on that.

AllHipHop.com: Let’s speak a little on your personal life, in your book you reveal that your first sexual experience was with two women at once. Do you think that experience desensitized you to sex?

Luke: Yeah, I do. I mean, I was like 13 or 14 years old and while they were getting it on I was in the corner laughing. [laughs] But it taught me as I got older, that women won’t deal with someone who they think will run around telling what they do in the bed room. In high school, I was always the guy who no one ever suspected of having women because I never talked about it.

AllHipHop.com: A lot of people know you are from Miami, but few know that you are of West Indian descent; did your background play a lot in the creation of the Bass sound?

Luke: It did. It played a major part in the creation of Bass. Back when I was a DJ, I was the only one spinning Hip-Hop and Reggae in the clubs in Miami. But my mother is from Nassau, and my father being from Jamaica, definitely played a role in the way I used bass to create music, if you listen to it, Miami Bass sounds a lot like music from the West Indies, but with our own Miami spin on it. That’s what I set out to do when I do anything; I always strive to be the first when I do anything. Never a follower always a leader, that’s just who I am.

AllHipHop.com: On another note, we all know about Luke the Entertainer; what about Luke the father? Having two daughters and working with nothing but overtly sexual women how does that work out?

Luke: My daughters are 15 and 18, and they know who I am. They don’t live with me, and it’s really good for them that they don’t, because they would be under the strictest curfew. But I think that the biggest misconception about me is that I hate women. I don’t hate women, I love women and I have nothing but the utmost respect for them. When I am calling a woman a hoe or a b*tch, I am not talking about the woman who is working and taking care of her family and husband; I am talking about the one who is trying so hard to get backstage that she is willing to sleep with everybody. I mean I didn’t have a girlfriend until six years ago by choice, because I never wanted to lie to a woman. So no, I don’t hate women. The girls that work with me, all I do is pay them to dance at the parties. If they are out getting money on the side, that’s their choice. I am not paying them to sleep with anyone, nor am I pimping them and taking their money. But no one cares about the truth. All they care about is sex and dissing Luke. I know one day, someone will recognize what I have done and it will be celebrated; I just hope I am not dead when it happens.

Scoundrels: Dirty Rotten

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg)Category: Features

Atlanta is typically known as the hot-bed for music coming out of the South, but Columbus Ga. has something to say about that. The Scoundrels, comprised of Big Bo, Christyles, Cutta, and Mr. Malt, are the team that can best be described as society’s villains creating an undesirable variation from the standard. With their Pastor Troy-assisted, “Ghetto” creeping on various charts, their debut album, “4-ever Gullie awaits.

Big Bo and Cutta enjoyed moderate success as a part of the now defunct Backwood Boys watching their single, “Down Here” appear on the prestigious Billboard charts. However, the Scoundrels promise to repeat that success, if they have anything to say about it. Georgia expands its Hip-Hop as AllHipHop.com spoke to Columbus’ promised stars-in-the-making.

AllHipHop.com: It sounds like you guys have something hot going on down in Columbus. In particular, I like the way Mr. Malt flipped his verse on the song, “Alright.” How did you develop your rhyme style?

Mr. Malt: It’s just that old school pimpin’, know what I mean? Like riding in the car listening to Al Green, and I just put it in my rhymes, and ride it like a Cadillac.

AllHipHop.com: Everyone in the group sounds completely different, is it hard to keep your individuality in a group?

Mr. Malt: Naw, it actually makes it easier when everybody does them.

AllHipHop.com: How does the music scene in Columbus differ from other parts of Georgia, like Atlanta?

Mr. Malt: It’s all the same. Everybody just has a little different way of expressing himself or herself. Everybody pretty much talks about the same thing in the rap game, but everyplace and person has their own way of expressing themselves with different slang and mottos and having different names for different things like gats and AK’s and things like that.

AllHipHop.com: Who’s on it, as far as production?

Cutta: Jazzy Pha, El-Rock Craig Love, Avery Johnson, Taj Mahal, we got a handful of names on there.

AllHipHop.com: I hear a lot of style variations in your music, where one song may have a little Nappy Roots feel to it another may have a little Cee-Lo, is it just that Southern connection?

Cutta: I think what it is, is we listened to a lot of people coming up and that Southern flavor is gonna be in us naturally. But we have a sound that allows us to go into different areas. What we do is just try to bring it all to the table be it Cee-Lo, Nappy Roots or whoever, and just spread it all around the album.

AllHipHop.com: You’ve got “Ghetto” with Pastor Troy along with many other collabos, how did these come about?

Cutta: Pretty much, just working out of the same studios with different folks, or having sessions at the same time as [well as] saying, “Y’all wanna hook up and do something together?” [then making] it happen. A lot of ‘em was also thru mutual friends.

AllHipHop.com: You guys have only been a group since 2002, but you had ties long before that correct?

Cutta: Me and Bo grew up together, but we never knew Malt and Chris till we started the group, ‘cause we was in Atlanta, and they was in Columbus. At the time and it was like the CEO was like I got a situation with the Scoundrels and when we met each other and found out they we’re [all] from Columbus, we we’re like, “Damn, we from Columbus too, and it was just funny that we had never met living there at the same time.”

AllHipHop.com: One might determine by some of your lyrics that you guys are somewhat “bad boys” if you will, would that be a safe assumption?

Big Bo: You can call us whatever you want, we’re just ladies men. We love the ladies.

AllHipHop.com: You can’t say your ladies men if in your songs you say you’re not trying to pay no bills.

Big Bo: That’s not speaking to those strong independent women like yourself, you know if we develop a friendship, we’ll hook you up a bill or two. [laughs]

AllHipHop.com: Although you’re still pretty early in your career, you’ve already had to deal with the drama of so-called friends on your fast track to stardom, how do you handle those types of situations and maintain your circle of friends once things really start to blow?

Mr. Malt: It’s hard, but if you have a goal, you gotta put everything else to the side. Of course, there are those around who hate but you just gotta keep God first and keep it movin’.

AllHipHop.com: What are some of the biggest obstacles you guys face being a new group coming out of the South?

Christyles: Coming from Columbus, it’s like we’re gonna be the first rap artist to make it out of here. Columbus has different laws for singers and stuff, but rap artists it’s kinda hard to get accepted. So we gotta keep pushin’ and meet them in the middle.

AllHipHop.com: Where did the name come from?

Cutta: A scoundrel is like a low down dirty person, who has [their] back up against the wall, and nowhere to go. It’s a plot we saying we’re coming from nowhere and we’re gonna take it to the top, and when we get there, we’re gonna show and prove and let everybody know we earned our respect.

AllHipHop.com: How important are your lyrics to you?

Big Bo: Basically, not too important, because we’re saying what we feel, what we’ve done and what we’ve seen, so if people don’t understand it, they just gonna have to deal with it. Hopefully, we’ll have something on their album that they will understand because we’re not just trying to reach one section of people, that’s why the album is so versatile.

Young MC Files Lawsuit Seeking Royalties

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg)Category: News

Rapper Young MC filed

a lawsuit against Varry White Music in Los Angeles Federal Court, alleging that

the publishing company failed to pay royalties for two hit songs the rapper wrote

for Tone Loc.

Young MC, born

Marvin Young, is best known for the 1989 hit "Bust A Move," released

on Delicious Vinyl. The song earned a Grammy Award for Best Rap Record.

The rapper, who

holds a degree in economics, also co-wrote "Wild Thing" and "Funky

Cold Medina." Varry White Music administers songs by Young MC and Tone

Loc, and various works from Delicious Vinyl’s catalog.

Young authored

the songs while under contract with the company. According to the original agreement

made in 1988, Young assigned the copyrights to Varry White Music for $500 to

collect royalties on his behalf.

The rapper claims

Varry White Music has failed to provide an accurate account of the records’

royalties, which have been included in various films and commercials.

Young also contends

that Varry White refused to open their books during an independent attempt to

audit the company earlier this year.

He is seeking unspecified

punitive and compensatory damages.

Young MC Vs Varry

White Music: Page

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Smokey Fontaine Steps Down As Editor-In-Chief Of America Magazine, Heads To Giant

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg)Category: News

Smokey Fontaine

stepped down as editor-in-chief of America magazine to fill the editor-in-chief

position of mens bi-monthly, Giant magazine.

America,

billed as the first-ever high-end Hip-Hop publication, was established in 2004

by Smokey Fontaine, an accomplished author and former editor at The Source.

The upscale quarterly

was intent on capitalizing on Hip-Hop’s lavish terrain and was immediately considered

"the world’s first urban luxury publication."

"I’m so proud to have fulfilled the dream of America. [It] competed

creatively with some of the finest magazines in the world," Fontaine told

AllHipHop.com. "Working with entertainment’s biggest artists was a real

privilege, because like Vanity Fair does for the wealthy elite, America showed

Hip-Hop at its best."

The New-York based magazine was an oversized publication, platinum-leafed and

extremely glossy, an attraction to those in the music industry.

Mariah Carey, 50 Cent, Usher, Kanye West, Lenny Kravitz, Pharrell Williams,

Alicia Keys, R. Kelly and Sean "Diddy" Combs have all graced the cover.

America also covered actors, lifestyles, fashion, technology and other facets

for readers who "lust for the finer things in life."

Damon Dash, a former partner in Roc-A-Fella Records, bought into America

and Fontaine’s vision, but he and the journalist had a tumultuous relationship.

In September, police filed a report against Dash after he allegedly struck Fontaine

in a dispute about the magazine.

Now, Fontaine has

been hired as the new editor-in-chief of Giant, a mainstream publication

with a circulation of 300,000

"I appreciate all the overwhelming support shown to me over our six issues

and fifteen covers," Fontaine continued. "Now I move to Giant

and it’s time for the next big thing."

A veteran journalist, Fontaine has penned several books, including EARL:

The Autobiography of DMX. Dash, America’s co-CEO, was not available for

comment at press time.

T.I. Unveiling New Clothing Line, Album

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg)Category: News

Atlanta rapper T.I., the self-proclaimed King of the South, recently unveiled plans to launch a new unnamed clothing line.

“I’m working on my fashion line right now; we’re just looking for the appropriate distributor to team up with,” T.I. told AllHipHop.com.

“I’m stepping into another industry that I really don’t know much about. [So] I just keep doing what I do. I individualize [myself] from others but continue to give them what I think they may like to wear and what I would like to wear and just keep giving to my fan base.” 

Although the particulars have not been finalized, including the name of the line, T.I. assures that his collection will rank amongst those with a more grown-up appeal.

“My fashion would be considered upscale urban,” he says. “It will be [in] competition with Sean John and Ralph Lauren–the big boys.”

T.I.’s fourth album, King, is slated to hit stores March 28, three days before his film debut in ATL.

The album features appearances by UGK, Jamie Foxx, Young Jeezy, Young Buck, Pharrell Williams, and P$C, among others.