I often feel that Baltimore gets a bad rap. Sure, there is crime here, but if you don't travel in those types of circles you can pretty much lead a quiet existence (28+ years with only 1 misdemeanor on my jacket). I scour the paper and net daily looking for stories related to Baltimore (music related news for the most part) and every so often (nah...LOL! pretty much everyday unless they are talking about the new darling of Bawlmer "club music") I come across a personal account or memoir from a person that used to live here and ran like a BAT OUT OF HELL the first chance they got. Today's discovery was a real hoot. Girl friend...is P.O.'ed! * Hip Hop Club Destroys Neighborhood"I am not from Baltimore. I moved here in the late 80's. I moved here from a small, friendly New England town, to attend college here in Baltimore. If I had any idea what kind of racially tense area Baltimore was before I moved here, I never would have come here. I would'e gone to college elsewhere. I am now currently making plans to move elsewhere. Somewhere nice and safe, far away from angry violent black men and wild unruly hip hop clubs. Far away from crime-ridden Baltimore City and it's angry "Mob Town" mentality. I long for a nice community where I can live in peace, free from fear. I don't know where I will find it, but I can assure you, it's not here. There are insurmountable violent racial tensions and racial double standards here. Baltimore City is not a place you want to live in, especially if you are a European-American."* Funny thing is.....I live in this neighborhood and aside from the transsexual hookers that often take up residence in the vestibule of the house next to me, the $200 or $300 a year I give the city in parking ticket fines (meters are on a 8:00 AM whether I am awake or not), meth patients posting up on the front steps of buildings they obviously don't live, the occasional tree falling in the middle of the street (the city really needs to come and investigate why trees seem to fall on Charles Street every time we have a hard rain)...Oh yeah and the fact that every Friday and Saturday night my suspicion that Baltimore is the DL capitol of the world is confirmed....I think the neighborhood is pretty groovy. Its a real melting pot of cultures with ethnic restaurants, ecclectic boutiques, attractive brownstones and your occasional booster coming through selling deodorant, bootlegged mixtapes and Nam Champa incense. Where else can you get this much LIFE? This is why people choose to live in the city in the first place...the noise, the people, the culture, the concrete, the annoyances....the spirit..... * side note: What is the "mob town" mentality. I heard someone use that recently? *
I think the most poignant statement lady made was her last......
"Baltimore City is not a place you want to live in, especially if you are a European-American."
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That very well may be true. LOL! I can't argue with her. But as with everything else in life...PERCEPTION is a mutha. This city is what you make it. I've been cussed because I didn't give money to the stranger that identified them self as "homeless"...I've had my change put on the counter when I know that I handed them the moneyin their hand (this is so very disrespectful), I've been "stuck up" in broad daylight around the corner from my house (several years ago), I've been treated differently because people made assumptions about my ability to pay, converse intelligently or background.....and I still think this is a great place. Its just a place that you always have to be on point and you always have to walk around with the assumption that most people have mental problems. *
IMO, if you can make it here you can truly make it anywhere (I think probably more so than NYC). At least in NYC....the progressive thinkers out number the "drones" and people know that there is a BIG world out there. In B'more...people moan about driving from East Baltimore to West (yeah its that bad). * I wish I could meet this woman...let her know that its not Baltimore that has soured her opinion...she just ran across one to many N*s....LOL! Then again....perhaps she needs to move to Eastern Europe where maybe she'll feel safer. But that one sounds crazy to me. It looks like life in Eastern Europe is pretty gangsta too. I'd be scared as hell to live there!
* Baltimore Book FestivalThe 11th annual Baltimore Book Festival features over 200 authors, cooking demonstrations, children's writers, live music, food and over 75 exhibits and vendors. Includes Hill Harper from the CBS series "CSI: NY," actress and civil rights activist Ruby Dee, Kevin Clash (the voice behind the "Sesame Street" character Elmo), international best-seller Sebastian Junger and Black Playwright of the Year winner J. California Cooper. The Walters Art Museum will host many of the talks and readings advertised. The music stage will feature regional bands ranging from Afro-funk to blues to indie rock. The festival is held in Mount Vernon Square from on September 29, 30 and October 1, 2006, Friday 5-9 p.m., Saturday & Sunday 11 a.m.-7 p.m. This event is FREE. Visit www.baltimorebookfestival.com for more information. * TONIGHT.....
Sent to Kenya to save them from Baltimore's streets, kids blossom, then must deal with their school's unexpected closure and a return home in the documentary *
The Boys of Baraka (10 p.m.-11:30 p.m., MPT, Channels 22, 67) *
PLEASE DON'T MISS IT! Ammo is featured a little (in passing), but the story focuses primarily on the stories of Trey and Richard (and his brother)...two boys that I have met in person and like very much. Trey not only attends my al ma mater (St. Frances Academy - GO PANTHERS!!!), but he is also an aspiring rap artist. Matter of fact ...he is one of my MYSPACE friends. This story touched me so much that I'm sure it will move you too. Finally something ghood on TV!
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People haved called me the Baltimore Wendy Williams...LOL! That is comical if you really think about it. Just imagine if I took a page out of her book and really talked about all the "devilish ish" that goes down with the Hip Hop scene alone - MAN! Maybe my site hits would go up a lil...LOL! Controversy always sells (ask 50). But seriously...if you want to compare me to anyone and stroke my ego in a major way....compare to my idol, OPRAH. * * This season the Wire will tackle story lines that involve Baltimore City Public Schools. This meant that they had to find lots of child actors that could handle the job of conveying all of emotion, disappointment, confusion, joy, sorrow and regret experienced by youth coming of age in Baltimore. From what I've heard thus far....they've done a phenomenal job. Check out this story...... By Lynn Smith Los Angeles Times
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I really thought I was in the know, but maybe I'm wrong...... "Although it is very early in RMD's radio campaign for his upcoming album "Diamond In The Rough," Roc Monee has instantly been embraced by cities like Jacksonville, Baltimore, Little Rock, Shreveport, Philadelphia and Houston to name a few." * Who are these people? LOL! Why they name droppin like that! Out of the million or so cities they could have named...they say B'More. WOW! * What does that say about us?
A. We are doing it and people are taking notice
or
B. We are doing nothing and they can say our name because no one will ever check. mmmmmmmmmmmmmh! * * * *
A sneaker head's heaven ....just down Route 70! Check out this story.... " If the shoe fits, collect them" ...........& if you love Sneakers..... Sunday 9.17.06 ....you need to get you body down to SONAR! SNEAKER PIMPS IS COMIN! * FOR ALL MY MOVIE LOVERS: Hip Hop Task Force
Chicago Detective, Kahill Jones is faced with the toughest challenge of his career when he is summoned to Baltimore by the FBI to assist them on their infamous Hip Hop Task Force unit. His assignment, go undercover into a Hip Hop record company as a music producer, to find and identify a highly sought after crime lord that is rumored to frequent the label. *
During the assignment, Jones develops a close relationship with the CEO of the label Dajuan Manning. At the same time he falls in love with Manning's daughter only to discover that the criminal is someone closer then he was led to believe. This sudden twist in events begins to complicate his mission as these new found relationships are put into question. How do you betray a close friend and the woman you now love? Do you choose your badge or your heart?
Not sure about the officialness of this flick (I haven't heard anybody mention it), but I am curious as to how they portray Baltimore.
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Check out this profile of one of this month's Its Baltimore Baby! LIVE featured acts:
check me out on MYSPACE @ www.myspace.com/clove or www.myspace.com/itsbaltimorebaby
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The State Department has sent Native Deen on speaking/performing tours around the world because they're American Muslim rappers who give foreign audiences a valuable perspective on life in America. I think they're out of Chicago.
Eastern Europe is varying degrees of gangsta. The former Soviet Union and the former Yugoslavia are probably the hardest core countries of the region.