A Day in the Life of a Hip Hop Heroine

Recap: 8/28/08 NO GUTS NO GLORY

2008-08-30T14:08:00.004-04:00

For the full recap of Thurday's competition visit:

www.nogutsnogloryonline.com

BIG UPS to SUGA BEAR for hooking a sista up with the slick azz dress. I'm sure you can't tell from the pics, but the entire dress was made from T-shirts of all shades of purple (my favorite color). Now if that ain't HIP HOP - I dont know what iz. Also....it's style that's GREAT for the environment. Please support the local arts. Not only music, but fasion and culunary. I soak it all up. Live life to the fullest yall. I try to everyday of my life. There was definitely much more action in the place, but unfortunately....I didn't get as many pics as I would have liked this month. My picture man got a new job and was unable to get off for the night. So I was snapping pics when I could. If any one is interested in taking pics or being involved in the event in any way, please let me know. I do this all for the love of music and culture. If you feel the same....we should most def link up.

I have to say it again......I had so much fun this month!

Its crazy - Im only now realizing how much I missed this HIP HOP stuff!

Hope I see ya round downtown.

check me out on MYSPACE @ www.myspace.com/clove

Ima put up some new music real soon he he

NO GUTS NO GLORY 8/28/08 Featuring Ogun & SouthPaw Entertainment

2008-08-13T19:26:00.003-04:00

check me out on MYSPACE @ www.myspace.com/clove

LIVE FROM THE 5 (Fresh Fest II Audition - Part I)

2008-08-13T17:47:00.006-04:00

Reporting Live from the 5 (Oh wow....I need to do a show or Radio program under that name...LOL!)

Big Ups to Cee of Charm City Records for inviting me to officiate the Baltimore Fresh Fest Auditions this past Saturday. Part II of the audition process will be held THIS Saturday @ the 5 Seasons (with Special Performances from the 100 Grand Man, Los, KG, Tonio Mr 22.5, & introducing Moochie). Part I showcased several of Baltimore's up and coming superstars. Though their sets were short (5 Minutes or less - some wisely opted to perform less), you could see the real potential. Big Ups to all the acts that gave it a go......I hope to see a few of them at the next NO GUTS NO GLORY: THE ULTIMATE SKILLZ CHALLENGE. Special shout out to Young Sac....this guy is everywhere. Check out the site for a video clip of him in action at the last No Guts competition.

Woods

Savage

Jimmy Bean
Young Sac

check me out on MYSPACE @ www.myspace.com/clove

1st Annual Increase The Peace Celebrity Basketball Game (SAMOS vs KAOS)

2008-08-06T21:57:00.015-04:00

As a proud Saint Frances Academy graduate (Go PANTHERS Go!)....I take pride in writing today's post. This past Sunday I had the distinct pleasure of attending Samos and Chaos Clothing Line's 1st Annual Increase the Peace Celebrity Basketball Game held at the Saint Frances Academy athletic complex. ooooh that gives me goosebumps

Shout out to Fred of Samos
(Congrats on another successful event!!)

We didn't have a gym when I was a student. We would hold actual gym classes wherever (the teachers were creative). The guys teams (JV and Varsity) practiced at Madison Rec (or "The dome") if I am not mistaken and we (the girls team) practiced in the small gym of a now closed Catholic Middle school that was on the corner of Loch Raven Blvd and Woodbourne Ave. Those were the days..... Our girls team were Catholic champs (and probably a few other division) every year I was enrolled at SFA (Shout out to Coach Shelton, Kortni and Kristi, Jakia, Melba, Tee Tee, Tammy....and everyone else on on the team with whom I was cool) and our boys were no slouches either - despite our humble 3 story 18th century East Baltimore school building - with no HOME gym to speak of. Now we have a mansion (so to speak). I loved it. I know Im gushing. We were and will no doubt for along time coming be one of the best schools in AMERICA - though Saint Frances may not get the recognition. What other school can boast SFA's stats? - consistently - Best boys and girls Basketball teams and a 95% graduation rate and 85% of their graduates go to college..(this list is in no way all inclusive...so for the sake of time...) ....and what population do they pull from.....& where is it located....in front of the Baltimore City jail or Grey Stone University as it was always referred to when I was around....it nothing short of God's work. I love Oblates. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Saint Frances has come a long way baby. I haven't been inside the school (or on the grounds) in many years now. I actually felt kinda nostalgic walking the path from the front entrance on Chase Street around back (Forrest) to get to the gym entrance. They've added a beautiful mural to the wall.....that surely was not there when I was a student.

When I heard about the game, I didn't quite know what to expect. I went assuming that St. Frances (the school) was affiliated with the event. I was hoping that I'd get to see one of the nuns I remembered from my time there, but I did not. I didn't stay down in the dumps forever tho.....man oh man....there was plenty of eye candy in attendance (for the guys and the girls) to lift me up. One piece in particular........It was so nice to run into Mark Karcher.

When I was in school he was on most ladies "Top 10" list...he was super star! (to the 3rd power). Yall all know that one girl or guy - lol. He went on to play at Temple, then the NBA.....next he went off to play overseas and now it's full circle - he's the head coach at Saint Frances. I am very proud of him and all other SFA alum doing their thang. Big Ups to coach Wells who passed the torch on.....I saw coach Wells at the game too....even tho he didn't quite know who I was....LOL! I still love ya!

Another of my hooper pals that I knew would be in the building but wasn't....WHERE WERE YOU DEVIN aka Mr. Clemson aka Mr. Houston Rocket?

Look @ what I found in the trophy case - my man. Not in person, but always around in spirit....I see. This guy will probably go down in SFA history as the most loved athlete and most influential ub outting SFA basketball on the map.....& guess what...that's my homie.

Awwwwwww this is an awesome pic. SFA Basketball History - Past>Present>Future. My school is the BEST! Yes...once a SFA student - ALWAYS a SFA student.

Once inside....

DJ Dynasty holding down the ones and twos in between the pre games and throughout the finals.

Cee of Charm City Records out and about promoting his upcoming BALTIMORE FRESH FEST II

What would a basketball game be with out COMPETE (clothing that is.....)

Looks like they dressed D. Chase as well....me likey.

Who's that guy behind the desk? None other than the imfamous D. Chase .....whom I'd caught up with earlier in the eve.....check him out. Come to find out - he was the MC of the Main Event - now I'ma call him "Mr. Diversify". Look @ that million dollar smile. The girl behind me was like ooooh he so cute. LOL!

I was so glad to see that I was not the only Baltimore Hip Hop representer in the building. Big Ups to that ARAB .....Mr. Akbar to those that don't really know him like dat - SKARR AKBAR was up in dare.

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&........ just to show yall Ima good sport....I'll leave you with this one.....ha ha!

I know many people would not put their senior portrait out there like that....LOL! shucks I know its not the best "look", but it shows my evolution - Im all about evolution and growth. I didnt get to where I am today over night - like fine wine, I get better with time. Never be ashamed of your past - no matter how ugly it may be. Its the past. One can always re-invent themself. I would never ever wear my hair like that again in a million years (OMFG!) and you can't tell by the the pic above (its sepia), but my lipstick was 14k....LOL! now ya know you went to high school in the 90's if.........

Toodles yall~

C

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Video footage courtesy of digitalsports.com
(please note: Chaos is a Mens Clothing Boutique not a beauty salon)

check me out on MYSPACE @ www.myspace.com/clove

What's HAPPENING!!! State of Black Baltimore & Baltimore Fresh Fest II

2008-08-05T15:01:00.003-04:00

ALSO......I will be on the panel selecting 6 acts to perform at the Baltimore Fresh Fest II (click link for more information).

It's going down THIS SATURDAY 8/9/08 with doors opening at 6:00 PM

Please note: This is the 2nd Baltimore Fresh Fest organized and promoted by Charm City Records. This show is continuing the legacy of the BFF re-incarnated by Star Status Entertainment and Mr. Wilson.

Please some out and support E the Poet's Emcees efforts to open up the lines of communiation regarding issues that particularly affect Baltimore's Black/African American community. The first was an impressive display of concern (by Bobby Marvin) as evidenced by the over 60 people of varying ages and backgrounds that assembled to voice their concerns about the direction Baltimore and it's black residents, in particular, are going. I was asked to be part of the panel for next month's discussion on Senator Obama's presidential run. This should be an extremley informative discussion. I look forward to offering my perspective. I also expect a good deal of controvery to arise as well. If you pride yourself on being socially and politically conscious, have some time on the 7th and looking for something OFFICIAL to attend, come on out.

check me out on MYSPACE @ www.myspace.com/clove

The Ultimate

2008-07-30T08:14:00.006-04:00

Wassup yall,

I know its been a minute. In addition to all of the non-rap related projects I've taken on in the last almost year, I've developed the early stages of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. In an effort to slow the onslaught, I had to chill with all the typing. My bread is buttered (day job) by typing so unfortunately the moonlighting as a Baltimore Hip Hop beat reporter had to stop.

I may not be able to update you daily as was my previous modus operandi, but I promise when I do- it will be a good one - worth the wait.

Now- I'm doing real good. No pain - No tingling - No numbness - keep your fingers crossed. I hope you all have been progressing as well.

Since last we spoke:

I've ended my addiction to processed and commercially grown human hair. Ours is now a tenuos relationship. I am not criticizing my sistren who love their yakky 1B ...cause I am not above throwing on a sassy wig, but from now on - Ima natural gal ( I got that soul glow). Also, I lost around 25 pounds (the healthy way). If you are interested in walking with me on the weekends holla. I walk about 7 miles on Sunday mornings. Its a very scenic stroll....I usually stop through the Farmer's Market under the Jones Falls to get mint for my Mojitos. AND..... I've more than half way finished writing a book. Yeeaaaaaaaaaaaaah! Thank you to everyone that has acted as my sounding board and cheering section (most definitely - what up B-Fly!!) AAAAAAAAAAND I started this new Hip Hop game show I hope you've heard of by now called NO GUTS NO GLORY: The Ultimate Skillz Challenge

So much has happen since last we spoke.....I am not sure where I should begin. I think I'll simply begin on a high note. As we hit the midway point of summer....I find myself reminiscing about the earlier part of mine. I wish I could go back right now. I need another vacation already. May these pics bring you as much joy as taking them brought me. I'll be back to fill you in with everything else that's been happening, but for now ......Enjoy Paradise:

Beaches with almost white sand & clear aqua-green water.....

Dole Pinapples

Beautiful Mountains ranges

Can you guess where I am?
still can't?

Give up....

Hawaii doh doh....Aloha

I went to the beautiful island of Oahu.

This is the world famous Waikiki Beach (sunny side of the island)

So many movies were shot from these shores in addition being the location of numerous yearly world class surfing tournaments.

The surf was crazy! Hang 10, dude.

They have their own Rodeo Drive of sorts.....

It aint hard to tell why Hawaii is the playground of the rich and famous.....I mean they most certainly cater to them.....

...Dior.... Cartier....Fendi....Louis....

You know ya gurl couldnt even afford a designer keychain......

The one (& only) purchase I made in Honalulu (the capital, main tourist destination and hottest side of the island) and probably the best meal I had my entire time in Hawaii that I didn't prepare myself......LUNCH @ my old faithful favorite The Cheesecake Factory.

I dont know about you but I found these clouds to be magnificant.

One cannot visit Oahu and not visit the site of the Pearl Harbor Massacre. The museam was beautiful. We were shown a short film about the day the Japenese launched a surprise attack against the United States' naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii by the Japanese navy, on the morning of Sunday, December 7, 1941, resulting in the United States becoming involved in World War II. We were then taken by boat out to the actual site of the memorial.

The shrine was very moving.

The oil/fuel from the engine room still periodically rises to the surface - tres bizarre. The ship is the finally resting place for over 1000 servie men who lie entombed. The Arizona was the only ship the goverment left in place. I heard George Bush wants to m ake it a National Monument like the National Parks or monuments in DC - I can support that.

I wouldn't be me if I didnt get a picture with a man in uniform....its so much like me that my picture featured 3 of them. They sure look like they wanted to be in the picture....lol. In their defense (and mine) the first one was too dark. This was a re-do.

Now that I look at my pics....looks like I picked the youngest enlisted soldiers in the whole US military. They were great sports!

God Bless the Troops! Bring them all home soon.

More beautiful beaches..... EVERYWHERE

On my last day on the island, I ran around a snapped up a few more shots. I wanted to soak up as much of it as I could. Who knows the next time I'll be back in this neck of the woods. Below are some of a botanical garden I visited as well as some more of the beautiful coast line. I loved it ALL. The older I get the more I am really diggin nature. I love being out in the grass under the trees with the birds chirping all around me. This place and its view of the majestic mountainesque scenary were one of the best part of my entire trip.

Look at those clouds....I love it.

Did you know that cashews are not really nuts?

Water water every where & ya know a water baby like me was in Ecstasy.

Although I didnt get a chance to partake....Hawaii has an extensive Mass Transit system. You can take a bus around the whole island for like 3 bucks- niiiiiiiice. I had the previledge of pushing a brand new midnight blue beemer around for my 10 days in paradise. I loved that car - Im getting one!

Turtle Bay is home to some of the most prestigious golf tournaments. Tiger Tiger Woods Yall!

The houses in the area where I stayed are all built into the mountains. You are literally living on a cliff. Depite the apparent danger, I could get use to the breathtaking views of mountains and clear water. There was very little direct sunlight - I enjoyed the constant 75 degree weather. I could see the small island the local's call "China Man's Hat" from my house's veranda....& on my last day I drove out as close to it I could get by land. It was well worth the drive. Found a nice young couple to snap this shot for me. It is my favorite. I says "I WAS HERE". This beautiful beach is not a tourist destination, but it is no less gorgeous.

Not sure if it goes back to my days as a Catholic School girl, but I am always fascinated by renditions of Madonna and Child. This one was very nice -Polynesian style. Special Shout out to Mt. Carmel Catholic Church.

And while I loved all of that (traveling is my JUMP OFF - you buy clothes, I buy airline tickets)......I am very much a BMORE BABY! at heart - all day every day. I am so glad to be back on the mainland. We take so many things for granted here. After one of my solo vacations (I could write a whole book on the pros and cons of traveling dolo), I always return understanding the importance of friends, feeling rejuvenated and hopeful about what I can accomplish if I put my mind to it. It is only when you start to REALLY see the world that you begin the recognize the endless potential all around you.

Check me out on MYSPACE @ www.myspace.com/clove

How do I explain.........

2008-07-30T01:09:00.004-04:00

Finding something very REAL in both:

some times I feel like a nut............

sometimes I just don't

Holla black........

check me out on MYSPACE @ www.myspace.com/clove

Today is a GOOD day..........

2007-12-21T14:04:00.000-05:00

City anticrime march draws unlikely recruit
Beanie Sigel joins Cosby, Qayyum in N. Phila. event

By DAMON C. WILLIAMS
Philadelphia Daily News

williadc@phillynews.com 215-854-5924

Philadelphia's two crowned kings of peace - actor and philanthropist Bill Cosby and Bilal Qayyum, co-chair of Men United for a Better Philadelphia - were joined yesterday by a most unlikely recruit: rapper Beanie Sigel.

Yes, there was Sigel, walking arm-in-arm with Qayyum and Cosby down Susquehanna Avenue as they led a spirited march through some of the most crime-infested blocks in North Philadelphia, all trumpeting the universal call to end violence in the city.

"Here is a young man from the streets who came back to the streets as a man," Cosby said, nodding towards Sigel. "This is what we want from our young boys, to go from boys to men."

Sigel, trailed by a swelling group of adoring fans, said he has lived on both sides of the fence, and believes that the youth may not get the message if it's coming from teachers and other authority figures.

"I come from these things, the streets," Sigel told the crowd gathered in the yard at M. Hall Stanton School, on 16th Street near Huntingdon. "I'm at a time in my life where I'm trying to make the transition from something negative to something positive."

Sigel can be seen on public-service anouncements decrying the violence in the city and particularly urging young black men to not reach for a gun at the first sign of conflict.

Cosby, for his part, said he was "proud to see" so many black men with their children, but urged more commitment from parents.

"Mothers, you need to take your child to their father," Cosby said, adressing the crucial need to fix broken homes.

"If you loved him or didn't, take the child to the father so he can be in the child's life."

The march capped "Peace Week 2007," and Qayyum thinks the message is getting through to the youth.

"I'm sensing more young people are coming around" to nonviolence, Qayyum said.

"Beanie clearly has a message . . . The new message is that he's willing to change directions and we have to embrace him. Because if we don't embrace him, who will?"

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If this is PART 2 in Bill Cosby's strategy to help.....I'M Lovin IT!

check me out on MYSPACE @ www.myspace.com/clove

BALTIMORE HIP HOP RELATED EVENTS: MONDAY (11/5) AND TUESDAY (11/6)

2007-11-05T08:10:00.000-05:00

PLEASE REPOST

THE BALTIMORE HIP HOP COMMUNITY WILL ASSEMBLE @ 92Q TONIGHT

MONDAY NOV. 5TH FROM 7-8PM

IN THE SPIRIT OF SOLIDARITY AND UNITY
THIS IS NOT A PROTEST OF 92Q.....

.... WE ASK THAT EVERYONE BRING AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE AS WELL YOUR CAN GOOD GOOD DONATION FOR THE UPCOMING THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY!!!

ITS OK ......IF YOU MISSED THE FIRST TOWN HALL MEETING - JUST SHOW UP!!!!

ITS OK........IF YOU MISSED THE RALLY ON CITY HALL{NO EDUCATION! NO LIFE!} - JUST SHOW UP!!

THIS EVENT IS ABOUT US!

THIS IS US SHOWING OUR STRENGTH IN NUMBERS!!!!

1705 Whitehead Rd, Baltimore, MD 21207
NOV. 5TH, 2007 ---- 7PM-8PM

BRING AS MANY CAN GOODS AS YOU CAN SPARE

THE CAN GOODS WILL BE DONATED TO THE BEA GADDY FOUNDATION ON BEHALF OF THE BALTIMORE HIP HOP COMMUNITY.....

AFTER THE RALLY:

NOVEMBER'S BALTIMORE HIP HOP TOWN HALL MEETING

WHAT'S NEXT?

TUESDAY NOVEMBER 6, 2007
6-8 PM @ THE 5 SEASONS
830 GUILFORD AVENUE
BALTIMORE, MD 21202

FREE FOOD

PLEASE BRING YOUR ACTION PLANS!

JUST SHOW UP! THAT WOULD SOLVE SO MANY OF OUR COLLECTIVE PROBLEMS!

check me out on MYSPACE @ www.myspace.com/clove

New Video: Brown F.I.S.H. (F.I.S.H.bowl) LIVE on the VERGE

2007-10-20T10:16:00.000-04:00

check me out on MYSPACE @ www.myspace.com/clove or www.myspace.com/itsbaltimorebaby

Throwbacks: Sad that both are STILL relevant and timely

2007-10-20T10:04:00.000-04:00

East Coast Rap All Stars - Self Destruction

We're All In The Same Gang

Thanks Mediatakeout.com

check me out on MYSPACE @ www.myspace.com/clove

America the great!

2007-10-19T08:52:00.000-04:00

This has been an awesome week!

On Tuesday [10/16/07 @ 10:00 AM], Dr. Marcus Allen (Mt. Vernon Spine and Rehab), Jewel West (The Jewel Salon), Ogun (Real On Purpose Entertainment) and I were invited in-studio guests of the Doni Glover's Empower Hour (WOLB 1010 AM). The topic was "Supporting Black Owned Businesses". Thank you Mr. Glover for the opportunity to come on the show and contribute. It was interesting to watch the host mold all our varying points of view and perspective into one cohesive discussion. Everyone bought something totally different to the table and from the amount of people calling into the program...I'd say the synergy was good. The questions were all over the place. Thanks again!

I'd been in the 92 Q studios before, but after Tuesday, I realized I'd only entered through the back door. I was so impressed with the Radio One Baltimore Headquarters set up, especially the entrance - WOW! I also found the vibe of the the studio comfortable and relaxed. Big Ups to Marc Clark, Konan, Sonjay, Pork Chop, Nikke and all the other Q-jays I saw in the building.

Later that same night, I attended the Maryland Humanities Council's Martin and Malcolm: One Vision-Two Voices: A Living History Panel Discussion. The discussion was moderated by one of my favorites Baltimore's Marc Steiner (host of the Marc Steiner Show on NPR)

Veteran performers Bill Grimmette as Dr. King and Charles Everett Pace as Malcolm X lead a discussion on race in America. Unlike the previous Living History Panal Discussion , where the panal stepped in a time machine and ended up in 2006, this audience was taken back in time to 1965 (Malcolm had just returned from Mecca).

I must admit......while I've grown up knowing who Dr. King and Brother Malcolm were....I never really understood what each individually stood for and what made them dynamic men. I knew that MLK's motto was "non violence, non violence" and I knew that Malcolm as a Nationalist stood for total Black independence....but what made Malcolm's approach wrong and Martin's so right? As a result of this talk....I now understand better than ever before not only why these men inspired African American people so much (and why their untimely demise was so unsettling), but also why they were killed (but that is a whole notha discussion). This was a truly moving experience. The interactive portion of the panel (Q&A) was very entertaining. The audience was able to ask them question about the past as well as their hopes for the future. I loved hearing the black guy somewhere in the audience behind me everytime Malcolm X said something profound. I was not the only person that was truly into it. I wish that I could have recorded the talk and post it on here. I'd like to watch it again myself. I found it be a great example of EDUTAINMENT! This talk was part of the "Free Fall Baltimore" campaign. I really love this Free Fall concept. Thanks to a series of grants, this program allows for Baltimoreans of all socio-economic backgrounds to take part in the rich culture that envelops this great city we all call home. I've more than taken advantage! Thank you Baltimore.

For those of you that missed the panel discussion on Tuesday.....there is another opportunity coming up where you interact with MLK:

Oct 27, 2007 @ 2:00 "Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: A Living History Performance"

This interactive, living history performance with veteran scholar/actor Bill Grimmette appearing as Dr. King and the after school students at the Eubie Blake National Jazz Institute and Cultural Center will be a high-energy afternoon of dance, music, and theatre.

This event is part of MHC's One Vision ~ Many Voices series of fall programs and is sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities, Maryland Division of Historical and Cultural Programs, Maryland State Department of Education, David and Barbara B. Hirschhorn Foundation, Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts, Walters Art Museum, and the Baltimore Museum of Art .

This event is free and appropriate for the whole family, but reservations are required: www.eubieblake.org

This interactive, living history performance with Dr. King at the Eubie Blake National Jazz Institute and Cultural Center will be a high-energy afternoon of dance, music, and theatre. Open to all. Reserve your seat at http://www.eubieblake.org/ or 410-225-3130.

In addition....there are several ways that you can GET INVOLVED! and make some $$ for your organization:

Would you like to plan a community conversation? Contact Lydia Woods, Grants and Community Outreach Coordinator, at lwoods@mdhc.org to discuss your ideas for a conversation in your community.

Looking for program partners? Click here for a list of interested cultural organizations, museums, libraries and community and civic groups.

Looking for a grant for your organization to plan a humanities program? Click here for grant guidelines.

Want to see what is already planned? Click here for a schedule of programs and events.

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Wednesday (10/17) was life altering! For the first time in my whole life I truly felt PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN. As an avid NPR listener, my knowledge of world news and global politics has grown 10 fold over the last several years. Several weeks ago the monks of Burma took to the streets to protest what they perceived as the militant government's starvation of the people. They were only asking for PEACE LOVE AND TRANQUILITY and after several weeks of civil unrest, followed by several days of sterns rebuffs...the government stepped in to squash the opposition PERMANENTLY. Some reports estimate that several hundreds civilians were killed by gun fire directed in to the crowds. They did this to MONKS. I truly value the freedom to protest and assemble....this was the first time that I understood what FREEDOM means. We could have been killed for expressing outrage over injustices perpetrated against us by the government. I know that word "freedom" is open to so many interpretations and if I wanted to get philosophical about it....I could come up with a million reasons for why one could say I'm not free, but for now....I just want to continue enjoying my time in the Matrix. smile

It was so great to see that quite a few members of the Baltimore Hip Hop community (FAMILY) showed up to support the courageous young people and adult mentors of the Baltimore Algebra Project. The main student spokesperson (SUN PAPER: pictured below) and member of conscious hip hop group, Sons of Naat, really made me proud to walk with him. All the talk about the people that terrorize our communities and we have young people asking us (ADULTS included) to stop being numb to what is going on around us. Baltimore has so many young revolutionaries in her arms....I sure wish she'd (Baltimore) embrace them. We all want a better Baltimore! We all want a better Baltimore!

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Big Ups to First Fam Ent. (Chopper, Dave the Barber and Sonny Gramz - please peep the Baltimore Sun Video below), Orphan (Mr. Hip Hop and Politics are my life!), Verb (Major League Unlimited) Ike Carter (Head Nod Ent), Yance, Buck Jones, Snapz, BmoreHH.com (Please check out their video pod cast below : Love it! Q.O.D. "Wonder if Shelia is Home?"), Ogun, Tislam, Rip the Ruler (THIS BROTHER WAS AMAZING!!! NEVER EVER JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER, PEOPLE!!!), Ike Carter, EZ Jackson, Patrick Parents, Ty Gudda, Mic Viper and Lil Purp (Welding Productions), Sport Mills, King David, Kessino (P.M.G.), Gambit (I love that he bought his daughter out. Way to inspire the babies), DJ Jabril and Fam (Again......I think you two are exceptional parents. I love that you are exposing the children to the concept of REVOLUTION- early!), Proton (of Pro & Reg), Big Patch, Shaka Pitts and Crew, Kelly Connelly (Music Monthly), Cee (Charm City Records), Rulah Ra (Very nice to make your acquaintance)....and everyone else that SHOWED UP for something righteous! I am so inspired by seeing you guys standing up and speaking out like the men and women I know you all to be. This was a proud day in not only Baltimore Hip Hop History, but American History as well. Its almost as if the Sun paper staff could not believe the demographic of people that showed up for the rally. NOTICE: Their idea of keeping the camera on the "young black men clad in Hip Hop gear" in the crowd was on one hand comical, but on the other very profound. Were they trying to use the image to spread a message or were they surprised. Was that like a Jerry Springer moment or something? No conspiracy theories...just wondering out loud. Subliminal messages maybe?

In the hearts and minds of even the most "undesirable" of our society.....lies genuine concern for the next generation. Often times....its the manner in which "the required contribution" is presented that makes many feel like they can't do anything to help. IMO its sort of like church....everyone knows they need the "good word", but until something clicks in your mind that makes you realize that you can't live without the word....most will not go consistently and mean it. The slogan "NO EDUCATION. NO LIFE" seem to easily roll of the tongues of everyone.....some because they are fighting for a CHANCE and others because the message rings so true. There are movements occurring all over America....it makes me feel so good to know that I am one in my hometown. I often used to look at the problems facing my community and get overwhelmed.....but now...I see that I too can make a difference by simply showing up. Now....how can we take this message global? mmmmmmmmmmmmmh I have an idea - RAP MUSIC or Hip Hop!

Shout out to J5 (bmorehh.com). Phenominal Work!

found this one on Youtube.com

Thanks Shaka Pitts for the link (courtesy of King David):

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I was interviewed for Baltimore.IndyMedia.org by Ron K. Williams. Shout out to that brother for reaching out! I am not sure when they will publish it, but I can't wait to see what he does with the audio he captured. The air was electric and oftentimes this can be captured a lot better with sound compared to video. In the mean time...please check out this article they wrote on the Baltimore Algebra Project.

Big Ups to Rev. Huber Brown III! Great seeing you!

the pics . Please enjoy...

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Baltimore Sun (article and video):
Baltimore students protest a lack of funding

yup that's me in blue......

(October 17, 2007) Chanting their familiar refrain, "No education, no life," an estimated 300 city students and supporters met at City Hall and marched along downtown streets Wednesday demanding that the governor pay the school system $800 million from a court decision.

The video that accompanies this story is awesome! Big Ups to the Sun Paper, FOX 45 NEWS @ 10 and WJZ for covering this worth while story. Its time for all of us with the power and influence to take a stand for our children. Im so proud of these young people....I am so inspired.

Photo courtesy of Patrick Parents. BMORE Hip Hop Represent! Represent!

check me out on MYSPACE @ www.myspace.com/clove

I couldn't have said it better: Bill Cosby's New Book Full of Racial Stereotypes

2007-10-16T16:45:00.000-04:00

Bill Cosby's New Book Full of Racial Stereotypes

By Earl Ofari Hutchinson, AlterNet. Posted October 15, 2007.
Cosby's new book continues to tar black communities and the black poor as dysfunctional, chronic whiners, and eternally searching for a government hand-out.

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More stories by Earl Ofari Hutchinson

Comedian Bill Cosby is the walking and now writing proof of the ancient adage that good intentions can go terribly awry. That's never been more painfully true than in Cosby's latest tome, Come on People.

Cosby and his publisher boast that the book is a big, brash, and provocative challenge to black folk to get their act together. That's got him ga ga raves, and an unprecedented one hour spin job on Meet the Press.

In the book, Cosby harangues and lectures, cobbles together a mesh of his trademark anecdotes, homilies, and personal tales of woe and success, juggles and massages facts to bolster his self-designated black morals crusade. Stripped away it's the same stock claim that blacks can't read, write or speak coherent English, and are social and educational cripples and failures.

Since Cosby's much touted tirade at the NAACP confab a few years back, and on countless talk shows, and at community gatherings, he has succeeded marvelously in getting the tongues of blacks wagging furiously and their fingers jabbing relentlessly at each other's alleged mountainous defects. They stumble over themselves to hail Cosby as the ultimate truth-giver.

He isn't. While Cosby is entitled to publicly air black America's alleged dirty laundry, there's more myth than dirt in that laundry. Some knuckleheads in black neighborhoods do kill, mug, peddle dope, are jobless untouchables, and educational wastrels. They, and only they, should be the target of wrath. But Cosby makes a Grand Canyon size leap from them to paint a half-truth, skewed, picture of the plight of poor blacks and the reasons and prescriptions for their plight. The cornerstone of Cosby mythmaking is that they are crime prone, educational losers, and teen baby making machines.

The heart wrenching and much played up news shots and specials of black-on-black blood letting in Philadelphia, New Orleans, and a handful of other big cities and the admission that blacks do have a much higher kill rate than young whites tell a tale of out-of-control, lawless blacks. The truth: homicides and physical assaults have plunged among black teens to the lowest levels in the past two decades. The rate of drug use among young blacks is no higher than among young whites. Blacks are more likely to be arrested, convicted and imprisoned than young whites who if arrested at all are more likely to get drug rehab, counseling, and treatment referrals, probation or community service. This horribly distorts the racial crime picture.

Then there is the black teen girls as baby making machine myth. The truth: The teen pregnancy rate among black girls has sharply dropped during the past decade. And they continue to fall.

The biggest myth that young blacks empty out the public schools, fill up the jails and cemeteries, and ridicule learning as acting white has risen to urban legend rank. The truth: The U.S. Dept. of Education found that in the decades since 1975, more blacks had enrolled in school, had improved their SAT scores by nearly 200 points and had lowered their dropout rate significantly. It also found that one in three blacks attended college, and that the number of blacks receiving bachelors and masters degrees had nearly doubled. A survey of student attitudes by the Minority Student Achievement Network, an Illinois-based educational advocacy group in 2002 and confirmed in other surveys, found that black students were as motivated, studied as hard, and were as serious about graduating as whites.

Cosby publicly bristles at criticism that he takes the worst of the worst behavior of some blacks and publicly hurls that out as the warped standard of black America. Cosby says that he does not mean to slander all, or even most blacks, as derelict, laggards and slackers. Yet that's precisely the impression he gives and the criticism of him for it is more than justified. Even the book title, Come on People: On the Path from Victims to Victors (a hint they're all losers) conveys that smear.

He did not qualify or provide a complete factual context for his blanket indictment of poor blacks. He made the negative behavior of some blacks a racial rather than an endemic social problem. In doing so, he did more than break the alleged taboo against publicly airing racial dirty laundry; he fanned dangerous and destructive stereotypes.

This is hardly the call to action that can inspire and motivate underachieving blacks to improve their lives. Instead, it further demoralizes those poor blacks who are doing the best to keep their children and themselves out of harm's way, often against towering odds, while still being hammered for their alleged failures by the Cosby's within and without their communities.

Worse, Cosby's blame the victim slam does nothing to encourage government officials and business leaders to provide greater resources and opportunities to aid those blacks that need help. Come on People, intended or not, continues to tar the black communities and the black poor as dysfunctional, chronic whiners, and eternally searching for a government hand-out. Come on Cosby.

See more stories tagged with: bill cosby

Earl Ofari Hutchinson is an author and political analyst. His new book The Latino Challenge to Black America: Towards a Conversation between African-Americans and Hispanics (Middle Passage Press and Hispanic Economics New York) in English and Spanish was just released.

check me out on MYSPACE @ www.myspace.com/clove

Cummings to Host "How to Pay for College" Fair

2007-10-12T14:35:00.000-04:00

Cummings to Host "How to Pay for College" Fair

On Monday, October 15th, Congressman Elijah E. Cummings will be hosting the 11th Annual “How to Pay for College” Fair, a free event for students and their families to learn about the financial aid processes to pay for higher education.

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College and scholarship organization representatives will be present to provide information about their institutions and programs, and an expert panel will discuss important issues related to college, including state scholarship and grant programs, the college admissions process, and how to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

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WHO: U.S. Congressman Elijah E. Cummings
WHAT: How to Pay for College Fair
WHEN: Monday, October 15, 2007, 6pm-8pm
WHERE: Enoch Pratt Free Library, Central Branch, 400 Cathedral St., Baltimore, Md. 21201
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FMI: please call Jennifer Kohl at 202.225.4289 or 202.225.4025 or Trudy Perkins at 410.685.9199 or 202.225.4641.

Source

check me out on MYSPACE @ www.myspace.com/clove

Thank you and you and you and you...................

2007-10-11T21:36:00.000-04:00

Tuesday night's town hall meeting far exceeded many's expectations, but not mine. From day one....I've always said that Baltimore's Hip Hop community is comprised of some of the realest, most insightful people I've ever met and you did not let me down.

For me....and hopefully you....Tuesday night demonstrated the fact that you are not alone. By you ....I mean those of you that have been ready to do something but afraid to jump out there "commando-style" for fear that you'd be alone or that no one would respect your efforts.

I've been there too.

We are all in one way or another connected. We are all in one way or another concerned about the same issues.

Now....we must start thinking and living in that way.

An altering of our individual and collective thinking will go a long way to improving the standing and influence of our city.....particularly it's arts community (Hip Hop music included).

If I had to define the collective thinking of those that assembled last night (though expressed differently by everyone that spoke):

Let's work together to create a Better Baltimore

If I had to express the collective solution proposed by those that assembled last night:

The first step and biggest testimony to your committment is showing up.

No one is going to make any one of you do anything. The only thing that is going to be asked of you is to be present. Not just at a Town Hall Meeting, but in life in general. Baltimore needs us all to grow up. Baltimore's problems did not arise over night. Nor can they be fixed over night. No one is more to blame - those causing the "problems" vs. those who do nothing at all, but constantly complain.

*
We must feel "something" about the condition of our city....and not just disgust. The "I Don't Care" attitude has gotten us no where...real slow.

Im sorry that the minutes are still not ready......just need a lil more time. Anyone that wants to volunteer to take some of the burden off of me.....holla. In the meantime....check out Shaka Pitts Recap program that aired on his blogcast the same night. He and his callers will give you a good sense of the tone of the discussion. I want to publically thank Shaka Pitts and everyone else (G Major - THANKS a million!, Wildchild DNA, Verses.com, etc.) for your selflessness. Your efforts no doubt went a long way towards making this event the monumental occasion it turned out to be.

Special thanks to all of the members of the Hip Hop generation (particularly the non rappers) that came out and supported this very worthwhile cause despite your reservations. I can't remember everyone...nor did I know everyone (which is a good is a good sign - for now) ....... if I forget to name you specifically blame it on my memory...not my heart.

Special thanks to Ogun......thank you for listening to me rant over the last couple of years.....and especially the last few weeks. Your advice, support and extra "efforts" did not go unnoticed. You always come through for me.

Thank you Mr. Doni Glover of BMORENews.com (publisher//radio host//political analyst) for your enthusiam and optimism. Thank you so very much for your support. I look forward to the opportunity to build with you. Please check out the site for his recap.

Solomon of the 5 SEASONS is such a great friend of the Baltimore Hip Hop scene. His unwavering support of this movement does not go unnoticced. It is always a pleasure to work with the 5 Seasons mgmt/staff. Solomon was the gracious host .....served us a very tasty Morracan meal.

Rev Heber Brown III it was so nice to finally meet you. Thank you so much for coming and blessing us with your divine energy. It meant so much that you stayed until the end. I admire and respect many of your positions and much of what you say on your blog is on point. I Look forward to the opportunity to work with you - What ever I can do to assist.

excerpt from his blog post regarding the meeting:

"As we left the 5 Seasons, lightning and torrential rain showered the city as if to water the budding seeds of revolutionary ideas and cultivate the continued growth of necessary alliances. The thunder served as divine war drums announcing the onset of a new generation of activists who will earn their scars while battling injustice in the suites and streets of Baltimore"

Big Ups to city council members that sent representation:

Brandon Scott - Youth Community Liaison for City Counsel President Stephanie Rawlings-Blake.

The Youth Outreach Coordinator from the office of counselman James B. Kraft (District 1)

Big Ups to youth action networks that sent representation:

Mark Hart, community contact, for BEN (for Baltimore Education Network).

Jill Warzer (Baltimore Creates Campaign to Restore Arts Education to Every Student)
*

COR - Munir (Metal attuity - Men's group that meets every Saturday Morning at Lake Montebello Resorvoir @ 8:30 AM sharp for intense workouts)

Maryland Shaw and the other dynamic young people of the Baltimore Algebra Project. Thank you for showing us a thing or two about fighting for something you believe in. I did a little homework on them.....WOW! it is an honor to assist you all in anyway that I (personally) can. I so appreciate and admire them for coming out and letting us know of ways that we can lend our support.

Big Ups to various crews/squads/labels/etc that spoke from the heart:

Sonny Reddz (Hip Hop Artist representing BALTIMORE AS A WHOLE!!)

Kimberly Sellman (Media Maven representing TOP OF THE HILL RECORDS//BMOREHH.COM// www.myspace.com/businessadviceplusmore)

Killah Kab (Hip Hop artist representing "F.M., C.B., Welding Ent")

Midas (Hip Hop Artist representing Team Green)

Yonte (Producer representing Groundbreaking Ent)

Raf (Hip Hop Artist representing Dirt Platoon)

Rip the Ruler (Hip Hop Artist representing Derylic Ent)

Cee (Label Head representing Charm City Records)

Mr. Wilson (Label Head//Hip Hop Artist//Promoter representing Star Status Ent)

Shaka Pitts (Engineer//Label Head representing The Spitters Club Network//Baritones//Organized Music Fam)

Mic Viper (representing Welding Productions)

Big Patch (representing Golden Boy Productions)

Rahsaan (REPRESENTIN! made some of the most poignant comments of the evening - "No child is lost.....someone left them")

Ike Carter (Representing Head Nod Ent)

MO Hammond (Representing Mo Hammond Productions)

Special shout out to all the good folk I saw in the audience, including:

Ms. Tris Beats

Beloved (DC transplant)

Kelly Connelly (Music Monthly)

Raw DOC Ent.

B.O.M.B.

Pop (Invisible Set Ent)

Chin-Yer (Please come out and support this lady's next project:

The Baltimore Scene

connecting the underground

PRESENTS

The Baltimore Crown 2007

November 2, 2007@ The 5 Seasons

Party and network with Bmore and help us choose and crown a winner)

The Lengendary DJ Rod Braxton

Bunny and Tim of TOP OF THE HILL RECORDS

Gambit

Ray Victory (Nitelife Ent. Happy B-Day, silky!)

Torcha (Dirty Nation//Streetz Magazine)

The Profitt

ONLY

Jade Foxx

OOH and B-Fly of Brown F.I.S.H.

Civil Jones (Deleware Radio personality and creator of "Even a Man Can Do It" DVD)

Dave the Barber

Tislam the Great

First Fam Ent's Chopper and Sonny Grams

Bar Kardi (Kartel Ent)

Chris B (Southpaw Ent)

DJ 5 Starr

B.O.M.B

DJ Jabril + His Family

Kita Murae Adrian Miller
Ave Perry
Brandon Bealack Lackey Stefon
Ebony Lawson (Hey Eb, I Saw You, But Didnt Get To Speak....Thanks For Coming!!)
Antonio Carpenter
Serena Holland
Block Hugga
Kemberly Kem
Mack Houston
Snapz
Joe (From Myspace)Eze JacksonSoul Cannon Tamika Thaniel Anthony Foster Modebiasi
Ben Forglener
Genny
Navy
Lucky Hands
Von Varcas
Sport Mills Blackroot Walid
Tonya T.Gunthrop Stephan Jones
Jaremiah The Last Prophet
Mexillence
Agent Orange
Rayvictory
Wigg(G.H.G.H. Music)

I will post the minutes as soon as they are typed up.

None of the pics are flattering...LOL! chiiiile.....that's what I get for going to work on the same day as an event. Im not feelin em.....not feelin em. its all good....next meeting I may come in a ball gown and full make- up. Gotta see it to believe it....hoollllllllaaaaaa!

Check me out on MYSPACE @ www.myspace.com/clove

Thank You (Town Hall Meeting 10/9/07)

2007-10-11T08:55:00.000-04:00

I would like to extend my sincere thanks to everyone that came to the first Baltimore Young Adult Town Hall Meeting. Tuesday's Think Tank was a great exchange of ideas and a real testament to the passion and enthusiam of Baltimore's teens and young adults. It is time for those of us that are committed to living/working/prospering and raising children in a Better Baltimore to come together and put in the work.

The meeting was a GREAT step #1.

The comprehensive post I am putting together to recap the event and speakers will take a while longer to complete, but I will try my best to finish it and post a few pics along with it this evening. In the meantime.....check out what someone else had to say about the event. BRAVO BMORE! You really STOOD Up!

BMORENEWS.COM

(L to R): "C" of Charm City Records & "Moe" of Moe Hammond Productions

(courtesy of BMORENEWS.COM)

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ALSO.....I'd love to see some of you on 10/17/07 outside of City Hall at 3:30 PM.

Think: If WE want the kids to show up for you......WE must be willing to show up for them.

"NO child is lost....we simply leave them"

check me out on MYSPACE @ www.myspace.com/clove

10/9/07 Baltimore Town Hall Meeting

2007-10-05T22:24:00.000-04:00

(feel free to use the logo. If its relevant to YOU....claim it!)

Thank you so much for your interest in the Baltimore Young Adult Town Hall Meeting. This will be the first of many. We plan to announce the date for the next meeting on the 9th. Ultimately, we'd like to hold these monthly and air the meetings on cable access.

This town hall meeting is designed to give the hip hop community the opportunity to talk about their (our) unique issues. My team will be taking notes and then we will use that information to plan the course of action. Once we establish an agenda (what we plan to address).....we plan to use our unique creative abilities to make incremental changes to our environment(s).

We are painters, writers, musicians, clothing designers, community activists, gardeners, former gang bangers and drug dealers, preachers, educators, etc - Baltimore has a rich multi-disciplinary team that they are
NOT tapping into.

No one has asked US what can be done to improve our city. Who better to offer insight into a problem "the powers that be" obviously do not understand? The Mayor and/or Police commissioner cannot do it on their own. I think it would be in their best interest to work with us because if they fail...everyone will blame them (including us) for not doing ALL in their power.

In talking to many people....We've found that most people are in need of guidance and help. People often forget that we all need a helping hand. And....we are not talking about people on welfare or drugs.

Baltimore's public school system has failed us all - the youth and adults who went through the same system. Even those of us that went to private or catholic schools are affected because we live in a city with a high number of uneducated and hopeless people.

We are not animals...we have hearts, feelings, dreams and ideas that will greatly aid Baltimore moving forward. Believe it or not...many of us that are active in the Baltimore Hip Hop community are college educated. Hip Hop is 30 years old....we've grown up. Its not our fault that the industry has not. Many artists make great and uplifting music ...it is time for us to get powerful people to start countering the negative that surrounds this rich and uniquely American culture/artform. So many negative stereotypes exists that we want to change or abolish.

We are the first generation to truly grow up in a multi cultural society. Its time that we use all of our gifts to help mankind. The new motto is I AM THE REVOLUTION. For too long we have been waiting for this leader to emerge...that has been problem #1. He/she is not coming. We must motivate one another.

We have several individuals that have asked to come and speak, but we've not announced a panel in any of the materials we are disseminating. BUT.....truth be told..... many more people have told us that they just want the opportunity to talk. The 5 Seasons has graciously allowed us the use of the venue for 2 hours so.....there will be no long speeches or rambling.

Through our talks we've learned that the most pressing issues for young Baltimoreans are (including but are not limited to the following specific issues):

Employment (particularly for young ex-offenders, resumes, interview
skills)

Access to higher education (what programs are available for low income people to better them selves, are ex-offenders allowed to get financial aid grants, pro/cons of financing education with loans)

Crime prevention (so much energy is put into fighting crime that has already occurred. What can WE do to help the powers that be....how can we use our voice to assist the fight.......what can the city do to make all of us feel safer? What can we do to feel safer in our communities.......& more willing to stand up to the terrorists in our own neighborhoods? What can we do to not be viewed as criminals?)

POLICE/YOUNG ADULT COMMUNITY RELATIONS - is there any thing we (17-30 year olds) can do to improve community police relations? What can we do to avoid getting shot? How best to communicate with an officer that is profiling you or stopped you for no reasons? What can we do to make our suggestions/views relevant?

ATTACK ON THE HIP HOP CULTURE (from all angles) - We are very tired of being portrayed as violent thugs when the reality is we are only reporting on the conditions in our community. We love Baltimore too. We want to be part of the development. The city of ATL (( http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5358910 )) embraces its hip hop community. They recognize the potential. When will Baltimore recognize the potential of its young and most vocal people?

If these issues or any other inspires you to ACTION.....please make plans to attend:

BALTIMORE TOWN HALL MEETING
October 9, 2007
6:00PM-8:00PM

Location:
5 Seasons Restaurant & Lounge
830 Guilford Avenue Baltimore, MD 21202
Info: synergizehiphop@yahoo.com

For whom:
Members of the Hip Hop generation

For what:
To bring the community together around a common goal.

SOLIDARITY = SUCCESS
Are we all on the same page?

How do we best address issues related to:
EMPLOYMENT
ACCESS TO HIGHER EDUCATION
CRIME PREVENTION
POLICE/YOUNG ADULT COMMUNITY RELATIONS
ATTACK ON THE HIP HOP CULTURE

FREE TO THE PUBLIC
REFRESHEMENTS WILL BE SERVED

Moderated by "Bmore's Hip Hop Ambassador" C-Love
(Style Warz// www.itsbaltimorebaby.com //ItsBaltimoreBaby LIVE!)

Instead of waiting for the revolution.....BE IT!

I AM THE REVOLUTION!

Feel free to forward to anyone you think may be interested in a BETTER Baltimore.

YOU ASKED FOR IT! WE NEED IT!

2007-09-26T14:11:00.000-04:00

Calling all my 20, 30 and 40 somethings! Calling everyone with a vested interest in the FUTURE!

Baltimore Town Hall Meeting

Topic: Solidarity = SUCCESS

Are we all on the same page?

Date: Tuesday 10/9/2007

Time: 6:00PM - 8:00PM

Location: 5 Seasons

830 Guilford Avenue Baltimore, MD 21202

(Guilford & Madison Ave. @ Mt. Vernon Shopping Ctr. near the Dunkin Donuts)

FREE FOOD!!!

FREE TO THE PUBLIC!

PLEASE ARRIVE EARLY!
LET'S MAXIMIZE OUR ALLOTTED TIME

Moderated by "Bmore's Hip Hop Ambassador" C-Love

(Style Warz// www.itsbaltimorebaby.com //ItsBaltimoreBaby LIVE!)

Bought to you by concerned members of the highly influential, but often forgotten and/or overlooked Baltimore Metro community - Its Young Adults!

Dedicated to promoting the ideas, principles and visions of Baltimore's hip Hop generation.

Instead of waiting for the revolution.....BE IT!

I AM THE REVOLUTION!

More info: synergizehiphop@yahoo.com

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC! INFORMATION AND DIALOGUE APPROPRIATE FOR ALL AGES, RACES AND PERSUASIONS!

check me out on MYSPACE @ www.myspace.com/clove

SAMFORD & SON REMIX (BMORE BABY!)

2007-08-12T13:57:00.000-04:00

check me out on MYSPACE @ www.myspace.com/clove

Farrakhan: Hip Hop & The Power of Cultural Expression

2007-08-11T15:00:00.000-04:00

Mama Africa

2007-07-14T10:53:00.000-04:00

Bought tears to my eyes...........

let them know that they missin out

Black American ppl....Ive seen it with my own eyes! Africa is nothing like we've been lead to believe.

Thank you, Akon

What do you do to get motivated?

2007-07-13T21:52:00.000-04:00

have you ever had a moment in your life where you felt.....uninspired?

Nothing is wrong.....your blessed....but oh ~ nothing is RIGHT?

Anyone that knows me personally knows I love Hip Hop...

by our ...I mean who ever loves it truly ...like a friend

is being bastardized. She is being pimped out.....workin the chitlin circuit after years of sell our tours all over the world. Have you seen the numbers for album sales?

Rusell Simmons made a comment ...something like..."Hip Hop is reflective of our society....if you want to fix Hip Hop....you have to fix society"

well.....while I thought that was a lame thing to say

...particularly when you are making millions off of it....also because you were on Oprah.....

I can understand what he was saying. ....when you look at Hip Hop.... the state of it...either mainstream (celebs, MTV, XM radio programs) or Local (Big Ups BMORE!).....its very reflective of our disfunction as a society. NO one knows what is going on in the world. See SICKO Michael Moore demonstrates how Americans are some of the most passive ppl in the world. Hip Hop music used to contained elements of social consciousness...and you couldn't get on...unless you had a different perspective. Now almost EVERYONE is a carbon copy of someone else. Even when they think no one at a show knows they are bitin....I know.

If I were a rapper....I would be all over the fact that.....

We are at WAR right now....no one is talking about that!

Stop Snitching...everyone wants to come down on guys in the street .....and the president gets his boy off for lying to cover his and presidents' (yes GB and Chaney are co-presidents) a55es.

In Africa....black ppl are starving and being massacred in large numbers everyday. The natural resources are being drained. We talk about our oppression....could we (AA) endure that?

There are prolly more AA men in the 18-24 age range in prison than walking the streets in my city right now. Some body is making money off of this fact.

People are killing each other left and right in my city....none of these rappers is talking about that. That is wack! what else is there to talk about. You a55 going to be singing the blues when they enforce marshall law if this crime rate keeps going at the pace its on. NO is talking about that!

We have a Mayor and city counsel who appear imcompetant (not saying they are).....no one is talking about that.

There is waaaaay more stuff going on in the world than half the crap out here on the radio....on these cheap ass bootlegged CDs...any thing else produced after ....a long time.

DO you not see that this music is designed to make you a drone. I know we make it, but....the whole lifestyle that is being publicized is defeatist.
It is pushing slavery.......on so many levels.

Consumerism is going to sink this country....and I see how this music (tho it has made lots of young entrepeneurs very wealth).....is damaging. The minds of the youth already have so much information to process....we must become waaaay more responsible.

Its so crazy to even say this...because I love rap. I do so very much. I listen to it....I go out to shows....but this new stuff....man....its really terrible.

I watched 6 little girls dance around in a circle the other day singing the words to NEYO's buy you a drink song.....the were especially loud and enthusiactic during the part of the song...that goes "we in the bed like uh uh uh!" SAD! not one was over 10.

And dont get me started on the N-Word!

The radio companies do not care. DO you care? I care so very much.

And some point...it has to mean more than money again....
Talk to me!

check me out on MYSPACE @ www.myspace.com/clove

What LIFE is missing

2007-07-02T15:31:00.000-04:00

Rap music used to contain elements of social consciousness. What happened?

Does anyone watch the news anymore? Id love a song that shows me someone knows WTF is going on in the world.

Most rap is soooooo freakin Wack!! When it gets some of its gumption back....It'll be on the map.
*

check me out on MYSPACE @ www.myspace.com/clove

2007-06-30T18:25:00.000-04:00

I AM THE REVOLUTION

www.itsbaltimorebaby.com

2007-05-18T23:27:00.000-04:00

music:

NOE

f/ J. Jones

Produced by J-Funk

Mixed by Shaka Pitts

check me out on MYSPACE @ www.myspace.com/clove

Project Excile: There's more than meets the eye

2007-05-11T09:34:00.000-04:00

(Chris Ammann/Baltimore Examiner)

A billboard on York Road in Baltimore is one of 30 being put up by the Maryland EXILE program.

Not sure if you've noticed, but there are NEW red, black and white billboards popping up all over town advertising Maryland's newest tactic in the effort to stop all the killing. IMO - as long as weapons are easily accessible ....gun violence will continue, but hey....who am I? I must admit tho.....some of them are down right funny, "Who needs a used Bentley?"....COLD! 300+ Baltimoreans (many of them young African Americans) taken off this Earth every year for as long as I can remember...that's no joke......the reality of what is project Excile is even less of a laughing matter. Before singing the praises of Project Exile.....do a little research.

OLD, story, but IMO.....still very true.

February 12, 2003

Ehrlich Errs with Project Exile
by Gene Healy
Gene Healy is senior editor at the Cato Institute and author of the Cato study "There Goes the Neighborhood: The Bush-Ashcroft Plan to 'Help' Localities Fight Gun Crime."

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In his "State of the State" address last week, Maryland Governor Robert Ehrlich passionately endorsed Project Exile, a federal gun-prosecution program originally developed in Richmond, Virginia. According to Ehrlich, Maryland can dramatically reduce crime by adopting Exile and ramping up federal prosecution of gun-law violations ordinarily handled in state courts. But Maryland would be ill-advised to take Ehrlich's advice. Exile makes for an effective sound-bite, but it's terrible public policy. The program is unconstitutional, dangerous to the rule of law, and does little to reduce violent crime.

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Under Project Exile, crimes typically prosecuted at the state level -- such as possession of a firearm by a former felon, drug user, or illegal alien -- are handled in federal court, where mandatory minimum sentences and the possibility of serving time out of state are said to provide a stronger deterrent. Maryland's new governor isn't alone in his praise for Project Exile: President Bush has made an Exile-style effort to ramp up federal gun-law prosecutions the centerpiece of his crime control efforts.

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It's ironic that the effort to federalize the prosecution of gun crimes has come from the Republican Party, which likes to style itself as the party of federalism and the 10th Amendment. The statutes Exile is based on flagrantly violate the 10th Amendment, which states that powers not delegated to the federal government by the Constitution are reserved to the states or to the people. There is no constitutional authority for the federal government to prosecute garden-variety gun crimes that are already illegal in all 50 states.

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And when the federal government takes on jobs it shouldn't have, it often shirks the jobs it should: Judge Fred Motz, of the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland in Baltimore, has warned that the frenzy to federalize gun crimes could have a "devastating" impact on the ability of the federal courts to do their job effectively.

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Moreover, Exile-style programs lead to a mindless "zero tolerance" policy for technical infractions of gun laws. Federal prosecutors already operate under an incentive structure that George Washington University Law School Professor Jonathan Turley compares to "the body count approach in Vietnam... They feel a need to produce a body count to Congress to justify past appropriations and secure future increases." This "body count" mentality may help explain the fact that recent federal firearms' prosecutions have included a Colorado woman who was convicted under the felon-in-possession statutes for posing nude on the Internet with a gun, and an Iowa man who was sent to federal prison for 15 years for possession of a single .22-caliber bullet. Exile practically guarantees the proliferation of such cases by hiring full-time antigun prosecutors who only bring cases under one narrow slice of the criminal code.

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Worse still, Exile opens the door to prosecutorial mischief affecting the racial composition of juries. There's good reason to believe that Project Exile prosecutors have used the program to avoid black juries. In Richmond, where Project Exile was first implemented, the jury pool for the state-level Circuit Court where gun-law violations are usually prosecuted, is approximately 75 percent African-American. In contrast, the federal jury pool for Richmond defendants draws from a broader area and is only about 10 percent African-American. By diverting gun-possession cases from state to federal court, Richmond prosecutors were able to do indirectly what the Constitution does not allow them to do directly: manipulate the racial composition of the jury pool. Indeed, an assistant U.S. attorney frankly admitted that one of Exile's goals was avoiding "Richmond juries."

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Those are some of the costs of Project Exile. How about the benefits? It turns out they've been dramatically oversold. Gov. Ehrlich's claims about the efficacy of Project Exile are false; the most comprehensive study of Exile's effects, just published by the Brookings Institution, says that the program did little, if anything, to reduce crime in Richmond. According to the study, conducted by Georgetown's Jen Ludwig and Berkeley's Steven Rafael: "[T]he decline in Richmond gun homicide rates surrounding the implementation of Project Exile was not unusual and... the observed decrease would have been likely to occur even in the absence of the program." As Ludwig puts it, federalizing gun crimes was "no magic cure."

*
Undermining federalism, damaging jury trial rights, and wasting resources on long jail sentences for marginal offenders -- all in the name of a crime-control program that can't deliver the goods. Gov. Ehrlich came to office promising "new ideas" -- but Project Exile is one idea Maryland can do without.

Now O'Malley (our governor) has picked up where Ehrlich left off......EXCILE IS HERE!!! & ..............Probably to stay

& unfortunatley for Dixon..........O'Mally left her to deal with a real mess.....

I attended one of her recent emergency meetings with city leaders. I think she genuinely believes her 2-prong strategy will work......

Here's what her honor, Mayor Dixon, usually has to say.............

"I have two goals when it comes to law enforcement: Protecting our citizens from our most violent criminals and getting our communities the resources they need to overcome long-term social challenges," Dixon said. (wbal)

That's all good......Mind you, I am her biggest defender.....but when is she going to specifically ask the law-abiding citizens for help? Especially the YBP population in Baltimore? Why is the community only asked to help solve crime? The only thing the community is asked to do is report...tell...snitch, but no one wants to involve the community is creating strategies that benefit everyone.

Baltimore's crime problem has reached the level that it has for 1 primary reason: NO JOBS!!!!

Create some jobs or new sustainable local industries......improve the schools.....and I'd bet my last dollar that crime will go down significantly. Until I hear politicians talking about that......I will continue to think that systems are being put into place that send more and more African Americans (male and female) to prison for a long time. Too long for them to every truly contribute to society. That saddens me to my core. It just seems like there are a lack of creative ppl in decision making roles.....God, I pray someone with fresh ideas comes on the scene. If this is any idication of what Mayor Dixon will do to fight crime if given my vote.......she can count me as one less vote she can count on come election day. Let's end the status quo.....dress it up any way you want...still sounds like more of the same jibba jab to me.

Po Po Commish Hamm ALWAYS has something interesting to say too (hate it or love it)...this week's City Paper article proved no different. ("Brass Tacks")

Sounds like they want us to BELIEVE....yet again....that they have our backs!

check me out on MYSPACE @ www.myspace.com/clove

Photos

2007-05-11T08:17:00.000-04:00

Im doing a bit of spring cleaning..........I have quite a few pictures I need to post. I believe the following are from an event that Low Key God held at the 5 Seasons a few months back. There were lots of familiar faces in the house.....here's a few:

Rod "Hold up! What yall think I'm playin" Lee!!! nuf said!

Reina Williams (Producer) from rock to rap!! Holla @ cha gurl!

Banga Bill aka B-ill chillin w/ Omar Little. I am mad about those faces!!! We we having fun!!! Keep ya head up O!

Many faces of Nik "I Ain't Playin Wit Cha" Styles
...........she tore up the stage!

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The Kartel always rock.... What up Majic, Bar Kardy & Sha!!! Check out Squirrel Wide in the corner of pic #2

The Man "Wit the Hand", C.O.M.P. .............ya just got ta love DJ Jabril. Look at the smile.

...............more to follow soon

check me out on MYSPACE @ www.myspace.com/clove

BMORE N.E.W.S. (5/10/07)

2007-05-10T08:52:00.000-04:00

With Russell going on Oprah standing firmly on the position that essentially said "poets should be given poetic license to say what they want" only to a few days later come out and say that he is leading a coalition to ban the use to harsh curse words...I AM CONFUSED!!! Is this the best solution a room full of geniuses could come up with to fix the problem?

It would appear that Hip Hop is finally being forced to grow up........you mean to tell me - no one was ready? no one saw this coming?

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The reaction to the question of ......"Imus has been fired - now what?" has varied.......and I'm cool with that, but the most alarming of all ofthem all is the one that represents the status quo.

*
(i.e.)

Local view point (BALTIMORE SUN PAPER):

Dismissal may signal change

Perhaps the clearest indication of the unsettling effect of Imus' abrupt firing was the number of radio executives yesterday who declined to be interviewed.

"Unfortunately, our company won't let us comment on the matter," said Victor Starr, program director at WERQ-FM 92.3, Baltimore's top-rated urban station. Similar replies abounded.

Parks, the University of Maryland professor, serves as host of a radio talk show on Towson University's WTMD-FM 89.7 and said the Imus case echoed controversies past, but she saw hope in the future.

"The history of broadcasting is such that we have these uproars, and everybody promises change," she said. "Then after a while when things quiet down, it's back to the way it was before the uproar. But this new show of power by African-Americans in the industry and on the boards of major corporations is the kind of thing that will have a permanent effect on the media landscape."

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Ahhhhhhhhhh shucks!

FADER MAG is FEELING our guy, NOE
"Baltimore Noe just dropped a neutron bomb of a MTV Jams tribute in the form of "Headlights." The guest verse by Jimmy is fine and all, but THAT BEAT?!?!?! Goddamn! 2008's about to sound like 1988 and we are totally fine with that."

&........according to magoo.com:
"This beat really is the most ridiculous beat of the year. There's a lot of hip hop coming out of Baltimore these days and I'm all for it. Srsly, this beat!"

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"That beat" - J~Funk might be on to something with this one, yall! Produced by my main man, Jay Funk and featuring Jim Jones............ "Headlights" is destined to be a huge hit !!! I'm so estatic for everyone!!! Make sure you peep the sample of C.O.M.P. from "Sunglasses" in the hook - THAT'S HOT

NOE is it holding down in more ways that we even know. Did you know he co-wrote DK's "Show Stopper"? OMFG!! I just peeped this week's city paper article on him...... NOE Deal: Local Rapper Duane Bridgeford Slowly Makes a Name For Himself

Its been a while since I've seen a music-related City Paper article written by Jason Torres. I was so glad to see that he was the one chosen to give voice to NOE's truly interesting story. Although it barely scratched the surface of this multi-layered individual (Its a "No Cover" story) .........
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Hopefully with more press.....and huge hits like the hugely popular Headlights..... NOE will get the consideration and respect I already feel his music deserves. If the FADER link does not work.....click here.

Seems like a great day to be NOE!

For my B-More Club heads:
The Club Beat With Scottie B.

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NOT SO LOCAL....but wanted to share:
Saw this amateur video the other night that had this really really cool rap song on it......I won't tell you what site or what kind of movie it was because.....well.....that's just too much dang information....LOL! Let's just say.....I never would have imagined anyone ever pairing up what they were doing with a quirky rap song..... GYM CLASS HEROS is the name they go by. I'm liking this alternative. I pray we'll see more of this.

.................................................................................

I've been listening to alot of talk radio......MAAAAAAN...this war we are engaged in is NOT going very well. I don't know how we are going to get out of this. I do not think our country is ready to deal with all the service men and women who are going to come back with TBI. You all are in my constant prayers. Shout out to all my Bmore Hip Hop Heads, all over the globe, representing in our Armed Forces. Stay safe my American brothers and sisters!!! You are so much braver than anyone probably knows. Thank you for serving our country so bravely. ............................................................................................

more news soon.....I just wanted to make sure I wrote something!

check me out: www.itsbaltimorebaby.com

2007-05-09T08:03:00.000-04:00

What I've heard through the grapevine:

Banga Bill will release a full-length album this summer....actually 4 of them. Vols.1 - 4 of THE WIRE: ACCORDING TO SIR WILLIAM will give you a glimpse into the mind of, arguably, one of Baltimore's greatest musical minds. The man behind all of my favorites...."Tattoo Tears", "Other Side of the Game", "Chicken Box", etc.....is finally opening up his catalog of hits for the world. Well its about time!!! I for one can't wait until the whole world knows his name. Be on the look out for THE WIRE: ACCORDING TO SIR WILLIAM
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OOH and Jahiti of Brown F.I.S.H. are gearing up for the upcoming release of "The Separation of Church and State". I for one can't wait. I saw the pics from their latest photo shoot and all I can say is, "OH MY". I know Im late, but...... I finally got a hold of a copy of Jahiti's 2003 release entitled, "F.I.S.H. Bowl".....& Maaaaaaaaaaaaan! I am so very in love. " Impressed" doesn't even start to capture my feelings. I am writing something on these 2 right now that I will put in the universe very soon....so I won't be redundant, but these 2 truly offer music lovers something different. When I say different....Im not talking about weird mash ups or rapping midget geishas........all im saying is that....you need to find out what you've been missing. IMO - Edutainment at its finest!

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K-SWIFT posted a bulletin on MYSPACE in response to the New Republic's scathing criticism of 92.3 FM (92Q) in a piece entitled, Baltimore's Radio One's WERQ 92.3 FM Supports Payola And Bootlegging Practices. From Baltimore To New York City. posted on the Government Names blog.

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Thank You!!!! D. Chase and Farrah Chanel for giving Baltimore 2 NEW weekly talent filled events !!!!

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Thursday, May 10th
Soul Kitchen Live Music Series
This week's featured performer: Deborah Bond and special guests
hosted by DChase & 2Tru
Free before 8pm
15 W. Eager St. Baltimore, MD 21201
*
Tuesday, May 15th
Open Mic Showcase hosted by Farrah Chanel

Featuring a LIVE BAND!!!

$5 all night long!!!
All genres of music are welcome!!! Get there early to sign up!
One East Chase Street
13th Floor
Baltimore Maryland 21202
Info@the13th-Floor.com
Phone: (410) 347-0888

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If you don't know D. Chase you are slipping......if you don't know D. Chase nor Farrah Chanel......you need to really get with it! Knowing these 2 could be very important to furthering your music/entertainment career.

Ogun has a forserious street team........I see those damn "BMORE HERO" stickers EVERYWHERE!!!!
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Heard that guy Mack Houston has a new BMORE CLUB-inspired Banger...........I need to check my yahoo acct to see if it has arrived....mmmmmmmmmmmh....haven't checked that joint out yet, but I dig Mack's style ...so I'm pretty sure he did it justice. Im sure its on his MYSPACE page. When you get a few, check it out and let both of us know what you think. I can't be co-signing for wack!

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sike-up! DOC HOUSE all day!

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Also ladies, that brotha......Bobby Baltimore is cute....check out his new vid "Baby Girl". Rollie Fingaz (Street Dreamz Ent) and Ahk (Strictly Hip Hop) put that jawnt together. Looking good, papi!

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HE STILL HOLDS THE TITLE: KILLAH KAB IS THE KING OF SELF PROMO!!! GUY, STAYS ON HIS GRIZZLY!
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Taz of the Unstoppable Knucklehead's told me this past Saturday at Kelly C and DJ Spontaneous' Hip Hop Kareoke that ....and I quote, "we're bringin messy back...yeah" ......with their upcoming release, "The Mysterious Messy Revolution"............wow!

Guess we have to wait and see what this is about...........

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I need an address........can you help me? I want something posted in the next B-MORE VIBE "letters to the editor" section ......... SOMEBODY DONE LIED ON ME. Remember this one sentence when reading: No one ever talked to me about anything!

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In a city where so many ppl profess to live by "a code and death to everyone else"......there are lots of hypocrites among us. I won't go into details because....I want yall to pick up the mag. And in reality I don't care, but I miss gossiping so...........I guess if I am not making it or involved in it there won't be any so......I get it, "YALL NEED ME BACK ON THE J-O-B!!!" he he!

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What else have I heard:
Folk think I am pregnant or have fallen off....LOL!

Quite the contrary.....if I were expecting, I'd be happy and tell the world (I'm a Grown azz woman)......& I am more motivated than ever to "do what I do"....main problem: VENUE!!!! If ya have one, holla at cha gurl!!!

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The more well known clubs in this city (except the 5 Seasons) put waaaaay to much shit in the game for my taste. I know that venues want to make more money than the promoter, but at what point does it go from business to rape?

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I will get a permit for a street corner, alley or park......and deal with the uncertainty of that before I allow myself to be treated like I bring nothing to the table. I don't take that punk ish in personal relationships....so why would I with a stranger?

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I am a dedicated promoter and Baltimore rap activist. When I have an event or project I push it to the limit and go for broke. I am an ideal partner for a venue because I bring my own drama free crowd and my crowd drinks top shelf, baby!!!!..... I pay for all my promo (with or without your ppl.....the party is going to be live), I work to obtain press which benefits all parties involved and ......I could go on and on, but I may begin to sound like a jilted lover....LOL! I'll stop!

.....just wanted you to know the dealy yo! I have not turned my back on Bmore!

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Through the Web vine:
Black Starr Review

This guy is starting to get some shine! go head, you wild and crazy guy!
*

Smart hip-hop, the kind you rarely hear
Music Notes: Rashod D. Ollison

quote:
"Lifesavas represents the smarter part of the genre, the side that's fully aware of the rich black musical legacy on which it stands.

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"Black people are so much more than the images you see in mainstream hip-hop," Vursatyl says. "It's about balance, man; it's about restoring that balance. Right now, hip-hop is so homogenized. But there are a lot of cats doing much more than what you hear on the radio."

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A thoughtful album such as Gutterfly is a rewarding example."
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Actually...........Great piece, but this guy kills me. Him needing to go all the way to Portland, Oregon to find a group like the one he described is so typically Baltimorean. We have groups/MCs like that right here buddy!!! I swear I need to find out where this guy is going to be so I can run up on him for a brief chit chat.
*
I prolly could share some more if I had time to think about it, but I don't so.........Ill holla.

check me out if you get a few......www.myspace.com/clove

2007-05-08T19:46:00.000-04:00

Even A Man Can Do This Promo

Add to My Profile More Videos

I love it!!! This is so inspiring.....

Thank you Civil Jones and Amotion!

Now everyone is going to have to watch the documentary in its entirety to get the full scoop!!

Many of the women featured on the clip will be performing live this Saturday @ the 5 Seasons!!!

check me out on MYSPACE @ www.myspace.com/clove

BIG EVENT COMING UP THIS WEEKEND!!!!

2007-05-08T10:52:00.000-04:00

SHOUT OUT TO MS CIV JONES FOR DOING IT AGAIN!!!!

YOU, SHELLBE RAW AND JADE FOXX HELD IT DOWN THIS PAST SUNDAY ON RAP ATTACK.

I can't wait for the show!!! I was at #1......so ya know i wouldn't miss this one for the world. Doors will open at 9pm with a $10 dollar fee before 10pm. The first performer will open the show at 10:15. There will also be a sneak preview of the documentary "Even a Man Can Do This" a film about the female movement in the hip hop industry written and produced by Divine Media and Grasshopper Philms. P.S. Im in it - yippee!!

FOR MORE INFO AND PRESS PASSES PLEASE EMAIL: divineideals@yahoo. com ATTN: PRESS PASSES

Divine Ideals

"Promoting your event…Not just your vision"

Phone 443-655-4588 Fax 410-944-1785

$10 advance tickects!!!!!

COME OUT AND SEE THE LADIES SHOW OFF!!! ALL FEMALE REVUE!!!
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check me out on MYSPACE @ www.myspace.com/clove

BMORE VIBE

2007-05-08T10:43:00.000-04:00

There's a new media diva on the scene, Rogue, and her B-MORE VIBE magazine has the streetz buzzing with the question, "Who's Got Next?" Every issue, since its inception, BMORE VIBE has allowed the fans of BMORE HIP HOP to decide who would grace the next cover. Way to get the people involved!!! This newest magazine features an introspective cover piece and photo shoot with the First Lady of F.I.S.H., B'Fly. WOW! you peep Jah and OOH...literally "in the cut"? no pun intended. From what I gather....the mag is pretty much a one woman operation.....I know how that is. Go awn girl with your bad self! Keep your head up!!! Anything I can do to help, please let me know. You've come a long way from that fateful day at 88.9....LOL! I'm looking forward to seeing your dream come to fruition.

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Check this out yall:
Local Hip-Hop: Vibe Talkin’
http://www.citypaper.com/digest.asp?id=13371
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For more info on where you can get your copy:
www.myspace.com/bmorevibe
www.bmorevibe.com/

check me out on MYSPACE @ www.myspace.com/clove ......got some blazing new tunes in the player, dude!

Community Betterment Plan - What is it?

2007-05-04T16:08:00.001-04:00

Published Friday April 27, 2007
Empower Omaha! unveils new community betterment plan
BY ERIN GRACE
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER

Black Omahans have the intellectual and financial resources to take the lead in solving problems such as poverty and the educational achievement gap.

That was the message today from a broad coalition of black Omahans known as the African-American Empowerment Network.

In a show of unity, more than two dozen network members stood together inside the community cafe at 24th and Lake Streets to unveil the first phase of a community betterment plan. More than 100 people were expected for a day of activities, including a speech by George C. Fraser, a national authority on black networking.

"Our goal is to transform the city of Omaha," said Willie Barney, who works in Omaha as a private consultant and convened the network of volunteers more than seven months ago.

Teresa Hunter, director of the nonprofit Family Housing Advisory Services, discusses upcoming Empower Omaha! events with consultant Willie Barney, right, and George C. Fraser, a national authority on black networking. Empower Omaha! was created by the African-American Empowerment Network.The resulting plan dovetails with the best-selling 2006 book "The Covenant with Black America," in which national experts outline both the problems confronting blacks today and strategies to address those problems.

The local plan - called Empower Omaha! - involves 13 areas of focus, offering strategies for commitment by individuals as well as at the community level.

Gladys Harrison, for example, is a longtime Qwest Communications employee and mother of three who is launching a community walk beginning Monday at 6 p.m. at 24th and Seward Streets. Harrison wants to improve her health and more.

"We can walk down 24th Street, the heart of north Omaha, help dispel the myths, get some garbage bags and then, most importantly, draw people together," she said.

Dick Davis, an insurance executive, is seeking matching funds for Omaha 20/20, a five-part economic development plan.

"We have the power within ourselves," Davis said.

What's next?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
African-American Empowerment Network
members are meeting today with national black networking expert George C. Fraser, author of "Success Runs in Our Race: The Complete Guide to Effective Networking in the Black Community."

The network plans to roll out a second phase of its plan in mid-May.Self-help is the cornerstone philosophy of the network, but the impact is expected to reach beyond the black community.

"If we make a measurable difference in north Omaha, it's going to bring up Omaha," said the Rev. Jeremiah McGhee, president of the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance.

Barney and others long had talked about the financial, educational and social gaps that exist between blacks and whites in Omaha and the need for solutions.

Those talks gained momentum and urgency in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina and the first round of debate on what to do about Omaha's still-segregated public school system.

Then, in 2006, the 240-page "Covenant" book hit shelves, offering a road map to communities seeking change.

Empower Omaha!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The local plan focuses on 13 areas. The individual empowerment covenants include:
1. Live our faith
2. Strengthen our families
3. Prepare our children
4. Embrace our culture
5. Build our wealth
6. Protect our health
7. Raise our vote
8. Own our homes
9. Clean our neighborhoods
10. Love our neighbor! Stop the hate!
11. Stand for justice
12. Improve our communications
13. Cross the digital divide
*

Barney asked north Omaha bookstore owner Marshall Taylor to stock up on "The Covenant" and urged everyone to buy it.

"We have been called for this purpose and for this time," Barney said, describing a process of convening small groups, which became larger groups that eventually drew more than 400 people representing some 200 organizations.

The first formal network meeting was in September. Participants outlined areas in need of attention, including faith, education, voting and economics.

Network members met routinely, devoting Saturday mornings to hashing out strategies and approaches.

The network is not promoting a strictly black-only approach to solving black problems. Members either already are contributing to or are planning to pitch in on other projects under way.

"We don't want to reinvent things," said Dr. Rubens Pamies, vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

But it is important, Pamies said, that the black community show that it, too, has a plan.

"All too often, what most of us have said is that we've always been relying on the outside to help with issues that we have," Pamies said. "The question always comes up: 'What have you done yourselves?'"

That answer, network members discovered over months of meetings, was: quite a lot.

Gladys Harrison, right, is launching a community walk on Monday. Getting a jump-start with Harrison at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Omaha on Thursday are, from left, Briannah Harrison, 16; Elijah Harrison, 15; and Karen Bradley.First, although the Omaha area has the nation's third-highest rate of poverty among blacks, not all black Omahans are in dire straits and some are well-positioned to make changes. Second, a host of service providers, community activists, neighborhood groups and others long have worked to chip away at problems affecting the black community.

The stumbling block until now, network members concluded, was that many operated on their own without coordination. Plus, conflicting ideologies, power struggles or a lack of sustainability hindered past efforts.

This group is different, the members say.

For one, it has drawn an array of black Omahans from all over the city. Among them are teachers, doctors, principals, social service agency workers, nonprofit directors, city officials, business owners, activists, church pastors, retirees and elected officials.

"I've not seen an effort like this, I've not heard of an effort like this in north Omaha with African-Americans," said Paul Bryant, a fifth-generation Omahan who directs Wesley House.

The movement bolsters his faith that Omaha can turn around its dismal standard of living for blacks and perhaps stop driving away those looking for better opportunities.

"This effort is a group of African-Americans saying, 'We want to stay, and we want to change these numbers,'" Bryant said.

The volunteer network involves 67 "regulars" who have attended most of the weekend meetings. They include blacks who live in suburban Omaha, though more than half came from the north Omaha neighborhoods where most of the city's black population resides.

Bookstore owner Taylor is onboard. He has seen community improvement efforts come and go without great success. The network could be different, he said, citing the group's talent pool, diversity and focus on solutions instead of blame.

"It's upbeat," Taylor said. "It requires the individual to look at the self as opposed to looking at what other people are doing against us or for us. It is just the thing I think we need to be doing right now."

*

I think blue prints like this could assist us with starting a similar movement in Baltimore. These folks are all about owning the land so they have a say in what becomes of their community. There's calls for a paradigm shift ....in POC's collective consciousness. I for one welcome this

....do you think this program could be applied here as well. I met one of the people involved in this on topix......(Made my day....I AM NOT ALONE!!!).....these folks are about their biz.
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For more info:
http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2798&u_sid=2373505
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http://www.topix.net/afam/2007/05/empower-omaha-will-unveil-new-community-betterment-plan

FOOD 4 THOUGHT: 100 THINGS I BET YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT AFRICA

2007-05-03T16:31:00.000-04:00

1. The human race is of African origin. The oldest known skeletal remains of anatomically modern humans (or homo sapiens) were excavated at sites in East Africa. Human remains were discovered at Omo in Ethiopia that were dated at 195,000 years old, the oldest known in the world.

2. Skeletons of pre-humans have been found in Africa that date back between 4 and 5 million years. The oldest known ancestral type of humanity is thought to have been the australopithecus ramidus, who lived at least 4.4 million years ago.

3. Africans were the first to organise fishing expeditions 90,000 years ago. At Katanda, a region in northeastern Zaïre (now Congo), was recovered a finely wrought series of harpoon points, all elaborately polished and barbed. Also uncovered was a tool, equally well crafted, believed to be a dagger. The discoveries suggested the existence of an early aquatic or fishing based culture.

4. Africans were the first to engage in mining 43,000 years ago. In 1964 a hematite mine was found in Swaziland at Bomvu Ridge in the Ngwenya mountain range. Ultimately 300,000 artefacts were recovered including thousands of stone-made mining tools. Adrian Boshier, one of the archaeologists on the site, dated the mine to a staggering 43,200 years old.

5. Africans pioneered basic arithmetic 25,000 years ago. The Ishango bone is a tool handle with notches carved into it found in the Ishango region of Zaïre (now called Congo) near Lake Edward. The bone tool was originally thought to have been over 8,000 years old, but a more sensitive recent dating has given dates of 25,000 years old. On the tool are 3 rows of notches. Row 1 shows three notches carved next to six, four carved next to eight, ten carved next to two fives and finally a seven. The 3 and 6, 4 and 8, and 10 and 5, represent the process of doubling. Row 2 shows eleven notches carved next to twenty-one notches, and nineteen notches carved next to nine notches. This represents 10 + 1, 20 + 1, 20 - 1 and 10 - 1. Finally, Row 3 shows eleven notches, thirteen notches, seventeen notches and nineteen notches. 11, 13, 17 and 19 are the prime numbers between 10 and 20.

6. Africans cultivated crops 12,000 years ago, the first known advances in agriculture. Professor Fred Wendorf discovered that people in Egypt’s Western Desert cultivated crops of barley, capers, chick-peas, dates, legumes, lentils and wheat. Their ancient tools were also recovered. There were grindstones, milling stones, cutting blades, hide scrapers, engraving burins, and mortars and pestles.

7. Africans mummified their dead 9,000 years ago. A mummified infant was found under the Uan Muhuggiag rock shelter in south western Libya. The infant was buried in the foetal position and was mummified using a very sophisticated technique that must have taken hundreds of years to evolve. The technique predates the earliest mummies known in Ancient Egypt by at least 1,000 years. Carbon dating is controversial but the mummy may date from 7438 (±220) BC.

8. Africans carved the world’s first colossal sculpture 7,000 or more years ago. The Great Sphinx of Giza was fashioned with the head of a man combined with the body of a lion. A key and important question raised by this monument was: How old is it? In October 1991 Professor Robert Schoch, a geologist from Boston University, demonstrated that the Sphinx was sculpted between 5000 BC and 7000 BC, dates that he considered conservative.

9. On the 1 March 1979, the New York Times carried an article on its front page also page sixteen that was entitled Nubian Monarchy called Oldest. In this article we were assured that: “Evidence of the oldest recognizable monarchy in human history, preceding the rise of the earliest Egyptian kings by several generations, has been discovered in artifacts from ancient Nubia” (i.e. the territory of the northern Sudan and the southern portion of modern Egypt.)

10. The ancient Egyptians had the same type of tropically adapted skeletal proportions as modern Black Africans. A 2003 paper appeared in American Journal of Physical Anthropology by Dr Sonia Zakrzewski entitled Variation in Ancient Egyptian Stature and Body Proportions where she states that: “The raw values in Table 6 suggest that Egyptians had the ‘super-Negroid’ body plan described by Robins (1983). The values for the brachial and crural indices show that the distal segments of each limb are longer relative to the proximal segments than in many ‘African’ populations.”

11. The ancient Egyptians had Afro combs. One writer tells us that the Egyptians “manufactured a very striking range of combs in ivory: the shape of these is distinctly African and is like the combs used even today by Africans and those of African descent.”

12. The Funerary Complex in the ancient Egyptian city of Saqqara is the oldest building that tourists regularly visit today. An outer wall, now mostly in ruins, surrounded the whole structure. Through the entrance are a series of columns, the first stone-built columns known to historians. The North House also has ornamental columns built into the walls that have papyrus-like capitals. Also inside the complex is the Ceremonial Court, made of limestone blocks that have been quarried and then shaped. In the centre of the complex is the Step Pyramid, the first of 90 Egyptian pyramids.

13. The first Great Pyramid of Giza, the most extraordinary building in history, was a staggering 481 feet tall - the equivalent of a 40-storey building. It was made of 2.3 million blocks of limestone and granite, some weighing 100 tons.

14. The ancient Egyptian city of Kahun was the world’s first planned city. Rectangular and walled, the city was divided into two parts. One part housed the wealthier inhabitants – the scribes, officials and foremen. The other part housed the ordinary people. The streets of the western section in particular, were straight, laid out on a grid, and crossed each other at right angles. A stone gutter, over half a metre wide, ran down the centre of every street.

15. Egyptian mansions were discovered in Kahun - each boasting 70 rooms, divided into four sections or quarters. There was a master’s quarter, quarters for women and servants, quarters for offices and finally, quarters for granaries, each facing a central courtyard. The master’s quarters had an open court with a stone water tank for bathing. Surrounding this was a colonnade.

16 The Labyrinth in the Egyptian city of Hawara with its massive layout, multiple courtyards, chambers and halls, was the very largest building in antiquity. Boasting three thousand rooms, 1,500 of them were above ground and the other 1,500 were underground.

17. Toilets and sewerage systems existed in ancient Egypt. One of the pharaohs built a city now known as Amarna. An American urban planner noted that: “Great importance was attached to cleanliness in Amarna as in other Egyptian cities. Toilets and sewers were in use to dispose waste. Soap was made for washing the body. Perfumes and essences were popular against body odour. A solution of natron was used to keep insects from houses . . . Amarna may have been the first planned ‘garden city’.”

18. Sudan has more pyramids than any other country on earth - even more than Egypt. There are at least 223 pyramids in the Sudanese cities of Al Kurru, Nuri, Gebel Barkal and Meroë. They are generally 20 to 30 metres high and steep sided.

19. The Sudanese city of Meroë is rich in surviving monuments. Becoming the capital of the Kushite Empire between 590 BC until AD 350, there are 84 pyramids in this city alone, many built with their own miniature temple. In addition, there are ruins of a bath house sharing affinities with those of the Romans. Its central feature is a large pool approached by a flight of steps with waterspouts decorated with lion heads.

20. Bling culture has a long and interesting history. Gold was used to decorate ancient Sudanese temples. One writer reported that: “Recent excavations at Meroe and Mussawwarat es-Sufra revealed temples with walls and statues covered with gold leaf”.

21. In around 300 BC, the Sudanese invented a writing script that had twenty-three letters of which four were vowels and there was also a word divider. Hundreds of ancient texts have survived that were in this script. Some are on display in the British Museum.

22. In central Nigeria, West Africa’s oldest civilisation flourished between 1000 BC and 300 BC. Discovered in 1928, the ancient culture was called the Nok Civilisation, named after the village in which the early artefacts were discovered. Two modern scholars, declare that “[a]fter calibration, the period of Nok art spans from 1000 BC until 300 BC”. The site itself is much older going back as early as 4580 or 4290 BC.

23. West Africans built in stone by 1100 BC. In the Tichitt-Walata region of Mauritania, archaeologists have found “large stone masonry villages” that date back to 1100 BC. The villages consisted of roughly circular compounds connected by “well-defined streets”.

24. By 250 BC, the foundations of West Africa’s oldest cities were established such as Old Djenné in Mali.

25. Kumbi Saleh, the capital of Ancient Ghana, flourished from 300 to 1240 AD. Located in modern day Mauritania, archaeological excavations have revealed houses, almost habitable today, for want of renovation and several storeys high. They had underground rooms, staircases and connecting halls. Some had nine rooms. One part of the city alone is estimated to have housed 30,000 people.

26. West Africa had walled towns and cities in the pre-colonial period. Winwood Reade, an English historian visited West Africa in the nineteenth century and commented that: “There are . . . thousands of large walled cities resembling those of Europe in the Middle Ages, or of ancient Greece.”

27. Lord Lugard, an English official, estimated in 1904 that there were 170 walled towns still in existence in the whole of just the Kano province of northern Nigeria.

28. Cheques are not quite as new an invention as we were led to believe. In the tenth century, an Arab geographer, Ibn Haukal, visited a fringe region of Ancient Ghana. Writing in 951 AD, he told of a cheque for 42,000 golden dinars written to a merchant in the city of Audoghast by his partner in Sidjilmessa.

29. Ibn Haukal, writing in 951 AD, informs us that the King of Ghana was “the richest king on the face of the earth” whose pre-eminence was due to the quantity of gold nuggets that had been amassed by himself and by his predecessors.

30. The Nigerian city of Ile-Ife was paved in 1000 AD on the orders of a female ruler with decorations that originated in Ancient America. Naturally, no-one wants to explain how this took place approximately 500 years before the time of Christopher Columbus!

31. West Africa had bling culture in 1067 AD. One source mentions that when the Emperor of Ghana gives audience to his people: “he sits in a pavilion around which stand his horses caparisoned in cloth of gold: behind him stand ten pages holding shields and gold-mounted swords: and on his right hand are the sons of the princes of his empire, splendidly clad and with gold plaited into their hair . . . The gate of the chamber is guarded by dogs of an excellent breed . . . they wear collars of gold and silver.”

32. Glass windows existed at that time. The residence of the Ghanaian Emperor in 1116 AD was: “A well-built castle, thoroughly fortified, decorated inside with sculptures and pictures, and having glass windows.”

33. The Grand Mosque in the Malian city of Djenné, described as “the largest adobe [clay] building in the world”, was first raised in 1204 AD. It was built on a square plan where each side is 56 metres in length. It has three large towers on one side, each with projecting wooden buttresses.

34. One of the great achievements of the Yoruba was their urban culture. “By the year A.D. 1300,” says a modern scholar, “the Yoruba people built numerous walled cities surrounded by farms”. The cities were Owu, Oyo, Ijebu, Ijesa, Ketu, Popo, Egba, Sabe, Dassa, Egbado, Igbomina, the sixteen Ekiti principalities, Owo and Ondo.

35. Yoruba metal art of the mediaeval period was of world class. One scholar wrote that Yoruba art “would stand comparison with anything which Ancient Egypt, Classical Greece and Rome, or Renaissance Europe had to offer.”

36. In the Malian city of Gao stands the Mausoleum of Askia the Great, a weird sixteenth century edifice that resembles a step pyramid.

37. Thousands of mediaeval tumuli have been found across West Africa. Nearly 7,000 were discovered in north-west Senegal alone spread over nearly 1,500 sites. They were probably built between 1000 and 1300 AD.

38. Excavations at the Malian city of Gao carried out by Cambridge University revealed glass windows. One of the finds was entitled: “Fragments of alabaster window surrounds and a piece of pink window glass, Gao 10th – 14th century.”

39. In 1999 the BBC produced a television series entitled Millennium. The programme devoted to the fourteenth century opens with the following disclosure: “In the fourteenth century, the century of the scythe, natural disasters threatened civilisations with extinction. The Black Death kills more people in Europe, Asia and North Africa than any catastrophe has before. Civilisations which avoid the plague thrive. In West Africa the Empire of Mali becomes the richest in the world.”

40. Malian sailors got to America in 1311 AD, 181 years before Columbus. An Egyptian scholar, Ibn Fadl Al-Umari, published on this sometime around 1342. In the tenth chapter of his book, there is an account of two large maritime voyages ordered by the predecessor of Mansa Musa, a king who inherited the Malian throne in 1312. This mariner king is not named by Al-Umari, but modern writers identify him as Mansa Abubakari II.

41. On a pilgrimage to Mecca in 1324 AD, a Malian ruler, Mansa Musa, brought so much money with him that his visit resulted in the collapse of gold prices in Egypt and Arabia. It took twelve years for the economies of the region to normalise.

42. West African gold mining took place on a vast scale. One modern writer said that: “It is estimated that the total amount of gold mined in West Africa up to 1500 was 3,500 tons, worth more than $****30 billion in today’s market.”

43. The old Malian capital of Niani had a 14th century building called the Hall of Audience. It was an surmounted by a dome, adorned with arabesques of striking colours. The windows of an upper floor were plated with wood and framed in silver; those of a lower floor were plated with wood, framed in gold.

44. Mali in the 14th century was highly urbanised. Sergio Domian, an Italian art and architecture scholar, wrote the following about this period: “Thus was laid the foundation of an urban civilisation. At the height of its power, Mali had at least 400 cities, and the interior of the Niger Delta was very densely populated”.

45. The Malian city of Timbuktu had a 14th century population of 115,000 - 5 times larger than mediaeval London. Mansa Musa, built the Djinguerebere Mosque in the fourteenth century. There was the University Mosque in which 25,000 students studied and the Oratory of Sidi Yayia. There were over 150 Koran schools in which 20,000 children were instructed. London, by contrast, had a total 14th century population of 20,000 people.

46. National Geographic recently described Timbuktu as the Paris of the mediaeval world, on account of its intellectual culture. According to Professor Henry Louis Gates, 25,000 university students studied there.

47. Many old West African families have private library collections that go back hundreds of years. The Mauritanian cities of Chinguetti and Oudane have a total of 3,450 hand written mediaeval books. There may be another 6,000 books still surviving in the other city of Walata. Some date back to the 8th century AD. There are 11,000 books in private collections in Niger. Finally, in Timbuktu, Mali, there are about 700,000 surviving books.

48. A collection of one thousand six hundred books was considered a small library for a West African scholar of the 16th century. Professor Ahmed Baba of Timbuktu is recorded as saying that he had the smallest library of any of his friends - he had only 1600 volumes.

49. Concerning these old manuscripts, Michael Palin, in his TV series Sahara, said the imam of Timbuktu “has a collection of scientific texts that clearly show the planets circling the sun. They date back hundreds of years . . . Its convincing evidence that the scholars of Timbuktu knew a lot more than their counterparts in Europe. In the fifteenth century in Timbuktu the mathematicians knew about the rotation of the planets, knew about the details of the eclipse, they knew things which we had to wait for 150 almost 200 years to know in Europe when Galileo and Copernicus came up with these same calculations and were given a very hard time for it.”

50. The Songhai Empire of 16th century West Africa had a government position called Minister for Etiquette and Protocol.

51. The mediaeval Nigerian city of Benin was built to “a scale comparable with the Great Wall of China”. There was a vast system of defensive walling totalling 10,000 miles in all. Even before the full extent of the city walling had become apparent the Guinness Book of Records carried an entry in the 1974 edition that described the city as: “The largest earthworks in the world carried out prior to the mechanical era.”

52. Benin art of the Middle Ages was of the highest quality. An official of the Berlin Museum für Völkerkunde once stated that: “These works from Benin are equal to the very finest examples of European casting technique. Benvenuto Cellini could not have cast them better, nor could anyone else before or after him . . . Technically, these bronzes represent the very highest possible achievement.”

53. Winwood Reade described his visit to the Ashanti Royal Palace of Kumasi in 1874: “We went to the king’s palace, which consists of many courtyards, each surrounded with alcoves and verandahs, and having two gates or doors, so that each yard was a thoroughfare . . . But the part of the palace fronting the street was a stone house, Moorish in its style . . . with a flat roof and a parapet, and suites of apartments on the first floor. It was built by Fanti masons many years ago. The rooms upstairs remind me of Wardour Street. Each was a perfect Old Curiosity Shop. Books in many languages, Bohemian glass, clocks, silver plate, old furniture, Persian rugs, Kidderminster carpets, pictures and engravings, numberless chests and coffers. A sword bearing the inscription From Queen Victoria to the King of Ashantee. A copy of the Times, 17 October 1843. With these were many specimens of Moorish and Ashanti handicraft.”

54. In the mid-nineteenth century, William Clarke, an English visitor to Nigeria, remarked that: “As good an article of cloth can be woven by the Yoruba weavers as by any people . . . in durability, their cloths far excel the prints and home-spuns of Manchester.”

55. The recently discovered 9th century Nigerian city of Eredo was found to be surrounded by a wall that was 100 miles long and seventy feet high in places. The internal area was a staggering 400 square miles.

56. On the subject of cloth, Kongolese textiles were also distinguished. Various European writers of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries wrote of the delicate crafts of the peoples living in eastern Kongo and adjacent regions who manufactured damasks, sarcenets, satins, taffeta, cloth of tissue and velvet. Professor DeGraft-Johnson made the curious observation that: “Their brocades, both high and low, were far more valuable than the Italian.”

57. On Kongolese metallurgy of the Middle Ages, one modern scholar wrote that: “There is no doubting . . . the existence of an expert metallurgical art in the ancient Kongo . . . The Bakongo were aware of the toxicity of lead vapours. They devised preventative and curative methods, both pharmacological (massive doses of pawpaw and palm oil) and mechanical (exerting of pressure to free the digestive tract), for combating lead poisoning.”

58. In Nigeria, the royal palace in the city of Kano dates back to the fifteenth century. Begun by Muhammad Rumfa (ruled 1463-99) it has gradually evolved over generations into a very imposing complex. A colonial report of the city from 1902, described it as “a network of buildings covering an area of 33 acres and surrounded by a wall 20 to 30 feet high outside and 15 feet inside . . . in itself no mean citadel”.

59. A sixteenth century traveller visited the central African civilisation of Kanem-Borno and commented that the emperor’s cavalry had golden “stirrups, spurs, bits and buckles.” Even the ruler’s dogs had “chains of the finest gold”.

60. One of the government positions in mediaeval Kanem-Borno was Astronomer Royal.

61. Ngazargamu, the capital city of Kanem-Borno, became one of the largest cities in the seventeenth century world. By 1658 AD, the metropolis, according to an architectural scholar housed “about quarter of a million people”. It had 660 streets. Many were wide and unbending, reflective of town planning.

62. The Nigerian city of Surame flourished in the sixteenth century. Even in ruin it was an impressive sight, built on a horizontal vertical grid. A modern scholar describes it thus: “The walls of Surame are about 10 miles in circumference and include many large bastions or walled suburbs running out at right angles to the main wall. The large compound at Kanta is still visible in the centre, with ruins of many buildings, one of which is said to have been two-storied. The striking feature of the walls and whole ruins is the extensive use of stone and tsokuwa (laterite gravel) or very hard red building mud, evidently brought from a distance. There is a big mound of this near the north gate about 8 feet in height. The walls show regular courses of masonry to a height of 20 feet and more in several places. The best preserved portion is that known as sirati (the bridge) a little north of the eastern gate . . . The main city walls here appear to have provided a very strongly guarded entrance about 30 feet wide.”

63. The Nigerian city of Kano in 1851 produced an estimated 10 million pairs of sandals and 5 million hides each year for export.

64. In 1246 AD Dunama II of Kanem-Borno exchanged embassies with Al-Mustansir, the king of Tunis. He sent the North African court a costly present, which apparently included a giraffe. An old chronicle noted that the rare animal “created a sensation in Tunis”.

65. By the third century BC the city of Carthage on the coast of Tunisia was opulent and impressive. It had a population of 700,000 and may even have approached a million. Lining both sides of three streets were rows of tall houses six storeys high.

66. The Ethiopian city of Axum has a series of 7 giant obelisks that date from perhaps 300 BC to 300 AD. They have details carved into them that represent windows and doorways of several storeys. The largest obelisk, now fallen, is in fact “the largest monolith ever made anywhere in the world”. It is 108 feet long, weighs a staggering 500 tons, and represents a thirteen-storey building.

67. Ethiopia minted its own coins over 1,500 years ago. One scholar wrote that: “Almost no other contemporary state anywhere in the world could issue in gold, a statement of sovereignty achieved only by Rome, Persia, and the Kushan kingdom in northern India at the time.”

68. The Ethiopian script of the 4th century AD influenced the writing script of Armenia. A Russian historian noted that: “Soon after its creation, the Ethiopic vocalised script began to influence the scripts of Armenia and Georgia. D. A. Olderogge suggested that Mesrop Mashtotz used the vocalised Ethiopic script when he invented the Armenian alphabet.”

69. “In the first half of the first millennium CE,” says a modern scholar, Ethiopia “was ranked as one of the world’s greatest empires”. A Persian cleric of the third century AD identified it as the third most important state in the world after Persia and Rome.

70. Ethiopia has 11 underground mediaeval churches built by being carved out of the ground. In the twelfth and thirteenth centuries AD, Roha became the new capital of the Ethiopians. Conceived as a New Jerusalem by its founder, Emperor Lalibela (c.1150-1230), it contains 11 churches, all carved out of the rock of the mountains by hammer and chisel. All of the temples were carved to a depth of 11 metres or so below ground level. The largest is the House of the Redeemer, a staggering 33.7 metres long, 23.7 metres wide and 11.5 metres deep.

71. Lalibela is not the only place in Ethiopia to have such wonders. A cotemporary archaeologist reports research that was conducted in the region in the early 1970’s when: “startling numbers of churches built in caves or partially or completely cut from the living rock were revealed not only in Tigre and Lalibela but as far south as Addis Ababa. Soon at least 1,500 were known. At least as many more probably await revelation.”

72. In 1209 AD Emperor Lalibela of Ethiopia sent an embassy to Cairo bringing the sultan unusual gifts including an elephant, a hyena, a zebra, and a giraffe.

73. In Southern Africa, there are at least 600 stone built ruins in the regions of Zimbabwe, Mozambique and South Africa. These ruins are called Mazimbabwe in Shona, the Bantu language of the builders, and means great revered house and “signifies court”.

74. The Great Zimbabwe was the largest of these ruins. It consists of 12 clusters of buildings, spread over 3 square miles. Its outer walls were made from 100,000 tons of granite bricks. In the fourteenth century, the city housed 18,000 people, comparable in size to that of London of the same period.

75. Bling culture existed in this region. At the time of our last visit, the Horniman Museum in London had exhibits of headrests with the caption: “Headrests have been used in Africa since the time of the Egyptian pharaohs. Remains of some headrests, once covered in gold foil, have been found in the ruins of Great Zimbabwe and burial sites like Mapungubwe dating to the twelfth century after Christ.”

76. Dr Albert Churchward, author of Signs and Symbols of Primordial Man, pointed out that writing was found in one of the stone built ruins: “Lt.-Col. E. L. de Cordes . . . who was in South Africa for three years, informed the writer that in one of the ‘Ruins’ there is a ‘stone-chamber,’ with a vast quantity of Papyri, covered with old Egyptian hieroglyphics. A Boer hunter discovered this, and a large quantity was used to light a fire with, and yet still a larger quantity remained there now.”

77. On bling culture, one seventeenth century visitor to southern African empire of Monomotapa, that ruled over this vast region, wrote that: “The people dress in various ways: at court of the Kings their grandees wear cloths of rich silk, damask, satin, gold and silk cloth; these are three widths of satin, each width four covados [2.64m], each sewn to the next, sometimes with gold lace in between, trimmed on two sides, like a carpet, with a gold and silk fringe, sewn in place with a two fingers’ wide ribbon, woven with gold roses on silk.”

78. Southern Africans mined gold on an epic scale. One modern writer tells us that: “The estimated amount of gold ore mined from the entire region by the ancients was staggering, exceeding 43 million tons. The ore yielded nearly 700 tons of pure gold which today would be valued at over $******7.5 billion.”

79. Apparently the Monomotapan royal palace at Mount Fura had chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. An eighteenth century geography book provided the following data: “The inside consists of a great variety of sumptuous apartments, spacious and lofty halls, all adorned with a magnificent cotton tapestry, the manufacture of the country. The floors, cielings [sic], beams and rafters are all either gilt or plated with gold curiously wrought, as are also the chairs of state, tables, benches &c. The candle-sticks and branches are made of ivory inlaid with gold, and hang from the cieling by chains of the same metal, or of silver gilt.”

80. Monomotapa had a social welfare system. Antonio Bocarro, a Portuguese contemporary, informs us that the Emperor: “shows great charity to the blind and maimed, for these are called the king’s poor, and have land and revenues for their subsistence, and when they wish to pass through the kingdoms, wherever they come food and drinks are given to them at the public cost as long as they remain there, and when they leave that place to go to another they are provided with what is necessary for their journey, and a guide, and some one to carry their wallet to the next village. In every place where they come there is the same obligation.”

81. Many southern Africans have indigenous and pre-colonial words for ‘gun’. Scholars have generally been reluctant to investigate or explain this fact.

82. Evidence discovered in 1978 showed that East Africans were making steel for more than 1,500 years: “Assistant Professor of Anthropology Peter Schmidt and Professor of Engineering Donald H. Avery have found as long as 2,000 years ago Africans living on the western shores of Lake Victoria had produced carbon steel in preheated forced draft furnaces, a method that was technologically more sophisticated than any developed in Europe until the mid-nineteenth century.”

83. Ruins of a 300 BC astronomical observatory was found at Namoratunga in Kenya. Africans were mapping the movements of stars such as Triangulum, Aldebaran, Bellatrix, Central Orion, etcetera, as well as the moon, in order to create a lunar calendar of 354 days.

84. Autopsies and caesarean operations were routinely and effectively carried out by surgeons in pre-colonial Uganda. The surgeons routinely used antiseptics, anaesthetics and cautery iron. Commenting on a Ugandan caesarean operation that appeared in the Edinburgh Medical Journal in 1884, one author wrote: “The whole conduct of the operation . . . suggests a skilled long-practiced surgical team at work conducting a well-tried and familiar operation with smooth efficiency.”

85. Sudan in the mediaeval period had churches, cathedrals, monasteries and castles. Their ruins still exist today.

86. The mediaeval Nubian Kingdoms kept archives. From the site of Qasr Ibrim legal texts, documents and correspondence were discovered. An archaeologist informs us that: “On the site are preserved thousands of documents in Meroitic, Latin, Greek, Coptic, Old Nubian, Arabic and Turkish.”

87. Glass windows existed in mediaeval Sudan. Archaeologists found evidence of window glass at the Sudanese cities of Old Dongola and Hambukol.

88. Bling culture existed in the mediaeval Sudan. Archaeologists found an individual buried at the Monastery of the Holy Trinity in the city of Old Dongola. He was clad in an extremely elaborate garb consisting of costly textiles of various fabrics including gold thread. At the city of Soba East, there were individuals buried in fine clothing, including items with golden thread.

89. Style and fashion existed in mediaeval Sudan. A dignitary at Jebel Adda in the late thirteenth century AD was interned with a long coat of red and yellow patterned damask folded over his body. Underneath, he wore plain cotton trousers of long and baggy cut. A pair of red leather slippers with turned up toes lay at the foot of the coffin. The body was wrapped in enormous pieces of gold brocaded striped silk.

90. Sudan in the ninth century AD had housing complexes with bath rooms and piped water. An archaeologist wrote that Old Dongola, the capital of Makuria, had: “a[n] . . . eighth to . . . ninth century housing complex. The houses discovered here differ in their hitherto unencountered spatial layout as well as their functional programme (water supply installation, bathroom with heating system) and interiors decorated with murals.”

91. In 619 AD, the Nubians sent a gift of a giraffe to the Persians.

92. The East Coast, from Somalia to Mozambique, has ruins of well over 50 towns and cities. They flourished from the ninth to the sixteenth centuries AD.

93. Chinese records of the fifteenth century AD note that Mogadishu had houses of “four or five storeys high”.

94. Gedi, near the coast of Kenya, is one of the East African ghost towns. Its ruins, dating from the fourteenth or fifteenth centuries, include the city walls, the palace, private houses, the Great Mosque, seven smaller mosques, and three pillar tombs.

95. The ruined mosque in the Kenyan city of Gedi had a water purifier made of limestone for recycling water.

96. The palace in the Kenyan city of Gedi contains evidence of piped water controlled by taps. In addition it had bathrooms and indoor toilets.

97. A visitor in 1331 AD considered the Tanzanian city of Kilwa to be of world class. He wrote that it was the “principal city on the coast the greater part of whose inhabitants are Zanj of very black complexion.” Later on he says that: “Kilwa is one of the most beautiful and well-constructed cities in the world. The whole of it is elegantly built.”

98. Bling culture existed in early Tanzania. A Portuguese chronicler of the sixteenth century wrote that: “They are finely clad in many rich garments of gold and silk and cotton, and the women as well; also with much gold and silver chains and bracelets, which they wear on their legs and arms, and many jewelled earrings in their ears”.

99. In 1961 a British archaeologist, found the ruins of Husuni Kubwa, the royal palace of the Tanzanian city of Kilwa. It had over a hundred rooms, including a reception hall, galleries, courtyards, terraces and an octagonal swimming pool.

100. In 1414 the Kenyan city of Malindi sent ambassadors to China carrying a gift that created a sensation at the Imperial Court. It was, of course, a giraffe.

check me out on MYSPACE @ www.myspace.com/clove

Baltimore, Get Up Stand Up! Don't Give Up the Fight!

2007-05-03T14:13:00.001-04:00

Although I know the same is probably true all over the world.....I'm in Baltimore.....some im going to speak on that! Please walk with me......
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I am college educated, no kids, socially conscious and TRULY want to make a difference in my community.

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I sometimes feel so lost when it comes to how to actually go about doing this.

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I've attended prominent historically black schools all my life ....so I am versed in my history, but now all I have is the anger, mistrust, and fears of my parents....& very little insight on how to create possibilities for people less fortunate than I. There is no blue print.
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Because black people are so disconnected on so many levels (we still have light skin vs dark skin arguments)....its very hard to find other people like myself who want more. People who are tired of POC being seen as lazy, shiftless, dumb, ignorant, moraless, etc. I know this is not true, but it seems as though the ignorance is the only aspect of the black american existence that is given a worldwide platform.

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I know like minded people are out here, but unfortunately....there really are no systems into place which make it easier for people to link up and build on a local level.

I've been courted by the black nationalists ....and while I FEEL them on many levels.....they were scary and their ideas seem a bit dated (sorry)......& the "YBP-type" events are all lipgloss and chocolate martinis...very pretentious (and fake - this is a blue collar city....LOL!) and offer no practical solutions to everyday problems (i.e schools, crime, housing, trash, landscaping, pollution, etc.) No real dialogue occurs.

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My city is and always has been racially segregated. I so rather deal with the reality than fuss about how racist the city government's policies are day in and day out. There is very little motivation to change the status quo.

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Most of the poor people (most of whom are AA) live on the "tubercular " West Side of the City and most of the white city dwellers are flocking to the newer developments in the East and the historically white encloves elsewhere with very little mixing .

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The difference is astounding when you drive through the streets of Baltimore. IN SOME AREAS ITS DOWN RIGHT DISRESPECTFUL!!!
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Listen..... lemme be clear: I'm not even mad that non-POC have chosen not to invest in the predominantly black communities....I'm upset that my people spend so much money in other areas and aren't mad that they have to go outside of their neighbors to get basic necessities (i.e. produce)and that my people are not more motivated to come together and create our own legacy in this city.

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Please don't think I'm judging anyone....I too have work, bills and responsibilities, but at this point in the game we have absolutely no choice but to dig deep and give more of ourselves for the betterment of all mankind and the success of future generations. All the heathens out here causing havoc today will be the grown up that try to knock me down when I'm elderly. We cannot run away from the problem of the inner cities any longer.
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No one is going to make our communities better. Most non-POC in Baltimore see the problems in our communities as ours...and many think that the condition of our communities further prove that we are animals or sub human.
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All kinds of REAL, Large scale development is going on everywhere but in the black community. Why is that? I'm not talking about opening hair salons, barber shops, chicken shacks, corner sanctuaries......where are the family restaurants.....the internet cafes.....the playground....credit counseling organizations...clinics...starbucks?

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I for one am tired of waiting for somebody ...ANYBODY (usually a white man) to come and build up my community.....to come save my community.....that's what my parents did and you see where we are now......

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I want to do more...I want to be part of changing the landscape of my city, but there is no way I can do it alone. There is more money in the hood than ANYWHERE!! We have ENORMOUS buying power as a people. There is a reason Mondawnmin is the richest mall in MD.
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Let's stop acting like someone else is going to treat us better than we treat ourselves. LET'S JUST GET REAL!!!
That's all Im saying.

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I am the 2nd person in my family to graduate from college....no one has left me a house ....or money in trust....I don't have a dad to help me start a new biz....I was born a credit risk......I make ok money, but I am just barely paying my bills....I don't see how I alone can get ahead. I can't get AHEAD..... The system is not set up for me and you to. So what can we do? Wait to die?
*

Now....my question to the world:

How can we get to a place (as a people) where we love one another as black people if we are wasting so much time arguing who's theories of how we got here (2007) is the most correct?

How can we progress when the black people who have a little more can no longer identify with thier bredren and sistren who have been unable to get off the exercise wheel of ooverty?

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How can we get ahead when....we can't even agree that the word "N*GGA" is not a must have in our vocabulary? There are some blacks that want to argue their right to keep it, but won't fight about being denied the right to vote. And by the way.....Our right to vote is not a law, people.

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I've been reading some pretty assinine dialougue online lately....one thing I found particularly troubling was this idea that says there are 3 types of black people (AA, Black and N*GGA).

Why do WE say such stupid things all the time.....all this talk about 3 types of black ppl further causes the divide. It all boils down to a lack of exposure. The "n*gga" type has decided that he does not want to be a contributing member of society. Regardless of his color (& no WE as a society are not at a place where we can equally apply that label to anyone and everyone be okay with it and understand your intention) should be dealt with accordingly, but as long as we continue to say hurtful things about each other, particularly in the presence of others...we will contiue to give those who DO NOT have our best interest the upperhand. Quit with the name calling. Let's try this one on for size: Most black ppl are habitual followers (even the ones that won't admit it)...let's make loving each other slick.....stop spreading hate and trying to divide us like they did when they grouped us by who was built to be the best slave......stop calling this kind of dialogue progress....its does nothing but alienate people (the n*ggas as well as the the ppl that want to help everyone).

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Baltimore is anchored by 2 HBCUs (Morgan State U and Coppin U).....how can we build on that? Several thousands of college educated POC graduate every year........??? What kind of programs or legistlature can we come up with that will interest young black professionals in homesteading or at least make the idea of homeownership less scary? What about Co-ops for people that aren't ready to jump out and buy on their own initially? There is no good reason why we start thinking about building wealth so late in life. Plus.....Baltimore needs more positive examples in the commmunity to balance the crap....How do we make the city government see that they are sitting on a wealth of potential......potentially motivating citizens and tax contributors.

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How do you motivate ppl and get them to understand that it makes no sense to spend all of your money in a neighborhood where you are not wanted??... My friends work all hard to get a house in the burbs......only to have all of their white neighbors move shortly after because they think more than one black family on a block means trouble "Honey, there goes the neighborhood" & there goes YOUR property value..... I know others who spend 20 + years paying for a house in the county only for them to make the city prime real estate in 2007 and all the ppl that used to inhabit the "revitalized" area (which was the hood when you lived there as a child) are now your neighors....the very people you ran from initially.
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Where are my HBCU grads....is there any pride or connectedness in that?
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Until rap starts to really address what's going on in the hood and not just the debauchury (drugs, murder, sex, ect.) ....I'ma let yall have it! All these rappers like to holla out that they keep it real.....mmmmmmmmmh Im starting to wonder. Rap is becoming so played to this 80's baby. I live Hip Hop...I don't have to do anything more than breathe.

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check me out on MYSPACE @ www.myspace.com/clove

I HOPE TO ACTUALLY SEE A FEW PPL I KNOW

2007-04-23T16:33:00.001-04:00

The Make Hip Hop Not War Tour comes to Baltimore tomorrow night for the final stop of its national tour!

http://www.hiphopcaucus.org/tour.php

This tour has emerged as a major moment for the peace movement. The disproportionate impact of war and war spending on communities of color has long been overlooked. This is why the Hip Hop Caucus, Iraq Veterans Against the War and Books Not Bombs launched a tour of music and politics to get more people of color, college students and young people involved in the anti-war movement.

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"Make Hip Hop Not War" Baltimore Event
Date: Tuesday, April 24
Time: 9:00pm
Cost: FREE

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Location: St. John's Church, 2640 St. Paul Street, Baltimore MD 21218
Speakers and Musicians: Rev. Lennox Yearwood of the Hip Hop Caucus, Cindy Sheehan of Gold Star Families for Peace, Marine Mom Tina Richards of Grassroots America, Kevin Zeese of Democracy Rising, Adam Kokesh of Iraq Vets Against the War and the students of the University of Maryland Baltimore of Hungry for Peace. Musicians include DJ Chela, Son of Nun, Akir, A-Alikes, Articulate and More.

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The tour is designed to demonstrate that real hip hop culture is not gangsta rap, but represents the progressive character of Black America. The tour, which has been featured on MTV and the Black Agenda Report (http://www.blackagendareport.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=179&Itemid=33), believes "it is time for Hip Hop to break the silence. Our generation is fighting and dying in Iraq. Our generation must lead the campaign to bring our troops home." The Make Hip Hop Not War tour comes just before college students at the University of Maryland at College Park begin a week-long fast to protest the war. Students, faculty and staff will be camping out on campus and fasting from food for the entire week of April 30 - May 4.

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The "Make Hip Hop Not War" tour has visited Washington, DC, New York City, Boston, St. Louis, Los Angeles, Chicago, Berkeley and South Bend among other locations. For more information, visit http://www.hiphopcaucus.org.

If you would like to help gather VotersForPeace pledges at the event, please email trina@VotersForPeace.org.

You can also download materials at http://www.votersforpeace.us/toolbox.html.

check me out on MYSPACE @ www.myspace.com/clove

Do you really think it will have any impact on the community?

2007-04-23T15:31:00.000-04:00

Hip-hop's Simmons wants to remove offensive words

Hip hop music entrepreneur Russell Simmons arrives at 2006 BET Awards at Shrine Auditorium in Los Angele (2007-04-23)
By Daniel Trotta

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NEW YORK (Reuters) - Prominent U.S. hip-hop executive Russell Simmons on Monday recommended eliminating the words "bitch," "ho" and "nigger" from the recording industry, considering them "extreme curse words."

The call comes less than two weeks after radio personality Don Imus' nationally syndicated and televised radio show was canceled amid public outcry over Imus calling a women's basketball team "nappy-headed hos."
Simmons, co-founder of the Def Jam label and a driving force behind hip-hop's huge commercial success, called for voluntary restrictions on the words and setting up an industry watchdog to recommend guidelines for lyrical and visual standards.

"We recommend that the recording and broadcast industries voluntarily remove/bleep/delete the misogynistic words 'bitch' and 'ho' and the racially offensive word 'nigger'," Simmons and Benjamin Chavis, co-chairmen of the advocacy group Hip-Hop Summit Action Network, said in a statement.

"These three words should be considered with the same objections to obscenity as 'extreme curse words'," it said.

Ho is slang for whore and commonly used in hip-hop music while nigger, a derogatory term for blacks, is among the most highly charged insults in American culture. The slur "nappy," used by Imus, describes the tightly curled hair of many African Americans.

CHANGING STANCE
Monday's statement changed course from another one by Simmons and Chavis dated April 13, a day after Imus' show was canceled, in which they said offensive references in hip-hop "may be uncomfortable for some to hear, but our job is not to silence or censor that expression."

The Imus controversy stoked a debate in the United States about how to deal with inflammatory words that are widely considered highly offensive but at the same time commonly and casually used in youth culture.

U.S. black leaders such as Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson have led the charge to suppress offensive words while many artists have argued for freedom of expression. New York City declared a symbolic moratorium on the so-called N-word in February.

"Our internal discussions with industry leaders are not about censorship. Our discussions are about the corporate social responsibility of the industry to voluntarily show respect to African Americans and other people of color, African American women and to all women in lyrics and images," the statement from Simmons and Chavis said on Monday.

The network recommended the formation of a Coalition on Broadcast Standards that would consist of leading executives from music, radio and television.

I'm really not mad at this suggestion!!!! Today's popular rap really demonstrates a real lack of vocabulary and/or mastery of the English language! Maybe this will make folk step their games up or at the very least...make the greater public recognize that some rappers are ACTUALLY better than others.

check me out on MYSPACE @ www.myspace.com/clove

one more thing............

2007-04-19T08:57:00.000-04:00

I read over yesterday's post and feel the need to come back and clarify a few little points.....

I am just about as real a black woman you can get.....
I don't hate anyone
I will answer any question - I'm cool with uncomfortable questions....you will get no backlash.
I want to make the world a better place for all people.
I recognize that black people cannot blame anyone else for the condition of our communities and I'm willing to do my part - I will not run away.
I am open minded
I respect other people's boundaries
I'm willing to become friend's with anyone who genuinely does not think they are better than me simply because they are not black - friendship is is a privledge.
You start with an A...its up to you to keep it!
I wish no harm to come to any other human being....

deep down inside I know we are all humans biologicially (I work in the scientific community) .....race was something someone evil created to divide us.

.....the reason that I may refer to things along racial lines is because that is my reality unfortunately. I want a house.....if I live below or within my means...I will be livin in a neigborhood of my peers....if I live above my means...I struggle and I still may never get ahead (I feel so sorry for folk that have houses in Randallstown, Woodlawn, Parts of Owings Mills in a few years.....mwah!)

I would love to live in a world were I trusted everyone's intentions but hey, that is just not that way the world we live in is actually set up. You hear about Black communities, underachieving black schools, black issues, black health....? Who is trying to make the world more multicultural and based on the values everyone says they want? its all good! ??? AS soon as everything is correctly discussed (i.e we have an American problem or a Baltimore problem).....I will be more of a believer that we live in a society where everyone is equal.

I pray that because I am so honest....that it may in turn generate a discussion...if not with me then within your own circle.

I feel looked down upon in society....not sure why or when this downward spiral occured, but there seems to be an all out assult on black women. I would love to break it down further, but perhaps some other time.

(relevant example: This new movie, A Diary of a Tired Black Man (TBD) is sure to set us back a few more years. Not because of the jewels they may drop on sistahs about how we relate to black men, but how sprinkled in the food is destined to be a little sh*t- all these brothers who put us down as a justification for them dating interracially - bs)

i am not saying that the overtly sexist and racist society we live in gets me down all the time...i have very high self esteem and the people around me have good things going on and are progressive, but when i look around me I truly feel as if no one else is mad about it. Who has my back? Oprah's show was very interesting....truly made me realize that within the black "leadership"'s collective thinking...their is a paradigm shift occuring and folk are clashing......a changing of the guard, if you will. The new folk may be lets say relying more on technology over man power. Its so sad because my generation have not been truly equipped to deal with the new issues we face...did you hear ya guy Kevin Lyles?.....we are still fighting demons that we should have long ago gotten ova (i.e hair - topic of post). I want to change....I'm growing, please don't knock me while Im going through my metamorphesis.

I've been quite emotional lately....there has just been so much going on in the world. Betweeen the war (I think "they" want us to forget we are going through one), all the sensless killings in our small town, imus, va tech, I am emotionally spent and honestly haven't felt much like posting on the blog. Some of the stuff I have on my mind is a rough draft (much like much of today's rap music) and when people read it they may take me a little to literally and I def can't have that.

Holla at cha gurl sometimes...keep me posted. What's going on in the Q-munnity (I sound like Jeneba!)

heck me out on MYSPACE @ www.myspace.com/clove

Hollywood here I come!!!

2007-04-19T08:46:00.000-04:00

Sometimes we must ALL laugh at ourselves...........

A few months ago, I asked you all to come out for the premier of an indie film I stared. I know I told yall, but the movie was not the version that I had come to love....what was left of moi was almost not deserving of an actual character mention in the credits. Needless to say....I was pleasently surprised to find out that the movie has been revamped....and now I'm once again ready for prime time.

Well thanks to this marvelous invention called the internet.......you can see the entire movie in the comfort of your own homes. I present to you:

BLOOD ON THE WALL$

the web-series (click for link to all episodes)

SYNOPSIS - From Barry Michael Cooper, the writer of "New Jack City", "Above The Rim", and "Sugar Hill", comes the 14-part webiseries "Blood On The Wall$". Both a character study and a detective story, "Blood On The Wall$" revolves around Cooper Michaels a hot writer and TV producer in the 90s. His cop show "Filthy"--starring Dr. Dre and Kurupt" as two Philadelphia narcs--put Michaels at the top of the LA food chain, only to topple when he develops a love for crack cocaine. Coming back to his adapted hometown of Baltimore, Md., he looks to make a comeback as a journalist trying to unravel the mystery of a murder suicide involving an up and coming Basquiat-like painter, Swiss William$. A story of loss and redemption. Best to watch BOTW$ in succession, from Webisodes 1-to-14. There is a real arc to this Webiseries. BOTW$ was an Official Selection to both the 2005 American Black Film Festival and the 2006 Johns Hopkins Film Festival. Webisode 1 features Michael Wright, Dr. Dre, and Kurupt.
WEBSITE

headz up:

SEASON 1 features the guy that played Eddie in the 5 Heartbeats - CRAZY!!!

I am definitely in Webisode 2:
http://www.ifilm.com/video/2838942

I make a few more appearances, but I have not had the time to see where to be able to poin that out to ya! Feedback is good ~ holla @ cha gurl!

Big Ups to bmc and Larry Scott for finally gettin this out in the universe!

check me out on MYSPACE @ www.myspace.com/clove

HIP HOP ON OPRAH or OPRAH ON HIP HOP?

2007-04-19T08:33:00.000-04:00

Do you still feel the same about them?

Did you expect more?

check me out on MYSPACE @ www.myspace.com/clove

RANT: MY Hair

2007-04-18T08:34:00.000-04:00

HOLLA IF YA HEAR ME!!!

If you have never had your hair gawked at by a total stranger or touched without provocation.......you are blessed.

I pray it never happens to you....I pray that you never have to explain how a totally innocent action could set off a firestorm of emotion.

In my experience, hair brushing for purposes other than grooming (lets say mother of daughter) is not something that we typically do in the black community. I am not going to lie.....it feels nice to have someone play in your hair. This action can be loving, sensual, relaxing.....mmmmmh, but that is usually when the one with their hands in your head has made your acquaintance at a previous occasion. Even a shampoo girl getting a little too rough might get a side ways glare.

Usually so much work has gone into our hair....that touching it in ANY way other than to put a piece of hair or a curl back into the spot in which the stylist placed it......is asking for T-R-O-U-B-L-E. You can seriously get cussed out for messing with a women that is not "hair maintenance" saavy's hair. Point is.....A Black WOMAN's Hair is generally something that the owner won't even touch without a real purpose (premeditation)...LOL! so what makes you think you think they want someone's else's unknowing, non-styling hands in their heads?

OK......who plays with their hair?
Long hair happens.....but long silky flowing hair is not something black folk are generally born possessing....LOL! Therefore...non sexual playing with the hair of a friend....including brushing, squeezing and smelling it......pulling it up off the neck because you are bored.... I've seen other races do this....so I assume hair is generally a light hearted topic and in most other populations or ppl....a woman's hair is probably one of the least intrusive body parts one can touch.....BUT IT IS SO DIFFERENT WITH BLACK FOLK....SO SO SO SOOOOOOOOO DIFFERENT!!!and/or asking a bunch of questions about a black woman's hair before doing a little research your self.......is a NO NO!!!

IS SHE SERIOUS?

Let's face it.....hair on the list of important obstacles people must face is waaaaaaaaaaay down on the list...but its still important that this issue be noted.

There are serious trust issues between black Americans and white Americans, in particular, that have NOTHING to do with hair. IMO until these issues are truly addresses......folk will still wonder if its okay to ask a black person about their hair and black folk will always wonder what kind of wicked ish makes you even want to know about it?

It would be silly to think that hair would be any different......

I am not singling out white folks....LOL!, but the fact of the matter is....no one else (in my experience on this Earth) is as curious about black people. No Asian, African, Middle Eastern, person has ever said anything culturally insensitive or rude to me EVER!!! Sure......people may wonder, but something makes them refrain. Why is this? - I wonder or maybe they have an insight that has unfortunately not been afforded the a minority.....wow! something good about being a minority - FINALLY!!!A few Eastern Europeans have said some border line ish to me, but the questions were obsurd and clearly not based on a predjudice.

Perhaps black girls do take it TOO personally when others seem to be so curious about us (our bodies, our odor, our hair texture, our lips, etc).....but maybe before you so quickly come to the conclusion that black women are all angry b*tches and get all self righteous because you were being "nice" in your little self-centered mind.........try to understand our relationship with our hair and how America makes us feel about something we can do very little about without changing that part of us that is unique.

I don't think anyone but a black woman (not even a black man) understands the love / hate relationship that black women have with our hair. It truly transcends mere vanity. There has been many a day that I did not go to work or something equally important because I could not get my hair "right". My hair is the first thing that tells people if I have anything intelligent to say....in many ways...before I even open my mouth even....it tells people so much about me (in their minds).

Having "Nice" hair is so tied into our sense of being complete....

Nice...not to be confused with the "good" (ie like white, latino or asian) vs bad hair debate - but manegeable what ever that means to you.

Manageable hair is HARD WORK!!! Betta believe it takes a black woman waaaaaaaaay more work to acheieve that crisp and polished look that defines the work place norm.

Some of us care about what others think of our hair....we work in "professional" or white collar environments......and so we want to blend in as much as possible.....we conform. The thought pattern goes something like, "not tryna be white, but I def don't want to be seen as 'black'". HOLLA IF YA HEAR ME - YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW THAT FEELS. I am so proud to be what I was taught defined a Black American, but in our society....there is nothing good about being Black. Don't get me started about TV, radio, retailers, media, books, bloggers, rants and ravers, movies.....just about everything.

The Other type black women in our society....... don't care what you think about their hair (ESPECIALLY SOMEONE THAT COULD TRULY CARE LESS ABOUT THEM). THINK: That chick in front of you in line at Walmart with the spiked & highlighted mo-hawk or the big ole kinky bush........

Who do you think is deserving of more respect? & why?

Many would look at the sistah with the funky hawk and think ....she must be on welfare or section 8 because who in their right mind would hire her looking like that? LOL! So bangie, so ghetto!

what's soooo...... funny is that the second sistah owns her own clothing boutique and her customers love her wild style and disregard for the rules that hold many of us in check. She is a tax payer...a positive role model....a mother....a black woman who embraced her ethnicity....she isn' hurting anyone....and yet there are ppl out here that think they are better than her simply because she has decided to simply let her hair does what it do...... how about sistah #1 is really a slave. The person who can't think for her self. The one who does what she has to do to be told, "this is how much money I am going to give you this year and that's it....take it or leave it" and she doesn't have the courage to DO HER. She'll cut your throat without an afterthought.

I used to be a big-time braid wearer...way before the Africans opened shops up all over the place....

side notes:
now the little young gurls are so good with it that the Africans prolly don't make as much as they used to......

back when professional looking braids were still only available to people who could afford them...... they were easy to manage.....stayed in one place or style until I was ready to change them.....looked good (in my mind) and were always good for an oooh or aaaah from a sistah who could appreciate the intricate detail work that characterizes a professional braided hair style.

People that judge braid wearers or think they are ghetto....have no respect!!! Don't project your lack of knowledge of history on other ppl....
African queens and warriors wore braids....if anywhere else in this world....my hair would be regarded as regal.

Side note: And for those of you that have the nerve to make a mockery of black ppl that refer to their African heritage to invoke a sense of pride, nostalgia or to out things in perspective are ignorant. I know that many black people do not care about African and that many Africans do not care about Black Americans, but that does not make it right.....nor does it give anyone else the right to use our ignorance against us to prove a point.

(i.e. rap & not Hip Hop.....let's keep it real: If rap were truly offensive to white ppl...it would have LONG ago been nipped in the bud. We are talking about black ppl talking about killing and harming other black ppl. Why does anyone think that saying we are racist against one another makes any damn sense? and if its so racist....why would anyone want to listen to us spew so much self-hate UNLESS they shared the sentiments? or simply don't know any better?)

Because black people generally do not have reliable information about our history we are so so so soo bitter and when we think back to why we don't know our history.....well that just makes folk feel uncomfortable (regardless of what side of the table you sit). I digress......I alluded to this earlier...until a real discussion occurs on that topic.....we will continually arrive back HERE......so much distrust is sickening.

I ALWAYS had mixed emotions about my hair. NO ONE ACTS LIKE AFRICAN AMERICAN HAIR IS BEAUTIFUL. EVERYTHING TELLS US ITS IN NEED OF MODIFICATION. Before the perms made it possible to process and go....hair maintenance was an ordeal. My memories of hot ass straigtening combs inches away from my scalp and grandma's wise cracks about my nappy kitchen (aka the bottom of the back of my head) fill me with a mixture of sadness and joy. For black women...like black men...the hair salons and beauty salons are therapy. There are women that may not have money to get a bus pass, but you better believe their hair is gonna stay fresh. I know some of you are reading this as being wasteful or ignorant....niggerish even, but how would you feel if you let your hair do what it naturally wants to do and that makes you the scorn of everyone. most women don't even want to share the name of their stylist and many a stylist makes their customers pay more because they offer exclusivity...

In my community or around black people I was highly praised....told how neat they looked...the commentor(s) and I could laugh about how tight the braids looked (how they made my eyes look chinese...LOL!)....I could tell them how much they cost without feeling like the person would judge me for spending over $200+ and 13 + hours of my life to have some fake hair entertwined with my own hair.....no one touched them....no one looked at them like they were foreign......Certain hairstyles ....I KNOW will make black people oooh and aaaaahhh...black people seem to appreciate the work.

Unfortunately, I will not be getting them again because they are pulling my hair out from the root at the side, but if I could....I'd love to get some individuals......

....on the other hand.....and while I know they mean no harm....I get asked by non-blacks....does "that" hurt.... (as if my hair is forein) or I'm told...I like you hair when its straight better or how about being told my straight hair is more professional that braids even tho we all know intelligence is not determined by how one looks, but by how you express yourself. FYI: although the hair did not grow from my scalp....once it is interwoven with my own hair...it all becomes my hair. Do yourself a favor and NEVER touch or talk about the the fake part or even talk about it as if it is separate from my naturally grown hair unless you have the ability to converse about black hair. Its sad that one has to go through all this to get an answer about hair....but until America gets real about EVERYTHING.......black ppl are prolly always gonna question why someone non-black wants to know anything about them. ANYTHING at all??? & besides......there is information all about black hair all over the net...try looking it up! Folk can get on the internet for everything else......

This creates a difficult place for me to be in because while in my community...I am taken at face value...many times I am praised for my nice hair its not usually until I express an ideal that people know I'm on some other ish.....but when I go out in the world...in the workplace.....I am being judged by standards that are not part of my upbringing or formal education.... black girls are not taught that good black girls wear their hair like this......so we grow up doing what is best for our hair....but as soon as you grow up....you have to deal with new issues to make you self conscious about your hair.

sorry if this sounds like rambling....LOL! Haven't blogged in a while

black ppl have always have a lot of shame (*WOW/WHEN? - how did that happen?) related to our hair (good vs bad - "you must have indian in your family")and its a sensitive area.....regardless of the race of the person that makes a comment about our hair....they should be prepared for some shade. Try acting like a grown up and not an inquisitive child and you may be so so so so so so so surprised. Even tho it may be wrong for us to get as mad as we do.....TRY EMPATHYZING!!!
WE know its silly to get mad about someone being curious about our hair.....but the mistrust regarding why you want to know or why knowing supercedes following societal norms related to "personal space"....is VERY REAL!

Let us do more to break down the walls before we start wanting to learn more about the things that make us so different and ultimately divide us.

In closing..........hair is a very sensitive issue in the black community...it is so NOT cool for anyone to talk about a black women's hair in a negative way ......There is something so empowering about getting your hair styled. For many ppl it is the only time they are pampered or feel beautiful. So whether you like the style or not.....the hair is a reflection of the owner. Today......perms allow all of us to have "good" hair....LOL! so you are no better than me!!! so I'm ova my hair issues - oh well eventually I will be - MAYBE.

Imus issue:
As a woman involved in the Hip Hop community I think I should at least say something......

(YES! I am still involved......just in a different capacity. Regrouping is the word of the day.....I recommend this to anyone whenever your operation is no longer going according to plan)

I could care less about what Imus said....he really should have kept his job. I think its time that black people learn what types of things people say about us in private (generally)....maybe then we can start making some adjustments. If we keep on acting offended from the jump....we will never know the real deal.

As long as everyone thinks "us" (POC) as if we are the scum of American and we don't know it.....and as long as ALL Americans celebrate the ignorance that has come to characterize Black Americans.....we are destined to keep on making the same mistakes.

I am somebody and I know quite a few some bodies.....we are not all HOES. And for the record....hoe's had nothing to do with Imus loosing his job. I seriously doubt they started any letter writing campaigns..... "Nappy Headed" is a word from an older generation (40+). I think that it was probably older women that made the biggest fuss about his comments. Women in Oprah's age range.

As an AA woman I am so glad that this incident with Imus occured.
I'm sad Imus was made an example of...the court of public opinion damned him, but this can be such a great catalyst to change.

I agree with everyone that says that hip hop is very influential in American society. Black people say some deplorable things about each other than in the form of hip hop music. But black people are not the people that made hip hop the multi-billion dollar industry that it is...... Made it so that it is EVERYWHERE...all over the world.

So the question should really be: why is this hateful music where black people talk so hateful about one another so appealing to the masses?

I bet no one has an answer?????

or Has this always been the favored type of entertainment in America?

Black people have a lot of hurt and deep wounds related to how we are viewed in America. Their are quite a few productive black members of society.

This incident is forcing us to look at our selves in a way that nothing else could.

Will America get mad that Imus was fired or will they start to look at the moral compass that guides our American way of life.

check me out on MYSPACE @ www.myspace.com/clove

Who's Who of the Underground @ Edens Lounge (4.16.07)

2007-04-18T08:11:00.000-04:00

I am always pleased when I go to a show that starts on time (8:30 PM), is well organized and well attended by a nice mixture of folk. The Who's Who concept is great! I would love to see it continue.

Brown F.I.S.H and CHE tore down the house this past Monday at the Super Swank Eden's Lounge. The diverse audience was treated to to form "Best of Both Worlds" Experience. A flip of the coin decided the line up....as luck would have it....BF started the show. Nothing but energy from start to finish. Their's is defintely one of the more polished shows I've seen from a rap act in a min. If you've never seen them perform.....don't feel ashamed.....they simple don't do it much. This is only like my 4th time. Accompanied by a just two other guitar players, (including Judah - whaddap bredren!!), their DJ ....the show was much more stripped down than the IIB 1 Brown F.I.S.H. (which solidified thier place in my TOP 10), but powerful none the less.... OOH the perennial showman.....upped the anti in the race for the most stylish performer....he took us back with the gucci link chain and Pippi Longstockings..........man, that guy is crazy! Big Ups to B-Fly....home gurl did her thang!! Loved the FLY Tee! & Jah, you are da truth! No one brings it like ya - no mon!

I am tellin yall NOW.....expect big things to jump from the F.I.S.H. basket this year. That Full Length BFLY EXPERIENCE is due pretty soon......I'll keep ya posted. Now performing with a full band and the FLY 3's (who dem? who dat? mmmmmmmmmmh?).....you will not be able to say you've seen it before. I know first hand that OOH and Jah have been working diligently to finally release a complete album for all of you out there that have been patiently waiting and studying your F.I.S.H.story. Man.....when I tell ya they have some music that will revoluntionize the game...I pray you believe me.

Oh yeah...........

Next time you are out a Brown F.I.S.H. and a beautiful young woman asks you if you want to sign up for the F.I.S.H. e-mail list don't act like I'm asking you to give blood...LOL!

Che is destined for HUGE SUCCESS!!! I am so glad I know him!!!! Che got his Frankie Beverly and Maze on....LOL! FULL band (horns included), back up singers (OMG! I need to know what that male back up singer puts on his lips! SHINY don't even start to explain how much them chumpies was glowing.....LOL!).....I loved truly his show. Not one that you can put in any one musical category.....he took us back in time to juke joint down south....then to the apollo stage as he warmed us up for a young James Brown, then we were off to the carribean islands swaying under the orange sun. He even took us to a bible waving penticostal chruch and made us all want to clap our hands. I tell ya....I left feeling much better than when I went in. I can't believe that this guy is not already selling out the arena yet....his show was 10x's better than the Jamie Foxx show I just went to a few weeks ago and paid all that dang money.

Big Ups to all the beautiful folks in the building:

Olu, Snoop (SPANK ROCK Crew - Nice to meet ya!!), Sugga, Mason, Lamar Hill (Good Luck with you play!!!), Walter (Warm Wednesdays @ 5 Seasons), Brother O (You are such an asset!!! I respect your grizzly), Ogun, Chrissie & Zenobia (ALWAYS a pleasure!!! Chrissie, I want that album!!!), Symantyx, Greenspan, E the Poet Emcee, Archie the Messanger, Melanie, Big Show, D. Chase & everyone else that showed ole gurl some love.

Be good yall!

Holla at cha gurl.......check me out on MYSPACE @ www.myspace.com/clove

Deeeeeeeeeeere she go!

2007-04-16T14:51:00.000-04:00

Some call it the Star Jones Diet aka Gastro Bypass.....others say its a CRACK Diet.....LOL! and still others say "Its A Baltimore Thing"

either way - it don't look too good to me!

Kevin, if ever in Bmore....lemme cook you dinner, boo! Ima keep ya in my prayers, brotha man!
*

check me out on MYSPACE @ www.myspace.com/clove

THE REAL HIP HOP IS OVA HERE!!!

2007-04-16T13:45:00.000-04:00

Hope to see many of you TONIGHT @

WHO'S WHO OF THE UNDERGROUND:

BROWN F.I.S.H

(pictured above at the Taping of the 4/6/07 SIGNAL radio program)

CHE

Edens Lounge

15 W. Eager Street, Monday, April 16th at 7:30 p.m.

$15 in advance / $25 at the door

check me out on MYSPACE @ www.myspace.com/clove

The Angry Black Woman’s Guide to Hair Etiquette or Stop Touching My Hair, White People!

2007-04-13T08:51:00.000-04:00

..............If you are not in the "club"......you prolly can't relate, but this person is tellin the truth!!!

The Angry Black Woman’s Guide to Hair Etiquette or Stop Touching My Hair, White People!

(source)

I’ve noticed that my hair post from a few weeks ago gets the most hits from Google. I’ll throw my keyword analysis up here sometime to show you the kind of messed up queries that lead people here. Many seem to be people looking for hair care options or just looking to understand certain things about black people and hair. I hope this post will be equally informative.

I first thought of making a post like this back when people mentioned on the blackfolk and sex & race communities that Barbara Walters had a hard time keeping her hands off black guests’ hair while on the air.

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Best Week Ever blog brought it to our attention:

A couple of weeks ago R&B singer Brandy dropped by The View. Judging by the way Barbara Walters teased her and pawed at her hair, you’d think Barbara had never sat next to a black woman before. Well, not by choice, anyway.

I was willing to brush the hair pulling aside (no pun intended) and write it off as an isolated incident… but that was up until Tanika Ray came in today. Now I know it wasn’t a one-time thing. It’s an epidemic. And Barbara Walters must be stopped.

The original post has links to the video.

LJer implodes had a similar reaction to mine:

Oh my sweet BEJEEBUZZ! Look at how she just grabs at them like they’re damn show dogs or something! “Oooh…look at the unusual coat of these exotic Negresses right over here…”

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LJer karnythia says straight out “My hair is not an exhibit“
In no reality would she walk up to a white woman, grab her hair and ask “Is this real?” with any expectation of a polite response. It simply would not occur to her to even attempt that behavior. But with black women? Apparently not only does she feel it’s okay for her to touch their hair, in the second situation she actually pulls hard on this woman’s hair.

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You should also check out the letter she sent ABC.
This is, unfortunately, not an isolated incident. Ask any black person you know if some white person has asked to touch their hair, or if it was real, or went ahead and touched/pulled it without permission and I’ll bet all of them can regale you with a story or two (or a hundred).

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As previously mentioned, I have hair that curls in coils. People just love to pull my curls and watch them spring back. Most times people ask permission. Most times. When I was young and had long hair (briefly) people would ask if I had a weave. Often, people ask me if my hair is natural (expecting me to say no) or just go right for the kill and ask what I do to my hair to make it look this way. 9 times out of 10 the other party is a white person.

*
I can’t count how many times I’ve silently cringed upon hearing some white woman go on and on about a friend’s dreds. How do they get like that? Is it true you can’t ever wash your hair? Can I touch it? It feels so weird!

*
White people feel they have some kind of right (or privilege) to paw at our hair. It’s like they can’t believe in it or something. A desire to learn more about people who aren’t like you is a fine pursuit. But most of the time I feel more like a fascinating exhibit than someone involved in a cultural exchange.

*
To further educate the masses, I’ve decided to write up this handy list:

I thought this was hillarious.......TAKE HEAD!!!:

The Angry Black Woman’s Guide to Hair Etiquette
1. It is never okay to touch, pull, or stroke a black person’s hair without permission. No matter how different, cool, or fun their hair looks, you just don’t.

2. It is never okay to ask a casual acquaintance or a perfect stranger if their hair is real. It doesn’t matter how curious you are or how incongruous their hair is to your expectations. Don’t do it.

3. Realize that, in asking if you can touch a black person’s hair, you are objectifying them in possibly uncomfortable ways. That person may consent to letting you touch their hair just to be nice, but rarely is it because they enjoy having your hands on them. The most polite thing would be not to ask until such time as you know that person well enough to know if they won’t mind the request. This is not the Petting Zoo.

4. Think before you make any comments expressing surprise that a person’s hair could look any certain way without a lot of help from chemicals, products, or professional stylists.

Print this, carry it around with you, tell others. I know I will. Because the next person who touches my hair without permission is going to come out of the encounter with several strands of their own missing (with root tags attached).

check me out on MYSPACE @ www.myspace.com/clove

Radio One Posts Major Losses-Blames LA Hip Hop Station (courtesy of DaveyD)

2007-04-12T12:21:00.000-04:00

Radio One Posts Major Losses-Blames LA Hip Hop Station

Next time some industry blow hard tells you that record sales are down because of downloads ask him to explain the low ratings that are being posted up by some of these radio stations... Are people downloading radio signals as well? Hell No! What's going on is that folks are just tired of the bullshit music that they keep playing over and over again. One should note that all the Hip Hop stations in LA have fallen out of the top 10 not because people don't like Hip Hop, they simply don't like the narrow selection being offered by these stations. If you don't believe me, check out the sold out Paid Dues show in San Bernadino this weekend and you'll see Hip Hop is alive and well. None of the groups on the bill are played on the radio...

Before the KKBT changed format to Adult R&B, the station was supposedly 'playing the hits' as a way to attract listeners, but hits for who? is the big question. You can only bling bling so much in a song. Time for folks to change up or more losses will come down the pipe for these outlets.

Davey D
Radio One Loses $23 Million In Q4 2006 As Revenues Fall
By Jeffrey Yorke

Urban media specialist Radio One said Wednesday that its preliminary fourth-quarter net loss totaled $22.9 million, or 23 cents a share, off from net earnings of nearly $10 million, or 10 cents a share, during the same period in 2005. The Lanham, Md.-based operation said its net broadcast revenues slipped to $86.2 million, down from $90.6 million.

During a conference call after markets closed Wednesday, Radio One president and CEO Alfred Liggins blamed the revenue drop on the "downward trend in traditional advertisement spending," "another soft quarter for the radio industry" and on a lackluster performance from the company's workhorse KKBT-FM/Los Angeles.

KBT once generated a rating as high as 3.8 among 12-plus listeners but last year fell to about a one share, Liggins said during the teleconference. "Our problems are truly isolated to one market: Los Angeles," he said, "given the significant changes we implemented at our L.A. station late last year."

KKBT has been reformatted from urban "the Beat" to urban AC "V100" to target the 24-54 age group and is on the rebound, Liggins said. He told Wachovia analyst Bishop Cheen that he expects to see the changes pay off with greater success for the station no sooner than "18 to 24 months."

"I am confident that that market will be a growth driver for us in the not too distant future," Liggins said. "The early research is very positive, and we have a great team in place out there."

Radio One reported that net broadcast revenue was approximately $89.2 million, down 2% from the same period in 2005. Station operating income was approximately $39.7 million, down 9%, while adjusted EBITDA was approximately $33.5 million, a decrease of 9% from the same period in 2005. Operating income was approximately $29.4 million, off 2% from 2005. Net loss applicable to common stockholders was approximately $22.9 million, or 23 cents per diluted share.

The company reminded investors that all the results reported are presented without taking into account any adjustments that will be required in connection with the anticipated restatement and should be considered preliminary until Radio One files its Form 10-K for the year ended Dec. 31, 2006. The company is currently being investigated by the SEC concerning the method it used to distribute stock options to employees from May 5, 1999 through 2005.

check me out on MYSPACE @ www.myspace.com/clove

The Record Label of the Future (All Artists Should Read ) (borrowed from DaveyD.com)

2007-04-12T12:18:00.000-04:00

THE RECORD LABEL OF THE FUTURE
& The Rules of the Pie for Surviving a Changing Paradigm

by Walt Goodridge

www.blog.myspace.com/index.cf...C051268670

Where is the music industry heading? How will independent labels survive and thrive in the new paradigm? Is the age of the major label coming to a close? Does an artist even need a traditional label, or even an independent label for that matter anymore? If you are involved in the recording, manufacture, distribution and sale of recorded music, the answers to these questions, and your responses are vital to your continued survival in some shape or form.

Luckily, these are exactly some of the questions that I will attempt to answer in this brief article. And while I don't intend to offer any earth shattering revelations that you couldn't arrive at on your own, I do hope that if you are an artist, producer or owner of an independent record label that some of the thoughts herein encourage you to make a few pro-active decisions, and take a few definite actions rather than a wait-and-see approach. The race is still always to he who can endure. Your ability to foresee and prepare for the coming changes, as well as the end result of current changes may make the difference between business success and failure. But how can you know what's ahead? You'll need to predict the future.

HOW TO PREDICT THE FUTURE

It's a basic law of this dynamic, ever-changing universe that there's no such thing as something "staying the same." Things are either expanding or contracting, increasing or decreasing, getting better or getting worse. Even the metal or hard plastic computer or sheet of paper on which you are reading these words, as solid and as stable as they appear are all slowly decaying and deteriorating. Come back in a few dozen years, and you'll see the effects of decay over time. If you know this, then you can look at everything from business phenomena to romantic relationships a little bit differently, and can perform what some might consider fortune-telling simply by asking, "where is this heading?"

Every business, every situation, every relationship is either getting better or getting worse, growing or shrinking, going up or heading downhill. Therefore, as long as you can honestly assess what you observe or experience over a given time frame, you can "predict" where something is heading and take any evasive or remedial actions as necessary. There are even specific formulas(1) you can use to reverse or stabilize declining trend, improve a flat trend, improve a rising trend, and greatly improve an already stellar trend of any observable statistic like "sales" for instance.

Now having said that, There are several observable facts and trends within the music industry that you can use to predict the future, or at least prepare and position yourself for success regardless of what specifically happens.

FACTS, TRENDS AND OBSERVATIONS

Among the dozens if not hundreds of facts, stats, and trends that comprise this thing we call the music industry, there are four that clearly demand our attention. I'm going to circumvent the debate over specific figures involved, or whether they are facts or just subjective observation, by referring to each as an FTO (Fact, Trend or Observation)
FTO #1: Sales of CDs are DOWN
FTO #2: Digital downloads are UP
FTO #3: There's a new generation of children who view music not as a vinyl disc, or a CD, but as words on an MP3 player's LCD/LED screen accessible through headphones and earpieces.
FTO #4: The purchasing experience has changed from browsing the aisles of a retail store to downloading from computer or a cell phone.
FTO #5: Technology is making it easier for artists to market, release, market and distribute themselves, and even earn a decent living doing so.
Whether fact, trend or observation, these "demonstrables" indicate a new reality is upon us. What it means for the artist, producer and independent record label of the future is this...

THE MUSIC INDUSTRY HAS ALREADY CHANGED!

Now, if you want the specifics for the broad sweeping FTOs above, here are a few. (The actual numbers are less important than the trends--increasing or decreasing-- that they represent, so note whether the numbers are increasing or decreasing.

Music sales worldwide (including physical and digital; decreasing)
2005 = $20.6 billion
2006 = $20.0 billion

CD albums sold (decreasing)
2001 = 762.8 million CD albums
2005 = 618.9 milllion CD albums

Digital tracks sold
2004 = 140 million digital music tracks
2005 = 352.7 million digital music tracks

Digital sales worldwide (increasing)
2004 = $380 million
2005 = $1.1 billion
2006 = $2.0 billion

Users of MP3 digital music players US (increasing)
2006 = 37 million users
2011 = 100 million users (projected)

MP3 players manufactured (increasing)
2003 = 14.3 million
2004 = 40.3 million
2005 = 74.4 million

I'll throw in a few FTOs that hint at opportunities
99-cent singles, file sharing, adults and teens
16% of adults enjoy downloading 99-cent singles
17% of adults sign up to subscription services
19% of 13-17 year-olds use subscription services
31% of 18-24 year olds use subscription services
41% of 18-24 year-olds burn CDs
31% of 18-24 year-olds use file sharing

"Of 30 thousand CD titles that were released in 2004, only 400 titles sold more than 100 thousand units, and 25 thousand titles sold fewer than 1,000 CDs. The big recording companies lose money 98.7% of the time."(2)

"In a recent Parks Associates study of 4,000 Internet users in the US, 56% of respondents listen to Internet radio on their PCs and 56% download music files."

"The 37-year-old artist recently moved from Los Angeles to North Carolina, where he plans to raise his family on the "decent living" Internet sales generate. Since August, he's sold about 5,000 records over CD Baby. He earned $10 for each album, generating the same amount of money he earned from his first record contract." [Sources: itfacts.biz, IFPI, Nielsen, InStat, RIAA, Parks Associates, CDbaby Talkback...]

As I said, there are thousands of statistics you can find. And the exact figures are less important than the trends they indicate. Our goal, here, is to focus on trends. And what we can deduce from these and other facts, trends and observations, is that today in 2007, the Music Industry is not what it used to be, and as trends continue, will never be the same again, and in fact, will be different tomorrow.

We as forward-thinking entrepreneurs hoping to capitalize on the value of music must change with the flow. Therefore, the questions we ask must inherently be different.

The key question that pro-active thinkers ask is not "what's going to happen?" but "what am I going to do given in light of and in response to this being a continuing trend?" There are always responses you can make to any situation despite what prevailing wisdom says, and regardless of what others do.

What is it that we must respond to? What is it that we are actually witnessing? I propose to you that it is nothing less than....

THE DECONSTRUCTION OF THE MAJOR LABEL SYSTEM

Yes, as these trends continue, what we are witnessing is the end of the major label era, and the reconstruction of related and connected professions, industries and modes of doing business. In this new era, an artist can become self-sustaining by selling on CDbaby, so labels are less vital. CDs are becoming defunct, which means tradition retail outlets are becoming defunct. Word of mouth replaces the need for an A&R executive to go out and find good new talent. Also in this new post-label era,

ipods replace CD players and stereos

MP3s replace physical CDs

sites like CDBaby become a farm/store for indie labels and their music

Websites, itunes and cell phones replace retail stores as means of accessing music

Youtube replaces videos as a means of marketing

Myspace make developing a fan club/base through networking, and word of mouth much easier, and

Blogs enable constant contact and deeper connection with an artist,
and to repeat in terms of traditional label/retailer functions

Selling can now take place at the artist/label level

Promotion is now, to a greater degree than before, more effectively done by the public.

A&R (finding new artists) takes place in the public domain with word of mouth demand driving the artist's exposure

Distribution can occur digitally without need for warehouses

HOW INDEPENDENT LABELS WILL BE AFFECTED BY THIS NEW PARADIGM

So what's going to happen to the independent label in all of this?
First of all, the number of independent "labels" will continue to increase. However, it's important to note that in this new paradigm, the word "label" doesn't quite mean the same thing anymore.

Indeed, thanks to sites like CDBaby, and the relative ease with which an artist can start selling her music, the artist herself is essentially already her own label from the day she records her first track in a professional recording studio or basement.

The artist in this new age has the potential to be a label whether or not he realizes it, accepts it or acts on it. With a computer, a cd-burner, and access to the internet, every artist has the beginnings of a viable indie label. (and in fact, to be accurate, because of ease of web access via cafes and libraries, you don't even need your own computer, or your own cd-burner). So the number of self-released, self-distributing artist/labels will rise. Consequently, there will be less of a need for traditional independent labels.

If that weren't bad enough, independent labels will be affected in another significant way. As digital downloads, and ostensibly, illegal downloads increase, the share of the pie that indies are sharing will seem to be decrease.

LABELS THEN AND NOW

"Although self-distributing artists may make more money per album sold, labels can help sell more albums by getting them on the shelves of big retailers, generating more income for the artists in the long run. Labels also are usually crucial in developing bands into successful touring acts."--from CDBaby Talkback [Latimes article]

In the past, the artist needed a major record label for the deep pockets and contacts necessary to:

find the artist (A&R)

provide an advance

finance the music production

finance big budget videos

get the music played on radio

get the music in the stores

get the video played on television and cable

promote the music

pay the artist royalties

Indies were seen as a place that artists could start their careers all the while positioning themselves to garner the attention of a major label scout who would rescue them for indie-label obscurity and buy out their contract or in a win-win for everyone, sign a distribution or marketing deal with the indie label.

It's still the dream of many struggling artists, even though statistically the percentage of artists who actually live that dream and get signed to the million-dollar major label contract is woefully small.

If everyone on the lower end is playing on the same level field (i.e. a basement band with a CDBaby "deal" now being roughly equivalent to and able to achieve the same success as if it were signed to an indie label "deal"), it would appear that the gap between "majors with money" and "indies/artists with heart" is widening.
Some would argue that this seeming disparity will make it harder for indie labels to compete with majors. I believe otherwise.

But before I share with you the basis of my belief, and a philosophy for dealing with the situation, I'll say that whatever strategy you ultimately implement must be executed on two fronts simultaneously: the consumer front, and the artist front.
In other words, as an independent label, not only must you make the music you sell accessible to the consumer in new and innovative ways, you must also make your label attractive to the independent artist.

As an independent label, you will of course be using all your creativity and skills to provide what's expected of a any label whether large or small;

artist advances if possible

funding for manufacturing

funding for video production

marketing/promotion strategies

promotion expertise

press release writing and dissemination

contacts for getting airplay and video play

marketing to a wider audience

And while you as a label will provide these basics, I believe that profitability in the new era requires additional strategies, and a few radical new ideas.
Perhaps, as a thought, the record label of the future may focus additionally on - coordination of the artist's career using the new technology available

WHAT THE ARTIST REALLY WANTS

For the label seeking to market other artists and actually grow a business based around helping artists realize their dreams, how can you compete with the labels in a game that usually requires deep pockets? To answer that question, you first must understand what the artist really wants. 1. Purpose

I'll quote you from a new book entitled The Spirit's Business Plan:
[begin quote] "There are only two important questions that everyone asks every day of their lives:

1. Why am I here?
2. How will I survive? These are not mutually exclusive questions. They are actually one in the same. The challenge of the business plan of the spirit is to tie one's spiritual esoteric search for life's meaning and purpose to the practical economic viability, survival and prosperity that life on this plane necessitates. The earth is moving into a new reality. Those who are here on the planet at this time have responsibilities that no generation prior had to be quite as concerned with. In addition, this generation has opportunities which no previous generation had access to. It must encourage those on the earth at this time to live by a new set of values." [end quote]

Perhaps there is a truth here that people are more ready for than we are being led to believe. Perhaps the record label of the future must position itself to be a catalyst for the development of these new value in order to ease the earth's transition into this new paradigm.

2. Payment Related to want #1, there is the more earthly desire for attention and money. Beyond the search for purpose, the artist wants to focus on making music, become known for their creativity, while being afforded a comfortable lifestyle based on the financial reward for their creations. They want to get paid. There is a basic human need, (or perhaps a little more pronounced than most) for attention, recognition, exposure, acclaim and approval.

3. Protection Few artists may admit it, but it's my experience that the creative soul that inhabits the artist personality shuns the responsibility and structure of self guidance in favor of the bliss and freedom of creative pursuits. In some ways, artists like to be shepherded, guided and protected by those offering the structure that they realize is necessary in this world, but for which they have no inclination to set up for themselves. As artists, they naturally wired to see the world differently than non-artists. That's what makes them artists. (It's also why many artists end up being taken advantage of in this game).

Given these 3 basic needs for Purpose, Payment and Protection the question is what can YOU, as the independent label of the future, offer the artist that she cannot get by doing things herself or with a major label? What and how can you offer something that speaks to these needs in a way that labels cannot match. The game will always go to the more creative.

Sorry, I'm not giving you specific answers here. But the things YOU can come up with given YOUR unique purpose, passion and talents are ten times more creative and effective than any I could come up with on your behalf. Besides, I'd much rather pique your interest, spark your creativity, and be a catalyst for the brainstorming session you will conduct in search of solutions than give you any of my answers as "the answer." The truth is, the answer does not yet exist. The landscape is still too fresh.

THE RECORD LABEL OF THE FUTURE

As independent record labels adapt themselves based, perhaps on these questions and many others, the nature of what differentiates a true "indie label of the future" from a self-released, self-distributed artist venture and the gap between them, will have to change and widen. In other words, if you want to really offer something of value to the indie artist, you have to offer something that majors and money cannot buy. The key, I believe, lies in offering a uniquely different experience based on a value system and lifestyle that the industry as a whole is too far removed from to see growing at the roots level.

As trends continue, CD sales decline, digital media expands, the record label of the future must adapt. To help you philosophically with how you need to think in order to weather these changes, and with the underlying assumption that we want to keep everyone living in the manner to which they've grown accustomed, I offer you....

RULES OF THE PIE

Rule of the Pie #1:
"As your slice of the pie decreases, bake a bigger pie."

This applies to going global in marketing efforts. If the trend locally is limiting the amount of money you can make, then expand nationally and internationally. Bake a bigger pie.

But of course, it isn't always possible to bake a bigger pie, which brings us to

The Rule of the Pie #2
"If the pie is getting irreversibly smaller, bake more pies." This applies to facilitating success for more artists. If you have to sell digital downloads for $1 to make them attractive to consumers, then do what itunes does, and sell the products of more artists so you can profit on volume.

The Rule of the Pie #3
"If the pie is no longer tasty, bake a different pie."
If the music industry as a stand-alone source of revenue is declining, then expand to gaming for example. Sell what people are buying and where they are buying. Incorporate music into the products that people are purchasing in huge numbers and generate your income there.

Other solutions:
The rules of the pie are by no means the only way that creative entrepreneurs can adapt to the changing pie scene. In fact, I predict that a whole new set of rules will be developed. Who knows, some creative label owner may come with
rule of the pie #4: "screw the pie, feed them cake," or
rule of the pie #5: "make money teaching them how to bake pies & sell them baking tins"
rule of the pie #6: "change the game: add a different desert to the menu"

MY TOP SECRET PREDICTION:

I suspect, based on some reliable sources deep within the industry, that something along the lines of rule of the pie #6 is going to appear that will change the whole nature of the game and make millionaires out of the early adapters. Of course, I can't reveal everything in this article, but stay tuned. (hint: It may involve radio and a brand new technology.) But, having said all that, let's wrap things up so you can get going on your own solution.

SUMMARY IN REAL TERMS

So here's where we are. The music industry is changing. While there will always be a segment of the population (albeit a shrinking one) which will want high quality music on CDs with jewel cases, pretty packaging, liner notes, created by artists who themselves desire the status of an association with a major label, the growing majority of consumers and artists will be adapting to the new paradigm of digital downloads and self-distribution.

You're mission, therefore, as a record label of the future, if you've read between the lines of this short article, is to;

embrace the new trends and technologies

offer the intangible

enable the self-distributed artist trend in such a way as to make the prospect of being signed by your label a more desirable options

expand to global, underserved markets

form relationships and synergies in booming industries, and

add your own list of creative responses here, rather than waiting-to-see

Now, what this will all look like when all is said and done, no one can perhaps predict with any degree of specificity. But one thing is clear. Change is upon us. It is inevitable.

You must be the enablers not the enemies of the new era; facilitators not foes of the future. It is only in this way that you will survive the shake-up and shake-out that will occur as the change--inevitable as it is--comes upon the music industry.
You and your record label of the future, if it is to live, must live and exist in the now.
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[For more detailed strategies for becoming a record label of the future, check out the Hip Hop Record Label Business Plan available at www.hiphopbusinessplan.com]

Walt Goodridge is the author of 12 books including Change the Game: How to Launch, Grow and Really Make Money with Your Independent Hip Hop Record Label. He is also founder of over 2 dozen business sites including hiphopentrepreneur.com

*notes: (1) Visit www.saipantribune.com/new...wsID=64304 for my article on how to respond to steady or declining sales, visit

(2)from information in The Future of music by D. Kusak

BROWN F.I.S.H. on the SIGNAL (TODAY)

2007-04-06T11:40:00.000-04:00

Please check out Brown F.I.S.H. TODAY on the

SIGNAL

(WYPR 88.1 FM)

This is going to be great!!!

If you miss it at NOON (12:00 PM)

PLEASE TUNE IN TONIGHT @ 7:00 PM!!!!!

*
check me out on MYSPACE @ www.myspace.com/clove

A FEW PICTURES.........

2007-03-26T17:45:00.000-04:00

FUSION

3.17.07

@ The Patterson
Special shout out to all those in attendance.........

Golden Seal

Shodekah with Special Guest

The Legendary Brown F.I.S.H.

Ogun f/ Meekey (pronounced MY - Key)

check me out on MYSPACE @ www.myspace.com/clove or www.myspace.com/itsbaltimorebaby

Update!!!

2007-03-22T14:44:00.000-04:00

Saturday was so crazy.....I know many of you have not seen me in a while, but I had micro mini braids in my head. Needless to say....I was up very late 3 nights in a row taking the thangs out....didn't get to the salon until almost 11 a.m. and still had to find an out fit (or at least a slick shirt). I finished up about 3:30 pm (more than enough time to get a top - you would think lol!). In my quest to be different, I think I stopped by every "chic" boutique in the midtown/towntown area. Didn't find a dang thing!!!! Big Ups to my gurl , MAKKAH (Charles Village - Charles and 25th)!!! She has awesome and very different pieces - USUALLY. Come to find out.....she is shifting her focus to men's wear. I tried on one top...it was really cute (plunging neckline, puffed shoulders, wrap around), but I think my head would have been blue by 10:00 pm (YES!!! it squeezed my arms that tight!) Please stop in and see her - she also sells one of a kind handbags, jewelery and shoes (ladies, she sells larger sizes too!!!!). Her pieces are pricey, but being original is priceless.......After I left MAKKAH's, I stopped by STAR WON (1015 Cathedral St. Baltimore, MD 21202 (410) 962-7277). I was really pumped up because M said the owner was a "curvy diva", as she likes to call us stallions, and that translated into cool clothes for those with a lil extra or at the very least....clothes with a good amount of lycra. I arrived......and had the pleasure of meeting the owner (sorry, I forgot her name, but she was a peach) and while she was very nice and responsive to my needs......SHE HAD NOTHING!!!!! NOTHING!!!! NOTHING!!! NOTHING!!!!! AT ALL!!!!! lol! By this time it was around 4:45PM and I was getting a little nervous......

*
Next stop - EXCLUSIVELY YOURS (above Subway @ Charles and Read Streets (410) 244-6768 ). Come to find out....this was the girl that used to own the acessory cart that sat to the left at the top of the elevators in Mondawnmin throughout the summer. WAY TO MOVE UP, HOME GURL!!! I love to see people progress. I didn't see anything in the store that really fit me (I tell ya, I would like to know how they came up with the designation large - That's a joke!!!)......I def wanted to show her some love so I spent like $50 on some jewelery that I love, but defintiely do not need. Its all good tho, Ima def go back and see her and you should too. EY is right next door to another boutique, Vintage Blu. I looked in the window and everything looked really small so I did not go in....LOL! Plus the color scheme reminded me of the Limited or Lerner's back in the day (remember when they used to only sell neutral colors?? I just about fell out the first time I saw a red shirt in Lerner's)

*
So.......in my mind: I don't need to be at the venue until 9. Its 5:30 and guess where I was on my way to?..............SECURITY MALL! lol I know I was dead wrong, but I had nothing to wear. Sure I knew about this show since before Christmas......LOL! I do not know why us ladies have such a problem with procrastination - especially when it comes to clothing.
*
Needless to say.........I was late as heck! I'm always fussing at folk about getting to the venue early and what do ya know....I was late. I promise I will cut acts some slack from now on.....LOL! I literally walked in...and was promptly ushered on stage. LOL!

*
This past Saturday's FUSION at the Patterson Theater was a real blast!!! It was really nice to see so many new faces in the audience. Big Ups to all the performers!!! Each did a phenominal job!!! Thanks again to Karen Summerville of the Creative Alliance (@ The Patterson) and Kariz Marcel (BANG N BEAT) for organizing this truly magical event. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to be part. I felt so honored to present the groups to a new crowd. Ogun, Golden Seal, Brown F.I.S.H. (including B. Fly) and Shodekah (w/ Max) all KILT it!!! I can't wait for the next one......this time its gonna be for the KIDS!!!! Special shout out to all the B-U-TI-FULL people in attendance, including: Ms. Tris Beats, Keebe, Sugar Bear, Ray Lugar, Low Key God, Crooked Streetz (Boo Man, Jimmy Jones & Pop), Tre, D.O.G & John Boe (Invisible Set), Reina Williams, Top Secret, Wink (Real on Purpose), Mike McIntosh & Niige (A.R.S. Ent), The entire I-Bar crew, Tim & Bunny (Money on the Low/Top of the Hill Records), Melanie Douglas (great photographic backdrop!!!), Skarr Akbar, Kelly Connelly.....uuumm...uuuummmm......oh well, that's all I can think of right now.

ttyl!!!

*
HAPPY Birthday LOW KEY GOD!!! He's having a party @ The 5 tomorrow......hope some of you can make it out!!! They will be giving the Jackie Lanier Award to Amotion (if I am not mistaken!!!) You don't want to miss this!!!

*
I have so many pics to post.......I'm working with an Apple now (yeah...im movin on up!) and do not completely understand how to use it (how do you get the URL address of a pic on a MAC).....so please work with me.

check me out on MYSPACE @ www.myspace.com/clove or www.myspace.com/itsbaltimorebaby

FUNNY!

2007-03-22T14:40:00.000-04:00

A woman was unhappy with the way her laundry was done at the Local Chinese Laundry, so she wrote a note and put it in the bag with the next collection of soiled clothes: "USE MORE SOAP ON PANTIES!"

*
She got the clean laundry back, and was still dissatisfied with the results, so the following week she enclosed another note: "USE MORE SOAP ON PANTIES!"

*
The Chinese laundryman became very annoyed, and when her clean laundry was delivered, it contained a note from HIM: "I USE PLENTY SOAP ON PANTIES!! USE MORE PAPER ON ASS!!"

*
check me out on MYSPACE @ www.myspace.com/clove or www.myspace.com/itsbaltimorebaby

Jokey Joke!

2007-03-21T12:25:00.000-04:00

A woman went to a pet shop & immediately
spotted a large, beautiful parrot..

There was a sign on the cage that said $50.00.
"Why so little," she asked the pet store owner.

The owner looked at her and said,"Look, I should tell you first that this bird used to live in a house of Prostitutionand sometimes it says some pretty vulgar stuff."

The woman thought about this, but decided she had to have the bird any way.

She took it home and hung the bird's cage up in her living room and waited for it to say something.

The bird looked around the room, then at her, and said,
"New house, new madam."

The woman was a bit shocked at the implication, but then thought "that's really not so bad."

When her 2 teenage daughters returned from school
the bird saw and said, "New house, new madam, new girls."

The girls and the woman were a bit offended but then began to laugh about the situation considering how and where the parrot had been raised.

Moments later, the woman's husband Keith came home from work.
The bird looked at him and said,

"Hi, Keith"

Check me out on MYSPACE @ www.myspace.com/clove or www.myspace.com/itsbaltimorebaby

TUNE IN......THE SIGNAL (3.16.07)

2007-03-16T10:40:00.000-04:00

Looking for people interested in putting together podcasts or NPR-type programming. I have no particular plan for the finished product yet, but the possibilities are endless.

I would be interested in meeting people with particular knowlege of audio-video equipment and technology, engineering/mixing, voice-over, dialougue, production (please do not send me beats.....I will put out a call when I know more about the kind of show or tracks needed), show ideas (politics, business, sex, music)....anything that can be added to the mix.

The subject matter is not limited to rap music, but will have a word on the street kind of vibe. I want to get out amonst the ppl. You must be confortable working with all kinds of people.

I have everything we need to get started......everything, but you...so holla! I need help! BAD!!! LOL! can't you tell. I don't even post as much as I used to.....

Please tune into the SIGNAL today @ NOON (88.1 FM BALTIMORE).....Kelly Connelly and I will be talking about this WEEKEND'S FUSION @ The Patterson. & ...........if you miss the broadcast....you can catch it again @ 7:00 PM. or online at www.signalradio.org Aiiiight succas!!!!

check me out on MYSPACE @ www.myspace.com/clove

SIGNAL RADIO (3/9/07)

2007-03-09T11:44:00.000-05:00

TUNE INTO THE SIGNAL FOR THE NEXT 2 FRIDAYS!!!!!

THEY ARE DOING A SERIES ON the art show I am hosting, FUSION

(March 17, 2007 @ The Patterson)

3/9/07:

OGUN

"BMORE HERO"

1:00 pm

88.1 FM (WYPR)

--------------------------------------

3/16/07

C-Love & Kelly Connelly

check me out on MYSPACE @ www.myspace.com/clove or www.myspace.com/itsbaltimorebaby

GET OVER IT (they say!): WHY I HATE BLACK PEOPLE

2007-02-28T20:52:00.000-05:00

Asian weekly's "Why I Hate Blacks" column blasted
12 hrs ago Asian weekly's "Why I Hate Blacks" column blasted
By TERENCE CHEA, The Associated Press
Feb 27, 2007 7:17 PM (20 hrs ago)
Current rank: # 4 of 15,168 articles

SAN FRANCISCO - Asian-American leaders are condemning a column titled "Why I Hate Blacks," which was published in a weekly newspaper that calls itself "The Voice of Asian America."

In the piece, which appeared in the Feb. 23 edition of San Francisco-based AsianWeek, contributor Kenneth Eng lists reasons why he supports discrimination against blacks - including because "they are the only race that has been enslaved for 300 years."

Leaders at the Asian American Justice Center, Chinese for Affirmative Action, Coalition for Asian Pacific Americans and other groups are circulating a petition denouncing the column as "irresponsible journalism, blatantly racist, replete with stereotypes, and deeply hurtful to African Americans."

"It certainly does not speak for the vast majority of Asian Americans," Stewart Kwoh, who heads the Asian Pacific American Legal Center in Los Angeles, said Tuesday. "This kind of inflammatory (column) really can hurt and damage relations with the broader African-American community."

The petition calls on AsianWeek to cut ties with Eng, issue an apology, print an editorial refuting the column, and fire or demote the editors who published it.

"Something like this should never have been printed," said Vincent Eng, deputy director of the Asian American Justice Center in Washington, who is not related to the columnist. "Deliberate action needs to be taken to make sure this type of hate speech doesn't continue."

AsianWeek, with a circulation of 48,505, issued a statement apologizing for "any harm or hurt this has caused the African American community."

The newspaper plans to hold a news conference with NAACP leaders in San Francisco on Wednesday to discuss how the Asian and black communities "can be different and yet get along and work together," said Ted Fang, the paper's editor-at-large.

"The newspaper is sorry that this got published, and I am personally sorry that this got published," Fang told The Associated Press. "The views in that opinion piece do not in any way reflect the views of AsianWeek."

The paper plans to review its policies to "understand how this happened and make sure it doesn't happen again," Fang said, calling the decision to publish Eng's piece a "mistake."

Fang's family publishes AsianWeek, along with a local newspaper called the Independent, and owned the San Francisco Examiner between 2000 and 2004.

Kenneth Eng, who has described himself as an "Asian Supremacist," has written several columns for AsianWeek since November, including pieces titled "Proof That Whites Inherently Hate Us" and "Why I Hate Asians."

Eng is in his early 20s and a graduate of New York University, according to a biography on a Web site promoting his science fiction writing.

A telephone listing for Eng could not immediately be located.

Supervisor Sophie Maxwell, one of the city's top black officials, has co-sponsored a city resolution condemning the article and AsianWeek's decision to publish it. But she doesn't believe Eng's column will hurt relations between blacks and Asians in San Francisco.

"This man clearly is very ignorant of African-American history and his own history, and he's very angry," said Maxwell, who represents a district with large black and Asian populations.

fall out:

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/02/28/america/NA-GEN-US-Racist-Column.php

http://www.lompocrecord.com/articles/2007/02/28/ap-state-ca/d8nik14g0.txt

Not much has changed imo! I don't expect much outrage - your move, Jessie or how about you Al?

check me out on MYSPACE @ www.myspace.com/clove or www.myspace.com/itsbaltimorebaby

PX on RAP ATTACK (2.25.07)

2007-02-26T15:54:00.000-05:00

Rap Attack Rap Attack Rap Attack Rap Attack Attack Attack Attack.............

Was in the house so I got the chance to listen to the whole show. It appears that they are trying out a new format (w/ segments - call ins/shout outs [I heard you Horseman Ent and Welding Productions], musical flashback, independent spotlight, etc).....ME LIKE!

The even have a new slogan.....I don't remember it doh....sorry! LOL!

I also think that last night was an anniversary of some kind - 10 years maybe? Has Rap Attack been on that long? If so....I would have expected the Anniversary show to have waaaay more pomp and circumstance, but oh well.......

So that I am not accused of being a complete HATER...LOL!

I definitely think Cinnamixx adds something different to the show. She appears to be knowlegable about all the latest industry gossip, has a quick wit (she got jokes!) and seems real (and not an uninformed female voice - I MEAN, the show is called RAP ATTACK). Keep up the good work!!! I see that she is effectively integrating herself into all thing "BMORE"....they even got ole gurl hosting Choices....she is a REAL trooper!!! I wonder does club music get on her nerves...LOL! Like she would really tell.

Back to the show:

one segment in particular will be of particular importance to all Baltimore MCs. The name of the segment is escaping me, but.......... NOW each week they will do a spotlight a local act. I did not hear the part about where you should send you materials (sorry - I'm not a rapper), but they went on for a few minutes about the jacked up condition (and/or unorthodox circumstances under which people try to pass them off to radio staff people - SOMEONE TRIED TO GIVE PORK CHOP A CD WHEN HE WAS IN THE HOSPITAL FOR THROAT SURGERY) of a lot of people's press kits or "consideration packets" ( I'm calling it that because.....I only met one rapper in B'More with an official press kit. Most folk will give you a CD and a bio - Maybe.). My advice to all of you......PUT THE WORK THE IN!!!! One part of a press kit is PRESS.....go figure. Getting favorable press requires work! (That's if you don't want to pay for it! Please note, most press agencies are on the up and up, but there is alway$ away to make things happen) A press kit is a representation of the kind of artist you want people to think you are ...how serious are you about furthering your career.....Did you care enough to have it professionally prepared, etc. When you present information in a systematic and professional fashion it is more likely to be considered. I would assume that 92 Q will have to build in some kind of system to weed out potential acts....so if you knew like I know....don't let your press kit be the thing that takes you out of the running - EARLY!!!!
*

Last night's feature was B'More vets and world renowned recording artists Blank Man and Neil Norris of PX (STREET LEGAL ENTERTAINMENT - HOOD THERAPY IN ALL MUSIC STORES NOW!!!). Everything went well...the guys did an excellent job! Each (once the interview was underway....and each knew who was going to talk first....LOL!) proved himself to be excellent spokesman. It was very refreshing to listen to an artist talk about his project in clear English. Slang is fine, but under some circumstances, it is more important that you message or plea is understood and not washed out in a sea of yaddamean. Plus...that would have been out of character for them and that is THE ABSOLUTE WORSE....dressing like a punk rocker, cussing for no reason or using an excessive amount of slang for any reason other than BECAUSE YOU DO IT ALL THE TIME. I really liked the song they selected....It has a real FUN old school feel and kinda reminds me of an old B'More club song, but since I am not sure if that was their intention. Only recently has a Baltimore Hip Hop song being compared to a Club song become praise......it was tantamount to calling his music "gay" (<-------- that is a serious infraction)

If I had a complaint to make.....the interview was conducted over the phone.

That was different...in the past, if there are going to have an act/guest on the show.....they are in-studio.

I think this set up leaves a little to be desired. Let me say up front.....BIG UPS to the station for giving local artists this shot. This is what folk have been asking for, for the longest time. My complaints are not to belittle the progress..... quite the contrary I offer them because I am opinionated and because I have something to say about everything. IMO the studio gives the artists the opportunity to develop their public persona and it also helps them to become more comfortable with delivering sound bites. In studio interviews are essential to artist development. How well you respond on the fly can exponentially affect your bottom line (money). Look at how 50 responded to Cam......some may argue that Cam got out on him or that he didn't get into Cam's derriere the way he should have....well....because he is a master of manipulation....he knew he could get a bigger bang for his buck by not carrying it like the norm (cussing fussing....responding with several equally annoying CAMERON'S)....and those of us that love this stuff and know 50's MO (modus operandi) were sitting back like I knoooooooooooooooooow this is not over. So he took an opportunity in the spotlight and stretched it out for days......That is what he always does. I'm sure that he was not always the best interviewee , but now.....IMO 50 is one of the best MCs to do it. If you listen to the recent interview with Angie Mar....she was like, "you look like you were gettin heated over there are few times" and 50 admitted that he was, but as a listener of the interview I must note, his voice never wavered or gave any indication that he was being thrown off of his course or that he was pissed. That takes finesse. This skill is practiced. This guy's interview etiquette should be a model. I never heard 50 use excessive slang while being interviewed. I've never heard 50 raise his voice come to think of it. If anything...his interview demeanor makes me think that perhaps we are the ones not in on the joke. 50 knows he is an entertainer......the big bad gangster rapper is a big bad gangster persona - he saves it for the records and talks when its time to communicate what he is selling. Most of the in-studio interviews I've accompanied folk to were fun and that Im sure that came across to the listeners. If the interviews are going to be taped I would suggest coming up with a question or something that will make the artist prove that he/she is not a puppet or scared....LOL! what's up with all these scared and nervous rappers.

Big Ups to Rodd Madd Flavor, Cinnamixx & Supa DJ Big L!!! I was feeling the music this also!!! Waaaay to add some ~~real~~ (I mean, East Coast) Hip Hop! He he! Big Ups to Skarr Akbar!!! His Rap Attack intro is HOT!!! <----- one of the best I've ever heard.

check me out on MYSPACE @ www.myspace.com/clove or www.myspace.com/itsbaltimorebaby

On the road again............

2007-02-23T09:53:00.000-05:00

......not me this time.....not yet:

PLEASE JOIN ME IN WISHING OGUN A SAFE JOURNEY AS HE MAKES HIS WAY TO DETROIT (WITH HIS GODSON- GOT TO LOVE A MAN THAT CARES ABOUT THE KIDS!) TO HEAR A VERY MONUMENTAL SPEECH!

GOOD SPEED