Alternative News: W.E. A.L.L. B.E.

Blacks vs. illegal immigrants from http://www.ByronCrawford.com

Big story today in the LA Times about blacks and illegal immigration. Most black people, it seems, are either against illegal immigration or are avoiding getting involved in the debate one way or the other.

 

The best argument they could find for blacks being in favor of illegal immigration (or as O-Dub has taken to calling it, the immigrant rights movement) is some jig who works for the "urban division" of some marketing firm in LA.

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The Roots of Rap: How 'New Music' Got Started

A Limelight Exclusive By Byron Lee Hard drum beats and booming bass. Rhymes that are used to sell everything from cars to fast food. Fashion that screams individuality and sets the latest trends. Rap music has gone from a marginalized, urban expression to America's dominate youthculture. In this month's Limelight, we will uncover the origins of this music and trace its growth to the present day.

THE FATHER OF HIP-HOP: When South Bronx DJ Kool Herc decided to repeatedly play the "break" of the rock, disco, and funk songs on his playlist (the "break" being the middle part of the song, the part most conducive to dancing), he took the pivotal first step in creating hip-hop.

The invention of hip-hop came, as most inventions do, through necessity. South Bronx DJ Kool Herc loved the way that his patrons would react to the breaks of rock, disco, and funk songs, (the "break" of a song being the middle part of a song, the part most conducive to dancing) but would be frustrated by the brevity of each break. He then came up with an idea that earned him the name "The Father of Hip-hop": he began to "extend" the break by repeatedly playing it.The crowd responded by doing more complex dance moves that would eventually be known as “breakdancing” (not because of the moves that they were executing, but because of the part of the song, “the break,” that they were dancing to). Adding on to the party vibe were people who would speak chants to bring the festivities to the next level. Sometimes, the best speakers (known as MCs, or Masters of Ceremonies),would speak in rhymed couplets, using lines such as"Yes, yes, y'all. To the beat, y'all." in between verses in order to collect their thoughts. Thus, the format of the modern rap song was born. Furthermore, these MCs would acknowledge people that they knew in the crowd, beginning the custom of "shouting out" that continues in rap to this day. In 1979, the Sugar Hill Gang cemented this party atmosphere on record and in video with the song "Rapper's Delight," the first widely known rap recording. NO FLASH IN THE PAN: Turntable pioneer Grandmaster Flash used the training he received in his original profession (electrician) to turn a light switch into the first crossfader (the device that allows a DJ to cut back and forth between two records that are playing at the same time). His ingenuity and technical proficiency continue to be an inspiration for many DJs today. The importance of the DJ in the creation of rap is further illustrated by the importance of Grandmaster Flash and the advent of Turntablism (using turntables and vinyl records to manipulate prerecorded bits of music as if one were playing an instrument). Flash, born Joseph Sadler, used the training he received in his original profession (electrician) to turn a light switch into the first crossfader (the device that allows a DJ to cut back and forth between two records that are playing at the same time). Flash’s song “The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel” is regarded as one of the first widely heard recordings of turntable wizardry, making Flash the forefather of such modern day practitioners as frequent Beastie Boys collaborator Mix Master Mike.(Flash’s protégé, Grand Wizard Theodore, would add onto Flash’s creation by pioneering a skill known as“cutting,” wherein the DJ puts his hand on a record to chop up a particular sound or word.) Furthermore, “The Message,” a song Flash recorded with the rappers in the supergroup Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, is recognized as a sobering slice of everyday urban life. MORE...

Do It For 'Pac, Do It For Justice For All of Us And Not Just Some of Us...

Hip-hop's Next Big Stop: Capitol Hill By Davey D Today (Friday) marks what would have been the 35th birthday of slain rapper Tupac Amaru Shakur, and this year is the 10th anniversary of his death. With more than 40 million albums sold, the vast majority after his murder, Tupac remains a revered figure around the world. Unfortunately, the mainstream media highlight his thug persona to the point that manyforget Tupac was the son of a Black Panther and a well-read, politically astute artist. In fact, shortly before his death, he had set in motion a plan to encourage fans to become engaged in politics. Tupac did not believe one should just go to the polls, cast a vote and call it a day. He believed one's vote was a way to "chin check'' politicians who hadn't done right by the community. Shortly before his murder, Tupac held a press conference with Snoop Dogg and MC Hammer to announce plans for politicizing the 6 million fans who had bought his last album. Snoop and Hammer intended to do the same with their fans. Those plans did not arise in a vacuum. Earlier, Tupac had called for action against the Berkeley City Council, which had declared a moratorium on rap concerts in its city after a violent incident at the Berkeley Community Theater. Artists and fans showed up en masse at a council meeting to demand a reversal of the decision. A Digital Underground member warned that the group already had made history by getting more than 2 million people to do the Humpty Dance and that it would be a shame if it had to make history again by urging fans to vote the council out of office. More

Happy Birthday 2Pac!!! *June 16, 1971-September 13, 1996*

An audio tribute to the life and legacy of 2Pac http://odeo.com/audio/1334603/view An Interview With 2Pac's Mom Afeni Shakur An Interview With 2Pac Father's Mutulu Shakur An Open Letter To Afeni Shakur From R2C2H2 Tha Artivist  Some websites of note concerning the life and legacy of 2Pac: 2Pac's Official Website Thug Life Army

In the style of Josephine Baker

Hey yall we need to all recognize that this is the Centennial Year Celebration of the Great International Diva known as the incomparable Ms. Josephine Baker...The world renowned Sheldon Concert Hall and Galleries of St. Louis,Mo. USA in honor of this milestone is showing an exhibition in Josephine Baker's hometown of St. Louis, Mo. USA which not only celebrates her birth, but also her life and amazing achievements...The exhibit will be open to the public until August 26, 2006...My friend Mrs. Olivia Lahs Gonzales is the curator of the exhibit and is actually quoted in the following USA Today Article (Congrats Olivia!!!) By Maria Puente, USA TODAY Few Americans better exemplified the Art Deco aesthetic than Josephine Baker: long, sleek, sculptural and unmistakably Modern. Now a centenary exhibit tells the story of how an African-American street urchin, underappreciated in her native country in her lifetime, became an international star and helped define a style. Baker (1906-75), born in St. Louis, grew up poor, black, limber and ambitious. She was still a teen when she joined a dance troupe and left for Paris, where the French were mad for anything associated with Africa, and the Art Deco movement was about to explode in the world arena. Sexually liberated and reveling in her own body, Baker caused an immediate sensation by dancing naked except for a banana skirt. One famous 1929 shot by glamour photographer George Hoyningen-Huene depicts Baker, naked but for a long cloth and strands of beads draped in front of her, as a living Art Deco sculpture. "She helped popularize Art Deco, and she epitomized the style — her look was extremely sleek and almost machine-like, her hair like a cap," says Olivia Lahs-Gonzales, director of the Sheldon Art Galleries in St. Louis and curator of Josephine Baker: Image & Icon, on view through Aug. 26. (The exhibit goes to the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., starting Nov. 23.) Baker was just as fabulous with her clothes on: Courted by designers and even architects, she turned herself into one of the world's first style celebrities, in keeping with the Art Deco celebration of the new and rejection of tradition. The Art Deco style favored an industrialized, streamlined look characterized by elegance, strong geometrics, polished surfaces and use of black and white. Starting after World War I, it dominated decorative art, fashion, jewelry, textiles, furniture design, interior decoration and architecture, and it continues to have influence today. Here are some ways to achieve the look of Josephine Baker in the home.

An Open Letter to Hip Hop About Some Real Important Shyt by Davey D

Dear Folks who say they Love Hip Hop I wish there was a way to make this issue of Net Neutrality more interesting. I wish there was a way to spice it up and make it compelling like some sort of beef within the rap industry. Maybe I should get Brad and Angelina to talk about it instead of their baby. Maybe Lindsay Lohan or Paris Hilton can utter a few words and force us to take more of an interest. I wish Cam'ron spent his vast money holding press conferences, dissing punk ass Congress for taking tainted money from Verizon, SBC, and Comcast instead of going after Jay-Z. Im glad Jay-Z ignored Camron, unfortunately he remained silent as the President of Def Jam on this important issue. We'll see what happens after Def Jam finds it difficult or too costly to send out their e-post cards alerting me and others of their latest releases I'm sorry Miss Jones on Hot 97 was so upset and enraged that she felt compelled to make headlines calling Mary J Blige a bitch for not shouting her out at last weeks Summer Jam. Its too bad that she didnt use her 3-4 hours a day of airtime in the nations largest city to call the greedy Congress people who accepted money from these corporations Bitches. There aint gonna be any shout outs if the Senate follows Congress in passing this bill. Maybe she'll step it up when her parent company Emmis finds that folks from all over the country can no longer easily access their archived interviews on their website. It's too bad that many of us found this issue 'too complicated' and 'too overwhelming' and hence directed our attention to Ludacris and Ice Cube's beef with Oprah. This is the feedback I got after stories ran on my website as well as AllHipHop. Shyt I'm sorry Oprah was too busy telling Ed Lover that she really does love Hip Hop and that she listens to 50 Cent and his violent ass all damn day instead of alerting her millions of viewers about the issue of Net Neutrality. More...

Anybody But Blacks...

If you want to see more episodes of "The Arthur 'Soldier Boy Grip' Taylor Chronicles" please visit the official website

Introducing The Madd Eater

If you haven’t found the time, or had the chance, to read, watch, learn, or think about the foods that we eat, I highly encourage you to do just that.  I recommend Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser and Super Size Me, the much criticized documentary on the fast food epidemic narrated by Morgan Spurlock.  Both sources demonstrate how important and influential the fast food industry has become and how its far reaching effects impacts us all in some way.  Those impacts can be felt in the political arena, through social interaction, economic and environmental conditions, and quite obviously, in our health and total well-being.  Who am I?  Let me take a step off of my soapbox for a moment.  I am a 20-something who currently resides and works in Northern Virginia.  The area, though expensive offers a lot of options and resources that are not prevalent in other regions of the globe.  My life as been greatly influenced, first by these two sources, but subsequently by the many other resources I have and still are researching.  I must reiterate that I am not in fact trying to preach to anyone or tell them what to do.  I am not trying to tell you what’s best for you because frankly I don’t have the expertise to do that.  I just find this information fascinating and helpful to my way of life.  My plan is to contribute to this site, W.E. A.L.L. B.E., bi-weekly.  But with the rigors of life, it will probably end up being as time permits.  I do, however, encourage all of the loyal visitors to W.E. A.L.L. B.E. to read and contribute to my column.  We’re all finding our way and learning everyday.  I don’t have all the answers.  I am a work in progress.  As Steve Harvey said, “Don’t trip, He’s not finished with me yet.” More...

Cuz'n Donna's Kitchen Presents: When The Law Breaks The Law...

Welcome to Cuz'n Donna's Kitchen where down home southern fried wit and corn meal battered mother nurture sense is all mixed, stewed and cooked in a big hot boiling ole' pot on a big black coal burning stove known as Da Truth to not only make food for thought, but also for the soul...Cuz'n Donna, with her dead on observations, tried and true wisdom and timeless messages, is the Black woman version of Mark Twain…Please look out for more installments of Cuz'n Donna's Kitchen comin' to yall from the Magnolia State ya heard...

Last Friday night I rode the team bus with the North Panola Cougars to Coldwater for a tournament that they were hosting. I had clearance with high school principal Lucinda Carter, who also o.k'd it for my five grandsons to ride as well. I had all three of my grown children's boys, ranging from two years to 11 years old. I sat through the girls game just fine, having placed them all on the first seat of the bleachers, to keep an eye on them and take good quality action shots from courtside. They were never out of my sight. As I sat there, I began to talk with a police officer from Coldwater. We were laughing and talking all through the first game, as if we had known each other for a while. Approximately five minutes into the boys game, an altercation on the home side, stopped the game briefly, as security and cops rushed to see what was going on. No blows were exchanged, just loud yelling. So, about five maybe ten minutes later decided to walk downstairs where I had seen all parties involved taken. I went down a winding corridor and followed the continuing shouting matches. I stood about 25 feet from where they had stopped; in a public hallway, and not behind closed doors. As I turned to leave , a plain clothes cop with a badge around his neck, a uniformed cop, and Coldwater high school principal, came running up behind me screaming at me, saying"Give us that film, or better still give us your cameras. had an action shot camera on my shoulder and a small digital, that I took the two snapshots with.Since they were getting bent out of shape, I offered to delete them rather than give up equipment that wasn't mine.The principal saw me delete one. That wasn't good enough, they still wanted both cameras. The plain clothes guy and I were playing tug-o-war with the digital, so I eventually let go. I didn't want to feed their ferocity.

They kicked me out of the game after getting both cameras, and I asked if I could go upstairs to get my camera bag. "You're not going any where!'' I asked if I could go get my grandsons, and another big NO! The cop who was standing courtside intervened and offered to go get the boys for me. He had been playing with them and some of their hard headedness was funny to him."A kid's gonna be a kid," he said. When he came back we were escorted out the back door, never to return again. The good cop didn't speak up in our defense, but his kindness before this matter, overshadowed that. He walked us to the bus. I was telling him that my First Amendment rights were being violated, and he nodded in agreement. We had to sit on that cold bus. Luckily my niece left before the game was over and took us back to Como. I came home and called Ruoert Howell of the Panolian to inform him of the night's events. He made a phone call or two and Coldwater police chief had to bring them both back that same night. They even took my press pad, and searched my equipment bag and took my note pad. How ignorant is that? Well, I'm not gonna take this lying down. If they had just only taken the cameras, I could eventually get past that, but they were messing with flesh of my flesh. No one knew where I was, and if something had happened to one of them I could have very easily been charged with child endangerment. I'm glad it never made it that far. The game may be over, but they haven't heard the last of me yet. My neighbors can vouch for me when I say that I am used to fighting my own battles, by myself.The principal has brought the negative publicity on himself and the cops who assisted him in humiliating me. While I was being lead out the back door like Kunta Kinte', I asked why I had to go out the back . No one answered.
Peace Y"all!
Cuz'n Donna
Cuz'n Donna would like fo' yall, fans and hatas included, to holla back...Please leave your comments or e-mail r2c2h2@gmail.com and Tha Artivist will make sure that your thoughts and questions will reach Cuz'n Donna!!!

Nuttin But Stringz iz Nuttin But Great

Brothers Damien and Toure Escobar of Nuttin But Stringz

Nuttin But Stringz Live @The Canon Center

A Band of Brothers: R2C2H2 Tha Artivist (In green playa shirt and brown pimp hat) With Nuttin But Stringz And The Rapper/Hypeman Extraordinaire Mr. Tony Hayes (In red shirt)

On a light drizzle filled Sunday evening, June 4, 2006, I had a friendly run in with a good friend of mine, the hardworking and beautiful Mrs. Regina Walker of the United Way of the Greater Mid South…I was actually on my way home with a whole lotta stuff including artworks and trumpet in my hands after completing a short yet intense day of exhibiting and attention getting (creatively prostituting myself artistically speaking…Ya know its hard out here for an…Artivist) at the 2006 Sisterhood Showcase…I thought I would retire to the comforts of my home watching the season finales of The Sopranos and Big Love respectively (HBO KNOWS AND CREATES DRAMA BETTER THAN ANYBODY ELSE…SORRY TNT)…HOWEVER, FATE HAD OTHER PLANS FOR ME…Anyways my friend Regina had an extra ticket to the AL JARREAU show which was actually happening next door where the Memphis Cook Convention Center held "The Sisterhood Showcase" at;  the Canon Performing Arts Center...The fact that Regina had "Actually" called ten people to try to GIVE AWAY THE TICKET FOR ONE OF THE GREATEST ENTERTAINERS TO EVER GRACE THE EARTH (ONLY THE SECOND ARTIST TO EVER WIN A GRAMMY IN THREE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES) LET ME KNOW THAT IT WAS FATE AND NOT CHANCE (THE IRONIC THING IS THE FACT THAT AN ARTIST FRIEND OF MINE’S MOMS WAS ACTUALLY ASKING ME ALL WEEKEND AT THE SHOWCASE IF I KNEW ANYONE THAT MAY HAVE AN EXTRA TICKET BECAUSE SHE WAS A BIG AL JARREAU FAN!!!)…ANYWAYS AS ALWAYS AL THE CONSUMATE PERFORMER NEVER FAILED TO IMPRESS AND ENTERTAIN… What was surprising was his opening act, "Nuttin But Stringz"whose performance and commanding stage presence definitely put me in the mood and in the spirit of having an authentically GREAT TIME… Basically Nuttin But Stringz is a group CONSISTING OF TWO BROTHERS, Damien and Toure Escobar who are from the NYC and are professional and classically trained musicians (they studied at the prestigious Juilliard School for the Arts)…They have been on highly popular mainstream venues such as the Jay Leno Show, Ellen DeGeneres Show, and Showtime at the Apollo, but I never heard of them before Sunday evening…However, what makes the twosome unique is their ability to blend old school with nu school sensibilities…They used their talents to great effect in combining Hip Hop with Classical European, rock n roll and jazz, bridging a wide demographic of people in the audience all in attendance in the name of music appreciation…From Mozart to JayZ they hit all points in between in letting it be known that like the great God MC Rakim said before "it ain’t where you from but where you at" in understanding your humanity and creatively expressing yourself with that humanity…Nuttin But Stringz isn’t a new phenomenon but an updated version of a celebrated if sometimes obscured and underappreciated tradition of great exceptional young black and gifted musical prodigies which arguably started with the first mainstream Black American music star Blind Tom Bethune…They also in my opinion are the closest thing to being Jean Michel Basquiat in musical terms aesthetically speaking…Also in Nuttin But Stringz’s wonderful act I see ambition and drive which could one day equal or even surpass those of Lt. James Reese Europe,Samuel Coleridge Taylor, Scott Joplin, Will Marion Cook,William Grant Still, and Duke Ellington in that they are creating with their musical talents an unique voicing of the Souls of Black Folks that knows no boundaries to an audience who in my opinion as a whole are still unaware of the full greatness of that unique heritage post-Katrina …The fact that they are so young (late teens around 18 and 19 years old respectively) also adds a certain youthful hipness as well as mainstream hip-popish (Hip Hop and Pop) appeal to their act…The group’s interactions with the audience was also wonderful and very much appreciated …Their hypeman and rapper, Mr. Tony Hayes, played a very instrumental and crowd pleasing role in getting the mostly middle aged crowd "to get low" with it and get lost in the playful interplay between the rapper and Nuttin But Stringz…One of the performances that stand out in my mind was the opening number where you can tell how passionate and focused the talented duo was by looking at the finely combed horse hairs coming apart on Damien Escobar’s violin bow (reminded me of John Coltrane’s frenetic and passionate playing) or the showmanship of his brother Toure's Jimi Hendrix like approach to playing his violin…Some more numbers of note was their song paying homage to Egypt which had a very mystic, nostalgic and exotic quality which stirs echoes of Duke Ellington’s "Caravan" or "Black and Tan Fantasy"…Their version of Luther Vandross’s "Dance With My Father" was also a very successful number which evoked a lot of sentimental emotion from many members in the audience…Nuttin But Stringz was very consistent as far as keeping their energy high and very positive throughout the set…The brothers no matter how serious they took their playing also showed a sense of humor when they did their parody of a love song in which they repeated the refrain ,"I’m a sucker for her"…And just like they started they also ended their set on a high note with the number "A NEW Day"…That song in particular gave the venue a tent revival feel in that the brothers were along with their rapping sidekick Mr. Tony Hayes giving a semi-autobiographical testimonial about how everyone should look forward to getting a second chance or new day to improve or redeem themselves…This proves for me that wisdom don’t come with age, but with trial and error and understanding while remaining positive in spite of it all (Keep Hope Alive)…I got a chance to meet NBS and Mr. Tony Hayes after the show…These brothers are very humble and beautiful people…I thoroughly enjoyed talking with them and Mr. Tony Hayes who felled in love with Memphis, in particular the women and Corky’s barbeque but maybe not in that order!!! Right now they are very accessible, but I feel that they won’t be for long because their talent is too unique and daring not to be recognized for what it is: true genius in the making…Like freshly cooked Krispy Kreme Donuts once everybody gets a whiff they are going to be hard to get because they will definitely be in high demand…Hey everybody please don’t sleep on Nuttin But Stringz because these brothers got a lot to offer and should be supported!!! Hopefully one new day soon they will be coming to a venue near you!!! Please visit their official website at http://www.nuttinbutstringz.com/