My blog is on temporary hiatus

be back soon...

Why do we hate ourselves so much??? Skin whitening is dangerous.

Hey fam,

I saw this video and was completely apalled. Although this epidemic is not solely an issue in India, (Africa and many of the Carribean Islands have fell victim to this crap too) , people are killing themsleves to look like the light skinned, fairer skinned minority.

I couldn't help to think that when Sharoukh Khan sees me or another person of color, is he really truly disgusted by the sight of us?? Someone like he who is world travelled and has many of fans has no business supporting such a company. Clearly he is very comfortable with the dichotomy of treatement of someone with lighter skin, versus someone with darker skin.

Here's a family of skin bleachers....

See below....

Senegal's latest fashion victims - http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://a.abcnews.com/images/International/abc_skin_whitening_090112_mn.jpg&imgrefurl=http://abcnews.go.com/International/Story%3Fid%3D6625808%26page%3D3&usg=__3hdE1ULg0pdQ-GhucvfiaDsagrs=&h=240&w=320&sz=28&hl=en&start=1&tbnid=CPgXMOaS_ikGcM:&tbnh=89&tbnw=118&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dsite:a.abcnews.com%2Bskin%2Bwhitening,%2Bafrican%26gbv%3D2%26ndsp%3D18%26hl%3Den

Medical research highlights dangers of skin lightening
By Simon Pitman, 15-Feb-2008

A new medical report has highlighted potential dangers relating to certain active ingredients found in skin lightening products not authorized for sale in Europe.

The research, carried out by a team of doctors at the Imperial College hospital in London, referred to an individual case where a 28-year old woman who was a regular user of an illegal skin lightening product had experienced a series of medical conditions that doctors believe were related to the treatment.

According to the medical notes, published in the lancet, the unnamed patient was suffering from rapid weight gain, stretch marks and an inability to conceive.

The patient initially stated that she had not taken any illicit or prescribed medical treatment.
However, after a comprehensive series of medical examinations revealed no suitable explanations for her condition, doctors again asked the patient about drugs or medications.
Illegal skin lightening products often contains steroids

She finally revealed that she had been using 60 grams, or two tubes a week, of clobetasol - a potent skin lightening treatment that contains high levels of the steroid corticosteroid.

These type of creams are commonly prescribed for skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis, for which it is not recommended that the treatment is used for longer than 2 weeks at a time.
However, it transpired that the patient had been regularly using two tubes of the cream over a seven year period.

In the medical report the team of doctors, led by Tricia Tan, Maralyn Druce, Anthony Goldstone and Karim Meeran, pointed to the fact that individuals who use skin lightening products are often reluctant to admit to the practice.

Skin lightening can be a taboo subject
This reluctance is put down to the fact that discussion about skin lightening treatments can be a taboo subject for ethnic minorities, and this particular case was probably compounded by the fact that the treatment was purchased illegally.

Skin whitening products are becoming increasingly popular across the globe as individuals strive to achieve a brighter, healthier looking skin.

The products have proven particularly popular in the Asia Pacific region, where certain interpretations of beauty dictate that women, and increasingly men, have an unblemished and light skin colour.

Equally, older individuals throughout the world suffering from liver spots and other age-related skin darkening conditions are turning to skin lightening formulations in an effort to maintain what is perceived to be clearer and more youthful looking skin.

One of the biggest makers of authorised skin lightening products is Germany-based Beiersdorf, which markets a number of products under the Nivea brand, both to men and women on a global basis.

One of the coldest scenes from The Wire.....

I am starting a new post type called S*it that makes me mad!!!

Hey fam!

I am BACK!!

And what better way than to christen my arrival home with a new posting topic type. SInce I am growing more and more frustrated with stupidity, inane thinking and just absured mediocrity and the excuses that we use to justify isht, i am starting a "S*it that makes me mad" post.

Be on the look out for these postings soon.

My favorite X-Man - Colossus

I just wanted to post a dope picture of him....LOL!

Know Your History - Lord Finesse

Lord Finesse is a Hip hop artist and producer, hailing from The Bronx, New York, best known as the leader of the D.I.T.C. rap crew. In 1989, Finesse and his former partner DJ Mike Smooth signed to Wild Pitch Records, home to other popular Hip Hop artists like Gang Starr, Main Source, Chill Rob G, Percee P, and O.C.. In 1990, the duo released their debut album Funky Technician. The album featured production from future star beat-makers DJ Premier, Diamond D and Showbiz. Soon after, Finesse formed the popular New York underground crew D.I.T.C., an acronym for 'Diggin In The Crates', together with Showbiz & AG and Diamond D. Future members included Fat Joe, O.C., Buckwild and the late Big L.

Finesse returned as a solo artist in late 1991 with his second effort, Return of the Funky Man. The album featured guest appearances from Percee P and AG. The album's title track peaked at #13 on the Hot Rap Singles chart. "Return of the Funky Man" also included a couple of songs that were produced by Finesse himself and this would be the start of a career as a much respected hip-hop producer.

In 1994, Finesse made a production appearance on The Notorious B.I.G.'s classic debut Ready to Die, on the track "Suicidal Thoughts". In 1995, he produced a big portion of Big L's debut album Lifestylez Ov Da Poor & Dangerous, including the single '"M.V.P.". He finally returned as an artist in 1996 with the now rare 12" single "Check The Method" and then the acclaimed album The Awakening. Finesse produced the entire album himself, and enlisted a large number of guests, including O.C., KRS-One, MC Lyte, Akinyele, Showbiz and A.G., Diamond D, and Kid Capri. The underground single "Actual Facts," featuring Sadat X, Grand Puba and Large Professor, was included as a hidden track on the album.

Finesse hasn't released a studio album since this effort, but has continued his production work. In 1997, he produced the title track to O.C.'s acclaimed effort Jewelz. Finesse released a mixtape called Diggin' On Blue in 1999. Later in the year, he produced the track "The Message" on Dr. Dre's seminal 2001 album. Finesse is currently working on a Funky Technician remix project, as well as a new D.I.T.C. album. Along with these projects, he and DJ Premier are working on a posthumous Big L album.

In 1998, Finesse provided the vocal sample on the hook to "The Rockafeller Skank", a hit single by British musician Fatboy Slim from his album You've Come a Long Way, Baby. The song features Finesse's repeated line "Right about now, the funk soul brother. Check it out now, the funk soul brother."

Lord Finesse returned to the mic on Handsome Boy Modeling School's album "White People" in 2004. He was featured on the song entitled "Rock 'N' Roll (Could Never Hip-Hop Like This) pt. 2, collaborating with famous old-school DJ's as QBert, Grand Wizard Theodore and Jazzy Jay. Chester Bennington and Mike Shinoda from Linkin Park make appearances as well as Rahzel of The Roots.

Ryan Leslie is that dude...so talented....

Ryan Leslie Making of Jim Jones Precious from Ryan Leslie on Vimeo

WHOA!!!!!

If she was so damn psychic, how come she didn't forsee THIS???

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/palmbeach/sfl-0324misscleo,0,562556.story

Miss Cleo comes out and confirms that she is a lesbian.

Kudos to her, but I am still salty that she duped millions of people witha $2.00 jamaican accent and a head scarf.

Know Your History - Mantronix

Mantronix was an influential 1980s hip hop and electro funk music group founded by DJ Kurtis Mantronik (Kurtis el Khaleel), and rapper MC Tee (Touré Embden). Mantronix underwent several genre (and line-up) changes during its 7-year existence (1984–1991), from old school hip hop to electro funk to house music, but the group is primarily remembered for its original, heavily synthesized blend of old school hip-hop and electro funk.

History

Early years – 1984-1988
In 1984, while working as the in-store DJ for Downtown Records in Manhattan, Kurtis Mantronik, a Jamaican-Canadian émigré, met MC Tee, a Haitian-born, Flatbush, Brooklyn-based rapper (and regular record store customer).[1][2] The duo soon made a demo, "Fresh Is The Word," and eventually signed with William Socolov's Sleeping Bag Records.

Mantronix: The Album
Mantronix's debut single, "Fresh Is the Word," was a club hit in 1985, reaching #16 on Billboard Magazine's Hot Dance Singles Sales chart, and was featured on Mantronix: The Album which was released the same year.

Mantronix's efforts on Mantronix: The Album and its effect on early hip hop and electronic music is perhaps best summed up by music critic Omar Willey's observation in 2000:
“
Featuring "Fresh Is the Word" and the new tracks "Bassline" and "Electro Mega-Mix," Mantronix defined the new sound of electro-funk. Mantronik used a polyrhythmic style, similar to West African log drumming, but instead of acoustic drums, the rhythm would be carried by the combination of electronic drums, synthesizer, vocoder and/or synthesized voice over a bass line completely played on the synth. No samples of James Brown here. This was truly electronic music: spare, funky and immensely danceable, an homage and simultaneous extension of old-school hip hop's electronic template that had started with "Planet Rock" in 1982. The feeling of Afrika Bambaataa, Grandmaster Flash, Kraftwerk and Neu all combined in Mantronik's music. It was a neat tie between old-school and new jack, and Mantronix had the field to themselves.[3]
”
The influence of Mantronix: The Album is seen among other artists through the sampling of "Needle To The Groove" by Beck in the single "Where It's At" from the 1996 album, Odelay ("we've got two turntables and a microphone..."), as well as, "Fresh Is The Word" by the Beastie Boys in the single "Jimmy James" from the 1992 album, Check Your Head ("for all the Blacks, Puerto Ricans, and the White people too...")

Music Madness
Mantronix's second album, Music Madness, was released in 1986. While MC Tee's rhyming style on the album continued in the traditional b-boy fashion of the times, Mantronik's club-oriented production and mixing in Music Madness tended to attract more electronic dance music and electro funk aficionados than hardcore hip-hop fans.[4] During this period, while Mantronix was signed to Sleeping Bag Records, Mantronik was employed by the label in their A&R Department, while also producing other artists and groups, including Just-Ice, T La Rock, Nocera, and Joyce Sims.

In Full Effect
Mantronix signed with Capitol Records in 1987, in what was one of the first 7-figure deals for a hip-hop group, and released In Full Effect in 1988, which was the first album to be mastered from DAT instead of reel-to-reel tape. In Full Effect continued in and expanded on the hip-hop/electro funk/dance music vein of its predecessor, eventually reaching #18 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, Mantronix's highest showing for an album.[5] In Full Effect marked the last Mantronix album with rapper MC Tee, who left the group to enlist in the United States Air Force.

Later era - 1989-1991

Final Mantronix line-up (1991): (l-r) Jade Trini, Kurtis Mantronik, Bryce Wilson

This Should Move Ya
Following the departure of MC Tee, rapper Bryce "Luvah" Wilson, and Mantronik's cousin, D.J. D, joined Mantronix for 1990's This Should Move Ya. Mantronik met Wilson, a fellow Sleeping Bag Records label mate, while doing production for Wilson's aborted solo project.

The album spawned two top-10 hits on the British singles chart, "Got To Have Your Love" at #4, and "Take Your Time (featuring vocalist Wondress)" at #10. In the United States, the album reached #61 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.

In a 1991 interview, Kurtis Mantronik commented on the commercial success of "Got To Have Your Love":
“
When I did "Got To Have Your Love", I did it for a reason. I did it because I wanted to get a song on the radio.
”

The Incredible Sound Machine
Mantronix's final release, with vocalist Jade Trini replacing D.J. D, was The Incredible Sound Machine in 1991.[8] Grammy-nominated neo soul singer/songwriter Angie Stone co-wrote seven of the eleven tracks that appeared on The Incredible Sound Machine. The Incredible Sound Machine, which tended to favor R&B, new jack swing, and dance music over hip hop, was considered both a critical and commercial disappointment.

Shortly after a European tour and promotion related to the release of The Incredible Sound Machine, the group disbanded, and Mantronik left the music industry altogether for seven years.

Kurtis Mantronik resurfaced in Europe in the late 1990s, producing house and techno music artists, and remains an active force in pop-oriented electronic music to this day.

"Take Your Time" -This song was the shi*!!!

My apologies...

Dear family...

I am so sorry that my blog has slacked off something terrible. I had to work on a major project that required my full attention. But now that it's over, i am back on my grizzly and ready to post some hot isht!!!!

Stay tuned!!!

DAFT - Coming Soon!!!

Rihanna will be dead within a few years....if she doesn't get out of this relationship

UPDATE: In addition to reportedly working on his relationship with girlfriend Rihanna after the alleged beating incident, Chris Brown is also working on recording new music while in Miami.
E! reports that Brown has been creating new material during late night sessions at Miami's Hit Factory studio when he's not jet-skiing at Diddy's mansion on Star Island.

Rihanna has not been spotted during these late night recording sessions, although she is said to be staying with him at Diddy's Miami home.

And how is Rihanna's family handling word that she's reconciling with the boyfriend who is said to have brutally beaten her?

Her father Ronald Fenty tells Us that he supports his daughter's decisions.
“I love my daughter with whatever road she takes. I'm behind her win or lose. I will be supportive. If that's the road she wants to choose, I'm behind her. I hope to see her soon. I talked to her after her birthday, and she told me she's OK," he said.
________________________________________________________________________
In an exclusive update, Celebuzz has obtained details on the island property where embattled couple Chris Brown and Rihanna have reportedly reunited.
People magazine reports the pair have enlisted the help of Sean "Diddy" Combs and his extravagant home on Miami's Star Island.

"It's like a compound," a source tells Celebuzz, "there are two guest properties, one of which where [Combs' mother] Janice lives when she visits. The gem is the main house, however."
And what a gem. It counts neighbors like Gloria Estefan in walking distance. The property was acquired by Combs from record honcho Tommy Mottola for $20 million, fully furnished complete with original safari prints by artist Peter Beard.

"The house is very minimal, very zen," the source said. "It's where Diddy goes to get away."
If Rihanna and Brown, 20 and 19 respectively, are indeed holed up on the island, it's only in the lap of luxury.

The property gates are adorned with the rapper's initials "PD," for P. Diddy. A large statue of buddah greets guests at the main house entrance, followed by a grand foyer lined with river rocks.

"The formal dining room is gorgeous and the focal point of the house, but the kitchen is where everyone congregates," the source said.

The commercial-sized kitchen leads to a veranda that spans the entire home, drenched in wicker furniture overlooking a grey stone pool, also lined in river rocks.

"Staff is everywhere, there's a chef on call 24-hours, and he only burns Dyptique Baies candles."
Guests of Diddy's at the retreat have included Will Smith and wife Jada Pinkett-Smith, Bruce Willis and baseball star Derek Jeter.

The show-stopper, however, is an epic dock capped off in a lush cabana overlooking the water.
"You could anchor a Carnival cruise [on the dock]," says our source.
Reps for Brown and Rihanna could not be reached for comment.

In a shocking development in the Chris Brown and Rihanna saga, People.com is reporting that the two have reunited and are currently holed up in one of Sean "Diddy" Combs' residences.
The website quotes a source saying "they're together again. They care for each other."
"While Chris is reflective and saddened about what happened, he is really happy to be with the woman he loves."

The couple are currently at Combs' house on Star Island near Miami, Florida, UsWeekly reported later. Brown has been seen smiling, riding a jet ski, and flexing his arm muscles. Rihanna arrived four days ago, a source told the website.

Rihanna has been understandably lowkey since the alleged assault on Grammy weekend which forced her to pull out of the ceremony. Most recently she was pictured in Mexico on vacation.
In its latest issue, People reports that Brown called Rihanna on her 21st birthday one week ago. "He called to wish her happy birthday," a source told the magazine. "They've reached out to each other. It's been mutual."

This is the first time the two have been seen to be together since the incident.
Are you as blown away as we are, or did you see this coming? Let us know!

Know Your History - Chuck D (of Public Enemy)

Carlton Douglas Ridenhour (born August 1, 1960 in Roosevelt, New York), better known by his stage name, Chuck D, is an American rapper, author, and producer. He helped create politically and socially conscious rap music in the late 1980s as the leader of the rap group, Public Enemy.

Early life
Ridenhour was born in Roosevelt, Long Island.[1] After graduating from Roosevelt Junior-Senior High School, he went to Adelphi University in Long Island, graduating with a bachelor of arts degree in Graphic Design.

Career
Upon hearing Ridenhour's demo track "Public Enemy Number One", fledgling producer/mogul Rick Rubin insisted on signing him to his Def Jam label.

Chronologically, their major label albums were: Yo! Bum Rush the Show 1987, It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back 1988, Fear of a Black Planet 1990, Apocalypse 91...The Enemy Strikes Black 1991, Greatest Misses 1992, and Muse Sick-N-Hour Mess Age 1994. They also released a full length album soundtrack for the film He Got Game in 1998. Ridenhour also contributed (as Chuck D) to several episodes of the PBS documentary series The Blues. He has appeared as a feature artist on many other songs and albums, having collaborated with artists such as Janet Jackson, Kool Moe Dee, The Dope Poet Society, Run-DMC, Ice Cube and many others. In 1990, he appeared on "Kool Thing", a song by the alternative rock band Sonic Youth. In 1993, he executive produced Got 'Em Running Scared, an album by Ichiban Records group "Chief Groovy Loo and the Chosen Tribe".

Later career
In 1996, Ridenhour released Autobiography Of Mistachuck on Mercury Records. In November 1998, he settled out of court with Christopher "The Notorious B.I.G" Wallace's estate over the latter's sampling of his voice in the song "Ten Crack Commandments". The specific sampling is Ridenhour counting off the numbers one to nine on the track "Shut Em Down".[4]
In September 1999, he launched a multi-format "supersite" on the web site Rapstation.com. A home for the vast global hip hop community, the site boasts a TV and radio station with original programming, many of hip hop's most prominent DJs, celebrity interviews, free MP3 downloads (the first was contributed by multi-platinum rapper Coolio), downloadable ringtones by ToneThis, social commentary, current events, and regular features on turning rap careers into a viable living. Since 2000, he has been one of the most vocal supporters of Internet music file sharing in the music industry.

He loaned his voice to Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas as DJ Forth Right MC for the radio station Playback FM. He appeared with Henry Rollins in a cover of Black Flag's "Rise Above" for the album Rise Above: 24 Black Flag Songs to Benefit the West Memphis Three. He recently contributed a chapter to Sound Unbound: Sampling Digital Music and Culture (The MIT Press, 2008) edited by Paul D. Miller a.k.a. DJ Spooky.

Politics
Ridenhour is extremely politically active; he co-hosted Unfiltered on Air America Radio, testified before Congress in support of peer-to-peer MP3 sharing, and was involved in a 2004 rap political convention. He continues to be an activist, publisher, lecturer, and producer. Addressing the negative views associated with rap music, he co-wrote the essay book Fight the Power: Rap, Race, and Reality, along with Yusuf Jah (ISBN 0-385-31868-5). He argues that "music and art and culture is escapism, and escapism sometimes is healthy for people to get away from reality", but sometimes the distinction is blurred and that's when "things could lead a young mind in a direction."[5] He also founded the record company Slam Jamz and acted as narrator in Kareem Adouard's short film Bling: Consequences and Repercussions, which examines the role of conflict diamonds in bling fashion.

In an interview with Le Monde published 29 January 2008 [6], Chuck D stated that rap is devolving so much into a commercial enterprise, that the relationship between the rapper and the record label is that of slave to a master. He believes that nothing has changed for African-Americans since the debut of Public Enemy and, although he thinks that an Obama-Clinton alliance is great, he does not feel that the establishment will allow anything of substance to be accomplished. He also stated that French President Sarkozy is like any other European elite: he has profited through the murder, rape, and pillaging of those less fortunate and he refuses to allow equal opportunity for those men and women from Africa. In this article, he also defended a comment made by Professor Griff in the past that he says was taken out of context by the media. The real statement was a critique of the Israeli government and its treatment of the Palestinian people. Chuck D stated that it is Public Enemy's belief that all human beings are equal.

In an interview with the magazine N'Digo published in late June 2008, he spoke of today's mainstream urban music seemingly relishing in the addictive euphoria of materialism and sexism, perhaps being the primary cause of many people harboring resentment towards the genre and its future. However he has expressed hope for its resurrection, saying "It’s only going to be dead if it doesn’t talk about the messages of life as much as the messages of death and non-movement", citing artists such as NYOil, M.I.A. and the The Roots as socially conscious artists who push the envelope creatively. "A lot of cats are out there doing it, on the Web and all over. They’re just not placing their career in the hands of some major corporation."

Most recently Chuck D became involved in Let Freedom Sing: The Music of the Civil Rights, a 3-CD box set from Time Life. He wrote the introduction to the liner notes and is visiting colleges across the nation discussing the significance of the set. He's also set to appear in a follow up movie called Let Freedom Sing: The Music That Inspired the Civil Rights Movement.

Chris Brown is a bitch...may he rot in jail. charged with two felonies...

CNN) -- The argument that led to singer Chris Brown's arrest on felony assault charges began when his girlfriend found a text message on his cell phone from "a woman who Brown had a previous sexual relationship with," according to a sworn police statement.

Chris Brown is charged with felony counts of assault and making criminal threats.

Authorities charged Brown on Thursday with felony counts of assault and making criminal threats, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office said.
The charges are in connection with an alleged attack last month on "his girlfriend," the office said.

It identified the woman only as Robyn F., but sources close to the couple have told CNN the alleged victim was singer Rihanna, whose full name is Robyn Rihanna Fenty.
Brown was scheduled to appear in court later Thursday.

Rihanna, 21, was allegedly attacked by Brown on February 8 on a Los Angeles street before the two were to perform at the Grammys. Brown apologized for the incident last month.

"Words cannot begin to express how sorry and saddened I am over what transpired," the 19-year-old said in a statement released by his spokesman. "I am seeking the counseling of my pastor, my mother and other loved ones and I am committed, with God's help, to emerging a better person."

A search warrant used by police to obtain cell phone records related to the case included the sworn statement by Los Angeles Police Detective DeShon Andrews in which he detailed what allegedly happened in the early morning hours of February 8.
:
"Brown was driving a vehicle with Robyn F. as the front passenger on an unknown street in Los Angeles. Robyn F. picked up Brown's cellular phone and observed a three-page text message from a woman who Brown had a previous sexual relationship with.

"A verbal argument ensued and Brown pulled the vehicle over on an unknown street, reached over Robyn F. with his right hand, opened the car door and attempted to force her out. Brown was unable to force Robyn F. out of the vehicle because she was wearing a seat belt. When he could not force her to exit, he took his right hand and shoved her head against he passenger window of the vehicle, causing an approximate one-inch raised circular contusion.

"Robyn F. turned to face Brown and he punched her in the left eye with his right hand. He then drove away in the vehicle and continued to punch her in the face with his right hand while steering the vehicle with his left hand. The assault caused Robyn F.'s mouth to fill with blood and blood to splatter all over her clothing and the interior of the vehicle.

"Brown looked at Robyn F. and stated, 'I'm going to beat the s--t out of you when we get home! You wait and see!'"

The detective said she then used her cell phone to call her personal assistant, Jennifer Rosales, who did not answer.

"Robyn F. pretended to talk to her and stated, 'I'm on my way home. Make sure the police are there when I get there.'
"After Robyn F. faked the call, Brown looked at her and stated, 'You just did the stupidest thing ever! Now I'm really going to kill you!'

"Brown resumed punching Robyn F. and she interlocked her fingers behind her head and brought her elbows forward to protect her face. She then bent over at the waist, placing her elbows and face near her lap in [an] attempt to protect her face and head from the barrage of punches being levied upon her by Brown.

"Brown continued to punch Robyn F. on her left arm and hand, causing her to suffer a contusion on her left triceps that was approximately two inches in diameter and numerous contusions on her left hand.

"Robyn F. then attempted to send a text message to her other personal assistant, Melissa Ford. Brown snatched the cellular telephone out of her hand and threw it out of the window onto an unknown street.

"Brown continued driving and Robyn F. observed his cellular telephone sitting in his lap. She picked up the cellular telephone with her left hand and before she could make a call he placed her in a head lock with his right hand and continued to drive the vehicle with his left hand.

"Brown pulled Robyn F. close to him and bit her on her left ear. She was able to feel the vehicle swerving from right to left as Brown sped away. He stopped the vehicle in front of 333 North June Street and Robyn F. turned off the car, removed the key from the ignition and sat on it.

"Brown did not know what she did with the key and began punching her in the face and arms. He then placed her in a head lock positioning the front of her throat between his bicep and forearm. Brown began applying pressure to Robyn F.'s left and right carotid arteries, causing her to be unable to breathe and she began to lose consciousness.

"She reached up with her left hand and began attempting to gouge his eyes in an attempt to free herself. Brown bit her left ring and middle fingers and then released her. While Brown continued to punch her, she turned around and placed her back against the passenger door. She brought her knees to her chest, placed her feet against Brown's body and began pushing him away. Brown continued to punch her on the legs and feet, causing several contusions.

"Robyn F. began screaming for help and Brown exited the vehicle and walked away. A resident in the neighborhood heard Robyn F.'s plea for help and called 911, causing a police response. An investigation was conducted and Robyn F. was issued a Domestic Violence Emergency Protective Order."

When to let go of your hair.....

As a member of the receding hairline, folicly challenged brothers of America, Stevie, you are hearby supoeneaed to go to the nearest barber shop and bald off the remain shreds of dignity and braids that you have left. The Klingon style dreads is not a good look for a legend.....

That's not a forehead, that's a five-head.

"Nights like this I wish...that raindrops would fall-llll-lll"

Damn homey....wow. You are REALLY starting to look like Eddie Kane...... YEEEeEeSHHHH!

PREACH!!!!! John Legend tears the NY Post a new one

Open Letter to the New York Post

Dear Editor:

Iʼm trying to understand what possible motivation you may have had forpublishing that vile cartoon depicting the shooting of the chimpanzeethat went crazy. I guess you thought it would be funny to suggestthat whomever was responsible for writing the Economic Recovery legislation must have the intelligence and judgment of a deranged,violent chimpanzee, and should be shot to protect the largercommunity. Really? Did it occur to you that this suggestion wouldimply a connection between President Barack Obama and the deranged chimpanzee? Did it occur to you that our President has been receiving death threats since early in his candidacy?

Did it occur to you thatblacks have historically been compared to various apes as a way of racist insult and mockery? Did you intend to invoke these painfulthemes when you printed the cartoon?If thatʼs not what you intended, then it was stupid and willfully ignorant of you not to connect these easily connectable dots. If itis what you intended, then you obviously wanted to be grosslyprovocative, racist and offensive to the sensibilities of mostreasonable Americans. Either way, you should not have printed thiscartoon, and the fact that you did is truly reprehensible.

I canʼtimagine what possible justification you have for this. Iʼve read your lame statement in response to the outrage you provoked. Shame on you for dodging the real issue and then using the letter as an opportunityto attack Rev. Sharpton. This is not about Rev. Sharpton. Itʼs about the cartoon being blatantly racist and offensive.I believe in freedom of speech, and you have every right to print whatyou want. But freedom of speech still comes with responsibilities and consequences. You are responsible for printing this cartoon, and Ihope you experience some real consequences for it.

Iʼm personally boycotting your paper and wonʼt do any interviews with any of your reporters, and I encourage all of my colleagues in the entertainment business to do so as well. I implore your advertisers to seriously reconsider their business relationships with you as well. You should print an apology in your paper acknowledging that this cartoon was ignorant, offensive and racist and should not have been printed.

Iʼm well aware of our countryʼs history of racism and violence, but Itruly believe we are better than this filth. As we attempt to riseabove our difficult past and look toward a better future, we donʼt need the New York Post to resurrect the images of Jim Crow to deride the new administration and put black folks in our place. Please feel free to criticize and honestly evaluate our new President, but do so without the incendiary images and rhetoric.

Sincerely,

John Legend

Laugh if you want, Redhead Kingpin was the man back then....

Dude was nice with the dances and the rap.....

KNOW YOUR HISTORY - Master P

Percy Miller (born April 29, 1967), formerly known as Master P, is an American entertainer and entrepreneur. He is the founder and CEO of P. Miller Enterprises, an entertainment and financial conglomerate and Better Black TV. Miller has sold more than 75 million albums worldwide.

Biography
Miller was born in New Orleans, the oldest of five children. After attending the University of Houston, Miller moved to Richmond, California and opened a small record store, No Limit Records, financing the store with money that he received as part of a medical malpractice settlement related to the death of his grandfather.[1][2]

Entertainer
P. Miller started out with the rap group TRU with his two brothers Silkk The Shocker and C-Murder. P. Miller left In-A-Minute records shortly after releasing his debut album and formed his own label No Limit Records. With P. Miller as its premier artist, No Limit Records went on to release many albums from artists such as Snoop Dogg, Mystikal, Mia X, Mercedes, Soulja Slim, and Miller's siblings Silkk Tha Shocker and C-Miller and sons Romeo and Young V. He started a new label The New No Limit Records and then in 2006, P. Miller and son Romeo started a new label called Take A Stand Records.

After working in music industry as a retailer, P. Miller became an entertainer, as well as owning his own record company. No Limit Records, the retail store, became No Limit, the record company. In 1994, he self-produced his first album, The Ghetto's Tryin' to Kill Me.

After selling millions of records, he decided to sign his company, No Limit Records, to a straight pressing and distribution deal with Priority Records. The deal was solidified with Priority in 1995, No Limit Records released TRU (made up of P. Miller and his brothers, Silkk the Shocker and C-Miller).

His first feature film, 'I'm Bout It', a straight to video project debuted number one on Billboard's Top Music Video chart.[3] The film is allegedly based loosely on his life growing up in New Orleans. The soundtrack debuted number one on Billboard's R&B album chart and number five on Billboard's Top 250.

Although most of his singles were released from albums, a stand-alone single released in 1998, "I Got the Hook-Up!", featuring The Sons of Funk, reached #16.

Businessman and entrepreneur
As founder and CEO of No Limit Entertainment, Miller at one time presided over a business empire that included No Limit Records, Bout It Inc., No Limit Clothing, No Limit Films, No Limit Sports Management, PM. Properties and Advantage Travel. P. Miller ranked 10th on Forbes magazine's 1998 list of America's 40 highest paid entertainers with an estimated income of $56.5 million.[2] At one time, the estimated worth of his business dealings reached $662 million. He subsequently sold PM Properties for $360 million dollars.[4]

P. Miller’s brand continues to evolve through his new Take A Stand Records label. The initiative is the only recording label committed to signing and promoting hip-hop artists with responsible image and lyrics. He’s also dedicated his time to communities through P.Miller Youth Centers[5] and his P.Miller Food Foundation for the Homeless[6] and his new speaking program on financial literacy[7].

Additionally, P. Miller was recently appointed the new Youth Ambassador for the NAACP, a position previously held by former president Bill Clinton. [8]
P. Miller is also a published author with his book Guaranteed Success When You Never Give Up (2007 Kensington Publishing Corporation.) The book was promoted via a nationwide signing and speaking tour on financial literacy with The Learning Annex and alongside the likes of Donald Trump, Robert Kiyosaki, Earvin "Magic" Johnson, and Bo Derek.

Community involvement
P. Miller's community outreach extends from the bayous of Louisiana to the streets of Los Angeles and abroad. Along with Romeo, P. Miller and the animated character Gee Gee The Giraffe are appearing at community functions such as The Children's Earth Day festival at STAR ECO Station, an animal rescue and wildlife facility dedicated to the preservation of the earth.
The Black College Hoops Classic named P. Miller their commissioner of basketball for their 2008 tournament. The organization aims to educate and bring together young Afro-American players and give them the exposure they deserve on a national level.

In 2008 P. Miller was asked to serve on the executive board of the Joel John Scholastic Academy, an inner-city high school, after donating his time and resources to ensure the school remained open for its students. He refused, citing touring pressures.

On July 28th 2007, the mayor of Memphis, Tennessee presented P. Miller with the key to the city.[10]

Film and television
P. Miller has produced eight films, written and directed six, and starred in over a dozen including major studio releases such as Gone in 60 Seconds (alongside Nicholas Cage and Angelina Jolie), Dark Blue with Kurt Russell and starred opposite Harrison Ford in the cop comedy Hollywood Homicide (2003). P. Miller's filmography also includes Uncle P (New Line), Uncle Willy's Family, Soccer Mom, Repos, Black Supaman, Down and Distance, Toxic, and The Pig People (currently in production.)[11] P. Miller also manages the music, film and television career of his son, teen rap star Romeo and pop star Forrest Lipton.

On July 6th 2006 P. Miller appeared on ABC's primetime series Dancing With The Stars.[12]
P. Miller recently teamed up with his son Romeo to develop a children's cartoon, titled Gee Gee The Giraffe. The show is true to the duo's mission to produce positive, educational and entertaining content for Afro-American children. Animation has been employed by the Millers on prior occasions such as their February 2008 cartoon version of their music video for the song "Black History."

P. Miller has also made history as the first hip-hop entrepreneur to own a cable television network, Better Black Television, (BBTV) whose aim is to promote positive messages and content to the African American culture which is set to launch in 2009. Executives include Denzel Washington, Derek Anderson of the Charlotte Bobcats, DJ Kool Herc and Bo Derek.

Basketball career
He had a contract with NBA teams twice - with the Charlotte Hornets during the 1998/99 season and the Toronto Raptors in 1999 pre-season.[14][15] He also played in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) for Fort Wayne Fury. He joined the 2008 McDonald's NBA All-Star Celebrity Game and scored 17 points in total, hitting two crucial free throws at the end to win the game.

No Limit Sports
P. Miller established a sports talent agency organization called No Limit Sports.
The most lauded No Limit Sports client was Ricky Williams, who was represented by Leland Hardy during his negotiations with the New Orleans Saints. Hardy negotiated the contract for Williams, which was largely incentive-laden in exchange for an $8M-plus signing bonus with salary incentives worth a range of $11 million to $68 million should he hit all of his incentives.
No Limit Sports also represented NBA players Ron Mercer and Ricky Davis in their dealing with the Denver Nuggets and the Charlotte Hornets.

Video games
According to Allhiphop.com, P. Miller and Seth Green are producing a video game entitled Play The Industry. The game has an anticipated 2010 release date

JOIN STYLE BEYOND STYLE

http://stylebeyondstyle.blogspot.com/?zx=f399e003dd20e0ee

My homey just started up a hella fire blog called, "Style Beyond Style." I suggest that you peep it out. For all you supposed fashionistas out there, my homey has some tips to step your game up. TRUST!!!

One - Cap D

Congrats Tiger....

Being a father myself, there is nothing in the world better than having a healthy baby. Tiger just had his second, Charlie Axel...Congrats, m'man.

I know ya'll don't know who this, but he's a legend....

Courtesy of Yahoo! News

LOS ANGELES – Big band and jazz drummer Louie Bellson, a master musician who performed with such greats as Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Benny Goodman and his late wife, Pearl Bailey, has died. He was 84.

Bellson died Saturday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles of complications of Parkinson's disease following a broken hip in November, according to his wife, Francine.
Bellson's career spanned more than six decades, performing on more than 200 albums with jazz greats including Tommy Dorsey, Harry James, Oscar Peterson, Woody Herman, Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy Gillespie and Louis Armstrong.

It was through Ellington that he met Bailey, the great singer and Broadway performer. They married in 1952, and when she died in 1990 at age 72, he told the Philadelphia Daily News that "I just lost my best friend."

He was designated as a "master of jazz" in 1994 by the National Endowment for the Arts, which said he "ranks among the foremost big-band drummers of the swing and post-swing eras and is best known for his precise technique and the invention of two pedal-operated bass drums."
Bellson wrote more than 1,000 compositions and arrangements in several genres, including jazz, swing, orchestral suites, symphonic works and ballets. As an author, he published more than a dozen books on drums and percussion.

His final recording, "Louie & Clark Expedition 2" with trumpeter Clark Terry, was released last year.

Bellson was born in 1924 in Rock Falls, Ill., son of Italian immigrants whose family name was originally Balassoni. He told Jazz Connection, an Internet magazine, that he was entranced by the sound of drums when his father took him to a parade when he was 3. His father, who eventually opened a music store, taught his son to play drums and other instruments.
Bellson was still in his teens when he pioneered the double bass drum set-up, and two years later he went on to win the Slingerland National Gene Krupa drumming contest.

"I've been of the opinion that all a drummer really needs is one bass drum, a snare drum, some tom-toms, a ride cymbal, a crash cymbal, sticks and brushes," Bellson told Jazz Connection. "If you can't do it with that, you better go back to the drawing board. The extra bass drum is frosting on the cake. It doesn't mean that every drummer needs to play two bass drums. For me, it works."

There are tentative plans for a Los Angeles-area memorial service, followed by a funeral and burial in his boyhood home of Moline, Ill., according to his Web site.

This joint is still FIIiIiiYAAAAHHHHH!!!!

And for you young'uns, mase and Diddy didn't write this hook...LOL.

KNOW YOUR HISTORY - Melle Mel

Melvin Glover (born May 15, 1961 in The Bronx, New York), also known by his stage name Grandmaster Mele Mel, and formerly Grandmaster Melle Mel, is an American hip-hop musician ­­— one of the pioneers of old school hip hop as lead rapper & main songwriter for Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five.


Biography
Melvin Glover was the first rapper ever to call himself "MC".[citation needed] Other Furious Five members included his brother Kid Creole (Nathaniel Glover), Scorpio (Eddie Morris), Rahiem (Guy Todd Williams) & Cowboy Keith Wiggins. While a member of the group, Cowboy created the term "Hip Hop" while teasing a friend who had just joined the US Army, by scat singing the words "hip/hop/hip/hop" in a way that mimicked the rhythmic cadence of marching soldiers.

Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five began recording for Enjoy Records and released "Supperrappin'" in 1979. They later moved on to Sugarhill Records and were popular on the R&B charts with party songs and the like. They released numerous singles, gaining a gold disc for "Freedom," and also toured. In 1982 Melle Mel began to turn to more socially aware subject matter, in particular the Reagan administrations economic (Reaganomics) and drug policies, and their effect on the black community. A song entitled "The Message" became an instant classic and one of the first glimmers of conscientious hip-hop. Mel recorded a rap over session musician Duke Bootee's instrumental track "The Jungle". Some of Mel's lyrics on "The Message" were taken directly from "Supperrappin'", a song he had recorded three years earlier. Other than Melle Mel, no members of the Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five actually appear on the record. Bootee also contributed vocals (Rahiem was to later lyp-sync Bootee's parts in the music video). "The Message" went platinum in less than a month and went on to become, arguably the greatest record in Hip-Hop history. It was the first Hip-Hop record ever to be added to the United States National Archive of Historic Recordings. Mel would also go on to write songs about struggling life in New York City ("New York, New York"), and making it through life in general ("Survival (The Message 2)"). Grandmaster Flash split from the group after contract disputes between Mele Mel and their promoter Sylvia Robinson in regard to royalties for "The Message". When Flash filed a lawsuit against Sugar Hill Records, their label, the factions of The Furious Five parted.

Mel became known as "Grandmaster Melle Mel" and the leader of the Furious Five. The group went on to produce the anti-drug song "White Lines (Don't Don't Do It)" (the unofficial music video was directed by then unknown film student Spike Lee & starred an unknown Laurence Fishburne). The record was falsely credited to Grandmaster + Melle Mel by Sugarhill Records in order to fool the public into thinking Grandmaster Flash had participated on the record. Mel then gained higher success appearing in the movie Beat Street, with a powerful song based on the movie's title. He became the first rap artist ever to win a Grammy award for "Record of the Year" after performing a memorable rap on Chaka Khan's smash hit song "I Feel for You" which introduced hip-hop to the mainstream R&B audience. Grandmaster Melle Mel & The Furious Five had further hits with "Step Off", "Pump Me Up", "King of the Streets", "Jesse", and "Vice", the latter being released on the soundtrack to the TV show Miami Vice. "Jesse" was a highly politicial song which urged people to vote for then presidential candidate Jesse Jackson. Jackson went on to become the first African American ever to win a U.S. Presidential Primary.

In 1988, after an almost 4 year layoff, Mel and Flash reunited and released the album "On The Strength", but with up and coming new school artists such as Eric B. & Rakim, DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, Public Enemy, Boogie Down Productions, and Big Daddy Kane dominating the hip-hop market, the album failed miserably. Mel performed with The King Dream Chorus and Holiday Crew on "King Holiday" aimed at having Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.]'s birthday declared a national holiday. Mel also performed with Artists United Against Apartheid on the anti-apartheid song Sun City aimed at discouraging other artists from performing in South Africa until that government ended its policy of apartheid. Mel ended the decade by winning two more Grammy awards for his work on Quincy Jones "Back On The Block" & "Q - The Autobiography of Quincy Jones" albums.

In 1996, he contributed vocals to the U.S. edition of Cher's hit "One By One". Their version is only available on the maxi CD format.
In 1997, Melle Mel signed to Straight Game Records and released Right Now. This album featured Scorpio from the Furious Five, Rondo and the legendary Grandmaster Flash. The album barely sold at all in the USA and the UK even though it marked the return of one of hip hop's greatest. This album took more of a harder rap style to show the world that Mele Mel could stay with the times.

In 2001, he released the song "On Lock" with Rondo on the soundtrack of the movie Blazin under the name Die Hard. Die Hard released an album of the same name in 2002 on 7PRecords.
On November 14, 2006, Mel released a children's book "The Portal In The Park", which comes with a bonus CD of his rapped narration. Also in 2006, Melle Mel attended professional wrestling school and in 2007, stated in an interview with allhiphop.com that "I'm going to try to take some of John Cena's money and get with WWE and do my thing". Mel changed his name to "Mele Mel" & released his first ever solo album, Muscles on January 30, 2007. The first single and music video is "M3 - The New Message".

On March 12, 2007, Melle Mel and The Furious Five (joined by DJ Grandmaster Flash) became the first and only rap group ever inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

On October 10, 2008 Mel appeared on Bronx based culinary adventure show ‘Bronx Flavor’ alongside host Baron ambrosia. In the episode entitled Night at the Bodega he appears as a spiritual mentor to sway the Baron from his over-indulgent ways and get him on the right path to success.

Shaq does the damn thing....

I will always love this dude. Shaq will really be missed when he retires.....