RIP the Queen of Kings!

Coretta Scott King, 78, DiesATLANTA (AP) - Coretta Scott King, who turned a life shattered by her husband's assassination into one devoted to enshrining his legacy of human rights and equality, has died, former mayor Andrew Young told NBC Tuesday morning. She was 78. Young, who was a former civil rights activist and was close to the King family, broke the news during a phone call he made to the ``Today'' show. ``I was not expecting it. She has been ill for last few months. My first reaction was she was ready to cross on over.'' Asked how he found out about her death, Young said: ``I understand she was asleep last night and her daughter tried to wake her up.'' Efforts by The Associated Press to reach the family were unsuccessful. They did not immediately return phone calls, but flags at the King Center were lowered to half-staff Tuesday morning. King suffered a serious stroke and heart attack in 2005. She was a supportive lieutenant to her husband, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., during the most tumultuous days of the American civil rights movement. She had married him in 1953. After her husband's assassination in Memphis, Tenn., on April 4, 1968, she kept his dream alive while also raising their four children. She worked to keep his ideology of equality for all people at the forefront of the nation's agenda. She goaded and pulled for more than a decade to have her husband's birthday observed as a national holiday, then watched with pride in 1983 as President Reagan signed the bill into law. The first federal holiday was celebrated in 1986. King became a symbol, in her own right, of her husband's struggle for peace and brotherhood, presiding with a quiet, steady, stoic presence over seminars and conferences on global issues. ``I'm more determined than ever that my husband's dream will become a reality,'' King said soon after his slaying, a demonstration of the strong will that lay beneath the placid calm and dignity of her character. She was devoted to her children and considered them her first responsibility. But she also wrote a book, ``My Life With Martin Luther King Jr.,'' and, in 1969, founded the multimillion-dollar Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change. King saw to it that the center became deeply involved with the issues she said breed violence - hunger, unemployment, voting rights and racism. ``The center enables us to go out and struggle against the evils in our society,'' she often said. After her stroke, King missed the annual King holiday celebration in Atlanta in January 2006, but she did appear with her children at an awards dinner a couple of days earlier, smiling from her wheelchair but not speaking. The crowd gave her a standing ovation. At the same time, the King Center's board of directors was considering selling the site to the National Park Service to let the family focus less on grounds maintenance and more on King's message. But two of the four children were strongly against such a move. Coretta Scott was studying voice at the New England Conservatory of Music and planning on a singing career when a friend introduced her to Martin Luther King, a young Baptist minister working toward a Ph.D. at Boston University. ``She said she wanted me to meet a very promising young minister from Atlanta,'' King once said, adding with a laugh, ``I wasn't interested in meeting a young minister at that time.'' 01/31/06 08:00 © Copyright The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained In this news report may not be published, broadcast or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.

Rich get richer, and the poor get poorer!

Study Finds Rich-Poor Income Gap GrowingBy MARK JOHNSON, Associated Press Writer Thu Jan 26, 8:24 PM ETALBANY, N.Y. - The disparity between rich and poor is growing in America as the federal minimum wage has remained flat for years, union membership has declined and industries have faced global competition, according to a study released Thursday.The report by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and the Economic Policy Institute, both liberal-leaning think tanks, found the incomes of the poorest 20 percent of families nationally grew by an average of $2,660, or 19 percent, over the past 20 years. Meanwhile, the incomes of the richest fifth of families grew by $45,100, or nearly 59 percent, the study by the Washington-based groups said.Families in the middle fifth saw their incomes rise 28 percent, or $10,218.The figures, based on U.S. Census data, compare the average growth from 1980-82 to 2001-03, after adjusting for inflation.The poorest one-fifth of families, the report said, had an average income of $16,780 from 2000-03, while the top fifth of families had an average income of $122,150 — more than seven times as much. Middle-income families' average income was $46,875.Trudi Renwick, an economist with the union-backed Fiscal Policy Institute in New York, said globalization, the decline of manufacturing jobs, the expansion of low-wage service jobs, immigration and the weakening of unions have hurt those on the lower end of the economic scale.In 38 states, the incomes of high-income families grew by a higher percentage than those of the lowest-income families; Alaska was the only state in which the reverse was true. The 11 states where the high and low incomes increased at about the same rate were mostly in the West and Midwest.The greatest disparity between rich and poor was in New York, where the top 20 percent of wage earners had average incomes 8.1 times larger than the poorest 20 percent in the early 2000s. Texas had only a slightly smaller gap; Wyoming had the smallest disparity at a 5.2 to 1 ratio.Matthew Maguire, a spokesman for the Business Council of New York state, said the money earned by the state's wealthiest residents is "something that everybody who cares about New York should be pleased about.""New York's wealthy pay huge sums in taxes and those wealthy people and their taxes make it possible for New York to provide the nation's most generous social service programs to less fortunate New Yorkers," he said. "It also reflects the fact the state is a magnet for immigrants who come from the four corners of the globe to a state they see as symbol of economic activity."Renwick said the government "needs to continue its commitment to correcting the natural outcomes of the marketplace" by raising the minimum wage with inflation and by tax policies like the earned income tax credit.Renwick also suggested that governments, when giving tax breaks to companies, insist those companies provide jobs that pay higher wages.

What's Beef?

The two biggest questions rap fans want answered right now are: What does Jay-Z think about Cam'ron coming at him on wax? And now that Nas is on Def Jam, how do God's Son and Hova plan to smash the rap game?First things first — Cam is
"I feel like I would be stupid to even pay that any attention, because it's such a ploy. ... That's not even a good dis record." — Jay-Z
Photos, audio and video from this story

Jay-Z"99 Problems"The Black Album [Edited](Roc-A-Fella Records)

Cam'ron"Down & Out/ Get Em Daddy"Purple Haze(Diplomat Records/Roc-A-Fella)
-->holding a press conference Wednesday (January 25) in New York to discuss what the streets are calling his "beef" with Hova. As for Killa Cam's "You Got It" dis record (see "Cam'ron Attacks Jay-Z With Dis Track 'You Got It' "), Jay said he's not sure he'll respond with his own dis record. Jigga said he's never had any problems with Cam, though he admits the two never bonded while Cam was on Roc-A-Fella."My thing is, it's such an obvious ploy for attention and to get people to talk about it and for [Cam to] sell albums," Jay said Tuesday, speaking to MTV News from a company retreat.Even though Jay says he knows Cam's master plan, he's conflicted. On one hand he feels he's too big to stoop to Cam's level, but on the other hand, the MC in him is itching to retort with battle raps."I'm torn," he admitted. "I feel like I would be stupid to even pay that any attention, because it's such a ploy. ... N---as is holding press conferences behind [the dis record]. The MC in me is like, 'That's too easy [to come back at him.]' That's not even a good dis record. That sh-- is trash. I'm torn. We'll see what happens. Maybe on my time we'll deal with it, but I'm not really pressed. I'm inspired by good artistic sh--. Cam's sh-- is not artistic. There's nothing good about it. Everything about it is an obvious ploy to get attention. Nobody wants to get used. You're just using me. Of course he had to go that far."One of the brow-raisers in Cam's song comes at the beginning, when he says part of his disdain for Hov came about because Jay had wronged former partner Dame Dash in their business dealings. Speaking to New York radio station WQHT-FM, Cam also said Dame had tipped him off that Jay would be coming at him during last year's "I Declare War" concert (the show turned out to be all about peace; see "Jay-Z And Nas Put Beef To Sleep In Onstage Show Of Unity").Jay called Dame's involvement in the equation "shocking" and said he hasn't spoken with his once close friend about Cam and has no plans to. "To be honest with you, that's the most surprising thing," Jay said calmly. "I'm still in shock, to be honest with you."No one was really surprised this week when it was announced that Nas had signed to Def Jam (see "Nas Signs With Jay-Z, According To Report"). The two had been in talks for a while and performed two nights of shows in October. Hov said there probably will not be a Jay and Nas album, but he does expect to do at least a song with Nas."I'm guessing like September, fall, so we can do it right," Jay said of when he expects Nas' LP to drop. Nas has been recording material for months, but Hov thinks he'll start fresh with his new deal in place. "I didn't hear the stuff he did before, but I'm guessing it'll be a new slate."Jay added that he hopes Nas will connect with some of the best producers in the game, such as Kanye West, DJ Premier, Just Blaze, Dr. Dre, Timbaland and Pharrell Williams, though he hasn't ruled out Nas teaming with some up-and-coming beatmakers. He said his former rival is in such a great headspace, he wouldn't be surprised if Nas made the best album of career."[I'm proud to have him on Def Jam] for so many different levels," he said. "One, he's been at the forefront of hip-hop since he's been out. [Illmatic] is arguably one of the best albums ever made. To have that down with the team, it's just a beautiful thing. Two, it says so much about the culture. It shows another way. [The media] always portrays us like we're ignorant. It shows another ending. I think it's bigger for the culture."While the Nas album isn't due for several months, Jay is so excited about the albums coming out on Def Jam this year — including Ghostface Killah and LL Cool J — he contemplated dropping an album himself, but he's since rethought it and will continue to play the executive role.And it's a part he's been playing to the fullest. Jay's team is on the brink of adding one or two more major players, but it's too early to name names, he said. — Shaheem Reid

This seems strange......but I can't knock the Hustle!

Nas Officially Signs With Def JamBy Nolan StrongDate: 1/23/2006 8:30 pm In Oct. Of 2005,ay-Z and Nas ended their long running feud and now, Nas has officially signed with Def Jam as a recording artist. Under the terms of the deal, Def Jam and Sony Music will split the profits from two albums, while Def Jam will keep an additional two. Additionally, Sony has the rights to release a Greatest Hits album from Nas. Def Jam will cover the marketing and production costs of the recording, while both companies will oversee the marketing of the releases. Nas' newest album is also expected to contain a collaboration between Jay-Z and Nas. Nas has sold more than 11 million albums since the debut of his 1994 album Illmatic.

She's doing it BIG!

Peace this is a beautiful thing........and it is on the observation of MLK day. I really hope this is a new day for the start of peace, and rebuilding for Liberia.

New leader's pledge: Unite Liberia

Inauguration for Africa's first elected female head of state

Monday, January 16, 2006; Posted: 11:23 a.m. EST (16:23 GMT)

Sirleaf is sworn in Monday as Liberia's new president.

ELLEN JOHNSON SIRLEAF

AGE: 67. Born October 29, 1938 in Monrovia, Liberia.

EDUCATION: M.P.A., Harvard University, 1971. She also earned an economics diploma from the University of Colorado in 1970, and a B.B.A. in accounting from Madison Business College in 1964.

CAREER: A long-standing member of Liberia's political elite, Sirleaf served as finance minister under ex-President William Tolbert before he was toppled and killed in 1980 coup. She fled the country shortly afterward, taking up top jobs at Citibank, the United Nations and the World Bank.

RETURN TO POLITICS: In 1997, she made a failed bid for the presidency, losing to ex-president-turned-warlord Charles Taylor in a vote he won amid a climate of fear. After Taylor was forced into exile as part of a deal to end Liberia's civil war in 2003, Sirleaf returned to make a successful run for the presidency in late 2005.

FAMILY: Sirleaf is a widowed mother of four, and has eight grandchildren.

SOURCE: The Associated Press

MONROVIA, Liberia -- Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf has been sworn in as Liberia's new president, becoming Africa's first elected female head of state and vowing to lead the country away from its turbulent past.

Sirleaf took the oath of office Monday at an inauguration ceremony in the capital of Monrovia attended by dignitaries and leaders from around the world.

The 67-year-old grandmother, who was elected in a run-off vote in November, has promised to unite Liberia by ending political corruption and rebuilding her country after civil war between 1989 and 2003 left some 200,000 dead.

"Let us begin anew, moving forward into a future that is filled with hope and promise," Sirleaf said in her inauguration speech.

Sirleaf promised to "wage war against corruption regardless of where it exists or by whom it is practised."

CNN correspondent Jeff Koinange, reporting from Monrovia, said Monday's high-profile ceremony would have been unthinkable just two years ago.

"This was literally a war zone. All that has changed," he said.

United Nations peacekeepers were sent to restore order in 2003 after then-president Charles Taylor was indicted by the U.S. for war crimes and forced from office.

The UN, which still has about 1,600 troops on ground, increased security ahead of the inauguration, The Associated Press reported. About 500 peacekeepers usually stationed outside the capital were moved to areas around the capital and the international airport.

Liberian police also bolstered their presence on the streets, AP said, while two U.S. Navy warships patrolled offshore.

"The country is still unsafe for the most part," Koinange said, adding that a U.N. official told him peacekeepers will remain in Liberia "for the foreseeable future."

Among those attending the ceremony were U.S. first lady Laura Bush and U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Also present were Nigeria's leader Olusegun Obasanjo and South African President Thabo Mbeki.

Liberia in Africa's oldest republic, founded by freed American slaves in 1847.

The country is abundant natural resources and had a stable economy until a bloody military coup in 1980 led by Master Sgt. Samuel Doe. President William Tolbert was killed in the coup and was replaced by Doe.

Monrovia now has no running water or electricity. Unemployment in the country is running at around 80 percent.

Sirleaf, who was educated at Harvard University in the United States, was Liberia's finance minister before the coup.

She was imprisoned twice in the 1980s and later fled the country.

In 1989, Taylor -- a former government minister -- led a rebel group invasion of Liberia from neighboring Ivory Coast. After several years of fighting, a peace deal was reached and Taylor was elected president in 1997, with Sirleaf coming in second.

Another round of rebel attacks began in 2000 against the Taylor regime. The fighting ended in a cease-fire in 2003 and Gyude Bryant was named leader of the interim government.

Copyright 2006 CNN. All rights

A King among Kings...Respect due

Martin Luther King – Biography

Martin Luther King, Jr., (January 15, 1929-April 4, 1968) was born Michael Luther King, Jr., but later had his name changed to Martin. His grandfather began the family's long tenure as pastors of the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, serving from 1914 to 1931; his father has served from then until the present, and from 1960 until his death Martin Luther acted as co-pastor. Martin Luther attended segregated public schools in Georgia, graduating from high school at the age of fifteen; he received the B. A. degree in 1948 from Morehouse College, a distinguished Negro institution of Atlanta from which both his father and grandfather had been graduated. After three years of theological study at Crozer Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania where he was elected president of a predominantly white senior class, he was awarded the B.D. in 1951. With a fellowship won at Crozer, he enrolled in graduate studies at Boston University, completing his residence for the doctorate in 1953 and receiving the degree in 1955 In Boston he met and married Coretta Scott, a young woman of uncommon intellectual and artistic attainments. Two sons and two daughters were born into the family.

In 1954, Martin Luther King accepted the pastorale of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. Always a strong worker for civil rights for members of his race, King was, by this time, a member of the executive committee of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the leading organization of its kind in the nation. He was ready, then, early in December, 1955, to accept the leadership of the first great Negro nonviolent demonstration of contemporary times in the United States, the bus boycott described by Gunnar Jahn in his presentation speech in honor of the laureate. The boycott lasted 382 days. On December 21, 1956, after the Supreme Court of the United States had declared unconstitutional the laws requiring segregation on buses, Negroes and whites rode the buses as equals. During these days of boycott, King was arrested, his home was bombed, he was subjected to personal abuse, but at the same time he emerged as a Negro leader of the first rank.

In 1957 he was elected president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization formed to provide new leadership for the now burgeoning civil rights movement. The ideals for this organization he took from Christianity; its operational techniques from Gandhi. In the eleven-year period between 1957 and 1968, King traveled over six million miles and spoke over twenty-five hundred times, appearing wherever there was injustice, protest, and action; and meanwhile he wrote five books as well as numerous articles. In these years, he led a massive protest in Birmingham, Alabama, that caught the attention of the entire world, providing what he called a coalition of conscience. and inspiring his "Letter from a Birmingham Jail", a manifesto of the Negro revolution; he planned the drives in Alabama for the registration of Negroes as voters; he directed the peaceful march on Washington, D.C., of 250,000 people to whom he delivered his address, "l Have a Dream", he conferred with President John F. Kennedy and campaigned for President Lyndon B. Johnson; he was arrested upwards of twenty times and assaulted at least four times; he was awarded five honorary degrees; was named Man of the Year by Time magazine in 1963; and became not only the symbolic leader of American blacks but also a world figure.

At the age of thirty-five, Martin Luther King, Jr., was the youngest man to have received the Nobel Peace Prize. When notified of his selection, he announced that he would turn over the prize money of $54,123 to the furtherance of the civil rights movement.

On the evening of April 4, 1968, while standing on the balcony of his motel room in Memphis, Tennessee, where he was to lead a protest march in sympathy with striking garbage workers of that city, he was assassinated.

Yo Rev...ain't right!

 


Swimming With the Sharks
By Howard Karger, AlterNet
Posted on January 11, 2006
http://www.alternet.org/story/30407/

Reverend Al Sharpton finds solace in strange places.
"When I'm out fighting for the little guy and I need quick cash, I find comfort in knowing that LoanMax is here for me."

This is from a television ad he did in early December for LoanMax, a predatory auto title lender. After some criticism, Sharpton relented and declared a moratorium on the ads, saying he wants more financial data from LoanMax.

What data does Sharpton need? To get an auto title loan, a borrowers put up their car title as collateral along with an extra set of keys. They get a 30-day loan equal to a maximum of 50 percent of their vehicle's trade-in value. If the loan is repaid on time, the borrower gets the title back. If not, the vehicle is repossessed and sent to auction. In some states, the lender keeps the full proceeds of the auction, even if it exceeds the loan. To be fair, LoanMax isn't interested in repossession since it makes more money from customers' rolling over their debt from month to month. Trapping customers in a cycle of debt is the cornerstone of fringe lending.

LoanMax makes 500,000 title loans a year through 200 stores in 21 states. Its average car title loan is $400, and at a 30 percent monthly interest rate, it makes $120 on a $400 loan for 30 days. Since LoanMax claims that most borrowers repay their loan in two to three months, in only 90 days the average customer pays $360 in interest on a $400 loan. If customers take a year to pay off the debt, they'll spend a whopping $1,440 in interest on a $400 loan. Borrowers also pay title recording fees, plus some lenders add a $50 annual membership fee.

LoanMax's interest rates would make even Tony Soprano green with envy. According to the Justice Department, one underworld crew operated a large-scale loan sharking and bookmaking operation that preyed upon employees of stock brokerage firms. The crew made illegal loans at interest rates of one percent to five percent a week, or the equivalent of a 52 percent to 240 percent APR. This would be a bargain for auto title pawn customers. In fact, the phenomenal growth of legal fringe lenders may be cutting more into Mafia profits than the FBI's anti-racketeering efforts.

Sharpton claims he was recruited for LoanMax by Lamell McMorris, a civil rights activist and founder and CEO of Perennial Strategy Group, a consulting and lobbying firm. Quoted in the New Pittsburgh Courier, McMorris said, "I know a great deal about LoanMax because the owner of the company [Rod Aycox] is my best friend. LoanMax is not a predatory lending institution. As far as I'm concerned, they're green-lining a redlined America." Perennial wrote and disseminated LoanMax's rebuttal to attacks on the Sharpton commercial.

Predatory lenders like LoanMax crave respectability, and Lamell McMorris has the credentials to deliver. In 1998 Ebony named him one of the "30 leaders of the future, 30 and under." McMorris has worked with Jesse Jackson, the Chicago Urban League, the NAACP and the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, and was director of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. What better friend for a predatory lender?

The fringe economy represents an economic war targeted at the old, minorities and the poor. At its root, predatory lending is a class- and race-based industry. Check the zip codes. I doubt there's a LoanMax office located in a posh or upper-middle-class neighborhood. When Sharpton and McMorris work to make a rogue industry respectable, they are little more than well-paid mercenaries in an economic war against the poor. Promoting a debt culture also doesn't help the economic base of African American communities.

The main opposition to predatory lending comes from Democrats, and if fringe lenders can divide the leadership, the industry will be more secure. Part of the industry's strategy involves neutralizing or dividing African Americans over the issue. Unfortunately, this tactic seems to be working, at least on the basis of the silence of prominent civil rights activists like Jesse Jackson, Julian Bond and Bill Cosby. So far, no black leader has commented on Sharpton's swim with the LoanMax shark.
On the other hand, Congressional Black Caucus member Stephanie Tubbs-Jones refers to predatory lending as the "civil rights issue of this century." Take heed, she's probably right.

Dipples D was a girl she was great...her and Marley Marl went and cut a plate......

First I must send praises due to Davey D (www.daveyd.com). This brother has one of the most well balanced sites on the net for Hiphop. It something there for everybody.

Now since that verbal honor is complete. I found this on his site and it made me think.......yeah what did happen?
******************************************************************************************

Whatever Happned to Essence Magazine's Take Back the Music?
------------------------------------------------------------------------
A year ago Essence magazine launched their "Take Back The Music"
campaign. At that time Essence promised to explore, discuss and give
solutions regarding misogynistic content in music and video.

Personally I was excited that such a prominent magazine was taking on a
much needed and daunting task. Then editor Diane Weather, promised a
year long look at the who, what and why. I connected with Michaela
Angela Davis the editor in charge of "Take Back the Music", shared the
mic with her on radio and tv. For a few months Time Warner owned
Essence, walked the walk...

Now six months after "Take Back the Music Summit" at the famed Schomburg
Museum in New York, not a peep. The final six months of the Essence
campaign were non existent, although the website still boast their
mission statement.

My three connects are no longer in the building. Diane Weathers,
Michaela Davis and Carla Williams. We often give credit for starting but
rarely acknowledge jobs left undone. So let's all remember Essence
dropped the ball on this one. Maybe their only goal was to sell a few
magazines after all.
Paul Porter

IndustryEars.com
************************************************************************************************

Ok.....my subscription to Essence ran out. However I had their initial issue where they stated they were going to address this issue of misogynistic content in music and video, and some solutions. You know get the people talking and thinking etc.

Now I am thinking with all this publicity "super head" is getting. A VH1 special, radio beefs, cancelled book signing based on "so-called threats", and maybe even a movie in the making base on her confessions. WTF?

Let's cut straight to my point...because I could give more rants on the lack of positive images about women of color in music, and the media outlets. Instead I will tell you what I am for.

This is what I am for.........(because some people are way beyond reach).

More balance for the exposure of quality & a variety of Hiphop in all avenues from MTV, BET, films to your local hood DVDs. [Yes from underground to commercial. Remember....all commercial rap isn't bullsh*t, and all underground rap ain't dope. These are the times we are in. Sorry people when Hiphop didn't use to get much radio airplay you could say "back in the day" if somebody was on the radio during the day that so-called rapper probably sucked.]

More exposure for women with skills in front of mic and the board room.

More education for the youth to understand that everyone will not be the "front man or woman rapper" there are plenty of areas in the industry to work in or start your own businesses and not settle.

More education on the roots/culture of Hiphop for the youth and some of these so-called "now school" rappers.

More grown heads to support their "era" of artists (example: Eric B & Rakim should still be able to fill an arena. If the Rolling Stones can then.....what?)

More music education in the school system.

I will cut it there. Because I can go on and on about what I would like to see more of. Just to sum it up to BALANCE, BALANCE is what I would like to see. The next installment will discuss some ideas on how we can strive to bring in more balance to the game.


Next is a NOTICE to everyone who lives this culture, an especially grown heads.

How do we expect the youth to choose between brand quality or an imitation brand?
When they don't know any better and the machine is manufacturing an imitation that is close you can hardly tell them apart. As a matter of fact a lot of them have been fed this imitation since they were first expose to the culture.

So where does one go when they are unsure about a piece of art/painting being the real thing? You go to an expert that's what.

This is when the experience of the older generation needs to feed down to the youth...so they will know. Therefore pass it on, write about it, speak about it, document it, support the quality of it, teach it, live it, and don't give up on it. I am not saying it is easy.....afterall I am just saying.

PS: I know there are a lot of hard-working heads (29/30+) that are stirving to do just that. I say thank you to you all.

Shout out to Afrika Bam & Zulu nation!

Until next time
One

Show me the power!

Shout out to Sway! I am proud of this brother, he knows his worth, and walked the walk.




Sway of MTV Steps It Up Big Time
------------------------------------------------------------------------

RENOWNED TV PERSONALITY, SWAY WALKED AWAY FROM MTV!

New York, NY- After five years with MTV News, Popular television host Sway Calloway severed ties with the network at the beginning of negotiations back in September of 2005.

"The nature of the contract presented to me did not reflect where I wanted to be professionally with the company at this point in my career," explained Sway. He enjoyed working with such a talented group of individuals. He saw MTV as a wonderful place to nurture his career. He benefited from the creative opportunity MTV provided him, however, Sway had a five-year plan that would increase his decision-making ability with the company. "Once that plan had not come to fruition I decided it was best to walk away. The plan encompassed my development into a company executive being instrumental in the decisions made about today's increasingly expanding music industry. Sway made history with MTV News, with the rise of hip-hop; he also played a vital role in bringing more hip-hop to the network.

Sway came to MTV being an entrepreneur and through natural progression, he wanted to more involved with the company. Some of his entrepreneurial attributes include him and his business partner King Tech being credited for helping launch the careers of Eminem, Chino XL, Nas, WuTang, and many more. They both host radio's renowned Wake Up Show which is syndicated through Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Francisco, San Diego, France, Japan, and other markets, with expanding syndication this year. In addition Sway and King Tech own a record label, Bolo Entertainment with distribution through Universal, they will be releasing Chino XL's solo album first quarter.


After four months of negotiations MTV agreed to be a part of Sway's professional growth. "They stepped up to the plate making MTV my home! It will be a few years before we see the results of this development, however I'm looking forward to the challenge." MTV recognized Sway's need to be more involved and proved to be an equal opportunity company that worked diligently to come to a solution. In addition to being a news correspondent for the network, Sway is officially an executive at MTV with the ability for him and his business partner King Tech to produce programming on MTV and other Viacom channels. Sway is the first TV personality since Carson Daily to negotiate a deal of this magnitude. Sway is extremely happy and people will see him with MTV for many years to come!

Deathrow..what a brother know...?

Once again another dead blackman walking. Peep this...


Rapper Cool C's Execution Warrant Signed by PA Governor Ed Rendell
By Seandra Sims
Date: 1/11/2006 4:15 pm



Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell signed the execution warrant yesterday for former Philadelphia rapper Christopher "Cool C" Roney.

Roney, 36, is currently an inmate at Pennsylvania’s State Correctional Institution at Greene and is set to die by lethal injection on March 9.

In October 1996, Roney was found guilty of first-degree murder in the killing of Philadelphia police officer and nine-year veteran Lauretha Vaird during a botched January 1996 bank robbery that included rap partner Warren "Steady B" McGlone and a third man.

Vaird was Philadelphia's first female officer ever killed in the line of duty.

While McGlone was convicted as an accomplice and getaway driver, later receiving life in prison, prosecutors asserted that Roney was the triggerman and sentenced him to death.

The sentence was affirmed by the state's Supreme Court a year ago, and a subsequent plea to the U.S. Supreme Court was denied in October 2005.

Roney was a member of rap crew The Hilltop Hustlers in the late 1980s and helped put Philly rappers on the map with singles such as
"Juice Crew Dis" (which was later used by Philadephia rappers Beanie Sigel & Peedi Crack on 'When You Hear'), as well as 1989's hit single, "Glamorous Life."

As a rapper, Roney released two albums, 1989's I Gotta Habit and 1990’s Life in the Ghetto.

In 1993, he joined Steady B and Ultimate Eaze to form the group C.E.B. and released the album Countin' Endless Bank in 1993 on Ruffhouse Records.

Que' pasa? to all my queens out there!

I know I maybe a little late on this one but I don't care.

Congrats to Q-u-e-e-n L-a-t-i-f-a-h-in command! You deserve it.

"Remember Rappin' Duke duh-hah,duh-hah, who would've of thought hiphop to take it this far. " BIG (RIP)

This is from mtvnews the underground...........

Last week Queen Latifah became the first hip-hop artist to get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The Queen, whose new movie with LL Cool J, "Last Holiday," comes out on Friday the 13th, says she realized early on that she had to multitask. "It's important that you don't rely on one thing," she said. "For me in the very beginning, I said, 'If I'm not the best rapper ever there's no way I am going to put all of my eggs in one basket,' and I never felt like I was the best rapper on earth. What artists have to realize is everything has a value. You are a brand and you need to treat yourself as such. All of the talent that you have should be explored. If you can act, why shouldn't you? If you can write books, why shouldn't you? If you can write scripts or are a great public speaker, why shouldn't you lecture?"


To all my ladies in Hiphop whether your are in the front light (ps: I don't mean shaking that a** only) or working the back ranks (execs, ghost writers, directors,accountants, lawyers etc). Keep working it. There is still lot of work to be done. Give thanks.

One

Boxing Politricks?

Lately.....I have been really interested in boxing. Don't know why? Please read below.


1/9/2006

Don King says Tyson Era officially Over but Judah?


Playahata.com-Don King told Radio Station 98.7 kiss in New York that last week he finished paying Mike Tyson the final installment of over 3 million dollars and that he now owes the former champ nothing.The “Tyson era is officially over King declared”.
King said “I was making Mike Tyson millons of dollars but he wanted to listen to his associates and go elsewhere so now we have parted ways and we can handle our business seperately. Its a shame cause we both from the streets and came from nothing but I wish him luck.”

Tyson’s middleweight protege Zab Judah is also now expressing concern over Don King in his life and personally called King a “mother*uc%er” this past week. Zab Judah on Saturday night blew a $5-million showdown against Floyd Mayweather by losing a unanimous decision, and his WBC welterweight title, to Carlos Baldomir of Argentina, a 25-1 underdog .

By contrast, Judah’s promoter was upbeat. “I think that’s on ho-o-o-old,” Don King said when asked about the status of the Judah-Mayweather fight. ” Now Zab will have to redouble his efforts, dust himself off, and find a way back up there.”

After the bout, Judah’s camp charged King with having more than a passing influence on the outcome of the fight. “They took the fight from us,” said Yoel Judah, Zab’s father and manager-trainer. “Look, we been having a bad time with Don, a bad week, and you saw what happened. It was a setup.”

King laughed off the charges. “Let ‘em blame me, everybody else does. The Johnstown flood, World War II, the Lindbergh kidnapping, they all blame me. It was a great night of boxing, so blame me for that, too.”

The first person to call Zab Judah on Saturday night after he had blown his $5-million showdown against Floyd Mayweather was Mayweather himself.Who watched in the same shock and horror as the Theater at Madison Square Garden crowd as the Brooklyn-born Judah lost in front of hometown fans. Somehow, Mayweather wasn’t angry, but supportive. “He said what happened tonight was crazy,” Judah said. “He said, ‘You fought good. You’re still a champ, hold your head up.’”


Ooh Papi

Their Eyes Were Reading Smut

1/6/2006

Their Eyes Were Reading Smut




Their Eyes Were Reading Smut By NICK CHILES
Published: January 4, 2006

LAST month I happened to go into the Borders Books store at the Stonecrest
mall in Lithonia, Ga., about a half-hour from my house here. To my
surprise, it had one of the largest collections of books by black authors
that I’ve ever seen outside an independent black bookstore, rows and rows
of bookcases. This is the sort of discovery that makes the pulse quicken,
evidence of a population I’ve spent most of my professional life seeking:
African-American readers. What a thrill to have so much space in a major
chain store devoted to this country’s black writers.

With an extra spring in my step, I walked into the “African-American Literature” section - and what I saw there thoroughly embarrassed and disgusted me.

On shelf after shelf, in bookcase after bookcase, all that I could see was lurid book jackets displaying all forms of brown flesh, usually half-naked and in some erotic pose, often accompanied by guns and other symbols of
criminal life. I felt as if I was walking into a pornography shop, except in this case the smut is being produced by and for my people, and it is called “literature.”

As a black author, I had certainly become familiar with the sexualization and degradation of black fiction. Over the last several years, I had watched the shelves of black bookstores around the country and the tables
of street vendors, particularly in New York City, become overrun with novels that seemed to appeal exclusively to our most prurient natures - as if these nasty books were pairing off back in the stockrooms like little
paperback rabbits and churning out even more graphic offspring that make Ralph Ellison books cringe into a dusty corner.

Early last year I walked into a B. Dalton bookstore in a New Jersey mall where the manager had always proudly told me how well my books were selling. This time, I was introduced to a new manager who was just as proud
to show me an enhanced black books section teeming with this new black erotica. I’ve also noticed much more of this oversexed genre in Barnes & Noble bookstores over the past few months, although it’s harder to see
there since the chain doesn’t appear to have separate black fiction sections.

But up until that visit to Borders in Lithonia, I had thought this mostly a phenomenon of the black retail world, where the black bookstore owners and street vendors say they have to stock what sells, and increasingly what
sells are stories that glorify and glamorize black criminals. The genre has been described by different names; “ghetto fiction” and “street lit” are two I’ve heard most often. Apparently, what we are now seeing is the crossover of this genre to mainstream bookstores.

But the placard above this section of Borders in Lithonia didn’t say “Street Lit,” it said “African-American Literature.” We were all represented under that placard, the whole community of black authors - from me to Terry McMillan and Toni Morrison, from Yolanda Joe and Benilde Little to Edward P. Jones and Kuwana Haulsey - surrounded and swallowed whole on the shelves by an overwhelming wave of titles and jackets that I wouldn’t want my 13-year-old son to see: “Hustlin’ Backwards.” “Legit Baller.” “A Hustler’s Wife.” “Chocolate Flava.”

I’ve heard defenders say that the main buyers of these books, young black women, have simply found something that speaks to them, and that it’s great that they’re reading something. I’d agree if these books were a starting
point, and that readers ultimately turned to works inspired by the best that’s in us, not the worst.

But we’re not seeing evidence of that. On Essence magazine’s list of best sellers at black bookstores, for example, authors of street lit now dominate, driving out serious writers. Under the heading “African-American
Literature,” what’s available is almost exclusively pornography for black women.

As I stood there in Borders, I had two sensations: I was ashamed and mortified to see my books sitting on the same shelves as these titles; and secondly, as someone who makes a living as a writer I felt I had no way to compete with these purveyors of crassness.

That leaves me wondering where we - writers, publishers, readers, the black community - go from here. Is street fiction some passing fad, or does it represent our future? It’s depressing that this noble profession, one that
I aspired to as a child from the moment I first cracked open James Baldwin and Gabriel García Márquez about 30 years ago, has been reduced by the greed of the publishing industry and the ways of the American marketplace
to a tasteless collection of pornography.

I realize that publishing is a business, but publishers also have a responsibility to balance street lit with more quality writing. After all, how are we going to explain ourselves to the next generation of writers and readers who will wonder why they have so little to read of import and value produced in the early 21st century, why their founts of inspiration are so parched?

At times, I push myself away from the computer in anger. I don’t want to compete with “Legit Baller.” But then I come across something like “The Known World” by Edward P. Jones and again I am inspired.

But I must say that I retain very little of the hope and excitement and enthusiasm that I had when my first book was published eight years ago. I feel defeated, disrespected and troubled about the future of my community
and my little subsection of this carnivorous, unforgiving industry.

Nick Chiles, the editor in chief of Odyssey Couleur magazine, is the co-author, with Denene Millner, of “A Love Story.”

Courtesy of NY Times

Lost for a minute........

Peace People.......

I was missing in action for a minute. Family life had me caught up for a moment. As Juelz Santana would put it......... I'm backkkkkk!

Hopefully 2006 will be will rush in with a tide of life's gumbo. By the way Happy New Year to all.

I will be back with some rants......

One