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Summer Jam ‘08 The top ten must have spins in your ipod’s rotation story by Robert A. Walker Editor-In-Chief
10.)“Look Back At Me”- Trina The “OMG, did she just say that,” song of the year. Trina truly is “the baddest” you know what! 9.)“No Air”- Jordin Sparks feat. Chris Brown Teenage don and diva duet takes your breath away (pun intended) 8.)“The Boss”- Rick Ross feat. T-Pain Florida connection hooked up to produce a chest pounding hit, fit to shut down parking lots everywhere 7.)“I Remember”- Keshia Cole This “sad and lonely” ballad is sure to make you call your ex…and hang on them 6.)“Love In This Club (Remix)”- Usher feat. Beyonce The king and queen of R&B lace this voyeuristic track, showing the world that their respective marriages haven’t slowed them down a bit. 5.)“Girls All Around the World”- Lloyd feat. Lil’ Wayne Lloyd and Lil’ Wayne tag team for the feel good song of the summer, reminding listeners that there ain’t nothin’ like the ol’ school. 4.)“Put On (Remix)”- Young Jeezy feat. Kanye West The new anthem for stunners everywhere. Jeezy sets it off for the thugs, and “Yeezy” (via the ) smoothes it out for the ladies. 3.)“I Luv your Girl”- The Dream An ever apologetic American Dream steals away the birthday girl over a snap-friendly track. 2.)“I’m Cheatin’- Dwele Soul singer’s hot buttered ode to keepin’ it at home 1.)“A Mili”- Lil’ Wayne Weezy F. Baby’s kamikaze style over the hypnotic chant is a guaranteed party starter.
GOD WANTS ME TO TELL YOU... Everything that is going wrong in your life today shall be well with you this year. You have been destined to make it and you shall surely achieve all your goals this year. For the remaining months of this year (2008), all your agonies will be diverted and victory and prosperity will be incoming in abundance. Today God has confirmed the end of your sufferings, sorrows, and pains because HE that sits on the throne has remembered you. He has taken away the hardships and given you JOY. He will never let you down. I knocked at heaven's door this morning, God asked me... My child! What can I do for you? And I said, 'Father, please protect and bless the person reading this message'... God smiled and answered... 'Request granted.' Because of Christ I remain; Tyrone Goins / Family
No Matter What
story by Robert A. Walker Editor-In-Chief
Clifford “Tip” Harris was finally on his way. He had overcome incredible odds just to get to the limelight, and upon his arrival, seemed destined for greatness. However, it would not prove to be that simple. In fact, nothing has been even remotely cut and dry for the charismatic and often hot tempered star. In a recent interview, T.I. addressed his legal woes. “I don’t blame anyone for my mistakes. At the end of the day, I’m the head of the body so I got to keep it 100 with myself, and man up and accept that responsibility.” Since T.I. signed with Atlantic Records in 2002, he’s done time for firearm and narcotics (ecstasy) possession, experienced the death of a child, and his best friend/personal assistant. And if that wasn’t enough, he has a March 2009 appointment set to return to prison for his well publicized arrest on gun charges last summer. All the while, the “Rubber Band Man” has continued to rule dance floors, collect grammy awards, and even theatrical critical acclaim. Tip now hopes to triumph again in the face of impending doom with his eighth studio LP, “Paper Trail”. The album is due for release this month, and the debut single, “No Matter What” has already charted on Billboard’s Top 10 list. “My future is way brighter than my past,” says the embattled star. Most recently T.I. made headlines again when he was met by allegations from fellow rapper and borough representative, Shawty Lo that he was in fact, not from Westside Atlanta’s famed neighborhood, Bankhead. He responded to the claim in a verse on his new album, stating that Lo was upset simply because he (T.I.) never acknowledged him.
Rapsingers “Ya might wanna rap, but she’ll make ya sang.” -The Dream story by Robert A. Walker Editor-In-Chief
Gone are the days of obscenity laced lyrics, full of murder and mayhem. Today, it’s all about the ladies and our new breed of stars aim to please. Nontraditional crooners like T-Pain and the The Dream have dominated the airwaves, causing the rap world to follow suit. Suddenly the likes of Kanye West, Snoop Dogg, and Andre 3000 can be found mixing up their repertoire on a myriad of tracks. Lil’ Wayne has even gone as far as taking singing lessons! So far, the reviews from the hip-hop community have been mixed. Mainstreamers believe that the change shows growth. On the other side, purist already disappointed in the game’s migration toward the dollar, feel that this is yet another bi-product of it. So who’s right? Who knows, but one thing that is certain is that the trend has resulted in a much needed image makeover for the rap game. Not to mention skyrocketing sales for a genre that had been financially sagging in recent years. Last year Plies, the “certified goon” himself, broke out with the boo-friendly hit, “Shawty” (featuring who else, T-Pain), and followed it up with this summer’s smash, “Bust It Baby” featuring R&B sensation Neo. Now that’s thug lovin’.
So what’s all the hype about the bigger bags? Well, I took my curiosity to the streets and took a poll among about 20 females to find out why women risk the possibility of a dislocated shoulder, wrist, or both to carry these burdensome fashion items. Here are the results of that poll below. 60% said they carry large hand bags as a fashion statement. The bigger the better, especially if the bag is blinged out with a hot designer name and logo. 30 % said they need a large bag to carry any item they would need from home. Some of those much needed items include lap tops, PDA’s, cosmetics, toiletry items, a change of clothes, shoes, coupons and their own personal toys of pleasure. YIKES!!!!!! 10% said they never stopped carrying big bags since their rebirth onto the fashion scene in the late 80’s. Okay, so to some the large bags are an accessory and to others they are a necessity. So here’s the question: When does too big become too big?
Could our next wave of “bigger” hand bags look like this?
Who knows? All I know is, you won’t catch me with a purse larger than my youngest child on my shoulder at any given time for any reason. If I want to make a fashions statement, I’ll do it with my shoes and not with a portable CSI kit hanging on my shoulder. Written by: Felicia Winston
Bucking the System It’s official. G-Unit’s southern lieutenant has defected from the camp, once again raising questions about the leadership of their controversial general
story by Robert A. Walker Editor-In-Chief
Last month, Young Buck released four brand new songs, seemingly striking yet another blow for 50 Cent, Shady/Aftermath, and Interscope Records. The songs’ contents however, made it abundantly clear that the so called, squashed beef between them was anything but. Buck, like the The Game before him, became the second disgruntled employee to leave the label due to differences with its CEO. Also like Game, Young Buck although no longer with G-Unit, remains under contract through Dr. Dre’s imprint, Aftermath. 50, while out promoting the Unit’s new “T.O.S.” album, stated that the division was not personal, but rather over Buck’s missing recording dates to oversee his own label. On TRL, he further refuted the idea that artists did not tend to stay with his label for long, saying contemptuously, “Buck’s been with me for what, five years now!” Buck sees things differently, and cites a taped phone conversation from an earlier fallout between the two in which a tearful Young Buck can be heard attempting to mend the fence, as his reason for departure. 50 Cent later aired the conversation on the radio, further fanning the flames. “You’re making yourself look bad, 50,” Buck declared on his new record, “Taped Conversation.”
Recipe for a Blended America
Add: ¼ Black American ¼ Mexican American ¼ Asian American ¼ European American Mix well, blend cultures, and pour into a U.S. melting pot.
In today’s multi-racial and multi-cultural society, America has seen an increase in the number of multiple race boxes checked on any given survey, job application, etc….Why is this? Although no one underlying answer stands out, there are definitely several glaringly contributing factors. As CNN begins its two-part series, “Black in America,” we too will explore the plight of African-Americans in today’s society. 1. The “pure race” ideology of our fore fathers has fallen by the wayside as the land of opportunity continues to thrust open her borders to once foreign races and cultures. 2. In recent years, an increasing number of successful Black Americans financial and social status has driven them to settle down beyond the projects, the inner-city, and even starter home suburbia into high-dollar estate neighborhoods where their peers and their children’s peers are of different races and cultures? 3. An increasing number of black men are choosing to marry and procreate with other races besides their own, for whatever reason, even love. 4. Has the impact of the music, sports and entertainment industry on the “Hip Hop generation” succeeded in achieving the racial harmony some of our past leaders have spoken about? LOL. 5. The number of minority students who attend predominantly white colleges and universities exposing them to other races and cultures outside of their reach “in the hood” could also answer our questions about the increased number of bi and multi racial groups we see in our society. 6. The massive shortage of heterosexual, unincarcerated, college-educated and successful brothers over the age of 25 is a definite factor in why so many successful black women are turning to other races to start a family? I could go on and on about why I believe there are so many blended races and cultures in today’s society. I for one am all for racial harmony, but at what cost? Unfortunately but realistically, the blending of races in America has had the largest negative impact on Black America. With so many of “our people” falling victim to incarceration, drugs, violence, and homosexuality you must ask yourself, when the smoke clears who will be left to stand for our race, “Lakiesha Maria Wong Buckingham” or how about “Donte’ Juan Lee Cunningham”? In the old days if you had at least an 8th of black in you, you were considered black no matter what other race you were. It seems though, that many people felt they were denying a part of themselves by choosing only one race. As society evolved, so did the forms we sign declaring us one race or many. Today, as the number of multi-race boxes checked on various forms increase, the number of boxes labeled Black being checked on household surveys, job applications, college applications, and voter registration forms are decreasing. As more and more Black Americans willingly merge races and adopt other cultures, one would have to wonder if we are so willing to do this because Black Americans truly have no culture to call our own. (Google to find video - beware it is explicit) story by Felicia Winston
Meet & Greet
Spread the word! Sunday august 27TH you should come out to meet and greet the lovely ladies Bailey’s (Huguenot & Robias) There will be food and drinks available, and live entertainment by DJ C-los. Also, Xander Records’ own Sunday and Old Sweet Chiba will be performing live! This is one event you can’t miss!
One Car to do it All
If you’re in the market for a new car and you need one that’s quite versatile, take a look at a 2008 Pontiac G8 GT. It’s a powerful, yet roomy and comfortable sedan with lots of great standard features. In addition to the usual power options, you get keyless entry with remote start, dual-zone climate control, 11 speaker sound system and Onstar! The Onstar system helps keep your Pontiac secure as well as the driver and passengers, you can even call Onstar for directions! It’s powered by a 6.0 liter LS-series V8, linked to a 6-speed automatic transmission with available manual shift-mode the make a healthy 361 hp at 5,300 rpm/ 385 ft lbs of torque at 4,400 rpm. That’s impressive considering you can still expect 25 mpg on the highway! Go to your local Pontiac dealership and check one out today. MSRP $29,999.00
MEET THE WRITERS
913 W. GRACE ST. RICHMOND,VA. 23220 OFFICE: 1-877-254-1293 FAX: 1-877-224-08036 |
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