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2008 BET Hip Hop AWARDS ReCap Article Written By: Felicia N. Winston
A Mili, A Mili, A Mili and them some is
what Lil Wayne is saying after the 2008 BET Hip Hop Awards. Lil Weezy, Weezy F
baby, as he is known on the hip-hop scene walked away with 4 of the night’s
awards. Nominated for 12 categories, the 'A Milli' lyricist beat out the likes
of Kanye West,
T.I.,
Jay-Z, and DJ Khaled for the
"MVP" award while being named "Alltel Wireless People's Champ" and "Lyricist of
the Year." Oh yeah, almost forgot, Weezy also announced that he is expecting his new born son in a few days. In other BET 2008 Awards news…Def Jam founder Russell Simmons was also honored with the "I Am Hip-Hop" Icon award, which recognized him for being a philanthropic inspiration to the hip hop community….renowned female rappers MC Lyte, Yo Yo, The Lady of Rage, and Salt-N-Pepa took fans down memory lane during their tribute performance of hits… and BET's annual show had a last minute change when popular comedian Katt Williams was abruptly replaced by Mr. I’m sooo hood himself T-Pain.
The first feature of Model
Moments is a gifted and athletic sports figure who has also tried her hand at
being a model and actress.
The Hawk Goes Primetime Comcast’s “The Ed Coleman Show” welcomed Xander Records recording artist Sunday back to its program, and we got the exclusive on how it went down. story by Robert A. Walker Sunday was the show’s featured guest on
Tuesday, Sept. 9th, where he sat down with show host Ed Coleman to
discuss his new album. “I chose the title, Hell or High Water to describe the
two sides with which we live our lives. The record cov After more colorful
conversation, Sunda X.R.’s V.P. first appeared on the show in the spring of 2006. He, along with Xander CEO andentrepreneur Johnny Nomega, engaged in a round table discussion in which they addressed the plight of America’s youth, both dispelling myths and offering solutions. The movement continues.
Fall Preview
Okay let’s face it. The Jonas Brothers have the mainstream locked right now, but here’s a brief of what’s new on the urban scene. story by Robert A. Walker
The Game tops this fall’s new releases as
the most anticipated album in hip-hop to date. His third studio release, LAX
came despite the rapper’s contemplation of retirement earlier this year. “Game’s
Pain (featuring Keisha Cole),” the first single was second only to Lil’ Wayne’s
“A Mili” as the hottest song out this summer. He now shares the spotlight with
the N.O. dynamo again for his second single, which features him. Young Jeezy’s third studio LP, “The Recession” comes highly recommended as well. With the election in mind, Jeezy appears torn in his choice for president, saying that he quote, “$%#*’s with McCain” in an recent VIBE interview, but proclaiming, “my president is black” in his new hit “My President.” Other artists to watch for this fall include Jasmine Sullivan, and U.K. sensation, Estelle. Stay tuned, there are rumblings of another release from none other than the Jiggaman himself, and the long awaited “Detox” album from Dr. Dre. Oh yeah, Hip-Hop is alive and well.
Cooler Weather…. Better Riding!
As the month of October approaches to a close and the weather begins to get cooler, we all know old man winter is just around the corner. During the months of May through August the heat and humidity tends to keep a lot of riders indoors! September and October are the best months for riders since the weather is pretty mild with a cool edge to it. Perfect weather for helmets, thick leather jackets, boots, and yes chaps. Now we can all cool down for a while, and maybe trade in our machines for something new and exciting! The Boulevard M109R by Suzuki is
one of the hottest new cruiser
Give Cheerfully
A Prayer for Today Because of Christ I remain; Tyrone Goins / Family
XR MAGS. POETS CAF’E
Interview with writer, director, and poet Lamar Hill Story and interview By: Felicia N. Winston From theater to poetry and back again, our featured poet for this months Poet’s Café is more than a man with hard hitting messages that make you think and want to take action. Lamar Hill, known around the country first as a phenomenal messenger through poetry, is now taking the country by storm with his new stage play The Power, The Passion, and The Pulpit. As this dynamic theatrical production makes it way around the country, prior to it’s premier night, Lamar takes up residence in the hand picked cities for at least a month or more. He stops in at local poetry spots and events to spit his knowledge and leave his heart on stages just like in the old days when he used to tour around the world as a poet visiting places some of us only dream of like Africa, Australia, London, and so on. I got a chance to sit down and talk with Lamar about his new “baby” and him in Richmond,VA’s own Monroe Park just a short distance away from the historic Landmark Theater where Lamar’s play was premiering in a few days . So sit back, relax, and enjoy the vibe in Xander Mag’s Poet’s Café where the mic is on, and the stage is hot but there are no lines or admission. XM: We have all heard the radio ads about your newest stage production, The Power, The Passion, and The Pulpit. What inspired the story line for this production? LH: I wanted to bring the church back to God and not the pastors. These days the pastors are living larger than their struggling parishioners. This production is an indictment of the black Mega church and the stereotypes depicted in black plays. XM: So if I’m hearing you right, this production is more than the “chittling circuit” plays we’ve seen all to often in the black community. How so? LH: Yeah it’s much different than those plays. Back in the day, we had to act like fools on stage in order for society to be “entertained”. For some reason we have gone back to those types of plays. I really felt like there was a market for something different. My plays have characters with depth, 3-dimensional people with intelligence. My plays have good story lines where people feel good when they leave. XM: So tell me about your background. LH: I was born
and raised in Newark, NJ. In high school and college I was a theater major. In
my sophomore year in high school I was given complete production rights to
write, direct, and produce one of my first stage plays Ghetto Musical.
Throughout my remaining years in high school I produc XM: So with theater being your first love, how did you get into poetry? LH: I am a writer. I have always written poetry. I got into spoken word about 10 years ago. I got up on stage in NJ and the rest is history. I came out of the famed Nuyorican Poet’s Café in NY. I used to travel as a slam poet all around the country. I’ve been to the National Poetry Slam 3 times as a poet and 2 times as a coach. I love slam poetry. I have been a paid traveling poet for about the last 7 years. Poetry is how I got a chance to travel and meet people in other cities I might not have otherwise met. XM: So what was it like traveling the world, doing something you love and getting paid for it? LH: It was great. It was exciting doing poetry in other countries for different audiences but the content of my poetry is specific to Black Americans so when I performed for other audiences there seemed to be a bit of a disconnect. XM: Okay so help me out here. You are traveling all around the world, doing something you love and getting paid for it. Why are you not still doing poetry? Why switch gears back to plays? LH: Theater arts is my first love. I like traveling to those different countries and seeing the world, but on the real, I have always loved doing theater. XM: Okay, so you are back to the stage but this time doing plays. What was your first major production post spoken word? LH: The name of the production was Deception & Denial. It was hosted at the Arena Players Theater in Baltimore to about 300 people. It ran for 5 nights. XM: How does that compare to your current production? LH: The Power, The Passion, and the Pulpit is my first major production in which I have control over everything, budget, the cities we host the play in, all of it and it feels good. XM: So what’s next for you career wise? Do you see any of your stage plays transforming into movies or you moving to movies like Mr. Tyler Perry? LH: Naw. I can’t see myself spending hours on a cutting room floor for a movie. Like I said I love theater arts. I love live theater. XM: How do you
feel about Tyler Perry? Of course at the moment is one of the most famed black
writers and directors? What do you think about his move from stage to t LH: I mean I’m not mad at him. I am not a fan of his material. I think many of our writers and directors fall short of the Richard Wright’s and Lorraine Hansberry’s these days. Tyler is no exception. Like I said he knows how to market. Tyler is a hustler. When he was on the stage play circuit he marketed his plays and developed a loyal following of people. Again, I’m just not a fan of his characters or story lines, etc… XM: What would you say is your favorite stage play and why? LH: Twelve Angry Men and Death Of A Salesman. These two are among my favorites because of the story line and the writing and the characters. XM: Well Lamar thanks for meeting with me. If our readers want to check out the play in their city where should they go for ticket info.? LH: The need to check out the my website livebythepen.com.
Forget Milk, SEX Does A Body Good. Written By: Felicia N. Winston In a recent article written for LifeScript, an online women’s health site, writer Dana Demas revisited the health benefits of sex to women. Using doctors, therapists and researchers from the likes of noted research and educational institutions to include the Kinsey Institute, Rutgers, John Hopkins, Wisconsin, Penn State Universities, and Royal Edinburgh Hospital in Edinburgh, Scotland , Demas lists some of the most profound health benefits sex can have for women. During sexual activity the body releases increasing levels of Oxycontin known as “the bonding hormone”. Levels of Oxycontin, (yes same as the narcotic medication administered for pain) can be found in the body. It helps put the body and mind at ease and is partly responsible for that feel-good effect of sex says Demas. So what are some of the benefits of getting your groove on? Good health, happiness, and an increased attractiveness quotient. Like any physical activity sex burns calories. Women who engage in sexual activity with a partner helps to keep the pelvic floor in tact, experiences faster wound healing, and there have been cases in which there was a reduction in blood pressure and cortisol. All of these facts add up to a healthier life. Of course since we know that Oxycontin is the feel-good hormone, people who engage in regular sexual activity are happier people. It would stand to reason that if you have a boss that is a little uptight that all he/she may need is some additional alone time with there spouse. Sex also increases a persons attractiveness quotient. Why? Well since sex decreases stress it would make since that being less stressed would make you look better. In one of the studies, participants found that people who had sex four times a week looked 7-12 years younger than people having less sex. So forget spending money on all of the age and beauty serums, a romp in the sack a few times a week can cure those crows feet. Demas goes on to say that feeling attractive may also link up with how much sex you have. In the 2005 Penn State study, researchers found that women who perceive themselves as less attractive now than they were 10 years ago had less sex and less enjoyable sex than women who still felt attractive. Wow!. So now we know why all of our 40 plus crew cougars look and feel simply gorgeous. So what have we learned? If you are feeling unhealthy, unhappy, and unattractive... grab your husband and get your groove on!!! ** Excerpts taken from: LifeScript September 22,2008 Healthy Living/Living Well article Sex Does a Body Good Doctor’s Orders
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