Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Afrocity Fights The Racism Frontier
The Chicago blogger and centrist Republican “Afrocity” speaks out on racism and accusation of racism by Obama supporters.
http://afrocityblog.wordpress.com/
Spike Lee Presents Lemon Andersen’s County of Kings
by Richard IvoryThe 1980’s were a time of great change for Urban America. It was a time of high levels of crime and of poverty. For some, however, it was a time for wealth and for innovation. Out of the difficulties of the 80’s, nevertheless, came a new and an exciting sound. First heard on the streets of the Bronx, and then throughout every borough …that sound was Hip-Hop.
The entire city was alive with the beats of Grandmaster Flash, The Furious Five and “Rapper’s Delight” by The Sugar hill Gang. If you did not live through the magic of this time ,or are curious about Hip Hop’s origins, check out a new documentary called County of Kings being produced by Spike Lee and the Culture Project. County of Kings is set during the most influential cultural movement of our time. This cultural movement is the birth of Hip-Hop. County of Kings is guaranteed to take the audience back to the days of B-boys, Lee Jeans, Shell-Toe Adidas, BDP, and Bamboo Earrings.
County of Kings, which was written and performed by Brooklyn-born Puerto Rican poet, named Lemon Andersen, gives a tough and moving biographical account of a good kid growing up in an unforgiving environment. Mixing difficult drama and occasional humor with his own brand of Urban Poetry, Lemon uses his unique perspective and talent to bring his own coming-of-age story to life.
About the Author: Lemon Andersen is best known from his regular appearances on HBO’s *Def Poetry* presented by Russell Simmons. He is also an original cast member and a writer of the TONY award-winning *Def Poetry Jam on Broadway.* He can also be seen opposite Denzel Washington in Spike Lee’s *Inside Man*, and is featured in *The Soloist*, starring Jamie Foxx and Robert Downey, Jr.
The New York Times had this to say about Lemon Andersen:
“Mr. Andersen has a gift for rhythmic time-capsule set pieces that capture the flavor of a moment in history, turning bold-face and brand names into propulsive song.”
If you are in town and want to check out a little Hip-Hop History check out County of Kings. The Documentary will begin its run at The Public Theater in Manhattan, New York on October 12th, 2009 with previews starting on September 29th, 2009.
ALL tickets for preview performances are $25. For all other performances (not including opening night), a limited number of tickets will be sold for $25, cash only, at the box office.
http://www.countyofkingstheplay.com/
Richard Ivory is a political consultant and writer for New Majority.com and is the founder of HipHopRepublican.com, he has worked for the Republican National Committee and was the college outreach director for the Republican
East of Havana - New Cuban Hip-Hop Film Premieres Online
by Richard Ivory
If music is an agent for change, then perhaps the ripples of Democracy are already alive in Havana in the music of its young boys who are retaliating against there Communist oppressor via Hip-Hop. Proof of the underground Hip-Hop Democracy movement can be seen in the latest documentary East of Havana. Possessing the undeniable talent and charisma of pop icons, three fearless performers push self-expression to its sharpest, riskiest, and most triumphant point.
East of Havana is a blunt, unflinching close-up on the lives of these young rappers compelled to address their generation's future from the confines of a Cuban ghetto. Soandry, Magyori, and Mikki are the defacto leaders of Cuba's rebellious underground hip hop movement.
In America, Hip-Hop like other musical formats is very much a commercial product not necessarily known for being a potent political player. The music is generally aligned with leftist politics and defines itself as being generally opposed to authority. However the Hip-Hop Industries' push to elect Barak Obama to be President has all but made the music a staple of "Democrat get out the vote drives".
If there is mention within Hip-Hops lyrics relating to policy issues or foreign policy the lyrics tend to come with a liberal slant. Issues relating to racism, police brutality, and the C.I.A. tend to get special attention. As with most liberal views on the American experience, the negatives get much more play than the positives. While the West's dark ventures are highlighted, there is little if anything in conscious Hip-Hop to provide historical context to the listener. Such talk of course would be counter productive to the image of revolution that so many artists seek to portray.
Despite the liberal love affair with Fidel Castro many are silent on the oppression of artist by his regime. This is ironic given that one of the loudest and most innovative democracy movements inside Cuba is coming in the form of music and Hip-Hop in particular. Most artists ignore the oppression of artist, poets and musicians by leftist dictators. Why focus on Fidel when you can speak and sell buttons bashing America's involvement years ago in Nicaragua or Chile? Who really has time for what's going on now?
East of Havana is a must see for anyone who believes that the dark days of Fidel Castro's torturous regime is all but over.
Richard Ivory is a political consultant and writer for NewMajority.com and is the founder of HipHopRepublican.com, he has worked for the Republican National Committee and was the college outreach director for the Republican Youth MajorityYou can watch this film on Amazon VOD (http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Damazontv&field-keywords=East+of+Havana) or iTunes (http://www.itunes.com/movies/eastofhavana).
Wednesday, September 09, 2009
The Public Option & Po’ Folks
by Richard Ivory
As President Obama takes his message of healthcare reform to the nation tonight, it is quite clear that most minorities and low-income people are siding with with The Democrats. The Republican Party has failed again in explaining its healthcare reform positions to inner-city and urban Americans. The GOP does have a variety of plans but for the most part it has failed again to market or tailor it to a largely urban audience.
The large minority and urban presence in this debate on healthcare reform gives Democrats the imagery they seek in making their case that a public option is about the “The have-nots” vs.” the haves”. The battle sounds of racism and class- warfare are evident in Democrat talking points.
Listen to Congressman Keith Ellison (D-MN) speak out for a public option:
“I believe that this debate is as historic as the debate for civil rights, historic as the debate to get the ERA,” “The fact is that the people who are standing opposed to the public option, these people are standing against reform, they are siding with big insurance industry bosses against the American people. Simple as that. And we’re simply not going to stand for it. No more so than Susan B Anthony stood for it, or Martin Luther King stood for it - or any of those people who fought for real reform to make America better.”
Such statements leave little room for disagreement and reek of rhetoric that rarely produces bipartisan reform. Moreover, with Susan B. Anthony and Martin Luther King on your side, why even bother having a debate? Perhaps the Congressman could have added George Washington and Thomas Edison to the foray just to cement the support. While quoting Susan B. Anthony and MLK might conjure up nostalgic imagery of “power to the people”, such rhetoric does nothing to pass effective bipartisan healthcare reform. Neither does accusing those who disagree with you on the public option as being opposed to civil rights.
Did it ever dawn on the Congressman that perhaps the people opposed to the public option are opposed on principle and not hate? Perhaps the Public Option seemed to be too expensive to those people opposed to it. Perhaps there is a real concern that Uncle Sam with his huge wallet and maker of rules might destroy Little Sarah’s lemonade stand?
To many people on the left, like Congressman Ellison, the public option seems to be the only way to give poor people healthcare. This is a fair and understandable position. Their position- the position of people opposed to the public option) should be respected. Given that the American people are going to be paying for such an option, however, they should at least have the right to review it. Many people reject the plan because they feel it is too expensive. They prefer other, less costly, plans.
Let’s take a look at the expenditures for this debate and why there is an outcry:
The CBO estimates that the House committee versions of the Obama health plan would add more than $1 trillion to federal deficits over the next decade. But the actual costs would be much higher.
For starters, $1 trillion of extra debt-financed spending would cause the government to pay about $300 billion of extra interest in the next decade. Moreover, the CBO’s method of estimating the cost of such a program doesn’t recognize the incentives it creates for households and firms to change their behavior.The House health-care bill gives a large subsidy to millions of families with incomes up to three times the poverty level (i.e., up to $66,000 now for a family of four) if they buy their insurance through one of the newly created “insurance exchanges,” but not if they get their insurance from their employer.
The CBO’s cost estimate understates the number who would receive the subsidy because it ignores the incentive for many firms to drop employer-provided coverage. It also ignores the strong incentive that individuals would have to reduce reportable cash incomes to qualify for higher subsidy rates. The total cost of ObamaCare over the next decade likely would be closer to $2 trillion than to $1 trillion.
The administration’s claim that the health-care plan would be
“self-financing” is both false and irrelevant. It is false because it would only be self-financing if one counts a variety of President Obama’s proposed tax increases-and even those would produce much less revenue than is assumed in the budget calculations. The claim is irrelevant because those tax increases have nothing to do with health care and could be used instead to reduce other projected deficits.
With such daunting figures it is no surpirse that the American people are up in arms over the potential cost of healthcare reform. They want to know who is going to pay for it and what proof is there to show it will over the years cut cost. The Democrats and liberals pushing for a public option must understand that the American people are shopping. The American people want to choose the plan they are going to pay for.
This is not being bigoted, but it is called “shopping around”. We “shop around” every day in our everyday lives. We take in the cost and the durability of the item we seek to have and then we purchase it. On both concerns, with regards to cost and durability, the public option is found wanting! Perhaps, instead of ignoring the poor, these people are shopping for an option that considers cost, durability and the poor!
Perhaps these skeptics of the public option know that if you have a low budget and are in debt you cannot do much but make promises. As the rapper Jay Z so adamantly put it, “I can’t help the poor if I’m one of them”.
Richard Ivory is a political consultant and writer for New Majority.com and is the founder of HipHopRepublican.com, he has worked for the Republican National Committee and was the college outreach director for the Republican Youth Majority
Minorities and the Future of the Republican Party - Video Commentary
Andrew Simon is the radio host of HHR Blog Radio on this video he speaks out on issues realting to minorities and the Republican Party.
About Andrew Simon:
Andrew Simon is a young black Canadian conservative and former Vice President 2004-2006 of the Campus Conservatives at the University of Calgary in Calgary, Alta. He has worked and volunteered for Lee Richardson, a Member of Parliament Calgary, Alta.
Between 2002-2005 Andrew organized a program focused on underprivileged communities in which, in exchange for volunteering to share a skill, tutor, or mentor, low income adults and their children were eligible to go to lessons taught from any other member of the initiative at no cost. Andrew Simon has won over 40 public speaking awards including the World Independent Schools Public Speaking Champion and the Optimist International Public Speaking Champion award.
His public speaking expertise has earned him considerable awards and recognition, including numerous international public speaking championships. Andrew Simon will be running the blogs weekly online podcast which will consist of interviews and opinions offered by Andrew Simon.
Drake & Trey Songz - Successful
Successful” is the second single from Canadian rapper Drake’s EP and mixtape, So Far Gone. It is his second single with Lil Wayne, the first being “Every Girl”, and his second single with Trey Songz, the first being “Replacement Girl” in 2007. Due to the popularity of both “Successful” and his first single “Best I Ever Had” it was decided that Drake would release his So Far Gone Mixtape as an EP of the same name. The song will also be on Trey Songz’s album, “Ready”, as a collaboration with Drake and has a verse by Songz. It is the second official single off that album.
Drake wrote the bulk of the lyrics after Trey Songz came up with the hook. In an interview with Complex Blog, Drake explains: “It’s basically a story. It starts in January 2008 when I was kinda confused like, What am I really doing? I gave up acting all together to really do this music thing, and I was really truly confused. It’s way different than acting, there aren’t people to depend on, you really have to build your own thing basically from the ground up, you know, so in January not only was I confused about my career, I was also in a very destructive sort of us exhausting relationship with a female and it was just a bad headspace for me to be in. So that’s where the tape starts. I just felt that nothing was ever good enough, and she was always searching for more excitement and then we move into “Successful.” I say at the end of the song, “There are so many things I want to say but I just don’t know how to say it to you.” I know exactly what I want to say, you know, I just want to be successful, but I don’t know if I can do it with you and then it goes into “Let’s Call It Off,” which is the breakup.”
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Successful_(Drake_song)
Tuesday, September 08, 2009
Black Republican Candidates Running in 2009-10
1) Ryan Frazier for Colorado - Senate Seat
2) Michael Williams for Texas – Senate
3) Eric Wallace, IL- U.S - Senate
4) Dr. Marion Thorpe - Florida Senate Seat
5) Allen West - Florida 22nd Congressional District
6) Melvin Everson For Labor Commissioner - Georgia District 106
7) Ron Miller for Senate - Maryland Assembly Senate in District 27
8 )R. Allen Mansfield - Lt Governor in Pennsylavania
9) Chuck Smith for Virginia - Congress
10) Isaac Hayes - Chicago, Ill - Congress
11) Senitta R’ Conyers- Republican candidate for the “Board of Alderwoman” - Frederick, MD
12) Les Phillip- Alabama’s Fifth Congressional District
13) Christopher Haley - Mecklenburg County sheriff race
14) Louis Huddleston, US Congress (NC-8)
15) Bill Randall, US Congress (NC-13)
16) Dr. Deborah Honeycutt, US Congress – (GA)
17) Rep. Tim Scott - South Carolina’s Lieutenant Governors Race
18) Otis Jennings - Mayoral Candidate for Syracuse, NY
19) Marcus Dilworth - Senate Candidate for Texas
Say It Loud - I'm Black, Republican and I'm Proud
by Steve NicholsTo be liberal or not to be liberal that is the question!!!! Alright we have a black president now so why are idiots like Al Sharpton still running around playing the race card? I believe it's because he has no real creditials to back up his true civil right beliefs. Reverend ummm- did you know Al Sharpton use to be James Brown's road manager???
Where did he go to seminary school??? Anyway this isn't about him, it's about the far left using the liberal agenda to exploit poor blacks, poor whites, and other poor minorities.
I grew up in the heart of the ghetto my mother was on government housing and foodstamps, as were others in my neighborhood. What I remember thinking was man these people are hopeless, they can't see the light of day. Poor black people since the late 60's refuse to believe in the power of education, self governance and family tithes. So as a Republican I want to change this conduct of the liberal media, liberal television, liberal entertainers and idoits like Dr. Phil Clinton, Messy Jackson and Cal Sharpton.
There is a new generation of self governed, well educated and family oriented minorities that have had enough with liberal government control in their communities. Why did so many black people jump on the Obama band wagon, when most black men don't wanna' speak well, get a good education and be family men. I don't know how many times I've been told by other black people that I sound proper or "WHITE", pretty damn sad. Liberals continue to blame conservatives and republicans continue to blame democrats but I blame you, me and every other black person or minority that is not trying to make a difference in their districts.
In my district I had Laura Richardson(D) booo! Another liberal democrat caught up in the slave masters mindset that, "Da' governement gon' save us ya hear naw"! I don't have a problem with blacks or other minorities being democrats I have a problem with them not bearing the knowledge as to why they're democrats. Last point I'm going to make is this; during the 1920's African Americans were making progress we had Harlem, we had the Black Wall Street in Oklahoma, we had black doctors, lawyers and dentists, black educational institutes and most of all we had the black family. What went wrong?
Well we saw suffering in the south and we united with our kin folk to rid the country of bigotry and segregation but, in the process we allowed to many unlikely liberal sources drive us away from Martin Luther Kings, Jr., words of, "Free at last free at last thank God almighty we are free at last". As in the words of Frederick Douglas, " I am a Republican, a black, dyed in the wool Republican, and I never intend to belong to any other party than the party of freedom and progress.
Steve Nichols is a blogger and Republican who lives in Signal Hill, CA
Sunday, September 06, 2009
Michael Steele at Howard: Focusing on Runner’s Steps Instead of the Race
by Lenny McAllister
The RNC took a bold step last week as Chairman Michael Steele went to the campus of prestigious Howard University in an attempt to re-engage America during the “Freedom Tour.” Just as with President Barack Obama when discussing his societal impact, many are focusing on Steele’s current results as a politician too much versus of viewing the long-term direction that his actions are setting into motion.
Just the same, both men at times are kicking up dust that is unsettling and unflattering for themselves and their allies. Yet, both men are doing things in different ways that, done correctly, will yield better results for America’s future.
Whereas Obama as president seems to continue to get sympathy from the media for the overhauling that he is undertaking to strengthen the country, Steele is bashed as a convenient figurine made available whenever Republican attempts to contrast the president’s radical directives since January or to reconnect with disenchanted voters after the Bush Era are to be ridiculed.
Even as Mr. Steele makes moves that make headlines for positive and negative spin for the GOP (such as his latest commercial on “seniors’ bill of rights” or the media rumblings with Rush Limbaugh earlier this year), America seems to miss the point with the current RNC chairman and his current direction. Further, without conservatives rallying around their figurehead to defend him, it threatens to weaken his long-term effectiveness.
Michael Steele was able to be at Howard University to speak with a level of credibility that Republicans have not been afforded at a HBCU since the days of Reconstruction. That means something. The same is true with the presence of other notable Black Republicans in GOP leadership around the country, including those such as Dr. Timothy Johnson (Vice Chair of the North Carolina GOP), Dr. Ada Fisher (GOP National Committeewoman for the state of North Carolina), and Troy Rolling in Michigan.
Just like a marathon, it is a movement due to a rising need within urban America and throughout the nation overall. But, just like a marathon, you can’t focus on where you find yourself at that current time; you have to focus on where you are headed and keep running for the long haul.
The RNC took a bold step last week as Chairman Michael Steele went to the campus of prestigious Howard University in an attempt to re-engage America during the “Freedom Tour.” Just as with President Barack Obama when discussing his societal impact, many are focusing on Steele’s current results as a politician too much versus of viewing the long-term direction that his actions are setting into motion.
Just the same, both men at times are kicking up dust that is unsettling and unflattering for themselves and their allies. Yet, both men are doing things in different ways that, done correctly, will yield better results for America’s future.
Whereas Obama as president seems to continue to get sympathy from the media for the overhauling that he is undertaking to strengthen the country, Steele is bashed as a convenient figurine made available whenever Republican attempts to contrast the president’s radical directives since January or to reconnect with disenchanted voters after the Bush Era are to be ridiculed.
Even as Mr. Steele makes moves that make headlines for positive and negative spin for the GOP (such as his latest commercial on “seniors’ bill of rights” or the media rumblings with Rush Limbaugh earlier this year), America seems to miss the point with the current RNC chairman and his current direction. Further, without conservatives rallying around their figurehead to defend him, it threatens to weaken his long-term effectiveness.
Michael Steele was able to be at Howard University to speak with a level of credibility that Republicans have not been afforded at a HBCU since the days of Reconstruction. That means something. The same is true with the presence of other notable Black Republicans in GOP leadership around the country, including those such as Dr. Timothy Johnson (Vice Chair of the North Carolina GOP), Dr. Ada Fisher (GOP National Committeewoman for the state of North Carolina), and Troy Rolling in Michigan.
Just like a marathon, it is a movement due to a rising need within urban America and throughout the nation overall. But, just like a marathon, you can’t focus on where you find yourself at that current time; you have to focus on where you are headed and keep running for the long haul.
I’m sure that, just as we are seeing with the Democrats regarding leadership and policy, there is a level of debate amongst the ranks that will never quite leave as long as we have a nation that guarantees free speech. All Republicans have not lined up directly behind all of the Steele’s actions or public statements, nor perhaps should they. However, with the nation looking for alternatives to the dangerous directives coming from Washington, there are prime opportunities awaiting the GOP to reclaim the confidence of likely American voters.
The level of anger and growing distrust of the president’s initiatives will only translate into second looks at Republican initiatives and candidates if more within the GOP base lend support to Steele’s attempts to re-engage those that Republicans disenchanted over the past several elections - young people, ethnic people, and new voters.
Even if Chairman Steele pulls a hamstring during the course of the race, it doesn’t mean that the GOP won’t break the tape. However, if we allow the focus to be on the short, choppy steps instead of figuring out how to collectively expand our stride, we’ll never be able to win the race. With the historically-left agenda pushed in Washington these days, without a GOP marathon win, America will eventually lose.
Lenny McAllister is the author of the new book, “Diary of a Mad Black PYC (Proud Young Conservative,)” which can be purchased online at www.tinyurl.com/lennysdiary and www.amazon.com. He is a founding contributor to HHR and is a political commentator regularly seen on “Fox News Rising” in Charlotte, WVON in Chicago, XM Radio, and the CNN media assemblage. Follow him at twitter.com/lennyhhr , on Facebook at tinyurl.com/lennyfacebook , and at www.lennymcallister.com where McAllister’s weekly video commentary can be found.
Thursday, September 03, 2009
Breaking the Spell of Ghetto Hypnosis
by Nadra EnziSome master mind boggler wove a magic spell over Inner City America and took a culture that produced dignity against all odds and replaced it with what we see on a daily basis. If I could find him I’d give him an exorcism courtesy of my size 15 foot!
My parents generation is aghast and wonders what happened. My grandparent’s generation feels cheated, because today’s parade of thugs and hoes threatens to erase all they fought for so long and so well.
The “conservatives” of my generation, culturally not politically in most cases, are mostly men raised by either old fashioned parents or grandparents feel like we’re a lonely outpost promoting a value system that died decades ago.
Surrounded by “men” we can’t dare trust and “women” we can’t risk marrying, we wonder where such mistrust will ultimately lead our community?
This is what conservative Black men consider daily while navigating this landscape. Our lives often assume the dimension of spy novels where inner city people and stories told are subjected to thourough analysis before acceptance.
Ghetto hypnosis spell can only be broken by those in its midst who refuse to keep quiet or turn a blind eye. On a policy level, it means pushing for ending, in all its forms, the welfare state that rewards backward behavior and punishes the urge to be independent.
Changing party affiliation isn’t necessary but demanding policies that take food stamps; taxpayer-funded medical care for mothers and children and public housing off the plate helps break the ghetto hypnosis spell. While liberals will be quick to note there are more White people on public assistance than Blacks, can anyone honestly say we aren’t the worse affected of the two groups?
One thought experiment I share asks what would happen if one day every EBT card was deactivated and their owners told to hunt jobs; start businesses or seek private help to in order to eat- just like the rest of us. Some say it’s a cruel exercise but my response is those of us who don’t have EBT cards have the option to either go hungry or find some money. Is that too much to ask adults who aren’t mentally or physically challenged?
I’d gladly like to to see disabled combat veterans and their injured counterparts in law enforcement; the fire safety profession and other public service occupations get their equivalent of an EBT card as a small token of society’s esteem. Why so little is done for those who give so much always saddens me.
Back to breaking the spell of ghetto hypnosis!
It’s hollow to talk about how “free” Black folks are when so many of us per capita owe our daily bread and life support to the welfare state. When someone else holds the key to your existence in the palm of his hand, I’d hardly call that freedom.
Rush Limbaugh once noted on air that he suspected President Obama of intentionally making the economy bad so he could increase entitlement payouts as a stealth form of reparations to African-Americans. While not a Rush follower, his observation is still worth noting. Central to the Democratic stranglehold on the Black vote is the poisonous premise that they “give” Black folks more than Republicans.
Ghetto hypnosis is an integrated effort to make one group of Americans disproportionate producers of incivility, criminality and other negatives that Black culture simply didn’t mass produce in generations past. Whether this result is intentional or not has yet to be determined.
Every thug and hoe can blame himself for choosing to be less than what they could be. No matter how much the Civil Rights Lobby points at other people, each Black person is the master or mistress of his personal choices. Promoting a junior human being mindset is not the same as promoting equality of opportunity.
I write so much about the inner city and ghetto hypnosis because its salvation doesn’t rest with the nation’s vocal right wing, i.e figureheads like Rush Limbaugh nor the Republican Party per se. To their credit, the right wing has preached against welfare dependence for years but aren’t as well received as Black icons like Bill Cosby who make essentially the same observations.
It will be accomplished by Black people tired of being embarrassed and swamped by behavior you couldn’t bribe one of us to openly perform decades ago.
Black mayors are reeling along with our elected officals generally; Black clergy are ducking for cover and our silent majority who wants better had better open its mouth.
Ghetto hypnosis is the last gasp of an American pathology that always sought to make Black people appear less than what we really were.
Now, the hypnotized freely go out of their way to prove racists right by becoming as vile and violent as propaganda once alleged. Inner city America’s only hope is breaking the spell ourselves.
Quiet as it’s kept, the rest of the country is waiting to see if we can do it. Other groups have done the same in American history, now it’s our turn.
NADRA ENZI AKA CAPT. BLACK is a contributor to HHR Blog he promotes crime prevention and self-development alongside his STREET TEAM OF AMERICA (very) concerned citizens group. nadracaptblack@ymail.com
HOUSTON, WE HAVE A PROBLEM
by Dorian Davis
"Houston, we have a problem" takes on a whole new meaning after the latest Whitney album.
I Look to You - the 6th CD from Houston, who sprang onto the scene in the mid-80s, sold 200 million albums in the U.S. alone and once held the record for longest running chart topper with 1992's "I Will Always Love You" - is such a disaster not even Sully can save it.
I'd expect that from Heidi Montag.
But Whitney?
The one who pulled seven Number Ones - "How Will I Know," "Greatest Love of All," "Saving All My Love for You," "So Emotional," "Where Do Broken Hearts Go," "Didn't We Almost Have It All" and "I Wanna Dance with Somebody" - off her first two CDs?
That's a hard act to follow. I know that. I made a good mix tape for a friend in college and never was able to top it.
But I Look to You is just lazy.
The "power ballad" - and I put that in quotes on purpose - "I Didn't Know My Own Strength" is alright, but needs some of the epic belting I expect from a Houston song, not just a couple of riffs. "I Look to You" - the lead single - is cliche and without production value. "Million Dollar Bill" is awful and "Like I Never Left" - a duet with Akon - offends me and Akon.
The whole CD is bad. I was so mad after I listened to it, I wished she'd dated Chris Brown. That's how bad it is.
I read a couple of good reviews, but I read 'em in Billboard. It'll give 5 stars to a blank CD.
Her producers - Clive Davis and almost a dozen other heavyweights including David Foster and R. Kelly - opted not to repackage Houston for the modern pop scene, but to keep her adult contemporary.
That was a mistake.
Mariah revived her career after Glitter, dropping her signature power ballads and taking on hipper songs.
This is no MisEducation of Mimi. This is a record that'll make Clive Davis wish he'd invested in Madoff.
Dorian Davis is a contributor to hiphoprepublicam.com he starred on MTV's morning show, MTV Hits, before switching to the other side of the camera to research and develop Iraq coverage for MTV News. Later, he contributed to specials for LOGO and FUSE. Now a freelance writer, Davis is published in Architectural Record, Brainwash Magazine, Business Week Online, Doublethink Online, New York Daily News, New York Republican Record and XY. He lives in NYC.
America’s Best Dance Crew Blog Review North vs. South and My Official THREE TO BEAT
By Leette Eaton-White
My dear HHR readers I am so sorry I missed last week’s Dance Crew Blog. Life catches up to you when you are a full time college student looking for work and attempting to fulfill a personal goal for an all expenses paid trip to Puerto Rico. In other words…. I was busy busy busy.
My dear HHR readers I am so sorry I missed last week’s Dance Crew Blog. Life catches up to you when you are a full time college student looking for work and attempting to fulfill a personal goal for an all expenses paid trip to Puerto Rico. In other words…. I was busy busy busy.
But let’s do a little recap. Steve Terada is a saint… he helped all those crews for what seemed like a full session with an injury {us Questies keep tabs on our favorite ABDC/SYTYCD boys (and girl)}.
As for the performances of the crews in week three it was one of those nights where I totally agreed with the judges. It was so boring, even though Massive Monkees had improved from what was a throw-away performance to Beyonce’s Work It Out the week before. Rhythm City, who I told all of you were an amazing crew, rocked it and so did Southern Movement…. But believe it or not those two crews were the bottom two. I couldn’t quite comprehend how that happened but alas it did and it was so sad to see Southern Movement go home before dancing to Big and Rich’s Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy… maybe I’ll luck out and they will do that in the finale *crosses fingers*.
Now since we are done with Week 4 of ABDC 4 I present to you my top three crews. Obviously I have been repping hard for my hometown crew Rhythm City. These guys are hardcore, dedicated, professional and they kill it every time on the dance floor. Watching them for me is a pleasure and every time I see them dance I feel privileged for having the opportunity to see them share their love and their art form. So they are my most easy pick for my top 3.
In the number two spot, and I say this confidently as I feel they finally earned it Massive Monkees who finally lived up to their own astounding reputation in the Bollywood Challenge. I thought this week’s challenge would be a disaster for them but it was quite the opposite.
In my humble opinion they tied RC for best performance of the week. Combining bboying, specifically top rocking with Bhangra seemed to be the perfect idea for these talented bboys. They pulled it off in a word: FLAWLESSLY. Their routine clearly had great amounts of thought and effort and practice put into it, but watching it in action made you think it was only second nature to the Monkees. The formations were quick and clean, the tricks were fun and some were unexpected, and the display of strength was, at least from my perspective sexy. I loved it. So now they are without question or doubt a crew to beat.
Now my final choice for top 3 was a difficult one to come by considering the three crews left. Vogue Evolution, We Are Heroes, and Afroborike all clearly have their strengths and weaknesses. VE is original and interesting because of their story which is their sexual identity. We Are Heroes are the only remaining all female crew and they too have a very unique dancing style. Then there is Aforborike who are a crew evenly split between male and female members doing partner work in a Latin Ballroom hip-hop infused style. So who did I choose… the dark horse of course. I came down HARD, like really mean HARD on Afroborike a few weeks back… I think I said they were “sloppy”. And I was right considering the performance.
But they proved me wrong in the second week. And even though I was not excited by their week 3 performance it was still good… better VE and We Are Heroes (who unfortunately have not got me pumped since week one, in spite of the fact they are good). This week was another get out of your seat performance. The lifts, the transitions and style were great. The timing at one point was a little off but not off enough to make the performance look anything less than great. They are holding on tight in a competition that if I had been a judge I would have ousted them the first week… and that would have been a great loss. They are proving themselves tremendously and I can appreciate that so they get the number three spot.
I’ll check in next week with an episode review and my critique not just of the crews… but of Lil Mama. I’ll see you then, and remember you can watch ABDC on MTV Sundays at 9pm Eastern time or anytime at http://www.mtv.com/
Leette is a native New Yorker and a full time student studying Forensic Psychology. She has been a Conservative Republican since 2002, finding her Republican roots at the age of 15. HipHopRepublican opened the gateway for her to start her political activism in urban areas and across the net.
As for the performances of the crews in week three it was one of those nights where I totally agreed with the judges. It was so boring, even though Massive Monkees had improved from what was a throw-away performance to Beyonce’s Work It Out the week before. Rhythm City, who I told all of you were an amazing crew, rocked it and so did Southern Movement…. But believe it or not those two crews were the bottom two. I couldn’t quite comprehend how that happened but alas it did and it was so sad to see Southern Movement go home before dancing to Big and Rich’s Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy… maybe I’ll luck out and they will do that in the finale *crosses fingers*.
Now since we are done with Week 4 of ABDC 4 I present to you my top three crews. Obviously I have been repping hard for my hometown crew Rhythm City. These guys are hardcore, dedicated, professional and they kill it every time on the dance floor. Watching them for me is a pleasure and every time I see them dance I feel privileged for having the opportunity to see them share their love and their art form. So they are my most easy pick for my top 3.
In the number two spot, and I say this confidently as I feel they finally earned it Massive Monkees who finally lived up to their own astounding reputation in the Bollywood Challenge. I thought this week’s challenge would be a disaster for them but it was quite the opposite.
In my humble opinion they tied RC for best performance of the week. Combining bboying, specifically top rocking with Bhangra seemed to be the perfect idea for these talented bboys. They pulled it off in a word: FLAWLESSLY. Their routine clearly had great amounts of thought and effort and practice put into it, but watching it in action made you think it was only second nature to the Monkees. The formations were quick and clean, the tricks were fun and some were unexpected, and the display of strength was, at least from my perspective sexy. I loved it. So now they are without question or doubt a crew to beat.
Now my final choice for top 3 was a difficult one to come by considering the three crews left. Vogue Evolution, We Are Heroes, and Afroborike all clearly have their strengths and weaknesses. VE is original and interesting because of their story which is their sexual identity. We Are Heroes are the only remaining all female crew and they too have a very unique dancing style. Then there is Aforborike who are a crew evenly split between male and female members doing partner work in a Latin Ballroom hip-hop infused style. So who did I choose… the dark horse of course. I came down HARD, like really mean HARD on Afroborike a few weeks back… I think I said they were “sloppy”. And I was right considering the performance.
But they proved me wrong in the second week. And even though I was not excited by their week 3 performance it was still good… better VE and We Are Heroes (who unfortunately have not got me pumped since week one, in spite of the fact they are good). This week was another get out of your seat performance. The lifts, the transitions and style were great. The timing at one point was a little off but not off enough to make the performance look anything less than great. They are holding on tight in a competition that if I had been a judge I would have ousted them the first week… and that would have been a great loss. They are proving themselves tremendously and I can appreciate that so they get the number three spot.
I’ll check in next week with an episode review and my critique not just of the crews… but of Lil Mama. I’ll see you then, and remember you can watch ABDC on MTV Sundays at 9pm Eastern time or anytime at http://www.mtv.com/
Leette is a native New Yorker and a full time student studying Forensic Psychology. She has been a Conservative Republican since 2002, finding her Republican roots at the age of 15. HipHopRepublican opened the gateway for her to start her political activism in urban areas and across the net.
Oh, Whitney…
By Javier E. David
Immediately after playing the final selection of Whitney Houston’s new album, “I Look to You“, your reviewer found himself immediately possessed by an unusual, almost irresistible urge. What exactly was that impulse, readers might ask?
That would have been to play various selections in Whitney Houston’s extensive back catalog of hits: the better to rewind the clock and savor what was once the most polished, powerful singing voices of her generation. If “I Look to You”, the album being billed as Ms. Houston’s comeback vehicle, is any indication, that voice may well be lost to music aficionados everywhere, never to be heard from again.
It’s doubtful that the diminution of her skills has been lost on Ms. Houston herself. Her first studio album in seven years has crept in under the radar - little advance buzz, a tepid title track that received modest airplay (peaking at #19 on the Billboard R&B singles chart), and an overall dearth of multi-media marketing/public relations blitzing befitting a Grammy-award winning diva with numerous accolades. There are currently no plans for a tour, surely a welcome development given Ms. Houston’s recent difficulties performing live.
Ms. Houston’s various personal travails and turbulent marriage to R&B singer Bobby Brown need not be completely rehashed here, though they are worthy of mention given the likely toll they’ve exerted on her career and voice. Certainly she deserves credit for overcoming substance abuse and a dysfunctional marriage, a testament to the inner strength expected of major talents such as hers. Like her forerunners, Ms. Houston lays claim to a compelling personal story filled with mountains, rivers and valleys aplenty.
All of which set the narrative for “I Look to You.” The album is slickly produced, featuring an all-star cast of collaborators and producers (R. Kelly, Alicia Keys, Swizz Beats, just to name a few), yet comes off sounding pedestrian and unsatisfying. When compared to Ms. Houston’s previous high-octave ballads such as “I Will Always Love You”, or “The Greatest Love of All”, the title track is short and underwhelming, as if it were rushed out of the studio, or as if the artist herself was attempting to beat some self-imposed deadline.
Other songs on the album that ought to showcase Ms. Houston’s glass-shattering octaves end up sounding minor-key and bubble-gum. “I Didn’t Know My Own Strength,” is an ostensibly poignant tribute to the singer’s ability to transcend her difficulties. The song’s heart is in the right place, but it wants for the blow-the-doors-off-the-barn vocal acrobatics that put Ms. Houston on the map. In the R. Kelly produced “Salute,” the singer declares herself a “soldier girl” who’s “made it”, but the song lacks for emotional resonance.
Which brings us full circle to Ms. Houston’s dismayingly deflated vocal abilities. Listening to the songs on the new album, one can’t help but notice the difference from bygone years. This is underscored by the fallowness of her singing career over the last several years that should have rested her vocal cords to some extent. The once gossamer voice now sounds frayed and rough-hewn. Given the modern-day necromancy of music production, it’s hard not to wonder what the real extent of the damage is, and how hard Arista’s sound engineering team had to work to buff out the flaws in her raw voice.
All that said, it’s a common aphorism that the world loves a comeback. And for the most part, divas - a superlative we are likely to hear ad-nauseum over the next few weeks - experience them on a regular basis.
Mariah Carey endured a few years of melodrama, released a transitional album that was declared Dead on Arrival along with her career, only to bounce back with a multi-platinum smash in “The Emancipation of Mimi.” It’s not inconceivable that “I Look to You” turns out to be the bridge to something bigger for Ms. Houston, and she certainly has a devoted fan base rooting for her. But in the pantheon of artistic comeback albums, “I Look to You” can at best be described as a footnote.
Best of the lot:
“Worth It”
“Million Dollar Bill”
“Like I Never Left”
Javier E. David is a native New Yorker and a contributor to HipHopRepublican.com. He writes about various subjects including popular culture, entertainment, business, finance and public policy for sites such as Parcbench.com and Examiner.com. He is a U.S. Army veteran who has worked on Wall Street and as a reporter for the international news agency Reuters. Fluent in Spanish, Javier is an avid sports fan and enjoys literature, music (especially independent hip-hop and soul), movies, good food and wine, and is also a self-confessed comic-book geek.
Immediately after playing the final selection of Whitney Houston’s new album, “I Look to You“, your reviewer found himself immediately possessed by an unusual, almost irresistible urge. What exactly was that impulse, readers might ask?
That would have been to play various selections in Whitney Houston’s extensive back catalog of hits: the better to rewind the clock and savor what was once the most polished, powerful singing voices of her generation. If “I Look to You”, the album being billed as Ms. Houston’s comeback vehicle, is any indication, that voice may well be lost to music aficionados everywhere, never to be heard from again.
It’s doubtful that the diminution of her skills has been lost on Ms. Houston herself. Her first studio album in seven years has crept in under the radar - little advance buzz, a tepid title track that received modest airplay (peaking at #19 on the Billboard R&B singles chart), and an overall dearth of multi-media marketing/public relations blitzing befitting a Grammy-award winning diva with numerous accolades. There are currently no plans for a tour, surely a welcome development given Ms. Houston’s recent difficulties performing live.
Ms. Houston’s various personal travails and turbulent marriage to R&B singer Bobby Brown need not be completely rehashed here, though they are worthy of mention given the likely toll they’ve exerted on her career and voice. Certainly she deserves credit for overcoming substance abuse and a dysfunctional marriage, a testament to the inner strength expected of major talents such as hers. Like her forerunners, Ms. Houston lays claim to a compelling personal story filled with mountains, rivers and valleys aplenty.
All of which set the narrative for “I Look to You.” The album is slickly produced, featuring an all-star cast of collaborators and producers (R. Kelly, Alicia Keys, Swizz Beats, just to name a few), yet comes off sounding pedestrian and unsatisfying. When compared to Ms. Houston’s previous high-octave ballads such as “I Will Always Love You”, or “The Greatest Love of All”, the title track is short and underwhelming, as if it were rushed out of the studio, or as if the artist herself was attempting to beat some self-imposed deadline.
Other songs on the album that ought to showcase Ms. Houston’s glass-shattering octaves end up sounding minor-key and bubble-gum. “I Didn’t Know My Own Strength,” is an ostensibly poignant tribute to the singer’s ability to transcend her difficulties. The song’s heart is in the right place, but it wants for the blow-the-doors-off-the-barn vocal acrobatics that put Ms. Houston on the map. In the R. Kelly produced “Salute,” the singer declares herself a “soldier girl” who’s “made it”, but the song lacks for emotional resonance.
Which brings us full circle to Ms. Houston’s dismayingly deflated vocal abilities. Listening to the songs on the new album, one can’t help but notice the difference from bygone years. This is underscored by the fallowness of her singing career over the last several years that should have rested her vocal cords to some extent. The once gossamer voice now sounds frayed and rough-hewn. Given the modern-day necromancy of music production, it’s hard not to wonder what the real extent of the damage is, and how hard Arista’s sound engineering team had to work to buff out the flaws in her raw voice.
All that said, it’s a common aphorism that the world loves a comeback. And for the most part, divas - a superlative we are likely to hear ad-nauseum over the next few weeks - experience them on a regular basis.
Mariah Carey endured a few years of melodrama, released a transitional album that was declared Dead on Arrival along with her career, only to bounce back with a multi-platinum smash in “The Emancipation of Mimi.” It’s not inconceivable that “I Look to You” turns out to be the bridge to something bigger for Ms. Houston, and she certainly has a devoted fan base rooting for her. But in the pantheon of artistic comeback albums, “I Look to You” can at best be described as a footnote.
Best of the lot:
“Worth It”
“Million Dollar Bill”
“Like I Never Left”
Javier E. David is a native New Yorker and a contributor to HipHopRepublican.com. He writes about various subjects including popular culture, entertainment, business, finance and public policy for sites such as Parcbench.com and Examiner.com. He is a U.S. Army veteran who has worked on Wall Street and as a reporter for the international news agency Reuters. Fluent in Spanish, Javier is an avid sports fan and enjoys literature, music (especially independent hip-hop and soul), movies, good food and wine, and is also a self-confessed comic-book geek.
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