Thursday, May 24, 2007

The Darkside Of Genius Revealed...


Fanny And Ralph Ellison At Home In Manhattan, 1972.
Nancy Crampton
COVER REVIEW
The Man Made Visible
A Revelatory Biography Of Ralph Ellison, A Brilliant Writer Who Lived A Life Of Chaos.


Reviewed by Jabari Asim

RALPH ELLISON
A Biography
By Arnold Rampersad

Knopf. 657. $35

"Be nice to people," Langston Hughes advised a young man in 1936, and "let them pay for meals." The young man, Ralph Waldo Ellison, initially took the older writer's words to heart. A few days later he reported back to Hughes: "It helps so very much. Thus far I've paid for but two dinners."

Willful, calculating and more than a little arrogant, Ellison eventually discarded Hughes's counsel about anything, including being nice. Instead of the restrained language encouraging words favored by Hughes (e.g ., "The most promising of the younger Negro writers of prose is Ralph Ellison of Oklahoma"), he adopted a style of Olympian declaration that was eminently quotable and completely unforgettable. "It takes fortitude to be a man, and no less to be an artist," he argued in an essay called "The World and the Jug." "Perhaps it takes even more if the black man would be an artist."

That is typical Ellison: intimidating, incisive and pronounced with complete confidence in his vision of the world and how it works. It also neatly reflects the epic African American struggle for order and permanent inclusion that resonates throughout Ellison's masterworks: the novel Invisible Man, as well as his two essay collections, Shadow and Act (1964) and Going to the Territory (1986). As Arnold Rampersad astutely observes in this fascinating, revelatory biography, Ellison's writings took careful note of his fellow blacks' creation of "certain bulwarks against chaos, including religion, folklore, stable families, and a canny knowledge of Jim Crow."

Armed with such perceptions, Ellison waged a resolute -- albeit occasionally wayward -- struggle against the "school of thought that would have the American Negro a race culturally apart from the rest of America." To him, such views contained a painful irony. "The greatest joke, the most absurd paradox, in American history," according to Ellison, was "that simply by striving consciously to become Negroes we are becoming and are destined to become Americans, and the first truly mature Americans at that."

Ellison's synthesis of such elements in his work formed for me a mesmerizing image of the cultural critic as a kind of protean superhero, rippling with sinews, blessed with an all-seeing gaze and possessing an intellect that crackles with electricity. No matter that the source of all this fearlessly iconoclastic wisdom looked less like a muscular middleweight and more like a trumpeter in Duke Ellington's big band -- dapper, compact, sporting an exquisitely manicured mustache and a studied air of savoir faire.

But, as Rampersad convincingly shows, Ellison's carefully applied elegance covered but never completely hid his pugnacious roiling and contradictory temperament. He was, in Rampersad's view, "a somewhat fizzy mixture of pride and vulnerability, joy and despair." Small wonder then, that although he successfully withstood the forces of chaos in his artistic and professional life, his personal affairs frequently teetered on the edge of irreparable disorder.

Born in Oklahoma City in 1913, Ellison launched his pursuit of the artistic life when he came to New York in 1936. He lacked a degree -- he had dropped out of Alabama's famed Tuskegee Institute -- but he almost shivered with ambition. He soon won the guidance and support of several key black artistic figures, including Hughes, the noted sculptor Richmond Barthé and, most significantly, Richard Wright. It was Wright's generous example, Rampersad writes, "that converted young Ralph, between 1937 and 1938, from a near-dilettante into a disciple committed to becoming a writer."

On July 17, 1947, Ellison signed a contract with Random House. Two years before, he "had dedicated himself to creating a novel so rich in its symbolic, allegorical, psychological, social, and historical insight that it would be acclaimed as a masterpiece." He took a little longer than anticipated -- a letter from his wife, Fanny, to Hughes refers to "six agonizing and beautiful years" -- but he succeeded perhaps beyond even his own dreams. Invisible Man, the lyrical, metaphorical tale of a young black man's tussle with questions of race and identity, won the National Book Award in 1953 and has never been out of print.

Atop the literary heap, Ellison had earned what he considered the ultimate prize: "genuine world fame -- not the kind of condescending, provisional compliments that major critics had accorded even the best of African-American writers, including Wright."

But the hard-won acclaim -- and Ellison's own attitude -- distanced him from many of the people who had helped him rise. According to Rampersad, "Even before he became famous, Ralph was not inclined to admit any personal debts," and nowhere is this more evident -- and damning -- than in his relationship with Fanny. She was his second wife (an earlier marriage to actress Rose Poindexter had been doomed by Ellison's "aversion to feelings of obligation or gratitude"), a loving and long-suffering breadwinner whose labors made her husband's literary career possible.

It was a union "seldom free of tension," Rampersad writes, and by 1956 Ellison had added infidelity to his list of cruelties. Ralph confessed to an affair with a woman 20 years his junior. The woman, whom Rampersad declined to identify, told him that the Ellisons' marriage was "really one-way. It was not a sharing marriage. Fanny did everything, and everything was for Ralph."

In response to Ralph's admission, Fanny opened up to her mother: "I stuck it out all these years because in moments when he isn't in the throes of something he is a wonderful companion and I know that I love him and he loves me." But not much later she wrote to a psychiatrist, "Had our marriage been a successful one, or rather had it not been harassed by the particular kind of anxieties that it has, I could have been the calm, objective person. But since I have always doubted that my husband really and truly loved me, naturally I could not believe that he loves me now in this situation. Thus the panic, the hysteria, the despair." Ellison's lover believes that Fanny's infertility -- a source of deep despair for her -- prompted his dallying. "He wanted children. He knew that he could have children, and that Fanny couldn't. I think that's how we got together," she said. Even after the affair ended, Ellison's letters show that he was anything but contrite. "Your butt must be screaming like a child's for a good spanking," he wrote to Fanny. "It's shocking but I guess you'll always be my child-wife -- and what, beyond all the recent trouble, a headstrong, willful, little bitch you are!"

Rampersad's chronicle of the Ellisons' long, turbulent and finally peaceful marriage (it lasted from 1946 until Ralph's death in 1994) ) -- is the most compelling and troubling part of this consistently intriguing, thoroughly researched book. While Rampersad seldom falls into the worshipful tone he occasionally indulged in his fine two-volume biography of Hughes, he appears to struggle with his subject's marital misdeeds. They did "not make Ralph a monster, only a necessarily self-absorbed master artist who would rather lose a wife or lover than surrender his identity as an artist," he writes. "He cherished far more the actual life of the artist, the agony of composition, the promise of eternal fame from the progeny of his craft."

That's nicely expressed but not entirely persuasive. Still, Rampersad wrestles here with the same conundrum we often face when forced to reckon with the sinister sides of great achievers we admire. Do we give them too much leeway when forgiving their sins? If we held these geniuses to the same strict standards as we do ordinary mortals, how many of them could we continue to love?

Considered alone, Ellison's artistic legacy remains unsullied. But his record of insults, feuds and personality clashes continued even as he enjoyed a life of prosperity, snubbed younger black artists and failed to complete a second novel -- and knowing all this complicates our appreciation.

Such complexities probably would not have dismayed Ellison, for whom "true criticism . . . disdains being 'safe.' " On the other hand, he may have come out swinging.

In Rampersad's words, Ellison "could be funny, charming, even loving, but he also could not help inflicting pain." The writer Albert Murray, Ellison's longtime friend and sometime rival, described him as "potentially violent, very violent. He was ready to take on people and to use whatever street corner language they understood. He was ready to fight, to come to blows. You really didn't want to mess with Ralph Ellison."

But Ellison's friend Charlie Davidson, a haberdasher and fellow jazz fan, provides the most illuminating and haunting description of the enigmatic genius: "Ralph was like a drop of mercury under your thumb. Just when you thought you knew him, he showed you something else, something more." *

Jabari Asim is deputy editor of Book World. His most recent book is "The N Word: Who Can Say It, Who Shouldn't and Why."

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Castro Offers Black Americans Free Medical School Education...

Cuba Libre?
For dozens of Black Americans who want to study medicine, Cuba is a surprising land of opportunity. Writer Kayce T. Ataiyero reports from Havana on Castro's medical program,
By Kayce T. Ataiyero

How badly does Chasiti Falls want to be a doctor? Enough to share a dorm room with 18 other girls. Enough to eat beans and rice every day. Enough to leave her Atlanta home to attend medical school in Cuba.

Falls is one of about a hundred American students—more than half of them Black, according to recruiters, enrolled in the Medical School Scholarship Program at the Latin American School of Medical Sciences in Havana. Extended to Americans by Cuban President Fidel Castro in 2000, the program gives low-income students a free medical education in exchange for their commitment to provide health care to underserved communities in the United States. The students receive free tuition, books, and room and board for six years.

Students have to adjust to cold showers and bunk beds, but to Falls, who is a struggling single parent, these are small sacrifices to make for a free education. "It is not a walk in the park," she says, "but it is worth it."

The Reverend Lucius Walker, executive director of the Interreligious Foundation for Community Organization, which assists the medical school stateside, said the program is challenged by negative misconceptions about Cuba. "But there is a sector in the medical community who wants to see this program work and who will give it a chance," he says. Black public servants also see its value: "There is a dearth of health care in the poor communities where the students will be working," says California Congresswoman Barbara Lee.

In 2004 the Bush administration tightened regulations on Cuban travel, threatening the program's future. But the Congressional Black Caucus fought for the students to stay in the country. Student Leon Daniels knows some hospitals may doubt the validity of a Cuban medical education, but he's willing to take the risk. "If I am not able to practice back home, then other countries are a possibility," he says. "Having this experience is invaluable."

A New Katrina??? Toto This Can't Be Kansas...


Tornado Ravaged Greensburg, Kansas:
Kansas Mutual Aid Relief Workers Forced Out Of City By Police

Saturday May 19, 2007
by Dave Strano

On Saturday May 19, five members and volunteers affiliated with Kansas
Mutual Aid, a Lawrence based class struggle anarchist collective, made the
trek back to Greensburg to again help in relief efforts in the tornado
ravaged city. A week earlier, four KMA members had traveled to Greensburg
on a fact finding mission to assess the situation there. What KMA members
found was a militarized, entirely destroyed city where relief efforts were
moving tragically slow.

Today's trip back to Greensburg by KMA members and volunteers was intended
to solidify the bonds we had created in the first trip, and establish a
base of operations for future relief efforts. KMA spent the morning
working on a house with members of AmeriCorps, and then proceeded to meet
with contacts with the Mennonite Disaster Services.

We then headed out of town to a church just outside of city limits that we
were told would be a place we could probably set up a base camp for our
work. The church had been converted into a fire station by the state, so
we continued down the road and met a farmer who was willing to work with
us and let us use his land.

Soon after meeting the farmer, we were approached by officers with the
Dickinson County Sheriff's Department. After a brief exchange, the
officers left, and we were told to report to the Kiowa County Emergency
Response Command Post to receive official permission to set up our base of
operations. We were notified that if we did not do so, we would risk
having our operation ceased by the state.

Two of our delegation went to the Command Post, while the other three of
us went to the County Courthouse to pick up som water and provisions being
offered by the Red Cross. While we were picking up water and food, I was
approached by an Olathe Police Officer named Ty Moeder who knew my face
and identity. I was ordered to take my hands out of my pockets and follow
the officer to a side street "to avoid making a scene".

I and the other people with me followed the officer, and were repeatedly
ordered to keep our hands out of our pockets, where they could be seen by
the officer. Soon more officers approached, as well as at least one member
of the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, and some people from FEMA.
Surrounded by agents of the state, we were ordered to produce our
identification.

When I asked the police why we were being detained, Officer Moeder
responded "We need to check to see if you are affiliated with the
anarchists." At this moment, our remaining two comrades approached to see
what was happening. They were detained as well, and made to produce their
identification.

Officer Moeder asked how we had gotten in to the city. "We drove in,"
someone replied.

"They weren't supposed to let you in at the road block," responded Moeder,
seemingly frustrated and perplexed by that answer.

"They even gave us a day pass to drive in and out," we shot back.

A waiting game ensued for the next several minutes, with more officers
approaching, now numbering almost fifteen. A Lawrence police officer
approached, and was ordered to take photos of the car we had driven that
was parked down the street. Officer McNemee from the Lawrence Police
Department took extensive photos of the car, even of the inside contents
of the vehicle.

Officer Moeder ordered me to step away from the rest of the relief workers
and speak with him. "You're being ordered to leave and not return. This is
not negotiable, not appealable. You can't change it. If you return you'll
be arrested on site. And believe me, you don't want to push that right
now. This system is pretty messed up, and you wouldn't be issued bail.
You'd disappear in the system."

I asked repeatedly what we had done and why we were being ordered to leave
the city. "You're part of a dangerous anarchist group that will only drain
our security resources," he responded. "We've been monitoring your website
and e-mails, we know what kind of agenda you have."

"So this is about our political beliefs?" I asked.

"No," he responded. "This is about you being federal security threats.
Kansas Mutual Aid is not welcome in this city, end of story. I know you
are going through legitimate means to work in the city, and you're story
seems picture perfect, but we know who you are, and you're not allowed
here."

We were ordered back into our car and escorted out of the city by several
police vehicles with their lights flashing, and left just outside the
city.

We returned to Lawrence just moments ago, unhindered in our resolve to
provide support to the people in the disaster area. We will continue to
work in whatever capacity we can in the areas around the city that we may
still be allowed into, and provide support to those entering the city.

The area is a police state, to be certain. Police and Law Enforcement from
across Kansas and the country are making the rules about everything.
Relief workers were banned from Greensburg today because of their
political beliefs and work against oppression and tyrannical state
control.

A longer, more in depth update with an announcement for future action will
come soon. Please spread this story far and wide.

In love and solidarity,
Dave Strano, on behalf of KMA

Please Visit Kansas Mutual Aid's Official Website:
http://alliedresistance.org/kma/

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Check Out W.E. A.L.L. B.E. Radio This Sunday May 27,2007 @ 4PM Central/5PM Eastern

This Month's Theme Is "WE THE PEOPLE..."
Another Hip Hop Sunday On W.E. A.L.L. B.E. Radio!!!

Please Join Us This Sunday May 27,2007 @ 4PM Central/5PM Eastern For Another Hip Hop Special Edition On Tha Artivist Presents...W.E. A.L.L. B.E. Radio
Our Scheduled Guests Are:

A.) World Renowned Visual Artist And Hip Hop Head Justin BUA

For over a decade, artist BUA has been making a mark on popular culture with his unique style of Distorted Urban Realism, single-handedly spearheading a new genre of art. Born and raised by a single-mom in NYC’s untamed Upper West Side, BUA was fascinated by the raw, visceral Manhattan street life and found himself absorbing the essence of the burgeoning culture at places like Rock Steady Park and the Douglas Projects. BUA studied visual art at the High School of Music and Performing Arts (“Fame”) and complemented his education on the streets by writing graffiti and performing worldwide with breakdancing crews such as The New York Express and The Dynamic Breakers. At 16, BUA performed with The New York Express in a show created by famous choreographer Julie Arenal (“Hair”). The show toured all over the world including the Spoleto Festivals in Charleston, South Carolina and Spoleto, Italy where he performed with Rudolf Nureyev. After high school, BUA went on to the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California where he earned a B.F.A in Illustration. There, BUA learned the technical skills that allowed him to unleash his creativity.More
http://www.justinbua.com
http://www.myspace.com/justinbua
B.) Up And Coming Hip Hop Icon R.E.U.B.

http://www.myspace.com/reubmuzik1
About R.E.U.B.
I am rededicating myself to making "myself" happy, and what I think will make "myself" happy, is being absolutely honest, creative, and free.

So here goes nothing: I am not a crip, blood or any other type of gang member. I am not a pimp or womanizer, I am not ignorant (if you and I got a problem I will try to talk first, then beat your ass!), I don't sell crack, and I don't drive a Benz yet! Now that I got that out of the way, lets get to it. I hate that stupidity is the climate in which I am living. The dumber the better, that's the slogan for the last 10 years. Its everywhere, sports, television, life in general, and of course music.

The lyrics in hip-hop are weak, like old lunch meat left on the counter to spoil in hundred degree heat for a month. No one cares, no one loves, and no one dares smile: we all have bad attitudes, sell crack, degrade women, shoot first, snatch chains, and drive Bentley's but never leave the hood! How many CD's can be about the come up! Can someone black write about something else. Can there be some more black movies, that ain't about hood life. What about a black movie that was just a movie but happened to have black people in it... you know just a good movie!

At the end of the day: I write to entertain myself not you, because you collectively don't care what I say. At the end of the day: My face is the only face in the crowd that I really want a smile out of, so love it or hate it, I'm going to do what I love the way I love to do it! At the end of the day: it's dark!


C.) Next Level Rap Sensation Foley & Songstress Sis. Whispher of Digi-Child/D'Life

http://www.myspace.com/m_foley
http://www.myspace.com/whispher

Check Out Foley's And Sis. Whispher's Debut On W.E. A.L.L. B.E. Radio:
http://boss.streamos.com/wmedia/blogtalkradio/show_19953.wax

PLEASE NOMINATE DIGICHILD/D-LIFE FOR THE SEAs (SOUTHERN ENTERTAINMENT AWARDS)!!!
GO TO www.southernentawards.com/vote.php TO NOMINATE US. A LIST OF CATEGORIES WE CAN BE NOMINATED FOR ARE LISTED. WE ARE TRYING TO TAKE MOST SLEPT ON ARTIST AWARD. SO PLEASE VOTE FOR THAT ONE AND AS MANY OF THE REST AS YOU CAN.
THANKS IN ADVANCE.

SEA AWARD CATEGORIES (Nominate Our Names In Red By Each Category)
Slept on Artist of the Year- Digichild/D’Life
Best Mixtape Series- Hostile Takeover
Mixtape Artist of the Year- Foley
Best Freestyle On a Mixtape- Barz
Indy Rap Album of the Year- Hostile Takeover II
Indy Rap Artist of the Year- Digichild/D’Life
Indy R&B Artist of the Year- WhispheR
Indy Producer of the Year- Foley

D.) YOU!!!

Please Feel Free To Join In This Conversation By Calling 646-652-4593 And/Or E-mailing Us @ r2c2h2@gmail.com

Also Check Out The Show Live Via Internet By Clicking On The Following Link:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe

If You Have Problems Accessing The Show From That Link Please Go To http://www.blogtalkradio.com/ ...Normally When A Show Is On Live A Link Is Provided To The Show Towards The Bottom Of The Page So That You Can Listen To The Show...My Apologies To Mac Users If You Are Unable To Access The Show...

As Always Please Spread The GOOD News!!!

W.E. A.L.L. B.E. Waiting For You

Master P Makes Em Say...HMMM???



IT'S TIME FOR CHANGE

Curtis Jackson's comment motivated me. There are a lot of immature people in the world. Oprah Winfrey is absolutely right, we need to grow up and be responsible for our own actions. I paid for Curtis's first rap tour through the south. He was such a humble guy at the time. Most artists' mission is to sell records. My mission is to help save and change lives. There's a lack of knowledge and false information out there. I could actually say Little Jay and Rap-A-Lot Records inspired my successful career and I will always respect them no matter what. I wrote the blueprint for this generation. The only difference is there's no more honor and respect in the game.

Think about it: people in jail are not writing letters proclaiming to come out and do the same thing that landed them there in the first place. People in the hood don't want to stay poor for the rest of their lives. They want to change. Parents that really love their kids would rather sacrifice their own lives so that their kids could make a change to have a better life and a better education. I'm glad that there are people like Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson and organizations like the NAACP that are out there fighting for our rights and dignity. I have finally realized that EVERY person is either a part of the problem or part of the solution and that is why I have decided to take a stand! I'm reaching out to corporate America to form an alliance for the sake of putting the value back into our communities by rebuilding and developing schools and businesses.

First of all, it's simply disappointing to see people that are in a position to help make a change just sit back and entertain the negativity. It's sad to see Steven Hill set all of these programming standards at BET, just to contradict himself for the sake of marketing dollars or artist performances in order to create the appearance of a successful award show. The record company with the biggest marketing check controls the music video stations so we need to go after the people who actually control these programming networks if we want real CHANGE.

I guess by taking a stand, my son and I will probably not be invited back to the BET Awards. But it's O.K. I got love for BET; there are a lot of good people there. Hopefully, this will help people to see the real changes that need to be made. My son and I will sacrifice our airtime because this is bigger than us, this issue desperately needed to be addressed a long time ago.

There are four things that differentiate me from artists like Curtis Jackson.

One, I can honestly admit that I was once part of the problem.

Two, I don't want my son to grow up and be like me. I want him to be better and do better - and that is why he is taking the time to pursue a college degree.

Three, money don't make me, I make money. My goal is to educate our people in building generational wealth and knowing how important it is to own real estate.

Four, I'm a TRUE entrepreneur; my boss is God not Jimmy Iovine. From one brother to another, if you misunderstand my purpose you could always pick up the phone or talk to me in person. I'm trying to be part of the solution not the problem. The media thrives on entertaining, especially the negativity no matter what the cost. I'm praying for the brothers that are lost out there.

Throughout the years, I have lost so many relatives and friends. This year, I'd like to focus on the comedy movies because we need to laugh more. The first movie that I'm producing is "Black Supaman" and thereafter will be "The Mail Man" starring Tony Cox and myself. I'm setting up a book tour for "Guaranteed Success" and a Hip Hop Business class with financial expert Curtis Oakes for those seeking knowledge. I understand that I can't change the whole Hip Hop industry; I'm only trying to do my part. If you're real, be a part of the positive movement with Take A Stand Records.com Look for the first single "I Wanna Be Like You" from the album "Hip Hop History." I'm in negotiations with Wal-Mart and Target for direct distribution. Those are all examples of the positive difference I am trying to make in this industry.

I'm reaching out to my friends Shaquille O'Neal, Will Smith, Russell Simmons, Queen Latifah, Derek Anderson, Charles Barkley, Emmitt Smith, Beyonce, and Reverend Run to help contribute to this positive movement. I will also be holding a press conference with the president NAACP and will be able to answer any questions at that time. I am not asking any other hip-hop or gangsta rap artist change what they do; that's how they make their money. Furthermore, I am not a preacher; I'm just telling the world what I'm doing and the changes that I am making because it's something I want to do. If that's sending mixed signals to people then they need to deal with their own conscience first.

P. Miller

Can We All Just Get Along??? Pt 2 Of Barack Hussein Obama Ain't No Adam Clayton Powell Jr.


Please Read Pt.1 Of Barack Hussein Obama Ain't No Adam Clayton Powell Jr. By Clicking On The Following Link:
http://weallbe.blogspot.com/2007/05/barack-hussein-obama-aint-no-adam.html

This Is What Some People Said In Response To My Pt. 1 Reply:

All politics is local and sometimes things do start on a smaller scale and grow...look at the war movement....the opposition to the war at first, it was small and now it has grown to a force to reckoned with. I understand that there are global issues, but most issues start small and build over time. Look at the civil rights movement, its wasn't something that started with Ms. Parks. The fight for civil rights started in small communites across the country and grew to be a world changing movement. ~M.W.

Ok just a quickie ... I take issue with your (Ron) assertion that change comes
from those "closest to you" therefore there should be more focus on
local officials. I agree with the organizing bit but not organizing to
elect school board officials. Local officials are unquestionably more
accountable, however it is patent absurdity to suggest that National
level politics not receive as much attention as it does given war,
trade law, labor law, etc.

In this world, we really need to be thinking globally ... Anyway more
later.~K.T.

Your boy Ron is pretty deep...is site is cool too. I like the distinction between visionary and politician...

We should highlight him as EL and pub all of the sites and blogs he has and then get him to blast us to his network...~R.M.S.

You are truly G-R-E-A-T! Thanks for this awesome contribution. ~A.C.

Ladies And Gentlemen, Pundits And Scholars Here Is Part Two:

Hey Everybody,
Can We All Just Get Along???

Anyways I don't take offense to any of this dialogue at all...I definitely agree with Mr. Washington observations, but I can also say to Mr. Smith that we can all agree to disagree...I think Crutch did a wonderful job in providing a platform where we all can connect...Crutch is the bridge over troubled waters and I really do respect her alot and what she is trying to do to make the world a better place...As a matter of fact I respect everybody on this e-mail list because evidently Crutch thought highly enough of you to get your opinions which in my mind's eye means that you all are truly great and phenomenal people like Crutch even if you don't agree with what I had to say...

My main point of what I was trying to say yesterday is to para phase the great Kwame Toure a.k.a. Stokley Carmichael that we are the leaders that we are looking for...You don't have to wait to see who is President to know something ain't right and that you, we all, need to make an effort to better the world by bettering ourselves first...It's like some wise people told me, First you take care of self, then your family, then your community and then the world...You can't save nobody or nothing else if you can't save yourself first...That's called self preservation and not selfishness....

I didn't know who Barack Obama was until 2004 when he gave that moving speech @ the Democratic National Convention..When I first heard that powerful speech I thought by 2012 that he will be the first "openly" African American President of the U.S...However, Obama had a political career before 2004 and it started on the Streets of Chicago in the Land of Lincoln long before I would venture many of us on this list were familiar with him or knew of his existence...That means before he could become a U.S. Senator and possibly U.S. President that he had to get local people in his community to support and vote for him...

This is nothing new because that was the same for Adam Clayton Powell Jr. who had an amazing and legendary ability to organize and sustain grassroots movements in New York which enabled him to become in 1945 the first elected person of color to the U.S. Congress from a Northern state outside of Illinois...He helped in one session to pass a still record 50 bills because he was given a mandate by the people of his district and the country to do so...That is what grassroots organizing and movements are all about, taking the power from the US Corporations and given the voice and power back to We The People...

Mr. Washington brought up Ms. Parks if you look at the true history of the Montgomery Bus Boycott Dr. King was elected by the people of Montgomery's Black Community to be the leader of that famous boycott movement...As a matter of fact Dr. King who was just 26 and relatively new to the area at the time was hesitant but because of the insistence and persistence of people like E.D Nixon head of the local Montgomery NAACP and others he finally gave in and accepted his role as the leader....And this act changed the course of history...So without grass roots organizing Dr. King would not become the leader that he eventually became without the supportive environment created by many people now forgotten to history as a platform to showcase Dr. King's formidable talents and brilliance...Dr. King could not have achieved the things that he did without people in their communities making all types of sacrifices (sometimes the ultimate sacrifice) for him to gain the momentum he needed to get his important message out...In other words it takes a village...

So Crutch I thank you with all my heart for allowing us a platform to express ourselves!!! In the spirit and camaraderie of Ella Baker and Bayard Rustin I salute you!!! Stay strong and beautiful sister...

R2C2H2 a.k.a Bro. Ron

Where The Ladies At???

Mrs. Bynoe On W.E. A.L.L B.E. Radio:
The Talented Mrs. Bynoe Also Represented May 20,2007 On Tha Artivist Presents...W.E. A.L.L B.E. Radio ...You Can Read A Summary And Check Out The Actual Interview By Clicking On The Following Link:
http://weallbe.blogspot.com/2007/05/hip-hop-is-alive-and-well-on-we-all-be.html

HIP HOP'S (STILL) INVISIBLE WOMEN
by Yvonne Bynoe


With all the talk about Hip Hop activism, I have to ask, "Where is women's activism within Hip Hop?" From my vantage point, what the recent Don Imus affair brought painfully to light is that generally, Black women within Hip Hop are to be ogled in music videos, insulted in the name of free speech and discussed by pundits, but rarely are they given access to the major media outlets that would allow them to accurately represent themselves, their images and ideas.

There are indeed Hip Hop generation women in our communities working to empower their sisters, however in the main there are no concerted efforts, locally or nationally, to address the issues of race, class and gender that create the environments that allows Black male rap artists and a White radio show host (both supported by large corporations) to call Black women ho's in our mainstream media. It is this lack of critical analysis that recently gave New York City police sergeants, at two different precincts license to call women ho's. At the 70th Precinct in Brooklyn three policewomen, two Black women and one Latina, were called 'hos during roll call. Adding insult to injury, a fellow officer interjected that the correct term was "nappy, headed ho's." It should not be a surprise that this is the same precinct where the infamous assault of Abner Louima took place.

In a separate incident, a police sergeant threatened to call a Black police woman a "nappy headed ho" if she gave him lip. Should these policewomen assume that men who would denigrate them so callously and publicly can also be trusted to be fair in assessing their job performance and ability to advance in their careers? Within a wider context, is it realistic, given these men's actions to expect that on the streets they will justly apply the law regardless a person's race or gender? Women should be more vocal in denouncing sexism in rap music and in our society because our livelihood and our lives depend on it. Furthermore although it appears to be counterintuitive, sexism also threatens the lives and prospects of the Black men whom we love (even if they are perpetuating it). As the situation at the 70th precinct illustrates, wherever you find sexism, it is very likely that you will also find racism. In the words of Frederick Douglass, "Power concedes nothing without a demand---It never did and never will." Sexism and racism are both vehicles to wield and retain societal power.

Ten years ago, journalists along with average joes and janes were discussing whether or not "Hip Hop hates women," and regrettably today many within Hip Hop are still debating that same question. In a 1995 essay, current Vibe magazine Editor-in-Chief, Danyel Smith discussed how Hip Hop tended to mirror the biases of the greater society saying, "Women's versions of reality are somehow suspect; men's interpretations of women and their motives and ideas are considered more 'real' than women's declarations." The title of her article "Ain't a Damn Thing Changed," about sums up contemporary women's status within Hip Hop. In the intervening years Hip Hop generation women have not become visible, insofar that they have not staked out spaces that allow their stories and complex realities to be heard by the masses. Whether it is fear or access to capital or some combination of the two, Hip Hop generation women have not created our version of the Lilith Fair to support female rap artists. Similarly, most female rap artists, like their male counterparts have not created independent record companies and touring apparatus that would allow them to control their messages and images; get those messages to the public; and make money in the process. Subsequently, male rap artists (aided by their corporate entertainment entities), rather than Black women themselves have largely shaped the image of Black women in the United States and in doing so have defined the contours of our public dialogue about Black women.

For years many Black women have had a tortured relationship with Hip Hop: loving its beats, its energy, but hating the misogyny and gratuitous violence. The thing that appears to have changed is that more young Black women, rather than critically examining their allegiance to the Hip Hop status quo are now helping to maintain it. Several years ago when women at Spelman College in Atlanta threatened to protest Nelly's appearance on campus because of his music video "Tip Drill," young Black women joined young Black men in attacking the Black female activists. Young Black women parroted the lines that in the past were used by Black men to rationalize misogyny in rap music such as "ho's do exist," "it's just entertainment" and "no one is forcing these women to be in these videos." While all of these statements may indeed be true, they miss the point. At core the argument is not about whether every rap song has to be deep or whether women have the right to shake their money-makers in a music video; it is about whether Black women gyrating on poles for dollars should be the sole portrayal of Black women in our society. In echoing the words of activist and author Barbara Smith, women's studies has flourished in academia and has opened the doors for talented scholars such as Gwendolyn Pough and Tracy Sharpley-Whiting to publish groundbreaking books on women in Hip Hop, but it has been less successful in educating, nurturing and raising the consciousness of young Black women, in and out of the 'hood.

In our communities, we still refer to Black men as "endangered species." We are rightfully alarmed about the staggering number of Black men who are incarcerated each year and by the high number of young Black men who drop out of school, leaving themselves unqualified for the legal job market. Unfortunately, there is far less urgency about the increasing incidences of HIV/AIDs among Black women or the rise on young women of color going to jail or the plight of working, single mothers who cannot find safe, reliable and affordable childcare. Asserting that young Black women have needs and concerns that are particular to their gender, class and race in no way negates the important issues that are pertinent to young Black men. Moreover, mature, really progressive politics understands that the fight for equality does not exclude women. Young Black men and women seem to be making the same mistake that some of our elders did by pitting the ravages of racism against the tyranny of sexism and concluding that racism is more evil. As has been said by far more articulate people, even if racism ended tomorrow, gender discrimination would still exist.

As Black women and Black men our ultimate strength will lie in our ability and our desire to jointly bring our distinct experiences, grievances and issues to the table and work in coalition toward manifesting an equitable and free society. What Hip Hop generation women have to realize is that standing by passively, in the name of comradeship, afraid to anger the brothers has garnered us neither respect nor equality (assuming that the two can be separated). As was the case in prior generations, young Black women need to step into the arena and forcefully speak their truths because: The Black men who really don't like us will always find solace in the arms of others and use our strength as their excuse; The Black men who merely like us will demand that we "play our position" so that they can gain power; and The Black men who genuinely love us will fight along side us for justice and will encourage us to fully express our hearts, minds and spirits.

The most political, first step that many women within Hip Hop can make is to create communities that nurture us: spaces where we can perform our own rhymes; spaces where we can share our own stories; and spaces where we can give each love and provide support. Author and activist, Rebecca Walker made a profound statement when she said that our life's journey is about understanding our own suffering and how the powerful societal stratifications of race, class, gender and sexuality impact us all negatively. Women therefore cannot change sexism within Hip Hop or in the broader society until we are willing to heal ourselves. When it is all said and done, railing against Imus or lobbying entertainment executives will not end sexism, no more than Robitussin will cure cancer. Black women in Hip Hop have to fight for power----be willing to love and respect ourselves enough to put the financial, intellectual and creative energy behind establishing our own blogs, website, podcasts, e-newsletters, record companies, music conferences, summits, publishing companies, magazines, radio shows and televisions programs that illuminate the many sides of beautiful Black womanhood. We also have to brave enough to collaborate with each other, with women of other races and with equality-seeking men to make these new entities the mainstream, rather than the alternative.



About Yvonne Bynoe
Yvonne Bynoe is a Senior Fellow at the Future Focus 2020 Center at Wake Forest University. She is also the author of Stand & Deliver: Political Activism, Leadership & Hip Hop Culture and the Encyclopedia of Rap and Hip Hop Culture. She can be reached
www.YvonneBynoe.com or www.myspace.com/yvonnebynoe

Copyright 2007 Yvonne Bynoe

King James Ain't The Greatest...

An Open Letter To LeBron James

Being Ali Or Being Owned

By DAVE ZIRIN



Dear LeBron:



At the tender age of 22, you have the galactic talent to make us wonder if a mad scientist had Magic and MJ genetically spliced. But talent ain't wisdom. In a recent interview, you said that your goal in sports was to become "the richest man on earth." You also told ESPN, "I'm trying to be a global icon ... on the level of Muhammad Ali."



These dreams are compatible only if you choose to emulate Ali the icon and not Ali the man. Ali the icon is used to sell books, computers, snack foods, and anything not nailed down. Ali the man sacrificed his health, future, and untold millions by standing up to racism and war. No one is demanding you do the same. No one is insisting you get in front of a microphone and say, "I aint got no quarrel with them Iraqis."



But you should understand that the reason Ali remains a "global icon" is precisely because he didn't define himself by his corporate sponsors.

When his handlers told him to stop throttling the golden goose of fame he said, "Damn the money! Damn the white man's money!"



Evidence is accumulating that this won't become the King James catchphrase of choice.



Your teammate Ira Newble tried to get every member of the Cavs to sign a letter calling on China to stop exacerbating the genocide in Darfur by dealing arms to the government. "There's innocent people dying, and it's just a tragedy to stand back and let them do what they're doing," Newble said.



One of Newble's inspirations take a stand has been the person he "idolized as a child": Muhammad Ali. That would be Ali the man, not the brand.



Newble stuffed fact sheets and articles in the lockers of every member on the team. He organized almost the entire squad to sign a letter that reads in part, "We, as basketball players in the N.B.A. and as potential athletes in the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing , cannot look on with indifference to the massive human suffering and destruction that continue in the Darfur region of Sudan ." Larry Hughes signed. "Big Z,"

Zydrunas Ilgauskas signed. Drew Gooden signed.



Only two people refused and one was you. Nike, with whom you have a $90 million shoe deal, does business with China so you treated that letter like Dick Cheney treats a salad.



[There's no guarantee the young Ali would have signed this letter either. He may very well have said he wouldn't sign any letter telling China to get out of Darfur until the US was out of Iraq . After all this was a man who said, "The real enemy of my people is here." But one thing is for certain: "show me the money" would not have trumped "damn the money." No way.]



Consumer advocate Ralph Nader also tried to give you the chance to walk the Ali path. He sent you a public invitation to a forum about conditions in Nike factories. In the letter, Nader wrote,



"Mr. James, you are in a unique position to stand up for the people who make the products you endorse and to make the world a better place in the process. You can improve their working conditions in the contracted factories and pressure the entire sports shoe and apparel industry to change."



You replied to the press: "No, I haven't responded to it. But I think Nike's a great company and they would respond if need be."



The shoe wars continued in March in New York , when you dissed and dismissed Stephon Marbury's $14.98 sneaker line. You, whose signature Nikes go for $150, were asked whether you would ever sell a shoe that didn't cost a week's pay at McDonalds. You said, "No, I don't think so.

Me being with Nike, we hold our standards high."



Marbury answered your words with the underreported smackdown of the season, saying, "I'd rather own than be owned." Damn.



Jim Brown once explained the allure of Ali in the 1960s this way: "White folks could not stand free black folks. White America could not stand to think that a sports hero that it was allowing to make big dollars would have the courage to stand up like no one else and risk, not only his life, but everything else that he had."



The choice you face is frankly quite stark: how free to do you want to be? Do you want to be "King James of Nike Manor" or the King of the World? Only by refusing to be owned, only by displaying independence from the very corporate interests that enrich you, will you ever make the journey from brand to three dimensional man.



Dave Zirin is the author of "The Muhammad Ali Handbook"

Monday, May 21, 2007

Dr. John Hope Franklin A.K.A. The Dean Of African AMerican Scholars On W.E. A.L.L B.E. Radio Weds. May 30 @ 7PM Central/8PM Eastern

"My Challenge Was To Weave Into The Fabric Of American History Enough Of The Presence Of Blacks So That The Story Of The United States Could Be Told Adequately And Fairly."
~Dr. John Hope Franklin



On May 30, 2007 @ 7pm Central/8pm Eastern I, R2C2H2 Tha Artivist, Will Be Interviewing Legendary Scholar/Author Dr. John Hope Franklin!!! Dr. Franklin is Almost 100 Years Young Yet He Has A Sharp Mind And Wit That Can Easily Compete With Many Of The Best And Brightest People On The Planet...Dr. Franklin Represents The Bridge Between Dr. Cornel West/Dr. Michael Eric Dyson And Dr. W.E.B. DuBois/Dr. Carter G. Woodson In Terms Of African American Scholarship...Because Of This And In Addition To His Brilliant And Invaluable Scholarship And Research In To The Condition And Contributions Of The African American Experience, Dr. John Hope Franklin Is Considered By Many To Be The Dean Of African American Scholars...

In 1995, He Was Awarded The Presidential Medal of Freedom, The Nation's Highest Civilian Honor...On November 15, 2006, It Was Announced That Franklin Was The Third Recipient Of The John W. Kluge Prize For Lifetime Achievement In The Study Of Humanity. He Shared The Prize With Yu Ying-shih.

Check Out Some Short Bios On This Incredible Man By Clicking On The Following Links:

Check Out An Article I Wrote Concerning My First Encounters With This Amazing Man:
http://weallbe.blogspot.com/2006/11/keep-hope-alive.html

Please Listen To The Entire One Hour Long Conversation Live By Clicking On The Following Link:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/hostpage.aspx?host_id=1952

You Can Also Join In The Conversation By Calling Us @ 646-652-4593 And/Or E-mailing Us With Your Questions/Comments @ r2c2h2@gmail.com

If You Have Problems Accessing The Show From That Link Please Go To http://www.blogtalkradio.com ...Normally When A Show Is On Live A Link Is Provided To The Show Towards The Bottom Of The Page So That You Can Listen To The Show...My Apologies To Mac Users If You Are Unable To Access The Show...

As Always Please Spread The GOOD News!!!

Tha Artivist Presents...W.E. A.L.L. B.E. Radio Also Airs Live Every Sunday @ 4PM Central/5PM Eastern Check Out What We Have In Store This Sunday May 27,2007:
http://weallbe.blogspot.com/2007/05/check-out-we-all-be-radio-this-sunday_22.html

W.E. A.L.L. B.E. Waiting For You

Hip Hop Is Alive And Well On W.E. A.L.L. B.E. Radio...

On Sunday's May 20, 2007 Edition Of Tha Artivist Presents...W.E. A.L.L. B.E. Radio Our Gifted And Insightful Guests Proved That Hip Hop Ain't Dead And Will Be Around For A Long Time Coming...

Please Check Out The Actual Conversation For Yourself By Clicking On The Following Link:
http://boss.streamos.com/wmedia/blogtalkradio/show_22842.wax

This Month's Theme Is "WE THE PEOPLE..."

Our Guests Were:


1.) Well Known Hip Hop Scholar, Author And Activist Yvonne Bynoe

Yvonne Bynoe is a Senior Fellow at the Future Focus 2020 Center, a part of the Babcock Graduate School of Management at Wake Forest University. As an author and lecturer, her work combines the relevant issues of politics, culture and economics within the context of American popular culture. Bynoe has been called one of the most important voices of her generation. Famed scholar Manning Marable called Bynoe, "one of Hip Hop Culture's most insightful observers." Duke University professor Mark Anthony Neal, author of several books on popular culture including, That's The Joint: Hip Hop Studies Reader, said that Bynoe is a member of "the Hip Hop intelligentsia." Cultural critic Stanley Crouch says, "Bynoe earns a place as a Thomas Paine in the movement against female degradation."

Bynoe is nationally recognized as an expert on the intersection between popular culture and politics. She is the author of the book Stand and Deliver: Political Activism, Leadership and Hip Hop Culture (Soft Skull Press, 2004), which is used in college courses across the country. Her second book, The Encyclopedia of Rap and Hip Hop Culture (Greenwood Press), published in December, 2005, holds the distinction of being a 2005-2006 College & Research Libraries Selected Reference Work (see more comments).

Her writings have been included in university curricula across the country.
http://www.yvonnebynoe.com/
http://www.myspace.com/yvonnebynoe

2.) Hip Hop Enthusiast And Rap Phenom WOO Child

Born and raised in Flint, MI, this exceptional emcee has been killing instrumentals since his 1st semester @ Washington University in St. Louis, where he decided to put down the poetry pen and pad, to perform is lyrical pieces. After successfully garnering attention through MP3.com by being selected to their "Best Of Spring" compilation in 2001 as well as numerous weeks @ ..1 amongst the likes of Eminem, Snoop Dog, and Dr. Dre, he self-released his demo through MP3.com, entitled "Double U Double Oh", which is W-O-O, spelled out. The demo spent many months in the top 10 sellers list for Hip Hop on MP3.com before it officially closed and changed owners, disallowing unsigned artist to promote through the site.

Around that time Woo began preparing what he'd hope would be his first major release and was picked up by Angel Magic Music, an indy label out of Madision, WI. The album, "Bridge The Gap", received critical acclaim around the internet, and Woo Child toured around Madison, Detroit, and St. Louis promoting the album.

Moving on from Angel Magic Music, Woo signed with new manager, Derrick Chatman, out of Macon, GA, and began workin on a new project titled, "Under Rated Over Achiever", and toured through out middle Georgia promoting its coming. During the recording process, Woo found a fan in And 1 Streetball legend Sik Wit It, and traveled to Kansas City to kick it with the team, and received a drop for the album from Sik Wit It himself.

Woo Child has continued to make music, continued to satisfy his ever growing fan base with random releases of tracks and a mixtape that recorded over 3,000 downloads of the ENTIRE CD entitled, "Woo Child presents:Industry Takeover" (click here to download). He later released a critically acclaimed song entitled "Guilty" for the Katrina victims.

Stay Tuned...2007 is gonna get RIDICULOUS...

http://www.woochild.com/

http://www.myspace.com/woochild1

3.) Author Extraordinaire, Entrepreneur And Enamored With The Culture Of Hip Hop Shamontiel L. Vaughn a.k.a. Maroon Sista
http://www.myspace.com/shamontiel_maroonsista

ABOUT THE NOVEL Change For A Twenty:
Growing up is hard enough, but when six completely opposite people meet to argue, cry, laugh, pledge, fight, and hang together on a Historically Black College campus, a bond is formed. Seleste is a college junior with her own place, no boyfriend, and determined to hold on to her virginity. Her best friend, Cara, is a college junior who lives in the dorms, has an on-again off-again boyfriend, Arnez, and thinks sex is the answer to all her problems. Travis, nicknamed Memo, is a troubled senior from New York who came to Chicago, running from his fathers past as a crooked cop. Jermaine wants to join a fraternity and O wants to get rid of the Super Senior trait hes earned. Change for a Twenty is a fiction novel set in Chicago about six college friends, two nemeses, and the path to adulthood.

Check out Shamontiel L. Vaughn's previous radio interview: Part 1 and Part 2.

Also, feel free to visit the Geocities page to find out more background information on the author and the book.



As Always Please Spread The GOOD News!!!

W.E. A.L.L. B.E. Waiting For You.

Sunday, May 20, 2007

Black Girl Spoke On W.E. A.L.L.B.E. Radio...Listen To What She Said...

Thank YOU! I really enjoyed myself. You are such a profound thinker. I LOVE that. I don't come across it often enough. If you ever need anything, just ask. You have a new friend in me.
~Sis. Talitha Coverson (Her Thoughts On Tha Artivist Presents...W.E. A.L.L. B.E. Radio)


This Month's Theme Is "WE THE PEOPLE..."

On Thursday May 17 @ 9PM Central/10PM Eastern W.E. A.L.L B.E. Radio Talked To One Of The Up And Coming Defining Creative Voices Of This Hip Hop Generation...The Young, Black , Gifted And Beautiful Ms. Talitha Coverson The Creative Force Behind The Critically Acclaimed





Photography By Tellis Rodgers
Black Girl Speaks was originally written as individual pieces and later threaded to create one performance. The show itself is constantly evolving as I do. Each piece is one that is held close to my heart, because it was either my own experience, the experience of someone dear to me, or the experience of someone that has spoken through me. The purpose of this show is to be a vehicle for artistic expression and the projection of our stories. It is to allow the “black girl” that has touched all of us to voice her triumphs, sorrows, thoughts, and history. “Black Girl Speaks” would not exist if it were not for the many women who came before me that were unafraid of speaking out in various forms. Through this venue, I honor these women...
- Talitha V. Coverson
Poet, Playwright, Producer

Tha Artivist Writes:Needless To Say The Interview Was Very Inspiring, Informative, Uplifting And Beautiful Just Like The Interviewee Sis. Talitha Coverson...I Look Forward To Hearing, Reading And Seeing More Great Things From And About This Young, Black, Gifted Phenomenal Woman Of Strength And Courage In The Near Future...
Here's The Link To The Interview, Please Share With Others:
http://boss.streamos.com/wmedia/blogtalkradio/show_25672.wax

If This Your First Time Hearing About Sis. Talitha Coverson And Black Girl Speaks Remember You Heard It On Tha Artivist Presents...W.E. A.L.L. B.E. Radio First!!!

As Always Please Spread The GOOD News!!!

W.E. A.L.L. B.E. Waiting For You

Thursday, May 17, 2007

Check Out W.E. A.L.L. B.E. Radio This Sunday May 20 @ 4PM Central...

This Month's Theme Is "WE THE PEOPLE..."
Please Join Us This Sunday May 20 @ 4PM Central/5PM Eastern For The Special Hip Hop Edition Of Tha Artivist Presents...W.E. A.L.L. B.E. Radio ...Our Scheduled Guests Are:

1.) Well Known Hip Hop Scholar, Author And Activist Yvonne Bynoe

Yvonne Bynoe is a Senior Fellow at the Future Focus 2020 Center, a part of the Babcock Graduate School of Management at Wake Forest University. As an author and lecturer, her work combines the relevant issues of politics, culture and economics within the context of American popular culture. Bynoe has been called one of the most important voices of her generation. Famed scholar Manning Marable called Bynoe, "one of Hip Hop Culture's most insightful observers." Duke University professor Mark Anthony Neal, author of several books on popular culture including, That's The Joint: Hip Hop Studies Reader, said that Bynoe is a member of "the Hip Hop intelligentsia." Cultural critic Stanley Crouch says, "Bynoe earns a place as a Thomas Paine in the movement against female degradation."

Bynoe is nationally recognized as an expert on the intersection between popular culture and politics. She is the author of the book Stand and Deliver: Political Activism, Leadership and Hip Hop Culture (Soft Skull Press, 2004), which is used in college courses across the country. Her second book, The Encyclopedia of Rap and Hip Hop Culture (Greenwood Press), published in December, 2005, holds the distinction of being a 2005-2006 College & Research Libraries Selected Reference Work (see more comments).

Her writings have been included in university curricula across the country.
http://www.yvonnebynoe.com/
http://www.myspace.com/yvonnebynoe

2.) Hip Hop Enthusiast And Rap Phenom WOO Child

Born and raised in Flint, MI, this exceptional emcee has been killing instrumentals since his 1st semester @ Washington University in St. Louis, where he decided to put down the poetry pen and pad, to perform is lyrical pieces. After successfully garnering attention through MP3.com by being selected to their "Best Of Spring" compilation in 2001 as well as numerous weeks @ ..1 amongst the likes of Eminem, Snoop Dog, and Dr. Dre, he self-released his demo through MP3.com, entitled "Double U Double Oh", which is W-O-O, spelled out. The demo spent many months in the top 10 sellers list for Hip Hop on MP3.com before it officially closed and changed owners, disallowing unsigned artist to promote through the site.

Around that time Woo began preparing what he'd hope would be his first major release and was picked up by Angel Magic Music, an indy label out of Madision, WI. The album, "Bridge The Gap", received critical acclaim around the internet, and Woo Child toured around Madison, Detroit, and St. Louis promoting the album.

Moving on from Angel Magic Music, Woo signed with new manager, Derrick Chatman, out of Macon, GA, and began workin on a new project titled, "Under Rated Over Achiever", and toured through out middle Georgia promoting its coming. During the recording process, Woo found a fan in And 1 Streetball legend Sik Wit It, and traveled to Kansas City to kick it with the team, and received a drop for the album from Sik Wit It himself.

Woo Child has continued to make music, continued to satisfy his ever growing fan base with random releases of tracks and a mixtape that recorded over 3,000 downloads of the ENTIRE CD entitled, "Woo Child presents:Industry Takeover" (click here to download). He later released a critically acclaimed song entitled "Guilty" for the Katrina victims.

Stay Tuned...2007 is gonna get RIDICULOUS...

http://www.woochild.com/

http://www.myspace.com/woochild1

3.) Author Extraordinaire, Entrepreneur And Enamored With The Culture Of Hip Hop Shamontiel L. Vaughn a.k.a. Maroon Sista
http://www.myspace.com/shamontiel_maroonsista

ABOUT THE NOVEL Change For A Twenty:
Growing up is hard enough, but when six completely opposite people meet to argue, cry, laugh, pledge, fight, and hang together on a Historically Black College campus, a bond is formed. Seleste is a college junior with her own place, no boyfriend, and determined to hold on to her virginity. Her best friend, Cara, is a college junior who lives in the dorms, has an on-again off-again boyfriend, Arnez, and thinks sex is the answer to all her problems. Travis, nicknamed Memo, is a troubled senior from New York who came to Chicago, running from his fathers past as a crooked cop. Jermaine wants to join a fraternity and O wants to get rid of the Super Senior trait hes earned. Change for a Twenty is a fiction novel set in Chicago about six college friends, two nemeses, and the path to adulthood.

Check out Shamontiel L. Vaughn's previous radio interview: Part 1 and Part 2.

Also, feel free to visit the Geocities page to find out more background information on the author and the book.

4.) YOU!!!

Please Feel Free To Join In This Conversation By Calling 646-652-4593 And/Or E-mailing Us @ r2c2h2@gmail.com

Also Check Out The Show Live Via Internet By Clicking On The Following Link:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe

If You Have Problems Accessing The Show From That Link Please Go To http://www.blogtalkradio.com/ ...Normally When A Show Is On Live A Link Is Provided To The Show Towards The Bottom Of The Page So That You Can Listen To The Show...My Apologies To Mac Users If You Are Unable To Access The Show...

As Always Please Spread The GOOD News!!!

W.E. A.L.L. B.E. Waiting For You