On a recent Saturday during the dog days of summer, while most kids were luxuriating on break, the school-aged members of The Happiness Club — decked out in bright T-shirts and the occasional tutu — were recording a song with hip-hop performer Naledge, of Chicago duo Kidz in the Hall, and dancing in a music video for Applegate Farms' national healthy eating campaign, "Eat to a New Beat."

"I wish every recording artist I worked with were this disciplined," Grammy-nominated producer Tor Hyams, who wrote the song, later said. "Today was an intense day and we had to get a lot done in a short amount of time …. Today, they did what all great musicians do — they delivered."

All in a day's work for The Happiness Club, a collection of about 40 young performers, age 6 to 21, whose mission is to promote positive values through original hip-hop and pop music and dance. Representing an array of races and socioeconomic backgrounds, participants from both the suburbs and city come together to write and perform music that encourages others to build self-esteem, focus on education and help the environment, while avoiding drugs and violence...

 

Read the rest of the story on ChicagoTribune.com

Naledge is participating in a program called "Eat To a New Beat" which is a healthier eating initiative in High School Cafeterias.  

 

I was given the opportunity to speak on a panel during the Association of Black Psychologist national convention This past week at the Hyatt McCormick in Chicago. The topic of the panel I spoke on was "the effect of hip hop music on black youth and its implications on the future of black culture." I was blessed enough to be able to take the place of Rhymefest on the panel and join professor lance williams (northeastern illinois), Rita J, Phenom (hip hop detox) and Haki Madhabuti (Third World Press) in the 2 hour summit on hip hop culture. It was an interesting debate because it allowed for open dialogue from a inter-generational perspective. Often we look at hip hop from such a sociological perspective, the elders in the black community often forsake the entertainment value and the artistic integrity that hip hop is capable of. We had panelists that ranged from 22 all the way to 69 years of age and I believe the 200 or so people in attendance also were enlightened by the dialogue. I think I may have found a second calling as a "hip hop scholar." Stay tuned... Paz.

Ok...so as of late I've been feeling kinda old.  Not old in the sense of "needing a walker to get down the street" -old  but more in the sense that world that I grew up in seems to be changing at such as fast pace that what happen 10 years ago seems like it might have well been the 1980s.  The high school that I went to has changed names, my old party buddies are getting engaged and video game controllers have way too many buttons to press.  The 23 year old girl in club now sees me as old but young enough to get with. The 30 year old chick sees me too young to take seriously but old enough to sleep with. The funny thing is as I have made more and more public rants about being old, I am constantly reminded that I'm "still young." While some might find comfort in that, to be "still" anything means that there is a question raised to ponder the fact's truth. I look at my life at times and over analyze these types of situations but at times like this I figure the best place to take my thoughts is the pen and the pad and hit the studio.  I've decided that for the remaining days leading to my next birthday (September 10) I will embark on something called the twentysomething project. Besides dropping a mixtape/ep, I will be periodically blogging about my life, the people in it and taking strides to figure out where I want it to go from here throughout my "late twenties.". I wanted to include you guys in this process because well...it seemed like the "rapper thing" to do...along the way, I hope you grow and learn about me.. And maybe learn and grow in your own quest for happiness. This project is not something I plan to promote like crazy but it will be just as dope as all the music I have ever done. "Happy birthday to me" was the song that sparked this idea for me to do this project and I hope you enjoy it...anyways...I'm back to life..back to reality.

Paz. 

Words from @SXSW: 

We've heard that ''all press is good press.'' But during SXSW 2009, several panels provoked heated audience debates over a new variation: is social marketing successful if people talk about it? Controversial campaigns such as Whopper Sacrifice warrant a discussion about what really makes social media successful... and what doesn't.

 

CLICK FOR PODCAST 

Rarely if ever is there a woman who appeals to a audience of men who would universally and unequivocally give three thumbs up (figuratively of course. If you're working with a "thumb," I highly suggest you start exclusively dating Asians and midgets....and Asian midgets...but I digress.)

Even more rarely is there an entire family of women who, in their own way, appeal to three distinct sides of the black man's fantasies. I was originally gonna go with the idea that they cumulatively appeal to all men, but I realize that this theory excludes Tiger Woods' optimal hoes, guys who love redheads, and guys who only date Asian midgets because their penises are the size of a thumb.

Hence, revision, which after further thought, is more accurate. And even when it comes to black guys there are families of chicks who have tried and failed to appeal fully. The Braxtons have Toni, but her "sisters" leave a little to be desired.

Enter the Kardashians. Little rich bitches who live superficial lives that Bruce Jenner continues to front the bill for, and somehow manage to keep black dicks at attention all over the world. Pause.

Now press play.

Kim Kardashian: The Black Man's Weird Science


Imagine an afro-rocking genius in a lab creating the perfect woman. Like if Dr. Ben Carson started sipping lean. Dr. Carson F Baby would have his little checklist for his perfect woman:

*Ass = plump + bubbly + firm yet bouncy
*Breasts = fairly big + firm + bouncy + not over-powering
*Lips = full + pouty
*Eyes = smoky + come-hither
*Body = KLAH-KOW!
*Hair = "Good"

Add a little egg and cinnamon, olive for the skin, and Ta-Da!

Then the Mad Negro Scientist stuck all that on a 5'2" frame for the coup de grace. Gangsta.

Kourtney Kardashian: The Black Man's Forbidden Fruit

She's like the version of Kim that white boys would admit to fawning over prior to 1999 when J-Lo became the Jackie Robinson of thickness. Kourtney, the oldest, most cocktail party-ready of the three sisters, is what white America calls a "classic beauty." And white America for once is right. Kourtney is pretty. Straight up. She's got no pornstar body or outstanding physical atributes, butthe total package is very desirable. She's the gold-medalist decathlete of sexy. She's probably Bruce Jenner's favorite.

But note how many times I've said white in the previous paragraph alone. Sense a theme? Kourtney's the hot slutty sorority chick you had to take a photo of or else none of your boys would believe that you banged her. You met her at a party and she might have been drunk but also high on coke, and her preference is the preppy white boy. She even likes making out with chicks. AND she supports some loser pretty boy who knocked her up. Sugar mama? Can't get no whiter!

This is the only Kardashian Tiger would even THINK about boning. We know what he's about and what he's into, to quote WJA3. She's brunette though, making her ever so slightly more accessible to the black guy who only dates white chicks because he shuns all things related to black women for whatever reason who gives a shit run on sentence.


Khloe Kardashian: The Black Man's Guilty Pleasure

And by guilty pleasure I mean "chubby white woman." We all got boys who only f*** with the fatty white jawns, and if you don't, then you're him. 5'10" and full of plump pleasure, Khloe appeals to amazon-lovers and chubby chasers alike. Like her sister Kim, she seems to only f*** with black dudes, ballers of some sort, even ultimately snagging Lamar Odom, who's just tall enough to make her look normal by comparison. Baby Kardashian is also improving, dropping some baby fat since being on TV. Exhibit A:

Granted, she could still star in porn that Showrocka decided to quit watching over the summer, and she's not nearly as hot as her older sisters, but she makes up for it (KINDA) with effort, attitude, and a very loyal niche audience. Stay classy, San Diego.


There they are, folks. Negro knuckle children the world over, kourtesy of Kim, Kourtney, and Khloe Kardashian.

C Fo', back to ya do', holla at your scholar one time now let's go! 



In case you haven't been paying attention to the record industry in the past 15 years and change, a guy by the name of Sean Combs at a company called Bad Boy has firmly stamped his sunglasses and slack jaw on the conscious of what we call urban music more thoroughly than arguably anyone since Russell Simmons. During that time the man known variously as Puff, Puffy, Puff Daddy, P. Diddy, or Diddy has produced and masterminded tons of hits and launched many careers, all while reminding us that he can't and won't stop making hits... And a fcuking fortune.

So of course aspiring young talent flock to him in hopes of a piece of Bad Boy fame and fortune, but it never ends for them the way it does for him. Everyone knows Diddy ain't paying his artists, and whatever stardom they achieve is often overshadowed by his own. Diddy remains famous, you are left at best broke and at worst dead. Don't agree? Let's go to the highlight reel.


Everyone knows about the rise and fall of Biggie Smalls so let's not dwell there. Let's instead focus on how the curse of Puff has followed all his other artists since the golden era of Bad Boy.

Craig Mack: 



Who? Exactly. No more flavor for our ears coming from this dog-faced rapper.

Ma$e:



the next big Bad Boy to hit the scene, Ma$e blew up big and just as he began to fizzle he found Jesus and quit rapping. It probably saved his life.



Even though his stint as a preacher, followed by return to rap and signing with G-Unit are all head-scratchers, Ma$e has fared better than most.

The Lox: 



Three dope MCs who got better with time. Only Styles did a bid. Famously unhappy about not getting paid by Puff, made the infamously hilarious "J. Jerkin' Niggas" sketches not so subtly aimed at Puff while still signed to him. They eventually fled to Ruff Ryders and moved on, but Diddy pretty much punked them and never really paid what he owed. Guess they never got their money, power, respect. "We keep raping you, raping you raping you..."

Shyne: 



This infamous fiasco inolving the skinny light-skinned guy with Biggie's voice almost ended Sean Combs' career. He lost J. Lo and changed his name to P. Diddy behind the club shooting, but only Shyne really got fcuked over by getting hit with a ten year bid. He just got out like this year. Diddly-woooooah! Seen?!

G. Dep: 



Remember in '01 how Lets Get It and Special Delivery had the world Harlem shaking all over the place? Yeah I forgot too. But G. Dep is a poor crackhead now and those days are the only things keeping him alive I bet.




Da Band: 


the first nut ass nigga reality tv conglomerate to inspire a classic Dave Chappelle sketch had their 15 minutes of fame before collectively fading into oblivion. But the top five MCs of all time are still Dy-lan, Dy-lan, Dylan Dylan and Dylan.



Loon: Mase 2.0 didn't even blow up like his predecessor, but also faded away only to return with a religious conversion even more hilarious: fundamental Islam (although there's technically no such thing but that's another site's blog to write). 





The nigga looks ridiculous!!!!

Danity Kane: 



these bitches had another two seasons of strictly watered down R&B mediocrity to give us more footage of Diddy punking his artists and the world being tickled by it. Modest, modest, splash in the musical ocean that fizzled quick enough to make one of them join the newest creation...

Diddy Dirty Money: he ain't even trying to front now. He has graduated from being all in the video, all on the song, dancing, to actually having his name in the title of the group. That's gangsta.


Show: yeah no shit what's your point?
C4: shut the fuck up.

My point is that there is an artist signed to Bad Boy right now whom Diddy claimed was "the most important signing of my career." Her name is Janelle Monae, and if you don't know her, she's the shit. 



Ask somebody. Her EP two years ago was raw cocaine to many fans, and her new LP The ArchAndroid is pure hot fiyah, as our friend Mr. Dillinger would say.


Now I know WJA3 usually handles reviews, but the spirit moves me right now. Her styles are so varied and refreshing, her music so dynamic and her voice so strong that I can't help but gush. While many current R&B singers are busy auto-tuning drone-like flat overtures about tipping strippers or just sounding like bad rappers, this chick's genre-bending musical adventures are so forward they're almost a throwback to a time when it was okay to refuse to conform to the formula. 



The problem is too many people still have no idea who she is, so I fear the Diddy Curse is at work. Does he not promote her enough? Is she no longer marketable to teenagers who can't distinguish quality anymore because all their lives they've been told that the best they can do is sing about inventing sex, birthday sex, baby mamas and tipping strippers?


It frustrates me though. It makes me wonder: Am I just getting too old and losing touch? Is black music dying without hope? If she doesn't blow up, will future similar or (even better) dissimilar artists cease to exist or be heard? Or am I simply wondering, why of all people, with the previous track record in place, did Janelle Monae sign to Bad Boy?

Fuck it. Just buy/download her album. You might like it.

Peace.

C4

1. Summer School – Summer School is almost here! Get your passes now for the hottest concert to hit Philadelphia this summer. Kidz in the Hall, Stalley, Akilles, Writtenhouse, Dephonic, Sock the Rapper, Asaad and special guests will be in attendance, will you? It’s going down on July 15^th at the TLA, visit http://uristocrat.com/concerts/ for more info.

2. BET Awards – One of the biggest showcases of coonery events every year is the BET Awards and this year’s version was no exception. Kanye returned to the musical spotlight with his performance of “Power,” many of hip-hops biggest stars came through dressed poorly and Prince was honored as well. However, the most memorable and bizarre moment was Chris Brown’s Michael Jackson tribute. Brown kicked off the tribute mimicking many of the dance moves that made Michael Jackson the biggest icon ever, and started off pretty strong. Then it came to a screeching halt when he was supposed to perform “Man in the Mirror.” Dude started crying, scratch that, weeping. Pretty bizarre. Only time will tell if Brown will get his career back to where it was, but a moment that was supposed to help him rebound ended awkwardly and sparked more questions than answers.

3. NBA Free Agency – July 1, 2010 has been circled on NBA calendars since three years ago. This Thursday, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and others will finally be free agents. Everybody and their mama has come out recently saying they know where these guys will end up, but Thursday is will some of the big moves will finally be made. The NBA will not be the same after this day.

 4. Oppresive Heat – In case you didn’t realize it was summer yet, the heat has been on hell for about a week now. 95+ degrees up and down the east coast with crazy humidity as well. I’m going to have to post up at the beach sooner than later.

 

Read the Rest of the Power Rankings at Uristocrat.com 

 

Cheryl's Oprah Audition

Partake and vote! Her proposed show is "Real People Getting Well" and she talks about health and wellness and its importance in your every day life.

This season of The Boondocks has earned mixed reviews. Some say it’s hilarious while others claim it’s not funny at all. Some say it sends a deep message and others say it’s pure ignorance. Today on Uristocrat, Jim Bean and Michelle Huxtable discuss season 3 being the last season of The Boondocks, Satire vs. Coonery, and Dave Chappelle.

On Season 3…

What is your opinion on Season 3 of The Boondocks?

JimBean: I think with a show designed at taking a look at stereotypes there are only so many things you can take a stab at. So with this season you see him focusing a lot more on current events. The problem with that is it takes so long to make the show that some of the events are dated, i.e. the Sgt. Gutter’ episode.

MichelleHuxtable: I agree on the relevance aspect of the show. I’ve always said I enjoy the comic strip more than the show and that’s one of the reasons. If an event happened one day, the very next week he would be making fun of it or critiquing it in some way. Do you prefer the show or the strip?

On the Show vs the Strip…

JimBean: That’s a tough comparison because he has hundreds of comics versus a few episodes of the show. In a perfect world, it would only take him a week to make a show. I prefer the show only because it’s 30 minutes vs a few panels but I wish Caesar made the show.

MichelleHuxtable: Me too! Him and his “BROOKLYN!” shout outs were priceless. For me, the TV show is much easier to laugh at. There are a lot more jokes and then you have John Witherspoon from Friday so it’s bound to be funnier. But the comic strip was smarter in my opinion. He definitely discussed a lot more politics in the strip than he does on the show. Overall I prefer the comic strip.

On the audience…

Read the rest of the Conversation on Uristocrat.com