"On His G's & Q's" -This Time Your Vote WILL Count!

Attention folks! I wanna make you guys aware of an important election going on that requires your vote our boy here, Mr. Jimmie Briggs, elected as GQ's prestigious Man of the Year award. Why? Well not only is he just an all around good brother. He is a GREAT MAN who is committed to being a part of the solution. He is an award wining journalist, author and a great father. Jimmie has worked tirelessly to bring attention and stop the atrocities which happen to women, girls and boys around the world particularly Africa and the Middle East. Trust me he DESERVES this award! His organization is an initiative to change the lack of respect & equality women face across the globe and here. The program addresses issues of domestic violence, rape, prostitution and trafficking and the importance of black men being involved to help raise our children. Please vote for him! NOW!

VOTE HERE
READ MORE HERE

"Turn It Up A Notch...BAM!" -BAM'S Annual Dance Africa Festival

Now HOW can you be in Brooklyn...ON Memorial Weekend...And NOT stop through to BAM's annual Dance Africa Festival? It's criminal if you ask me. Especially when it has SO much to offer in regards to merchants, vendors, food, socializing, and plan ol' people watching! For three days straight, Brooklyn residents and the whole world over, come out to take in this yearly cultural event. That official puts the stamp on the start of the Summer to me. Traditional If I'm in town, I'll always find my way down there to enjoy the great food, those $3 (diabetes inducing) pink lemonades, and do some intense "bird" watching. LOL! My favorite moment of this year's event was watching the "village elders" start up a dance circle, and some white chick's friends gassed her up to take part with in it with some HE-LARRY-US results! It was like she had gotten possessed or it looked like a scene from some low budgeted Voodoo film. Both she & I were on the floor! Me mainly from laughing though.

"E.T. Go Home!" -District 9 Review

Whoa! NO ONE saw this one coming huh? Now I'am a certified movie buff, I read the blogs, I peep the industry mags. I hear the rumors, I study the trailers...I go HARD! But this one was low on the radar scale. I kinda like it that way simply because dude to the internet sometimes we know too TOO much about the movie walking into the theater. Folks are no longer in the dark (pun intended). Let me be the first to tell you, I DUG this flick man! The documentary style and tone of the film was so reminiscent (to me at least) of "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" modernized. I was amazed how well balanced the humor and social commentary under tones were throughout the entire film, DOPE! Without being to heavy handed, it made a great example of how the under privileged are treated by a different class of citizens based on our differences. Apartheid against aliens in Africa (Johannesburg to be specific)...poetic! Man, from the gate even the character development was done well, I was sucked in without all the hype. Also note it was a great role reversal where the HUMANS where the antagonist on their home planet instead of the "visitors"...Again poetic! Can't wait till the extended, special edition, double disc, blu-ray, directors' cut, DVD hits the shelf, I'm SO on it! I'm betting this will be the "Slum Dog Millionaire" film of the year! Meaning small budget big returns. I giving this 4 outta 4 M's!

"Clawing Your Way To The Top!" -The New Wolverive Trailer...Finally!

And you thought "the Dark Knight" was going to do numbers?! Now I'm not saying this will out do it, but if this is HALF as good as folks are looking for it to be, then start sleeping in line NOW to cop tickets! Wolverine, one of the biggest names in the comic biosphere, finally gets his due come May. He'll be the main focus of the much buzzed about flick "X-Men Origins." The ONLY thing that would be bigger than this X-men wise, would be a whole film about Storm's life when she was lived butt naked back in Africa! Then you'd see "Star Wars like" lines for that one man! The (SE)X-Men origins. Lol.

X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE HD

"Heart Me Or Leave Me Alone" -808 Album Review

Okay folks, it's OUT today! Though I never really hear folks saying "I can't WAIT till 'Ye's new joint comes out!" it's still always an event when it does. Straight off the back, my first thoughts on it were "T-Pain of '08 meets Pharrell of '80" or the soundtrack to a really weird robot love story called "Byte Me!" Or better yet, "Cold Play meets Zapp on a trip to Africa" Mind you, without question I applaud his musical ambition to push "rap" (if it still can be called that) further. Kudos. But don't download this latest endeavor hoping for the party/champagne anthems of past CDs, it ain't gon' happen bro. Known for starting off his albums with a haunting but catchy beat "Say You Will" does not fail to continue in that tradition. Always the reflective artist he states "My friend shows me a picture of his kids. And all I could show him was a picture of my cribs..." on track two " Welcome to Heartbreak" (w/Kid Cudi) NICE! Next up was second single "Heartless," which he just performed on Good Morning America this morning & the AMA's Sun. Personally I'm not feeling this one too tough. The lyrics are cool, but I keep waiting for the beat to drop. And that's the sentiment I feel through out the whole CD, "Where's the Beef?" or rather the beat? "Amazing" san Jeezy-less, I can live with. "Love Lockdown" stands out like a sore bandaged up thumb. The tension the beat builds up is dope, especially with the accompanying piano chords on top. It's the music you'd hear playing in the background when the humans are chasing the lover robots in said movie. "Paranoid" (w/Mr. Hudson) I had to look at the credits to check to see if the Neptunes were listed...Nope. All Kanye. Hmmm. I hear a Pharrell remix in the near future. All in all, it's a cool addition to your ever growing playlist/CD collection but this should been a double CD instead of Bey' Half his Grammy getting goal type records, and then CD2, some funkier party $#!t. At the end of the day, I still rather be a Kanye -like artist than one tellin' folks "Superman dat oh!" anyday!

*BTW I joked and asked "Kanye what's next? Cologne called You Smell Me?" That's when he made that face you see pictured. Or maybe it was just my camera in his face.

"No Country For Old Men' -McCain's Hopes Crushed

Well...don't act like I haven't been telling you since I first started this blog, that we would be here today. McCain had no good strategy to beat Obama's GREAT offensive and defensive campaign he ran. The guy is just TOO good man. After overcoming all the obstacles placed in his path (Rev. Wright, Jesse Jackson, Ayers, Hillary, race-issues, Bill, the Muslim robe controversy, etc.and so on) to the Oval office, Barack's reward was well deserved. After all the yelling and the hype and the flowing drinks ceased last night, It suddenly dawned on me. We were once Kings in Africa, Pharoahs in Egypt, and conquerors worldwide, it's was only right and about time we became leaders of the Free World. Right?

"Awww Nuts!" -Yet Another Tragic Celeb Death

Today, we are sadden to announce that Mr. Peanut tragically died last night while vacationing on Safari in the southern tip of Africa. Reports out of the country are saying a herd of Wild elephants, picked up on the "peanutty" scent of the Planters spoke person, then savagely attacked the convoy he was riding in. Fatally cracking him open, and feasted on his insides. One eyewitness said,

"It happened in an instant man! He tried his best to fight them off with the cane but the weight of multiple elephants was too much." He continued to say between light sobbing. "I can still hear the cracking sound of his beautiful golden shell. Lightly salted or not, he will be missed."

The Peanuts family plans to have his remaining shell honey roasted and place in a urn. As for his shoes, famous top hat and monocle?
They will be placed up for bid at auction. In respects of his death, all airlines have suspended the distribution of peanuts on all of their international flights.

"Wiley For the Night!" -Harlem Does Kehinde Wiley

While some of you maybe familiar with (Kehinde) Wiley works from his comission-
ed portraits of honored Hip-Hop artist for VH1, he's actual a world re known artist famous for his "common man/forgotten Kings" paints. For his latest (and first solo) exhibition opening up at the Studio Museum in Harlem, subject matter wise he's taken it back to the Mother-
land (or rather his Father's country) of Lagos-
Dakar. Starting this Thursday (July 17th till Oct. 26th) you'll be able to view up close his works using young men & women of that region. Wiley is so hot at the moment that MJ (the Gloved One) even gave him a call to do a portrait of him, AND said he'd spring for all the white paint that he needed (lol).

The World Stage: Africa, Lagos -Dakar
Studio Museum in Harlem -144 W.125th St.
July 17th -Oct 26th

"O' Glory Days"-Barack The Vote

What have we learned from this folks? That it isn't audacious to have hope. I don't know about you but watching Obama, clinch the Democratic nomination felt historical! This ain't no live broadcasting of helicopters following O.J. in a slow moving Bronco, down a California highway. Nah, bro this is something I can look back on and be PROUD of. Not just as an African-American, but simply as an American...period dot. I was moved.
True story, last night feeling famished., I headed over to lil' Africa (Fulton & Bedford Ave.) to get some Halal food to appease my stomach. Walking in, I noticed 15-20 people fixated on the ceiling attached T.V. broadcasting CNN. A guy jumped up, noticed I was curious, and said in his best American accent,
"Brada, you must stay to wash dis!"
"Huh, wash dish...what dish man?" I said.
"NO! the T.V. brada (brother) Obama is but furaway (4 away) frum (from) winning...just furaway!" Damn! I was upset I didn't bring my camera man. Just to capture the excitement in their faces. And they're not even FROM here, feel me? One even started chanting "Black Power!" It was definitely tear worthy (or it just may have been the onions on his breath) but either way, I was glassy eyed. 4 more months for 4 years people, go VOTE!

"Flashing Lights"- Paparazzi Pics (Pt.31)

"the Beatles have landed!" That's the type of energy I felt surrounding the Blk Jks performance last Sunday. But they're not from London, and they're definitely NOT the Beatles, but you could sense a new movement in music was what you were about to witness much like the Fab Four. Harriet's was packed out early, front to back(yard) with vibrant folks looking to be the first to taste the groups eclectic South African sound...and the rum punch open bar. The anticipation and long wait was made bearable thanks to the talented Free, DJaying the just right tunes, while sound check was happening. Kudos Ngozi, event well planned! Next time you get 500+ RSVPs, rent the block out! Lol. Here's the pics from my point of veiw.