“Other People’s Property” is a very good book that is at its best when its author acts like a DJ. But don’t get it twisted: [Jason] Tanz sees hip-hop as text more than as sonic phenomenon or, for that matter, stone groove. “Other People’s Property” is made up of nine journalistic pieces, each a mix of reportage and personal reflection about race and the industry of hip-hop. It’s freaky, equally in love with Western philosophers such as Jean Baudrillard and the classic albums from hip-hop’s golden era. In a very hip-hop effort to get his shine on, the author mashes up his prose, cutting in and out of reportage and confessional styles.
This cutting edge documentary not only unmasks the faces of seven individuals addicted to graffiti, but it exposes their thoughts, feelings, faults and fears — an avenue unrivaled by any graff film to date[…]”Graffiti is like the United Nations. There is a representative from all corners of the earth. Black, white and the many shades in between, man or woman.”
New Orleans native, Master P, has recently penned “Uncle Willy’s Family” a hip-hop gospel comedy play about one family’s post Hurricane Katrina experience. The play stars comedian Terry Miles as Vietnam veteran Uncle Willy, who takes in several members of his extended family when their home is destroyed during Hurricane Katrina.
RockCorps and Boost Mobile have partnered to put on a concert for youth volunteers featuring T.I., Young Jeezy, Fabolous, Don Omar, and others at NYC’s Radio City Music Hall.
Rapper Eve has come on board as the newest spokeswoman for M.A.C. Cosmetics’ new M.A.C Viva Glam VI campaign. Eve will join fellow celebrities Debbie Harry, Dita Von Teese and Lisa Marie Presley for the campaign. Proceeds from sales of the company’s Viva Glam VI lipstick and lipglass will be donated to the M.A.C AIDS Fund, an organization that supports men, women and children affected by HIV/AIDS globally.
Snoop Dogg will help Nigeria celebrate its independence by participating in the first annual This Day Music Festival[…]”This is the biggest event to be hosted in Africa and easily the number one music event anywhere in the world this year,” organizer Ola Joshua told Nigeria’s This Day newspaper. “With Nigeria’s return to good international standing, a reform-based and growing economy, things are certainly looking better in Nigeria and we believe it’s time to showcase Nigeria to the world especially as we mark our 46th year of Independence.”
The Atlanta Hip-Hop Summit will take place at the Atlanta University Center on the grounds of the historic black college, Morris Brown College, in its John Lewis Gymnasium located at 643 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Atlanta, Ga. The Atlanta University Center includes Morehouse College, Spelman College, Clark Atlanta University, Morris Brown College and the Interdenominational Theological Center.[…]The Hip-Hop Summit on Financial Empowerment’s “Get Your Money Right” National Tour, now in its second successful year, brings together the powerful combination of hip-hop stars and Chrysler Financial experts to speak to students and community members about the importance of financial literacy. The topics to be covered include the basics of banking, home ownership, repairing bad credit and understanding credit scores, entrepreneurship, vehicle financing and more.
The Godfather of Hip-Hop Culture and the Father of the Electro Funk Sound, Afrika Bambaataa, has officially dubbed Hip-Hop artist, the1shanti, India Bambaataa. “You have our blessings (Afrika Bambaataa and The Universal Zulu Nation) as long as you use your name in the good of your people and the good of yourself,” Bambaataa told the1shanti last week via written correspondence.
The Bloomberg administration has announced that it is immediately stopping the disbursement of funds to a Bronx, NY non-profit firm that was building a Hip-Hop museum, due to an unsatisfactory audit performance.
