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Hot Steppa

Hollywood is about to do a movie about steppin'. Peep the casting call:

Hollywood is searching for the nation's hardest stepping Greek and Non-Greek organizations. The time is now for your organization to prove to the world that you have what it takes to step onto the big screen. You may have won the homecoming step show, but can you out stomp thousands of other talented steppers vying to become Tinseltown's next find? Don't miss out on the opportunity to be a part of movie history, display the essence of stepping to the world and represent your city or college campus. This movie is guaranteed to deliver an indescribable and exclusive look into the long and intense preparation that make up the tools to deliver a crowd-pleasing performance. The traditions and pride that come along with the impact a step team has on a community and/or college or university will be defined in this breathtaking movie. However, this can't be done successfully without your submissions.

Seeing is that Hollywood has already covered black college bands, (Drumline), breakdancing (Breakin'), and krumpin ' (Rize), I'm actually suprised that they took this long to pimp produce a movie about a step team.

As someone who used to step back in the day (don't ask me to show you any moves cause I forgot 'em) I got mixed feeling about this. All these movies basically look, act, and feel too damn similar. And you know they'll put an assclown like Nick Cannon as the lead.

Which reminds me. I haven't been to a step show in a hot minute. If you're putting on a step show in the DC area, let me know.

Tags: Mandrill

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RIP Richard Pryor

Sad, sad news:

The pioneering comedian, whose audacious style influenced generations of standup artists, died Saturday of a heart attack at age 65, said his business manager, Karen Finch. He had been ill for years with multiple sclerosis, a degenerative disease of the nervous system.

“By expressing his heart, anger and joy, Richard Pryor took comedy to its highest form,” Steve Martin said.

He will be missed.

Tags: Mandrill

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Eh.

Sorry bout the lack of blog posts this week. It's been a bad week for me, people. I’ll try to get something up for the weekend, but until then, peep the archives, podcasts, and interviews.

Update: Peep this.

Tags: Mandrill

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Hip-Hop, UK Sounds

Jay-Z Signs Lady Sov

First, I thought this was a joke. Who in the hell would skip over some of the best UK talent to give a bubble gum pop chick to the task of introducing UK grime to America?

Apparently, Jay-Z:

Jay-Z, much like 50 Cent, is focused on expanding his Def Jam brand and roster. The next move on S. Carter's agenda is to stake a claim in the bubbling world of British hip-hop — and the first to draw Jay's attention is grime queen, Lady Sovereign.

Already buzzing in the U.K.'s underground hip-hop scene, Lady Sovereign is becoming what is known as grime's first female breakout star. For U.S. hip-hop heads who are not familiar with grime, its a subgenre of Britain's underground “garage” scene, and is typically recognized for its rapid-fire rhymes over stark, dance-influenced beats, according to DelawareOnline.

Grime has been around for several years, but has reached the mainstream due to artists such as Dizzee Rascal and the So Solid Crew.

UK hip-hop has failed to reach the US masses mainly because a lack of cultural understanding and radio promotion. Unfortunately, Lady Sov fails to bring the credibility that UKHH would need to have in order to break the US market. It's the classic example of being to pop for the 'hood and too underground for the masses. I would think that Jay-Z would know this.

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Say What? No Really…What?

According to a new article on Yahoo! News rapper and one of the latest guests of the courts, Foxy Brown is almost totally deaf.

Attorney Joseph Tacopina disclosed Brown's hearing problem after a question about why they exchanged notes while waiting in Manhattan Criminal Court for her case to be called on an unresolved 2004 assault charge.

“She's pretty much totally deaf now,” Tacopina said. “She can't hear me. We have to write things back and forth. Anything I have to communicate with her now has to be written.”

Brown, 25, revealed during a court appearance in September that she would soon undergo surgery to try to correct her hearing. Obviously straining to hear questions, she refused to discuss the possible cause of the problem.

Bizarre much?

Tags: Mandrill

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Music: New Tittsworth Mix

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DJ Tittsworth - Club Mix Teaser
Unreleased

We don't even have to say how much we dig Tittsworth round these parts. Titts' last club mix was off the chain, but this might be the hottest mix yet. Don't know exactly when this new mix will drop, and I'm too lazy to email him this morning. But until then, check the teaser MP3.

Tags: Mandrill

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Nina and Mary, Together at Last?

If it wasn't for Yahoo! News, I don't know how I would stay connected to the world.

Apparently Mary J. Blige is looking to play Nina Simone in a future biopic.

R&B singer Mary J. Blige is attached to make her feature starring debut in a movie about jazz chanteuse Nina Simone.

The MTV Films/Paramount Pictures project will chronicle Simone's ascent to stardom and her relationship with Paris-based manager Clifton Henderson.

Simone, known as the high priestess of soul, rose to fame in the '60s with signature jazz ballads and such powerful protest songs as “Mississippi Goddam” and “To Be Young, Gifted, and Black,” an anthem of the civil rights movement. In 1974, the chanteuse went into exile, eventually ending up in Paris, where she died in 2003.

According to her website, Mary J. Blige's new album The Breakthrough has the track “About You” which features Nina Simone as well as Will I. Am.

I think it's great the Mary is gonna start out her acting career playing one of the most influential and important singers of the 20th century. I don;t know how i feel about MTV productions being part of the filmmaking though. If they make this movie and it's fucked up, I will be so mad.

Tags: Mandrill

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A Trill Workin Wheel A Pimp Not A Simp…

Cam'ron feat. Hell Real Get Em Daddy Rmx [video]

Pimp C (of U.G.K. fame) is free? Say that twice, hopefully he gets behind the boards and gets back to making excellent music. Wouldn't nice to see UGK signed to…

If you live in an apartment in the D.C. Metro area get focused.
Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Mandrill

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Yahoo! Entertainment News Update

I wanted to avoid posting about this, because a lot of sites have already been posting about it. But just in case you missed it, Irv Gotti was on trial for money laundering. And now he has been acquitted.

The photo that went with the Yahoo! news post was pretty priceless, which is what made me want to post about it. Just so I could put the photo up.

Oh yeah and the Rev. Al Sharpton, who has been known for his contraversiality, wants to star in his own sitcom:

“I don't know if I am a good actor or not but I will be playing myself and I have been practicing that for 51 years,” the New York Democrat and civil rights leader said.

He added that in the show, “I am the center of a family with different social and political views and we crack jokes and confront each other but are a family.”

Crash landing on deserted island where every thing is a mystery can take its toll on a person. Which is hopefully why two Lost cast memebers were arrested seperately for DUIs.

And lastly, everyone is reconciling on talk shows: First it was Naomi and Tyra, then this week it was Oprah and Letterman. Apparently she boosted his ratings to a point he'd never seen before.

Tags: Mandrill

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Simon Wheatley: Inner-City Youth, London

As Americans, we don't even know what goes down in Europe on a daily basis. The riots in France uncovered a grim reality over there. Among the glittering palaces of many of the countries fabled city centers, there is disheartening amounts of racism, poverty, crime, and hopelessness.

Photographer Simon Wheatley spent 2 years photographing the youth of London's council estates (housing projects). During those years, he's photographed these kids in their own element, with no gloss or sugarcoating. The photo essay also showcases some UK grime MC's such as Crazy Titch, Fumin', and Kano.

Magnum in Motion and Slate produced the interactive essay. More pics after the jump, but I might have to take them down soon. (Props to L Dog for the link)
Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Mandrill

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