Two Young Filmmakers Challenge Power 92 Juneteenth Celebration

“The Truth Behind Juneteenth: A Paradox of Freedom”

If unable to watch video here, click on to link>>

A great film done in the style of Jay Leno's "On the street" interview.

Thanks to Dr. Richard M. Cooper, WURD Radio host, Fridays at 1 pm, for bringing attention to this film.

This story sort of fell under the radar in 2008, but hopefully things will change in 2009 in regards to Little Rock, Arkansas Power 92's (KIPR) Juneteenth Celebration.

Juneteenth is a "holiday" to celebrate the end of slavery that didn't occur until 1865, nearly two years after the 1863 Emanicpation Proclamation, simply because people were not informed that slavery had ended in the Confederate states. This celebration many say first happened in Galveston, Texas, while others say it occured in Wilmer, Arkansas.

What has Power 92 done to this celebration? Well they have turned it into a Hip Hop Concert event similar to Hot 97's Summer Jam or Power Jams that many other "Power" radio stations hold.

From the Arkansas Times:

It's June, which means it'll soon be time again for Power 92's massive, traffic-halting Juneteenth concert, which draws upwards of 12,000 rap and hip-hop fans annually to the Riverfest Amphitheatre. Not everyone in Little Rock's black community is gleefully clutching their tickets and picking out their concert outfit, however.
In their documentary “The Truth Behind Juneteenth: A Paradox of Freedom,” first-time directors Darrell Scott and Julian Walker take aim at Power 92's all-day concert. They contend that concert organizers have misused the name “Juneteenth,” turning something that should be revered into just another marketing ploy.

Read the rest of the article>>

Power 92 needs to adjust their thinking when it comes to more or less exploiting a celebration. They need to think about what will best serve the Little Rock community.

Find some time to watch the film, while you enjoy your black eye peas. ...and think about where that tradition came from.

Happy New Year!

New Skool - Meta Hip Hop - The Next Wave of Rap

For the most part radio programming has ignore quality songs put out by Q-Tip and Common the past couple of weeks, so the prospect of radio embracing a new sound in Hip Hop are dim as well. However radio programmers might get on board with this largely independent New Skool movement.

As reported by an industry site, Lil' Wayne has joined the ranks of disgruntled rappers who don't listen to rap anymore. First Kanye West, then Scarface coming flat out and saying "f*ck rap," now Weezy is saying he tunes out today's rap music. [google it]

This new sound from groups like The Knux, Kid Sister, and The Cool Kids brought forth some discussions on the NPR radio program News and Notes, rewinding the best from 2008.

Hip hop heads are heralding a new sound as the renaissance of rap. While mainstream rap continues to weave street life millionaire fantasies, this new crop of MCs are recreating a sound reminiscent of the early days of hip hop.

To break down the "new skool" sound, Farai Chideya speaks with writer Harry Allen; Noah Callahan-Bever, editor in chief of Complex magazine; and Alvin "Rah Almillio" Lindsey, half of the hip-hop duo The Knux. Listen to the show here>>

This new sound embraces some of the same images that are currently present in Hip Hop which might make it attractive to radio. This new form of Hip Hop, instead of being different, goes back to the roots of Hip Hop by using some of the same breaks that were prevalent in Hip Hop in the late 80's and 90's. The connection is not neccessarily the music, but the style of dress and the rebellion against corporate manufactured Hip Hop going back to the days of Puffy, which is completly new to the youngest listeners and consumers of Hip Hop. In the videos you'll see Run-DMC, Eric B and Rakim, De La Soul, OutKast and MC Lyte influences in their style.

Wall to Wall Coverage of the Inauguration

BET and TV One, are both planning extensive coverage for Jan. 20, when Barack Obama is sworn in as the nation's 44th president. This time, BET will cover the swearing-in and parade from four locations, including ground and rooftop sites on Pennsylvania Avenue. TV One plans to follow the inauguration for 21 straight hours, from 5 a.m. on Jan. 20 to 2 a.m. the next day.

Black women in the U.S. appear to be shrinking

Call her The Incredible Shrinking African-American Woman

In an age when the adult populations of most industrialized nations have grown significantly taller, the average height of black women in the U.S. has been receding, beginning with those born in the late 1960s. The difference in stature between white women and black women has now stretched to three-quarters of an inch and appears to be increasing, according to newly released data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) conducted by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The main culprit appears to be diet. Read more from an article in the Chicago Tribune>>

I believe we have found evidence of this fact; although this example is quite dramatic and not typical of the height lost among Black women.

A much younger Will Smith and Jada Pinkett standing barefoot on the beach at the beginning of their relationship more than 10 years ago.

Will and Jada at a recent Hollywood movie premeire. SHOCKING!!

DO you know where we going with this?

That's the hook of the hottest rap out there...

The video for "Hot Water Cornbread"! Check out this hot new group!

Look for K-3 and No Doubt in your town soon!

Not really... the song is featured in the latest direct to DVD film by Russ Parr, syndicated radio host based out of 93.9 WKYS in Washington, D.C. "Love for Sale." The group K-3 and No Doubt are portrayed by comedians Lamont King and Shawty Shawty. The romantic comedy stars singer Mya, model/TV host Melyssa Ford, Jackie Long and Jason Weaver from the movie "ATL".

The DVD may be hard to get a hold of to rent, since most stores only stock 1 or 2 copies, but you just might want to check it out or buy it (?).

Russ takes a shot at the current music/radio industry when a radio station DJ (played by Terrence of BET's 106 & Park) will only let K-3 and No Doubt play their mixtape through the intercom system outside the station's building because he won't give them any airplay.

Did you hear what Howard Stern said the other day?

Neither did most of us. That's one of the reasons why Jay Leno stayed at NBC.

Then — poof! — Mr. Stern all but disappeared. Even Jay Leno, during a recent interview with The New York Times about his decision to stay at NBC to host a prime-time show, cited Mr. Stern as an example of the dangers of obscurity.

“On radio, Howard to me was a populist. The truck driver, the average guy would listen in the cafe, the truck, the old car that’s 50 years old and still has an AM radio,” said Mr. Leno in the interview. “But I don’t hear him quoted anymore. People don’t say: ‘Hey, did you hear what Howard said today?’ ”






Rumors are that Howard Stern will leave satellite radio in two years and return to terrestrial radio when his contract expires. Stern's contract is worth $500 million and expires at the end of 2010.

CBS Radio, the company Howard left more than 3 years ago, has been airing Sirius Satellite Radio commercials featuring Stern's voice the past few weeks on its stations.

Here's more of the New York Times article.>>

Smooth Jazz Making a Comeback, Yeah Right!!!

Christmas Day left radio with one less major-market Smooth Jazz outlet, as Clear Channel's WLVE (Love 94)/Miami returned from all-holiday programming at 10 a.m. with a Rhythmic Adult Contemporary format, called "93.9-FM MIA, Move to the Music." WLVE's former Smooth Jazz programming will soon be available on 93.9's HD2 subchannel.

In the past year, Smooth Jazz has died in Denver for Sports radio, CD 101.9 in New York for WRXP-Triple A format, in Washington, DC 105.7 WJZW to Oldies, and WJJZ in Philadelphia for Soft Hits Now 97.5.

However despite what seems to be obvious, here are some recent quotes from Smooth Jazz radio people:

"The marketplace is crying for a different, bolder sound. Smooth jazz is way too tame. It needs to be bigger and more courageous." - WNWV Cleveland, General Manager Elyria Loraine and market manager Lonnie Gronek

[Our listeners are...] "about 50-ish, we have to make sure we're not playing music that turns them off. On the flip side, how can we grow our younger end if we don't play music that appeals to them? We definitely have to select library vocals carefully to keep from sounding like an oldies station, but I'm not so hung up on era as I am on fit. To my ears, 'What's Goin' On' feels as relevant and contemporary today as it did in 1971." -- KIFM/San Diego PD Mike Vasquez

In the immortal words of Mister Señor Love Daddy in Do the Right Thing,

"Wake up! Wake up! Up you wake!"

How Do You View Kwanzaa?

Could it be the lack of media attention for an uncommercialized and unprofitable holiday for retailers, other than a quick mention on the radio or television, that shapes our view of this holiday? Think about it while you enjoy the 70% off savings the next couple of days; meanwhile the fitness, weight-loss and Valentine's Day ads are being readied for your consumption.

"Ask the five closest black people to you if they celebrate Kwanzaa. Ask them to break down what it all means and how they've incorporated it into their holiday traditions. Turn to someone sitting next to you right now, and ask them to tell you about their Kwanzaa celebrations. Exactly." - taken from The Trouble with Kwanzaa

ReelBlack TV interviews filmmaker M.K. Asante Jr. on his movie "The Black Candle".

The film is available on DVD at website www.theblackcandle.com. The Executive Producers of the film are Kenny Gamble of Philadelphia International Records and Dr. Walter Lomax, owner of Levas Communications and 900 AM WURD Radio in Philadelphia.

The following blog may be the way most African Americans view the holiday: From Erin Evans of The Root:

The Trouble With Kwanzaa

I get the principles. But wearing kente cloth and knowing Swahili words doesn't make me any more authentic.

OK, this may not be politically correct to say, but I just don't get what's up with Kwanzaa. Our family celebrated it two or three times in the '90s. We had a kinara, handmade by my Uncle Calvin; the seven candles, three red ones for the struggle, three green ones for hope and a black one for our people. Before bed we'd say a few words, light a candle and quickly blow it out, because mom never liked lighting candles in the house. She'd give us each a book—the standard gift for Kwanzaa celebration. And the whole thing lasted about five minutes total... Read more>>

I wonder what regular folks on the street think about Kwanzaa, D.L.?>>

Singer, actress Eartha Kitt dies at 81

Kitt died in New York, where she was being treated for colon cancer. Her daughter, Kitt Shapiro, was by her side.She was performing almost until the end, taping a PBS special six weeks ago in Chicago, Illinois. The show is set to air in February.

Eartha Kitt made it in Hollywood after a challenging childhood that included picking cotton in her native South Carolina. Eartha Mae Kitt was ostracized at an early age because of her mixed-race heritage. At 8 years old, she was given away by her mother and sent from the South Carolina cotton fields to live with an aunt in Harlem. In New York the shy teen auditioned for the famed Katherine Dunham Dance Troupe. Her recording of the saucy Christmas song "Santa Baby" was certified gold last week. Kitt was well known for her distinctive voice and made a name for herself in her portrayal of Catwoman in the television series "Batman." That role produced Kitt's recognizable sultry cat growl.

More on her career in this radio interview from NPR>>

What's Even More Disturbing About This Video...

It's all good that this video model believes that this is an honest way to make a living. It's a shame she hasn't developed any other talents. Her parents must be proud. Meanwhile we see everyday, the assault these images are having on young people and in particular Black women.

What's even more disturbing is to find the Co-President of Programming at BET, Stephen Hill dancing and shining at the beginning of this video. Hill, most recently was the VP of Music Programming at BET and music director at MTV. Stephen made his claim to fame as program director at WILD-AM in Boston.

Stephen, couldn't you find something better to do with your down time? Even if you were just making an appearance at an "industry" event, don't you just say your "hellos" and move on instead of partying with people that could be your grandchildren... or worst yet co-star in a second rate internet music video.

I expect more from a former high school teacher, a DJ connected with WHUR and the '360 Degrees of the Black Experience in Sound' from back in the day, and let me repeat, the Co-President of Programming at BET.

Well maybe this is what we should expect from the head of programming at BET. It sure is a long way from Lead Story, BET Nightly News and Teen Summit. And to think there's a whole generation that never knew these programs existed. Keep up the good work Stephen. Can't wait for next season's episodes of College Hill and Keyshia Cole!

Layoffs Expected at Clear Channel Stations

Will it come before or after January is the only question that seems to remain. For the most part, Clear Channel has delayed the inevitable while Radio One, Inner City Broadcasting and CBS Radio have made cuts in their staff.

Here are some urban stations that may suffer layoffs. Although some may say they're running as lean as they possibly can at this time.

Skip Murphy Hangs Up the Mic

It's been confirmed. 105.7 KRNB Dallas Afternoon Drive Host Skip Murphy has retired from the radio industry after 16 years.

Murphy had been the long time morning show host at sister station hip hop format K104 KKDA. Murphy's last show was on Friday, December 19.

NFL on Fox Crew Calls for Reporter's Firing

Detroit News columnist Rob Parker asked Detroit Lions head coach Rod Marinelli, "On a light note, seriously, do you wish your daughter had married a better defensive coordinator?" The Lions are winless (0-15) this season and the coach's defensive coordinator Joe Barry is the Marinelli's son-in-law.

The commentators on FOX went after Parker with Terry Bradshaw calling him "a flat idiot" and Michael Strahan calling for his termination. Howie Long says that Marinelli's coaching deserves to be questioned, but not in such a flippant, disrespectful manner.

Parker, a frequent guest on ESPN, is a former talk show host on heritage Black radio station 1200 WCHB in Detroit before its gospel format change in June 2008.

Jamie Foxx Promotional Tour is NON-STOP

It seems Jamie Foxx has been everywhere lately. It's good to see that he's not just doing syndicated radio interviews and network TV appearances; he's making a point of doing live personal appearances and in-studio interviews with local urban and urban ac radio personalities like EZ Street at WKYS and Jasmine at WBLS.

Classic Hip Hop Radio from WKCR

The Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito Show featuring DJ Lord Sear featured many unsigned artists originating from Columbia University's WKCR 89.9 FM in New York. Some amazing hip hop radio history...

NPR's News and Notes Will End March 20, 2009

A Letter from Farai Chideya to the listeners of News and Notes:


We, the News & Notes staff and crew, love you, our listeners and collaborators. I was just in Miami and met with so many amazing listeners, including some of the artists in the 30 Americans exhibit we featured on air. We got your love in St. Louis, Atlanta, Baltimore, and beyond. And we're still here for you ... for a while.
Massive budget shortages have brought NPR to the space between a rock and a hard place ... that is: cancellation time. Both News & Notes and Day to Day (the two wholly West Coast-based shows) will end production on March 20. We are still dealing with the news, but we are committed to making sure we give you our best, now and as long as we've got.
Peace and joy,

Farai Chideya


A facebook group has been created to save the show. Along with an online petition >>.

Carol Blackmon Returns to Atlanta Radio

Carol Blackmon, part of the "The Mike & Carol Morning Show" for V-103 (WVEE), before the Frank and Wanda morning, is returning to radio after 10 years off the air. She will be joining Grown Folks Radio 102.5 (WAMJ) starting January 24. Atlanta area listeners will remember back then V-103 was an urban adult comtemporary station when Blackmon was a part of the station. Most recently, Blackmon has been the host of the Georgia Lottery TV segment.

The Media Assault on Black Women is the Theme of Documentary

The Souls of Black Girls, a documentary, written, produced and directed by Daphne Valerius, takes a critical look into the fragile souls of Black girls, with emphasis on how media images are “instituted, established and controlled.” Jada Pinkett Smith, Regina King and Chuck D of Public Enemy, are interviewed in the film. The Souls of Black Girls seeks to uncover some of society’s less-known realities about color-coding and racialized-gender bias. By examining “historical and existing media images of women of color” the documentary asks if Black girls are “suffering from a self-image disorder as a result of trying to attain the standards of beauty that are celebrated in media images.”

Hot 97's Peter Rosenberg Does a Roundtable on Busta Rhymes' "Arab Money"

Busta has taken The shahadah which is the basic creed or tenet of Islam and has used it as the hook in his new song "Arab Money". The English translation states“I testify that there is none worthy of worship except God and I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of God.” This testament is a foundation for all other beliefs and practices in Islam. Muslims must repeat the shahadah in prayer, and non-Muslims wishing to convert to Islam are required to recite the creed. Has Busta gone too far with the stereotyping of Arab-Muslim people?

The controversial Busta Rhymes " Arab Money (Remix) "

Feat. Ron Browz, Diddy, Swizz Beatz, T-Pain, Akon & Lil Wayne

Jamie Foxx on Big Boy's Neighborhood

Did Wired 96.5 not want Urban Personalities?

From TRI Janita Jones-Styles, known on air as Janita Applebaum, says she worked middays at Wired 96.5 (WRDW) for nearly three years without a contract, was the only African-American fulltime jock, and was the lowest-paid personality. The Philadelphia Daily News reports the federal lawsuit, plus her allegation that she was fired for using the Wired logo on her MySpace page and on a party flier – even though other DJs had done the same without being punished. The suit recounts a June 2006 meeting with manager Lynn Bruder where Bruder allegedly took Janita's lawyer-revised copy of a potential contract and ran it through a paper shredder, saying “This is what I do to lawyers.”

For its part - Wired owner Beasley denies it discriminated against her on racial grounds, says she wasn’t the lowest-paid personality and says what Bruder shredded was the station’s own contract offer (not the one marked-up by Janita’s lawyer). What’s more – Beasley says Styles was in fact terminated because she’d been promoting her personal club appearances on her show (apparently without permission) and plugged a website that sold ringtones (also without approval). Janita now hosts the Saturday morning “Hangover” show for Radio One’s 100.3 The Beat WPHI. More in the Phila. Daily News.>>

Janita, was also chosen a ball girl this past season, for the 2008 World Champion Philadelphia Phillies.

Syndication's Next Phase: Less is More. Again.

From the blog: Inside Music Media by Jerry Del Colliano

This blog thoroughly blast the entire radio industry, especially big media companies like Clear Channel and Citadel. To say the least, radio is in a fight for its very survival. The follwing excerpts are from the blog "The Shrink Wrapping of Radio." Read more >>.

• Any day now -- and certainly within weeks -- don't be surprised to see your number one radio group, Clear Channel, give radio a glimpse of the consolidated future. Again.
• Fagreed Suleman at Citadel has a bunch of stations that would drive his company's 17 cent stock way up over, say -- 50 cents!
• Fagreed signed MSNBC's Joe Scarborough to do a show on his WABC, New York and it fits his model -- throw anything up in the air and syndicate it to the rest of your stations.

• KABC (Los Angeles) just dumped talk show host Larry Elder and it could be that Curtis Sliwa, the totally New York personality, may be his replacement in La La Land. I can tell you LA isn't going to buy Curtis Sliwa, but Fagreed doesn't care. Fagreed buys him and that's what saves money.
• So as radio as we and our listeners know it comes to the end of its long nightmare, what radio will amount to -- I'm so sorry to say -- is nothing.

Eating at Cracker Barrel

THAT'S A VIOLATION!!! You can't eat at Cracker Barrel. Have you ever been there? I know you didn't sit in those chairs. You stood and waited, didn't you? With all of dem lookin' at ya like "What are you all doing here?"

However the proof is out there. Folks even update their blogs and facebook with notes about eating at Cracker Barrel. I ate their once. Of course I got sick. Where's the Waffle House?

Part of the Big Phat Morning Show Returns

The former morning team at 92Q (WERQ), Marc Clarke and Troy Johnson are reuniting online at the Baltimore Sun. On Tuesday @ baltimoresun.com, the two will start a new blog called "Off The Mic."

Clarke was the main host of the Big Phat Morning Show for 10 years. Johnson was released from the Radio One station about two years ago and was most recently a midday talk show host at the CBS owned WHFS 102.7 in Baltimore before it flipped to all sports a month ago.

Obama-nail-ia

I'm willing to bet she didn't vote because she messed around and missed the voter registration deadline.

"Aww gurl, make sure you vote next time... but yo nails is da bomb dough, where you get them dunn at? Let me git a pickture of dem. How come you didn't put no hope on dem nails? That would been the %$#* if you diid-d-d-d-d! Uhn-Uhn, NO you need CHANGE on dem."

Media Companies Have Only Themselves to Blame

Is Suduko the only reason to read a hard copy of your daily newspaper?

Well maybe that will change too.

Article from itmanagement.earthweb.com It's their own damned fault. Like the US automakers and the music industry, print media companies squandered most of their time and money during boom times clinging to the past rather than preparing for the future. And now they're left totally unprepared for the bust. Read more of the article >>

George! DUCK!!!

WHAT IS THIS!?!! That's the President of the United States! You can't throw a shoe at the President.

A new terrorist attack! I can't believe the guy missed. I must say, George you have great agility and alertness. I admire your coolness under pressure. You would make a great soldier that would have made America proud.

In all seriousness; How safe is anyone in Iraq? What a breach in security!!!

Check out the "Sunday Quiet" format

A perfect way to chill on a Sunday morning...

Check out this blend of Jazz, Smooth Jazz, Neo-Soul, R&B, Chill and Light Vocals on this playlist called "Sunday Quiet." Available anytime by clicking on the GREEN burst icon on the media player to the right...>>>

More Perpetrating Uncovered by Fox 5 Atlanta

I must confess I've yet to sit down and really watch the show, but after watching this clip I realized I've seen NeNe's husband several times in a certain barbershop in Duluth.

Now there are some good brothers in there, but I could tell there were many there just faking the funk. Then there were others, in the way they greeted each other, that were just...

...let's just say, you don't say "What's Up" to another dude in the barbershop with a kiss up North!

Colin Powell Basically Says Republicans Need to Clean Up Their Act

Colin Powell says in this CNN interview that his party must realize that one day the majority will be the minority in this country and Sarah Palin's small town values mantra caused much polarization in the United States.

Is the Internet Just Not Black Enough?

Blackbird is a new browser built on top of Mozilla Firefox technology that is supposed to make it easier for African Americans to discover relevant content on the web and to interact with other members of the African American community online by sharing stories, news, comments and videos via the browser.

The browser displays a pre-set news ticker on top, pulls in news content from Google News that might be of interest to African-Americans, and features a section with video content from online TV sites like UptownLiveTV, NSNewsTV, DigitalSoulTV and ComedyBanksTV. Other than that, there’s a lot of integration with the most popular social networks, a ‘Black Search’, preset ‘Black Bookmarks’, etc. There’s also a ‘Give Back’ program that streamlines donations to a number of non-profit organizations.

Here's a News and Notes discussion about the new web browser with CEO Ed Young. Listen Here>>

Check out more info on the browser here>>

Then of course right after this browser was launched the White Bird web browser for the White American Community was launched. White Bird was developed by a team of white people. This is real. Check it out here>>.

It figures first Little Richard, then Elvis Presley; next along came Ice-T, then Vanilla Ice; and now we have Lil' Kim then Lil' Kim.

More Radio Budget Cuts

Hot 105 (WHQT Miami) midday host Karen Vaughn (10pm-1pm) has been released from the station due to budget cuts. James T, will extend his show from 10am to 3pm. Before joining Hot 105, Vaughn previous stops have included WUSL Philadelphia, WERQ Baltimore and WPGC in Washington, DC.

Common Says Obama Will Change Hip Hop's Attitude

Common wants to take hip-hop in a new direction, he says, and he has an unsuspecting ally -- President-elect Barack Obama. Obama "is going to change hip-hop for the better," predicted the rapper, whose eighth album, "Universal Mind Control" was produced in part by Pharrell. See slide show and interview with CNN.com >>

The John McCain Ad Attacking Barack Obama featuring Jeremiah Wright

Throughout the campaign John McCain was adamant about not bringing up Rev. Wright and he succeeded in doing so. However, his media team had this ad ready to go if given the word.

This ad would have set back race relations in this country hundreds of years. Give kudos to Sen. John McCain for not wanting this political ad to run.

African American Focused Program, "News and Notes" Has Been Cut at NPR

Faced with a sharp decline in revenue, National Public Radio said it would lay off about 7 percent of its workforce and eliminate two daily programs produced out of its facilities in Culver City, CA. The shows include "Day to Day," which was aimed at younger listeners, and the newsmaker interview program News & Notes.

The layoffs of 64 of NPR's 889 employees is designed to close a $23 million shortfall in NPR's current fiscal year, said Dennis Haarsager, NPR's interim president and chief executive in an interview. The cutback will affect all departments, including reporters, producers, researchers and digital media employees.

"News and Notes" was created to focus on African American issues as a counterpart to NPR's highly popular afternoon program "All Things Considered". The show's original host was Ed Gordon. No word yet if current host Farai Chideya will remain with National Public Radio.

Hanging Out with Tyler Perry, That's How!

Oprah Winfrey opens up about her recent weight gain in an eight-page spread in the January issue of O. The coverline reads: “How Did I Let This Happen Again?”

Winfrey writes about how and why she has gained 40 pounds in four years, now reaching 200 pounds. That's right. 200. “I’m mad at myself. I’m embarrassed.”She goes on, “I didn’t just fall off the wagon. I let the wagon fall on me.”