Old School Friday - Songs From Sophomore Year

1972 was a very good year. Check out the player below to find out why. This was a year of classic R & B music. Click here and you will understand the I make this proclamation. This week I am going with James Brown who WAS the 60's and 70's, The Staple Singers, and Al Green.

This meme was developed by Marvalus View and Ms. Grapevine. The rules are simple:

1. Anyone can participate; any music genre
2. Old School is defined as music created before 1999
3. No offensive words allowed, please use edited radio version
4. Post a video of your favorite Old School song to take us back down memory lane
5. Add your name to the meme list so that others can check you out
6. Have fun & don't forget to leave comments for other participants

If you want to join in on the fun, click here.

Idol's Four Panel Jury A Bust?

I have been half-heartedly watching American Idol this year. One reason is that for the most part the talent has been mediocre at best and secondly, I do not understand the necessity for the fourth judge. When I first heard that there would be a new judge on the Idol scene, I will admit that I was curious. I wondered what type of personality the new judge would have and what she would bring to the table as far as judging is concerned.

I was really hoping that it would be someone with an extensive musical background that would be qualified to judge a contest such as this with impartiality and prudence. While the new judge, Kara DioGuardi does have a musical background (songwriter), I find nothing intriguing or exciting about her. Paula Abdul must agree with me because she has publicly stated that the fourth judge slows the show down and interrupts its flow.

Are there any fans of Idol still with the show in the 8th season and if so, what do you think of the addition of the fourth judge?

The Return of South Central

TV ONE is broadcasting eight episodes of the series South Central on Monday, February 23rd at 1:00 AM CST. The series, set in South Central Los Angeles, dealt with the lives of an African American family, the Moseleys, and issues, such as gang violence, drugs, dating, sex, school, and employment. Joan Moseley (Tina Lifford) is a divorced mother, raising three children without any financial assistance from her former husband. The financial situation becomes even more complicated when she is laid off from her job at the neighborhood market. Her children include Andrè (Larenz Tate), Tasha (Tasha Scott) and foster son Deion (Keith Mbulo). Rounding out the casts was Joan’s friends, Dr. Ray McHenry (Ken Page) and Sweets (Paula Kelly).

South Central featured many guest stars including Jennifer Lopez, Shar Jackson, Michael Beach, and Maia Campbell. This show provided a realistic portrayal of urban life and was very popular among critics. In retrospect the series might have been too real airing not long after the Los Angeles riots. I remember one episode that showed Tasha outside in the yard singing under a helicopter (ghetto bird) spotlight. The show aired on Tuesday nights following Roc.

Due to a decline in ratings of the entire night of programming, FOX cancelled all of the shows on that night, which included The Sinbad Show and In Living Color. The cancellation of the series, which had a predominately black cast, prompted Jesse Jackson to call for a boycott of the network for what he called their institutional racism. FOX maintained that the series were low rated and the decision to cancel was not racially motivated. Thanks to TV ONE for bringing back a show that never really had a chance. I found this clip of Tasha Scott and a scene with her acting opposite CCH Pounder is contained here.

Old School Friday - The Jackson Family

Well it's Friday yet again. This is probably my favorite family group of all times (sorry Sylvers and Debarge). We have been inundated with Michael Joe videos over the years, so I decided to go with The group as a whole. one by Jermaine, and one by Janet (sorry Latoya and Rebe).

This meme was developed by Marvalus View and Ms. Grapevine. The rules are simple:

1. Anyone can participate; any music genre
2. Old School is defined as music created before 1999
3. No offensive words allowed, please use edited radio version
4. Post a video of your favorite Old School song to take us back down memory lane
5. Add your name to the meme list so that others can check you out
6. Have fun & don't forget to leave comments for other participants

If you want to join in on the fun, click here.

Drunken Negro Face Cookies!

Am I the only one to find the idea of a bake good named "Drunken Negro Face Cookies" offensive? I received the below video in an email and it made me angry enough to "chew bricks". The cookies in question were supposedly used to celebrate the Inauguration of President Obama. On that day the cookies were referred to as "Obama Heads". The Greenwich Connecticut baker who sells these cookies does not see why anyone would have a problem with these cookies and that the women (who happen to be Caucasian) who reported the story are overreacting. What do you think? Should all people find this appalling and racist or am I being overly sensitive?

Tyler Perry Wants Ms. Ross

Tyler Perry is by his own admission stalking Diana Ross. According to Perry he want her in a new film he is producing entitled A Jazz Man's Blues. He has been sending flowers, e-mails to people who know her, and talked to the man who walks her dog. The film is set around 1947 and Tyler would like Ms. Ross to bring some of what she brought to Lady Sings The Blues. Tyler confessed that he would love to showcase what a powerful actress she is because we have not seen her in a long time. On a personal note I thought Ms. Ross was good in Double Platinum with Brandy Norwood, but she was especially compelling in Out Of Darkness in which she portrayed a woman diagnosed with schizophrenia. Below is a clip of her portrayal.

Update: Out of Darkness will be showing on TV ONE, February 18th at 12:00 AM CST.

Old School Friday: Everybody Loves The Blues!

Both of my grandmother's had a love for the blues. I remember weekends filled with the sounds of B. B., Bobby 'Blue' Bland and what seemed to be my paternal grandmother's favorite, Lou Rawl's "Tobacco Road". As a child I did not want to hear that mess, I wanted to hear the Miracles, Temptations and the Vandallas, but I digress. Over the years I have gained more knowledge and insight about the genre and yes, a love for the blues! Last week my player did not work correctly, but I am going to try it again. My selections this week are Bobby Bland, Little Willie John and a live performance by Buddy Guy and B. B. King. Enjoy!

This meme was developed by Marvalus View and Mrs. Grapevine

The rules are simple:

1. Anyone can participate, any music genre

2. Old School is defined as music created before 1999

3. No offensive music allowed, please use the edited radio version

4. Post a video of your favorite songs to take us back down memory lane

5. Add your name to the meme so that others can check you out

6. Have fun and don't forget to leave comments for other participants

Click here to join in the fun!

Welcome to Dallas Kwame!

Well according to local new cast in the Dallas area, Kwame Kilpatrick, former mayor of Detroit, Michigan, has taken a job in the Dallas area. The disgraced former mayor just completed a 99 day stint in jail. According to the Detroit News Kilpatrick still owes the city of Detroit a million dollars, yet he has leased a 3,000 a month, one half acre Southlake rental (an exclusive area outside of Dallas), where his family has been residing since December.

Push: Based on the Novel by Sapphire

In Push: Based on the Novel by Sapphire, Claireece Precious Jones endures unimaginable hardships in her young life. Abused by her mother, raped by her father, she grows up poor, angry, illiterate, fat, unloved and generally unnoticed. So what better way to learn about her than through her own, halting dialect. Instead of being swallowed by depression, Claireece tries to break from the chains of ignorance by digging deep into her own resources. Push has won both the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award in the U.S. Dramatic Competition at 2009 Sundance Film Festival.

Precious, in addition to her physical problems, lacks even basic self-esteem, and Push is largely about her journey toward normalcy. Things will never be super-awesome for her; the point is that she can learn to cope with life and find a semblance of happiness and self-respect. That feeling of hopefulness, not the awfulness that precedes it, is what you'll take with you when the film is over.

The film has a stellar cast with Monique, Mariah Carey, Paula Patton, Lenny Kravitz, and Gabourey Sidibe as Claireece Precious Jones. Here is a clip from the Sundance Film Festival.

Etta and Beyoncê Feuding?

There is a new feud brewing on the horizon between legendary blues singer, Etta James and Beyoncê (who incidentally recently immortalized Ms. James on film in “Cadillac Records”). Etta, the originator of the classic love song “At Last,” has lashed out at Beyoncê for singing the tune during the first dance of President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama at last month’s Neighborhood Inaugural Ball. According to reports, Ms. James allegedly quipped at a Seattle concert, “You guys know your president, right? You know the one with the big ears? Wait a minute, he ain’t my president, he might be yours, he ain’t my president. You know that woman he had singing for him, singing my song–she’s going to get her ass whipped. The great Beyoncê. I can’t stand Beyoncê,” she spat. “She has no business up there, singing up there on a big ol’ president day, singing my song that I’ve been singing forever.”

Oh, oh, it seems that Bey has stepped on yet another legendary divas’ toes. Remember last year when she referred to Tina Turner as the “Queen of Soul”, which prompted Aretha Franklin to fire off a scathing email chastising the up and coming singer. Is Ms. James being sensitive or did Beyoncê over step her boundaries by performing the song at the Inauguration Ball? Or is this all just some sort of attention seeking publicity stunt?

Old School Friday - New Edition Members Songs

I have always enjoyed New Edition since its conception. I had a chance to catch the original five back in the 80's when my son was a boy. What a great show. Anyhow when I started loading up my player for this theme there was just so many ways to go with so many great songs. I just couldn't stop, so I loaded up my player with four songs this time, one by the original group, one by the group sans Bobby Brown and with Johnny Gill and songs by Bobby and Johnny respectively. Enjoy!

This meme was developed by Marvalus View and Mrs. Grapevine

The rules are simple:

1. Anyone can participate, any music genre

2. Old School is defined as music created before 1999

3. No offensive music allowed, please use the edited radio version

4. Post a video of your favorite songs to take us back down memory lane

5. Add your name to the meme so that others can check you out

6. Have fun and don't forget to leave comments for other participants

Click here to join in the fun!