Support the Kids!!!

About a year ago I wrote a post imploring one and all to support the Enoch Pratt Library's Summer Reading campaign. A campaign promoted by the Pratt Contemporaries, a group that I serve on the Board of. Last year more than 38,000 children and teens participated in Pratt's summer programs, with more than 15,000 children enrolled in the incentive-based Summer Reading Program, reading over 160,000 books!

Over the course of Summer 2012, there will be various summer reading events that will help children throughout the city to work on and hone their reading skills.

Just like last year, I'm encouraging you all to help the Pratt Contemporaries reach our goal of sponsoring 200 children for this summer. Sponsoring a child for the summer costs $60/child but you can make a contribution of less than $60 by visiting the sponsorship form, selecting "0" from the "No. of children you support" pull-down, and adding whatever amount you'd like to donate in the field next to "I would like to make an additional donation to the Summer Programs at Pratt." You can even make your donation in honor of (me, if you want) or in memory of someone that cared about reading, child literacy, or helping kids in general.

I'm definitely going to sponsor a child (or two) and I'd like to challenge you to do the same. Visit the sponsorship form at the URL below and feel free to leave a comment here with any additional questions you might have.

http://www.prattlibrary.org/support/contemporaries/helpsummerreading.aspx

R.I.P. Chuck Brown

LEGEND!

To a lot of people Chuck Brown's music (and go-go as a genre) probably sounds like craziness. A whole bunch of bongos, drums, yelling, and words you can barely understand. But if you grew up in the D.C. area in say the last decade or two or three, you know of him and the legacy he leaves behind for the D.C. music scene. I remember sneaking out with my fake ID to go see Chuck at the old D.C. Tunnel (I'm dating myself here) and Rare Essence at the Black Hole on Sunday nights, smh. Chuck's influence on the D.C. go-go scene can never be overstated but what lots of people (even those in D.C. that grew up listening to his music) don't seem to realize is that he was respected across the country (and perhaps worldwide as well) as a musician. Not just some "go-go" act from D.C. If you don't know about him, you missed out on a great musician and one hell of an entertainer. Rest in peace Chuck!


For more information about Chuck Brown, check out the links below:

Chuck Brown Dies; Fans remember DC Legend (Washington Post)

Chuck Brown (Wikipedia)

THROWBACK!!!! G-Dep (feat. Poppa Diddy Puff and Black Rob) - Special Delivery

Just read this article about G Dep and his murder trial (it's an interesting read) and it made me think of this song. It's unfortunate that G Dep fell off and ended up having to go to jail. But it's even more unfortunate that he killed a guy on some dumb bullshyt.


My two favorite lines from this joint:

1. "I was already on fish and spaghetti"
2. "Red bone pretty, when she get aroused like to..."

Remember when Suge said this...


SOURCE AWARDS: SUGE KNIGHT CALLIN OUT PUFFY by Top-Notch112
... yeah Puff, remember that?

I'm Not From Baltimore I Just Live Here

Here is yet another reason why whenever someone asks me if I'm from Baltimore I say "No, I just live here." That's not a shot at Baltimore though. I've been here long enough to come to like quite a bit of things the city has to offer. It's just to say that although I live here, I don't identify nor do I represent many of the stereotypes associated with the city. For an example of someone who does, check out the video below:


Some of the lyrics are completely hilarious, so much so that I want to transcribe them. But there's no way I'm taking the time to transcribe this ridiculous attempt at rapping. I wish I could say that I think this is a parody but I really think this guy is serious. The fake booty shake he did toward the end of the video forced me to stop watching, I'm not gonna lie, lol. Let me know what happened after that, lol.

Bonus Coverage: Newark Parody

This one is obviously a parody but equally as bad and hilarious.

BIG K.R.I.T. - 2000 & Beyond

Off KRIT's Big Krit Wuz Here from 2010 (seems like such a long time ago). Lyrics are below.


Tricks and hoes, bitches and stripper poles
Shake it for dollar signs, let me see from behind
The ghetto's a fairytale, pimps and jezebells
Dealers with chrome rims with products for you to sell
Chemistry in the kitchen, alleys with rubbers in it
Tires go round and round, windows heavy tinted
Kush is scented inside, pull me over
Now they talkin bout a K9. Black man face down
Charge it to game, bums warm their weary souls over open flames
Junkie can't find God watch him find his vein
Preacher walk by like he ain't seen a thang
Pass the collection plate
Niggas thought shit was gon' change on election day
Healthcare H1N1 nasal spray
Got me scared to hit the block
Wear my flag as a mask, tote a Glock, in 2000 and beyond

In 2000 and beyond x2

Poor folk scrape dollars and spend the last of their income tax
On impalas with the S-S, church gives awards to the best dressed
Pastor drive a bentley, got me thinkin, I was the less blessed
Cause I let a middle man, he was cappin what I'm askin'
I dont understand, how you fit that many rings on a healthy hand
Tired of deception, but I pay his kid's tuition cause I'm tryna get to heaven
Ain't it crazy, scared to have a baby
How can I protect it from the same streets that made me?
Concrete gladiator blood shed overflow
In real life some places Russell Crowe will never go
Pimp tight flossin, look at what it cost me
Peace of mind no sleep late night tossin and turnin
Waitin' on the end, pray to god forgive me for my sins, in 2000 and beyond

In 2000 and beyond x2

As a child I was cold with a chip on my shoulder
Grandma told me be careful cause ther're sharks in the water
They will kill you, let the good Lord steer you
Don't worry bout the government
Cause baby they dont feel you
Martin Luther King had dream, we was right there
I wonder what he saw when up and had nightmares
Quite scared, all the work he had done
Couldn't stop what we've become, in 2000 and beyond

In 2000 and beyond x2

Video: Phonte feat. Evidence & Big K.R.I.T. - Life of Kings

[Not so new] Tigallo-Tigallo-Tigallo!!!

One of my favorite joints off of Phonte's "Charity Starts at Home".

Gotta Support the Kids...

There's a community library that serves the area that my job is in called the Village Learning Place (VLP). After they gave a pitch to the brass at my job for support, a couple co-workers had the great idea of working with some of the students in the VLP's LINK program to produce a journal of their writings and art.

A great idea!

From that point several of my co-workers took the lead in organizing a schedule for staff to teach these kids everything about publishing a journal and taking their original writings and creating a published journal called, The Village Review.

The entire process took several months (maybe even a year) and culminated this past Tuesday at a ceremony that recognized the kids and their works and where they were also presented with printed copies of their journal.

I attended the ceremony because I (along with another colleague) played a small part (one training session) in teaching the kids how to use social media (mainly Twitter and Facebook) to raise awareness about the work they had done, their journal's eventual printing, and the ceremony they would be having to recognize this great work they'd put together. The kids put a lot of themselves into their writing and it was cool to learn how many of them used social media and the ways they thought that they could promote all their work. Naturally, they all wanted to alert athletes and celebrities but you'd be surprised how they also quickly grasped the concept of how alerting local officials and organizations could help them and the LINK program in the long-run.

The ceremony was small in terms of attendees but every person that was there had a vested interest in the kids' work or had supported the initiative in some way. There were reporters there from the Baltimore Messenger and apparently the Baltimore Sun as well. The main coordinators on both sides (my job and the VLP) made remarks, each child was recognized and presented with a copy of the journal, my colleagues and I were recognized and (to our surprise) presented with thank you cards and mugs from the kids.

The best part was that each child gave a remark about what putting together this journal meant to them. The kids seemed genuinely proud and happy that their works were being recognized. Hopefully it inspires them to read more, write more, and express themselves in positive ways.

THROWBACK!! Another Bad Creation (A.B.C.) - Playground

All I gotta say is, "it's the Mizzark, chillin' in the pizzark. I gotta break, cuz my mother said be home by dizzark!"


Real talk, me and my boys wanted to be these dudes when we were young and this was hot. We all wanted to ride go-karts, have high-top fades, dance, and have that pint-sized swag, lol. I wonder what happened to these kids and I wonder how bad Michael Bivins roughed them off for their money.

"Mix-matched boots, pants inside-out, a fresh Starter cap, and go-karts with your name on the front!"

THROWBACK!!!! Tony Tone Toni (or however they order the names) - Lay Your Head On My Pillow

I don't remember this being the video but cot d@mn if this song isn't still GREAT!


Lay Your Head on my Pillow by ice1906

THROWBACK!!!! Warren G feat Nate Dogg - Regulate

REGULATORS, MOUNT UP!!!!