Whats Buzzing in the Streets – Page 83

The Story of UTFO: Dedication To The Educated Rapper

It was a normal day. As usual, I was scrolling down my Facebook news feed until I got a notification from a post in the Tools of War group. It was a shared picture that belonged to Mix MasterIce. He was holding a hand that belonged to The Educated Rapper being hospitalized. I saw all of the comments that were positive and hopeful so I too also was hoping that he will be okay. This morning I woke up to the same thing as usual, go to my Facebook and find out the Educated Rapper has passed away from cancer from a friend who posted it. Absolutely shocked and devastated about the news. Another great loss in hip hop. For those who need a quick educating, UTFO is a hip hop group from the 80’s who was known for their classic hit “Roxanne, Roxanne.” The song was a B-side of their other hit “Hangin’ Out.” UTFO stands for Untouchable Force Organization and consisted of four members. There’s Kangol Kid, the guy who was known for rocking the freshest Kangol hats, even still to this day he does, Doctor Ice, Mix MasterIce and of course, the late great Educated Rapper. Before the group, Kangol Kid and Doctor Ice were both originally known as The Keystone Dancers in Brooklyn and were dancers for another hip hop group, Whodini. UTFO signed with Fred Munao in 1984 for Select Records and the group’s hit “Roxanne, Roxanne” was produced by the R&B group, Full Force who appeared as the bullies in the hip hop classic film “House Party.” Their classic “Roxanne, Roxanne” was the beginning of a mid-1980’s war that had two different Roxanne’s in question. There was The Real Roxanne and then it brought the attention of then 14 year old, Roxanne Shanté from Queensbridge, who was Marley Marl’s protégée at the time and it started what they call the “Roxanne Wars.” UTFO’s song has the most answer records in hip hop history. Roxanne’s answer to the record “Roxanne’s Revenge” made her an instant legend in the game. The song was released in late 1984 and became an instant hit with 250,000 copies sold. After the “Roxanne Wars”, the Educated Rapper didn’t appear on the group’s second album, 1986’s “Skeezer Pleezer” for his own personal reasons, except the song “Pick Up The Pace”, which was featured in the movie Krush Groove. After everything, the guys went their own separate ways to pursue their own thing. They are still very active today with producing, writing, DJ’ing and dancing and The Educated Rapper graduated from college, actually living up to his name. Also, Kangol Kid, along with Shaunda Lumpkin, founded The Mama Luke foundation, which is hip hop’s way of fighting against breast cancer. With just one popular song, UTFO’s legacy in hip hop will still live on and remain forever, as well as The Educated Rapper. Rest In Peace. Much Love!

Bigger And Deffer: The 30th Anniversary

Another hip hop classic that has reached 30 years. Coming from Queens, LL was still a young, ambitious, and fresh faced guy on the scene. On June 2nd, 1987, LL released his second album “Bigger and Deffer.” Compared to his debut “Radio”, BAD was definitely what the title says, bigger and deffer and so was LL himself. Still not quite there yet as far as growth as an artist, LL still had the cool and laid back personality, he still had the style but this album was still a step further than his previous. Besides the singles, the album was full of braggadocio, lots of DJ scratches, and a “rap ballad” that was the first to be commercially successful. The album also reminds me of Jazzy Jeff and Will aka The Fresh Prince with its early hip hop days sound, when hip hop was just beginning to become something much more bigger. The beginning of a golden era. It’s not a top 5 LL album, but it’s definitely an album I’ll recommend when it comes to 80’s hip hop.

Wu-Tang Forever: The 20th Anniversary

As a hip hop fan and lover, sometimes I feel like it’s impossible to keep up with so many different albums that are out there, whether new or old. Today, June 3rd, 2017, I find out that it’s the 20th anniversary of Wu-Tang Clan’s second album “Wu-Tang Forever.” First thought that came to my head was “Yo! I never really sat down and heard this joint from start to finish. Immediately went to my YouTube app, typed in the name of the album in my search engine and finally gave it a listen. I saw the playlist has 27 songs in total, so I knew this album is a double disc joint. As I’m listening to it, I honestly wasn’t impressed right away. I guess I have to give it a few more listens because to me the production alone, I wasn’t a fan on. The second half of the album is amazing though. How crazy is that? It definitely balances the album out for me. For me, this album gave all 9 members an equal amount of time to have their own personal shine. A few guest appearances, lyrics about consciousness, influence of the teachings of the Five Percenters, and of course in true hip hop fashion, gotta give us stories about the harsh realities of the ghetto. What I love most about the album is that you can feel how closer and stronger the Wu is as a unit, as a group, as brothers, as a family. The title is definitely fitting for this album.

Barbecue Etiquette: Do’s and Don’ts

The weather is getting nice out as the summer approaches. This is my favorite time of the year. If you are anything like me than you love a good barbecue. There is nothing better than family and friends gathered around for some great food and a great time. There are some things that can are certainly inappropriate for barbecues and there are some things that will definitely go without saying.

The first rule of barbecue etiquette is do not come if you are not personally invited by the host. It does not matter if it is family or a close friend. If you were not invited stay home.

If you were invited that does not make you entitled to invite others with you. Ask permission from the host or hostess.

It is rude to show up at a cook out empty handed. You should always ask what can you bring. In the case that you are told you don’t need to bring anything bring something anyway. A bag of chips, soda, napkins, paper towels and paper plates are all things that you can never have to much of. Remember that anything that you contributed is to be left there when you leave. Please do not think about wrapping up a take home plate if you have not contributed to the barbecue.

It is not necessary to pile plates up with food that you are not going to finish. Please finish the beverage that you are already drinking instead of allowing it to get warm and then going to get another one.

Remember when you bring your children to a barbecue that they are your children. So not expect others attending to watch your children. There are so many ways that children can get hurt at a barbecue so parents please be aware.

With these bases covered we are officially ready to barbecue. Enjoy your summer.

Written by Regina Alston

Everything Is Everything: The Legacy of Lauryn Hill

She was only 18 years old when the world got the chance to see and know this young girl. She appeared on the 1993 movie Sister Act 2: Back In The Habit. Then, when she was in high school, she was approached by Pras Michel, the cousin of Wyclef Jean to join a hip hop group who named themselves The Fugees and released only 2 albums. Then in 1998, she released her debut album, which is considered to be one of hip hop’s most highly respected and classic albums of all time. With her smooth and beautiful singing voice and a hard to ignore, hard hitting, in your face, rap style that caught the people’s attention, Lauryn Hill is definitely someone in the industry who is well respected and loved. With hits like “Killing Me Softly”, “Doo Wop (That Thing)”, “Everything Is Everything”, “The Sweetest Thing”, “To Zion”, or even “Ex-Factor”, Lauryn was not only a hip hop superstar but she also gave us that 1970’s soul and lyrics about love, compassion, life and gave us knowledge, she was also considered to be Neo Soul as well. She had a sound and style that was sort of similar to Erykah Badu’s or D’Angelo. I think I speak for a lot of hip hop fans when I say that it would be dope for Lauryn to drop another album. People Have been speaking about it for years after she left the spotlight after her 2002 MTV Unplugged performance. It was one of MTV’s most memorable moments. Lauryn opened up her heart and said a lot of things that she was feeling while dealing with the industry and what it did to her spiritually and mentally, freeing herself from burden and pain while she spoke her stories and sang her songs. Of course, there’s also another side of Lauryn that was often spoken about. Stories of her showing hours late to her own shows and disappointing fans but still being able to put on a great show, Lauryn still remains one of the greatest to ever do it.

AIDS WALK NYC 2017. WALKING FOR A CAUSE.

On Sunday, May 21st in the heart of New York City’s greatest landscape, Central Park, GMHC hosted it’s annual AIDS WALK. Every year for the past 17 years, GMHC has sponsored the NYC AIDS Walk. GMHC is the world’s first and leading provider of HIV/AIDS prevention, care and advocacy. Building on decades of dedication and expertise, they understand the reality of HIV/AIDS and empower a healthy life for all.

My personal journey with HIV/AIDS started 25 years ago. At the age of 18 my Beloved mother Destiny Michelle Portier broke the news to our family that she was indeed infected with HIV. After the initial shock and all the tears were cried, the fact remained she was HIV Positive. My mother was 42 when diagnosed, we never knew how long she was infected before her actual diagnosis. For the next three years there were ups and downs in her health and emotional state, through it all I wondered why her, she was a great mother, provider and teacher. What did she do for God to punish her in this fashion? Note that My mother Michelle, stop using intravenous drugs 2 plus years prior to her diagnosis. It was a lot to handle as a 18 year old young man who basically was the man of the house with 4 minor children to look after. When she succumb to the illness which was documented on her death certificate as Pneumocystis pneumonia, at the time I had no idea what it was or even how to pronounce it. Now, years later and better informed with NYS certification on HIV/AIDS I am now qualified to teach classes and groups about HIV health and prevention. I take solace in knowing because of my mother’s addiction and illness I learned and can help others who may be dealing with the virus and I can educate people on what steps to take to keep from being infected.

The AIDS WALK has been established to help promote awareness of the HIV and AIDS epidemic. It also assist with support and encouragement to those who are living with the disease as well as family members and friends of people who are infected. To date, over 100,000 New Yorkers have died from AIDS-related causes. HIV is the third leading cause of death forNYC residents ages 35 to 54. In NYC, 68% of new HIV diagnoses were among men who have sex with men (MSM), a group that has always been heavily affected by HIV/AIDSand remains at high risk.

This year, the weather was perfect for a walk in the park. The sun was waving from above as the breeze wrapped around one like a blanket, it was a perfect combination. The diversity of individuals were wide and far. LGBTQ, heterosexuals and gender fluid individuals as well. The walk starting point was at the 59st and 5th avenue entrance of Central Park. The route stretched upwards to NYC’s famous section, Harlem and 110st. Participants then crossed from Lenox Avenue, Malcolm X BLVD to Riverside Drive and worked their way back to the 79 st entrance of Central Park.
There were performers stationed along the 6.2 miles that stretched the walk route. Singers, African Drummers, Modern Dancers, jazz bands and of course live DJs spinning feel good music to help the participants get through the walk.
That day was one of solidarity, everyone there may have been there for different reasons but everyone was there for the same cause. BRING AWARENESS & TO FIND A CURE.

The different teams were many, however it was a camaraderie amongst the walkers. There was personal teams such as The Dream Team, The Frederick Walkers, In memory of Destiny Michelle and many more as well as non profit organizations and what seemed to be a whole church congregation. As people walked in memory of or support of the sea of red was a beautiful sight for a beautiful cause. It is estimated the NYC AIDS WALK raised 3.6 million dollars. These funds go towards finding a cure, assisting people living with HIV/AIDS and a sleuth of other causes connected to HIV education and services.

I ask do not take this one day for granted, please continue to educate yourself and others about this illness that can be stopped if we are educated and protect ourselves. #safesex #sterileneedles

Written by Sugarhill Sky.

for all write ups, event coverage, reviews and interviews sugarhillsky13@gmail.com

#BEUNSTOPPABLE

The Ever Failing System

A considerable amount of American citizens live a life of poverty. Some are impoverished due to unemployment, some are disabled, others earn low wages. They are all impoverishment none the less. The American government created social service agencies to assist these vulnerable citizens in life or at least that is the claim.

In New York State The Department of Human Resource Administration is the agency that was appointed to assist low income families that are living in poverty. This is a system that is failing miserably. Let me explain further.

The ultimate goal of the Human Resource Administration is to provide temporary assistance to needy citizens of New York State. This hardly ever happens. Instead HRA creates dependency for some.

The Back To Work program is inadequate! The program does work for some but the reality is that very few public assistance recipients find work while attending the Back To Work program. In my opinion the purpose of the Back To Work Program is to justify the modern day slavery that is called the Work Experience Program or WEP.

The Work Experience Program does not benefit the public assistance recipient. In fact the recipient skills, qualifications, certifications and interest are never evaluated when issuing these WEP assignments. A computer randomly picks an assignment in a location that is not more than an hour away in traveling time.

When a public assistance recipients is fortunate enough to obtain employment they are deterred. The Human Resource Administration makes returning to work inconvenient. A person who is recently employed must now take days off from work to respond to mandatory appointments. If this is not enough child care sometimes lapse for working parents because someone neglected to file the paperwork properly. Even worse than that a working person can have issues with housing due to departmental errors.

This is bureaucracy intended to keep the impoverished depended on a failing system.

Written by: Regina Alston

Bronx Festival 2017

For the first time ever, I had the opportunity to witness my very first experience at the Bronx Festival this year at Mosholu Parkway. I walked around and saw lots of people of course, bought me a really dope hip hop t-shirt in honor of one of my favorites hip hop artists, who I ended up actually seeing live and met later in the day, saw the parade and enjoyed some really dope performances too. Celebrating hip hop culture mostly with performances from Doug E. Fresh and Slick Rick and a bunch of other performances by really dope talented people. The best part about it all was meeting and interviewing the very cool and humble Bronx borough president himself Ruben Diaz, Jr. This man is actually someone who I admire for not only his great personality but the way people loved and respected him and how connected he is with the people of all backgrounds. He actually interacted with the people, took some pictures, shook hands, shared hugs, and danced and had a good time with us too. Not a stuck up person at all. His vibe is extremely positive; you can’t help but to respect him. The parade is where I first saw all those different types of backgrounds and cultures. So many different looks, languages, music, the food, everything. Even with all the different schools and programs, seeing all the little kids with their families and loved ones and all kinds of other stuff, it was all positive stuff. Such an amazing day with lots of fun, culture and love. No fights, no arguments, no altercations, no drama, even the security and cops were laughing and enjoying their time too. This Bronx Festival only proved how positive the borough is as a unit. Everybody there were mostly born and/or raised here in The Bronx and we all came together from different areas in the borough. It shuts down all of the negative stereotypes and false pretenses that people make up about the borough that I hear about a lot, it can be annoying but this festival proved otherwise and I’m just very happy and glad I got the opportunity to be a part of it. As the saying goes, like KRS-One once said, “The Bronx keeps creating it.” This one’s for The Bronx. This one’s for hip hop, the people, the incredible Bronx borough president Mr. Ruben Diaz, Jr. Thank you sir! Peace and Love!

OH MOTHER OF MINES

On March 26, 2017 my mother lost her battle with cancer. I will never forget the day that the doctor informed us that my mother had cancer. By the year she was diagnosed in October of 2016 she was already in the fourth stage. My heart skipped a beat. I took a deep breath before I inquired about her life expectancy. When the doctor informed me that it would be six months to a year I wanted to break down and cry. I couldn’t. She was right there. I had to be strong for her.

The cancer was progressing rapidly. My mom who was already a very small woman began to loose weight rapidly. Still she was a fighter. She woke up everyday and lived life. Just before Thanksgiving my mother was hospitalized. It was during that stay that the doctors told me that my mother was incapable of taking care of herself. She had two options, a nursing home or at home hospice care.

My mother refused the nursing home care and chose to move in with me. The hospital social workers and doctors tried to convince me to talk her into doing into an impatient hospice facility or nursing home. Instead I did what I felt was my responsibility as a daughter and moved my mother in to my home.

The transition was a difficult process for my mother. She lived independently since the age of eighteen years old. I had a full time work and school schedule along with a 5 and 3 year old. Life was busy. Still I did all that I could to keep my mother comfortable. Watching her decline was unbearable. I prayed endlessly. First I asked God to take away the cancer and heal her. Then I began asking God to end her pain. At one point I even asked God to take her up to heaven. I even begged my mother to stop fighting and let go.

I was tired of seeing her in pain. I was tired of the parade of nurses, home attendants and social workers in and out of my living space. I went through all of the stages of grief.

When my mom left me to claim her spot in heaven it was a Sunday evening. That weekend I invited her closest family members to come spend time with her so that they could say their goodbyes. I knew her life was coming to an end. My mom’s body began to shut down. She had no desire to eat food or drink liquids. I called up the nurse and asked her to come check my mother out. She confirmed what I already knew. My mother was end of life.

We arrived at the Haven Hospice Unit inside of Bellevue Hospital about 2:30p.m. I felt numb. I knew what was about to happen. I called my daughter to the hospital so she can bid her grandmother farewell.

A little after 9p.m. I stood by mother’s bedside. I turned on Take Me To The King by Tamela Mann and sang the entire song to my mother. When the song ended I kissed her and my mother took her last breath. I remember that day like it was yesterday.

Caring for a loved one with cancer is very difficult. You are forced to watch your loved one disintegrate. I watched my mother who was strong and independent become weak and fragile. It hurt me to see her in pain and not be able to do anything to help her. Every time I came into my home I feared that I would go into her room and discover the worst.

I am thankful that I was able to be there for her. I am blessed to have been there to care for her as a way of thanking her for giving me life. There is not a day that goes by that I don’t think about my angel.

THE PRISONER’S FAMILY

Being an inmate in a city jail, a state prison or a federal penitentiary is hell to any person that is confined in these trying circumstances. Prisoners are sometimes subjected to violence. They are made to eat less than desirable food. They work for very little pay. The inmates are disrespected by corrections officers. Prisoners are treated inhumane.

This is a sad situation for any human being to endure. What is worst than that is the strain that an incarceration can put on the prisoner’s family. It is like the family is being punished for the crime that their loved one committed.

The visiting process is enough to make any loved one feel violated. Being searched to enter a facility feels like a complete violation. Family members tend to feel degraded when we are asked to remove socks and shoes, shake out our bras and then wait until the loved one is produced which can take anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours. Sometimes these visits can be as short as an hour. Exiting the facility and leaving your loved one behind is a very painful feeling.

Although inmates are allowed to communicate with loved ones by phone, mail and email the communication process is still not adequate. Inmates are at times restricted from using the phones. Loved ones of those incarcerated are in need of constant communication. The communication is what eases the fear that we have of the unknown.

Not only is having a loved one in prison emotionally draining, it is a financial burden. We have expenses and bills to pay. Now we are faced with depositing money into commissary accounts and sending off packages.

Still the realest victims are the children. Parents are missing precious moments and milestones. Although this is rough for an incarcerated parent it is even more painful for the child. Children suffer from feelings of fear, separation anxiety, loneliness and depression when a parent is incarcerated.

As adults we must be aware of our actions. We must be mindful that our actions affect other people. This is the world according to Regina.

Written: Regina Alston