Brooklyn – Street Line Video

Adhama “Pretty Lyon” Cruel

Adhama “Pretty Lyon” Cruel is Brooklyn, NY native as well as overall entertainer. As a recording artist, dancer, model, and actress “Pretty Lyon” as she is known professionally has put together quite an impressive resume of work in New York City and the surrounding areas. A trained dancer and vocalist, PrettyLyon released her project, Princess Of Brooklyn Mixtape and participated in The Black Light Chronicles, which serves as a compilation album featuring established contemporaries.

Wanting nothing more than to be a model for hard work, and quality Pretty Lyon is a spokeswoman for the unity of women in Hip Hop and the entertainment industry as a whole. Living, and breathing the arts both inside and out of the booth Pretty Lyon is at home as a creator. The ever personable upstart is on the scene frequently shaking hands and creating relationships that will last, while promoting her brand. Turning her childhood passion for writing poems into full compositions of music that share her thoughts, experiences and speak for those who are voiceless in a sense. The release of her debut Good Girl Bad Habits introduced this Princess to the world and her moves henceforth have solidified the reason for her being on a lot of people’s radar. With more to come, Pretty Lyonis certainly an artist who will come to blossom in today’s entertainment business creating a catalog of great work.

– IMDb Mini Bio

Written by Charisse Smith

Reflections of Hip Hop

When Hip Hop was born I was only 6 years old living in Marlboro projects in Brooklyn New York. As I got older, I would write rhymes and perform at the skating rink. When I was feeling down I could always count on Hip Hop to lift me up. I would go to all the shows and sneak backstage to meet my favorite artists. In Brooklyn, In the 70’s we we’re listening to James Brown, MFSB, Chic, and other soulful artists before Rappers Delight hit the world by storm in 79′. After that it quickly became a “Domino effect“, everybody wanted in. The rest is history. The first Hip Hop song I fell in love with was Planet Rock, I got lost in those drums. I played it over and over and my mom use to scream at me “Iris, turn that sh** down!!!!” I remember like it was yesterday. The first years of Hip Hop were the best years of my life with park jams, skate jams and parties. Hip Hop brought everyone together and formed a bond that can never be broken. After 44 years Hip Hop is still in my blood and always will be. I can go on and on but I’ll leave it as “Long Live Hip Hop!!!!”

Lisa Lisa takes the Bronx home!

Lisa Lisa rips summer stage in the Bronx. ” I Wonder If I Take Home” was the song and the crowd sang as the 80’s pop star brought her talent to St. Mary’s Park located on 450 St Ann’s Ave, Bronx, NY,10454. It became a disco frenzy. The crowd of young and old danced and bobbed their heads reminiscing how music use to be. A fan screamed out, “Thank you God for real music! I love you, Lisa!” Lisa Lisa belted out hit melodies as the crowd sung along. Throughout the park, the audience’s cheers echoed over the singer. Lisa welcomed it as she looked into the crowd while watching the audience – made up of all ages. Chickie Gonzalez of the Bronx was celebrating her 50th birthday with her family and was surprised by the free Lisa Lisa concert. When she heard that Lisa Lisa was performing, she moved her party over to the side where the concert was. She reported that it was the best birthday party she ever had. The park was packed with thousands of people, no one could barely move. Truly an unforgettable night, thanks to Lisa Lisa.

The City Parks Foundation has been giving free concerts and free events for many years. Log on to http://www.cityparksfoundation.org/summerstage/ for a concert near you.
Thanks, Summer Stage!

Written by: Street Line

The Legacy of Lil’ Kim: The Queen Bee

For someone who is very short with such a huge personality, style and attitude, this woman is definitely someone who will not be forgotten in hip hop. Not only is she hard to miss and hard to not recognize but there is a sweet but sexy woman that has a very hypnotizing kinda thing about her that she had back in her glory days when all the guys were buying her first CD just to see pose half naked on the album photos and flyers. Hence, the name of her debut 1996 album “Hardcore”, she’s raunchy, sexual, unapologetic, materialistic and can kick it with the fellas without hooking up with whoever steps to her with a smile and flirt. This Brooklyn MC by the name Kimberly Jones aka Lil’ Kim. Lil’ Kim got her start in the hip hop group Junior M.A.F.I.A., along with Lil’ Cease and the late great Notorious B.I.G. himself. With a list of hits like “Crush On You”, “The Jumpoff”, “Download”, “No Time”, “I Can Love You” with Mary J. Blige, “Ladies Night”, “Magic Stick”, and the list goes on, Kim has been solidified in the game as someone who was not only a fashion icon but someone who was beast in her own right on the stage. She had the presence and attitude that matched the guys on the stage with her and she took no bullshit from anyone. Despite her little riff with Nicki Minaj, Kim is still doing her thing regardless of what anyone says. She’s a huge part of history, not only with The Notorious B.I.G. and Junior M.A.F.I.A. but also with Diddy and the Bad Boy crew as well. In 2017, a new Lil’ Kim album wouldn’t be really necessary unless she takes it back to how she used to do it. It would be something really refreshing.

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

What A Good Look. Kim Goodlook Seabrook

*ALERT*MEDIA*BLOG
It is said that laughter is good for the soul, so when I was invited to a comedy show to hear a Spoken Word Artist, I thought, hmmm this will be different. I had know idea how different…

The Black National Theatre of Harlem housed What To Do Ent. comedy show hosted by JC Best in conjunction with comedians OC the Bus Driver and Kenny Woo.

The opening act was a Spoken Word artist by the name of Kim Goodlook Seabrook. Seabrook is a Bronx native Spoken Word artist and radio personality. You can find her weekly on one of New York City’s budding internet radio stations, I AXIS Radio. With her show Keepin’ it 100 with Kim and Della.

As the night got on its way and following her introduction from JC Best, Kim seemed to float out onto the stage, very poised and confident. She immediately surveyed the crowd and attached with the audience. Kim performed three pieces that night, Cocaine, A Woman’s Identity and Got Dam. The three pieces were very different in content but the same in rawness and reality.

The first piece, cocaine, as u would guest was creative writing about the opioid drug. It spoke of how it seems to be your friend in a time of despair however, just like all fairweather friends it let’s you down in the end. The twist and metephores GoodLook used was so vivid, at one time I literally felt chills as she performed. The second piece was dedicated to all woman kind. Kim relayed the message of don’t lose yourself being a wife, a mother an employee or whatever capacity it is you’re in day to day. The message was always remember to keep your identity as a woman first.
Ms.Seabrook did not forget about the men who was in attendance, she delivered a bold piece titled Got Damn, which focused on the struggle of the Black Man. Seabrook spewed so many truths and nuances about being a Black Man in America it received a standing ovation when it was over. This piece touched on nagging baby mothers, police harassment and much more, not to give too much away, this piece touches and goes into the depths of trying to survive in Amerikkka as a Black Man. Got Damn!
Once Kim bowed out from her performance, there were murmurs in the audience of wows and she’s deep along with she was a show all by herself. Sitting in the audience and to hear and see people’s genuine reaction to her tells a truth I couldn’t make up. Kim Goodlook Seabrook is a force to be reckoned with in the spoken word realm. Her sensual voice her command of tje stage and her piuse and cadence is unmatched. She is a humble person who exudes great energy. I recommend everyone see her live performance, you will not be disappointed. Until you get a chance to hear her live, listen to her pieces on SoundCloud…

Written by Sugarhill Sky.
*No funds were given or services bartered for this write up.
For event coverage, write ups, reviews etc…
Sugarhillsky13@gmail.com

The Life & Times of Shawn Carter

“Shawn Carter was born December 4th….. weighing in at 10lbs. 8 ounces.” Those were the first words that was said on the track “December 4th” but the first time Shawn Carter aka Jay-Z was seen was back in the late 80’s, early 90’s when he and another dope MC named Jaz-O was spitting dope freestyles together. They even did a joints together called “Hawaiian Sophie” and “The Originators.” I do remember seeing the “Hawaiian Sophie” music video for the first time too. It was definitely around 2008 and they played it on VH1 Soul before it was BET Soul. That’s my favorite music channel on T.V. right now but I stopped watching T.V. Anyways, by 1995, Jay released his first joint called “In My Lifetime.” The song wasn’t released on an album or soundtrack but the remix does appear on the 1998 “Streets Is Watching” soundtrack and then there was “I Can Get With That.” That joint was so dope to me. It had this heavy bass beat with a piano sound in the background on the beat that reminds me of the Charlie Brown cartoon. Jay was flowin’ like crazy on that joint. Only true hip hop and Jay-Z fans know about that one. On June 25th, 1996, Jay finally came with “Reasonable Doubt.” A lot of people say it’s his best work til this day. Jay got a crazy huge discography so it’s gonna take a while to go through them all but I got to. I was only 2 when “Reasonable Doubt” dropped but I do remember hearing “Can’t Knock the Hustle” with my boo Mary J. Blige and “Dead Presidents.” That album gives you this movie in your head about the drugs and street life. Can’t forget about “Ain’t No Nigga” with my boo Foxy Brown and “Feelin’ It” but “Regrets” is my favorite on the album. Now the next joint “In My Lifetime, Vol. 1” is my personal favorite Jay-Z album. This was considered the “commercial” Jay. A lot of people hated Jay for going so mainstream so quickly and thought the songs were cheesy but to me, the entire joint from beginning to end is a fuckin’ masterpiece. A couple of songs I could do without but it’s incredible to me. The production especially. The album starts the same way “Reasonable Doubt” does. I love how he used the sample of “A Fly Girl” by Boogie Boys on the joint “I Know What Girls Like” and “(Always Be My) Sunshine” is my favorite on the album along with “Who You Wit II.” That album takes me back to that little boy growing up in the late 90’s early 2000’s. Then Jay takes it back to the streets with “Vol. 2… Hard Knock Life.” Another dope Jay album in a row. That’s 3 albums in 3 years consecutively. The ghetto anthem itself “Hard Knock Life” is a top 5 Jay-Z record, hands down. “Money, Cash, Hoes” is my favorite on the album too. DMX’s part always gets me hyped and it reminds me of my cousin from the South. LOL! “Vol. 3… Life and Times of S. Carter” I didn’t really like this joint. It was boring to me compared to the first three and the singles are the only songs I like. “The Dynasty: Roc La Familia” was okay too. Nothing too crazy. The whole Roc-a-Fella family appeared on this one. “I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me)” is a top 10 Jay-Z joint to me. Then Jay comes with “The Blueprint.” This album is a top 5 Jay-Z album. His strongest since “Reasonable Doubt.” I personally didn’t consider this album to be that great until later on. “Girls, Girls, Girls” and “Song Cry” are my favorites. “The Best of Both Worlds” with R. Kelly is underrated to me. That was banged from beginning to end. That’s a party album, all the way through. It’s very early 2000’s. R. Kelly’s R&B sex talk and Jay’s good vibes worked together great but no singles were released due to R’s charges at the time. “The Blueprint 2” is hands down my least favorite Jay-Z album. To me it didn’t stand out to me and the singles are the only joints that I like. “Bitches & Sisters” and “All Around the World” are the only joints like besides the singles though. “The Black Album” is my second favorite Jay-Z album. This was supposed to be his last album. I remember him saying that he was retiring after this one but New York without new Jay-Z music then was unheard of. Highly unlikely. “Unfinished Business” was supposed to be the sequel to “The Best of Both Worlds” but it’s another flop to me. “Kingdom Come” is my third favorite Jay album. Another Jay album that a lot of people considered to be his worst but I like this one just as much as “In My Lifetime, Vol. 1.” For some reason, the underrated stuff is the stuff I always seem to like the most. “Beach Chair”, “Do U Wanna Ride” and “The Prelude” are my favorites. “American Gangster” to me is like a sequel to “Reasonable Doubt” just on another level. When I was in high school, “Hello Brooklyn” was on repeat on my MP3 player. I was obsessed with that joint. The beat was something crazy I never heard before. “The Blueprint 3” is the beginning of what I call the “office chair Jay-Z.” His success as a business man stood out more than the music at this point. I didn’t see Jay as that Brooklyn MC anymore, now he’s the one appearing in suits and ties every damn where. I’m not hating or anything, it’s just not the same but this album was dope to me. I do remember these songs coming out at the time it did. My early high school days in the late 2000’s. “Watch the Throne”, I remember people going crazy about it because of Kanye West’s involvement. This album has mainstream written all over it though but it’s another banger and “Magna Carta Holy Grail” was dope too. I enjoyed how different it is compared to the rest of Jay’s stuff. Jay-Z came a long way from those Jaz-O days back in Brooklyn, those “Reasonable Doubt” days but through it all he always put out dope music. I grew up on Jay-Z so that’s why he’s my top 5 favorite along with Biggie. He’s the ultimate hustler who just so happens to know how to rap. The ultimate New York MC.

Ill Na Na: The 20th Anniversary Edition!

On November 19th, 1996, a young, hardcore chick from Brooklyn, who is my all time favorite female MC, released her debut album. 20 years later, the album is still a masterpiece from beginning to end. Banger after banger, hit after hit, there are no misses on this joint right here. Yo, I hate saying “female MC” because their sex shouldn’t be the focus, it’s the skills that matters and this chick right here definitely got the skills on the mic and that’s why she’s my top favorite. When I listen to her, she’s raw, she’s hard, she’s hood wit it, she’s got the balls, the attitude, the style, and sexy all at the same time. Very hard but feminine at the same time. Skin dark like dark chocolate and has a in-your-face style too. The 18 year old was Brooklyn’s own Foxy Brown. 1996 may be the year she released her debut album but it was the year before that when she appeared as a guest on LL Cool J’s remix to the joint “I Shot Ya” and to me she had the best verse. Foxy from the beginning was a beast. She gives me goosebumps when I listen to her. People pin her and Lil’ Kim against each other from the beginning since they both came out probably a week from each other. They may be similar in some ways but Foxy does something to me that Kim doesn’t. Now, “Ill Na Na”, straight banger and I’m not exaggerating. There are absolutely no skips when this joint is on. The album starts off with the “Chicken Coop” intro that’s in true, legendary Trackmasters style. That deep voice that lures you into what’s about to come through your speakers and gives you an introduction of what you’re about to witness, a little history of the team that’s behind Foxy, the label, the year, everything and then finally it’s “Foxy Brownnnnn, the Albummm.” Isaac Hayes makes an appearance at the end of the intro and then there’s the cross fade transition into “(Holy Matrimony) Letter to the Firm.” How ironic because the song samples Isaac Hayes’ “Ike’s Mood, Part 1.” Foxy spits an entire joint dedicated to her The Firm peers, Nas and AZ. Next, it’s “Foxy’s Bells.” Foxy gives you a LL Cool J “Rock the Bells” but on her own twist. She pulled it off in a great way too. Then, we hear the soft sounds of Teddy Riley’s group BLACKstreet on the joint “Get Me Home.” Now I have to clear this up right now. I notice sometimes, here and there, people say it’s “Gotta Get Me Home” when it’s just simply named “Get Me Home”, okay people? A’ight, let’s keep going. This joint was one of the singles off the album. It’s a certified banger and a automatic classic for both Foxy and BLACKstreet. It’s a song to me that never gets old. It’s timeless shit. Chauncey Black was no joke on the vocals and this was around the time when they had new members in the group. Next, “The Promise”, Havoc of Mobb Deep is on this one. This is the Foxy that I love. She brings you that street shit, her stories of being around men who hustle and do street shit and the guy promises her that everything will be straight but in the long run, things will eventually get ugly and of course they do. This part of the album is like a story of a woman whose trapped in a bind. She’s surrounded by these hustlers and she wants to get away. The short interlude “The Set Up”, she wants to leave her man because she believes the relationship isn’t working out but he’s not taking her seriously and then these dudes run up on him who represent for her and protect her by killing him right there on sight. “If I” comes on. It’s a joint that’s the answer to the interlude. She talks about what would happen if she could rewind time back to when life was good. Her life and relationship changes when she starts to blow up and become an artist. Great storytelling. An original purpose in hip hop that I love. “The Chase” is another hard joint about the street life. Running around just trying to survive. “Ill Na Na”, the album title joint, my dude Mef appears on this one. What I love about Mef is that he has a special way of collaborating with people. It’s not just a normal joint featuring Method Man, he actually blends well with other artists by feeling out their vibe and feeding the listeners who he’s vibing with on the track. He’s the perfect collaborator to me. This joint shows love to Foxy about her style and who she is. She almost gives the men a taste of what she likes and what she’s about at the same time giving the ladies some inspiration to be proud of the women they are if they relate to her style and ways. “No One’s” a smooth joint with the smooth sounds of Khadijah Bass. The joint comes from The S.O.S. Band’s “No One’s Gonna Love You.” It works very well over a hip hop track. I honestly don’t think this joint would work with anybody else on the hook and chorus. “Fox Boogie” is hands down my favorite joint on the album just because Kid Capri is on the track. He provides all the flavor and party vibe on the track. This is the joint you put on at parties when everybody come together and have their red cups and everybody is singing along to “Uggggghhhh, na na na naaaaa!” Foxy keeps it strictly Foxy style still. Giving the people who the fuck she is. That cocky rapper joint. Everybody has their cocky tracks and that’s okay. That’s the best part about hip hop: the boldness and rebelliousness. It’s a beautiful thing. The joint transitions into “I’ll Be”, another single released from the album and my boy Jay-Z appears on this one. This is the joint everybody knows when it comes to Foxy Brown. That Rene & Angela sample was genius too. Foxy and Jay have that 90’s Bonnie & Clyde thing going on before he had Beyoncé. The album ends on a continuation of the intro and Isaac Hayes says the last things that he wanted to say before the beat stops. Hands down, this album is my all time favorite when it comes to women in hip hop. Truly a masterpiece. I enjoy it every single time I listen to it. I get this movie in my head of almost a hood version of Romeo & Juliet. I remember posting about this album on it’s 18th and 19th anniversaries too and Foxy showed me love with kisses and heart emojis. She’s truly my heart when it comes to women MC’s. See how I switched it up? But still. I hate the label regardless. It’s safe to end this on a good note. I can finish the movie in my head I have while listening to this album with her video of “Big Bad Mamma” featuring Dru Hill. Stephon Marbury pops up on the sofa across the room from her and goes “Ayo Fox! Why you ain’t at the ball yo!?” It’s the Cinderella story of a hood girl who made it through the shit she been through during “Ill Na Na” and now she’s a survivor. Fox Boogie Brown is definitely bad as hell. Salute to a legend, one of hip hop’s ILLEST women on the M-I-C. Love you Fox! Word, one love.

Lyte As a Rock: Happy Birthday MC Lyte

Lana Michelle Moorer aka MC Lyte is one of hip hop’s greatest MC’s of all time. I hate when people say “female rapper”, so I’m just gonna say “women in hip hop” instead. When it comes to women in hip hop, MC Lyte has definitely been the catalyst and inspiration to other women to come into the game and do it just as well and gain respect for it, especially when hip hop is mostly a male dominated field. MC Lyte along with Queen Latifah, Roxanne Shanté, Sha-Rock (from the group Funky Four Plus One More), Salt-N-Pepa, and Monie Love, just to name a few, are some of hip hop’s earlier women in the game and these ladies definitely held their own. MC Lyte was the first woman in hip hop to actually release a whole album, which was 1988’s “Lyte As a Rock.” After the success of her debut, Lyte kept coming with albums and more hits making her one of hip hop’s most respected woman in the game and a lot of people consider her their first choice when it comes to women in hip hop. Joints like “Cha Cha Cha”, “I Cram 2 Understand U (Sam)”, “Paper Thin”, “Poor Georgie”, “Ice Cream Dream” (from the Mo’ Money soundtrack), “Ruffneck”, “Keep On, Keepin’ On”, “Cold Rock a Party” and more. Lyte is the fly b-girl from Brooklyn with the attitude that caught your attention and kept your attention too. She was hard on the mic and her rhymes were just as tough as the guys on the mic, especially 1993’s “Ruffneck.” She went the hardest on the joint to me. She was describing the hard hood guy hanging on street corners, hustling with a bad attitude with the hardest voice you’ve ever heard Lyte spit. Lyte had bangers, she don’t have too many joints that was wack to me, almost all her shit was dope. She’ll always go down in history as the one of the realest, dead or alive.

Brooklyn’s Don Diva: Happy Birthday Foxy Brown

When it comes to female rappers, depending on the person you ask, an older person from the first generation of hip hop would say either MC Lyte, Queen Latifah or Monie Love, a younger person would say Nicki Minaj or Remy Ma but my all time favorite female MC is Brooklyn’s own Foxy Brown. When I listen her spit she gives me goosebumps, I get an ugly face just listening to her. She has that tough, ghetto girl, Caribbean attitude that I personally love so much. Joints like “I’ll Be”, “I Can’t”, “Oh Yeah”, or her guest verses on “Touch Me, Tease Me” or “I Shot Ya”, every time I listen to Foxy her energy and attitude keeps my attention and focus on her. She’s raunchy and materialistic with an attitude that says “I’ll slap the shit outta you if you try to play me so come correct”, it’s almost sexy to me. LOL! Her 1996 debut album “Ill Na Na”, which turns 20 this November, is one of my favorite hip hop albums but my all time favorite from a female MC. The entire album from beginning to end is another banger. Her sophomore 1999 album “Chyna Doll” was okay. Some songs stood out and others were decent but it didn’t have the same energy as her first joint and 2001’s “Broken Silence” was a confessional album about everything she been through during her life and career. I wish Foxy could bring back that ’96 fire she did with her first album but I still love her. She showed me love on Instagram last year for the anniversary of “Ill Na Na” and it made me very excited and happy. She’s really cool too. Much love to Brooklyn’s Don Diva, the ILL NA NA, Inga Marchand aka Foxy Brown. Happy Birthday Fox.