Speaking of snitches

Ok so, Paid in Full is one of my favorite movies...OF ALL TIME. Its full of life lessons like, once my children get up some size (once I have children), I'm gonna sit them down and watch this with them. Its a great example of how everybody and everything has its price and how money is the route of all evil. Anyway, if you don't know anything about this move; go rent it...now, or check www.imdb.com for the plot summary, I dont feel like schoolin yall.

...Ok you twisted my arm. Paid in Full is based on the true story of how 3 young kids (young as in teenagers) came up to get really big in the coke game in Harlem in the 80s and ultimately...how they fall.

The real life people Rich Porter "the transporter" (Mitch in the movie, played by Mekhi Phifer), AZ (Ace in the movie, played by Wood Harris) Alpo (Rico in the movie, played by Cam'Ron) are still legends in Harlem and you can hear references made to them in Rap lyric, if you listen.

*Movie ending spoiler*

Rico (played by Cam'ron) Kills Mitch over some kilos of cocaine and then gets caught by the feds and snitches on people to get a lighter sentence. I thought it was ironic how Mr. "Stop Snitching" plays the role (quite well) as Harlem's biggest snitch.

Anyway people in Harlem have since then been discussing what makes a "kingpin snitch." There was a movie called Game Over that told the real story with interviews of people who were there. But now, they've decided to talk directly to Alpo and let him explain himself. Check the trailor



I'm sure you can catch it in barbershops and streetcorners everywhere soon enough.

~Charity

H!p Hop Theater Festival

The 6th Annual, Hip Hop Theater Festival hosted at Chicago's Museum of Contemporary Arts is back again. According to Rha Goddess, lyricist and social activist, this is for... "For those of us who've grown up in this culture and have seen the various eras -- old school, true school, new school, next school, the other audience is people who really love theater and are very interested in exploring how American theater is innovating in terms of this new wave." Well put if you ask me, this will in fact be my FIRST time in attendance but I do not see my expections being unmet. On the first & 2nd, the event consisted of on stage readings and tonight is the "Official Kick Off" party at the Funky Buddha lounge that I could not attend, but still sent many of my friends to scope out the joint for me. Anyway, the schedule is as follows:

• Friday, May 4, 2007 :: 7:30 P.M.

Jerry Quickley's Live from the
Front

Written &
performed by Jerry QuickleyDirected by reg e. gainesHosted by
Cap-D of All
Natural

• Saturday, May 5, 2007 :: 2 P.M.

Roundtable w/ Jerry Quickley & Cap D

Moderated by
Amina Hawkins Co-presented with Columbia College Chicago and
Young Chicago
Authors

• Saturday, May 5, 2007 :: 7:30 P.M.

Shorts – A Night of Excerpted
Works Featuring: We Got
Issues, Still Fabulous, Avery R. Young &
the Young

Present your ticket stub for a prior HHTF: Chicago 2007 show and get $5
off!

• Saturday, May 5, 2007 :: 10 P.M.

Chicago 's Finest: Hip-Hop Roots &
CultureFeaturing Awesome
Style Konnection / F.E.W. Hosted by
Rhymefest

Present your ticket stub for a prior HHTF: Chicago 2007 show and get $5
off!

• Sunday, May 6, 2007 :: 2 P.M.

Low, Part 1: The Meditations Trilogy Written
&
performed by Rha GoddessDeveloped & directed by Chay YewHosted by
Brendan Ayanbadejo of the Chicago Bears

Present your ticket stub for a prior HHTF: Chicago 2007 show and get $5
off!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Price: $10-$20 per show [10 FOR STUDENTS]; $5 off each additional show.

Tickets: mcachicago.org

Box office: 312-397-4010

Produced by: Museum of Contemporary Art, Columbia College Chicago and Young Chicago Authors

In OTHER news, I went to see the Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theatres and it was PURE genius. You really don't have to take my word for it because I have a wierd sense of humor but KNOW that I will b copping it when it comes on DVD mostly for the intro to the movie, and the end 'cause that's how I roll, you can check out the trailer .................................................................HERE[click here]

p.s. my nails are lime green...DON'T BE JEALOUS

haha,

Mel!ssa

[insert witty blog title here]

I normally sit on the fence on the issue of streetware, so I get the bird's eye view. And what I've observed is that because the market has become sooooooo saturated soooooooo quickly that its like...everything is like a copy, of a copy, of a copy. (c) Edward Norton in Fight club (notice how his character never had a name). Its like, somethin is hot, and then everybody does it until its dead...just think "all-over prints." Personally, I think it just perpetuates poserism, swaggerjacking, and hipsterness; (the three are pretty much interchangable in their WACKNESS). The concept of them all is to trying to "be cool," instead of just wearing what you like. If you buy your clothes because you think that [insert name of 'in crowd'] will think this is hot, then you probably fit into one of the 3 aforementioned categories.

Anyway...back to streetware, I thought the purpose was to be creative but everyone making tees didn't get the memo... Don't get me wrong, there are still some companies with original design concepts and witty phrases so I figured I'd highlight a few

I hate seeing buys with bandanas (you ain't robbin shit) but this one is clever. If you don't get it then I feel bad for you.

This one is the doing of acclaimed stencil artist Logan Hicks. If you're not hip to Hicks, get familiar. If you're looking for "urban art" to put in your crib, make it look swanky and what not, he might have exactly what you're looking for. http://workhousevisuals.com

And along the same lines, a clothing company called Bread has come up with this clever tee.

I think it makes a good gag gift for any "studio gangster" you know. It speaks volumes to me but I wont get into the deep interpretation I've done of this t-shirt that makes it so great...I will just say that it's witty. But beware, this is just for style; if you're looking for real protection, your best bet is a roll of duct tape and some phone books.

~charity

For What It's Worth #3

It's that time of the year again where the smsidk girls show you right, yu reeeeaady??

Charity's 3::
1. Looks like the Baby Bulls grew up today huh...word to the Swiffer. Chicago stand up, wait you ain't gotta stand up cause you never sat down; except for like that 10 years after the 6th championship but...thats in the past. I don't have much to say but that I'm sooooooooo glad that the Bulls beat the Heat; the Heat are boring to watch and Wade need an excuse to rest his shoulder. Love for the game can make you do things not in your best interest (like play with a separated shoulder). Them boys got talent...im rollin with em to take the whole east...why not.

2. Chipotle...but not the burritos...oh no. Its all about the crispy chicken tacos. I would suggest you get them with corn and tomatos, sour cream cheese and lettuce or as I say "maiz, tomate, creme, queso y lechuga" (they like it when I speak my Spanish). Anyway...try it its good.

3. In 2007, watching the Cosby show as an adult is TOTALLY different. I realized that, the Huxtable parents were waaaaaaaaaay older than mine are. I realized how annoying Vanessa was, they shoulda wrote her into getting cancer or something. I realized that they were richer than anybody I knew back then (I know wealthy people now). I learned that Claire and Cliff had a very very healthy sex life (the children ranging the ages of 22 with Saundra and 4 with Rudy should've been a clue). Anyway, thank Nick at Night for allowing me to RE-enjoy one of my favorite Childhood shows. Since this week was Huxtapalooza...I decided to share one of my favorite cosby moments...enjoy




Melissa's 3::

1. Ok ya'll, our boy Floyd "freshdaily" of Cincinnati, OH did us ALL a favor by showing us what it's like to have a "BULLSHIT JOB" like we talked about earlier this week, I've spoken to him on many an occasion (@ work) where he goes on & on about how WHACK the job is but how much he NEEEEDS to pay the bills, anyway, take a gander at how he keeps his blood flowing at his desk, you may not find it funny but I know that when in the office I get the itch to do something just like this::




p.s. You can check out Floyd's line,Cope$etic online, just click the word Cope$etic anywhere on this page.

2. The second, since my partner in crime is fixxed on not letting me share my ENTIRE wknd with you I'm gonna ride with Ibiza Couture on this one. Ibiza, located at 233 E. 47th St. in Chicago, is a hidden gem, despite it's popularity amongst it's already loyal customers, I think it's safe to say that it's being very well slept on && it's about time the community is woke the FUCK UP. Now, I know there's been this BIG move towards higher end fashion in the REAL urban Chicago aka the HOOD and because of that I KNOW that people rush out of the house to the northside, downtown & suburban areas of this BIG city to cop the most expensive, cleanest most DOPE pairs of jeans to go with their L&D, Undercrwn, Nike SB's and Creative Recreations but why do THAT when you can give money not ONLY back to one of your own (real) surrounding communities, but to a black owned business and save on gas, which was $3.29 last night by the way, when you drive down the block you may think, "Are you sure there's a store on this street that sells LEGIT pairs of 4-500 dollar jeans?(for BOTH men and women)" then you see it, like a SORE THUMB it's sitting their, sticking out mind you, as if to say "I HAVE ARRIVED" to it's local competition and even the well known and respected department stores all around the nation. Ibiza demands your attention and that you dare speak on it's location. Keeping it real, Ibiza Couture is now, and from what it looks like is forever going to be WHAT'S UP.

3. Do you know who James Spader is? K, do you knoooow what Boston Legal is? Do you know whaaat Pretty In Pink is? Well if you answered "No." to all of the above questions then you suck well I guess just only the last of the three because Pretty In Pink is a bloody classic no matter what race, creed or culture you come from. Anyway, in the movie James Spader plays Steff, and Steff is an ass hole, period LOL there's nothing extra to add to that description especially 'cause the movie, nor his character in it is the point of this choice, I choose James Spader because that boy had a HEAD OF HAIR on him. I mean it's so...beautiful LOL and that's that. Just know that I would NOT mind grabbing a hand full of that...uh...while playing a crazy game of xtreme volleyball of course ;-) Just GOOGLE it if you don't believe me.

And from the first of us we present...Bill Withers


Here's why:

Charity says: Cause the man's a genius and he makes music that fits every mood I've ever been or could ever find myself in or would like to be in...Just the 2 of Us, Lovely Day, Ain't no Sunshine, Use Me and...let me not forget LEAN ON ME. Ok I will stop...listen and love

Melissa says: Simply because "Use Me" is the ILLEST song...ever, it's str8 up and that's how I like it.