Archive for August, 2009
Drake "Do It Now"
Monday, August 24th, 2009Green Bay Hires First Black Officer in 152 Years
Monday, August 24th, 2009The Green Bay Wisconsin police department is making history after hiring a Black police officer for the first time in their 152-year history. 31-year old Solomon Ayres will start the first phase of the department's 17-week training this week. According to The Associated Press, he anticipates some resistance from both Black and white residents but thinks his life experiences will help diffuse situations.
Yeah, right. The Green Bay Police Department currently has 177 officers. Fifteen are women, four are Native American or Alaskan American and one is Hispanic. Blacks make up 2.5 percent of Green Bay, Wisconsin's population of 98,000. All I can say is good luck to that brother! I think he'll need it…
Pastor Arrested For Embezzling $800,000 From Church
Monday, August 24th, 2009Police in Compton arrested a Baptist church pastor on charges of embezzlement. Reverend E. Joshua Sims of Double Rock Baptist Church is believed to have stolen more than $800,000 from the church. Police believe that between March 2000 and September 2008 Sims diverted church funds into his personal bank account. They also believe that when church members questioned him about his finances, he threatened them during his sermons. Pastor Sims is being charged with grand theft by embezzlement, money laundering and witness intimidation.
Lawyer Wants Artists Held Accountable For Actions
Monday, August 24th, 2009Lauren Raysor, the attorney that prosecuted rapper Remy Ma, resulting in her 8 year bid, has become an advocate putting an end to violence within the music industry. The initial step being voiced by Raysor is for record executives to develop a “morality clause” within the contracts of their artists which will serve as a reprimand and establish that consequences come with poor decisions.
Accompanied by Nicole Bailey, the principal of The Learning Tree Multi-Cultural School, a press conference will be held today in New York. The discussion comes two years after the shooting of her client, Makeda Barnes-Joseph, by the female rapper.
Remy Ma, legally known as Reminisce Smith, was sentenced to 8 years for (more...)
Rani G. Whitfield: The Hip-Hop Doc
Monday, August 24th, 2009Dr. Rani G. Whitfield MD is incorporating new methods to reach his patients about taking care of themselves. Rani, a board certified family physician practicing in Baton Rogue Louisiana is using Hip-Hop to speak about preventive measures for HIV, hypertension, diabetes and other death causing illness affecting the African American community at alarming rates.
Recently releasing his album State of Emergency, Rani, known in the world of Hip-Hop as “The Hip-Hop Doc” and “H2D” is using lectures and music to the youth to promote a healthy lifestyle which they can carry into adulthood.
Having appeared on lecture circuits across the country and performing as well, H2D has been featured on 106 & Park and national talk shows of Michael Baisden and Tom Joyner. Encouraging exercise, eating healthy and seeing your family physician on the regular, H2D manages to promote better living without sounding gimmicky and also has several star patients including Louisiana, MC, Lil' Boosie, who suffers from diabetes.
Check out Hip-Hop Wired's interview with The Hip-Hop Doc who'll be contributing to the site and bringing important health issues to the forefront. Also for more info on H2D, log on to www.h2doc.com.
Mickey Factz Speaks On New Projects and Warren G Diss
Monday, August 24th, 2009XXL Freshman Class alum Mickey Factz recently spoke to HipHopWired about his upcoming projects and long awaited debut. The Brooklyn MC said,
“I got a couple of songs coming and a couple of video games that are gonna do really big. Also I got a project that I've been working on that's supposed to be dropping in October or November that's gonna be real, real crazy. I can't give too much but it's gonna be backed by a very big company and the album is coming next year and I can't stress that enough. It's called The New Museum. It's gone be crazy. I got (more...)
Snoop Dogg Partners With Tommy The Clown To Help Inner City Youth
Monday, August 24th, 2009Snoop Dogg recently announced his partnership with famed entertainer Tommy the Clown to create an organization called the C.L.O.U.T. (Changing Lives One Youth at a Time) Foundation. The foundation will aim to provide a creative and social outlet for at-risk youth in order to help avoid the misplaced creative energy which too often results in gang violence, crime, and abuse.
The first event organized by C.L.O.U.T. is a monthly Battle Night. Battle Night, held at the Los Angeles Trade-Technical College's Grand Theater and hosted and emceed by Tommy the Clown, allows young people to compete and showcase their (more...)
Da Beatminerz Launch Online Radio Show
Monday, August 24th, 2009Legendary production duo, Da Beatminerz have unveiled their newest endeavour. Beatminerz Radio (www.dabeatminerz.com) is online, with a line-up of well-known DJ's and daily programming.
"We're really excited about Beatminerz Radio and the important contributions it will make to music," said Mr. Walt, President and Programming Director of Beatminerz Radio. "Urban music hasn't had a broadcast stage like this before. Beatminerz Radio will make radio uniquely personal to listeners around the world."
Beatminerz Radio has already proven this statement to be true. To date, without an official launch, Beatminerz Radio has attracted over 42,000 listeners all around the world. From musically established countries like Canada, UK, Germany and Japan to countries where Hip Hop exposure is (more...)
Election Day Black Panther Inquiries Stonewalled
Friday, August 21st, 2009The Obama administration's Justice Department has continued to dodge inquiries related to the a voter intimidation case, in which, charges against the New Black Panther Party were dropped.
The incident took place on election day when Bartle Bull, a former civil rights attorney and publisher of the left-wing Village Voice, witnessed what he called "the most blatant case of voter intimidation I've ever seen." Bull and other witnesses said two member of the New Black Panther Party, clad in paramilitary uniforms stood outside a polling place in Philadelphia brandishing a billie club at the entrance.
Bulls aid he heard one Black Panther say, "You are all about to be owned by the black man, cracker!"
At the start of year, the Justice Depratment filed a civil lawsuit against the New Black Panther Party and three of its members, under claims that they violated the Voting Rights Act of 1965 by scaring voters with weapons, uniforms and racial slurs. In March, Bull submitted an affidavit to support it's lawsuit.
None of the defendants, however, filed a response to the complaint and failed to appear in a Philadelphia Federal District Court. Prosecutors were under the impression that justice would prevail by default, but to much surprise, the charges were suddenly dropped against two members in May. The third, King Samir Shabazz was restricted from displaying a weapon within 100 feet of a polling place, an action that is already illegal under existing law.
Congressional Republicans were outraged over the decision. On July 30 the Washington Times reported that six lawyers who were adamant about pursuing the case were overruled by Associate Attorney General Thomas Perrelli. Chief Diana Flynn, pushed for the continuation of the case to :prevent the paramilitary style intimidation of voters" in the future.
On August 7, the U.S. Commission of Civil Rights voted to continue the investigation and confirmed their efforts in a letter.
"We believe the Department's defense of its actions thus far undermines respect for rule of law," its letter stated. It noted "the peculiar logic" of one Justice argument, that defendants' failure to show up in court was a reason for dismissing the case: "Such an argument sends a perverse message to wrongdoers—that attempts at voter suppression will be tolerated so long as the persons who engage in them are careful not to appear in court to answer the government's complaint."
The commission also noted it plans to subpoena witnesses if the Justice does not explain its motion to dismiss the case.
Okay, quick sidebar: Let them have this one. Seriously. The Panthers simply stated an opinion and waved around a night stick. They didn't physically harm anyone. Which is more that can be said for the some of the beatings, hosing and hangings black people endured to gain voting rights to begin with, but who's rehashing the past? Even though Obama's win was inevitable, these three brothas just wanted to be sure. Ha!
Katrina Evacuees Charged With Fraud After Oprah's Aid
Friday, August 21st, 2009The aftermath behind the slow federal response to Hurricane Katrina victims was more than enough to have showbiz bigwigs from Brad Pitt to Oprah digging in their deep pockets to lend a helping hand.
Unfortunately, four people found a way to take advantage of "Oprah's Angel Network" charity, in which, the daytime television mogul bought new homes for evacuees to reside. The four suspects have been charged with wrongfully obtaining federal rental assistance after purchasing a home built by Oprah's network.
Darlene McGruder Poole, 30, of Houston, and her sister, Lashona McGruder Victor, 37, of La Place, La., are charged together with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, according to the U.S. attorney's office in Houston.
Kiesha Murphy, 34, of Houston, and Angela Payne, aka Angela McKinnies, 38, of Houston, are charged separately with theft of government property and making false statements to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
In a partnership with Habitat for Humanity, Oprah's charity build and furnished homes for approximately 65 families who had been displaced and forced to relocate to Houston, Texas, as a result of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita's irreparable damage.
"The response to natural disasters brings out the best and worst in people," U.S. Attorney Tim Johnson said in a statement. "Generous acts of charity are tarnished by those who despite the generosity of others, fraudulently make claims for government relief funds."
One alleges Poole submitted declarations of need for continued rental assistance after her August 2006 purchase of an Angel Lane home. Victor, meanwhile, registered with FEMA as Poole's landlord and submitted fraudulent lease agreements and rental receipts, prosecutors charge.
Murphy and Payne are are charged with two indictments of submitting fraudulent claims for rental assistance after buying Angel Lane homes in July 2006.
Victor and Poole face up to $250,00-0 in fines and face up to 20 years in prison in convicted. Murphy and Payne, on the other hand, each face up to five years in prison for false statement charges and up to 10 years imprisonment for theft of government property and a $250,000 if convicted.
