The Chicken or the Egg came 1st

Does Kanye Jack the shit of other peoples ideas?? You be the judge....

Happy Spring

First Day of Spring, Flowers are blooming, Boobies are out, and here's a video of Kayne, Lupe, and Mos doing a rendition of "Umi Says". "Tomorrow may never come, this life is not promised"! 

#PrayForJapan

Nuf Said

Roses that Grew from Concrete: My impression of DC Young Playwrights Festival First Reading

My next acting project in the DMV (DC, Maryland, and Virginia) is with a wonderful little company called the Young Playwrights Theater (YPT). This group goes into high schools in the DC area, and conducts playwriting residences, and workshops. Annually they host the Young Playwrights Festival, a collection of plays from writers that were educated in these workshops. I'm luckily one of the actors hired to perform these new pieces.


To understand the uniqueness of YPT, you have to understand DC's public schools. DC has one of the worst school systems in the country. It has a 66% graduation rate (compared to a 93% at Howard County where I work)*. Its average SAT scores are well below the national average. The average math score is a 399 and a 404 in reading (compared to 501 and 516 for the national average)*. AYP (Annual Yearly Performance) is the minimum statistic a school needs each year mandated by "No Child Left Behind" and Obama's slightly different take "Race for the Top". It's measured through various kinds of stats compilled by the government including graduation rate, drop out rate, test scores, etc. Out of the 11 high schools in the DC system, only 4 made AYP last year*. Remember, that is the bare minimum set by government. To make matters worse it has a majority "minority" student population, with over 81% of the students African American and 11% Hispanic.*


Yet despite these obstacles, the playwrights of YPT have compiled unique and thrilling pieces. They tackle difficult topics like Gentrification to Gender Identity. I was struck on how subtle and perceptive these pieces were. Each writer had a very unique voice and topic matter, and the language was prevalent and poetic.

This is the social media generation. The kids born in the Late 90s, who have no concept of a world without facebook, or twitter. Where pop music is not a genre, but all encompassing concept. Subversive no longer exists. Materialism is the new religion, and we are quickly becoming a globalized culture. Sex has lost its soul, and is now simply an act to engage in. These kids are faced with very adult issues in an increasingly immature culture.


However for all our worry, a new perspective is developing in these children. One that we 20-somethings are failing to see and understand. It's a perspective born from a diversity that even my friends have not experienced. For example, homosexuality in when I went to high school was as distant a concept as the Middle East. We knew it existed, and even heard rumors about one or two of our peers. Walking down the hallway of the high school I work at today, I can't help but notice the same-sex couples holding hands almost definitely, or sneaking kisses before returning to class. Though it causes me to blink, the students walk by oblivious to it. This freedom is allowing these students to explore elements of their sexuality that Americans have never seen before. This environment forged the beautiful piece that I work on this Saturday; about one girl's difficulty with her gender and sexual orientation.


Working with YPT made me take a step back. With all our worries about our nation's future we fail to see the potential. That there are new and inspiring artist maturing right now, with voices that are as unique and diverse as the landscape of this beautiful country.


Young Playwrights Festival opens April 11^th and runs till April 13^th at the GALA Hispanic theater. Tickets are free, so if you're in the DMV please check it out. For more information on YPT check out their website here.



*Information from DC public school's website:
http://dcps.dc.gov/portal/site/DCPS/

What the FLIPSTICK IS THIS?! (I stopped cursing for lent)

Well it seems that The Cuban stole my thunder about the state of hip hop and all of that.  That was going to be my article.  But I went to the CIAA tournament in Charlotte and was subjected to "Coonery"  I'm sorry but that's just what it was...  There were two songs that I heard while there that really stuck with me. They are terrible songs.  They make no sense, and if you can tell me what they are talking about I will give you a dollar...

Please go down to the bottom of the blog to pause the music so that you can hear this nonsense.  I suggest you only listen ONCE, anymore than that and you really don't love yourself...

This first song is called "Throwed Off".... what does that MEAN!?!  You only need to hear the first 30 seconds of the song to know nothing good will come of this nonsense.




The second song is called "Racks"... WHAT IS A RACK?! Why does this video have a disclaimer that is grammatically incorrect?  Even if they had correctly written "Won't" instead of "Want" it would still sound like no education went into the individuals involved.  And I hate this song more than the first one because it makes me want to dance.  I have no clue what he's saying, but I feel like I've been programmed to enjoy this music.  Only difference is, I realize its not a good song.




I'm done.  Commercialism and dumb niggas are ruining hiphop... Even Lupe's last CD has suffered.  If he could have made 8 more tracks like "All black Everything" it would have went down as one of the best CD's ever.  It's extremely over produced and Lupe's words become secondary to the production.  UGH!  I quit...

I like this video.... Forget you Cuban.. I'ma post this joint.



L'Chaim,

P!ed P!per

The Not-so-Brief and Expected Life of BET

 Remember when BET used to show music like this:

As I sat, and watched five minutes of the latest episode of "106 and Park" with my little brother, I marveled how a television program dedicated to the showcase of Black Culture could have fallen so far. In an effort to pin-point exactly when BET went from the pinnacle of black owned entertainment to this:

we should take a hard look at its history. 5ivebruhs presents the not-so-brief and expected life of BET.

BET was launched in January 25th, 1980 by a former lobbyists named Robert L. Johnson. With very little in the way of black entertainment, BET originally showcased music videos and reruns of black sitcoms.

It wasn't until 1988 when BET launched a news program called BET News that it began to find its voice in the black community. BET began to cover special events with a new perspective and broadcast programs designed to discuss issues relevant to black people. BET kept its finger on the pulse of young African Americans who were struggling to gather their voice after the death of their prominent leaders.

BET was also one of the few producing organizations that took seriously the art of Hip-hop. Rap city gave us hip-hop relatively uncensored, and allowed artists to showcase their talent.

But like all things subversive and popular by a minority group, a major corporation got a hold of it. In 2000, BET was sold to Viacom, and Johnson stepped down to employ Debra L. Lee.

Now part of a major media conglomerate, BET attempted to give its fan base what they wanted (or what any major media executive believed young black people wanted). Booty, and reality TV. BET ended its news programing in 2000, replacing it with such gems as Baldwin Hills, Hell Date, and the Game. Following the funeral of Coretta Scott King, BET showed its regularly scheduled music videos when even FOX news covered the funeral live.

The decline of quality BET programs mirrors the decline of the Hip-Hop industry (I say industry and not culture because the culture is still alive and evolving). Both have been watered down, and designed to perpetuate the stereotypes they were designed to destroy. Both regularly are the subject of jokes in American culture; both are starting to look like a train wreck.

I can argue that BET was dissolved by "the man", but I am tired of using that excuse. BET is no longer a black owned company, but its still black run, and employs black talent. Why do we continue to allow ourselves to be represent so poorly by our own people? When do we say enough is enough?

Ponder this quote from BET co-founder Sheila Johnson.

“I don’t watch it. I suggest to my kids that they don’t watch it. When we started BET, it was going to be the Ebony magazine on television. We had public affairs programming. We had news... I had a show called Teen Summit we had a large variety of programming, but the problem is that then the video revolution started up... And then something started happening, and I didn’t like it at all. And I remember during those days we would sit up and watch these videos and decide which ones were going on and which ones were not. We got a lot of backlash from recording artists...and we had to start showing them. I didn’t like the way women were being portrayed in these videos.

And now your moment of Zen.

hello

when change is uncomfortable, then you know its necessary.

-the end.

Exit Through the Gift Shop

If anyone consistently reads 5ivebruhs or knows me pretty personally then you know I have a very strong fascination with street art and particularly the anonymous UK street artist Banksy. He does grafitti in the form of spray paint on stensil and also acrylic. He also has been known to do installation art pieces and sculptures. The cool thing about Banksy is his political and social commentary in most of his piece besides his anonymity and refusal to reveal himself. He's like an art superhero.

Recently he released a documentary about street art and artists that was nominated for an Academy Award. I would tell you about it but I think it would be best if you just watched it for yourself. I will however drop the trailer on the blog. definitely check it out tho. I'm pretty sure its on Netflix instant play. Definitely worth it for anyone who appreciates what art is supposed to be.