Afro Pop Remix

Topics: Y2K Bug, Eminem, The Best Man, 90's TV (Bonus Artist: Rocky Mtn. Rhyme Posse)

 

1999 Notes   Snapshots   1.    Bill Clinton President   2.    Jan – A snowstorm leaves 14 inches (36 cm) of snow in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and 21 inches (53 cm) in Chicago, Illinois, killing 68.   3.    Jan – The adult animated sitcom Family Guy debuts on the Fox network after Super Bowl XXXIII.   4.    Feb - Impeachment of Bill Clinton: President Bill Clinton is acquitted by the Senate.   5.    Mar - A Michigan jury finds Dr. Jack Kevorkian guilty of second-degree murder for administering a lethal injection to a terminally ill man.   6.    Apr - Columbine High School massacre: Two Littleton, Colorado teenagers, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, open fire on their teachers and classmates, killing 12 students and one teacher, and then themselves. It would be the deadliest shooting at a high school in U.S. history at the time. The shooting sparks debate on school bullying, gun control and violence in the media.   7.    May - The animated children's TV series SpongeBob SquarePants debuts on the cable network Nickelodeon.   8.    May - Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace is released in theaters.   9.    Jun - Texas Governor George W. Bush announces he will seek the Republican Party nomination for President of the United States.   10.    Jun - Napster Released. It was mainly used by people who shared MP3 music and digital audio files. As the laws about file sharing and copyright regarding the internet were just newly established, the service soon ran into legal troubles dealing with copyright infringement.   11.    Jul - U.S. soccer player Brandi Chastain scores the game winning penalty kick against China in the FIFA Women's World Cup. Briana Scurry, goalkeeper, was elected to the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2017. She was the first woman goalkeeper and first black woman to be awarded the honor.   12.    Jun - Lance Armsrong wins the Tour de France. The United States Anti-Doping Agency announced in August 2012 that they had disqualified Armstrong from all his results since 1998, including his seven consecutive Tour de France wins from 1999 to 2005 (which were, originally, the most wins in the event's history)   13.    Sep - The West Nile Virus first appears in the United States. The disease spread quickly through infected birds. Mosquitoes spread the disease to mammals.   14.    Dec - Boris Yeltsin resigns as President of Russia, replaced by Vladimir Putin. Yeltsin has been describes as,  "Russia's first modern leader" and has been compared to Nelson Mandela.   15.    Top 3 Pop Songs   16.    #1 "Believe"    Cher   17.    #2 "No Scrubs"    TLC   18.    #3  "Angel of Mine"    Monica   19.    Record of the Year: "Smooth" – Santana featuring Rob Thomas   20.    Album of the Year: Supernatural – Santana   21.    Song of the Year: "Smooth" – Santana featuring Rob   22.    Best New Artist: Christina Aguilera (Note: Beat out Brittney Spears)   23.    Best Female R&B Vocal Performance: "It's Not Right but It's Okay" – Whitney Houston   24.    Best Male R&B Vocal Performance: "Staying Power" – Barry White   25.    Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal: "No Scrubs" – TLC   26.    Best R&B Song: "No Scrubs" – TLC   27.    Best R&B Album: FanMail – TLC   28.    Best Rap Solo Performance: "My Name Is" – Eminem   29.    Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group: "You Got Me" – The Roots featuring Erykah Badu   30.    Best Rap Album: The Slim Shady LP – Eminem   31.    Top 3 Moives   32.    #1  Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace   33.    #2 The Sixth Sense   34.    #3 Toy Story 2   35.    Notables:  Office Space, Analyze This, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, The Matrix (3/31/1999 - 20 days before Columbine), Life, The Mummy, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, Wild Wild West, American Pie, The Blair Witch Project, Eyes Wide Shut, The Wood, The Iron Giant, The Sixth Sense, The Thomas Crown Affair, Bowfinger, Three Kings, Fight Club, The Green Mile, Any Given Sunday   36.    Top 3 TV Shows   37.    #1 Who Wants to Be a Millionaire — Tuesday   38.    #2 Who Wants to Be a Millionaire — Thursday   39.    #3 Who Wants to Be a Millionaire — Sunday   40.    Debuts: The PJs, The Parkers, The Queen Latifah Show, Judge Mathis   41.    Economic Snapshots   42.    Income = 40.8k (Previously 38.1k)   43.    House = 131.7k (129.3k)   44.    Car = 21kk (17k)   45.    Rent = 645 (619)   46.    Harvard = 31.1k (30,080)   47.    Movie = 5.06 (4.69)   48.    Gas = 1.22 (1.15)   49.    Stamp = .33 (.32)   50.    Social Scene: Y2K Scare   51.    The Y2K problem and the millennium bug was the most important thing on most companies minds in 1999. This fear was fueled by the press coverage and other media speculation, as well as corporate and government reports. All over the world companies and organizations checked and upgraded their computer systems. Problems were anticipated, and arose, because many programs represented four-digit years with only the final two digits – making the year 2000 indistinguishable from 1900.   52.    (Audio Clip)   53.    Music Scene   54.    Music Scene: Black Songs from the Top 40   55.    #2 "No Scrubs" - TLC   56.    #3 "Angel of Mine" - Monica   57.    #4 "Heartbreak Hotel" - Whitney Houston featuring Faith Evans and Kelly Price   58.    #9 "Nobody's Supposed to Be Here" - Deborah Cox   59.    #11 "Where My Girls At?" - 702   60.    #12 "If You Had My Love" - Jennifer Lopez   61.    #14 "Have You Ever?" - Brandy   62.    #16 "I'm Your Angel" - R. Kelly and Celine Dion   63.    #19 "Smooth" - Santana featuring Rob Thomas   64.    #20 "Unpretty" - TLC   65.    #21 "Bills, Bills, Bills" - Destiny's Child   66.    #24 "Fortunate" - Maxwell   67.    #27 "What's It Gonna Be?!" - Busta Rhymes featuring Janet   68.    #28  "What It's Like" - Everlast   69.    #29 "Fly Away" - Lenny Kravitz   70.    #31 "Lately" - Divine   71.    #33 "Wild Wild West" - Will Smith featuring Dru Hill and Kool Moe Dee   72.    #35 "Heartbreaker" - Mariah Carey featuring Jay-Z   73.    #36 "I Still Believe" - Mariah Carey   74.    #39 "Can I Get A..." - Jay-Z featuring Amil and Ja Rule   75.    #42 "Mambo No. 5" - Lou Bega   76.    #43 "Sweet Lady" - Tyrese   77.    Top Rnb Albums   78.    Jan Ghetto Fabulous - Mystikal   79.    Jan Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood - DMX   80.    Feb Made Man - Silkk the Shocker   81.    Feb Chyna Doll - Foxy Brown   82.    Feb The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill - Lauryn Hill   83.    Mar Da Next Level - Mr. Serv-On   84.    Mar FanMail - TLC   85.    Mar Bossalinie - C-Murder   86.    Apr The Slim Shady LP - Eminem   87.    Apr I Am… - Nas   88.    May  Ryde or Die Vol. 1 - Ruff Ryders   89.    May No Limit Top Dogg - Snoop Dogg   90.    Jun In Our Lifetime - 8Ball & MJG   91.    Jun The Art of Storytelling - Slick Rick   92.    Jun Venni Vetti Vecci - Ja Rule   93.    Jul Da Real World - Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott   94.    Jul Beneath the Surface - GZA/Genius   95.    Jul Street Life - Fiend   96.    Jul Can't Stay Away - Too Short   97.    Aug Guerrilla Warfare - Hot Boys   98.    Aug Coming of Age - Memphis Bleek   99.    Sep Mary - Mary J. Blige   100.    Sep Forever - Puff Daddy   101.    Oct Let There Be Eve...Ruff Ryders' First Lady - Eve   102.    Ocy Blackout! - Method Man & Redman   103.    Nov Only God Can Judge Me - Master P   104.    Nov Tha Block Is Hot - Lil Wayne   105.    Dec 2001 - Dr. Dre   106.    Dec Born Again - The Notorious B.I.G.   107.    Featured Artist: Eminem   108.    Childhood & Early Life: Born Marshall Bruce Mathers III in St. Joseph, Missouri, in 1972, to parents who were members of a band that used to perform at the hotel 'Ramada Inns.' He grew up in a predominantly black neighbourhood, where he was often bullied. As a child he showed affinity toward comics and music, particularly rapping. He had a difficult childhood and he was never on good terms with his mother. He was, however, close to her half-brother, Ronnie. Marshall's education suffered as a result of constant troubles with his mom and he dropped-out of 'Lincoln High School,' when he was seventeen.   109.    Career: When Marshall was fourteen years old, he started rapping and attenditg contetst with his friend DeShaun Dupree Holton, who later became famous as rapper Proof. The two friends formed their own group called 'D12' or 'The Dirty Dozen,' in 1996. Also in 1996, Eminem (@16) brought out his first album titled 'Infinite.' The album was recorded under the banner of 'FBT Productions,' and included songs that spoke about the struggles he faced after the birth of his daughter, at a time when he was financially unstable. His financial condition had worsened and by 1997, he was forced to live in his mother's house with his family. During this time, to let go of the frustration building inside him, he created an anti-social alter-ego named 'Slim Shady.' He even recorded his first extended play by the same name in the same year.   110.    After he was fired from his job and evicted from his home, Eminem went to Los Angeles to compete in the 1997 Rap Olympics, an annual, nationwide battle rap competition. He placed second, and an Interscope Records intern in attendance called asked Eminem for a copy of the Slim Shady EP, which was then sent to company CEO Jimmy Iovine. Iovine played the tape for record producer Dr. Dre, who recalled sayingd, "In my entire career in the music industry, I have never found anything from a demo tape or a CD. When Jimmy played this, I said, 'Find him. Now.'" Although Dre's friends criticized him for hiring a white rapper, he was confident in his decision: "I don't give a fuck if you're purple; if you can kick it, I'm working with you."   111.    In February 1999, Dr. Dre helped Eminem release an album titled 'The Slim Shady LP,' which immediately catapulted him to fame. With hits like 'My Name Is,' '97 Bonnie and Clyde,' and 'Guilty Conscience,' it was one of the most successful albums of the year.   112.    Movie Scene: The Best Man   113.    Harper Stewart (Taye Diggs), a commitment-shy writer and the best man at the wedding of Lance (Morris Chestnut) and Mia (Monica Calhoun), is nervous-and with good reason. His steamy new novel hits bookstores soon, and when his friends finally read it he knows they will notice more than just a passing resemblance to the characters depicted in the book.   114.    Director: Malcolm D. Lee, Debut film [Undercover Brother (2002), Roll Bounce (2005), Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins (2008), Soul Men (2008), Scary Movie 5 (2013), The Best Man Holiday (2013), Girls Trip (2017), and Night School (2018)]   115.    Cast: Taye Diggs, Nia Long, Morris Chestnut, Harold Perrineau, Terance Howard, Sanaa Lathan, Monica Calhoun, Melissa De Sousa, Terrence Howard, Regina Hall [*Film Debut]   116.    'The Best Man': A Joyous Occasion [By Lonnae O'Neal Parker Washington Post Staff Writer, Oct 1999]   117.    This smart debut from filmmaker Malcolm D. Lee, cousin to the film's producer, Spike, centers around a group of old friends who reunite in New York for a wedding. Tapping into the Zeitgeist of young black professionals starving to see themselves on film, it hits all the right cultural touchstones: from BET to Stevie Wonder, Chubb Rock to bid whist. Although the film is produced by Spike Lee, don't expect racial politics. And while comparisons to another black wedding-themed movie starring Taye Diggs, "The Wood," are bound to come up, resist.   118.    James Berardinelli - Reelviews   119.    The Best Man is not what it initially seems to be. Despite starting out with all the earmarks of a fairly ordinary romantic comedy, the project develops into a surprisingly effective look at a man's quest for rebirth after events topple him from a pedestal of arrogance. And, while there are plenty of laughs to be had, The Best Man functions better as a light drama than a straight comedy, with several scenes packing a punch because they're played straight. The film is the directorial debut of Malcolm D. Lee (Spike's cousin), who may have gotten this chance because of family connections but shows enough promise to earn further opportunities on his own.   120.    The Best Man (1999) - 1½ Stars [Reviewed by Dustin Putman, October 1999]   121.    As with 1997's melodramatic, corny "Soul Food," and last summer's "The Wood," which also starred Diggs in a story set around a wedding(!), "The Best Man" aspires to be something more than it actually is. Kudos to Lee for trying his hand at a more knowledgeable picture that all audiences (not just African-Americans) might enjoy, but he also gets more than his share of debits for its severely flawed treatment. At over two hours in length, "The Best Man" thankfully never overstays its welcome and goes by fairly fast, but by the time the Electric Slide was carried out by everyone at the wedding reception over the end credits, I realized that the actors deserved far better. As is, the conclusion plays like an excuse for each of the cast members to give themselves a pat on the back, when they really didn't earn that pat to begin with.   122.    Denzel Washington, film debut in Carbon Copy (1981) and in 1982, Denzel made his first appearance in the medical drama St. Elsewhere as Dr. Philip Chandler. The role proved to be the breakthrough in his career.   123.    Nominated for Best Supporting Actor: Cry Freedom (1988) and Glory (1990)(*won)   124.    Nominated for Best Actor for Malcolm X (1993)   125.    1981 Carbon Copy / 1984 A Soldier's Story / 1986 Power / 1987 Cry Freedom / 1988 For Queen and Country / 1989 The Mighty Quinn / 1989 Glory / 1990 Heart Condition / 1990 Mo' Better Blues / 1991 Mississippi Masala / 1991 Ricochet / 1992 Malcolm X / 1993 Much Ado About Nothing / 1993 The Pelican Brief / 1993 Philadelphia / 1995 Crimson Tide / 1995 Virtuosity / 1995 Devil in a Blue Dress / 1996 Courage Under Fire / 1996 The Preacher's Wife / 1998 Fallen / 1998 He Got Game / 1998 The Siege / 1999 The Bone Collector / 1999 The Hurricane - [25 films]   126.    Samuel L. Jackson.   127.    Nominated for Best Supporting Actor: Pulp Fiction (1994)   128.    1981 Ragtime / 1987 Magic Sticks / 1988 Coming to America / 1988 School Daze / 1989 Do the Right Thing / 1989 Sea of Love / 1990 Def by Temptation / 1990 A Shock to the System / 1990 Betsy's Wedding / 1990 Mo' Better Blues / 1990 The Exorcist III / 1990 Goodfellas / 1990 The Return of Superfly / 1991 Strictly Business / 1991 Jungle Fever / 1991 Jumpin' at the Boneyard / 1991 Johnny Suede / 1992 Juice / 1992 Patriot Games /1992 White Sands / 1992 Fathers & Sons / 1993 Menace II Society /1993 Loaded Weapon / 1993 Amos & Andrew / 1993 Jurassic Park / 1993 True Romance / 1994 Fresh / 1994 Pulp Fiction / 1994 The New Age / 1994 Hail Caesar / 1994 Assault at West Point: The Court-Martial of Johnson Whittaker / 1994 The Search for One-eye Jimmy / 1995 Kiss of Death / 1995 Die Hard with a Vengeance / 1995 Losing Isaiah / 1995 Fluke / 1996 The Great White Hype / 1996 A Time to Kill / 1996 The Long Kiss Goodnight / 1996 Hard Eight / 1996 Trees Lounge / 1997 One Eight Seven / 1997 Eve's Bayou / 1997 Jackie Brown / 1998 Sphere / 1998 The Negotiator / 1998 The Red Violin / 1998 Out of Sight / 1999 Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace / 1999 Deep Blue Sea - [50 films]   129.    Question: DW vs. SLJ?   130.    Television Scene:   131.    18 Black Sitcoms of the '90s That Changed the Game: Published Jan 24, 2020 - By Damarys Ocaña Perez   132.    Black sitcoms have been popular since classics like Good Times, The Jeffersons, and Sanford and Son hit television screens nationwide in the '70s. But it wasn't until The Cosby Show became a ratings juggernaut in the mid '80s that networks finally saw the potential in investing heavily in sitcoms with black leads.   133.    And so the '90s became a decade in which more black sitcoms than ever made it onto TV   134.    Naturally, given the success of The Cosby Show, a lot of shows that followed featured families. But they didn't just simply copy the formula.   135.    The lives of younger people took center stage as well in the '90s. So, instead of being the token black friend within the larger context of a show, black teens, college students, 20-something professionals became the vehicle for funny and even poignant stories.   136.    The '90s turned hugely talented black comedians and actors into stars who remain household names to this day, and it goes to show the impact that being given a seat at the table and a voice on prime time television can accomplish.   137.    Here are 18 black '90s sitcoms that we love do this day for the impact they had on our lives then and now.   138.    'A Different World' (1987-1993): One of the show's major accomplishments was being among the first to tackle real issues like date rape, racism, and HIV, things that the Cosby Show had avoided. A Different World is the gem that created a bridge to the '90s black sitcom boom.   139.    'Family Matters' (1989-1997): The longest-running sitcom about a black family (it spanned nine seasons to The Cosby Show's eight), Family Matters was not only funny -- especially after introducing super-nerd Urkel -- but managed to balance big laughs with more serious moments. There were episodes that centered around civil rights history and police mistreatment of young black men, and a wide-ranging audience got to see them, thanks to the show's across-the-board popularity.   140.    'The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air' (1990-1996): Nestled between Will Smith's rapping days and his status as one of the world's most bankable A-list movie stars was The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, which made his a household name and produced one of the longest-running fan debates in TV history on which of the two actresses who played Aunt Viv was the best one.   141.    'Roc' (1991-1994): Before Charles S. Dutton went on to win three Emmys for his work on other shows, he starred in this underrated and brief series that was fairly typical sitcom until the second season, which aired each episode live. Roc was a treat because Dutton and several of the other cast members were trained stage actors.   142.    'Martin' (1992-1997): Martin Lawrence was all edge when he wasn't doing Martin. (One of his stand-up specials was slapped with an NC-17 rating, and he was banned from Saturday Night Live for delivering a hilariously raunchy monologue.) That makes it all the more interesting that on the show Martin, he played a lovably manic man-boy. We lost count of how many characters Martin played on the show (in disguise), each one of them hilarious in their own specific way.   143.    'Hangin' With Mr. Cooper' (1992-1997): This sitcom had a great cast, including comedian Raven-Symoné, Holly Robinson Peete, and Mark Curry.   144.    'Living Single' (1993-1998): The show marked the first time that we saw young black women portrayed as professionals and given well-rounded personalities, have healthy relationships, and pave the way for black female-centered shows - nlike Girlfriends and Insecure.   145.    'Sister, Sister' (1994-1999): There are so many reasons why we loved Sister,Sister, and one of them was that the show would occasionally break the fourth wall and talk directly to the audience, which made us feel part of the action. But the show also had layers that deepened its story: The girls had been the product of an interracial relationship between a black mom and a white dad who never had the chance to marry before being separated in tragic circumstances.   146.    'In The House' (1995-1999): It wasn't the world's best sitcom, but hey, LL Cool J has always been a snack.   147.    'The Parent 'Hood' (1995-1999): One of the four original Wednesday night shows that helped launched the WB (The Wayans Bros was another), what sets the show apart are the whimsical fantasy sequences that the dad dreams up to help him solve family issues in a creative and unexpected way.   148.    'The Wayans Bros.' (1995-1999): In Living Color, it's not, but this sitcom from younger Wayans siblings Shawn and Marlon is still simple fun that doesn't require too many brain cells -- and that can be a good thing.   149.    'Moesha' (1996-2001): Moesha centered around a black teenager diving into deeper explorations of all kinds of relationships and left cliffhangers in several story lines dangling when it was canceled.   150.    'The Jamie Foxx Show' (1996-2001): Fresh off the groundbreaking comedy sketch show In Living Color and before he becoming an movie star, Jamie Foxx starred as an aspiring actor who works at his relatives' hotel.   151.    'Kenan & Kel' (1996-2000): Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell were Nickelodeon's first black sitcom stars, having landed their own show when producers saw them joking around on the set of All That when they were series regulars.   152.    'The Steve Harvey Show' (1996-2002): A big highlight is the constant guest star roster that's a who's who of black TV stars and musicians -- like Snoop Dogg, Diddy, Kim Fields, and Ja’Net DuBois of the classic sitcom Good Times.   153.    'The Hughleys' (1998-2002): Two decades before Black-ish tackled a similar premise, The Hughleys featured a family that lives in a predominantly white neighborhood.   154.    'The Famous Jett Jackson' (1998-2001): This show had just 65 episodes but has a special place in our hearts as the first Disney Channel show to feature a black actor as the lead. The immensely talented and magnetic Lee Thompson Young starred as Jett Jackson, a kid who tries to live a normal life when he's not filming. Thompson tragically died at age 29, after struggling with bipolar disorder and depression, but the heartwarming show lives on.   155.    'The Parkers' (1999-2004): It's no surprise that one of the most down-to-earth black sitcoms from the '90s starred Mo'Nique as a single mom who dropped out of high school to raise her baby.   156.    Question: Most Liked Show of the 90’s?   157.    Vote: Best/most important/favorite pop culture item from 1999

Topics: Monica Lewinsky Scandal, Jay Z, Beloved (Film), 90's Tech (Bonus Artist: hidingtobefound and Luck Pacheco)

  1998 General Snapshots   1.    Bill Clinton President   2.    Jan - Paula Jones accuses U.S. President Bill Clinton of sexual harassment.   3.    Jan - Smoking is banned in all California bars and restaurants.   4.    Jan - Super Bowl XXXII: The Denver Broncos become the first AFC team in 14 years to win the Super Bowl, as they defeat the Green Bay Packers   5.    Jan - Lewinsky scandal: On American television, President Bill Clinton denies he had "sexual relations" with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky. The next day, Hillary Clinton appears on The Today Show, calling the attacks against her husband part of a "vast right-wing conspiracy".   6.    Mar - The Food and Drug Administration approves Viagra for use as a treatment for erectile dysfunction, the first pill to be approved for this condition in the United States.   7.    Apr - The unemployment rate drops to 4.3%, the lowest level since February 1970.   8.    Apr - The Dow Jones Industrial Average closes above 9,000 for the first time.   9.    Apr - Teletubbies begins its U.S. television debut on PBS.   10.    Apr - Inflight smoking is banned on all commercial passenger flights in the United States,   11.    Jun - The Chicago Bulls win their 6th NBA title in 8 years when they beat the Utah Jazz. This is also Michael Jordan's last game as a Bull, clinching the game in the final seconds on a fadeaway jumper.   12.    Aug - The bombings of the United States embassies in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and Nairobi, Kenya kill 224 people and injure over 4,500; they are linked to terrorist Osama bin Laden. Two weeks later. The United States military launches cruise missile attacks against alleged al-Qaeda camps in Afghanistan and a suspected chemical plant in Sudan.   13.    Oct - College student Matthew Shepard is found tied to a fence near Laramie, Wyoming. His death became a symbol of gay-bashing and sparked a national debate on homophobia in the U.S.   14.    Nov - Jesse Ventura, former professional wrestler, is elected Governor of Minnesota.   15.    Nov - America Online announces it will acquire Netscape Communications for $4.2B as the “Dot.com” bubble heats up. Between 1995 and 2000, the Nasdaq Composite stock market index rose 400%.   16.    Dec - Lewinsky scandal: President Bill Clinton is impeached by the United States House of Representatives. (He was later acquitted of any wrongdoing.)   17.    Open Comments   18.    Top 3 Pop songs   19.    #1 "Too Close", Next   20.    #2 "The Boy Is Mine", Brandy and Monica   21.    #3 "You're Still the One", Shania Twain   22.    Record of the Year: "My Heart Will Go On", Celine Dion   23.    Album of the Year: The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, Lauryn Hill   24.    Song of the Year: "My Heart Will Go On", Celine Dion   25.    Best New Artist: Lauryn Hill   26.    Best Female R&B Vocal Performance: "Doo Wop (That Thing)”, Lauryn Hill   27.    Best Male R&B Vocal Performance: "St. Louis Blues”, Stevie Wonder in Herbie Hancock's Gershwin's World   28.    Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal: "The Boy Is Mine", Brandy & Monica   29.    Best R&B Song: "Doo Wop (That Thing)”, Lauryn Hill   30.    Best R&B Album: The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, Lauryn Hill   31.    Best Traditional R&B Vocal Album: Live! One Night Only, Patti LaBelle   32.    Best Rap Solo Performance: "Gettin' Jiggy Wit It", Will Smith   33.    Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group: "Intergalactic", Beastie Boys   34.    Best Rap Album: Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life, Jay-Z   35.    Top 3 Movies   36.    #1 Armageddon   37.    #2 Saving Private Ryan   38.    #3 Godzilla   39.    Notables: Dr. Dolittle, Half Baked, The Wedding Singer, The Big Lebowski, Primary Colors, The Players Club, Suicide Kings, He Got Game, Bulworth, The Truman Show, Mulan, There's Something About Mary, How Stella Got Her Groove Back, Blade, Rush Hour, Antz, Beloved, Belly, The Waterboy, A Bug's Life, A Simple Plan, You've Got Mail   40.    Open Comments   41.    Top 3 TV Shows   42.    #1 ER   43.    #2 Friends   44.    #3 Frasier   45.    Debuts: Judge Joe Brown, The Hughleys   46.    Open Comments   47.    Economic Snapshots   48.    Income = 38.1 (Previously 37.5K)   49.    House = 129.3 (124k)   50.    Car = 17k (17k)   51.    Rent = 619 (576)   52.    Harvard = 30,080 (28.9)   53.    Movie = 4.69 (4.59)   54.    Gas = 1.15 (1.22)   55.    Stamp = .32 (-)   56.    Social Scene: Monica Lewinsky Scandal (Highlights)   57.    Born in San Francisco in 1973, Monica Lewinsky was raised in a well-off family in the Los Angeles area. In the summer of 1995 (@ 22 yrs. old), after graduating from Lewis and Clark College, she landed an unpaid internship in the White House chief of staff’s office.   58.    In November 1995, during a federal government shutdown, Lewinsky flirted with the president and the two had their first sexual encounter. Later that month, she took a paying job in the Office of Legislative Affairs.   59.    They had seven more encounters in the White House and her visits started drawing notice from people. In April 1996, a deputy chief of staff had her transferred to a job at the Pentagon.   60.    The president and Lewinsky had two more encounters, the last was in spring 1997, and stayed in touch by phone.   61.    At the Pentagon, she befriended a coworker, Linda Tripp, and she confided details of her affair with the president. Tripp in turn shared the story with an anti-Clinton conservative literary agent she knew. That person urged Tripp to secretly, and in violation of taping laws, record hours of her phone conversations with Lewinsky.   62.    Word of Tripp’s tapes made it to lawyers working on behalf of Paula Jones, a former government employee who had filed a lawsuit against the president for alleged sexual misconduct that took place in 1991, when he was governor of Arkansas.   63.    In December 1997, Lewinsky was subpoenaed by Jones’ attorneys and, after the president allegedly suggested she be evasive, the former intern denied in an affidavit that she had had a sexual relationship with Clinton.   64.    Around the same time, independent counsel Kenneth Starr, who had been investigating Clinton and his wife Hillary’s involvement in a failed business venture called Whitewater, found out about Tripp’s recordings. Soon afterward, FBI agents fitted Tripp with a hidden microphone so she could legally tape her conversations with Lewinsky.   65.    Then Starr expanded his investigation to include the president’s relationship with Lewinsky and told her that if she did not cooperate with the investigation she would be charged with perjury.   66.    When Clinton was deposed in January 1998 by Jones’ legal team, he claimed he had never had sexual relations with Lewinsky. (The Big Lie)   67.    On January 17, 1998, the Drudge Report, a conservative online news site, published the accusations against the president and the next day revealed Lewinsky’s identity. The mainstream media picked up the story a few days later, and a national scandal Erupted. Clinton refuted the allegations against him, famously stating at a press conference, “I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky.”   68.    That July, Lewinsky’s lawyers announced she had been granted immunity in exchange for her testimony. She also gave Starr’s team physical evidence of her affair with Clinton: a blue dress with an incriminating stain containing the president’s DNA. At the suggestion of Tripp, Lewinsky had never laundered the garment.   69.    On August 17, 1998, Clinton testified before a grand jury and confessed he had engaged in “inappropriate intimate physical contact” with Lewinsky. However, the president contended his actions did not meet the definition of sexual relations used by Jones’ attorneys—so he had not perjured himself. That night, he appeared on national TV and apologized for his behavior but maintained he had never asked anyone involved to lie or do anything illegal.   70.    In September 1998, Starr gave Congress a 445-page report. The Starr Report was soon made public by Congress and published in book form, becoming a best-seller   71.    In December, the House approved two articles of impeachment against him: perjury and obstruction of justice. He was only the second president in U.S. history to be impeached (after President Andrew Johnson in 1868).   72.    On February 12, 1999, following a five-week trial in the Senate, Clinton was acquitted. (During his impeachment proceedings, he agreed to settle the Paula Jones lawsuit for $850,000, but admitted no wrongdoing.)   73.    Open Comments:   74.    Question: Impeach? (Y/N) (Can you imagine if Barack did this to Michelle!)   75.    Music Scene: Black Songs from the Top 40   76.    #1 "Too Close" - Next   77.    #2 "The Boy Is Mine" - Brandy and Monica   78.    #6 "Together Again" - Janet   79.    #7 "All My Life" - K-Ci & JoJo   80.    #9 "Nice & Slow" - Usher   81.    #12 "No, No, No" - Destiny's Child   82.    #14 "Gettin' Jiggy wit It" - Will Smith   83.    #15 "You Make Me Wanna..." - Usher   84.    #16 "My Way" - Usher   85.    #17 My All" - Mariah Carey   86.    #18 "The First Night" - Monica   87.    #19 "Been Around the World" - Puff Daddy featuring The Notorious B.I.G. and Mase   88.    #24 "Body Bumpin' (Yippie-Yi-Yo)" - Public Announcement   89.    #26 "I Don't Ever Want to See You Again" - Uncle Sam   90.    #27 "Let's Ride" - Montell Jordan featuring Master P and Silkk the Shocker   91.    #30 "A Song for Mama" - Boyz II Men   92.    #31 "What You Want" - Mase featuring Total   93.    #33 "Gone till November" - Wyclef Jean   94.    #34 "My Body" - LSG   95.    #36 "Deja Vu (Uptown Baby)" - Lord Tariq and Peter Gunz   96.    #39 "They Don't Know" - Jon B.   97.    #40 "Make 'Em Say Uhh!" - Master P featuring Fiend, Silkk the Shocker, Mia X and Mystikal   98.    Vote:   99.    Top RnB Albums   100.    Jan - R U Still Down? (Remember Me), 2Pac   101.    Jan - My Way, Usher   102.    Jan - Money, Power & Respect, The LOX   103.    Feb - My Balls and My Word, Young Bleed   104.    Feb - Anytime, Brian McKnight   105.    Mar - Charge It 2 da Game, Silkk the Shocker   106.    Mar - My Homies, Scarface   107.    Mar - Life or Death, C-Murder   108.    Apr - The Pillage, Cappadonna   109.    Apr - Moment of Truth, Gang Starr   110.    May - There's One in Every Family, Fiend   111.    Jun - It's Dark and Hell Is Hot, DMX   112.    Jun - MP Da Last Don, Master P   113.    Jul - El Nino, Def Squad   114.    Jul - Am I My Brother's Keeper, Kane & Abel   115.    Aug - N.O.R.E., Noreaga   116.    Aug - Jermaine Dupri Presents: Life In 1472, Jermaine Dupri   117.    Aug - Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told, Snoop Dogg   118.    Sep - The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, Lauryn Hill   119.    Oct - Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life, Jay-Z   120.    Nov - R., R. Kelly   121.    Dec - Tical 2000: Judgement Day, Method Man   122.    Dec - Doc's da Name 2000, Redman   123.    Vote:   124.    Featured Artists: Jay Z   125.    Childhood & Early Life: Shawn Corey Carter was born in Brooklyn, New York City in 1969. He is the last of the four children. When he was only 11 years old, his father abandoned the family. They lived in the drug-infested ‘Marcy Projects’, where violence and gun-culture were also prevalent. He soon became so imbibed the gun-culture that he allegedly shot his elder brother in the shoulder for pocketing his jewelry. His interest in music was sparked from early on when he received a boom box for his birthday from his mother. He began free styling, scripting lyrics and copied the music of many popular artists of the time. He studied at several local high schools, where he was classmates with future performers, Busta Rhymes and The Notorious B.I.G., before ultimately dropping out and selling drugs.   126.    Career Highlights   127.    1989 Jaz-O (@19yrs): Hooked up with local star and fellow project inhabitant, Jaz-O, who became his guru and taught him the industry basics. In order to pay homage to his mentor, he changed his name to Jay-Z, since Sean was known as ‘Jazzy’ in his neighborhood. Jaz-O’s “Hawaiian Sophie” is one of Jay-Z’s earliest appearances on wax. - Key development: He saw Jaz-O get jerked over by the record business. No record deal and he return to selling drugs.   128.    1992 Big Daddy Kane (@22): BDK records a mixtape with Jaz-O and Jay-Z. Eventually, BDK and Jay start working together and during BDK’s time with the Patti LaBelle tour he had Jay-Z performing for him while was in the back changing clothes. Key Development: Exposure and experience, but no deal. Back to the streets.   129.    1994 Original Flavor/Clark Kent/Damon Dash (@24): Original Flavor was one of rap's middle school crews headed by Ski, an MC/producer. They were also the first group managed by future recording industry executive Damon Dash. Although Ski worked with legendary New York DJ Clark Kent for the groups debut project, the album fizzled. For their follow-up, Ski enlisted the aid of a few more MCs including a young Brooklynite with some experience in the rap field, Jay-Z. Original Flavor was Jay-Z's training ground and it served as a catapult for his future endeavors. Flavor's sophomore release was released in 1994 and again fizzled. However, the lead single "Can I Get Open" features Jay-Z in impeccable pre-Jayhova form. Jay-Z's skills far surpassed those of the rest of the crew and his solo career would begin soon. Key Development: Local buzz, regional tours, several singles and videos but no deal. Starts transition from the streets.   130.    1995-96 Roc-A-Fella Records (@25): Frustrated with being turned down by several major labels Carter, Dash and Kareem Burke started their own label, Roc-A-Fella, as an independent outlet for Jay-Z's music. After becoming a local sensation, Jay-Z turned into Jigga and adopted the Tony Montana-styled persona. He would continue to work with his Original Flavor partner Ski after the group disbanded, making him a member/producer of his Roc-a-Fella staff. Jay-Z was also supported by The Notorious B.I.G.'s producer DJ Clark Kent. Key Development: Debut album, ‘Reasonable Doubt’ released in 1996. It did not immediately attain commercial success, but it spawned several hits, and established Jay-Z in the hip-hop community. No more streets.   131.    1997 Def Jam (@27): Roc-A-Fella Records agreed to a 50/50 partnership and distribution deal with Def Jam. His second studio album, In My Lifetime, Vol. 1. Is released. The album debuted at #3 and most of the production is handled by Puff Daddy's production team giving the album a glossier sound than its predecessor. It was a shift from the mafioso rap themes of his first effort to a more popular sound. Critical reviews: "Though the productions are just a bit flashier and more commercial than on his debut, Jay-Z remained the tough street rapper, and even improved a bit on his flow...he struts the line between project poet and up-and-coming player" while balancing "both personas with the best rapping heard in the rap game since the deaths of 2Pac and Notorious B.I.G." (Also, in response to the sellout charge, Roc-A-Fella Records released the movie Streets Is Watching.)   132.    1998 Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life: The third studio album was released on September 29, 1998, by Roc-A-Fella Records and Def Jam Recordings. Key Development: He cracks the code. This album went on to become his most commercially successful album to date, selling over 5 million copies. Critics review: Q magazine called it "the epitome of mainstream hip hop".   133.    Audio Clip   134.    Open Comments:   135.    Question: Everybody knows someone who overcame the “streets” and is a success or should have overcome the “streets” and been a success. Who is your personal “Jay-Z”?   136.    Movie Scene: Beloved   137.    Summary: In 1873 Ohio, Sethe (Oprah Winfrey) is a mother of three haunted by her horrific slavery past and her desperate actions for freedom. As a result, Sethe's home is haunted by a furious poltergeist, which drives away her two sons. Sethe and her daughter (Kimberly Elise) endure living with the spirit for 10 more years, until an old friend, Paul D. Garner (Danny Glover), arrives to run it out. After Garner moves in, a strange woman named Beloved (Thandie Newton) enters their lives, causing turmoil.   138.    Accolades: Academy Awards, Best Costume Design: Colleen Atwood (Nominated), Chicago Film Critics, Most Promising Actress: Kimberly Elise (Winner), NAACP Image Awards, Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture: Danny Glover (Winner)   139.    Review: Demme's direction tells the story through mood and accumulation of incident, rather than through a traditional story line. His editor, Carol Littleton, takes on the difficult task of helping us find our way through the maze. Some audience members, I imagine, will not like it--will find it confusing or too convoluted. And it does not provide the kind of easy lift at the end that they might expect. Sethe's tragic story is the kind where the only happy ending is that it is over. - Roger Ebert   140.    Review: No Peace from a Brutal Legacy.  "Beloved" works on its own but is much enhanced by familiarity with the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. In so ambitiously bringing this story to the screen, Ms. Winfrey underscores a favorite, invaluable credo: read the book.  - By Janet Maslin. NY Times   141.    Fallout: 'Beloved' Tests Racial Themes At Box Office; Will This Winfrey Film Appeal to White Audiences? - By Bernard Weinraub   142.    Answer: No. Winfrey has gone on public record stating that she ate 30 pounds of macaroni and cheese when she was informed the Saturday after the movie opened that "we got beat by something called Chucky." Oprah also claimed that Beloved's failure at the box office was the worst moment in her career and brought her into a major depression. "It was the only time in my life that I was ever depressed, and I recognized that I (was) depressed because I've done enough shows (on the topic). 'Oh, this is what people must feel like who are depressed.”   143.    Open Comments   144.    Question: Favorite book-to-movie?: Call Me By Your Name/The Princess Bride/12 Years a Slave/Little Women/Mean Girls/The Shawshank Redemption/Harry Potter/Gone Girl/The Color Purple/The Wizard of Oz/Jurassic Park/The Lord of the Rings/The Godfather/THE /COLOR PURPLE/ROOTS/WAITING TO EXHALE/BELOVED/WHAT’S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT/THINK LIKE A MAN/THE WIZ/THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES/The Help/THE HELP/MALCOLM X/LADY SINGS THE BLUES/HOW STELLA GOT HER GROOVE BACK/PRECIOUS/DEVIL IN A BLUE DRESS   145.    Technology that changed us: The 1990s, from Worldwide Web to Google - By David Gewirtz, ZDNET   146.    1990: The First Web Browser - Of all the technologies that changed our lives, perhaps the most profound of the last 50 years has been the web. But it was not the ability to hyperlink documents that made the most impact. Instead, it was the application that presented all that information to users, the browser. English scientist Tim Berners-Lee invented and wrote the first web browser in 1990 while employed at CERN near Geneva, Switzerland. Notables: Adobe released the first version of Photoshop in 1990.   147.    1991: Linux - On August 25, 1991, Linus Torvalds typed the following to the Minix Usenet newsgroup, and it changed everything, "I'm doing a (free) operating system (just a hobby, won't be big and professional..." Today, Linux runs in everything, from light bulbs to cars, to almost all TVs and phones on the market. Notable: Second generation (2G) cell phones. 2G service used digital transmission instead of analog and paved the way for SMS messaging.   148.    1992: The First Sms Text Message - December 3, 1992 engineer Neil Papworth sent a message to Richard Jarvis on a Vodafone Orbitel 901 handset. It said, "MERRY CHRISTMAS".   149.    1993: Mosaic Web Browser - It was the first browser that could display images. Mosaic was created by grad students at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) located at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Mosaic eventually became Netscape, which dominated the web (for a while, at least).   150.    1994: Amazon Founded - It started as a source for books. Notable: Sony's first PlayStation   151.    1995: Windows 95 And Ie 1.0 - Windows 95 was the first version of Windows to include IE, which would become the dominant browser for more than a decade. Notable (1): E-commerce: While the concept of e-commerce existed loosely for a few years, it was not until the 1990s that modern e-commerce was born. In 1995, both Amazon and eBay launched, and in 1999 Alibaba made its debut. Notable (2): JavaScript. SSL, and eBay   152.    1996: Palm Pilot Handheld - The first successful handheld PDA. Notable: DVD, & USB   153.    1997: Steve Jobs Returns To Apple - Apple would soon utterly transform music and telephones. Notable: MP3 players, Netflix, and Wi-Fi standard adopted.   154.    1998: Google Founded. Notable: Windows 98 and first iMac introduced.   155.    1999: The digital video recorder (DVR) was born. Notable: BlackBerry and preparing for the Y2K bug.   156.    Question: Best 90’s tech:   157.    Vote: Best/most important/favorite pop culture item from 1998?

Topics: Biggie death, Erykah Badu, Eve's Bayou, Miss Evers' Boys (Bonus Artist: Luck Pacheco)

  Notes 1997   1.    President: Bill Clinton   2.    Feb -A Santa Monica jury finds former football legend O.J. Simpson is liable for the deaths of Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman.   3.    Feb - North Hollywood shootout: Two heavily armed bank robbers conflict with officers from the Los Angeles Police Department in a mass shootout.   4.    Feb - Miss Evers' Boys airs on HBO. It is a made-for-TV adaptation of David Feldshuh's eponymous 1992 stage play, and was nominated for eleven Emmy Awards and won four, Outstanding Made for Television Movie / Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie – Alfre Woodard / Editing / Cinematography   5.    Mar - Brooklyn rapper The Notorious B.I.G. is killed in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles at age 24 before the release of his second album Life After Death. The album was released on March 25.   6.    Mar - In San Diego, California, 39 members of  Heaven's Gate, a UFO religious cult, commit mass suicide.   7.    Apr - The Ellen episode, "The Puppy Episode" is broadcast on ABC, showing for the first time the revelation of a main character as a homosexual.   8.    May - U.S. President Bill Clinton issues a formal apology to the surviving victims of the Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis in the Negro Male and their families.   9.    Jun - During the Evander Holyfield vs. Mike Tyson II boxing match in Las Vegas, Mike Tyson bites off part of Evander Holyfield's ear.   10.    Jun - The base version of the standard WiFi was released   11.    Aug - Diana, Princess of Wales died in hospital after being injured in a motor vehicle accident in a road tunnel in Paris.   12.    Sep - www.google.com is registered by Google.   13.    Nov - Mary Kay Letourneau is sentenced to six months imprisonment in Washington after pleading guilty to two counts of second-degree child rape. Letourneau gave birth to her victims' child and the leniency of her sentence was widely criticized.[3]   14.    Nov - The Emergency Broadcast System is replaced by the Emergency Alert System and it continues to this day. - "This is a test. This station is conducting a test of the Emergency Broadcast System. This is only a test."   15.    Open Comments:   16.    Top 3 Pop Songs   17.    #1-"Something About the Way You Look Tonight" / "Candle in the Wind 1997", Elton John   18.    #2-"Foolish Games" / "You Were Meant for Me", Jewel   19.    #3-"I'll Be Missing You", Puff Daddy featuring Faith Evans and 112   20.    Record Of The Year, Sunny Came Home - Shawn Colvin   21.    Album Of The Year, Time Out Of Mind - Bob Dylan   22.    Song Of The Year, Sunny Came Home - Shawn Colvin Colvin)   23.    Best New Artist, Paula Cole   24.    Best Female R&B, On & On - Erykah Badu   25.    Best Male R&B, I Believe I Can Fly - R. Kelly   26.    Best R&B Duo Or Group, No Diggity - Blackstreet   27.    Best R&B Song, I Believe I Can Fly - R. Kelly   28.    Best R&B Album, Baduizm - Erykah Badu   29.    Best Rap Solo, Men In Black - Will Smith   30.    Best Rap Duo Or Group, I'll Be Missing You - Puff Daddy & Faith Evans Featuring 112   31.    Best Rap Album, No Way Out - Puff Daddy & The Family   32.    Top 3 Movies   33.    #1-Titanic   34.    #2-The Lost World: Jurassic Park   35.    #3-Men in Black   36.    Notables: Rhyme & Reason, Gridlock'd, Rosewood, Good Burger, Def Jam's How to Be a Player, Hoodlum, Kiss the Girls, Gang Related, Boogie Nights, The Devil's Advocate, Good Will Hunting, Jackie Brown, Love Jones, B*A*P*S, Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, Booty Call, Donnie Brasco, Soul Food, Gang Related,   37.    Open Comments:   38.    Top TV Shows   39.    #1-Seinfeld   40.    #2-ER   41.    #3-Veronica's Closet   42.    Debuts, The Chris Rock Show   43.    Open Comments:   44.    Economic Snapshots   45.    Income = 37.5 (Previously 36.3K)   46.    House = 124k (118.2)   47.    Car = 17k (16.3)   48.    Rent = 576 (554)   49.    Harvard = 28.9 (27.5)   50.    Movie = 4.59 (4.42)   51.    Gas = 1.22 (-)   52.    Stamp = .32 (-)   53.    Social Scene: Death of Christopher George Latore Wallace, aka ‘Biggie Smalls,’ ‘The Notorious B.I.G,’ or ‘Biggie,’   54.    Childhood & Early Life: Born on May 21, 1972 in Brooklyn, New York, to Voletta Wallace and Selwyn George Latore. His mother was a Jamaican preschool teacher and his father was a politician and welder. His father left the family when he was two years old. He attended the ‘Queen of All Saints Middle School’ where he excelled in English, won many awards,  and was given the nickname ‘Big.’ because of his weight, around the age of 10 (1982).  He started dealing drugs as early as 12 while his mother went out for work, and she says he adapted a ‘smart-ass’ attitude, while attending high school, but he was still a good student. He dropped out of school at 17 (1989) and gradually got involved in criminal activities. Shortly after dropping out, he was arrested on weapon charges and was sentenced for probation of five years. He was again arrested in 1990 for violating his probation and again a year later for drug dealing in North Carolina. He stayed in jail for nine months.   55.    Career: As a teen, he began exploring music and performed with local groups, such as ‘Techniques’ and ‘Old Gold Brothers.’ He made a casual demo tape titled ‘Microphone Murder’ under the name ‘Biggie Smalls.’ The name was inspired from his own stature as well as from a character of a 1975 film ‘Let’s Do it Again.’ The tape was promoted by Mister Cee, a New York based DJ and was heard by the editor of ‘The Source.’ In March 1992 (@19), he was featured in the ‘Unsigned Hype’ column of ‘The Source,’ magazine. Shortly thereafter, he was signed by ‘Uptown Records’. In 1993, when Sean 'Puffy' Combs, a producer/A&R with ‘Uptown Records’ was fired, Biggie Smalls signed with Combs’ ‘Bad Boy Records.’ In August, 1993 (@21), he had his first child T’yanna.  To financially support his daughter, he continued to deal drugs. Also in 1993, he worked on the remix of Mary J. Blige’s ‘Real Love.’ While working for ‘Real Love,’ he used the pseudonym ‘The Notorious B.I.G.,’ the name he used for the rest of his career. He followed up with another remix of Blige's ‘What’s the 411’. He debuted as a solo artist in the 1993 film ‘Who’s the Man?’ with the single ‘Party and Bullshit.’   56.    As a solo artist he hit the pop chart in August 1994 (@22) with ‘Juicy/Unbelievable.’ His debut album ‘Ready to Die’ was released in September, 1994, peaked at number 15 on the Billboard 200 and was subject to critical acclaim and soon a commercial success. Three singles were released from the album: "Juicy", "Big Poppa", "One More Chance". "Big Poppa" was a hit on multiple charts, peaking at number six on the Billboard Hot 100 and also being nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance at the 1996 Grammy Awards.  At a time when West Coast hip hop was dominating the mainstream, this album became a huge success, making him a prominent figure in the East Coast hip hop scene. [Side Note: 2 months later in November, Tupac was shot five times in a NYC recording studio].  In July 1995 (@23), the cover of ‘The Source’ magazine featured him along with the caption ‘The King of New York Takes Over.’   57.    Recording of his second album, ‘Life After Death,’  began in September 1995 but was interrupted due to injuries, hip hop disputes, and legal squabbles (much like his friend Tupac). He was in a car accident which hospitalized him for three months. He had to complete rehabilitation and was confined to a wheelchair for a period. The car accident had shattered his left leg and made him dependent on a cane. He was arrested outside a nightclub in Manhattan in March, 1996 (24), for manhandling and threatening to kill two of his fans who were seeking autographs, and again in the middle of the year, he was arrested from his home at Teaneck, New Jersey, for possessing weapons and drugs. On September 7, 1996, Tupac Shakur was shot in Las Vegas, Nevada, and he died six days later. Rumors of Biggie Smalls’ involvement in Shakur’s murder were doing the rounds and were reported immediately. In January 1997, he faced an order to pay 41k for a dispute that occurred in May 1995 where a concert promoter’s friend accused him and his entourage of beating him up.   58.    Death: In February 1997, he went to Los Angeles to promote his upcoming album ‘Life After Death’ which was scheduled for March 25th release. On March 7, 1997, he attended the 1997 ‘Soul Train Music Awards’ and presented an award to Toni Braxton. On March 8, he attended the after party at ‘Peterson Automotive Museum,’ hosted by ‘Quest Records’ and ‘Vibe’ magazine. While leaving the party, his truck stopped at a red light, and a black Chevy Impala pulled up alongside it. The Impala's driver, an unidentified African-American man dressed in a blue suit and bow tie, rolled down his window, drew a 9 mm blue-steel pistol, and fired at Wallace's car. Four bullets hit Wallace, and his entourage subsequently rushed him to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where doctors performed emergency procedures, but he was pronounced dead at 1:15 a.m. He was 24 years old.   59.    16 days after his murder, his double disc album ‘Life After Death’ was released. The album peaked at No. 1 spot on the U.S. charts, ultimately went 11× Platinum, was nominated for Best Rap Album, Best Rap Solo Performance for its first single "Hypnotize", and Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for its second single "Mo Money Mo Problems" at the 1998 Grammy Awards. In 2012, the album was ranked at No. 476 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. Biggie has been described as ‘the savior of East Coast hip hop’ by some and ‘greatest rapper of all time’ by others.   60.    Tupac and Biggie Best Frenemies: Biggie's first single, “Party and Bulls**t” came out in 1993. By that year, Tupac was already a platinum-selling artist, so Biggie asked a drug dealer to introduce him to Tupac at a Los Angeles party, according to the book 'Original Gangstas...' by Ben Westhoff. An intern who worked with Biggie recalled the meeting. “'Pac walks into the kitchen and starts cooking for us. He's in the kitchen cooking some steaks,”.  “We were drinking and smoking and all of a sudden ‘Pac was like, ‘Yo, come get it.’ And we go into the kitchen and he had steaks, and French fries, and bread, and Kool Aid and we just sittin’ there eating and drinking and laughing...that's truly where Big and ‘Pac’s friendship started.” There was mutual respect between the two and Biggie would crash on Tupac’s couch when he was in California and Tupac would always stop by Biggie’s neighborhood when he was in New York. In essence, they were like any other pair of friends and both of them respected the other's talent. At the 1993 Budweiser Superfest at New York City’s Madison Square Garden, they freestyled together. Biggie often turned to Tupac for advice in the business, and even asked him to manage his career. But Tupac advised him to, "stay with Puff. He will make you a star.”   61.    The first big fallout happened when they were scheduled to work on a project together for another rapper, Little Shawn. Tupac arrived at Times Square’s Quad Recording Studios on November 30, 1994, and was getting ready to head upstairs to where Biggie and Combs were. But instead, Tupac was gunned down in the lobby and shot five times. Tupac reportedly believed that Biggie had prior knowledge of the attack and that he also knew who was behind it. "He really thought when he got shot the first time, not that Big set it up or anything, just Big didn't tell him who did it," Tupac's friend and Naughty by Nature frontman Treach told MTV News in June 2010. "In his heart, he was like, 'The homie knows who did it.' Biggie might have wanted to just stay out of it, like, 'I don't know nothing.' [Tupac] was like, 'Yo, man, just put your ear to the street. Let me know who hit me up.'" Despite Tupac's claims, Biggie remained adamant that he had been loyal to his friend. "Honestly, I didn't have no problem with [Tupac]," Biggie previously said. "I saw situations and how sh*t was going, and I tried to school [Tupac]. I was there when he bought his first Rolex, but I wasn't in the position to be rolling like that. I think Tupac felt more comfortable with the dudes he was hanging with because they had just as much money as him."   62.    Still, Tupac's suspicions were only heightened when Biggie released "Who Shot Ya?" a month after Tupac's attack. Biggie claimed that he wrote the song "way before Tupac got shot," but the rapper took it as Biggie's confession. "Even if that song ain't about it, you should be, like, 'I'm not putting it out, 'cause he might think it's about him,'" Tupac said in an interview with Vibe while incarcerated for an unrelated charge.   63.    When Tupac joined Death Row Records, the East Coast-West Coast rivalry was cemented. While Tupac was incarcerated for another incident, he came to believe Biggie knew about the attack ahead of time. The west coast rapper reached out to Suge Knight, who offered him a place on his Death Row Records roster. Tupac accepted, cementing the rivalry between Knight's label and Combs’ Bad Boy Records. “Any artist out there that wanna be an artist, stay a star, and won’t have to worry about the executive producer trying to be all in the videos, all on the records, dancing—come to Death Row!” Knight proclaimed at that 1995 Source awards show.   64.    There was never proof that Biggie or Combs knew about the incident. But a couple of months later, Biggie’s B-side single was a track called “Who Shot Ya?” which led to Tupac’s response with the song, “Hit ‘Em Up.” In it, Tupac claimed he slept with Biggie’s wife, Faith Evans. According to Vibe, Evans denied the claim, saying, “That ain’t how I do business.”   65.    Open Comments:   66.    Question: What Notable deaths hit you pretty hard? [Aaliyh/Al Jarreau/Andre Harrell/Areatha Franklin/Bernie Mack/Bill Withers/Bob Marley/Chadwick Boseman/Diahann Carroll/Donny Hathaway/Eazy-E/Florence Ballard/Florence Griffith Joyner/Fred “Curly” Neal/Heavy D/Jam Master Jay/Jimi Hendrix/John Lewis/John Singleton/John Thompson/Kobe Bryant/Left Eye/Little Richard/Malcolm X/Martin Luther King, Jr./Micgael Jackson/Muhammad Ali/Mya Angelou/Ol' Dirty Bastard/Otis Redding/Prince/Sam Cooke/The Notorious B.I.G./Toni Morrrison/Tupac/Walter Payton/Whitney Houston]   67.    Music Scene: Black Songs from the top 40   68.    #3-"I'll Be Missing You", Puff Daddy featuring Faith Evans and 112   69.    #4-"Un-Break My Heart", Toni Braxton   70.    #5- "Can't Nobody Hold Me Down", Puff Daddy featuring Mase   71.    #6-"I Believe I Can Fly", R. Kelly   72.    #7-"Don't Let Go (Love)", En Vogue   73.    #8-"Return of the Mack", Mark Morrison   74.    #13- "For You I Will", Monica   75.    #14-"You Make Me Wanna...", Usher   76.    #16-"Nobody", Keith Sweat featuring Athena Cage   77.    #20- "Mo Money Mo Problems", The Notorious B.I.G. featuring Puff Daddy and Mase   78.    #23-"No Diggity", Blackstreet featuring Dr. Dre   79.    #24-"I Belong to You (Every Time I See Your Face)", Rome   80.    #25-"Hypnotize", The Notorious B.I.G.   81.    #26-"Every Time I Close My Eyes", Babyface   82.    #27-"In My Bed", Dru Hill   83.    #30-"4 Seasons of Loneliness", Boyz II Men   84.    #31-"G.H.E.T.T.O.U.T.", Changing Faces   85.    #32-"Honey", Mariah Carey   86.    #33-"I Believe in You and Me", Whitney Houston   87.    #34-"Da' Dip", Freak Nasty   88.    #37-"Cupid", 112   89.    Vote:   90.    Top RnB Albums   91.    Jan - The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory, Makaveli   92.    Mar - Baduizm, Erykah Badu   93.    Mar - The Untouchable, Scarface   94.    Apr - Life After Death, The Notorious B.I.G.   95.    May - Share My World, Mary J. Blige   96.    Jun - God's Property from Kirk Franklin's Nu Nation   97.    Jun - Wu-Tang Forever, Wu-Tang Clan   98.    Aug - Supa Dupa Fly, Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott   99.    Aug - No Way Out, Puff Daddy and the Family   100.    Aug - The Art of War, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony   101.    Sep - Ghetto D, Master P   102.    Oct - When Disaster Strikes, Busta Rhymes   103.    Oct - Evolution, Boyz II Men   104.    Nov - The Firm: The Album, The Firm feat. Nas, Foxy Brown, Nature and AZ   105.    Nov - Harlem World, Mase   106.    Nov - The 18th Letter, Rakim   107.    Nov - Unpredictable, Mystikal   108.    Dec - Live, Erykah Badu   109.    Dec - R U Still Down? (Remember Me), 2Pac   110.    Vote:   111.    Music Scene: Erykah Badu, Queen of Neo-Soul   112.    Childhood & Early Years: Born as Erica Abi Wright on February 26, 1971 in Dallas, TX. Her father spent a considerable period in jail, vanished altogether in 1975, and only returned twenty years later. Her mother, a much respected actress in the local theatre, raised the children with the help  of her own mother and her mother-in-law. Erica spent a lot of time with these ladies while her mother was busy on the stage. Erica was born the eldest of 3. Although they were comparatively poor Erica never realized that because everything was neat and clean. Despite the absence of her father, she had a very happy childhood, surrounded by uncles, aunts, grandmothers and cousins. Her mother imbibed in her daughters a love for music, playing the songs of Chaka Khan, Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder to them. Erica inherited her mother’s artistic traits and a desire to perform. She would often sing in front of the mirror pretending that she was a background singer for Chaka Khan. She would also make her grandmother sit up and watch her while she sang, danced and acted. In 1975, Erica first appeared on stage, performing with her mother at Dallas Theatre Centre and by seven, she started learning to play the piano. Her favorite song was ‘The Greatest Love of All’. Another important aspect of her character was that from her childhood she loved to be in control of the situation around her. Therefore, when it was time for elementary schooling, she refused to continue her education there, mainly because she found that in school she was no longer in control. She began her formal education at a grade school, where her talent was quickly recognized. In her First Grade, she appeared in ‘Annie’, skipping and singing the song ‘Somebody Snitched On Me.’ During the summer vacations, she sang at the choir of the First Baptist Church, honing her choral skills.Along with acting and singing, little Erica also began to expand her cultural horizon, attending different festivals, especially Harambee Festival in South Dallas, slowly developing an interest in African culture and dress. The tall headgear she would wear one day originated from these visits.   113.    In 1980, she was enrolled in a dancing troupe. Later she also learned formal ballet. By 1982, she had also started rapping. When it was time to attend high school, she chose Dallas' Booker T. Washington High School, an arts-oriented magnet school. While studying there she rejected what she considered to be a slave name, changing the spelling of Erica to Erykah and replacing Wright with Badu. After graduating from high school, she enrolled at the Grambling State University, a historically black institution in Grambling, Louisiana, studying theatre until 1993. Thereafter, she returned to Dallas without completing her degree, mainly to concentrate on music.   114.    Career: In 1993, Erykah Badu started her career as a music teacher in Dallas. For a time, she also taught drama and dance at South Dallas Cultural Centre. To augment her income, she also served as waitress. She also formed a hip-hop duo with her cousin Robert Free Bradford, calling it ‘Erykah Free’. Very soon, they started going on musical tours and earning local opening slots. Her big chance came when in 1994 (@23), Erykah opened a show for D’Angelo. Through him, she caught the attention of Kedar Massenburg, an American record producer and founder of Kedar Entertainment. Impressed, he set her up to record a duet, ‘Your Precious Love' with D'Angelo. In 1995, she signed a contract with Kedar Entertainment and moved to Brooklyn. In January 1996, she made her debut with ‘On & On’, which remained at the number-one position on the U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for two weeks. In 1996, Erykah also recorded her debut album, ‘Baduizm’. Released on February 11, 1997 by Kedar Records, The Grammy award-winning album received universal acclaim from critics, who not only praised the musical style of the album, but also her ‘artistic vision’, establishing her position as the torchbearer of soul music. Her next album, ‘Live’ was a live album released on November 18, 1997, barely a month after the release of its lead single, ‘Tyrone’. It was also a huge hit and reached number four on the US Billboard 200 and number one on the US Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. While ‘Live’ was being recorded Badu was pregnant with her first child. After its release, she took some time off to raise her child, not returning until 1999.   115.    Open Comments:   116.    Question: What is neo-soul and why don’t I like it?   117.    Movie Scene:Eve’s Bayou, Written and directed by Kasi Lemmons; produced by Caldecot Chubb and Samuel L. Jackson - Starring: Samuel L. Jackson (Louis Batiste), Jurnee Smollett (Eve Batiste), Lynn Whitfield (Roz Batiste), Debbi Morgan (Mozelle Batiste Delacroix), Vondie Curtis Hall (Julian Grayraven), Meagan Good (Cisely Batiste) and Diahann Carroll (Elzora).   118.    Review #1: “...As these images unfold, we are drawn into the same process Eve has gone through: We, too, are trying to understand what happened in that summer of 1962, when Eve's handsome, dashing father--a doctor and womanizer--took one chance too many. And we want to understand what happened late one night between the father and Eve's older sister, in a moment that was over before it began.   119.    We want to know because the film makes it perfectly possible that there is more than one explanation; "Eve's Bayou" studies the way that dangerous emotions can build up until something happens that no one is responsible for and that can never be taken back.   120.    All of these moments unfold in a film of astonishing maturity and confidence; "Eve's Bayou," one of the very best films of the year, is the debut of its writer and director, Kasi Lemmons. She sets her story in Southern Gothic country, in the bayous and old Louisiana traditions that Tennessee Williams might have been familiar with, but in tone and style she earns comparison with the family dramas of Ingmar Bergman. That Lemmons can make a film this good on the first try is like a rebuke to established filmmakers..."Eve's Bayou" resonates in the memory. It called me back for a second and third viewing. If it is not nominated for Academy Awards, then the academy is not paying attention. For the viewer, it is a reminder that sometimes films can venture into the realms of poetry and dreams. - Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times   121.    Review #2: Kasi Lemmons’ fluid, feminine, African-American, Southern-gothic narrative covers a tremendous amount of emotional territory with the most graceful of steps. Young Jurnee Smollett plays 10-year-old Eve, struggling to understand the womanizing of her adored daddy (Samuel L. Jackson in easy, sexy command) and the passions of her big sister; Debbi Morgan, in a blazing performance, plays Eve’s vibrant aunt, infused with good-witch spiritual powers. The film’s dream-state visual elegance is matched by a great soundtrack. Grade, A-. -  Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly   122.    Review #3: First and best, it's got a rip-roaring story. It sweeps you along, borne effortlessly by believable if flawed characters, as it flows toward the inevitable tragedy. But it's also got a heart: It watches as a child harsh of judgment learns that judgment is too easy a posture for the world, and it's best to love with compassion. - Stephen Hunter, Washington Post   123.    Review #4: “You don't have to believe in magic to be gripped by the psychic forces that the characters' sorcery unleashes. Sibling rivalry, sexual jealousy and anxiety are all feelings that, when heated to the boiling point, have incendiary, semi magical powers. And as the psychosexual forces that bind but also threaten the Batiste family heat up, you can feel the lid about to blow. Every element of the film -- from the turbulent, stormy performances to the rich cinematography (which includes black-and-white computer-enhanced dream sequences) to the setting itself, in which the thick layers of hanging moss over muddy water seem to drip with sexual intrigue and secrecy -- merges to create an atmosphere of extraordinary erotic tension and anxiety.   124.    At the center of it all, exuding a dangerous magnetism, is Jackson's Louis, a swashbuckling, flashing-eyed, slightly oily lightning rod of a charmer whose charisma conveys a warning electric buzz. Jackson has never played a character quite this avid. And in a performance that requires him to infuse the role of perfect father and dream lover with a demonic charge, Jackson makes Louis at once irresistibly lovable and slightly terrifying. - Stephen Holden, New York Times   125.    Open Comments:   126.    Question: Are our family dynamics still suffering, internally, from the legacy of slavery or we closer to moving past it.   127.    TV Scene: “Miss Evers’ Boys”: Powerful, haunting and artfully mounted, “Miss Evers’ Boys” is a docudrama of uncommon quality and clarity. The acting is exceptional, the characters vivid, the presentation balanced. Original films for television rarely aim so high as does this HBO NYC production...And cinematographically, it is a revelation, with director of photography Donald M. Morgan lending the production a strikingly dingy, washed-out look that blends perfectly with the piece’s bleak sensibility. The story as told here centers on nurse Eunice Evers (a dynamic, layered performance from Alfre Woodard). Evers went to work at Alabama’s Tuskegee Hospital in 1932 to assist a certain Dr. Brodus (brilliant work from Joe Morton) in caring for poor black men (sharecroppers mostly) who have been stricken with syphilis. Enter Dr. Douglas (Craig Sheffer), a white doctor who brings with him a fully funded program to treat syphilis at the hospital, offering free treatment to any man who tests positive for the disease. A few months pass before Brodus travels to Washington to meet with Douglas and a government panel of doctors who tell him the funding for treatment has dried up. However, money is available for a study of the syphilitic African-American men. The catch: They can receive no medical treatment initially as a way to establish whether syphilis affects blacks and whites differently. Brodus initially is outraged, but acquiesces in the belief the study will disprove the racist notion of physiological inferiority in blacks. Evers also reluctantly follows along, lying to the men while giving them only vitamins, tonics and liniment rubs. But as the months turn into years, it becomes clear that the afflicted men will never receive treatment. Only with their deaths is the study of how the disease runs its course made complete and viable….[the movie] switches gears during its second hour to become an examination of Evers’ gut-wrenching moral ambiguity in sticking around to help perpetrate this ghastly fraud over 40 years. Woodard movingly conveys the conflict weighing down Evers’ guilt-riddled soul, giving a profound resonance to the disturbing ethical questions raised by her dedication in the name of lending the men comfort and a form of loving (if deliberately ineffectual) care….the overall tone and tenor of “Miss Evers’ Boys” is one of subtle brilliance, bolstered by an exquisitely detailed period sheen that screams excellence. After it’s over, you sit disbelieving that such an inhumane, insidious experiment designed to reduce black men to the level of laboratory animals could ever have been conducted in the United States of America — much less gone undetected until 25 years ago. It went far beyond mere institutional racism. It was pure evil. — Ray Richmond Vanity Fair   128.    Open Comments:   129.    Vote: Best/most important/favorite pop culture item from 1997?

Topics: Tupac death, Fugees, Set It Off, Moesha (Bonus Artist: hidingtobefound)

http://afropopremix.com

1996 Snapshots

1.    President: Bill Clinton 2.    Jan - Whitewater scandal: U.S. First Lady Hillary Clinton testifies before a grand jury. 3.    Feb - Daniel Green is convicted of the murder of James Jordan, the father of basketball star Michael Jordan. 4.    Mar - Lyle and Erik Menendez are found guilty of first-degree murder for the shotgun killing of their parents. 5.    Apr - Chicago Bulls set a new NBA record for the most wins in a season, 70. 6.    May -? 7.    Jun - The Colorado Avalanche wins their first Stanley Cup in their first season based out of Denver and The Chicago Bulls win their fourth NBA Championship by defeating the Seattle Supersonics. 8.    July - The Centennial Olympic Park bombing at the 1996 Summer Olympics kills 2 and injures 111. 9.    Aug - Tiger Woods makes his professional PGA Tour debut. 10.    Sep - Tupac Shakur dies. 11.    Oct - The Fox News Channel is launched. 12.    Nov - Bill Clinton defeats Republican challenger Bob Dole to win his second term. 13.    Dec - Death of JonBenét Ramsey: A six-year-old beauty queen is beaten and strangled in the basement of her family's home in Boulder, Colorado; her body is found the following day. 14.    Open Comments: 15.    Music Snapshots 16.    #1 Macarena (Bayside Boys Mix), Los del Río 17.    #2 One Sweet Day, Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men 18.    #3 Because You Loved Me, Celine Dion 19.    Record of the Year: Change the World – Eric Clapton 20.    Album of the Year: Falling Into You – Celine Dion 21.    Song of the Year: Change the World 22.    Best New Artist: LeAnn Rimes 23.    Best Female R&B Vocal Performance: You're Makin' Me High – Toni Braxton 24.    Best Male R&B Vocal Performance: Your Secret Love – Luther Vandross 25.    Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal: Killing Me Softly – Fugees 26.    Best R&B Song: Exhale (Shoop Shoop), Babyface, songwriter (Whitney Houston) 27.    Best R&B Album: Words – The Tony Rich Project 28.    Best Rap Solo Performance: Hey Lover – LL Cool J 29.    Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group: Tha Crossroads – Bone Thugs-N-Harmony 30.    Best Rap Album: The Score – Fugees 31.    Movie Snapshots 32.    #1 Independence Day 33.    #2 Twister 34.    #3 Mission: Impossible 35.    Notables: Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood, The Birdcage, Fargo, A Thin Line Between Love and Hate, The Nutty Professor, Kazaam, Set It Off, Space Jam, Jerry Maguire. 36.    TV Snapshots 37.    #1 - ER 38.    #2 - Seinfeld 39.    #3 - Suddenly Susan 40.    Debuts: Moesha, The Daily Show, Kenan & Kel, The Steve Harvey Show, In The House, Malcolm & Eddie, Homeboys in Outer Space, The Jamie Foxx Show 41.    Economic Snapshots 42.    Income = 36.3k (Previously 36K) 43.    House = 118.2K (113) 44.    Car = 16.3k (15.5) 45.    Rent = 554(550) 46.    Harvard = 27.5k (26k) 47.    Movie = 4.42 (4.35) 48.    Gas = 1.22 (1.12) 49.    Stamp = .32 (-) 50.    Social Scene: Tupac Killed 51.    Childhood: Tupac Shakur, born Parish Crooks, was born on June 16, 1971, to Black Panther activist parents in New York City. Thirteen days later, his mother, Alice Faye Walker (Afeni Shakur), changed his name. The parents wanted to avoid him being targeted by Black Panther-affiliated enemies. His mother was imprisoned while she was pregnant with him. Tupac's father, Billy Garland, was also a Panther but lost contact with Afeni when Tupac was five years old. The rapper would not see his father again until he was 23 - I thought my father was dead all my life. 52.    Early Life: He had a difficult childhood, as he grew up in the company of criminals, militant activist, violence, and a drugged addicted mother with a transient lifestyle. Art became a constructive and safe escape. His first acting stint was in 1983 (@12 yrs. old) with the Harlem’s 127th StreetRepertory Ensemble when he performed in a play ‘A Raisin in the Sun’ at the Apollo Theater. In 1984, Tupac's family moved from New York City to Baltimore, Maryland.There he studied poetry, jazz, acting, and ballet at the Baltimore School for the Arts and befriended Jada Pinkett. The family later moved to Marin City, California, across the bay from Oakland, in 1988 (@17 yrs. old). They went to the home of a woman Afeni had been close to during her Black Panther days and lived in a poor housing complex, referred to as ‘the Jungle.’ 53.    Early Career: While attending high school he participated in a poetry workshop known as The Microphone Sessions, organized by Leila Steinberg, who would eventually become his first manager. She introduced 19-year-old Tupac to Atron Gregory, a manager for the World Class Wrekin Cru’ and tour manager for NWA, who had just returned to the Bay Area, started TNT Records, and quickly gained attention by signing Digital Underground.  Gregory matched Tupac with Digital Underground as a roadie and backup dancer. Tupac’s talent was soon recognized by the group, and he began rapping in some of their songs. He debuted on ‘Same Song,’ which was featured in the 1991 film Nothing But Trouble. (@20 yrs. old) 54.    Solo Career: He released his debut solo album ‘2Pacalypse Now’ in 1991. (Big hit - 'Brenda's Got a Baby') Also in 1991, Shakur filed a $10-million lawsuit against the Oakland Police Department for allegedly brutalizing him over jaywalking. The case was settled for about $43,000. (1992 - Juice, first starring role) His second album, ‘Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z’ came out in 1993. It was more successful than its predecessor and contained the hits ‘Keep Ya Head Up’ and ‘I Get Around’. (1993 - Poetic Justice, co-starred with Janet Jackson) In 1994, he formed a group Thug Life and they released one album ‘Thug Life: Volume 1. (1994 - Above the Rim, Co-starred with Duane Martin) During this period he had several brushes with the law (he was associated with the shooting of a 6 yr. old Qa'id Walker-Teal in Marin City / shooting two policemen / various physical assaults) and was shot in an armed robbery case. After recovering from the shooting, he was sent to prison on a sexual assault charge. He released the album ‘Me Against the World’ in 1995 (@24) while serving his prison term. The album was an immediate hit and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. 55.    Final Album: During 1995, while imprisoned, impoverished, and with his mother about to lose her house, Tupac had his wife get word to Marion Suge Knight, in Los Angeles, boss of the Death Row Records, at the time a verry successful company, and asked for a meeting. Tupac's mother received $15k, Suge paid Tupac's $1.4m bail, signed the rapper, and went to work on the album ‘All Eyez on Me’. The album was recorded in two weeks! In a matter of two weeks, Tupac recorded and completed the double-disc album, completing two out of three albums he owed Death Row. (The third release would end up being the posthumously released The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory) Released in February of 1996, the album featured five singles and went multi-Platinum in just a few months after its release. 56.    Death: Seven months later, in September 1996, Tupac was killed in a drive-by shooting. He was 25 years old. 57.    Open Comments: 58.    Question: Confused young man or someone to be taken seriously? (What did he represent?) 59.    Music Scene: 60.    Black Songs in the Top 40 61.    #1 Macarena (Bayside Boys Mix), Los del Río 62.    #2 One Sweet Day, Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men 63.    #4 Nobody Knows, The Tony Rich Project 64.    #5 Always Be My Baby, Mariah Carey 65.    #6 Give Me One Reason, Tracy Chapman 66.    #7 Tha Crossroads, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony 67.    #9 You're Makin' Me High / Let It Flow, Toni Braxton 68.    #10 Twisted, Keith Sweat 69.    #11 C'mon N' Ride It (The Train), Quad City DJ's 70.    #14 Exhale (Shoop Shoop), Whitney Houston 71.    #16 Sittin' Up in My Room, Brandy 72.    #17 How Do U Want It / California Love, 2Pac featuring K-Ci and JoJo 73.    #20 Hey Lover, LL Cool J 74.    #21 Loungin, LL Cool J 75.    #23 Be My Lover, La Bouche 76.    #27 I Can't Sleep Baby (If I), R. Kelly 77.    #32 Not Gon' Cry, Mary J. Blige 78.    #33 Gangsta's Paradise, Coolio featuring L.V. 79.    #34 Only You, 112 featuring The Notorious B.I.G. and Mase 80.    #35 Down Low (Nobody Has to Know), R. Kelly featuring The Isley Brothers 81.    #36 You're the One, SWV 82.    #37 Sweet Dreams, La Bouche 83.    #38 Before You Walk Out of My Life / Like This and Like That, Monica 84.    #40 1, 2, 3, 4 (Sumpin' New), Coolio 85.    #42 No Diggity, Blackstreet featuring Dr. Dre 86.    Vote: 87.    Top RnB Albums 88.    Jan - Waiting to Exhale, Soundtrack / Various artists 89.    Feb - Str8 off tha Streetz of Muthaphukkin Compton, Eazy-E 90.    Mar - All Eyez on Me, 2Pac 91.    Mar - The Score, Fugees 92.    Apr - The Coming, Busta Rhymes 93.    Apr - The Resurrection, Geto Boys 94.    Jun - Gettin' It (Album Number Ten), Too Short 95.    Jun - Legal Drug Money, Lost Boyz 96.    Jun - The Nutty Professor, Soundtrack / Various artists 97.    Jul - Secrets, Toni Braxton 98.    Jul - Keith Sweat, Keith Sweat 99.    Jul - It Was Written, Nas 100.    Aug - Beats, Rhymes and Life, A Tribe Called Quest 101.    Sep - ATLiens, Outkast 102.    Sep - Home Again, New Edition 103.    Oct - Another Level, Blackstreet 104.    Nov - Bow Down, Westside Connection 105.    Nov - Ironman, Ghostface Killah 106.    Nov - The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory, Makaveli 107.    Nov - Tha Doggfather, Snoop Dogg 108.    Dec - Hell on Earth, Mobb Deep 109.    Dec - Muddy Waters, Redman 110.    Vote: 111.    Featured Artist: The Fugees 112.    Lauryn Hill (@21 yrs. old in 1996) was born in 1975 to a high school teacher and computer expert in New Jersey. Her mother played piano and her father sang in nightclubs. Young Lauryn sang in church choirs, gospel groups and showed a strong voice. She loved '60s and '70s soul and by age thirteen, she was playing the amateur night showtime at the Apollo, doing a cover of Smokey Robinson's "Who's Loving You". Hill nabbed minor roles on television's As the World Turns and in the film Sister Act II: Back in the Habit. Her work with the Fugees began in 1987 in high school with friend Prakazrel Samuel Michel. 113.    "Pras" (@23 in 1996) was born in Brooklyn in 1972 and raised in New Jersey. He showed an early interest in music and attended Rutgers University and Yale University, pursuing a double major in Philosophy and Psychology. 114.    Wyclef Jean (@27 yrs. old) was born in 1969 in Haiti, the son of a minister. When he was nine, he moved to the projects of Brooklyn, and later New Jersey, where he took up guitar and the study of music. 115.    The trio formed in the late '80s, named themselves the Tranzlator Crew and used Hill's soap opera acting proceeds to pay for equipment. They toured the tri-state area and were signed to major label Ruffhouse/Columbia in 1993. Hill was still a minor. Shortly thereafter, they renamed themselves Fugees, a derisive slang term for refugees, and released a debut 12-inch Fugees (Tranzlator Crew) "Boof Baf" to no notable sales. 116.    Their 1994 debut LP Blunted on Reality, stylized in a fashion like A Tribe Called Quest, Poor Righteous Teachers, and Digable Planets, did better. However, it was the remixed versions of "Nappy Head (Mona Lisa)" and "Vocab" that earned the group another budget for a follow-up album. (Also, notable, in later interviews Pras would say that a married Wyclef and the underage Hill were having a clandestine relationship at the time) 117.    Combining a mix of conscious hip hp, soul, and reggae, with a homemade basement studio, sampled melodies, live guitars, bass, keys, "The Score" arrived in 1996, filling the void between gangsta and glitter. It became an instant classic, ultimately selling over 18 million copies. 118.    Open Comments: 119.    Internal "Affairs": In the summer of 1996, on the Smoking Grooves Tour, Hill met Rohan Marley, (one of Bob Marley's kids) and even though the former University of Miami football player was initially rebuffed, because Hill was still seeing Jean, , no one knew who the child really belonged to. 120.    In the summer of 1996 Hill had met Rohan Marley, a son of Bob Marley and a former University of Miami football player. Hill subsequently began a relationship with him, while still also involved with the married Wyclef. She soon became visibly pregnant. Marley and Hill's first child was born the following summer. 121.    Soon after Zion was born, she learned that Marley already had a wife and two children from another marriage. 122.    Amid newfound international fame and baby Daddy drama, Wyclef did not support Hill's solo desires (she had made appearances on Wyclef's solo project), thus leading to the group splitting up. 123.    Hill started work on The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill; blocking out Wyclef Jean from any type of production help after he had snubbed her. Her old-school takes on "Doo Wop (That Thing)" helped it rule the charts in 1998 and win five Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year, Best New Artist, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, Best R&B Song, and Best R&B Album -- the most ever for a woman. 124.    Meanwhile, Hill was having more of Marley's children and becoming close with Brother Anthony, a spiritual adviser who studied the Bible with her several times per week. In 2001, she recorded an MTV Unplugged session where she broke down in tears and admitted to being deranged and emotionally unstable. Rolling Stone called the session "a public breakdown", though it debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 and went platinum. 125.    She has been a sporadic and reluctant public figure ever since. 126.    Question: Have you ever had an affair with a co-worker? How did it turn out? 127.    Movie Scene: Set It Off. [Directed by F. Gary Gray Action, Crime, Drama, Romance, Thriller. Starring Queen Latifah, Jada Pinkett, and Vivica A. Fox] 128.    Rotten Tomatoes, Critics Consensus: It may not boast an original plot, but Set It Off is a satisfying, socially conscious heist film thanks largely to fine performances from its leads. 129.    Emanuel Levy, Variety 11-1996: Influenced by "Thelma & Louise" and "Waiting to Exhale," F. Gary Gray's "Set It Off" is a well-crafted girls-n-the-hood actioner, with an acute social conscience and plenty of soul. A tale of female bonding and empowerment, this relevant film boasts a terrific cast, headed by Jada Pinkett and Queen Latifah in career-making performances. 130.    Stephen Holden, New York Times 11-1996: Just Trying to Get Even While They Get Rich. On the long list of Hollywood heist movies that make you root for its criminals to steal a million dollars and live happily ever after, F. Gary Gray's film ''Set It Off'' is one of the most poignantly impassioned. If this messy roller coaster of a film often seems to be going in several directions at once, it never for a second loses empathy for its quartet of black female bank robbers who grew up together in a Los Angeles housing project and earn meager wages working for a janitorial service... A pop psychologist might translate the story into a fable called ''Women Who Rob Banks and the Society That Hates Them.' 131.    Roger Ebert 11-1996: “Set It Off” is advertised as a thriller about four black women who rob banks. But it's a lot more than that. It creates a portrait of the lives of these women that's so observant and informed; it's like “Waiting to Exhale” with a strong jolt of reality. The movie surprised and moved me: I expected a routine action picture and was amazed how much I started to care about the characters. 132.    Kent, Entertainment Weekly 09-2019: Why Set It Off is an era-defining film that shouldn't be remade. We are clearly in the age of reboots and remakes, but the '90s heist film is irreplaceable. 133.    Question 1: Remake or Sequel? 134.    Question 2: Do we really want more black female action heroines/stories? (i.e., women of Black Panther, "Breaking In" movie, Berry, Valkyrie, Guardians...etc.) 135.    TV Scene: Moesha 136.    Screen Rant: No show lasts for six seasons without making a cultural impact; Moesha was nominated for 32 awards and won three: two NAACP Image Awards and one SHINE Award. The series was syndicated, and still airs around the world. Netflix picked up streaming rights to the series in 2020, which became available to US subscribers on August 1, 2020. As new viewers will discover, however, despite how influential the show was, it ends abruptly after a significant cliffhanger for the main character in the season 6 finale. Despite the recognition, the show steadily declined in ratings, leading to its cancelation. 137.    Moesha Mitchell went through quite the journey on Moesha. At the beginning of the series, Moesha was still dealing with her mother's death a few years prior and learning to come to terms with her new stepmother, Deirdre "Dee" Mitchel (Sheryl Lee Ralph) — who just happened to be the vice principal at Moesha's school. The final season sees Brandy experiencing the trials and tribulations of being a young adult, complete with an engagement to long-time on-again, off-again boyfriend Quinton "Q" Brooks (Fredro Starr) and attending college. The final episode ends with the reveal of a positive pregnancy test in Moesha's dorm — who it belongs to, however, is a mystery. Since the show never got another season, the storyline was never resolved. 138.    According to EW, at the time, UPN's plan was to address the pregnancy cliffhanger in the spin-off series The Parkers, which premiered on the network in 1999. The Parkers followed Moesha's "boy-crazy" friend Kimberly Ann "Kim" Parker as she navigated attending college with her mother, who has decided to enlist at the same time as her daughter. For unknown reasons, however, the planned resolution never took place, despite The Parkers running until 2005. With there being reports of a possible reboot series in the works, perhaps this Moesha storyline — as well as the question of what happened to Moesha's brother Myles, who disappeared in the finale — can finally be laid to rest." 139.    Question: Is it reboot worthy? / Is any classic black TV show reboot worthy? 140.    Vote: Best/most important/favorite pop culture item from 1996?

Topics: Million Man March, TLC, Friday, UPN (Bonus Artist: Luck Pacheco)

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1995 Notes   1.    Snapshots   2.    President: Bill Clinton   3.    Jan - The WB Television Network and The United Paramount Network (UPN) launches.   4.    Mar - Yahoo! was incorporated and soon became the first popular online directory and search engine on the World Wide Web.   5.    Mar - Mississippi ratifies the Thirteenth Amendment, becoming the last state to approve the abolition of slavery. The amendment was nationally ratified in 1865. Until February 7, 2013, the state of Mississippi had never submitted the required documentation to ratify the Thirteenth Amendment, meaning it never officially abolished slavery.   6.    Mar - Eric Lynn Wright (September 7, 1964 – March 26, 1995), known professionally as Eazy-E is suddenly hospitalized, diagnosed with AIDS, and dies due to its complications.   7.    Apr - Oklahoma City bombing: 168 people, including 8 Federal Marshals and 19 children, are killed at the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. Timothy McVeigh and one of his accomplices, Terry Nichols, set off the bomb.   8.    May - In Culpeper, Virginia, actor Christopher Reeve is paralyzed from the neck down after falling from his horse in a riding competition. [See - “Superman Curse”]   9.    Sep - Rock and Roll Hall of Fame opens.   10.    Oct - The Million Man March is held in Washington, D.C. The event was conceived by Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan.   11.    Dec - The presidents of Bosnia, Serbia, and Croatia sign a peace treaty in Paris, ending a three-and-a-half-year war.   12.    Music Snapshots   13.    #1 "Gangsta's Paradise", Coolio featuring L.V.   14.    #2 "Waterfalls", TLC   15.    #3 "Creep", TLC   16.    Record of the Year: "Kiss From a Rose", Seal   17.    Album of the Year: Jagged Little Pill, Alanis Morissette   18.    Song of the Year: "Kiss From a Rose", Seal   19.    Best New Artist: Hootie & the Blowfish   20.    Best Female R&B: Anita Baker for "I Apologize"   21.    Best Male R&B: Stevie Wonder for "For Your Love"   22.    Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group: TLC for "Creep"   23.    Best R&B Song: Stevie Wonder (songwriter) for "For Your Love"   24.    Best R&B Album: TLC for CrazySexyCool   25.    Best Rap Solo: "Gangsta's Paradise", Coolio   26.    Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group: "I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By", Method Man featuring Mary J. Blige   27.    Best Rap Album: Poverty's Paradise, Naughty by Nature   28.    Movie Snapshots   29.    #1 Die Hard with a Vengeance   30.    #2 Toy Story   31.    #3 Apollo 13   32.    Notables: Higher Learning, Major Payne, Bad Boys, New Jersey Drive, Friday, Braveheart, Batman Forever, Pocahontas, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie, Clueless, Waterworld, Mortal Kombat, The Tuskegee Airmen, The Usual Suspects, Seven, Dead Presidents, The American President, Casino, Money Train, Heat, Waiting to Exhale.   33.    TV Snapshots   34.    Top TV Shows   35.    #1 ER   36.    #2 Seinfeld   37.    #3 Friends   38.    Debuts: The Wayans Bros. (WB), The Parent 'Hood (WB), Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel (still airing), In the House   39.    Economic Snapshots   40.    Income = 35.9k (Previously 37K)   41.    House = 113.1K (119)   42.    Car = 15.5k (12.5)   43.    Rent = 550 (533)   44.    Harvard = 26.2k (24.9)   45.    Movie = 4.35 (4)   46.    Gas = 1.12 (1.09)   47.    Stamp .32 (.29)   48.    Social Scene: Million Man March   49.    A political demonstration in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 16, 1995, to promote African American unity and family values. Estimates of the number of marchers, most of whom were African American men, ranged from 400,000 to nearly 1.1 million, ranking it among the largest gatherings of its kind in American history.   50.    Several African American leaders did not support the march, including Mary Frances Berry, chairman of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, and Rep. John Lewis, the latter of whom saw Farrakhan’s message as an effort to “resegregate America.”   51.    Comments:   52.    Featured Speaker: Louis Farrakhan, @62 yrs old   53.    Born Louis Eugene Wolcott on May 11, 1933, in New York City, New York, to Sarah Mae Manning and Percival Clark. His parents separated even before he was born.   54.    He did not know his biological father and was brought up by his stepfather Louis Wolcott. The death of his stepfather in 1936 led to the relocation of his family to Boston, Massachusetts.   55.    From an early age, he received rigorous training in violin, so much so that by the time he turned 13 he had mastered the instrument and was playing along with the ‘Boston College Orchestra’ and ‘Boston Civic Symphony.’   56.    In his first year as a teenager, he became one of the first black performers to appear on the ‘Ted Mack Original Amateur Hour. ‘The following year, he had two national level victories under his belt.   57.    He attended the prestigious ‘Boston Latin School’ after which he was admitted to ‘English High School. ‘After graduating from ‘English High School,’ he enrolled for a three-year course at the ‘Winston-Salem Teachers College’ on a track scholarship.   58.    Starting from the 1950s, he pursued a career in music. He recorded several calypso albums under the pseudonym ‘The Charmer. ‘He toured frequently since the release of his first album. In 1955, he organized a show titled ‘Calypso Follies’ in Chicago.   59.    Interestingly, one of his songs remained a chartbuster and on top of the ‘Billboard Chart’ for five years in a row.   60.    It was while pursuing his professional music career that he was first exposed to the teachings of ‘Nation of Islam’ through his friend and saxophonist Rodney Smith.   61.    Later, Elijah Muhammad invited him to attend the Nation of Islam’s annual ‘Saviours' Day’ address. Inspired by the discourse, he resolved to be a member of ‘Nation of Islam’ (NOI) in 1955. (@22)   62.    He fulfilled all the requirements to become a registered Muslim/ registered believer/ registered laborer of NOI. Subsequently, he received an approval by the NOI headquarter in July 1955.   63.    Initially known by the name Louis X, his name was later changed to the ‘holy name’ Louis Farrakhan. A derivative of the Arabic word furqan, which means "The Criterion". He gave up on a music career and dedicated his life to the ‘Nation of Islam.’   64.    Within a span of nine months, he worked his way up and started serving as the assistant minister to Malcolm X, who was heading the Muhammad’s Temple of Islam in Boston at that time.   65.    He was soon made the minister as Malcom X was shifted to the Temple of Muhammad in Harlem, New York. Farrakhan replaced Malcom X as the minister at the Boston Temple.   66.    Malcolm X was assassinated on 21 February 1965 and Farrakhan profited from it as he was appointed to two prominent positions in NOI. (@32)   67.    He was appointed to the chair of the minister of the influential Harlem Mosque in 1965, a position which he held until 1975. Furthermore, he became the national spokesman and representative of NOI and served in this position until Elijah Muhammad’s death in 1975.   68.    In 1975, the Nation's leadership chose Wallace Muhammad, also known as Warith Deen Mohammad, the fifth of Elijah Muhammad's sons, not Farrakhan, as the new Supreme Minister.   69.    Though Farrakhan remained a loyalist of the Muhammad clan for some time, in 1977 he withdrew his support from the organization and rebuilt the original ‘Nation of Islam’ which had been established by its founders.   70.    Soon after its foundation, he started a weekly newspaper by the name ‘The Final Call, Inc.’ The objective of this initiation was to communicate his views and thoughts to the supporters and members.   71.    Two years later, along with his supporters, he organized the first ‘Saviours’ Day’ convention in Chicago. His group promised to walk by the principles of Elijah Muhammad.   72.    Throughout his leadership, he blamed the Jewish community and other ethnic and racial groups for the sufferings endured by African Americans.   73.    In October of 1995, he planned a broad coalition, intending to assemble about one million men in Washington DC for the ‘Million Man March.’   74.    At the convention, he was the keynote speaker along with distinguished African American intellectuals, such as Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King III, Cornel West, Jesse Jackson, and Benjamin Chavis.   75.    Question: Who else could pull this off today? Where have our leaders gone? (Besides Obama)   76.    Music Scene   77.    #1 "Gangsta's Paradise", Coolio featuring L.V.   78.    #2 "Waterfalls", TLC   79.    #3 "Creep", TLC   80.    #4 "Kiss from a Rose", Seal   81.    #5 "On Bended Knee", Boyz II Men   82.    #6 "Another Night", Real McCoy   83.    #7 "Fantasy", Mariah Carey   84.    #9 "Don't Take It Personal (Just One of Dem Days)", Monica   85.    #10 "This Is How We Do It", Montell Jordan   86.    #11 "I Know", Dionne Farris   87.    #12 "Water Runs Dry", Boyz II Men   88.    #13 "Freak Like Me", Adina Howard   89.    #15 "I Can Love You Like That", All-4-One   90.    #18 "Boombastic" / "In the Summertime", Shaggy   91.    #20 "You Gotta Be", Des'ree   92.    #21 "You Are Not Alone", Michael Jackson   93.    #23 "One More Chance", The Notorious B.I.G.   94.    #24 "Here Comes the Hotstepper", Ini Kamoze   95.    #25 "Candy Rain", Soul for Real   96.    #27 "I Believe", Blessid Union of Souls   97.    #28 "Red Light Special", TLC   98.    #29 "Runaway", Janet Jackson   99.    #31 "Colors of the Wind", Vanessa Williams   100.    #32 "Someone to Love", Jon B.   101.    #34 "If You Love Me", Brownstone   102.    #36 "I Got 5 on It", Luniz   103.    #37 "Baby", Brandy   104.    #40 "He's Mine", MoKenStef   105.    Vote:   106.    Jan - My Life, Mary J. Blige   107.    Feb - Cocktails, Too Short   108.    Mar - Safe + Sound, DJ Quik   109.    Apr - Me Against the World, 2Pac   110.    Apr - Friday, Soundtrack   111.    Jun - Poverty's Paradise, Naughty by Nature   112.    Jul - HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I, Michael Jackson   113.    Jul - Operation Stackola, Luniz   114.    Aug - The Show, the After Party, the Hotel, Jodeci   115.    Aug - E. 1999 Eternal, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony   116.    Sep - The Show, Soundtrack   117.    Oct - 4,5,6, Kool G Rap   118.    Oct - Daydream, Mariah Carey   119.    Oct - Doe or Die, AZ   120.    Nov - Dogg Food, Tha Dogg Pound   121.    Dec - R. Kelly, R. Kelly   122.    Dec - Waiting to Exhale, Soundtrack   123.    Vote:   124.    Featured Artists: TLC   125.    Tionne Tenese Watkins (@25) was born on April 26, 1970, in Des Moines, Iowa, into a family of African American, Native American and Irish descent. Both her parents, James and Gayle Watkins, were musicians and singers.   126.    Her parents divorced when she was three years old. Thereafter, she was raised by her mother, who taught her to be “confident and independent”. At the age of nine, they moved to Atlanta, Georgia, where her maternal grandmother used to live.   127.    As a child, she was diagnosed with sickle cell anemia (SCA), as a result of which, she had to spend a lot of time in hospitals.   128.    As a teenager, she began working as a hair model, eventually serving as a manicurist and shampoo girl at a popular Atlanta hair salon.   129.    In 1990, (@20) Tionne Watkins heard that a teenager named Crystal Clear was planning to open an all-girls group like Bell Biv DeVoe, having a tomboyish, hip-hop image. Eventually, she appeared for an audition and joined the three-member band, the third one being Lisa Lopes.   130.    Calling themselves ‘2nd Nature’, they soon started working with Jermaine Dupri and Rico Wade on demo tape material.   131.    Meanwhile, Watkins met Perri "Pebbles" Reid, the owner of the management and production company, Pebbitone, and managed to arrange an audition with her.   132.    Impressed by the girls, Reid arranged an audition with the local record label, LaFace Records, co-founded by her then husband Antonio Reid and Kenneth “Babyface” Edmund. She also changed the group’s name to TLC with ‘T’ representing Tionne, ‘L’ Lisa, and ‘C’ Crystal.   133.    Although Antonio Reid was impressed by Watkins and Lopes, he did not approve of Clear, who was eventually replaced by Rozonda Thomas in April 1991. Very soon, Watkins became "T-Boz", Lopes became "Left-Eye", and Thomas became "Chilli”, so that ‘TLC’ continued to be the acronym of their names.   134.    Their debut album, 'Ooooooohhh... On the TLC Tip' was released on February 25, 1992, by LaFace Records. It peaked at number 14 on the US Billboard 200, selling six million copies worldwide, and was certified quadruple platinum RIAA.   135.    'Ooooooohhh... On the TLC Tip' scored three top-ten singles on the Billboard Hot 100 with ‘Baby-Baby-Baby’ peaking at number two, ‘Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg’ at number six and ‘What About Your Friends’ at number seven. Moreover, ‘Baby-Baby-Baby’ also peaked at number one at Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks.   136.    In 1993, the group started working on their second album, ‘CrazySexyCool’. But because of Lisa’s personal problems, it took time to complete and was ultimately released on September 15, 1994.   137.    Certified Diamond, the album was a huge success, peaking at the 3rd position on the US Billboard 200. It sold over 11 million copies in the United States alone. The album was nominated for six Grammy Awards, out of which it won two and helped TLC to become the second-best selling girl group of all time.   138.    Billboard named them the ‘Artist of the Year’ at the Billboard Music Awards. The album also appeared on Rolling Stone Magazine’s ’500 Greatest Albums of All Time’.   139.    Despite the success, TLC was forced to file for bankruptcy because of poor contracts they had signed in 1991. Eventually, the group signed a new contract with the same company and went back to work.   140.    Rozonda Ocelian Thomas (@24) was born on 27th February 1971 in Atlanta, Georgia to Abdul Ali and Ava Thomas. Her mother is of African American as well as Native American descent, while her father is of East Indian and Middle Eastern Background. She was raised by a single mother and did not meet her father until she was 25.   141.    Thomas studied at Benjamin E. Mays High School, from where she graduated in 1989. Soon she started working as a back-up dancer for the R&B group Damian Dame.   142.    In 1991, (@20) Rozonda Thomas joined the pop group TLC.   143.    Lisa Nicole Lopes (@24) was born on May 27, 1971, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her father was Ronald Lopes Sr., a staff sergeant in the US Army, and her mother was Wanda Denise, a seamstress. She was of Cape Verdean, Mexican, American, African and Portuguese descent. She was the eldest of three siblings. Her parents divorced when she was in school. Following this, she was raised by her paternal grandmother.   144.    At the age of five, she began playing the piano and eventually started composing songs over the next few years. She studied at the Philadelphia School for Girls.   145.    In late 1990, having heard of an open casting call for a new girl group through her then-boyfriend, Lopes moved to Atlanta to audition.   146.    Lopes’ personal life, though, was marred by her rocky relationship with football great Andre Rison, and in 1994, she was arrested for burning down his home.   147.    In 2000, she began her solo-project ‘Supernova’ which was set to be released in August 2001. However, the date was postponed repeatedly. It was eventually broadcast over the internet in 2002. The album was yet to be released formally and a fourth TLC project was in the making, when Lopes met with a tragic car accident in 2002 which unfortunately put an end to her life.  she was just 30 years old.   148.    Question: Is the WAP controversy justified?   149.    Movie Scene: Friday 1995 film   150.    (Links and Resources: Strong Black Legends: John Witherspoon; "John Witherspoon's Style of Comedy was Timeless," Justin Tinsley, The Undefeated; Gene Siskel's review, Chicago Tribune; Desson Howe's review, Washington Post; "After 20 Years, Friday Is (Still) The Most Important Film Ever Made About The Hood," Kelley L. Carter, BuzzFeed; "John Witherspoon Made Every Scene Better," Rembert Brown, New York Times; Review by Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly. - Find additional episodes, leave a comment, or make a donation to support the podcast at unaffiliatedcritic.com.)   151.    Reviews:   152.    Gene Siskel: For all of the shouting, mugging and rap music, a surprisingly dull comic yarn about a young man (Ice Cube) trying to survive in the 'hood. Colorful characters abound, but nothing ties them together. I knew the picture was in trouble when its first gag involved an old lady spewing obscenities. (Rating: 1 star)   153.    By Desson Howe, Washington Post Staff Writer - April 28, 1995: "Friday," a comedy starring Ice Cube and Chris Tucker, is dirty, offensive, infantile and may launch a few sanctimonious opinion columns. And I mean that in the nicest way. The movie, which shamelessly hawks its own "Friday" music video at the beginning and eschews political correctness whenever possible, happens to be incredibly funny.   154.    After 20 Years, “Friday” Is (Still) The Most Important Film Ever Made About The Hood: - Kelley L. Carter, BuzzFeed News Reporter. Posted April 20, 2015.   155.    “...Todd Boyd, a professor at the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts as well as screenwriter and producer of the 1999 coming-of-age drama The Wood, says that Friday didn't just add an element of comedy to depictions of everyday life in black neighborhoods, it spawned a new genre — the hood comedy.   156.    “The film demonstrated that black life was not all drugs, violence, dysfunction, and pathology — yet instead of offering a Cosby Show-like fantasy, Friday put these issues in context, finding humor in the everyday lives of regular black people,” he explains. “Since the 1970s, Hollywood has always looked favorably upon low-budget black films that produce high profit margins at the box office. Friday expanded the representation of the hood into the realm of comedy and achieved box office success at the same time.” 157.    Other hood comedies that followed include: 1996’s satire Don’t Be a Menace While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood, 1998’s The Player’s Club (Cube wrote and directed it), 2001’s How High, and 2002’s Barbershop, the latter of which Cube starred in.   158.    Question: Friday or Carwash? - Chris Tucker or Mike Epps?   159.    TV Scene   160.    “Was UPN Black America’s Last Hope for a Black Sitcom-Friendly Broadcast Television Network?” April 20, 2017 - https://shadowandact.com   161.    “...Since ABC’s "Black-ish" debuted this fall, it has drawn numerous comparisons to "The Cosby Show" — and I have questions. I wonder why the majority of essays and critiques jumped to a show that has been off-air for 22 years. Although few television shows rivaled the mainstream popularity of Bill Cosby’s chef d’oeuvre, plenty of Black sitcoms have filled its gap since its 1992 finale. Does no one remember the quasi-Black glory of United Paramount Network (UPN)? And can there ever be another like it?   162.    From 1995 to 2006 UPN was the home for over 10 concurrently running Black sitcoms (and a handful of dramas). Given the sheer volume of programming, that’s remarkable in and of itself. But perhaps what is more noteworthy than the number of shows is the range of Black life they displayed.   163.    "All of Us," produced by Will and Jada Pinkett Smith’s Overbrook Entertainment, centered on a blended family of two divorced spouses and their significant others. The Essence Atkins and Rachel True-helmed "Half & Half" explored the relationship between two estranged half-sisters. "Moesha" was UPN’s most successful sitcom during its five-year run and introduced America to another beloved, nuclear Black family besides the Huxtables. Other notable UPN sitcoms included "One on One," "The Parkers," "Eve," and "Malcolm & Eddie."   164.    UPN actively sought programming aimed for Black audiences at a time when Black mainstays from the Big Three networks (ABC, CBS, and NBC) were waning. "Family Matters" was cancelled from ABC’s coveted TGIF lineup in 1998. Fox declined to extend Martin Lawrence’s eponymously named sitcom the previous year. The major networks were beginning to narrow their viewership to exclude all-Black casting on their sitcoms. Not only were Black actors finding work on shows sold to UPN, but established Black producer-writers like Eunetta T. Boone and Ralph Farquhar found a home as well.   165.    Despite—and maybe because of—its friendliness to Black programming, UPN suffered from a reputation as a sub-par network. The ratings for their sitcoms often scraped the bottom of the Nielsen barrel. UPN is remembered more for its utter failures ("Homeboys in Outer Space") and ignored when we fondly recall the glory of "Girlfriends."   166.    “UPN took the rejects. UPN was 'the Black channel,'” we joke. UPN may not have been perfect, but it gave Black audiences so much to choose from without feeling as if one show had to represent the totality of Blackness.   167.    Accordingly, "Black-ish" has a lot riding on its success. Black audiences tune in hoping big wigs take notice and order more Black sitcoms. But it is telling that major networks began a “blackout” of successful Black cast shows in the late 90s and The CW essentially did the same a decade later.   168.    "Black-ish" could be the start of another heyday for Black sitcoms. We reach backward to "The Cosby Show" because we love it best and we always will. But in doing so, we ignore the stable of Black shows that kept us laughing long after The Huxtables faded to black. However, the success of "Black-ish" will remain singular until executives reexamine their beliefs about African American audiences; we need them, like UPN once did, to give us a chance. I just hope it doesn’t take another decade.   169.    Other Notable UPN Shows: Everybody Hates Chris 2005 / Girlfriends 2000 / All of Us 2003 / Moesha 1996 / The Parkers 1999 / Malcolm and Eddie 1996 / In The House 1995 / Between Brothers 1997 /   170.    Other Notable WB Shows: The WB The Wayans Brothers 1995 / The Parent 'Hood 1995 / Steve Harvey Show 1996 / The Jamie Foxx Show 1996 / Smart Guy 1997 / MIB Animated 1997 / The PJs 1999   171.    Question: What the hell is wrong with BET?   172.    Vote: Best/most important/favorite pop culture item from 1995?

Topics: OJ Simpson, R. Kelly & Aaliyah, Samuel Jackson, Black TV Cancellation (Bonus Artist: hidingtobefound)

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Snapshots   1.    Bill Clinton is President   2.    Jan - In Detroit, Michigan, Nancy Kerrigan is clubbed on the right leg by an assailant, under orders from figure skating rival Tonya Harding's ex-husband. Tonya later pleads guilty to conspiracy to hinder prosecution for trying to cover-up the attack, is fined $100,000, and banned from the sport.   3.    Jan - During a segment on NBC's Today, host Bryant Gumbel asks, "What is the internet, anyway?"   4.    Feb - During the opening monologue on Saturday Night Live, guest host Martin Lawrence makes sexually explicit jokes about female genitalia and feminine hygiene, which results in NBC banning him from appearing on the network (for the next year) and SNL (for life). In repeats of the episode, the offending section of the monologue is replaced by a title card read by an off-screen player (writer Jim Downey), saying that although SNL is neutral about the issues mentioned by Lawrence, network policy prevents his remarks from being re-broadcast, and that the incident almost cost the entire cast of SNL their jobs.   5.    Apr - Kurt Cobain, songwriter and frontman for the band Nirvana, is found dead at his Lake Washington home. He is believed to have committed suicide three days before he was found.   6.    Jun - Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman are murdered outside the Simpson home in Los Angeles. O.J. Simpson is later acquitted of the killings but is held liable in a civil suit.   7.    Nov - Former U.S. President Ronald Reagan announces that he has Alzheimer's disease.   8.    Nov - WXYC, the student radio station of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, provides the world's first internet radio broadcast, aka live streaming.   9.    Nov - Rapper Tupac Shakur is shot five times and robbed after entering the lobby of Quad Recording Studios in Manhattan.   10.    Sep - The pilot episode for Friends airs on NBC.   11.    Open Comments   12.    Top 3 Pop Songs   13.    #1 "The Sign", Ace of Base   14.    #2 "I Swear", All-4-One   15.    #3 "I'll Make Love to You", Boyz II Men   16.    Record of the Year: Sheryl Crow for "All I Wanna Do"   17.    Album of the Year: Tony Bennett for MTV Unplugged: Tony Bennett   18.    Song of the Year: Bruce Springsteen for "Streets of Philadelphia"   19.    Best New Artist: Sheryl Crow   20.    Best Female R&B Vocal Performance: Toni Braxton for "Breathe Again"   21.    Best Male R&B Vocal Performance: Babyface for "When Can I See You"   22.    Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal: Boyz II Men for "I'll Make Love to You"   23.    Best R&B Album: Boyz II Men for II   24.    Best Rap Solo Performance: "U.N.I.T.Y." – Queen Latifah   25.    Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group: "None of Your Business" – Salt-N-Pepa   26.    Top 3 Movies   27.    #1 The Lion King   28.    #2 Forrest Gump   29.    #3 True Lies   30.    Notables: House party 3, Blue Chips, Sugar Hill, Above The Rim, The Ink Well, Crooklyn, Beverly Hills Cop 3, Speed, Forrest Gump, True Lies, The Shawshank Redemption, Jason's Lyric, Pulp Fiction, Dumb and Dumber   31.    Top # TV Shows   32.    #1 Seinfeld   33.    #2 ER   34.    #3 Home Improvement   35.    Debuts - Sister, Sister, South Central, Rolanda   36.    Economic Scene   37.    Income = 37k (Previously 31K)   38.    House = 119K (113)   39.    Car = 12.5k (12.7)   40.    Rent = 533 (532)   41.    Harvard = 24.9k (23.5)   42.    Movie = 4 (4.14)   43.    Gas = 1.09 (1.16)   44.    Stamp .29 (Same)   45.    Social Scene: OJ Simpson   46.    O.J. Simpson was born on July 9, 1947, in Putrero Hill, California, in the family of Eunice and Jimmy Lee Simpson. His father was a chef and bank custodian and his mother were a hospital administrator. Soon after his birth he developed rickets and had to wear braces on his legs till he was five. In 1952, his father left the family when he was still very young, and his mother had to take responsibility of raising the four children. He joined the ‘Persian Warriors’, a street gang in his early teens and was confined at the ‘San Francisco Youth Guidance Center’ for a short while. He played football for his team the ‘Galileo Lions’ at the ‘Galileo High School’ (now known as ‘Galileo Academy of Science and Technology’) in San Francisco.   47.    List of the most familiar faces that played pivotal roles in the trial.   48.    Marcia Clark (Prosecution / Ice Queen): An ace trial lawyer for the L.A. District Attorney's office, Clark spent years in the Special Trials Unit, which involved some of the most complex investigations, before becoming the lead prosecutor of the Simpson murder trial. Described as cold and calculating, Clark turned off many black female jurors who viewed her courtroom style as harsh and aggressive. After losing the Simpson case, Clark resigned from the L.A. District Attorney's office.   49.    Christopher Darden (Prosecution / Uncle Tom / Token): Despite being a co-prosecuting attorney with Clark, Darden had limited trial experience. Still, as a black man amid a majority black jury, his participation was important so as to dismiss the notion that the otherwise all-white prosecution had racist motivations against Simpson. Although Darden floundered at the start of the trial and was purportedly intimidated by Cochran, he gained momentum as events progressed. However, he made a consequential mistake when he demanded that Simpson try on the infamous bloody gloves, which ended up being too small for the accused's hands. The loss of the Simpson trial devastated Darden, who was known for his short fuse, and he took a leave of absence.   50.    Robert Shapiro (Defense / Publicity Hound): A lover of the spotlight, lead defense counsel Shapiro knew how to make a deal without going to trial and was a master at manipulating the media in order to garner sympathy for his famous clients. In fact, he was praised as the "Defense Counsel of the Year" in 1994, which even Judge Ito applauded. But when he began representing Simpson, Shapiro found himself jostling to keep his leadership role as other attorneys on his team were chomping at the bit to outshine him. Reportedly, co-defense lawyer F. Lee Bailey leaked stories to the press about Shapiro's ego, one of many indications there was infighting within the group. However, the blow that removed Shapiro from his lead status was when Cochran won Simpson's favor by visiting him in jail — something Shapiro preferred not to do with any of his clients. Once Cochran took over as lead counsel, Shapiro was vocally critical and attempted to distance himself from his team's chosen strategies. He would later tell Barba ra Walters that "not only did we play the race card, we dealt it from the bottom of the deck."   51.    Johnnie Cochran (Defense / Master Manipulator): Having moved up the legal ranks in L.A.'s criminal division, Cochran went on to represent some of the biggest names in Hollywood, including Michael Jackson and James Brown. In 1994, he was considered one of the best trial lawyers in the nation, and it was Simpson himself who asked Shapiro to bring Cochran onto the team. Once Cochran gained control of Simpson's defense strategy and pushed Shapiro to the side, he wooed the courtroom and media. Using his "black preacher" style approach, he controversially used the race card to curry sympathy for Simpson. After prosecutor Darden made the mistake of demanding Simpson try on the ill-fitted bloody gloves, Cochran uttered the famous phrase: "If it doesn't fit, you must acquit." That moment became a turning point of the trial, giving Simpson's defense a huge advantage.   52.    Lance Ito (Judge / Wanna Be): Before Lance Ito was appointed to the bench in 1989, he was an attorney for the L.A. district and at one point, worked under Cochran. A fan of media attention, Ito was arguably too lax about different aspects of the Simpson trial, giving interviews and inviting celebrities and journalists into his chambers. Judge Ito was further criticized on his decision to allow cameras in the courtroom and letting attorneys stall and have too many sidebars. His willingness to include Detective Mark Fuhrman's old taped interviews, in which he denigrated black people, was also a huge source of contention for the prosecution. In a strange twist, the tapes also revealed Fuhrman had made disparaging remarks about Ito's wife, Margaret York, who was Fuhrman's department superior at the time. When those comments were exposed, the prosecution asked for Ito to recuse himself due to his possible bias against Fuhrman, but later the request was withdrawn.   53.    Mark Fuhrman (Detective & Witness / Racists): Among the most controversial figures of the Simpson trial was L.A. homicide detective Mark Fuhrman. Responsible for discovering the "bloody glove" at the murder scene, Fuhrman did what the LAPD refused to do to Simpson — he threw the former NFL star in jail. Although Fuhrman denied ever having racist tendencies or using the n-word, a taped interview he had chosen to do 10 years earlier revealed otherwise. In the recording, he was quoted as saying to incarcerated black people: "You do what you're told, understand, n—r?" A wave of backlash hit Fuhrman, but he continued denying being a racist and also pushed back against the defense's theory that he planted the bloody glove to frame Simpson.   54.    Dennis Fung (Criminologist & Witness / Dunce): As the prosecution's witness, Dennis Fung — the LAPD criminologist who collected evidence at the murder scene — ended up spending the longest time testifying on the stand. For nine days, Fung recalled how he collected samples of blood, albeit admittedly overlooking some important areas where blood drops were identified and not always using gloves. The defense ate up Fung's inefficient and careless actions and implicated him as a liar who was part of a larger LAPD conspiracy against Simpson.   55.    Kato Kaelin (Witness / ???, Comedy Relief): Aspiring actor and houseguest of Simpson, Brian "Kato" Kaelin was a star witness for the prosecution. Present at Simpson's Rockingham mansion at the time of the murders, Kaelin claimed that he ate dinner with Simpson that night but could not account for the star athlete's whereabouts between the hours of 9:36 p.m. and 11 p.m. (the prosecution theorized that Simpson murdered his ex-wife and Goldman between 10 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.). Due to Kaelin's shiftiness on the stand, prosecutor Clark turned against him and treated him as a hostile witness. Regardless, Kaelin — with his thick tufts of blond hair and surfer dude ways — gained considerable popularity in the media as a likable and comedic character of the trial.   56.    Allan Park (Witness / Voice of Reason): As the limousine driver who was hired to drive Simpson to the airport for his evening flight to Chicago, Allan Park was a vital witness to the prosecution. Competent and composed, Park helped bolster the idea that Simpson may not have been at the Rockingham mansion when the double homicide occurred. Still, the jury did not give much weight to his testimony, asking for his transcript only hours before deliberation. Reportedly, one juror wholly dismissed Park's testimony because he was unable to recall the number of cars parked at the Rockingham mansion. Upon hearing this, Park was shocked his testimony was so casually disregarded.   57.    Open Floor:   58.    Question: What did you want to happen?   59.    Music Scene: Black songs from the Top 40   60.    #3 "I'll Make Love to You", Boyz II Men   61.    #5 "Hero", Mariah Carey   62.    #7 "Breathe Again", Toni Braxton   63.    #11 "Bump n' Grind", R. Kelly   64.    #12 "Again", Janet Jackson   65.    #14 "Whatta Man", Salt-n-Pepa and En Vogue   66.    #16 "Without You" / "Never Forget You", Mariah Carey   67.    #17 "You Mean the World to Me", Toni Braxton   68.    #19 "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World", Prince   69.    #20 "Fantastic Voyage", Coolio   70.    #22 "Regulate", Warren G featuring Nate Dogg   71.    #23 "If You Go", Jon Secada   72.    #24 "Back & Forth", Aaliyah   73.    #26 "When Can I See You", Babyface   74.    #29 "Shoop", Salt-n-Pepa   75.    #30 "Any Time, Any Place", Janet Jackson   76.    #31 "Shine", Collective Soul   77.    #36 "Can We Talk", Tevin Campbell   78.    #37 "Funkdafied", Da Brat   79.    #39 "Gangsta Lean", DRS   80.    Vote   81.    Top RnB Albums   82.    Jan - Doggystyle    , Snoop Doggy Dogg   83.    Jan - Diary of a Mad Band, Jodeci   84.    Feb - 12 Play, R. Kelly   85.    Apr - Above the Rim, Soundtrack/Various artists   86.    Jun - Nuttin' But Love, Heavy D & the Boyz   87.    Jun - Above the Rim, Soundtrack/Various artists   88.    Jun - Regulate...G Funk Era, Warren G   89.    Jul - Get Up on It, Keith Sweat   90.    Jul – Funkdafied, Da Brat   91.    Aug - We Come Strapped, MC Eiht featuring Compton's Most Wanted   92.    Sep - Changing Faces, Changing Faces   93.    Sep – II, Boyz II Men   94.    Oct - Rhythm of Love, Anita Baker   95.    Oct - Jason's Lyric, Soundtrack/Various artists   96.    Nov - Murder Was the Case, Soundtrack/Various artists   97.    Nov - The Icon Is Love, Barry White   98.    Dec – Tical, Method Man   99.    Dec - Dare Iz a Darkside, Redman   100.    Dec - My Life, Mary J. Blige   101.    Dec - Miracles: The Holiday Album, Kenny G   102.    Vote:   103.    Music Scene: R. Kelly and Aaliyah   104.    R. Kelly is an American singer-songwriter, often referred to as the King of R&B.   105.    Robert Sylvester Kelly, better known as R. Kelly to his fans, is an American singer. He is one of the best-selling music artists in the United States and the most successful R&B male artist of the 1990s. A multi-faceted personality, Kelly is a singer-songwriter, record producer, actor, and former semi-professional basketball player.   106.    R. Kelly was born on January 8, 1967, in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He and his three siblings were raised by their mother Joanne in the Baptist church, where she served as the lead singer of the choir.   107.    The family lived in poverty and struggled to make ends meet. Kelly started singing as part of the church choir when he was eight.   108.    He had a very difficult childhood as he was often sexually abused by a woman. In his 2012 autobiography ‘Soulacoaster,’ he had penned down his experience and the reason why he never told about his ordeal to anyone. When he was 11, he was shot in the shoulder while riding his bike home.   109.    He had an untreated learning disability, which made it difficult for him to read and write. Eventually, he had to drop out of high school.   110.    He studied at the ‘Kenwood Academy’ in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. He was an athletic young boy and played basketball for his high school team. However, his music teacher Lena McLin, who had recognized his musical talent, advised him to leave the sport and focus on music.   111.    He was very close to his mother, who took him to church and clubs where she performed. She died of cancer in 1993.   112.    Kelly gained recognition in 1989 when he, along with Marc McWilliams, Shawn Brooks, and Vincent Walker, participated in the TV show ‘Big Break,’ where he went on to win the $100,000 grand prize.   113.    As a youngster, he formed the group ‘MGM’ (Musically Gifted Men) along with his friends Marc McWilliams, Vincent Walker, and Shawn Brooks. In 1990, ‘MGM’ recorded and released their first single, ‘Why You Wanna Play Me’ and disbanded shortly after.   114.    In 1992, Kelly released his debut album ‘Born into the 90’s’ along with a musical group named ‘Public Announcement.’ The album produced several hit songs and was eventually certified platinum   115.    Kelly's first solo album, ‘12 Play,’ was released in November 1993.   116.    R. Kelly, 27, achieves mainstream success when his single “Bump n’ Grind”, released in January of 1994, hits number one on the Billboard 100. A month later, his protégé Aliyah releases her debut album, Age Ain’t Nothing But A Number, which was almost entirely written and produced by him.   117.    His self-titled album ‘R. Kelly’ was out in 1995. Featuring introspective lyrics and foot-tapping music, this album became a huge hit and spawned three number one singles – ‘You Remind Me of Something,’ ‘Down Low (Nobody Has to Know),’ and ‘I Can't Sleep (Baby If I).   118.    Aaliyah Biography: Aaliyah Dana Haughton was born on January 16, 1979, in Brooklyn, New York, to Diane and Michael Haughton. She had one brother whom she was very close to. She was very family oriented and had close relations with her parents and grandmother. She was of African American descent.   119.    Her mother was a vocalist and young Aaliyah began singing when she was a child, performing at weddings, charity events, and for church choir. Her uncle Barry Hankerson was married to recording artist Gladys Knight who played a major role in introducing Aaliyah to the show business.   120.    She attended a Catholic school named ‘Gesu Elementary,’ where she was cast to play a role in a stage play titled ‘Annie.’   121.    With support from Gladys, Aaliyah auditioned for commercials and television programs, and also for several record labels. She started appearing in concerts alongside Gladys when she was 11.   122.    Aaliyah signed with ‘Jive Records’ and her Uncle Barry Hankerson's ‘Blackground Records’ when she was just 12. Her debut album ‘Age Ain't Nothing but a Number,’ which was recorded when the singer was just 14, was released in 1994.   123.    In its very first week, the album sold almost 74, 000 copies. Soon, it reached from 24th to the 18th position in ‘Billboard 200,’ eventually selling over three million copies in the United States, where it was certified double platinum by the ‘RIAA.’   124.    The tremendous success of the album catapulted Aaliyah to international stardom. During this time, rumors of her illegal marriage with her mentor and recording artist and producer R. Kelly began circulating.   125.    In order to silence the rumors, Aaliyah left ‘Jive Records’ and signed a contract with ‘Atlantic Records,’ under which she released her second album ‘One in a Million’ in 1996. This album was also a major success. It peaked at No. 18 on the ‘Billboard 200,’ and sold over 3.7 million copies in the United States and over eight million copies worldwide. It was certified double platinum by the ‘RIAA.’   126.    Aaliyah, along with her crew, flew to the Bahamas on August 25, 2001, to shoot the music video of the song, ‘Rock the Boat.’ Completing the shoot early, the crew decided to return to Florida instead of waiting for the next day as per schedule. For their return, they boarded a small private airplane.   127.    The plane was smaller than the one the crew had arrived in. However, the whole party and the equipment were accommodated on board, overloading the plane with a surplus of 320 kg and one excess passenger. The plane crashed soon after taking off, killing everyone on board.   128.    Open Comments:   129.    Controversies   130.    Illegal marriage: According to Vibe and the Chicago Sun-Times, 27-year-old Kelly and 15-year-old protégée Aaliyah were illegally married in a secret ceremony on August 31, 1994, in Cook County.[126][127] Upon meeting Kelly and prior to the nuptials, Aaliyah admitted she had falsely stated she was 18. In a 2008 interview, Kelly's tour manager, Demetrius Smith, said that he facilitated the wedding by obtaining falsified identification for Aaliyah which listed her as 18 years of age.   131.    He married Andrea, his former backup dancer, in 1996. The couple has three children. They divorced in 2009 after almost 13 years of marriage.   132.    1998, Kelly paid Tiffany Hawkins $250,000 after she claimed Kelly had induced her to have group sex with other teenage girls when she was 15 years old.   133.    2001: Sued by intern: Tracy Sampson sues R. Kelly, accusing him of inducing her "into an indecent sexual relationship" when she was 17 years old. The woman, a former intern at Epic Records, claimed she was "treated as his personal sex object and cast aside".  "He often tried to control every aspect of my life including who I would see and where I would go," she said in her legal case against him. The case was settled out of court for an undisclosed sum, said the New York Post.   134.    2002: Two more court cases - Kelly is sued for a third time by Patrice Jones, a Chicago woman who claims he impregnated her when she was underage, and that she was forced to have an abortion. A woman named Montina Woods  also sued Kelly, alleging that he videotaped them having sex without her knowledge. The recording was allegedly circulated on an R Kelly "sex tape" sold by bootleggers under the title R. Kelly Triple-X. The star settled both cases out of court, paying an undisclosed sum in return for a non-disclosure agreement.   135.    2017, Kelly was accused of forcing girls to stay in an ‘abusive cult.’   136.    2018, the ‘Women of Color’ branch of the ‘Time's Up’ movement called for a boycott of Kelly's music and performances over the many allegations against him. The boycott was accompanied by a social media campaign called ‘Mute R. Kelly.’   137.    2019, Kelly was taken back to the ‘Cook County Jail’ after failing to pay $161,633 in child support. On March 9, 2019, he was released after someone, who didn't want to be identified, paid off the child support.   138.    2019, Lifetime began airing a six-part documentary series, “Surviving R. Kelly”, detailing sexual abuse and misconduct allegations against Kelly.   139.    Question: Why do we treat R Kelly different than Michael?   140.    Movie Scene: Sam Jack Mutha F@#A   141.    Samuel Leroy Jackson was born on December 21, 1948, in Washington, D.C. He grew up in Chattanooga, Tennessee and was raised by his mother Elizabeth Jackson as his father lived away from the family and later passed away from alcoholism. He met his father only twice during his life.   142.    He studied at a number of segregated schools and graduated from ‘Riverside High School’ in Chattanooga. During his time at school, he played the French horn and the trumpet in the school orchestra. He suffered from stuttering when he was a child.   143.    He initially dreamt of pursuing a degree in marine biology at ‘Morehouse College’ in Atlanta, but soon switched degrees after he discovered the actor in him. He graduated from the institute in 1972 and at the same time, co-founded the theatre group, ‘Just Us Theatre.’   144.    After appearing in several plays, including ‘The Opera’ and ‘A Soldier’s Play,’ he made his motion picture debut in the blaxploitation film ‘Together for Days’ in 1972. Four years later, he appeared in the television series ‘i’ On.’   145.    He moved to New York City and spent the next several years appearing in stage plays, such as ‘The Piano Lesson’ and ‘Two Trains Running.’ In 1977, he appeared in the film ‘The Displaced Person.’   146.    It is believed that in his early years he was mentored by Morgan Freeman. Later on, in his career, he started doing noticeable roles in films like ‘School Daze’ and ‘Do the Right Thing,’ which released in 1988 and 1989, respectively.   147.    In 1990, he appeared in ‘Goodfellas’ in a minor role and then worked as a substitute on ‘The Cosby Show’ for the next three years.   148.    From 1990 to 1993, he worked in films like ‘Def by Temptation,’ ‘The Return of Superfly,’ ‘Strictly Business,’ ‘Jungle Fever,’ ‘Patriot Games,’ ‘True Romance,’ ‘Amos & Andrew,’ ‘Jurassic Park,’ and ‘Loaded Weapon 1.’   149.    In 1994, he played the critically acclaimed role of Jules Winnfield in the hit film ‘Pulp Fiction.’ Jackson became a world icon after the release and subsequent success of the movie. It was later revealed that director Quentin Tarantino specifically wanted him for the role.   150.    Open Comments:   151.    Question: Is Sam better than Denzel?   152.    TV Scene: The Death of Black TV   153.    Cancelled in 1994: Jan - The Les Brown Show, Feb – Thea, The Sinbad Show, May – Roc, In Living Color, and The Arsenio Hall Show   154.    Article #1: A TELEVISION TREND: AUDIENCES IN BLACK AND WHITE by Paul Farhi November 29, 1994   155.    All across the country tonight, millions of households will tune to ABC's "Home Improvement." In a typical week, the situation comedy about the host of a household fix-it show is the most-watched program on the air. Yet one group of viewers is decidedly sparse among the masses of "Home Improvement" fans. In African American households, the program barely makes the top 30. Other big network hits are even less popular: "Seinfeld" and "Frasier" don't even crack the top 90 …The top show for black audiences this season: "Living Single," a Fox sitcom that ranks 69th among all audiences.”   156.    Article #2: Let’s rewind a bit. In the mid-'80s, when there wasn't a whole lot of programming aimed specifically at black folks, black and white viewers watched mostly the same shows — 15 of the top 20 most-watched shows for black audiences in the 1985-96 season were also in white viewers' top 20. But by the next decade, everything had changed. While the then-Big Three had a handful of shows with black casts in the mid-1990s like Family Matters and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, it was the upstart networks like Fox and later UPN and the WB (Both launched in Jan 1995)  that seriously doubled down on black viewers in a bid to become commercially viable as quickly as possible. The result was a kind of alternate TV universe where you could find black folks on-screen seemingly every night of the week — In Living Color; Roc; Sister, Sister; Moesha; In The House; The Jamie Foxx Show; Malcolm & Eddie. (Alas, Latinos and Asian-American folks were then, as now, mostly absent from lead roles on network TV, even on th e smaller "netlets.")   157.    Lots of these shows had big, devoted black followings. While huge swaths of America yearned for Ross and Rachel to get together, my high school classmates and I geeked over the fact that an episode of Fox's New York Undercover played "Flava In Ya Ear" over the cold open… Fox's 1994-95 Thursday night lineup — Martin at 8 p.m., Living Single at 8:30 and New York Undercover at 9 — were the three highest-rated shows among black TV viewers that season. But among white viewers, none of those three shows even cracked the top 100. By the end of the 1990s, Fox switched its focus from black audiences to go after young male viewers, a demographic that they felt was more desirable to advertisers.”   158.    By 2008, the viewing habits of black viewers and white viewers were converging once more. With few "black shows" on broadcast TV, everyone was watching American Idol, Dancing With the Stars or CSI. Black folks who wanted to watch black folks on TV had to go to cable, and so they did. - https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2015/04/01/395777889/this-isnt-the-first-time-network-tv-discovered-black-people   159.    Question: Do we need “Black” TV?   160.    Vote: Best/most important/favorite pop culture item from 1994?

Topics: OJ Simpson, R. Kelly & Aaliyah, Samuel Jackson, Black TV Cancellation (Bonus Artist: hidingtobefound)

http://afropopremix.com

 

Snapshots   1.    Bill Clinton is President   2.    Jan - In Detroit, Michigan, Nancy Kerrigan is clubbed on the right leg by an assailant, under orders from figure skating rival Tonya Harding's ex-husband. Tonya later pleads guilty to conspiracy to hinder prosecution for trying to cover-up the attack, is fined $100,000, and banned from the sport.   3.    Jan - During a segment on NBC's Today, host Bryant Gumbel asks, "What is the internet, anyway?"   4.    Feb - During the opening monologue on Saturday Night Live, guest host Martin Lawrence makes sexually explicit jokes about female genitalia and feminine hygiene, which results in NBC banning him from appearing on the network (for the next year) and SNL (for life). In repeats of the episode, the offending section of the monologue is replaced by a title card read by an off-screen player (writer Jim Downey), saying that although SNL is neutral about the issues mentioned by Lawrence, network policy prevents his remarks from being re-broadcast, and that the incident almost cost the entire cast of SNL their jobs.   5.    Apr - Kurt Cobain, songwriter and frontman for the band Nirvana, is found dead at his Lake Washington home. He is believed to have committed suicide three days before he was found.   6.    Jun - Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman are murdered outside the Simpson home in Los Angeles. O.J. Simpson is later acquitted of the killings but is held liable in a civil suit.   7.    Nov - Former U.S. President Ronald Reagan announces that he has Alzheimer's disease.   8.    Nov - WXYC, the student radio station of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, provides the world's first internet radio broadcast, aka live streaming.   9.    Nov - Rapper Tupac Shakur is shot five times and robbed after entering the lobby of Quad Recording Studios in Manhattan.   10.    Sep - The pilot episode for Friends airs on NBC.   11.    Open Comments   12.    Top 3 Pop Songs   13.    #1 "The Sign", Ace of Base   14.    #2 "I Swear", All-4-One   15.    #3 "I'll Make Love to You", Boyz II Men   16.    Record of the Year: Sheryl Crow for "All I Wanna Do"   17.    Album of the Year: Tony Bennett for MTV Unplugged: Tony Bennett   18.    Song of the Year: Bruce Springsteen for "Streets of Philadelphia"   19.    Best New Artist: Sheryl Crow   20.    Best Female R&B Vocal Performance: Toni Braxton for "Breathe Again"   21.    Best Male R&B Vocal Performance: Babyface for "When Can I See You"   22.    Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal: Boyz II Men for "I'll Make Love to You"   23.    Best R&B Album: Boyz II Men for II   24.    Best Rap Solo Performance: "U.N.I.T.Y." – Queen Latifah   25.    Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group: "None of Your Business" – Salt-N-Pepa   26.    Top 3 Movies   27.    #1 The Lion King   28.    #2 Forrest Gump   29.    #3 True Lies   30.    Notables: House party 3, Blue Chips, Sugar Hill, Above The Rim, The Ink Well, Crooklyn, Beverly Hills Cop 3, Speed, Forrest Gump, True Lies, The Shawshank Redemption, Jason's Lyric, Pulp Fiction, Dumb and Dumber   31.    Top # TV Shows   32.    #1 Seinfeld   33.    #2 ER   34.    #3 Home Improvement   35.    Debuts - Sister, Sister, South Central, Rolanda   36.    Economic Scene   37.    Income = 37k (Previously 31K)   38.    House = 119K (113)   39.    Car = 12.5k (12.7)   40.    Rent = 533 (532)   41.    Harvard = 24.9k (23.5)   42.    Movie = 4 (4.14)   43.    Gas = 1.09 (1.16)   44.    Stamp .29 (Same)   45.    Social Scene: OJ Simpson   46.    O.J. Simpson was born on July 9, 1947, in Putrero Hill, California, in the family of Eunice and Jimmy Lee Simpson. His father was a chef and bank custodian and his mother were a hospital administrator. Soon after his birth he developed rickets and had to wear braces on his legs till he was five. In 1952, his father left the family when he was still very young, and his mother had to take responsibility of raising the four children. He joined the ‘Persian Warriors’, a street gang in his early teens and was confined at the ‘San Francisco Youth Guidance Center’ for a short while. He played football for his team the ‘Galileo Lions’ at the ‘Galileo High School’ (now known as ‘Galileo Academy of Science and Technology’) in San Francisco.   47.    List of the most familiar faces that played pivotal roles in the trial.   48.    Marcia Clark (Prosecution / Ice Queen): An ace trial lawyer for the L.A. District Attorney's office, Clark spent years in the Special Trials Unit, which involved some of the most complex investigations, before becoming the lead prosecutor of the Simpson murder trial. Described as cold and calculating, Clark turned off many black female jurors who viewed her courtroom style as harsh and aggressive. After losing the Simpson case, Clark resigned from the L.A. District Attorney's office.   49.    Christopher Darden (Prosecution / Uncle Tom / Token): Despite being a co-prosecuting attorney with Clark, Darden had limited trial experience. Still, as a black man amid a majority black jury, his participation was important so as to dismiss the notion that the otherwise all-white prosecution had racist motivations against Simpson. Although Darden floundered at the start of the trial and was purportedly intimidated by Cochran, he gained momentum as events progressed. However, he made a consequential mistake when he demanded that Simpson try on the infamous bloody gloves, which ended up being too small for the accused's hands. The loss of the Simpson trial devastated Darden, who was known for his short fuse, and he took a leave of absence.   50.    Robert Shapiro (Defense / Publicity Hound): A lover of the spotlight, lead defense counsel Shapiro knew how to make a deal without going to trial and was a master at manipulating the media in order to garner sympathy for his famous clients. In fact, he was praised as the "Defense Counsel of the Year" in 1994, which even Judge Ito applauded. But when he began representing Simpson, Shapiro found himself jostling to keep his leadership role as other attorneys on his team were chomping at the bit to outshine him. Reportedly, co-defense lawyer F. Lee Bailey leaked stories to the press about Shapiro's ego, one of many indications there was infighting within the group. However, the blow that removed Shapiro from his lead status was when Cochran won Simpson's favor by visiting him in jail — something Shapiro preferred not to do with any of his clients. Once Cochran took over as lead counsel, Shapiro was vocally critical and attempted to distance himself from his team's chosen strategies. He would later tell Barba ra Walters that "not only did we play the race card, we dealt it from the bottom of the deck."   51.    Johnnie Cochran (Defense / Master Manipulator): Having moved up the legal ranks in L.A.'s criminal division, Cochran went on to represent some of the biggest names in Hollywood, including Michael Jackson and James Brown. In 1994, he was considered one of the best trial lawyers in the nation, and it was Simpson himself who asked Shapiro to bring Cochran onto the team. Once Cochran gained control of Simpson's defense strategy and pushed Shapiro to the side, he wooed the courtroom and media. Using his "black preacher" style approach, he controversially used the race card to curry sympathy for Simpson. After prosecutor Darden made the mistake of demanding Simpson try on the ill-fitted bloody gloves, Cochran uttered the famous phrase: "If it doesn't fit, you must acquit." That moment became a turning point of the trial, giving Simpson's defense a huge advantage.   52.    Lance Ito (Judge / Wanna Be): Before Lance Ito was appointed to the bench in 1989, he was an attorney for the L.A. district and at one point, worked under Cochran. A fan of media attention, Ito was arguably too lax about different aspects of the Simpson trial, giving interviews and inviting celebrities and journalists into his chambers. Judge Ito was further criticized on his decision to allow cameras in the courtroom and letting attorneys stall and have too many sidebars. His willingness to include Detective Mark Fuhrman's old taped interviews, in which he denigrated black people, was also a huge source of contention for the prosecution. In a strange twist, the tapes also revealed Fuhrman had made disparaging remarks about Ito's wife, Margaret York, who was Fuhrman's department superior at the time. When those comments were exposed, the prosecution asked for Ito to recuse himself due to his possible bias against Fuhrman, but later the request was withdrawn.   53.    Mark Fuhrman (Detective & Witness / Racists): Among the most controversial figures of the Simpson trial was L.A. homicide detective Mark Fuhrman. Responsible for discovering the "bloody glove" at the murder scene, Fuhrman did what the LAPD refused to do to Simpson — he threw the former NFL star in jail. Although Fuhrman denied ever having racist tendencies or using the n-word, a taped interview he had chosen to do 10 years earlier revealed otherwise. In the recording, he was quoted as saying to incarcerated black people: "You do what you're told, understand, n—r?" A wave of backlash hit Fuhrman, but he continued denying being a racist and also pushed back against the defense's theory that he planted the bloody glove to frame Simpson.   54.    Dennis Fung (Criminologist & Witness / Dunce): As the prosecution's witness, Dennis Fung — the LAPD criminologist who collected evidence at the murder scene — ended up spending the longest time testifying on the stand. For nine days, Fung recalled how he collected samples of blood, albeit admittedly overlooking some important areas where blood drops were identified and not always using gloves. The defense ate up Fung's inefficient and careless actions and implicated him as a liar who was part of a larger LAPD conspiracy against Simpson.   55.    Kato Kaelin (Witness / ???, Comedy Relief): Aspiring actor and houseguest of Simpson, Brian "Kato" Kaelin was a star witness for the prosecution. Present at Simpson's Rockingham mansion at the time of the murders, Kaelin claimed that he ate dinner with Simpson that night but could not account for the star athlete's whereabouts between the hours of 9:36 p.m. and 11 p.m. (the prosecution theorized that Simpson murdered his ex-wife and Goldman between 10 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.). Due to Kaelin's shiftiness on the stand, prosecutor Clark turned against him and treated him as a hostile witness. Regardless, Kaelin — with his thick tufts of blond hair and surfer dude ways — gained considerable popularity in the media as a likable and comedic character of the trial.   56.    Allan Park (Witness / Voice of Reason): As the limousine driver who was hired to drive Simpson to the airport for his evening flight to Chicago, Allan Park was a vital witness to the prosecution. Competent and composed, Park helped bolster the idea that Simpson may not have been at the Rockingham mansion when the double homicide occurred. Still, the jury did not give much weight to his testimony, asking for his transcript only hours before deliberation. Reportedly, one juror wholly dismissed Park's testimony because he was unable to recall the number of cars parked at the Rockingham mansion. Upon hearing this, Park was shocked his testimony was so casually disregarded.   57.    Open Floor:   58.    Question: What did you want to happen?   59.    Music Scene: Black songs from the Top 40   60.    #3 "I'll Make Love to You", Boyz II Men   61.    #5 "Hero", Mariah Carey   62.    #7 "Breathe Again", Toni Braxton   63.    #11 "Bump n' Grind", R. Kelly   64.    #12 "Again", Janet Jackson   65.    #14 "Whatta Man", Salt-n-Pepa and En Vogue   66.    #16 "Without You" / "Never Forget You", Mariah Carey   67.    #17 "You Mean the World to Me", Toni Braxton   68.    #19 "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World", Prince   69.    #20 "Fantastic Voyage", Coolio   70.    #22 "Regulate", Warren G featuring Nate Dogg   71.    #23 "If You Go", Jon Secada   72.    #24 "Back & Forth", Aaliyah   73.    #26 "When Can I See You", Babyface   74.    #29 "Shoop", Salt-n-Pepa   75.    #30 "Any Time, Any Place", Janet Jackson   76.    #31 "Shine", Collective Soul   77.    #36 "Can We Talk", Tevin Campbell   78.    #37 "Funkdafied", Da Brat   79.    #39 "Gangsta Lean", DRS   80.    Vote   81.    Top RnB Albums   82.    Jan - Doggystyle    , Snoop Doggy Dogg   83.    Jan - Diary of a Mad Band, Jodeci   84.    Feb - 12 Play, R. Kelly   85.    Apr - Above the Rim, Soundtrack/Various artists   86.    Jun - Nuttin' But Love, Heavy D & the Boyz   87.    Jun - Above the Rim, Soundtrack/Various artists   88.    Jun - Regulate...G Funk Era, Warren G   89.    Jul - Get Up on It, Keith Sweat   90.    Jul – Funkdafied, Da Brat   91.    Aug - We Come Strapped, MC Eiht featuring Compton's Most Wanted   92.    Sep - Changing Faces, Changing Faces   93.    Sep – II, Boyz II Men   94.    Oct - Rhythm of Love, Anita Baker   95.    Oct - Jason's Lyric, Soundtrack/Various artists   96.    Nov - Murder Was the Case, Soundtrack/Various artists   97.    Nov - The Icon Is Love, Barry White   98.    Dec – Tical, Method Man   99.    Dec - Dare Iz a Darkside, Redman   100.    Dec - My Life, Mary J. Blige   101.    Dec - Miracles: The Holiday Album, Kenny G   102.    Vote:   103.    Music Scene: R. Kelly and Aaliyah   104.    R. Kelly is an American singer-songwriter, often referred to as the King of R&B.   105.    Robert Sylvester Kelly, better known as R. Kelly to his fans, is an American singer. He is one of the best-selling music artists in the United States and the most successful R&B male artist of the 1990s. A multi-faceted personality, Kelly is a singer-songwriter, record producer, actor, and former semi-professional basketball player.   106.    R. Kelly was born on January 8, 1967, in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He and his three siblings were raised by their mother Joanne in the Baptist church, where she served as the lead singer of the choir.   107.    The family lived in poverty and struggled to make ends meet. Kelly started singing as part of the church choir when he was eight.   108.    He had a very difficult childhood as he was often sexually abused by a woman. In his 2012 autobiography ‘Soulacoaster,’ he had penned down his experience and the reason why he never told about his ordeal to anyone. When he was 11, he was shot in the shoulder while riding his bike home.   109.    He had an untreated learning disability, which made it difficult for him to read and write. Eventually, he had to drop out of high school.   110.    He studied at the ‘Kenwood Academy’ in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. He was an athletic young boy and played basketball for his high school team. However, his music teacher Lena McLin, who had recognized his musical talent, advised him to leave the sport and focus on music.   111.    He was very close to his mother, who took him to church and clubs where she performed. She died of cancer in 1993.   112.    Kelly gained recognition in 1989 when he, along with Marc McWilliams, Shawn Brooks, and Vincent Walker, participated in the TV show ‘Big Break,’ where he went on to win the $100,000 grand prize.   113.    As a youngster, he formed the group ‘MGM’ (Musically Gifted Men) along with his friends Marc McWilliams, Vincent Walker, and Shawn Brooks. In 1990, ‘MGM’ recorded and released their first single, ‘Why You Wanna Play Me’ and disbanded shortly after.   114.    In 1992, Kelly released his debut album ‘Born into the 90’s’ along with a musical group named ‘Public Announcement.’ The album produced several hit songs and was eventually certified platinum   115.    Kelly's first solo album, ‘12 Play,’ was released in November 1993.   116.    R. Kelly, 27, achieves mainstream success when his single “Bump n’ Grind”, released in January of 1994, hits number one on the Billboard 100. A month later, his protégé Aliyah releases her debut album, Age Ain’t Nothing But A Number, which was almost entirely written and produced by him.   117.    His self-titled album ‘R. Kelly’ was out in 1995. Featuring introspective lyrics and foot-tapping music, this album became a huge hit and spawned three number one singles – ‘You Remind Me of Something,’ ‘Down Low (Nobody Has to Know),’ and ‘I Can't Sleep (Baby If I).   118.    Aaliyah Biography: Aaliyah Dana Haughton was born on January 16, 1979, in Brooklyn, New York, to Diane and Michael Haughton. She had one brother whom she was very close to. She was very family oriented and had close relations with her parents and grandmother. She was of African American descent.   119.    Her mother was a vocalist and young Aaliyah began singing when she was a child, performing at weddings, charity events, and for church choir. Her uncle Barry Hankerson was married to recording artist Gladys Knight who played a major role in introducing Aaliyah to the show business.   120.    She attended a Catholic school named ‘Gesu Elementary,’ where she was cast to play a role in a stage play titled ‘Annie.’   121.    With support from Gladys, Aaliyah auditioned for commercials and television programs, and also for several record labels. She started appearing in concerts alongside Gladys when she was 11.   122.    Aaliyah signed with ‘Jive Records’ and her Uncle Barry Hankerson's ‘Blackground Records’ when she was just 12. Her debut album ‘Age Ain't Nothing but a Number,’ which was recorded when the singer was just 14, was released in 1994.   123.    In its very first week, the album sold almost 74, 000 copies. Soon, it reached from 24th to the 18th position in ‘Billboard 200,’ eventually selling over three million copies in the United States, where it was certified double platinum by the ‘RIAA.’   124.    The tremendous success of the album catapulted Aaliyah to international stardom. During this time, rumors of her illegal marriage with her mentor and recording artist and producer R. Kelly began circulating.   125.    In order to silence the rumors, Aaliyah left ‘Jive Records’ and signed a contract with ‘Atlantic Records,’ under which she released her second album ‘One in a Million’ in 1996. This album was also a major success. It peaked at No. 18 on the ‘Billboard 200,’ and sold over 3.7 million copies in the United States and over eight million copies worldwide. It was certified double platinum by the ‘RIAA.’   126.    Aaliyah, along with her crew, flew to the Bahamas on August 25, 2001, to shoot the music video of the song, ‘Rock the Boat.’ Completing the shoot early, the crew decided to return to Florida instead of waiting for the next day as per schedule. For their return, they boarded a small private airplane.   127.    The plane was smaller than the one the crew had arrived in. However, the whole party and the equipment were accommodated on board, overloading the plane with a surplus of 320 kg and one excess passenger. The plane crashed soon after taking off, killing everyone on board.   128.    Open Comments:   129.    Controversies   130.    Illegal marriage: According to Vibe and the Chicago Sun-Times, 27-year-old Kelly and 15-year-old protégée Aaliyah were illegally married in a secret ceremony on August 31, 1994, in Cook County.[126][127] Upon meeting Kelly and prior to the nuptials, Aaliyah admitted she had falsely stated she was 18. In a 2008 interview, Kelly's tour manager, Demetrius Smith, said that he facilitated the wedding by obtaining falsified identification for Aaliyah which listed her as 18 years of age.   131.    He married Andrea, his former backup dancer, in 1996. The couple has three children. They divorced in 2009 after almost 13 years of marriage.   132.    1998, Kelly paid Tiffany Hawkins $250,000 after she claimed Kelly had induced her to have group sex with other teenage girls when she was 15 years old.   133.    2001: Sued by intern: Tracy Sampson sues R. Kelly, accusing him of inducing her "into an indecent sexual relationship" when she was 17 years old. The woman, a former intern at Epic Records, claimed she was "treated as his personal sex object and cast aside".  "He often tried to control every aspect of my life including who I would see and where I would go," she said in her legal case against him. The case was settled out of court for an undisclosed sum, said the New York Post.   134.    2002: Two more court cases - Kelly is sued for a third time by Patrice Jones, a Chicago woman who claims he impregnated her when she was underage, and that she was forced to have an abortion. A woman named Montina Woods  also sued Kelly, alleging that he videotaped them having sex without her knowledge. The recording was allegedly circulated on an R Kelly "sex tape" sold by bootleggers under the title R. Kelly Triple-X. The star settled both cases out of court, paying an undisclosed sum in return for a non-disclosure agreement.   135.    2017, Kelly was accused of forcing girls to stay in an ‘abusive cult.’   136.    2018, the ‘Women of Color’ branch of the ‘Time's Up’ movement called for a boycott of Kelly's music and performances over the many allegations against him. The boycott was accompanied by a social media campaign called ‘Mute R. Kelly.’   137.    2019, Kelly was taken back to the ‘Cook County Jail’ after failing to pay $161,633 in child support. On March 9, 2019, he was released after someone, who didn't want to be identified, paid off the child support.   138.    2019, Lifetime began airing a six-part documentary series, “Surviving R. Kelly”, detailing sexual abuse and misconduct allegations against Kelly.   139.    Question: Why do we treat R Kelly different than Michael?   140.    Movie Scene: Sam Jack Mutha F@#A   141.    Samuel Leroy Jackson was born on December 21, 1948, in Washington, D.C. He grew up in Chattanooga, Tennessee and was raised by his mother Elizabeth Jackson as his father lived away from the family and later passed away from alcoholism. He met his father only twice during his life.   142.    He studied at a number of segregated schools and graduated from ‘Riverside High School’ in Chattanooga. During his time at school, he played the French horn and the trumpet in the school orchestra. He suffered from stuttering when he was a child.   143.    He initially dreamt of pursuing a degree in marine biology at ‘Morehouse College’ in Atlanta, but soon switched degrees after he discovered the actor in him. He graduated from the institute in 1972 and at the same time, co-founded the theatre group, ‘Just Us Theatre.’   144.    After appearing in several plays, including ‘The Opera’ and ‘A Soldier’s Play,’ he made his motion picture debut in the blaxploitation film ‘Together for Days’ in 1972. Four years later, he appeared in the television series ‘i’ On.’   145.    He moved to New York City and spent the next several years appearing in stage plays, such as ‘The Piano Lesson’ and ‘Two Trains Running.’ In 1977, he appeared in the film ‘The Displaced Person.’   146.    It is believed that in his early years he was mentored by Morgan Freeman. Later on, in his career, he started doing noticeable roles in films like ‘School Daze’ and ‘Do the Right Thing,’ which released in 1988 and 1989, respectively.   147.    In 1990, he appeared in ‘Goodfellas’ in a minor role and then worked as a substitute on ‘The Cosby Show’ for the next three years.   148.    From 1990 to 1993, he worked in films like ‘Def by Temptation,’ ‘The Return of Superfly,’ ‘Strictly Business,’ ‘Jungle Fever,’ ‘Patriot Games,’ ‘True Romance,’ ‘Amos & Andrew,’ ‘Jurassic Park,’ and ‘Loaded Weapon 1.’   149.    In 1994, he played the critically acclaimed role of Jules Winnfield in the hit film ‘Pulp Fiction.’ Jackson became a world icon after the release and subsequent success of the movie. It was later revealed that director Quentin Tarantino specifically wanted him for the role.   150.    Open Comments:   151.    Question: Is Sam better than Denzel?   152.    TV Scene: The Death of Black TV   153.    Cancelled in 1994: Jan - The Les Brown Show, Feb – Thea, The Sinbad Show, May – Roc, In Living Color, and The Arsenio Hall Show   154.    Article #1: A TELEVISION TREND: AUDIENCES IN BLACK AND WHITE by Paul Farhi November 29, 1994   155.    All across the country tonight, millions of households will tune to ABC's "Home Improvement." In a typical week, the situation comedy about the host of a household fix-it show is the most-watched program on the air. Yet one group of viewers is decidedly sparse among the masses of "Home Improvement" fans. In African American households, the program barely makes the top 30. Other big network hits are even less popular: "Seinfeld" and "Frasier" don't even crack the top 90 …The top show for black audiences this season: "Living Single," a Fox sitcom that ranks 69th among all audiences.”   156.    Article #2: Let’s rewind a bit. In the mid-'80s, when there wasn't a whole lot of programming aimed specifically at black folks, black and white viewers watched mostly the same shows — 15 of the top 20 most-watched shows for black audiences in the 1985-96 season were also in white viewers' top 20. But by the next decade, everything had changed. While the then-Big Three had a handful of shows with black casts in the mid-1990s like Family Matters and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, it was the upstart networks like Fox and later UPN and the WB (Both launched in Jan 1995)  that seriously doubled down on black viewers in a bid to become commercially viable as quickly as possible. The result was a kind of alternate TV universe where you could find black folks on-screen seemingly every night of the week — In Living Color; Roc; Sister, Sister; Moesha; In The House; The Jamie Foxx Show; Malcolm & Eddie. (Alas, Latinos and Asian-American folks were then, as now, mostly absent from lead roles on network TV, even on th e smaller "netlets.")   157.    Lots of these shows had big, devoted black followings. While huge swaths of America yearned for Ross and Rachel to get together, my high school classmates and I geeked over the fact that an episode of Fox's New York Undercover played "Flava In Ya Ear" over the cold open… Fox's 1994-95 Thursday night lineup — Martin at 8 p.m., Living Single at 8:30 and New York Undercover at 9 — were the three highest-rated shows among black TV viewers that season. But among white viewers, none of those three shows even cracked the top 100. By the end of the 1990s, Fox switched its focus from black audiences to go after young male viewers, a demographic that they felt was more desirable to advertisers.”   158.    By 2008, the viewing habits of black viewers and white viewers were converging once more. With few "black shows" on broadcast TV, everyone was watching American Idol, Dancing With the Stars or CSI. Black folks who wanted to watch black folks on TV had to go to cable, and so they did. - https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2015/04/01/395777889/this-isnt-the-first-time-network-tv-discovered-black-people   159.    Question: Do we need “Black” TV?   160.    Vote: Best/most important/favorite pop culture item from 1994?

Topics: WTC Bombing, Urban Fashion, Dr. Dre, Menace II Society, Living Single (Bonus Artist: Luck)

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https://www.vibe.com/2016/01/1993-the-year-hip-hop-and-rb-conquered-the-world "1993: The Year Hip-Hop And R&B Conquered The World" 1993 was a historically transformative period for hip-hop and rhythm and blues. When VIBE Magazine dropped its iconic black and white debut issue in September of 1993—featuring a ridiculously fresh faced Snoop Doggy Dogg gracing the landmark cover—it was yet another reminder how ubiquitous urban culture had become. 1993: Hip Hop Artist that released albums A Tribe Called Quest / Bone Thugs-n-Harmony / Cypress Hill / De La Soul / Digable Planets / Digital Underground / DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince / Eazy-E / Fat Joe / Geto Boys / Heavy D & the Boyz / Ice Cube / Ice-T / Insane Clown Posse / Jodeci / Jungle Brothers / Kid Rock / Kris Kross / KRS-One / LL Cool J / Luke / MC Lyte / Naughty by Nature / Onyx / Queen Latifah / Run-D.M.C. / Salt-n-Pepa / Shaquille O'Neal / Snoop Dogg / Tag Team / The Roots / Too Short / Tupac / Wu-Tang Clan / Yo-Yo

Next recording: Sunday June, 28th 2020 Time: Decatur / Tulsa - 12 noon Denver - 11a California - 10a Topics: Social - World Trade Center bombing Social - Urban fashion Music - The Chronic, by Dr. Dre Movies - Menace II Society TV - Living Single 1. 1993 notes 2. Bill Clinton, President 3. Feb – Former tennis player Arthur Ashe, 49, dies of the AIDS virus in New York. Ashe was believed to have contracted the virus from a blood transfusion during a heart surgery ten years earlier. 4. Feb – World Trade Center bombing: In New York City, a van bomb parked below the North Tower of the World Trade Center explodes, killing six and injuring over 1,000. 5. Feb – Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agents raid the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas, with a warrant to arrest leader David Koresh on federal firearms violations. Four agents and five Davidians die in the raid and a 51-day standoff begins. 6. Mar - ESPN holds the first ever ESPY Awards. 7. Apr – The Kuwaiti government claims to uncover an Iraqi assassination plot against former U.S. President George H. W. Bush shortly after his visit to Kuwait. Two Iraqi nationals confess to driving a car bomb into Kuwait on behalf of the Iraqi Intelligence Service. 8. Apr - Colorado Rockies becomes a baseball team 9. Jun - The final episode of Soul Train with Don Cornelius as host airs. 10. Jul – U.S. President Bill Clinton announces his 'Don't ask, don't tell' policy regarding homosexuals serving in the American military. 11. Sep – PLO leader Yasser Arafat and Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin shake hands in Washington D.C., after signing a peace accord. 12. Oct – A large scale battle erupts between U.S. forces and local militia in Mogadishu, Somalia; eighteen Americans and over 1,000 Somalis are killed. The assault was planned to include an air and ground phase. As the mission was ongoing, Somali forces shot down two American Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters using RPG-7s. A desperate defense of the downed helicopters began, which would become dramatized in the 2001 film Black Hawk Down. Fighting lasted through the night to defend the survivors of the crashes, including the insertion of two sniper commandos who would be posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. In the morning, a UNOSOM II armored convoy fought their way to the helicopters, incurring further casualties but eventually rescuing the survivors. 13. Nov – President Clinton signs the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act into law, requiring purchasers of handguns to pass a background check. 14. Open Comments: 15. Top 3 Pop Songs 16. #1. "I Will Always Love You" Whitney Houston 17. #2. "Whoomp! (There It Is)" Tag Team 18. #3. "Can't Help Falling in Love" UB40 19. Record of the Year: "I Will Always Love You", Whitney Houston 20. Album of the Year: The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack Album 21. Song of the Year: "A Whole New World" by Peabo Bryson & Regina Belle 22. Best New Artist: Toni Braxton 23. Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female: Toni Braxton for "Another Sad Love Song" 24. Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male: Ray Charles for "A Song for You" 25. Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group: Sade for "No Ordinary Love" 26. Best Rhythm & Blues Song: "That's the Way Love Goes" by Janet Jackson 27. Best Rap Solo Performance: Dr. Dre for "Let Me Ride" 28. Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group: Digable Planets for "Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)" 29. Top 3 movies 30. #1. Jurassic Park 31. #2. Mrs. Doubtfire 32. #3. The Fugitive 33. Notables: CB4, Groundhog Day, The Crying Game, Falling Down, Indecent Proposal, Who's the Man?, Sleepless in Seattle, Poetic Justice, Carlito's Way, A Bronx Tale 34. Top 3 TV Shows 35. #1. 60 Minutes 36. #2. Home Improvement 37. #3. Seinfeld 38. Debuts: Living Single (Forgot to Mention "Martin" debut for 1992) 39. Economic Snapshots 40. Avg. Income: 31k (30k - previously) 41. New Home: 113k (122.5k) 42. Avg Rent: 532 (519) 43. New Car: 12.7k (16.9k) 44. Harvard: 23.5k (15.4k) 45. Movie Ticket: 4.14 (4.25) 46. Gas: 1.16 1.05 (1.05) 47. Stamp: .29 (.29) 48. Social Scene: WTC Bombing 49. A 1,200-pound bomb in a Ryder rental truck parked in a parking garage beneath the World Trade Center exploded. The explosion created a hole about 6 stories deep. An estimated 50,000 people were evacuated, yet only 6 people died. 50. Ramzi Yousef directed the organization and execution of the bombing. He said he did it to avenge the sufferings Palestinian people had endured at the hands of US-aided Israel. He is the nephew of Khalid Shaikh Mohammed - the accused mastermind of the 2001 attacks on New York and Washington that killed nearly 3,000 people and ultimately brought down the World Trade Center. 51. Timeline 52. February 26, 1993 - At 12:18 p.m. ET, a bomb explodes on the second subterranean level of Vista Hotel's public parking garage, below the 2 World Trade Center building. 53. February 28, 1993 - The FBI confirms that a bomb caused the explosion. In the wreckage, federal agents find shattered van parts with a vehicle identification number. 54. March 4, 1993 - Mohammad Salameh is arrested after he claims a refund on a rented van authorities believe carried the explosives. 6 More arrested over next 8 months. 55. March 29, 1993 - The World Trade Center re-opens. 56. August 25, 1993 - Sheik Omar Abdel-Rahman (The Blind Sheik) an Egyptian cleric who emigrated to the United States, is indicted for involvement for in the terrorist plot. Some of the 1993 bombing suspects frequented the New Jersey mosque where he preached. 57. February 7, 1995 - Suspected WTC bombing mastermind Yousef is captured abroad by the FBI and State Department. 58. October 1995 - Abdel-Rahman is convicted of seditious conspiracy and sentenced to life in prison. 59. January 8, 1998 - After being convicted, Yousef is sentenced to 240 years in prison for his role in organizing the bombing. "I am a terrorist and proud of it," he tells the court. He has been locked away in solitary confinement at the federal "Supermax" prison in Florence, Colorado, since 1998. 60. February 18, 2017 - Abdel-Rahman, the blind Egyptian-born cleric who inspired terrorist plots including the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, passes away in an American prison at the age of 78. 61. Question: What do you remember about this attack and/or the 9/11 attack? 62. Social Scene (2) Urban Wear / Street gear explosion 63. First generation of hip-hop acts dressed like the top RnB acts that influenced them: Classic Motown, Rick James, Michael Jackson, Prince, George Clinton, etc... 64. 1983: Run-DMC set a new standard in hip-hop fashion, choosing casual wear like adidas sneakers and Kangol hats over suits, fancy shoes and other expensive gear. They popularized, the B-Boy look of bucket hats, sneakers, and gold chains. 65. Mid 80's Dapper Dan, born Daniel Day, a haberdasher who would import bootlegged fabrics or screen-print logos onto luxury leather, then turn them into one-of-a-kind, street-inflected pieces. His boutique, operated from 1982–92 and is most associated with introducing high fashion (opposite Run-DMC's casual style) to the hip hop world, with high profile clients over the years including Eric B. & Rakim, Salt-N-Pepa, & LL Cool J. 66. 1984-1992: Tommy Hilfiger & Polo Ralph Lauren: Between 1984 and 1989, Ralph Lauren was king of the hip-hop culture. When Tommy Hilfiger was released in the early 1990s, both brands battled each other for the hearts of musicians and the attention of hip-hop fans around the world. In 1992, Grand Puba wrote lyrics for the Mary J. Blige’s song “What’s the 411?” and mentioned Hilfiger because that’s what he was repping at the time. Puba said he gave a shout-out to the brand because rap artists recognized “whatever’s fresh, whatever’s dope.” 67. 1990: Founded in 1989, Cross Colours was geared toward young African Americans to help promote pride in their ethnicity. Based on the principle of “clothes without prejudice,” Cross Colours is one of the most iconic brands to embrace hip-hop culture. In 1990, on the first season of the hit primetime television show The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, lead actor Will Smith wore a series of boldly hued and geometric looks designed by the young Los Angeles–based urban apparel line. African American-owned, founded by Carl Jones and T.J. Walker, the brand quickly skyrocketed. Soon, it was being worn by almost every musical icon of the era. Snoop Dogg, Tupac, Run DMC, Dr. Dre, Lil Kim, Mary J. Blige, members of TLC, television show In Living Color, and Muhammad Ali. 68. 1993: With the mainstream success of hip-hop, street gear/urban wear sales exploded and legitimized "Urban" fashion as a legitimate niche for major retail outlets. 69. Notable brands: Pelle (1978), Karl Kani (1989), Phat Farm (1992), PNB Nation (1992), Fubu (1992), Ecko Unlimited (1993), Mecca (1994), Enyce (1996), Sean John (1998), Rocawear (1999) 70. Question: What old-school gear/style would you still rock today? 71. Music Scene: 72. Black Songs from the top 40 73. #1. "I Will Always Love You" Whitney Houston 74. #2. "Whoomp! (There It Is)" Tag Team 75. #4. "That's the Way Love Goes" Janet Jackson 76. #5. "Freak Me" Silk 77. #6. "Weak" SWV 78. #7."If I Ever Fall in Love" Shai 79. #8. "Dreamlover" Mariah Carey 80. #9. "Rump Shaker" Wreckx-n-Effect 81. #10. "Informer" Snow 82. #11. "Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang" Dr. Dre 83. #12. "In the Still of the Nite" Boyz II Men 84. #13. "Don't Walk Away" Jade 85. #14. "Knockin' da Boots" H-Town 86. #15. "Lately" Jodeci 87. #16. "Dazzey Duks" Duice 88. #17. "Show Me Love" Robin S. 89. #18. "A Whole New World" Peabo Bryson and Regina Belle 90. #19. "If" Janet Jackson 91. #20. "I'm So Into You" SWV 92. #21."Love Is" Vanessa Williams and Brian McKnight 93. #23. "I'll Never Get Over You (Getting Over Me)" Exposé 94. #24. "Ditty" Paperboy 95. #25. "Rhythm Is a Dancer" Snap! 96. #29. "Right Here" SWV 97. #30. "I Have Nothing" Whitney Houston 98. #31. "Mr. Wendal" Arrested Development 99. #33. "Saving Forever for You" Shanice 100. #35. "If I Had No Loot" Tony! Toni! Toné! 101. #37. "Slam" Onyx 102. #38. "Looking Through Patient Eyes" P.M. Dawn 103. #39. "I'm Every Woman" Whitney Houston 104. #40. "Baby I'm Yours" Shai 105. Vote: 106. Number One RnB Albums 107. Jan The Bodyguard - Soundtrack / Whitney Houston 108. Feb The Chronic - Dr. Dre 109. Mar 19 Naughty III - Naughty by Nature 110. Mar Till Death Do Us Part - Geto Boys 111. Apr Loose Control - Silk 112. Apr 14 Shots to the Dome - LL Cool J 113. May Down with the King - Run-D.M.C. 114. May Fever for Da Flavor - H-Town 115. Jun janet. - Janet Jackson 116. June 26 Menace II Society - Soundtrack / Various artists 117. Aug Black Sunday - Cypress Hill 118. Sep The World Is Yours - Scarface 119. Sep Music Box - Mariah Carey 120. Oct Toni Braxton - Toni Braxton 121. Oct 187, He Wrote - Spice 1 122. Nov It's On (Dr. Dre) 187um Killa - Eazy-E 123. Nov Get in Where You Fit In - Too Short 124. Nov Midnight Marauders - A Tribe Called Quest 125. Dec Shock of the Hour - MC Ren 126. Dec Doggystyle - Snoop Doggy Dogg 127. Dec Lethal Injection - Ice Cube 128. Vote: 129. Music Scene: The Chronic by Dr. Dre, (@age 28 yrs. old) 130. Bio: Dr Dre (Andre Romelle Young) is an American rapper, producer and entrepreneur. He is the CEO of Aftermath Entertainment. 131. His initial stint with music was as a DJ in the local club, The Eve After Dark. It was during this time that he took up the moniker Dr Dre that has lived with him all through. In 1984, Dre began his musical career as a member of the musical group, World Class Weckin’ Cru. The group soon dominated the electro-hop scene in the West Coast with their first single, ‘Surgery’ selling more than 50,000 copies within Compton alone. In 1986, he along with Eazy-E, Ice Cube and DJ Yella formed the local gangsta rap group N.W.A. (Niggaz for Life). N.W.A worked on the themes of urban crime and gang lifestyle. Their lyrics were harsh and overt, and brought to mainstream America the slice of ‘real’ life on streets. N.W.A’s debutant studio album, ‘Straight Outta Compton’ met with blockbuster success, selling more than 2 million copies. Its single, ‘Fuck Tha Police’ explored the tension between black youth and police officials. In 1991, the group released its second album, ‘Efil4zaggin’ before disbanding. In 1991, he co-founded Death Row Records with Sue Knight. In 1992, he released his first single, which served as the title track for the film ‘Deep Cover’. The single featured the debut of rapper Snoop Dogg as well. 132. In 1993, Dre made the big leap of his career with his maiden album, ‘The Chronic’. Its singles, ‘Nuthin’ but a ‘G’ Thang’, ‘Let Me Ride’, ‘Fuck with Dre Day’ created a revolution in the music industry, making the album a cultural phenomenon. The album with its G-funk sound dominated the hip hop music for the early 1990s.Following success as a rapper, he switched to being a producer. He produced Snoop Dogg’s debut album, ‘Doggystyle’, Tupac Shakur’s work, ‘All Eyez on Me’ and several film songs. 133. In 1996, following contractual dispute, he left Death Row Records for good. Same year, he set up his own label, Aftermath Entertainment in connection with Interscope Records. 134. Audio clip 1 - Review 135. Audio clip 2 - Jimmy Iovine 136. Question: Are you tired of Ganster Rap? If so, when and why? 137. Movie Scene: Menace II Society 138. Audio Clip Trailer 139. Firmly established "Hood" films as commercially viable, just like fashion. 140. Question: which of the following is your favorite "hood" film? 141. Colors, 1988 / King Of New York, 1990 / Boyz N The Hood, 1991 / Juice, 1992 / New Jack City, 1992 / South Central, 1992 / Deep Cover 1992 / Menace II Society, 1993 / Poetic Justice, 1993 / Sugar Hill, 1993 / Strapped, 1993 / CB4*, 1993 142. Soon to come: Fresh (1994) / Above the Rim (1994) / Friday (1995) / Higher Learning (1995) / New Jersey Drive (1995) / Set It Off (1996) / Dead Presidents (1995) / Hoodlum (1997) / The Players Club (1998) / Belly (1998) / In Too Deep (1999) 143. TV Scene: Living Single, starring Queen Latifah (@ 23 yrs. old) 144. Audio clip Theme song 145. Queen Latifah is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, actress, record producer and talk show host 146. Dana Elaine Owens was born on 18th March 1970 in Newark, New Jersey, to Lance and Rita Owens. Her father was in police services. Her parents got divorced when she was eight. She was raised by her mother in Baptist faith. Her mother played a catalyst role in her music career. She had an older brother, Lance Owens, who also worked in police service. He died in a motorbike accident in 1992. This motorbike was presented to him by Latifah. She attended Catholic School in Newark, New Jersey. During her high school days, she was part of girls’ basketball team. She began rapping during high school. She formed her first rap group ‘Ladies Fresh’ when she was in junior year. She met local DJ Mark James. He formed a group named ‘Flavor Unit’ of which Latifah was the original member. James made a demo record of Latifah's rap ‘Princess of the Posse’. This recording caught attention of ‘Tommy Boy Music’ who immediately signed Latifah. In 1988, this music company offered her first single, ‘Wrath of My Madness’. The song got a positive response and she got an opportunity of a European tour and to perform at the ‘Apollo Theater’. In 1989, when she was just 19 years old, Latifah released her first album, ‘All Hail to the Queen’, which went on to sell more than 1 million copies. 147. Queen invested her money in a small video store on the ground floor of her apartment. She elevated this business to turn it into a record production company. In 1991, when she was just 21 years old, she rolled out ‘Flavor Unit Records and Management Company’ in New Jersey in partnership with her old friend Shakim Compere. She became the CEO of this company. In the same year, she also tried her hands at acting. She debuted in inter-racial romance drama ‘Jungle Fever’. In 1992, she appeared in crime thriller ‘Juice’. 148. Soon she grabbed a leading role in the groundbreaking a sitcom ‘Living Single’. 149. By late 1993, her record company signed 17 rap groups. One of these groups, ‘Naughty by nature’, was extraordinarily successful. In the same year, this company released, album ‘Black Reign’. 150. audio clip - Friends vs Living Single 151. Question: Did Friends have any character that was better than Living Single? 152. Vote: Best/most important/favorite pop culture item from 1993?

Topics: L.A. Riots, Mary J. Blige, White Men Can't Jump, Def Comdey Jam (Bonus Artist: hidingtobefound)

1992 Snapshots

1. President: George H. W. Bush

2. Feb - In Indianapolis, Indiana, boxer Mike Tyson is convicted of raping Desiree Washington.

3. Mar - H. Ross Perot announces that he will run for U.S. President.

4. Apr - Mafia boss John Gotti is convicted of the murder of mob boss Paul Castellano and of racketeering, and is later sentenced to life in prison.

5. Apr - Former tennis player Arthur Ashe, 48, announces that he is suffering from the AIDS virus, which he is believed to have contracted from a blood transfusion during heart surgery in 1983.

6. Apr - In Simi Valley, California, a jury acquits four LAPD police officers accused of excessive force in the videotaped beating of black motorist Rodney King, causing the 1992 Los Angeles riots and leading to 53 deaths and $1 billion in damage.

7. May - After 30 years, Johnny Carson retires as host of NBC's The Tonight Show.

8. Jun - During a spelling bee at a Trenton, New Jersey elementary school, U.S. Vice President Dan Quayle erroneously corrects a student's spelling of the word potato, indicating it should have an e at the end.

9. Jul - 1992 Summer Olympics held in Barcelona, Spain

10. Oct - The video game Mortal Kombat is released.

11. Nov - Governor Bill Clinton of Arkansas defeats incumbent President George H. W. Bush and businessman H. Ross Perot in the US presidential election. ["It's the economy, stupid"/ "I didn't inhale."]

12. Dec - Hip hop producer and rapper Dr. Dre releases his solo debut studio album The Chronic.

13. Top 3 Pop Songs

14. #1 - End of the Road", Boyz II Men

15. #2 - "Baby Got Back", Sir Mix-a-Lot

16. #3 - ‘Jump", Kris Kross

17. Record of the Year - Eric Clapton for "Tears in Heaven"

18. Album of the Year - Eric Clapton for Unplugged

19. Song of the Year - Eric Clapton "Tears in Heaven"

20. Best New Artist - Arrested Development

21. Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female - Chaka Khan for The Woman I Am

22. Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male - Al Jarreau for Heaven and Earth

23. Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal - Boyz II Men for "End of the 24. Road"

25. Best Rap Solo Performance - Sir Mix-a-Lot for Baby Got Back

26. Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group - Arrested Development for Tennessee

27. #1 - Aladdin

28. #2 - The Bodyguard

29. #3 - Home Alone 2: Lost in New York

30. Notables: Juice, American Me, Basic Instinct, Deep Cover, Sister Act, A league of Their Own, Mo' Money, Glengarry Glen Ross, The Mighty Ducks, Reservoir Dogs, Malcolm X, The Bodyguard, A Few Good Men, Toys, White Men Can't Jump

31. Top 3Tv Shows

32. #1 60 Minutes

33. #2 - Roseanne

34. #3 - Home Improvement

35. Debuts: Hanging with Mr. Cooper and Def Comedy Jam

36. Economic Snapshots

37. Avg. Income: 30k (29.9k - previously)

38. New Home: 122.5 (120k)

39. Avg Rent: 519 (495)

40. New Car: 16.9k (16.8k)

41. Harvard: 15.4 (14.5k)

42. Movie Ticket: 4.25 (4.25)

43. Gas: 1.05 (1.12)

44. Stamp: .29 (.25)

45. Social Scene: LA Riots

46. Audio Clip

47. Open Comments

48. Question: Do riots actually serve a meaningful purpose? What would you tell your kids if 49. they were in a riot? (On either side)

50. Music Scene

51. Top Black Songs from the top 40

52. #1. "End of the Road". Boyz II Men

53. #2. "Baby Got Back". Sir Mix-a-Lot

54. #3. "Jump". Kris Kross

55. #4. "Save the Best for Last". Vanessa Williams

56. #5. "Baby-Baby-Baby". TLC

57. #7. "My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It)". En Vogue

58. #9. "All 4 Love". Color Me Badd

59. #10. "Just Another Day". Jon Secada

60. #11. "I Love Your Smile". Shanice

61. #14. "Black or White". Michael Jackson

62. #16. "I'll Be There". Mariah Carey

63. #19. "Remember the Time". Michael Jackson

64. #20. "Finally". CeCe Peniston

65. #23. "Can't Let Go". Mariah Carey

66. #24. "Jump Around". House of Pain

67. #25. "Diamonds and Pearls". Prince and The New Power Generation

68. #27. "Masterpiece". Atlantic Starr

69. #29. "Giving Him Something He Can Feel". En Vogue

70. #31. "Come and Talk to Me". Jodeci

71. #33. "Humpin' Around". Bobby Brown

72. #35. "Tell Me What You Want Me to Do". Tevin Campbell

73. #36. "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg". TLC

74. #37. "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday". Boyz II Men

75. #38. "Move This". Technotronic featuring Ya Kid K

76. #40. "Tennessee". Arrested Development

77. #41. "The Best Things in Life Are Free". Luther Vandross and Janet Jackson

78. #42. "Make It Happen". Mariah Carey

79. #44. "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss". P.M. Dawn

80. #46. "2 Legit 2 Quit". Hammer

81. #47. "Please Don't Go". KWS

82. #48. "Breakin' My Heart (Pretty Brown Eyes)". Mint Condition

83. Vote:

84. Top RnB Albums

85. Jan - Dangerous, Michael Jackson

86. Feb - Keep It Comin', Keith Sweat

87. Apr - Private Line, Gerald Levert

88. May - The Comfort Zone, Vanessa Williams

89. May - Funky Divas, En Vogue

90. May - Totally Krossed Out, Kris Kross

91. Jun - Dead Serious, Das EFX

92. Oct - What's the 411?, Mary J. Blige

93. Nov - Bobby, Bobby Brown

94. Dec - The Predator, Ice Cube

95. Vote:

96. Featured Artist: Mary J. Blige

97. Audio:

98. Open Comments

99. Movie Scene: White Men Can't Jump

100. Audio Clip

101. Open Comments

102. Question: Why do Black people LOVE basketball?

103. TV Scene: Def Comedy Jam

104. According to Russel Simmions, In his book "Life and Def: Sex, Drugs, Money + God" The inspiration for Def COmedey Jam was a club on Crenshaw Blvd in L.A. called the Comedy Act Theater. Robin Harris hosted performances there, and he already had a serious underground buzz, from House PArty and Do the Right Thing. At the same time, everywhere Russell traveled, the "Black Comedy" nights were hot, and Russel was always looking for stuff that was "hot" with his hip-hop customer base.

105. In 1989, he eventually hooked up with Hollywood power player Stan Lathan (Sanford & Son, Hill Street Blues, Miami Vice, Remington Steele ,Cagney & Lacey, Frank's Place, Roc and the 1984 classic feature film Beat Street) and they began creating Def Comedy Jam.

106. The original run of Def Comedy Jam ran from July 1, 1992 to January 1, 1997. In the fall of 2006 it returned to HBO. Many comedians had their careers launched by the huge success of this series!

107. Robin Harris was going to be the original host, but he died in 1990. Eddie Murphy was a big supporter of Martin Lawrence to replace Harris.

108. The show caught major criticism for using excessive foul language and a “supposed” negative representation of African Americans. Bill Cosby and Sidney Potier were major critics.

109. Def Comedy Jam, went on to become the longest running HBO series ever, launched the careers of several A-List comedians today.

110. 1992 Alumni:

111. Chris Tucker, Martin Lawrence, Steve Harvey, Bernie Mac, Bill Bellamy, DL Hughley, Adele Givens, Cedric the Entertainer, Dave Chapelle, Eddie Griffin, Joe Torry, Michael Colyar, and Ricky Harris Jr.

112. Open Comments

113. Question: Favorite bit/comedian?

114. Vote: Best/most important/favorite pop culture item from 1992?

Questions: 1. Scared yet: CV19 what we know 2. Health: How you be? personally, family, and friends 3. Quarantine life: stir crazy yet? How is technology helping? What’s up with Work/Exercise/Entertainment/Education? 4. Government response: local state federal 5. Future behavior: keep social distancing, hand washing, gloves masks wipes

(Bonus Artist: hidingtobefound)