JumpinJack AJ

Keep your cool. Reguardless of how ignorant this person is, letting yourself get angered by him and u letting him control u. U know this person is an idiot...so don't take what he says seriously. Let that garbage just roll off. Besides u don't do something 2 lower yourself 2 his level. The only other thing i could consider would be addressing it 2 someone who could change the situation so that u don't have 2 get anymore involved then u already are. U might wanna consider getting down on his level in a cool way and just say "i'd appreciate it if you'd stop making those comments." Don't resort 2 fighting unless it's absolutely necessary. Staying cool is the best thing u can do...but at the same time, u can't allow yourself 2 be disrespected. That's why action should be taken. So talk it out. Don't come off offensive or accusing, just relaxed. I would only fight back if he would escalate things 2 that level...cuz u can't just stand there if someone gets agressive towards u. Just make sure it's a fair fight. U don't wanna play yourself by allowing things 2 go that way if u are out numbered if his friends would be jumping in. I'll pray on your situation...but i think this post has inspired an advice post...check 4 it.

2PAC - Good Life Until The End of Time (2001) This is one of the few doctored 2Pac songs that i feel is close 2 the level he would have released it on.

H A P P Y B - D A Y !! !

Since the article focused on the lyrics, that's why i ate it up. I've always been about positive Hip-Hop. Yeah, i like a few artists who stress the positive and negative. But i don't follow those artists the way i do the icons like JJ+FP, PE, EPMD, etc. If we are comparing tho'...artists like DMX do have a variety of things in their subject matter. Other than his voice, Jay-Z's lyrics have always annoyed me. Every songs is potentially written the same way. It's like when Ludacris got all bent outta shape when Pepsi kicked his deal 2 the side. The focus waz on his lyrics. LL Cool J and Run-DMC never had that problem with Dr. Pepper. My main thing overall is that artists need 2 be held accountable for their lyrics...PERIOD. It's time for change and growth.

When u are dealing with an artist like this...it takes time and alot of good actions 2 see that it's legit. Look at her past and her history. It's hard 2 swallow when an rapper who has associated themselves with certain things for over a decade tries 2 do something serious or positive. It seems like a PR move...after all, she went 2 jail. I'm all about people bettering themselves. But i don't like the people who do stuff just 2 look good.

China Cancels Jay-Z's Shanghai Concert SHANGHAI, China (Oct. 11) - The Culture Ministry has canceled rapper Jay-Z 's planned debut in China, citing his "vulgar" lyrics, a state-run newspaper reported Wednesday. The rap icon, whose real name is Shawn Carter, was scheduled to perform on Oct. 23 at Shanghai's Hongkou Stadium. "Some of Jay-Z 's songs contain too much vulgar language," Sun Yun, of promoter KS Production Co., was quoted as saying in the Shanghai Daily newspaper. The New York rapper's use of profanity and songs about drug dealers, pimps and violence apparently offended China's culture czars despite their recently allowing groups with sexually suggestive songs, such as the Rolling Stones and the Black Eyed Peas , to perform in Shanghai. A call to a representative for the rapper early Wednesday went unanswered. ------------- Ha ha...i think this is hilarious. For way 2 long, rappers have been totally irresponcible for talking about nothing but guns, sex, drugs, and jewelery. These unorignal fools are selling millions, gaining fame, and being praised for it. I think it's discusting and i have since 1993. Positive, intellengent people like FP have a fight and claw 2 get a hit single and they do hold themselves accountable for their lyrics and actions. These commerical rappers don't care what they say (if they actually say anything), how they act, and i think it's time start holding them accountable. If u are ignorant, if u don't care what u say 4 the kids 2 hear, u should have your options limited. Any thoughts on this?

I only posted that 2nd article cuz of the humor in it.

Yeah, what he said.

The only movies that FP has done that i see sequels that could be any good would be another Men In Black, Bad Boys, and I, Robot. Maybe...just maybe Sharktale. Otherwise, leave them alone...PERIOD.

USHER: How's He Doinnnnnnnn, For Real??? By Karu F. Daniels, AOL Black Voices It just became official. Usher is out of the production of the long running Broadway musical, 'Chicago.' In a statement issued this morning by his publicist Simone Smalls, the Grammy award winning superstar will not complete his final week of the multiple Tony Award winning show -- which celebrates its 10th anniversary next month. "Usher is currently being treated for an extreme case of strep throat," his momager Jonnetta Patton said. "He fell ill last Friday and his condition became progressively worse, so under strict orders from his doctors, Usher has been instructed not to perform." "He is really saddened that he cannot close out his last week in 'Chicago' with a bang," she continued. "Usher has had an amazing time on Broadway and loved every minute of performing on stage with the entire cast of 'Chicago.' He expresses his sincere apologies to all of his fans who purchased tickets to see him in 'Chicago' this final week and appreciate all of their love and support. He is thankful to the producers, the entire cast and production crew of 'Chicago.'" Barry Weissler, producer of the legendary musical, said "the entire company is sending their thoughts and best wishes to Usher for a quick and speedy recovery. [He] made a spectacular Broadway debut, bringing a great dedication, work ethic and his amazing talent to the show. We all hope that he might return at some point for the many fans that were unable to see his wonderful performance as Billy Flynn. Usher has found a new home on Broadway and is welcomed back anytime." -------------------------------------------- LIL' KIM: Taking On Washington By Karu F. Daniels, AOL Black Voices Has Lil' Kim cleaned up her act? Maybe. The recently imprisoned hip-hop personality has been making the rounds on the political front. On Sunday night, the Brooklyn native celebrated Reverend Al Sharpton's 52nd Birthday in New York City with an array of Big Apple big wigs. On Tuesday, she headed to Capitol Hill -- to speak out about issues affecting foster children and at-risk youth. The 31-year-old Grammy Award winning sex-pot (legally known as Kimberly Jones) was a featured speaker during the Second Annual “Keeping the Promise to At-Risk Youth” Conference in Washington, DC. On Oct. 3. Organized by Children Uniting Nations (CUN) and the University of Southern California School of Social Work, the conference is an annual, day-long dialogue dedicated to not only igniting awareness, but to also implementing solid mentoring programs and other educational services for foster children and at-risk youth. Senator John Kerry and Princess Dalal Al-Saud of Saudi Arabia were among speakers at the event, which included musical performances by by Miri Ben-Ari, Run DMC's Darryl McDaniels and soul singer Freda Payne. "It’s not what happens to you but how you handle it that matters," she told an audience of 150 politicians, businessmen and celebrities. "A lot of times, we all make bad choices, but it’s the experience that helps you make the right choice the next time." "It was during that 10-month stay in prison that I realized I had to become strongly involved in the children of our future so that they would not have to endure the struggles and pain that I had to go through during the difficult times in my life," the former Junior M.A.F.I.A. frontwoman continued. "I realized my strengths, my weaknesses and I realized the power of my voice." And the "Magic Stick" rapper, reportedly, used that voice to encourage corporations to sponsor and invest in programs to help at-risk youth. "So, the corporations that are here tonight, this is a call to you. Our children in foster care, they are you –the CEO’s, scientists, lawyers, astronauts, generals they could become, and yes performers, too. Just imagine this, the mind that will find the cure for cancer could be sitting in foster care right now and the only thing stopping him or her from finding that cure is hearing the words, 'You can do it,' 'You matter,' 'I believe in you.'" Well I'll be damned. The girl still does have some sense. If Oprah won't run for office, maybe Lil' Kim should.

MC HAMMER - Let's Get It Started Let's Get It Started (1987)

It's a bit early 2 share this...but here's one...

I think u are all thinkin' 2 negatively.

I love comedy, but i don't really buy comedy albums. I have one of Martin Lawrence's and a few Adam Sandler ones. That's about it tho.' If u like prank phone calls...check the Jerky Boys...i've always loved them.

Yeah, i wish this track would officially be released. This waz done back when Eminem came with crazy wit and stinging, creative lyrics. Jeff's beat is dope and Paul Yamz does what he always does. It really is a dope track...it deserves a proper release.

Yeah...when i think raw...i think of FP just writing the lyrics down in 1 sitting then just knocking it out in the booth. A few songs u can tell he spent a few days or weeks working on. I like the idea of him just knocking out a song without polishing it.

When i think raw...i think "less rehearsed"...i think of a verse with some fire behind it. I think about high energy and no stories...just rhymes. I could never consider a laid back track like "Summertime" or "I'm Looking For The One" raw. So i'm gonna say Just Rockin,' The Magnificent Jazzy Jeff, Numero Uno, Boom! Shake The Room, Willennium Interlude (even tho' it's a storytelling track), Here He Comes, Party Starter, We Won't Comin' To The Stage, and so on.

I didn't save the article, but i read one last night saying he waz in stable condition. So it looks like he'll be fine.

BMG Music has a mini-catalog tossed in with their monthly one titled "Classic Soul" which also features old school Hip-Hop. They highlight the release of "The Very Best of DJ Jazzy Jeff + Fresh Prince." Nothing special really...just wanted 2 share the pic.

KENNY LATTIMORE + CHANTE MOORE - Figure It Out Uncovered/Covered (2006)

Thanx...i gotta admit, i haven't listen 2 the album in about 3 months. But just like his Greatest Hits...he just HAD 2 re-release it with a DVD...ha ha. I'll consider getting this. Espeically if someone else here gets it and reviews it.

I'm a fan of most of these artists (at least 2 an extent)...but i included interviews by a few people i'm not just incase they'll benifit someone else here. Enjoy! RIHANNA GirlLikeRihanna1: hi DonyaInMusic: Hey Rihanna! DonyaInMusic: First off, congrats on all your success GirlLikeRihanna1: thanks so much DonyaInMusic: How has your life changed since you've become famous? GirlLikeRihanna1: wow so much, since the record deal - I have left a simple life in Barbados where I was a student GirlLikeRihanna1: Although I have had intensive tutoring to continue my education here my days are now filled with recording, photo shoots, live dates, touring, and radio promo. It has been a whirlwind but incredibly satisfying and rewarding. In short, my life is much different now .... DonyaInMusic: Ok, but has the quality of guys trying to holler at you gone up or down? ;-) GirlLikeRihanna1: To tell you the truth, I really don't pay attention to that...... DonyaInMusic: huh? Come on, Rihanna! You mean to tell me no guys have stepped to you? DonyaInMusic: No cornballs with crazy pick-up lines? GirlLikeRihanna1: Certainly, but I just really don't pay attention to that as I am incredibly busy DonyaInMusic: So, are you dating anyone right now? Or no time for that either? GirlLikeRihanna1: No, i am currently single DonyaInMusic: What about that dude from My Super Sweet 16? Have you talked to him since you escorted him to his party? GirlLikeRihanna1: No I have not DonyaInMusic: Well, let's say you had time for dating, and God blessed you with the perfect guy...what traits would he have? GirlLikeRihanna1: someone who is confident, respectful, and kind DonyaInMusic: ok, can't argue with that... DonyaInMusic: You appeared on So You Think You Can Dance, do you like to throw down yourself when you go to the club? DonyaInMusic: is there a crowd around you chanting "Go Rihanna!" DonyaInMusic: or would you rather just watch others make a fool of themselves? GirlLikeRihanna1: Definitely, dancing has always been a big part of my life and now my live show GirlLikeRihanna1: most of the time I am with my friends. Not much chanting "Go Rihanna" but alot of fun DonyaInMusic: ha ha DonyaInMusic: have you lost any friends since the record deal? Anybody saying you "think you're too good" for them now? DonyaInMusic: I remember Eve saying that her friends couldn't understand the demands of the industry GirlLikeRihanna1: Well let's just say that you find out who your true friends are when you are having success. In terms of the demands, many people think it is all fun and games and really don't realize how packed my schedule is.........My true friends, however, understand, and are very supportive. DonyaInMusic: How are you handling being on a huge label like Def Jam with all those other superstars? DonyaInMusic: Ever see Beyonce or Mariah in the hallway and think "I'm better than that bitch!" :-D GirlLikeRihanna1: I think I am signed to the greatest label on earth.....Everyone from the artists, to the staff, to senior executives have been incredibly supportive. I always say that without Def Jam, all of my success would not be possible. Sometimes it doesn't even feel like I am signed to a label but more like a family GirlLikeRihanna1: Absolutely not to the other question. They are my idols and I look up to both of them DonyaInMusic: ha ha, just messing with you. Both of them are very talented GirlLikeRihanna1: yes they are DonyaInMusic: but, I'm sure Teairra Mari is a little jealous of her "sister" Rihanna's success since we haven't even heard from her since you blew up DonyaInMusic: maybe you guys should work together and you could help her out a little GirlLikeRihanna1: She is also very talented. DonyaInMusic: Are you a good cook since you're from the islands? I know many women from the Caribbean are brought up in the kitchen. GirlLikeRihanna1: I can do a little something in the kitchen, but not like my mom. Boy do I miss her cooking DonyaInMusic: what was your favorite dish she made? GirlLikeRihanna1: I love curry chicken DonyaInMusic: me too, nothing like curry or jerk chicken with a side of plantains! GirlLikeRihanna1: no doubt DonyaInMusic: I read you're the first of three kids, do you have brothers or sisters? GirlLikeRihanna1: and yes, 2 brothers DonyaInMusic: There's a lot of talk right now about how birth order affects personality. DonyaInMusic: Here's what they say about first borns like yourself... DonyaInMusic: Natural leaders who pay great attention to detail DonyaInMusic: Somewhat bossy, don't like surprises DonyaInMusic: Sound like you? GirlLikeRihanna1: Leader - I believe. bossy, no DonyaInMusic: You also appeared on "Bring It On" and "All My Children" as yourself...would you eventually like to act playing characters in other roles? GirlLikeRihanna1: Definitely. First, I want to focus on my music career and then pursue acting after some serious lessons DonyaInMusic: good idea DonyaInMusic: So many people just jump out there without really knowing what they're doing GirlLikeRihanna1: so i hear. i just want to be the best in whatever i do. I think that acting lessons will be a great help... DonyaInMusic: do you want to go to college one day? GirlLikeRihanna1: yes that would be great DonyaInMusic: any idea what you would study? GirlLikeRihanna1: i think psychology DonyaInMusic: ok, cool DonyaInMusic: Just one more question... GirlLikeRihanna1: ok DonyaInMusic: If you absolutely HAD to choose, which one would you pick - Usher or Chris Brown? GirlLikeRihanna1: They are both very talented so I will choose both... DonyaInMusic: oh, damn! DonyaInMusic: lol GirlLikeRihanna1: thanks so much for the interview DonyaInMusic: Well, Rihanna thanks for chatting with us today GirlLikeRihanna1: no prob DonyaInMusic: I'm sure your momma is very proud of her baby's success! DonyaInMusic: Thanks again and good luck with your tour GirlLikeRihanna1: Thanks and take care If Donya absolutely had to pick between Coolio or Rappin 4-Tay, she would go with Coolio. Crazy cornrows are one thing, but no man should be seen sporting finger waves! ----------------------------------------- JOJOBrendaninmusic: hey!!! JoJoHighRoad2: helloooo! Brendaninmusic: how are you JoJo? where are you IMing us from today? JoJoHighRoad2: I'm at my home in Massachusetts right now. JoJoHighRoad2: and I'm good. how are you? Brendaninmusic: doing good thanks! Brendaninmusic: getting a little relaxation time at home before the big album release??? JoJoHighRoad2: hehe, yes! The leaves are just starting to change and the weather is awesome and all my family's here, so it's good to chill out a bit before it gets extra crazy! Brendaninmusic: very nice! Brendaninmusic: so you have a lot goin' on lately Brendaninmusic: first off, tell us a little (or a lot) about 'The High Road' JoJoHighRoad2: It's my sophomore record! And I'm very excited about it. JoJoHighRoad2: It's been 3 years since i was in the studio recording my first album, so to get back in and sing again was so much fun. JoJoHighRoad2: i had taken some time off to film two movies and had a great experience with both, but it felt so nice to get back to the music. JoJoHighRoad2: I worked with everyone from Swizz Beats and Scott Storch to Diane Warren and Billy Steinberg. It's eclectic and something that i worked very hard on. Brendaninmusic: those are some of the biggest names in the business. What was it like to work with those people? JoJoHighRoad2: It was incredible. I was a little nervous to be honest, though... I got to go to Miami to work with Scott Storch and Sean Garrett and i didn't know quite what to expect. JoJoHighRoad2: All the producers, however, were so nice and helpful and definitely put me at ease. Brendaninmusic: was it more of a collaborative process with them? Brendaninmusic: or did you take more of the driver's seat? JoJoHighRoad2: Thankfully yes, they were always open to my ideas, opinions or suggestions. JoJoHighRoad2: Since I'm still very young, I love to listen to and learn from other peoples' ideas because they have more experience when it comes to things and they have dozens of hit songs under their belt, so i think its good to work in conjunction with them as long as we can still get across who i want to be as an artist. JoJoHighRoad2: sorry... I'm taking a long time to type JoJoHighRoad2: lol Brendaninmusic: haha it's ok. you're on vacation, you're allowed to be as slow as you want Brendaninmusic: who seemed to mesh the best with your sound/style JoJoHighRoad2: hmmmm... that's a tough one! But i think Billy Steinberg (who did my first single 'Too Little Too Late') and I mesh very well. JoJoHighRoad2: He works with a guy named Josh and together we wrote a song called 'How to Touch a Girl.' JoJoHighRoad2: They are soooo cool and sooo talented and are always pushing me to try new things and take me vocally to notes i didn't know i could reach. lol Brendaninmusic: awesome Brendaninmusic: so, the people you worked with are giants in music... did you get any dirt on some of the other people they worked with?? ;-) JoJoHighRoad2: oooooh actually yes! Brendaninmusic: ooh do tell! JoJoHighRoad2: U know i can't spill any of that!! I'm a nice girl... JoJoHighRoad2: 8-) Brendaninmusic: ok ok... good P.C. answer... (you can share after our chat!!) JoJoHighRoad2: I don't know. just things like what kind of things certain artists demanded... JoJoHighRoad2: or wouldn't do... JoJoHighRoad2: hehe Brendaninmusic: so everyone who just knows your music thinks you've been on a nice relaxing vacation since your first album... like you said it's been 3 years since you recorded it, but you did two movies. Brendaninmusic: did you study acting at the same time as you were pursuing your music career? JoJoHighRoad2: I've actually been acting since i was 6. JoJoHighRoad2: I did a bit of theatre and commercials and even a little spot in an independent movie when i was about 8 or 9. JoJoHighRoad2: So acting wasn't just something random for me to jump into after the first album, even though it might seem that way. JoJoHighRoad2: lol JoJoHighRoad2: I really enjoy it and i knew i didn't want to release back-to-back CDs so i thought it would be a fun way to occupy my time in between music projects! Brendaninmusic: that's cool. you've been quite the busy girl throughout your life... now that you've done major projects in both music and the big screen, does one seem to be more "you" than the other? Brendaninmusic: maybe you will do a musical like OutKast? JoJoHighRoad2: I would say music is more "me" because in music you can be whoever you want to be at any moment and constantly change and evolve and show different sides of your personality. JoJoHighRoad2: In a movie, you are one character and although you go through different emotions, you are not yourself. You're acting! JoJoHighRoad2: I LOVE 'IDLEWILD' by the way. that movie was awesome. OutKast is great... Brendaninmusic: haha nice! maybe one of these days we can expect JoJo the movie/musical! JoJoHighRoad2: who knows... Brendaninmusic: so i've got you on MY ipod. other than OutKast, what are you listening to these days? JoJoHighRoad2: I just downloaded Beyonce's new album to my ipod yesterday. I'm a huge fan of hers... i also loooove Joni Mitchell. She is one of my favorite songwriters. Also James Taylor, and D'Angelo I've been listening to a lot. JoJoHighRoad2: And Bob Marley! Brendaninmusic: nice! p.s. 'Irreplaceable' on Beyonce's cd is AMAZING! check it out if you haven't JoJoHighRoad2: BEAUTFIUL song, i agree JoJoHighRoad2: I love 'Get Me Bodied' JoJoHighRoad2: she's awesome Brendaninmusic: now about you... 'Too Little, Too Late' is doing really well, when you finished it, did you KNOW it would be a hit or are you a worrier? JoJoHighRoad2: Aww thank you! JoJoHighRoad2: I'm excited about it, and i really liked it from the moment it was played over the phone for me. JoJoHighRoad2: I heard it first with a demo-singer on it and they asked me if i wanted to record it. And i said YES! JoJoHighRoad2: I loved the way it was written and knew a lot of people would relate to it. JoJoHighRoad2: After i recorded it, i knew i wanted it to be the first single. It was one of my best experiences in the studio ever, as far as how fun it was to record. Brendaninmusic: it really is a great song, your voice sounds amazing on it Brendaninmusic: you can hear that over the last 3 years your sound has definitely matured JoJoHighRoad2: thank you very much Brendaninmusic: so I was lucky enough to hear a little bit of your album Brendaninmusic: the style of the songs are pretty diverse. what can fans expect when they get to listen? JoJoHighRoad2: They'll hear growth and a bit of maturity in my vocals and the content of the lyrics. JoJoHighRoad2: I'm by no means "grown," but in the past years i've experienced a lot, got to see a lot of the world through traveling and promotion, and tried new things vocally that you will be able to hear on 'The High Road.' Brendaninmusic: The song 'The Way You Do Me,' you sound just like Beyonce... you've got a strong set of pipes! JoJoHighRoad2: Oh my gosh, thank you! That is quite a compliment! -------------------------------------- JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE Brendaninmusic: hey there Justin. what's up?? JustinsLoveSound: hey what's happening? Brendaninmusic: not too much. thanks for chatting today! Brendaninmusic: where are you IMing us from?? JustinsLoveSound: backstage at The Tonight Show with Jay Leno Brendaninmusic: nice Brendaninmusic: any other fun people back there with you? JustinsLoveSound: well there's Jo... JustinsLoveSound: as in Jo Momma Brendaninmusic: hahaha Brendaninmusic: i was askin for that one ;) Brendaninmusic: are you in crazy schedule mode with the album release? JustinsLoveSound: Yes...to say the least Brendaninmusic: what have you been doin??? JustinsLoveSound: promo, promo, sleep, promo Brendaninmusic: ooh you actually get to sleep in there? sweet! haha Brendaninmusic: i have to ask though Brendaninmusic: how sick are you of being asked how you're bringing sexy back, and where sexy went?? JustinsLoveSound: SOOOOOO sick of it! Brendaninmusic: hahaha i can imagine! JustinsLoveSound: everybody is a comedian Brendaninmusic: everyone seems to be jumping on the "bringing sexy back" bandwagon Brendaninmusic: AL GORE quoted you at the VMAs? is it all a little crazy for you? JustinsLoveSound: to be honest i didn't expect it to be such a big catch phrase Brendaninmusic: my mom keeps asking me if i brought sexy back... its a little disturbing JustinsLoveSound: sorry buddy about your mom Brendaninmusic: hahha. it's all good ;) Brendaninmusic: who is the weirdest person you've heard use it? JustinsLoveSound: i don't know about weird, but i certainly didn't expect our former Vice President to use it. Brendaninmusic: i don't really think anyone did. lol Brendaninmusic: 'Sexyback' is such a different sound for you Brendaninmusic: on first listen you almost can't recognize it's YOU Brendaninmusic: what brought you to change your sound so much JustinsLoveSound: it wasn't really a conscious effort, i just like the way it sounded when i put my voice through a guitar amp. JustinsLoveSound: i thought it fit the track. Brendaninmusic: did you ever freak out that it wasn't going to click with your fans? JustinsLoveSound: i don't think you can be in the studio and say that to yourself. you might syke yourself out of something amazing. JustinsLoveSound: i think that being an artist you try new things and i think at the end of the day if you love it then that's what is most important. Brendaninmusic: well it looks like your intuition was right JustinsLoveSound: thanks Brendaninmusic: did you feel a lot of pressure after the monstrous success of 'Justified'? JustinsLoveSound: i wanted to make something that was different from Justified... so i tried to keep my mind off of that even though i love the sound of that album. Brendaninmusic: The sound is definitely unique... you worked it pretty well Brendaninmusic: the album is called 'Furturesex/Lovesounds,' also a song on the album Brendaninmusic: what exactly does that mean? JustinsLoveSound: it's just kind of a culmination of songs' moods on the record. JustinsLoveSound: i thought that it best described the overall sound JustinsLoveSound: it's funny too, the first half is the future/sex mood...and the second half is the love/sounds. Brendaninmusic: so the first half is the one you play late at night, eh? Brendaninmusic: ;) JustinsLoveSound: the first half is the club...the second half is the "aftermath." Brendaninmusic: what is YOUR love sound? Brendaninmusic: at this point, i think mine would probably sound like a dying giraffe J JustinsLoveSound: you might want to keep that to yourself...ha ha Brendaninmusic: advice from the master ;) Brendaninmusic: you were just on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine with the headline 'Wet Dream -- The New King of Sex Gets Loose' Brendaninmusic: do you think you deserve that title? JustinsLoveSound: um...i don't make up the titles JustinsLoveSound: i write the songs Brendaninmusic: do you think of yourself as a sex symbol? JustinsLoveSound: not exactly Brendaninmusic: how would you classify Justin Timberlake? JustinsLoveSound: a damn lucky guy Brendaninmusic: hahah Brendaninmusic: i don't think anyone would argue that one! Brendaninmusic: you worked with a lot of big name producers on this CD Brendaninmusic: how did your vision for the album flow with them JustinsLoveSound: well i really found the chemistry with Timbaland JustinsLoveSound: We went into the studio with nothing in mind and came up with songs that all sounded cohesive. Brendaninmusic: you two definitely worked some magic... word was that you guys did a song with Nelly Furtado but that didn't seem to surface. True story? JustinsLoveSound: true story Brendaninmusic: will that song ever see the light of day? JustinsLoveSound: probably JustinsLoveSound: most likely JustinsLoveSound: we will have to see Brendaninmusic: are there any other artists you'd like to do something with? JustinsLoveSound: i don't know...i don't like to force collaborations. Brendaninmusic: out of all that you've done, who do you think vibed the best with you? JustinsLoveSound: definitely Timbaland Brendaninmusic: nice Brendaninmusic: the guitar interlude after 'Love Stoned' is sick JustinsLoveSound: thanks Brendaninmusic: I read that it was inspired by the band Interpol Brendaninmusic: what other music are you listening to these days? JustinsLoveSound: i listen to everything. i'm really loving the last Arctic Monkey's album. But lately i've been going back and listening to a lot of Johnny Cash Brendaninmusic: nice Brendaninmusic: so you're the kinda guy who is no stranger to the tabloids Brendaninmusic: all of your relationships tend to be very public Brendaninmusic: what's it like to be so out there in front of everybody? JustinsLoveSound: the tabloids, although they may seem like they are fun to read to a lot of people, are sensationalized dramatizations. they aren't real. JustinsLoveSound: so, i choose to stay out of them, not read them, and to continue to live my life. Brendaninmusic: do you feel that you've been able to maintain your own personal life well enough even with people trying to creep in? JustinsLoveSound: of course. JustinsLoveSound: hey man, Leno is calling. Brendaninmusic: well speaking of personal life, i know you have a lot goin' on, but thanks for spending time with us today! JustinsLoveSound: thanks for chatting Brendaninmusic: thanks to you! JustinsLoveSound: take care! Brendaninmusic: bye :) BrendaninMusic brought sexy back ages ago. --------------------------------------- JC of NSYNC BrendanInMusic: hey there, how's it goin?? UntilJC: how are you BrendanInMusic: i'm doin good thanks BrendanInMusic: thanks so much for takin the time to chat! UntilJC: no sweat BrendanInMusic: so what's goin on? where are you today? UntilJC: LA today BrendanInMusic: has the crazy schedule begun or do you still have some "quiet" time before the big album release? UntilJC: it's actually just getting started UntilJC: just got back in town 2 days ago BrendanInMusic: where have you been? UntilJC: NY the last week UntilJC: headed to Atlanta in a day or 2 BrendanInMusic: very cool UntilJC: NY was cool BrendanInMusic: what do you have going on in Atlanta? UntilJC: Atlanta i have to finish up one of my last mixes BrendanInMusic: so does the album have a title yet? UntilJC: of course not UntilJC: i'm nuts man BrendanInMusic: haha. BrendanInMusic: Schizophrenic, your first solo album, had a pretty appropriate title UntilJC: yeah UntilJC: i have a few ideas but i don't think i'm completely sold on one yet BrendanInMusic: what will sell you? UntilJC: i'll know it when i hear it i guess BrendanInMusic: so, the first single off the album is 'Until Yesterday' UntilJC: indeed it is UntilJC: i think is sounds great BrendanInMusic: it's definitely a great song. i randomly start humming the "ooohs" in my cube haha UntilJC: haha BrendanInMusic: and on this song, you worked with your good buddy justin right? UntilJC: yeah UntilJC: it was the second song we worked on UntilJC: and it's where i feel like we found the entire feel of the record BrendanInMusic: was it odd working with him on non nsync stuff? what was the vibe? UntilJC: wasn't odd at all UntilJC: it came completely natural UntilJC: it was relaxed UntilJC: we had already written one song UntilJC: so we were starting to really fall into a groove UntilJC: by then he had a strong idea of the kind of things i was into UntilJC: and everything just rolled from there BrendanInMusic: nice. seemed to have worked well! UntilJC: i think so BrendanInMusic: you also worked with a lot of big names on the album BrendanInMusic: out of everyone you worked with who did you mesh with the best? UntilJC: i worked with quite a few people on this record UntilJC: it seems like the cuts that made the album were all done by the people that i got along with and had the most fun with UntilJC: all the records on this album that made it came from great writing experiences BrendanInMusic: nice UntilJC: so i wouldn't really choose one over the other BrendanInMusic: what else can fans expect to hear on your album? UntilJC: this record has A LOT of singing on it UntilJC: Even the first single is a very complete song UntilJC: very musical UntilJC: not just an 8 bar loop with a melody written over it UntilJC: some vibes are great like that UntilJC: but i wanted to make a very musical and melodic record BrendanInMusic: did you feel like you had something to prove this time around? your soph. solo record?? UntilJC: not at all UntilJC: i just wanted to make a record with great tunes BrendanInMusic: i don't think anyone would argue that one! UntilJC: there are a few songs with a great sense of humor and sarcasm UntilJC: like the first single UntilJC: i think that shows how i don't take myself too seriously BrendanInMusic: who was playing with fire? UntilJC: that no good heart stomping tramp that got knocked up by another man BrendanInMusic: hahahaha! BrendanInMusic: hate that bitch BrendanInMusic: so you definitely have the laid back thing down, but you've also described your music as intelligent pop music BrendanInMusic: what does that mean exactly? UntilJC: i didn't settle UntilJC: i wanted to make real songs UntilJC: even if they were sarcastic UntilJC: i wanted to push them UntilJC: so much of what's popular is hypnotic UntilJC: and that's fine UntilJC: but i wanted folks to kind of catch things and think about things when they heard these records BrendanInMusic: did any one specific thing help drive you in that direction? a muse or idol, etc? UntilJC: i don't know if it was anyone in particular UntilJC: i think it was more me looking for something interesting to listen too BrendanInMusic: what else are you listening to now? UntilJC: i don't know really UntilJC: everything and anything i guess UntilJC: music is food BrendanInMusic: nothing on heavy rotation on your ipod? UntilJC: i pretty much download a new album everyday UntilJC: new or old BrendanInMusic: what was the last one you got? UntilJC: embarrassingly enough Thin Lizzy UntilJC: good time records UntilJC: haha BrendanInMusic: lol, nothing wrong with a guilty pleasure ;) UntilJC: that and i picked up a YES record last night UntilJC: those were the last 2 BrendanInMusic: i recommend the new Fergie. its pretty good! UntilJC: right on UntilJC: i like Powlow UntilJC: he's a great beat guy BrendanInMusic: is there anyone you still have a hankering to work with musically? UntilJC: I don't know UntilJC: I think I really just want to get better at what I do everyday BrendanInMusic: paris hilton perhaps? ;) UntilJC: no thanks UntilJC: haha BrendanInMusic: lol BrendanInMusic: so a few months back there were rumors that nsync was going to get back and do another cd BrendanInMusic: was that just rumor? UntilJC: just a rumor BrendanInMusic: is that something you would have liked to do? maybe in the future? UntilJC: who knows UntilJC: right now i'm happy working on what i'm doing UntilJC: i've had a great time working with Justin UntilJC: I think at this point it might take away from what we accomplished UntilJC: we're all happy where we are at UntilJC: but i can never say never because life is a journey and they are my friends BrendanInMusic: well there's still some hope for those who still have the marionette dolls on their shelves ;) UntilJC: haha UntilJC: you might have to paint some lines in the faces and paint the hair grey by then, but there is hope BrendanInMusic: what about you,? anything else you feel like conquering BrendanInMusic: acting? BrendanInMusic: curling? BrendanInMusic: lol UntilJC: haha UntilJC: I keep an open mind to options UntilJC: but right now its basically the record UntilJC: i really do want people to see this is my passion UntilJC: and when you dedicate too much time to other things i feel like it takes away from your focus on what is important UntilJC: maybe later on UntilJC: but for now UntilJC: i'm still doing a lot of learning and self discovery BrendanInMusic: what is the most valuable thing you think you've learned at this stage of the game? UntilJC: everyone in the world is searching for what makes them happy UntilJC: what they want to do with their lives UntilJC: i feel fortunate to realize what makes me happy UntilJC: and to make a life out of what i'm passionate about BrendanInMusic: so do any other songs on the album stick out to you? BrendanInMusic: any that you find yourself really magnetized to? UntilJC: I'm a sucker for a ballad UntilJC: because i scream my head off in them UntilJC: i think people will respond to the vocal performance BrendanInMusic: sucker for love? UntilJC: but the 2 other songs i kind of respond to might be the weirder ones UntilJC: Satellite is a song I like alot UntilJC: as well as I Found You Out UntilJC: Satellite is a great story and metaphor UntilJC: I Found You Out is just one big build to a climax UntilJC: so by the time you get to the end you just feel lifted BrendanInMusic: nice, can't wait to hear them! BrendanInMusic: so you said that this album pretty much has all your attention at the moment. does that mean no love life for you? UntilJC: love life is a wreck BrendanInMusic: uh oh, that doesn't sound too good UntilJC: haha UntilJC: not bad UntilJC: i can be a walking disaster BrendanInMusic: do you think that has to do with your schedule? the people you meet?? UntilJC: sometimes it's the people i meet UntilJC: sometimes it's me UntilJC: sometimes it's the erratic schedule UntilJC: who knows BrendanInMusic: what is it you look for in someone? UntilJC: i love it when someone draws something out in you UntilJC: you forgot you had or didn't know you had BrendanInMusic: i read somewhere that you had your first kiss at 7... BrendanInMusic: is that true?? UntilJC: somewhere around there yes BrendanInMusic: started playin' the field pretty early! haha UntilJC: we called it soap opera kissing UntilJC: i guess that's me UntilJC: the experimental one UntilJC: though i do have my limits BrendanInMusic: what type of soap opera BrendanInMusic: the one on daytime tv, or hbo after hours? BrendanInMusic: lol UntilJC: daytime tv when i was young BrendanInMusic: i guess we can use our imaginations for when you became a young man jc ;) UntilJC: ........................ BrendanInMusic: so you've definitely made some tabloid headlines, but for the most part, your personal life still tends to be somewhat well covered UntilJC: i think that's true BrendanInMusic: is it something intentional or just the luck of the draw? UntilJC: i'm not looking to extort a career out of my personal life BrendanInMusic: do you think a lot of what is out there smells a tad like publicity stunts? UntilJC: who knows UntilJC: but some of what's out there is conveniently in front of the camera UntilJC: i will never dog anyone for having a good time BrendanInMusic: so no crazy drug addiction or affairs to spill?? UntilJC: ............... UntilJC: haha BrendanInMusic: hahaha nice BrendanInMusic: we'll have to wait and see ;) BrendanInMusic: but totally excited about Until Yesterday and the new album UntilJC: thanks man UntilJC: me too BrendanInMusic: can't wait to see much more of you soon UntilJC: i feel like i have something unique to offer the world UntilJC: and i'm excited for the people who will enjoy it to have it BrendanInMusic: you think the world is ready for you?? UntilJC: i hope so UntilJC: cause i think I'm about ready for the world BrendanInMusic: nice. definitely wish you the best of luck UntilJC: thank you BrendanInMusic: thanks so much for chatting :) UntilJC: no sweat UntilJC: sorry about typos and such BrendanInMusic: haha. it's all part of your charm UntilJC: right UntilJC: take it easy BrendanInMusic: you too :) BrendanInMusic: bye! UntilJC: later

KENNY LATTIMORE + CHANTE MOORE - I Got You Babe (not a Sonny + Cher cover) Uncovered - Covered (2006) Tim! Have u gotten the new album?!?!...i'm only half way thru' the 1st disc and i've alreay fallen in love with it!! While their 1st one is great, everything i've heard so far is amazing. This is R-N-B soul for the 2000's!! And Carvin and Ivan (formally from A Touch of Jazz) worked on a few of the trax on disc 1!!

What an idiot.

ALICIA KEYS: Playing 'Mommy' By Karu F. Daniels, AOL Black Voices Alicia Keys For The Children!!! The nine-time Grammy Award winning musical wunderkind will guest star in a special episode of Nick, Jr.'s cartoon 'The Backyardigans' premiering Oct. 9 at 10:30 a.m. (ET/PT). In a special episode, titled "Mission to Mars," Tyrone and Tasha are Mission Control specialists who send their brave astronauts Uniqua, Pablo and Austin on a mission to find life on Mars after hearing a strange sound --"boinga, boinga!"-- coming from outer space. Keys stars as the animated Mommy Martian along with her real-life niece, Shakyra Lipscomb, who plays baby Martian Boinga. In addition to voicing the bright green extraterrestrial, Keys sings an original song entitled, "Almost Everything is Boinga Here." "After speaking with kids who said they loved 'The Backyardigans,' I knew this would be a great project for me to get involved in," said the J Records superstar. "Working alongside my niece was so much fun and the people at Nick Jr. helped to make it a great experience. I can't wait to see it all put together to make one great episode." Also, each half-hour episode of 'The Backyardigans' features a unique music/dance genre with four original songs, along with real choreographed by Beth Bogush, a former director of the Alvin Ailey Dance School’s children’s program. ----------------------------------- The Awakening A Closer Look at Alicia Keys Ellen Von Unwerth In A Nutshell: As an artist driven by social responsibility, Alicia Keys sends out messages in her songs and videos, but now she has taken on a broader challenge: AIDS in Africa. Is Alicia Keys just another celebrity activist jumping on the African bandwagon, or can her dedication really save the children? By Claude Grunitzky, Trace Magazine As an artist driven by social responsibility, Alicia Keys sends out messages in her songs and videos, but now she has taken on a broader challenge: AIDS in Africa. Is Alicia Keys just another celebrity activist jumping on the African bandwagon, or can her dedication really save the children? In November 2002, days before flying to Cape Town as the headliner for an HIV/AIDS awareness concert billed “Staying Alive,” Alicia Keys told Leigh Blake, the British woman who would become her partner in front line activism, that she was going to Africa. Leigh told her she wasn’t really going to Africa. “Cape Town is not Africa,” Leigh said. “You’re going to Los Angeles.” After the concert, which was aired globally on MTV as a 90-minute special on World AIDS Day that year, Alicia and Leigh flew together to Zululand. One night, they were out in the middle of the bush, eating under the stars in a circle, African-style, around a fire and Alicia asked Leigh what it was she really wanted to do with her non-profit organization Keep a Child Alive. “I want to get AIDS treatment to the African people,” was Leigh’s reply. “If you can figure out a way to do that,” said Alicia, “I’m with you all the way.” They got into a helicopter and flew to Soweto, the township near Johannesburg. Their first stop was the Perinatal HIV Clinic at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, a unit run by a few dedicated South Africans who are known to be at the forefront of AIDS activism. 95% of the clinic are women; they knew Alicia’s song “Fallin’” and as soon as she came in, they spontaneously started singing it for her. When Alicia asked the women what they wanted, they said treatment. That defining moment, in the clinic, when she first confronted the catastrophe behind the African AIDS pandemic and the faces behind the alarming numbers, marked the beginning of Alicia’s active involvement with Keep a Child Alive . “I met so many people on that first trip to South Africa,” Alicia told me recently. “I met women who were infected. I met kids, some infected, some not. I saw a white South African couple, both infected, because the husband didn’t want to tell his wife that he had the virus. He was afraid of the stigma. When I got to understand, after that night under the African stars, that treatment was possible for less than a dollar a day, I decided to get involved.” That very day, Alicia began dedicating a large amount of time and personal resources to the cause. The African experience was a rude awakening for a singer, who, admittedly, had never traveled outside of the United States—with the exception of a trip to Puerto Rico—until she began touring and promoting her albums. Still, it created a new sense of purpose, a new sense of empowerment that comes with the ability to change the course of people’s lives. Beyond uplifting people’s spirits through music, she found that she could help to save lives, in countries where death by disease has become an accepted reality after years of neglect by the world’s health authorities. “My plan was to go to this nice vacation after my trip to Africa,” she later told me, “and I did go, to this beautiful hotel, but I felt horrible afterwards, when I looked at my bill. I asked myself, ‘What am I doing here?’” The key, so to speak, to understanding Alicia Keys’ appeal as an all-around entertainer and role model for a new generation of music lovers around the world, may be found in the very honest dialogue she began with her fans back when her first single, “Fallin’,” hit the radio and catapulted her, overnight, into the somewhat uncomfortable position of having to live like a celebrity. I remember those early days very clearly. I remember her gradual transformation from aspiring recording artist to global superstar, because five years ago, almost to the day, I interviewed Alicia Keys for the cover of this magazine, and sat in on Ellen von Unwerth’s photo shoot. Everyone on the set could feel that we were witnessing a very special moment, because, clearly, this young New Yorker had something very, well, special to offer the world. I remember how the photo, hair and makeup teams and I were gathered in a bar called Idlewild on New York’s East Houston Street, a very narrow space that had been designed to resemble a top-of-the-line 747, circa 1967. Ellen kept asking Alicia to look sexy when she sat on the banquettes. Alicia was trying, acting as if it were all natural for her. The distinctive, braided look was clearly working in her favor, with the red lipstick adding that special touch of ’50s movie star glamour that Ellen had long favored. Every time Alicia glanced at the camera from the corner of her eye, and tried to look sexy, Ellen smiled and spoke loudly, as she snapped away with feverish alacrity. Ellen was on, and so was Alicia; the pictures and cover reflected the energy of the photo shoot. A few weeks later, Alicia sang at our issue launch party, hitting the keys of the baby grand piano she’d had delivered that afternoon, and setting the pace with her accelerated finger strokes for an hazy New York summer evening. She made eye contact with our crowd, and cracked a few jokes when everyone could see that she was wearing the same houndstooth-patterned Dolce & Gabbana hat she’d sported for our cover pictorial, her first of many. On the last Tuesday of June 2001, five days after our party, we found out that Alicia’s debut album, 'Songs in A Minor,' had entered the Billboard charts at number one in its first week of release, and was officially declared the best-selling album in America. The bar Idlewild closed a while back, but Alicia’s record would go on to sell more than ten million copies worldwide and earn her multiple awards, honors and admiration. Even after she started selling out major concert halls, even after her follow-up album,'The Diary of Alicia Keys,' blew up around Christmas 2003 with the song “You Don’t Know My Name,” for the longest time, Alicia insisted on riding the subway, just like all her Harlem homegirls would, just like she herself had done since she was a young teenager growing up in the city. Eventually, her friends, family and business associates managed to dissuade her from riding the New York City subway, but Alicia’s attachment to those turnstile memories denotes a humble New York City upbringing just as much as it symbolizes the culture shocks that come with the constant travels associated with the job of being one of America’s sweethearts. “I miss the train,” was one of the first things she told me when we reconnected last March for our first interview—and Trace cover shoot—in five years. “I miss the sound of tens of thousands of people. I miss the grittiness of it all.” This time around, we’d decided to shoot our cover in a nightclub called Happy Valley, in New York’s Flatiron District. The two-level club, which was recently revamped by the fashion designer Jeremy Scott, revolves around a light box floor and a giant mirrored disco ball suspended above the dance floor. Alicia made her way around the go-go cages, light bars, staircases and multiple leopard prints before posing not too far from an oversize, mesh-gartered set of female legs that are said to open and close on demand. This time around, Ellen didn’t ask her to look “sexy,” but a seasoned Alicia struck a few natural, sexy poses anyway. The mood was playful and I managed to chat with her for a few minutes in her dressing room. I asked Alicia how success had changed her. She said that she had grown a lot, and that she was feeling like a woman now, even though her essence was still the same. New York, she said, had taught her about struggle and hardships. I asked her if she was starting to feel the pressures of staying on top, now that her Unplugged album and accompanying DVD—her latest releases, from 2005—were confirmed as her latest certified hits. (MTV had stopped the Unplugged series, but they brought it back for Alicia.) She relayed an anecdote, which turned out to be an analogy. “I went bowling last Saturday; I’m usually pretty good. At first it started alright, but I bowled a gutterball, and then another gutterball, and I was thinking so much about the gutterball that I kept bowling gutterballs. My point is that if you focus so much on the failure, you’re going to fail.” I wanted to get to her definition of success, because I knew from our previous interviews that, for her, success was closely linked to the central idea of happiness. “Success now, is being able to have the opportunity to create happiness for more people than just myself. I feel like I can help others to achieve their dreams as well.” While I was waiting to interview Alicia at Happy Valley, in between shots where Ellen was click-clicking away and navigating the club with increasing intensity, I couldn’t get my eyes off one of the front page stories in that day’s New York Times. The headline read “Plight Deepens for Black Men, Studies Warn”. The article explained how “black men in the United States face a far more dire situation than is portrayed by common employment and education statistics, and it has worsened in recent years even as an economic boom and a welfare overhaul have brought gains to black women and other groups.” The piece focused on the life patterns of young black men, and showed that “the huge pool of poorly educated black men are becoming ever more disconnected from the mainstream society, and to a far greater degree than comparable white or Hispanic men.” The subject was too heavy to discuss on the shoot, and I was aware of Alicia’s attachment to social issues – the messages are all over her videos - so I saved my questions for the following week, because I knew that she would be better disposed to speak about the cycle of poverty and miseducation behind the plight, particularly the role that certain types of negative hip hop imagery play in the crisis. “It’s very sad,” she said, “and I see it with my own two eyes. It seems that every image that we see reinforces this negative stereotype, and it’s the worst trap that we could go into. I try to show different sides of things, and I try to speak to people with honesty and truth, but sometimes, I feel like there’s only one way when I see these images being perpetuated. We need to sing about it, and show it in videos. I’m not trying to get too preachy, but…” I mentioned that she’d sang on a reinterpretation of Marvin Gaye’s classic 'What’s Going On,' one of the most political albums ever released, and she immediately started talking about her upcoming album. “I feel that this new album is going to be political. I’m feeling really heavy. I feel like we’re all feeling lost, me included. We get lost in these lies, and we are living in a broken society. Everything I’ve been writing lately reflects that, because I can’t turn anywhere else. I feel like Marvin couldn’t not have written What’s Going On.” In many ways, I mentioned, some of the hip hop videos showing booty-shaking, black-on-black violence, homophobia and misogyny amount to a blatant disrespect of the achievements of the civil rights. “Hell yeah!” she interrupted me. “It’s blatant disrespect. That’s why I was so honored to be involved in Oprah’s "Legends and Young’uns" event. Oprah had women who had been through it all and come out victorious. Many of these women I never would have expected to meet, women like Maya Angelou, Coretta Scott King, Kathleen Battle, Ruby Dee, Cicely Tyson. From the first days, we were able to spend time together. There were no men, no friends, no family around, just us women, and I remember feeling this very strong sense of responsibility. The reality is, we’re regressing, we’re sliding back down the mountain. I feel like, in a lot of ways, even though we have so much to accomplish now, the video games and BlackBerrys, and everything else that’s out there is distracting us from each other. We don’t even talk to each other anymore; we don’t even ask, ‘how was your day?’ And then you have these crazy advertisers who are having us believe these crazy things. We don’t have a foundation of where we came from, that’s why we don’t know where we are.” Alicia has refused pretty much every advertising endorsement that’s come her way, including very lucrative, multi-year offers from brands such as L’Oreal. She feels that her integrity is at stake. “These advertisers, they’re smart. They come at me like, ‘we want you to celebrate these strong women, the real people.’ And then the contract comes, and there’s this crazy clause that says that after the event, it resorts to a traditional endorsement. I feel like the right thing hasn’t come along yet. It’s not like you’re going to be seeing me with a bottle in my hand, saying ‘cheese.’” Later on, she said that many of the problems in modern society come from our obsession with “money, fame, success, big houses and big cars.” Alicia has had plenty of money, fame, success, big houses and big cars for a few years now, but she credits the strong women in her family, namely her mother and grandmother, and her New York education for her ability to stay grounded in the face of all the attention. “Being raised in New York meant that I saw things very early on. With the amount of prostitutes, hookers and hoes that were in my neighborhood, I said to myself, early on, that I wouldn’t do that. I learned to respect myself, my body, my mind, and the different turns in my life meant that I had to choose what I wanted to do. I’m not one who likes to run away from problems. When there’s a problem, I say, ‘Here’s my problem, let’s talk about it.’ I’m very direct, and I don’t like to play games. It’s more like, ‘Here’s what’s going on, let’s come to some happy medium.’ I find that, often, things are made extra complicated, when they’re actually not that complicated at all. My friend Bethann Hardison, a seasoned model agent from New York, knew Alicia’s mother Terri Augello when Alicia was growing up in ’80s New York. She would see young Alicia running around, and the first thing she noticed was that Alicia was a very mature child. Alicia graduated as valedictorian from the Professional Performing Arts School, a public high school in Manhattan, at the age of 16. She briefly attended Columbia University on a scholarship before devoting herself full-time to her musical career. The word precocious has also been used to describe her, given that she began playing piano at age seven, learning classical music by Beethoven, Mozart and Chopin, and writing her first song, "Butterflyz," when she was 14. I spoke to Leigh Blake in early May, just a few days after she and Alicia had returned from a trip that took them from Kenya to Uganda to South Africa. A thin, hyperkinetic, fast-talking, middle-aged woman from the working class Elephant and Castle neighborhood of London, Leigh is an unlikely doppelganger for Alicia. They met in 2001, when Leigh approached Alicia because she wanted her to appear on the "What’s Going On" tribute album she’d been working on with Bono. To Leigh’s bewilderment, Alicia asked her who Bono was. She explained that he was the lead singer for U2, and a major activist who was fighting for the African continent. Alicia agreed to appear on the album, and they stayed in touch. In 2001, Leigh had some money left from "Red Hot + Blue," her first AIDS benefit. Rather than having the funds disbursed through various organizations, she chose a different route. “All the focus was on prevention,” says Leigh. “It was as if the people dying weren’t worth saving. So I initiated a campaign and found the doctors who would help build this clinic in Mombasa, Kenya. Anti-retroviral drugs were costing about $11,000 a year, but we weren’t about to let the enormity of the situation deter us. We felt that giving family care, treating opportunistic infections, and giving nutritional advice would go a long way. I was married to a South African, and I ended up inheriting this incredible family of black South Africans in Durban. I saw people in our family dying. It was as if God had given us a test, but many people were still acting as if these children with AIDS in the developing world weren’t worth the investment.” One day, a woman called Anne, who had a three year-old child called Brine, came into the clinic that Leigh had helped to build. She said she wouldn’t be leaving until she got the drugs that the Americans had access to for their own children. When Leigh heard that, she felt heartbroken, because she had a four year-old child of her own. She decided to find a way to pay for the drugs that the woman needed. Eventually, she managed to procure the drugs through NYU hospital and bought them at the teaching price of $1,200. The clinic in Mombasa began to treat Brine, and more people stepped up, identifying themselves and offering to help. In 2003, an Indian company called Cipla began manufacturing generic anti-retroviral drugs, in a complete violation of the international patents that were imposed on AIDS patients and doctors in developing countries. According to Leigh, those drugs made a spectacular difference, because they made the Keep a Child Alive mission of providing HIV/AIDS drugs to children in need all the more realistic. After Leigh and Alicia had returned from the African trip in late 2002, Leigh had spent much time educating Alicia on the inner workings and ramifications of the international drug laws, particularly with respect to the crucial role played by the World Trade Organization. When the two women felt that they were ready to launch Keep a Child Alive to the world, they contacted Evan Harrison at AOL, and AOL Music became the media partner for Keep a Child Alive. On Word AIDS Day 2003, Alicia sang at a special concert and participated in the creation of a public service announcement, encouraging people to sign up. On that one night, through AOL Music, they signed up 56 donors, who agreed to pay $1 a day each for a minimum of two years. Leigh and Alicia didn’t want to show the usual terrible pictures of African children dying, but the message was clear, in that it supported a business model that was proven to have worked well with the public in the past. Statistics showed that people who sign up as donors end up staying on as donors for an average of eight to 20 years. By June 2004, Leigh and Alicia knew that Keep a Child Alive was going to be really successful. The cynics—and there are many—will remind us that a lot of celebrities choose to attach themselves to charities because it looks good. In general, it’s a temporary, transient thing, and the photo opportunities (usually with sick children) get leveraged in the mainstream media as a way to build goodwill for the celebrity’s own brand equity. According to Leigh, Alicia is different. “I am on the phone with her almost every day.” Last year, for Keep a Child Alive, Alicia hosted the “Black Ball,” which was sponsored by Time Magazine. Guests paid $15,000 each for a table, and Alicia sang some very special songs she’d never .performed before in public. “I got involved with Keep a Child Alive because I was really moved by Leigh,” says Alicia. “Sometimes, with these types of organizations, you wonder if it’s honest, if the people can be trusted. When I first got involved, it was pretty much just her. Here was this little woman, really rebellious and willing to do whatever it took to make it happen for the people whop deserve attention. To this day, there’s no red tape involved with Keep a Child Alive, where you wonder if the money is really going to the people. We act as a Fedex; we just send the medication. I wanted to make sure that when I went there [to Africa] and made those promises, people could trust me. The organization is still very grassroots; it’s just Leigh, a woman called Diane, a young woman called Erika Rose and a lot of interns who do it on the strength, out of love.” In Wentworth, which is located on the outskirts of the port city of Durban, Alicia bought a big building, which had previously been a sports bar, and with the help of a local team began the process of converting the space into a modern clinic. In South Africa, Wentworth is called a “colored” township, meaning that the “colored” people aren’t really considered black, nor are they considered white. For the most part, “colored” South Africans tend to keep to themselves. (Surprisingly, the term endures as yet another legacy of the apartheid years.) “I remember being very surprised two years ago in South Africa,” remembers Alicia, “because we were out one day and one of the guys I was with asked ‘what kind of clubs do you have in America?’ He said ‘colored’ clubs, or ‘black’ clubs? I was shocked, because I wasn’t aware of the degrees of blackness and the separations that they have over there. It felt like being back in the States in the ’50s. It brought me back, even as far back as the time of slavery.” In Wentworth, Alicia and Leigh want to do more than just fund a clinic, which is what they would normally do. Instead, they want to do something spectacular. They want to provide AIDS testing, treatment and counseling services. The place will even have short stay beds, and patients will be taken through anti-retroviral treatments. They even want to tackle people’s issues, like alcoholism, drug and family problems. In short, they want to make the Wentworth clinic the best clinic there is. The South African press reported that Alicia paid half a million dollars for the building, which is currently being run by Irene Stainbank, the coordinator of the Wentworth AIDS Action Group. Alicia gets really excited when she talks about the future clinic. “It’s going to be a rehabilitation center, an incredible clinic that will do wonders. In that area, there’s nothing like it. Because it’s in a ‘colored’ area, some ‘black’ people would not normally go there, but this one is going to be different. It’s kind of interesting that some things were allowed to happen, in our dealings with the health department, because over there they consider me to be ‘colored.’” When I spoke with Leigh, in early May, right after she and Alicia had returned from Africa, she told me that they were both “exhausted, shell-shocked and wounded” by this latest expedition. “On this Africa trip,” she added, “what I loved about Alicia was her incredible humility with the Africans. She was with the people, she spent time there, she listened to their issues, and she cried. I know that all of the love and compassion that she gives to the African people every day is completely true. She was resolute about going into crowds and signing autographs, even when she was told that it wasn’t safe. It also matters that most of the people who go on these sorts of trips are white, but when Alicia comes with her braids and brown skin, it makes a difference.” Soon after she returned from Africa, Alicia showed up on a New York movie set for the big-screen adaptation of Nicola Kraus and Emma McLaughlin's best-selling novel 'The Nanny Diaries.' She will be playing the best friend of Scarlett Johansson, who plays a New Jersey-bred nanny for a wealthy Manhattan family. Paul Giamatti, Laura Linney and Chris Evans also star in the relatively big budget production for the Weinstein Company. The character is a far cry from the assassin she plays in the upcoming action flick 'Smokin' Aces,' a Vegas heist movie which also features Ben Affleck, Andy Garcia, Jeremy Piven and Ray Liotta. Alicia is also currently in pre-production on yet another film, this one co-starring Halle Berry. This is all in addition to the production company, Big Pita, Lil' Pita, that she formed with longtime manager Jeff Robinson earlier this year as a vehicle for creating original television and movie projects. With her ten year-old production company, Krucial Keys, which she formed with Kerry “Krucial” Brothers currently in overdrive after producing hits for Christina Aguilera, Mario and Usher, it seems that Alicia just can’t allow herself to slow down. As far as this piece is concerned, another final key to understanding the appeal of Alicia Keys as an all-around entertainer and role model may be the zeal with which she has seized the opportunities that life has given her. “After I started traveling the world, I felt fortunate to see so many things that so many people I knew would never see, because they would never leave their block radius, or go anywhere below 125th Street or above 135th Street.” Alicia Keys is the talented, hard-working, mature, precocious Harlem girl who is taking over the world, and doing it on her terms, one big challenge at a time. Towards the end of our final interview session, I realized that, at 26, she is already thinking of posterity. “I know that I’d like to be remembered as a timeless voice that stood for something.” To become a donor to the Keep a Child Alive foundation, register at keepachildalive.org