bigted

Well I don't know maybe you should let a lil' time go by and see if things smooth out a lil' bit but you should gradually try to talk to her mother, btw my papa went through the same thing with my mama that I went through with Krystle, her parents(my grandparents) gave her hell for wanting to go out with my papa 'cause he's not only a couple years older than her, really he was like in his 30's when she was 17, lol, that was around the time he moved to America from Haiti in 1973, he was just on the boardwalk in Seaside relaxing and then he saw her and they clicked, now we live in Seaside, lol, probably for sentimental reasons for them, we lived in North Jersey for awhile, between Elizabeth and Irvington until my papa's job went down he had in Newark went down so he got a job in Lakewood for a few years and he retired a few years ago, now back to the point I'm making, she went out with other guys for awhile and my papa saw other girls too, he lived between North Jersey and he lived in New York for about a good 10 years while my mama lived basically in Toms River NJ(South Jersey) with my grandparents, her parents, and basically after all those years went by one day my papa decided to call up her parents house and he basically talked to my grandpa poured out his soul, he would send her flowers and candy and stuff and basically they hit it off after that since they weren't seeing anybody else and then I was born a couple years later, funny how god works, maybe one day god will bring me and Krystle back together too, I ain't giving up on her, if things don't work out with who she goes with or who I might go out with then maybe we might be together gradually, you just never know, I'm keeping the love alive and I know I got a place in her heart too

I'm simply defining the question and making a point. I think there's a double standard when it comes to Will's movies and his music. If tomorrow, Will were to say that he was quitting movies for music and people were saying that they would no longer support him, or that they wouldn't run out to the record store to buy his album on the first day, or wouldn't continue to tune into whatever talk show he's on when he's talking about music, I think many people wouldn't consider them real fans of Will, or fairweather fans. I know someone will say, "Well music is more personal." True, but in the long interview Will had recently, he got very personal. I don't think that Will does music simply to sell albums, but I think we tend to underestimate the amount of work it takes to put out an album, not get some of the tracks you want on it, promote it, and then for the production company to screw you and you come away looking bad. The poster I responded to said that if Will promoted his albums more, he'd sell more. I introduced Interscope to this discussion to point out that there are a lot of other factors and it's not as easy as Will doing more promotion. Also, what would people's response be if Lerkot went around saying that Will was a bad rapper or sucked as a rapper? Yeah Will's a great person with what he said in his interviews, I probably will see "POH" when it comes out right away but some of the movies he might do I might not be that excited about is all I said, the truth is none of his movies get me excited as his music does, so does that make me a fairweather fan?

Hey Turntable I understand exactly how that is homie, it was that way for a while when I first met Krystle and she gave me her phone #, we talked on the phone a couple times I guess when her parents weren't there, then one time I called her and her dad answered the phone and was yelling the crap out of me where I couldn't even talk it seemed, he slammed down the phone on me and told me don't ever call here again or **** will hit the fan, the next day when I saw her in school she had no idea that I was gonna to call her so much, really she going through a tough situation at that point, stuff she told me that I won't ever reveal to anyone, only me and her knew about it, so what I did was let time go by and just talk to her in school since we went to school together during my senior year, now of course if you don't see her in school or anywhere outside then that might not be an option, now after I graduated high school it was a different story, she was saying to me before I graduated that things cooled over for awhile but I called her up one time that summer of '03 and a couple times nobody answered... Now I left a message on her answering machine a few times, one day she called me and told me to not call her again 'cause of her parents gave her hell about me leaving messages on the answer machine but I didn't want to give up though 'cause I cared about her, I told her that too and I asked her to talk to her parentsbut she told me that they were too upset to talk about her, she said nothing personal, she said she still had my back and told me to just keep up with my studies and work, and that she wants to here my songs on the radio one day,and don't worry about her,I basically let some time go by and see if I would be able to move on without her but when the holidays came I missed her and I decided not to give a damn what parents thought, I called her again and then I left another message telling her that I missed her and wanted to talk to her again, so her father called me up one night after I got out of work and we basically talked it out, I told her exactly how I respected him as her father but the truth is that I got a love for his daughter, we had a good chat it seemed, of course though she's been going out with a guy in Brooklyn that she was friends with before she moved to Jersey the year I met her so that added another complication for me but really I didn't give a damn either, I really still wanted to be there for her as a friend even though I can't be her man, like I told him I just want her to be happy, that girl is my heart for real, I'd lay down my life for her, we connect so well, after that things smoothed over a lil' bit even though she got her life like I do, I understand... Really though lately she's been distant towards me, she's been busy with her life though and I learned to understand really, she's probably gotta lot to do her first year in college now, damn I feel old to know she's in college already, lol,gradually she'll be calling me again 'cause we got a strong bond, we'll be friends for life at least it seems even if I never become her man and I could live with that, maybe one day I'll meet somebody that I might, don't give up on this girl if you care about her Turntable, find a way to talk to her parents and maybe they will be able to understand if you pour your heart out to them, if they really care about their daughter they'll learn to listen, me and Krystle joked in schoolabout her "Parents Just Don't Understand" like that JJFP song, lol, I can't really believe that was 3 1/2 years ago, it don't feel that long...

Did anybody watch MNF last night which my Eagles won btw? :1-say-yes: Anyways during halftime they had an awesome tribute video that Chuck D made about Ali, it was incredible, even my papa digged it since he loves Ali :wiggle: btw, I heard that Chuck D was on "Quite Frankly" last night but I missed it since I was too hyped in the MNF game and I just slept like a baby after that...

I compiled a list of songs to squeeze on my 90 minute blank cassette, I'm calling it "Big Ted's Motivational Mixtape": 1-Twista and Faith Evans “Hope” 2-Fatih Evans “Again” 3-MC Hammer “Living In A World Like This” 4-MC Hammer “Brothers Hang On” 5-Haiku D'Etat “Wants vs. Needs” 6-JJFP “Shadow Dreams” 7-De La Soul “U Can Do”(Life) 8-Brandy “Who I Am” 9-Donell Jones “Cry” 10-JJFP Feat. Jill Scott “The Rain” 11-LL Cool J “We're Gonna Make It” 12-Wyclef Jean “Grateful” 13-Wyclef Jean, Rah Digga, Scarface “Next Generation” 14- Nas “One Love” 15-Heavy D Feat. Chico Debarge “Ask Heaven” 16-Tribe Called Quest “Vibes And Stuff” 17-2Pac "Keep Ya Head" 18-R. Kelly "When I Think About You" 19-DMX Feat. Mashonda “You Could Be Blind” 20-R.Kelly "I Believe I Can Fly" 21-KRS-ONE “Take Your Time” 22- Public Enemy "Don't Believe The Hype" 23-MC Hammer “Help Lord Won't You Help” 24-Blackstreet “The Lord Is Real”(Time Will Reveal) 25- Boyz II Men & Mariah "One Sweet Day" Bonus Song: "Music For Life" on Hi-Tek's New Album

Mary J. Blige Wins 9 Billboard Awards By KATHLEEN HENNESSEY Associated Press Writer LAS VEGAS - Mary J. Blige won big at this year's Billboard Music Awards as her chart-topping comeback album "The Breakthrough" landed the R&B diva a leading nine honors. Among the awards the 35-year-old singer claimed Monday night were R&B/Hip-Hop artist of the year, female R&B artist of the year and R&B/Hip-Hop album of the year. "The Breakthrough" shot to No. 1 after it debuted on the Billboard charts in December 2005 and has sold 2.6 million copies since. Blige, in white go-go boots and a sparkly mini-dress, rocked the full house by belting out a medley of her "Enough Crying" and "Take me as I am" during the two-hour show aired live from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Blige said she's already reached the pinnacle of her career by enduring personal struggles that once led her to sing hopefully about having "no more drama" in her life. "I've realized if I don't (love) myself, nobody will. Nobody is going to love me more than I do," Blige told reporters after the show. Chris Brown, a 17-year-old lothario who calls his music "Hip-Hop with a swagger," won new artist of the year, male of artist of the year and artist of the year awards. "I'm 17. That's crazy, it's mind-boggling," said Brown. "My mom, she still keeps me humble. She tells me to take out the trash, ya know, clean my room." Newcomers Rihanna and idol-turned-country star Carrie Underwood also walked away with high honors. The 18-year-old from Barbados edged out Blige and Beyonce for the top songstress honor. "I really can't feel my legs, this is phenomenal," said Rihanna as she accepted the award for best female artist of the year award. "That was a really tough category." Janet Jackson opened the show with a nod to the old and the new. Sporting a short bob haircut and a belly-baring white turtleneck sweater that offered no chance of wardrobe malfunction, Jackson performed her 1980s classic, "The Pleasure Principle," mixed into "So Excited," a single from her 2006 comeback album, "20 Y.O." The telecast did not, however, feature Tinseltown's duo du jour - heiress Paris Hilton and mom-gone-wild Britney Spears. After their recent binge of late-night partying, it was reported that the new best friends would be co-hosting the show. But neither appeared and the show went on without a host, a lineup of presenters filling in to move things along. Country crossover Carrie Underwood's "Some Hearts" won both country album and album of the year. The "American Idol" winner was named female country artist of the year. Atlanta rapper T.I. took home rap artist of the year and rap album of the year for his fourth solo album, "King," which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard albums chart in March. Canadian rockers Nickelback's "All the Right Reasons," won rock album of the year and artist-duo/group of the year. The band closed the show jamming to "Looking for some Touch," with Kid Rock and ZZ Top. Gwen Stefani and Black Eyed Peas lead singer Fergie, both with solo efforts this year, also performed. Las Vegas natives The Killers backed out of a performance because bandmember Brandon Flowers was ill, the group said. Crooner Tony Bennett was honored with the Billboard Century Award, a lifetime achievement award. Bennett timed his release of "Duets: An American Classic" - featuring Bono, Stevie Wonder, Paul McCartney, Barbra Streisand and other musical big-timers - to his 80th birthday. The September release has become the best-selling album of his 50-plus-year recording career. The Billboard Awards are given to the year's chart-topping artists. Winners are determined by the magazine's year-end chart listings, which are based on record sales and airplay.

Most of the people who supported Will for films but not for his music either aren't genuine hip hop fans, have been brainwashed by the industry and don't know what good hip hop is, don't like hip hop whatsoever, or aren't really aware that Will does music and was a rapper before he became an actor. However, everyone who knows about his music will eventually know about his movies. It's just a matter of whether you like his movies or not...

I think I'll give that album a listen when I get a chance, I got songs of him on mixtapes but I never gave his album a listen, he seems like a pretty humble dude from his interviews as well

“A Letter To God” Song Written By Big Ted(Written On Dec. '01) Intro: This rhyme's dedicated to everybody Who's lost somebody that's close to them 'Cause that person passed away Believe me, you ain't the only one that way I've experienced that pain But I feel better when I know because of God The dead don't feel pain We do 'cause they've gone away Feel this Verse One: Yo God, I know that you've open up the gates of heaven To those who believe in you And your son Jesus who's true But I don't understand why I feel the way I do When I 1st woke up yesterday, the sun was bright But that brightness turned into mildew 'Cause I heard that my nana died I started to ask myself why Did this have to happen at this time I heard my mama start to cry I told my mama, “It's gonna be alright” But I felt the same way inside I couldn't let that show 'Cause I didn't my mama's feelings to hurt more But as I think 'bout it, God I feel blessed 'cause you have givin' me more 'Cause my papa lost his mom, a few days after he was born And at 14, his dad passed away He felt the pain His aunt had to pull him away So he wouldn't jump in his dad's grave He thought that the world ended that day But he was able to move on, that's why I'm here today In this songs these are the realest lyrics I will ever say 'Cause there's nothin' bigger to display Than the will of God's way That's why I pray I'll eventually be with the ones I cherished that have gone away When it's my judgement day Chorus: This is a letter to God, A Letter To God I pray for those who have gone Please bless their hearts So that their souls won't depart I cherish those close to me with all my heart 'Cause of your ways I ain't afraid And please make all left on Earth feel no pain Make all left on Earth feel no pain Verse Two: I hear about the people dying on the news But you ain't feelin' much pain until the death comes close to you Death is somethin' that's true What's also true is what we're all God's children That's what makes God stronger than any buildings Any lyrical rhymes Any poetry that we can recite Any book that we can write 'Cause he helped created our minds And help create mankind So he created all our lives As well as the will to survive That's why I have to swallow my pride And learn to strive 'Cause I got a way to survive God, you know that I don't always go to church But I always say prayers thanking you for what I've accomplished through my work Only you know how long I'll live How many albums I will be able to spit Who I'll marry and if I'll have any kids But I cherish That you have given me a gift To give to others through my music 'Cause of you, I don't abuse it You helped me work hard at it But bigger than that, you help me get through tough times And turned them back into sunshine I have to tell you how I feel through my rhyme Just writing this makes me feel better 'Cause I'm making you a letter Plus after seeing What happened in the Twin Tower tragedy Gave me a better believing 'Bout you givin' all those widowers healing At a time of grieving Everythin' happens to prove somethin' We could have all been dead after that day But you gave us strength to rally through the tragic way And it would be great If all evil could go away 'Cause evil in our lives doesn't solve anythin' I wonder why we have to die anyway Maybe it's 'cause of the stress we deal with Well it depends on what the situation is It could be the case if it's naturally Evilness is a major factor of tragedy When someone dies I have to just get over it Even though I won't fully get over it It'll hurt the hardest When I got 'round the place where the person lived And they're not there Or when I would try to give that person a call on the phone But that person ain't alive anymore However, thanks to you God I'm able to fell better when my soul feels shot And to y'all who feel hurt Believe that God can heal your hurt [Repeat Chorus] Outro: Not everything in life will be perfect Y'all gotta learn to live through this We all experience tough times You gotta show toughness Not just through when somebody dies, but life in general And that's the realest, y'all Poem Written On December 4th, 2002 I Miss You Nana Today would have been your birthday It has always been 3 months before mine I've been feeling pain more as of late That I've put more into my rhymes I know that you're helping me elevate What's important to my life as I rhyme Through God, you can understand what I say Last year I wrote a letter to him The song I wrote entitled, “A Letter To God” And it seems like I've been blessed again and again Even when times get hard With me feeling stress running in I feel that my rhymes improved far Since you died my life's been charged It was December 16th 2001 The turning point for my heart I couldn't believe that you were gone Physically with no more beats of the heart But I was able to keep my mama strong For the funeral on December 19th 2001 The family knew that you were at peace Because your health was failing miserably Right now you're probably At a place where you are totally free One day I hope that we will again meet Thank you for influencing my poetry I miss you Nana until the last day on Earth that I breathe!

That's real talk right there!! :bowdown:

I think it really is motivated from the general thought of how somebody could squash beef with another person but it's in the purpose of starting beef with someone else? You could see it in life in general and that's messed up for real, how could you shake hands and squash beef but then start another with another person at basically the same time? How's that having a peaceful attitude? That's what pissed me off to write this, just wanted to bring that real talk

Today would be my grandma's birthday if she was still alive, I remember that DMX's "Great Depression" CD dropped a few weeks earlier but after she passed it seem like the album had an even deeper meaning to it, really it was a depressing time 'cause I was real close to my grandma, she was sick for awhile though too so we sorta had a feeling she was going but it still hurt pretty bad, "I Miss You" of course really got me through that time,she loved writing poetry too so I know she'd be proud of me to know that I'm taking after her legacy, she just did for herself though but I'm doing it to reach out to others, really I was sorta just doing songs for fun and to get chicks but really after that I started writing songs with a bigger purpose, I sat in my room the night after I heard she died and I wrote a song reflecting what I thought about how much I love her, maybe I'll post the lyrics in "Numero Uno" later on, it actually felt like her spirit went in me since I've been writing with such a passion and a purpose over these last few years, she's my angel for real, she's in heart forever, in case you never heard DMX's song here are the lyrics, I'm actually playing it right now right when I'm speaking here, RIP nana: [DMX] I know that my savior lives And at the end, he will stand on this earth My flesh may be destroyed, yet from this body, I will see God Yes, I will see him for myself - and I long for that moment Grandma, I really miss you and it ain't been the same I drop a tear when I, hear yo' name Mariella Holloway, why you gotta be so far away? Used to say, "Don't worry, it's gon' be okay" But it ain't - it's like when you left, you took the Lord witchu Why couldn't I come when he came to get you? Damn I really miss you - I had to say it again I remember the time when I was like ten Crept up in the neighbor's yard, yeah, bein hard headed You told me I would get it - you said it! And boy did I get it, but after you spanked me, you hugged me Kissed me on my forehead, told me that you love me And I saw, that it hurt you, more than it hurt me I thought - how bad could this hurt be? I know now That's why it's only done out of love What I wouldn't give for one mo' hug, from grandma [Chorus: Faith Evans] Baby it's gon' be okay (she used to tell me that) Baby it's gon' be okay (I really miss hearin) Baby it's gon' be okay (she used to tell me that) Baby it's gon' be okay (I really miss hearin) [DMX] What I'm about to say a couple of family members is gon' hate me But I'ma let you know what's been goin on lately Now you know since you left, a lot of things witcho kids done changed Yeah Jackie's still crazy, don't know what's up with James Ain't seen Jerry in a while, you know he walk like you And Renee's back in jail, you know she talk like you Riculah's(?) doin real good now, she workin Rhonda's still runnin around, trickin, jerkin Buckeye's buggin, he done lost his mind And Jarvis? Back out of jail, doin fine Kylie? He done changed, it ain't all about self As for my father.. well, that's somethin else But that's my dog, he hold his grandmother down My great grandmother, makin a lot of trips out of town But that's a good thing, and if I could only hear you sing once more, oh Lord, the comfort it would bring [Chorus] [DMX] You left behind a mother (and) eleven kids (and) eleven grandkids And since then, two of yo' grandkids done had kids They had a boy named Tacoma, Xavier's brother, that's right Xavier's made you a great grandmother I thank you for the best times of my life I thank you for when you first met her, accepted and lovin my wife I thank you for those Sunday dinners, they were vital I thank you for my - life, I thank you for the bible I thank you for the songs that you sing in the mornin (Amazing Grace..) while I'm yawnin I thank you for the two beatings you gave me Cause I know somewhere along the line the lesson I learned from the two beatings saved me And when you died I cried like a baby, I begged the Lord to take me Cause no one else could give me what you gave me But life like everything comes to an end I pray I go to heaven to see you again - amen [Chorus] - repeat 2X [Faith Evans] Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me I once was lost, but now I'm found Was blind, but now I see, yeahhh EDIT: Today was really a day of reflection for me and my family since today was my nana's birthday, we went to her gravesight today and we prayed for her soul, it was me, my parents, some of my uncles and aunts and cousins, then we went out and had a nice lunch afterwards and then tonight after me and my parents had dinner I basically shared the song that I wrote about her I was talking about earlier to them, I did a performance, and then I played that DMX song to tell them how I was inspired and I played this LL Cool J song "Big Mama" and read a poem that I wrote after I first heard that song too, music is life for real, I thank god for it, nana's smiling down on me right now, she's pushing me to go on, I ain't gonna stop now, I wasn't even gonna come online here today but man what happened today is just too uplifting than to just keep it to myself, I had to come share it with y'all, my other fam through the common bond of that one great duo we all here enjoy, lol, btw here the lyrics for LL's song as well in case you never heard it: Yeah, this one's dedicated, to my grandmother, and your grandmother It's all love, let's not forget who raised us, word up [LL Cool J] Big Mama, my grandmother, my main girl I love you much more than the scandalous world As a young boy you gave me whoopings to save my life Cursed me out, to keep me out the streets at night Cause my momma had me when she was young So you took on the responsbility to raise your grandson You taught me if a task is once begun, Todd Never leave it 'til it's done, Todd Be thy labor great or small Todd Do it well or not at all, God Big Mama, my blood is your blood When the whole world's against me, I know I got your love If I was in a cell for the rest of my life I know I'd hear your prayers in the middle of the night Used to sit me on your lap and teach me mother wit Early Sunday morning for them salmon and grits I love you baby, you the one and only, that's a fact 'Til death do us part, I'ma always have your back You beefed cause you heard that I was cursin in my raps Eighty-six, still you wanna run and get the straps I love you, I promise you I care for you deep Cause when I had bronchitis you would rock me to sleep Rub me down with green alcohol Little brown-skinned lady bout five feet tall, Big Mama [Chorus: Dru Hill] + (LL) Early one Sunday morning Breakfast was on the table (you gave me unconditional love) There was no time to eat, she said to me Boy hurry to Sunday school (you gave me unconditional love) [LL Cool J] I remember when you told me certain friends wasn't real I didn't wanna listen, I swore I knew the deal Come to find out, everything you said was true Who I end up goin to for advice? You I love you, that's why you got nurses and maids Ever since I got paid, you ain't never been afraid That's granddaddy wife, she taught me how to think How to navigate through life, you made the sacrifice You kept on livin, cause when my granddaddy died It took all your might, but you ain't quit on life We took trips down South, biscuits and chicken Me you granddad and Alison, trippin Remember, you used to pick me up from junior high And classmates laughed when the Buick rolled by Remember, I pulled my privates out in class And from Farmers to Dunkirk you straight whooped my (woo!!) The best cookin a man could ever taste It's written in my heart, it can never be erased Thank you so much, you taught me well How to not get souped up, because I'm LL How to walk the street, and hold my head real high How to live with Christ and not be afraid to die We sipped daquiris, but you never told moms We even shared beers, Big Mama my dear A toast to a woman that raised a man In popular demand all across the land You're my lawyer, my teacher, my doctor, my friend My mother, my father, you with me 'til the end I love you, I mean that from the bottom of my heart That's the reason why my record's #1 on the charts I'ma tell it like it is, I love you forever Dead or alive, we'll always be together Big Mama I love you [Chorus] [LL Cool J] I dedicate this to the Big Mama's everywhere The ones who raised us - when nobody else was there The ones who held us and told us it'll be alright When gunshots was goin off every night Taught us how to lock the door and check the peephole And how to swallow Vicks when we had a chest cold How to stay proud, and represent hard Eat plenty baby, but first say grace for God Big Mama, I'ma miss you When one of us leave this earth But baby for what it's worth, I love you since the date of my birth And if it wasn't for my children, I would wanna go first You're the reason I'm the man I am today The inspiration, for me to be LL Cool J When you told me "Knock 'Em Out," I brought you home a Grammy I learned to be tough from Big Mama and Aunt Cammy A black man that was raised by black women On tour, sippin your special honey and lemon You told me, gargle with vinegar water and salt The concert was hot, thanks to your support Girl - you're the one I love Whether right here with me or smilin from up above Trouble or no trouble, you always had my back So I had to let you know your son appreciates that, Big Mama [Chorus] - repeat 2X

Now I like to bump KRS-ONE's "Spiritual Minded" album that he released in 2002 everytime I go through tough times, I remember buying the album a couple months after my grandma passed away and it felt like it was what I really needed, even though it ain't really his best album, it's my favorite from him 'cause it really gets me to soul search pretty good, in fact I just pulled it now and started playing it

KRS-ONE feat. Smooth B, Fat Joe, Rampage, Rah Goddess "Welcome To The Temple"(Spirtual Minded, 2002)

I'm gonna check it out later when I have more time, thanks for posting, looking forward to that movie too

Yeah we need to keep the awareness alive so that way those who don't could be informed, it's depressing to know that there's so many people dying from something that could be easily prevented

Yeah I got a lot of respect for Wyclef, my father lived in Port-Au-Prince too when he was growing up, it was a living hell for him, many times he'd go to bed with no food, he had to crap in an outhouse, he almost died, his mother died when he was born, his father died when he was 14, so basically his aunts and uncles tried to take of him the best they could even though they didn't really have anything either, but thanks to the will of god he was able to find a job to get enough money to move here to America to have a bigger opportunity, when he got a job here he'd always send over to others in his family over there suffering, now my family might be poor compared to others in America but really our poor we never equal the poor my papa had to experience, it's good to see Wyclef giving back like this, i always try to send a few bucks to feed the hunger too just so those who are suffering like my papa did could make it better, btw I just told my papa about what my man Wyclef's doing and he's very happy about that too to see a young brotha like that giving back to where he came from

I really like that song "Ridin' Dirty" he did, it's especially more relevant now what that black man in Queens NY getting shot 50 times, something needs to be done about some of these heartless cops for real, it was nice to know a song with a strong message like that could hit #1 on the music charts, I heard some of his other songs too, he got a unique flow, I might just check out his next album, thanks for posting

Wow that sounds like a lot of fun, good luck with the performance!! :kool: :wickedwisdom:

Wyclef Jean Wants 'To Build a New Haiti' JACMEL, Haiti - Wyclef Jean called on his Haitian countrymen to reject violence and work for a stable future during a free concert aimed at promoting development in the impoverished nation. "It's time to build a new Haiti," the Grammy-winning artist told more than 20,000 cheering fans Friday night at the waterfront pier of this resort town. It was his first concert in Haiti in eight years. The concert capped off a weeklong film and culture festival organized by Jean's Yele Haiti charity, which promotes music and the arts as a way to reduce poverty, create jobs and improve Haiti's image. Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and most of its 8 million people live on less than $2 per day. The Caribbean country is struggling to recover from a bloody 2004 revolt that toppled former president Jean-Bertrand Aristide. Jean, a Haitian citizen who lives in the United States, condemned the ongoing street violence that has followed the revolt, especially a wave of kidnappings for ransom that have plagued the capital, Port-au-Prince. "If we don't stop kidnappings, the country can't develop," Jean said. Jean was born in Haiti but left for the United States with his family at age 9. He later achieved world fame through his hip-hop band, The Fugees.

This is too damn good to just be in the potnas section :bowdown:

Props

Russell Simmons Urges Action and Support on World Aids Day By Chris Richburg Date: 12/1/2006 6:00 pm Rap mogul Russell Simmons acknowledged the importance of World Aids Day Friday (Dec. 1) while urging the public to be more active in bringing awareness of the disease. The recognition came as the Simmons' led a fact-finding delegation to Kimberley, South Africa. The expedition was for the hip-hop pioneer's Simmons Jewelry Company. "Today is World AIDS Day and I am humbled to be present in Africa where the pandemic of HIV/AIDS is a deadly reality for millions of people," Simmons said Friday in a statement. "We need to increase public awareness campaigns throughout the world on this issue. We support the efforts of the numerous humanitarian and health groups, as well as governmental and non-governmental organizations, that are diligently dedicated in their response to this great human crisis. We add our voice and work in complete solidarity with all who are standing up and taking action on this day." Established in 1988 by the World Health Organization in 1988, World AIDS Day is observed every Dec. 1 to bring global attention on the impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. According to reports, more than 25 million people have died from AIDS since 1981. There are an estimated 1,039,000 to 1,185,000 people in the United States who are HIV-positive. The disease has made an impact in the hip-hop community with the deaths of West Coast rhymesayer Eazy E and X-Clan member Sugar Shaft. BET, through its Wrap It Up Campaign, has been active in raising awareness about HIV/AIDs and other sexually transmitted diseases. The program, the result of a 1997 BET partnership with Kaiser Family Foundation, also includes special programming, public service advertisements, online content on bet.com and a free resource and referral service. This week, former president Bill Clinton announced that he has aligned with Cipla Ltd. and Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd. in an effort to cut prices of HIV and AIDS treatment for children while making the drugs more accessible. Under the agreement, the pharmaceutical companies will supply drugs for HIV-positive children at prices as low as 16 cents a day, or less than $60 a year, according to a statement by the Clinton Foundation HIV/AIDS Initiative. Cnn.com reports the foundation saying that the deal will enable an additional 100,000 HIV-positive children in 62 countries to receive treatment in 2007, the foundation said. Despite current efforts, Simmons believes the eradication of HIV/AIDs will occur when "much more is done to effectively end poverty in Africa and throughout the world." " "The best way to end poverty is through sustainable economic development and empowerment," Simmons said.

"While some may think that the West Coast emcee's life has been set since dropping his multi-platinum debut The Documentary, Game set the record straight and revealed that he has been significantly affected by all of the drama that he has faced in recent months. "I was, six months ago, at a point of my life where I felt like I knew how it felt for a person to want to commit suicide. Life was just that bad," said the Compton rapper. "I felt like I didn't get the props that I deserved, and that started f*cking with me. And when you hear this album, you'll hear the conviction and the pain." He also outlined "...sitting in a closet by himself with f*cking tears running down my face, trying to figure out, how did I go from being one of the best rappers in the world and the most loved to being one of the most hated?"-Game, now really I started contemplating whether it was even worth to even write songs anymore too 'cause I really started having doubts whether I'd ever make it but really it don't matter what others think, it only matters what I feel, as long as I write what I feel it's all good and I could help touch one soul and I'll be happy, really it felt good yesterday knowing that I finished in the top 33 in the poetry contest I entered out of thousands that entered, Game probably feels the same way too, he just put it out all out there on his new album, I feel his pain, it's good to know he's getting some credability for what he's doing "I was standing in the shower naked-both inside and out. I let the water flow all over my body, The tears washed down my face along with the water. I hadn't really cried since I was a kid. But on this day, I made up for it. I was crying for the woman I treated like a dog, crying for the children I had abandoned, crying for my life, which I was just throwing away. And crying because I felt like I had been betrayed on every level. I had a broken heart..I was pouring my soul into my next album, 14 Shots To The Dome."- LL Cool J, really I was going around broken hearted too, I know I have to pick up the pieces like he did and just keep it moving, people might diss 14 Shots To The Dome but you really felt his pain on that disc, it's actually understandable to see he was going through a tough time when he was recording, songs like "Crossroads" and "All We Got Left Is A Beat" was really him putting out his rage, I'm gonna put the fuel into my song writing, lock myself up in a room and just write my ass off again is what I need to do the next time I feel down Really those laid back chilled songs are cool but sometimes I get "So Sick" of love songs like Ne-Yo and I need something agressive like Ice Cube, DMX, early LL, and FP on "Lost and Found"