Streetz Magazine

Streetz Magazine......Winter Holiday Issue

2005-01-21T14:42:00.000-05:00

JADAKISS ....... The Becoming

2005-01-21T14:22:00.000-05:00

By Carlito Thomas

Liberals, Minorities, and the world at large have been lobbying “F*ck Bush” darts for 4 years now. Within the walls of Hip-Hop you’d expect these slugs from Hip-Hop’s usual suspects like Dead Prez, Chuck D, Rush and KRS One. Certain voices speak during malevolent times but you might not expect a Yonkers born street chemist turned mic ripper named Jadakiss to be speaking on issues such as Iraq and voting, but the rapper is engulfed in a deep conversation with Hip-Hop mogul Russell Simmons at this years Hip-Hop Action Summit in Boston. Jada has stirred a lot of shit with his hit single “WHY” where he questions the President’s involvement in the falling of the towers on 9/11 in one eye-opening line he spits, “Why did Bush knock down the towers?” While Kanye recently leaned on Jesus, Jadakiss played his political card with his second single and then remixed it consequently raising a few eyebrows in Washington on all political fronts. Jada reasons, “It’s just asking why to a lot of things I think a lot of people all over the world might want to know...Champions make champions. You can’t be scared to try different songs. It ain’t all about just punchlines and all that now. Em, 50 and DMX, all these people, they switched it. They made the listeners really want to hear what you feel as an artist and as a person. They don’t want to hear a bunch of fantasizing and a bunch of lying.”
With his new album you can actually hear the growth and maturity of Jason Phillips as he speaks on relative issues involving his family, and community in his trademark raspy voice. He grows without abandoning the street base of his L-O-X upbringing. Jada is embracing his frontrunner status in Hip-Hop having fully moved into his position of Co-CEO of his Universal-distributed label D-Block and leader of the now somewhat fallen Double R regime. Kiss has always felt like he was the leader of the Ruff Ryder camp but his sales just couldn’t justify it barely failing to go Platinum. If you asked anyone on the streets Kiss was always the General, even when DMX was scanning plaque after platinum plaque. Today with Eve reunited with the good Doc and X claiming retirement status, Kiss has put the Double R on his back and begins to try to regain some of the momentum it had back in 98’ when the label and its roster was on top.

“Champions make champions. You can’t be scared to try different songs”- Jadakiss

It all began when the late great B.I.G predicted that Jadakiss would become one of the greats. It was never the flow or respect but the sales and lack of hit singles that have always held Kiss back from crossing over from the hood into mainstream success like most of today’s major selling artists. Jadakiss agrees by saying, “If anybody ever followed my career, I was always categorized as one of the top spitters, my rough voice, and my delivery set me aside from everyone else. It just seemed like it was always something missing…But this time I’m going to make sure all the chips are in place.” Kiss’s first solo effort was slowed down by politics. Politics as in Sean “P-Diddy” Combs his former label head. As Kiss tells it back in ‘99, on the tail end of their “Let the Lox Go” campaign, an attempt at getting off of the Bad Boy Roster. Ruff Ryders forked over 3 million dollars to provide Jadakiss, Sheek, and Styles of the Lox to get out of their Bad Boy contracts. In addition Puff added a clause in the contract release stating that he was to receive $300 G’s off of Kiss’s first solo album. Talking about a dent in your budget! If you check the credits of “Kiss tha Game Goodbye” you will see publishing credits for Puff’s publishing company Justin Combs (named after his son). It was also rumored that upon releasing the Lox from their contract they could not say Puff’s name on any tracks! Kiss holds no ill feelings towards Puff for the moves that were made calling him a “paper gangster.” But Kiss knows that Puff is a great business man, and “I respect that” says Kiss. He feels differently about DMX, both being from Yonkers you would think they would see eye to eye on a lot of things but that clearly is not the case. “Me and X used to have a lot of ups and downs, we could be cool sometimes and not be speaking one another,” he says. Ironically, Kiss and the Dark Man has since squash the beef as they seen each other at the Jones vs. Tarver fight in Las Vegas a few month back. “We kicked it and sat down on some grown man stuff and squashed it” states Kiss.
On his first album he made a bold statement claiming that he was the, “top 5, dead or alive and that’s after one LP”. But he may soon be able to back that claim as his 2nd album “Kiss of Death” debuted at number 1 on the Billboard charts and in the past year he was continually in the listener’s ears via a slew of stand out, cameo verses. Jada insists that B.I.G, Rakim, Eminem and other greats have already penned him as one of the best and that they won’t be let down. One thing is for sure he will never let the streets down.

Streetz Magazine......"Crush Of The Month"...Winter Issue

2005-01-21T14:00:00.005-05:00

CRUSH OF THE MONTH!!

Devin The Dude....Just Being Himself

2005-01-21T14:00:00.004-05:00

By JusBam

Being successful in the rap game is more than just high priced videos and big platinum chains with spinning emblems. For artists like Devin the Dude with 10+ years in the game, it means three highly-regarded albums and the opportunity to do what you love to do, they way you want to do it and still having your fans loving whatever you do. If you’ve ever listened to a Devin album you might feel like I do. You have to respect his ability to amaze us by continuingly being true to his music, while staying consistent and making his entire fan base feel like we’ve known him for years.
Devin first debuted with Odd Squad and the ‘94 classic “Fadanuf Fa Erybody,” followed by appearances on Scarface’s “Face Mobb” project. In ‘98 Devin eventually went solo with his own debut “The Dude”, and four years later came back with the sophomoric “Just Tryin to Live.” It’s 2004 now and the man known best for his standout hook and verse on Dr. Dre’s 2001 cut “Fuck You” hits us with “To Tha X-treme.” An album dedicated to his favorite pastimes, females and smoking weed. In his world everything is cool and as long as we keep listening he will keep being just that Dude.

Streetz (S): What’s up Devin, have you been enjoying your time here in DC?
Devin (D): It’s been lovely. I love it here.
Streetz (S):The Hip-Hop community has deemed you the poster child for underground success. You’ve been in the game for a number of years and have produced consistent classics, but you haven’t yet managed to cross into the mainstream or superstardom where a lot of us feel you should be. Are you more comfortable with where you are?
Devin (D): I’m just satisfied actually just being appreciated in the game; the music is first and foremost so when people appreciate the music and let me know about it, that’s cool. Every time I come here I meet somebody else, who enjoys the music and that’s what means a lot, that’s what’s important.
Streetz (S): Is it more important to put a CD out that you love, that you gave everything to or is all about the money?
Devin (D): Well, for me it fall back to the music again, its about putting out some good material that people can listen to at different times, in different stages in their life; from 16 to 63 (laughs). But yeah, most definitely you have to be concerned about the music not just about the numbers. That comes with good music.
Streetz (S):There was about a 2-year gap between “Tryin’ to Live” and the new project “To The Extreme” is that something you planned to do?
Devin (D): This album was going to be a double album. The title was going to be the Roman numeral “II the Extreme”. But because of the time period and it had been so long. I just wanted to give “To the Extreme” all I have for one price instead of the two for one thang.
Streetz (S): That’s a new trend in hip-hop today with the double CD’s do you think that this can hurt or help your career?
Devin (D): It can hurt, But it can help also, For a lot of people who have fans out there that don’t get a chance to hear there music as often as they want to and just give them a lump some at one time for them to absorb then about two years later you have another one for them. But it wasn’t nothing planned as for as the time between the second and third album. Between the first and second album we were going distribution changes, and a lot of things were happening so there was about a four-year gap between the two. The Dude was ’98 and Tryin to Live was 2002, and now this project so hopefully I’ll have another one next year.

“I’m just satisfied actually just being appreciated in the game”- Devin the Dude

Streetz (S): The Hip-Hop industry has change a lot since you first made an appearance in the “Up and Smoke Tour”, how has the industry changed to you?
Devin (D): When I first came out it was with the Live Squad back in 1994, but since then I have changed a lot. It is a lot faster now that technology is different. You can go and knock out a album in couple months.
Streetz (S): Do you see a change in the music? Has it become too commercial?
Devin (D): It sort of a tends to now, but it did open a lot [doors] for people, especially those tryin to do positive stuff. So you can’t complain about that. When a lot of things happen at one time and so many people are trying to get in all at once, it’s going to be cluttered with stuff that makes you think “Hey what is that?”
Streetz (S): Do you feel pressure to change your style and try to create music that is more mainstream?
Devin (D): Nah, I am just glad to be apart of something and with a group of people who feel the same way I feel. There’s no pressure to change into nothing.
Streetz (S): Do you do some of the production on your projects?
Devin (D): Yeah, a little bit. I try to do two or three tracks an album.
Streetz (S): Is production something that planned to get more into and produced for other people?
Devin (D): Yeah, I wouldn’t mind, but I’m not my favorite producer right now. (Laugh). If I come across some stuff that I have been working on and somebody else like, it would be a blessing to have them write to it.
Streetz (S): Who’s your favorite producer?
Devin (D): Well, I have quite a few; there are a lot of good ones out there. From Dre to Pete Rock to my partner Rob from the Odd Squad…it’s a lot of them.
Streetz (S): On all your albums it always seems as if you are having a good time, and your fans feel like there are chilling with you and we know you. Did you ever think it that wouldn’t be fun no more? Would you leave the game?
Devin (D): When it’s not fun no more than that will be the last album, nah I don’t think you came make a complete album without having fun with it. You have to love what you do and it doesn’t seem like a job really, it something that I am fortunate to be able to do and make a living from.
Streetz (S): “To the Extreme” is in stores now, and the Hip-Hop community has labeled it another classic. Is it your favorite album? Which one is your favorite?
Devin (D): That would be hard, because there is a different meaning with each album. I had a lot of fun doing the first album “The Dude”, it was really carefree, and not to many responsibilities you just doing what you love to do. It was my first solo album.
Streetz (S): Okay, this is our Politikz issue with the Presidential election approaching. Do you feel that Hip-Hop has a voice in politics? And is voting important to you?
Devin (D): It’s very important to vote. A lot of our ancestors, our aunts and uncles went through a lot just so we can have the opportunity to vote. And it is not necessarily just about the presidents, it starts in the community and the neighborhoods and the people. You have to straighten up your own hood. It starts there. They just put it in your face about the Presidential issue, “pick one! Him or him?” They are trying to throw your mind away from whats important. Hip-Hop and politics went hand and hand back in the day.

The People’s Radio....Freemix Radio Editorial

2005-01-21T14:00:00.003-05:00

By Jared Ball of voxunion.com

A lot of people are now talking about politics. In the Hip-Hop world it seems like everyone has something to say. But most of the discussion is absent of honesty, history or understanding. Organized Community of United People (COUP) created FreeMix Radio: The Original Mixtape Radio Show (http://www.voxunion.com/) to address this reality. The following is an excerpt from our statement on politics which itself is an updated version of the agenda adopted in 1972 at the Gary, Indiana Black Political Convention. We offer it as a supportive challenge to those currently dominating the discussion of politics.
“A Black* political movement, indeed all progressive movements, must begin from this truth: The current system does not work for the majority of its people, and it cannot be made to work without radical fundamental change. Indeed, this system does not work in the favor of the humanity of anyone, the world over. In the light of such realities, we push for the eventual establishment of an independent, national political party, which will implement the Black* Agenda. Until that time we will continue to steadfastly assure that political leaders are challenged to vigorously represent the people and to use their positions to defend the interests of those they have been elected to represent. We must address “leaders” who sacrifice our rights and freedoms for personal gain just as we must watch for those who are sent to lead us right to our own downfall. Out of political naiveté, we have followed the path of political dependence on the white men and their systems. From the Liberty Party in the decades before the Civil War to the Republican Party of Abraham Lincoln, we trusted in white men and white politics as our deliverers. Sixty years ago, W.E.B. DuBois said he would give the democrats their “last chance” to prove their sincere commitment to equality for Black* people – and he was given white riots and official segregation in peace and in war. Nevertheless, some twenty years later we became Democrats in the name of Franklin Roosevelt, then supported his successor Harry Truman, and even tried a “non-partisan” Republican General of the Army named Eisenhower. We were wooed like many others by the superficial liberalism of John F. Kennedy and the make believe populism of Lyndon Johnson. We expressed our “Americanism” by casting a vote for the “so-called first African-American president,” William Jefferson Clinton, a white southerner, and the former governor of one of our nation’s poorest and most segregated states. Finally, we create and support “Black” candidates for office and political appointees to high level positions based solely on skin-color ignoring their political views. This blind allegiance to the current two party system in the United States has reduced the African-American vote to a state of irrelevancy. Our political acquiescence has led only to the further degradation of our communities.
Let us never forget that while the times and the names and the parties have continually changed, one truth has faced us consistently, never changing; the American political system, like all other white supremacist institutions in America, was designed to operate for the benefit of the white race: It was never meant to do anything else. That is the truth we must face. If white “liberalism” could have solved our problems, then Lincoln, Roosevelt, Kennedy and Clinton would have done so. But they did not solve our problems or the problems of rest of the nation. The “American Way” has failed. Despite claims by the current un-elected president, September 11, 2001 was not a result of “them” hating “our freedoms” but rather it was a response to the lack of freedom imposed on the rest of the world by the United States government and its' foreign policy initiatives. We must realize that Bill Clinton, under the guise of “liberalism,” represented the worst of corporate greed and public manipulation through empty rhetoric and deception. By pushing through The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), the Clinton Administration revealed their true lack of concern for working people the world over and for “nationhood.” Business before flags has always been the case in the United States of America and these latest maneuvers are but the most recent forms. We can no longer allow mere words, smiles and skin-color to confuse us into thinking that politicians concerns are the people’s concerns. If we have never faced it before, let us face it now: The profound crisis of Black* people the world over and the disaster of America are not simply caused by men and women nor will they be solved by women and men alone. These crises are the crises of flawed economics and politics, and of the cultural degradation. No candidate for political office – regardless of their vague promises to us or to their white constituencies – can solve the problems of this country without radically changing the systems by which it operates.”

*For more on our expanded definition of “Black” and our attempts at generating solutions to these problems please visit http://www.voxunion.com/.

Paid in Full....The Life of Rayful Edmond Captured

2005-01-21T14:00:00.002-05:00

Written by Joseph Wright

His name is still whispered to this very day. If you say his name loud enough, you never know what kind of reaction would be displayed. The name Rayful Edmond III will either put a smile on your face (for many different reasons), or send a chill down your back (also for many different reasons). A movie like “New Jack City” with Nino Brown is something people watched to see how the life of a drug kingpin went. Although Nino Brown was allegedly based on events of real life drug lords, it was still just a movie that came out years after Rayful Edmond became the limelight of DC, which was a central reason for DC’s Dodge City reputation in the late 80’s and early 90’s. He has been described as one of the most notorious drug kingpins ever. He has even been referred to as the “Three hundred million dollar man,” after a special on 20/20 was done when authorities estimated Ray pulled in $2 million a week in revenue. For those who may not know, Rayful Edmond controlled 90% of the cocaine flow (imported and exported) in DC in the 1980’s, which spilled over into the early 90’s as well. At the tender age of 22, Edmond already knew what it felt like to be a financial powerhouse. The 1982 grad of Dunbar Senior high school was the cocaine liaison for other drug kingpins in New York such as Alpo and AZ. Edmond was truly a product of his environment. Granted, life is also about choices and people are the captains of their own souls. His mother, Constance Perry, introduced Edmond into the drug business. Constance sold illegal pills that were referred to as “poor people’s crack.” It was affordable and had just about the same affect on people as regular cocaine. Perry and Edmond were in inseparable and became partners. Once Edmond got older and became more established, he blew up to a level beyond belief. Although, he advanced, he never left his mother behind him. Every department of the law became hungry to close in on Edmond. During Edmond’s reign, many people died, people ate, people worked, people went to jail, and many people became addicted to cocaine.
Although Edmond’s track record may be one of praise for baby Nino Browns and wannabe head honchos, right is right and wrong is wrong. The law closed in on Edmond and his empire in 1990 when he was imprisoned in Lewisburg. Edmond’s demise did not come at his own hands however. Edmond’s mother, Constance Perry was the straw that broke the camel’s back when she was taped admitting that Edmond was everything the authorities thought he was. Before her taped conversation (a conversation in which she was also unknowingly set up), there was never any hard, cold evidence that Edmond was the drug lord he was.

“Rayful Edmond controlled 90% of the cocaine flow (imported and exported) in DC in the 1980’s”

Film director, Kirk Fraser gives new meaning to the phrase, “grabbing the bull by the horns,” with his latest film project entitled, “The Life of Rayful Edmond.” The informative DVD is slated for a November 16th release with the possibility of making it to the silver screen, or whichever comes first. Fraser decided to tackle such a sensitive, yet long overdue subject after his initial studies of the life of Rayful Edmond back in 1997. Fraser, a former Howard University student, directed and executively produced the Edmond documentary with the aide of Curtis Chambers. Although not an easy task for Fraser, his hard work and dedication to such an influential figure (Edmond) will not go un-noticed in and out of the DC area. Fraser experienced extensive research on the subject and kept the DVD as professional as any filmmaker should. Pointing fingers and calling names is an avenue that Fraser did not care to explore with such a controversial figure. It does not even matter to Fraser if people felt that Rayful Edmond was a benevolent or diabolical person. His purpose is much more abysmal. “This is the first real movie made about DC,” replies Fraser, when asked about his motives for making such a film.
Fraser is not trying to discredit any other person that may have compiled resources about Rayful Edmond. This is simply the way he chooses to tell the story. When asked what exactly the DVD will touch on, Fraser stated, “It’s about his [Edmond] rise and fall in the game. How he made it and what brought him down…it’s just so deep.” Fraser feels that it is his duty to touch bases on a story that is so much a part of DC history. The history of DC runs deeper than what schoolbooks only wish they could print. The DVD explores three major aspects of the life of Edmond. The first thing is the media. The media has always described Edmond as a cold-hearted villain who poisoned the streets of DC with drug activity. It’s only right for the media to pass judgment and point out the negative of any situation. The media is cut and dry with no in-between. They’re either your worst enemy or your best friend. The media is definitely a foe to a person like Edmond. However, the street has its own opinions as well. The street is the second aspect of what the DVD conquers. Edmond means different things to different people even to this very day. A lot of questions will always be raised when it comes to his situation. To some, he was a provider and a genuine person who could make friends with anybody. His personality was very strong and respected. He was man of morals in his own right whom deeply cared for his family and possessed an undying love for his mother. He was very giving especially to the youth of DC. A person that was very unselfish when money was literally not an object to him. On the flip side, Edmond also was a businessman. Granted, he chose an illegal source of business. To some, Edmond is a sell out, a snitch, a person that was feared because of the power he possessed over his business and even other people.
The third aspect of the DVD touches on Edmond’s life. A display of the kind of person he really was back when reigned. People on the outside will always see things differently from the person who is actually in a situation. Negative comments about his life can raise very serious questions such as: Why did he snitch on people? Did he really snitch? Did authorities and the courts trick him? What was he going to get out of cooperating with the authorities? Did he ever fear for his life? Why was he mean? Why did he continue to poison the community? You never quite know a person’s situation unless you get the opportunity to walk in their shoes.
Even today, the whereabouts of Rayful Edmond, who will be 40 this year, are unknown. Edmond is not an angle, nor is he the devil. Most importantly, he is not a fictitious character in a movie that people sit around and talk about at a campfire. Rayful Edmond is a real person. He may be a different adjective to different people, but he is definitely an urban (DC) legend whose true-life story is far from an imaginary hood myth. Be sure to log on to www.may3rdfilms.com for more information on this exclusive DVD, Kirk Fraser, and the life of Rayful Edmond.

Mobb Deep: QB’s Finest

2005-01-21T14:00:00.001-05:00

By: Harrun Hines

Mobb Deep knows all about drama. The official Queensbridge murderers have been through it all from facing down critics, to suffering through personal problems, and even beefs with both Tupac and Jay-Z that, for most artists, would have been career ending. In the entertainment industry only the strong survive. With over 10 years in the game the duo has proven themselves to be survivors. With their highly anticipated new album, Amerikaz Nightmare, and their new label, Infamous records, Mobb Deep is going to show all the non-believers why they’re called the Infamous.
“In order to survive doing this you got to be serious about the music. It’s not a game,” said Prodigy. “You can’t just be doing this to see yourself on TV or hear yourself on the radio.”
Hailing from Queens, NY Prodigy and Havoc met while both attending Graphic Arts High School in Manhattan. They were able to form a strong bond over their similar upbringings and their love for hip-hop music. After writing rhymes together and developing their skill, they began hanging out around the Def Jam headquarters trying to get noticed. After getting the attention of Q-Tip of A Tribe Called Quest, the duo gained a record deal with 4th & Broadway and by 1993 released their debut album, Juvenile Hell. Though the album wasn't that successful in sales or critical reviews, it served as a fitting platform for the duo to launch its career.
“We started doing this in like ’92 or ’93. We were like 14 or 15 years old,” said Prodigy. “The transition between then and now has been ill.”
Not only did Mobb Deep produce its own beats; they also refined and perfected their street-smart, poetic approach centered on ‘hood life. Prodigy and Havoc's brutally honest reality rapping earned them a deal in 1995 with, then up-and-coming, Loud records. They released The Infamous, Mobb Deep's classic, second album which became a landmark for East Coast hardcore rap just as Reasonable Doubt, Enter the Wu-Tang, and Ready to Die had done when they were released. The album’s success was largely attributed to the single, “Shook Ones, Pt. 2.” A song that is still held as a ‘hood classic and a club favorite.
“We try to make music that will last forever,” said Prodigy. “Even though we might not, the music will and that’s why we been able to survive for so long.”
It was also during this year that Mobb Deep would clash with one of the greatest rappers of all time. After responding to the Doggpound’s NewYork, NY with L.A., L.A. they found themselves mentioned on Tupac’s Biggie/Bad Boy diss track, “Hit ‘em up.”
“The drama don’t ever stop. It always stay on,” said Prodigy. “We heard the Doggpound joint and was like ‘nobody saying nothing so we will’. We’ll always step up to the plate and handle our business.”
In 1996, Prodigy and Havoc released Hell on Earth. This album once again found the duo spitting cinematic rhymes over gritty tracks that communicated the dark side of life in the most notorious projects in Queens, New York.
By late ‘99, Mobb Deep released Murda Muzik. The album debuted at number three on the Billboard album chart, even though the album was heavily bootlegged. With leaked rough versions of the nearly 30 songs on the streets and the Internet the album quickly went platinum on the strength of “Quiet Storm,” another ‘hood classic and club favorite.
In late 2000, Prodigy released his long-awaited solo album, H.N.I.C., which saw collaborations with outside producers such as Alchemist and Rockwilder. On H.N.I.C. and in an interview with The Source that same year, Prodigy referenced his illness during the time following Murda Muzik. During this same time Mobb Deep, Prodigy in particular found unwillingly thrown into a battle between two of New York's biggest rappers, Jay-Z and Nas.
After being the subject of ridicule from the infamous Summer Jam incident then being the subject of an entire verse on Jay-Z’s “Takeover,” the Mobb suffered a lapse in popularity. Most people wondered if there was anyway for the duo to come back from such a powerful blow to their image and street credibility. But the Mobb proved all doubters wrong, not by going after Jay-Z but going back to the lab and concentrating on why they’re here in the first place, the music.
“The battling and beefing shit is not what we’re about. That’s not why we do this music, that’s not how we got started. Other people start, and save their careers, dissing other people but that’s not how we started,” said Prodigy. “We came into the game making good music. We just trying to make hit records. But if a situation come, we’re going to handle our business and then get back to doing what we here for.”
In the wake of the Jay-Z/ Nas beef Mobb Deep still stands strong. They’ve released more mixed tapes and the Murda Muzik movie on DVD starring Infamous clique member, Big Noyd. The new album, Amerikaz Nightmare, dropped in August. It features production by the Mobb themselves and others including Kanye West and Alchemist.
“We just started Infamous records. We’re trying to get our label situated and start getting some big paper off of this shit. This is what we been working for, doing this all these years. The Amerika’s Nightmare album is the first album on our label. We got Big Noyd’s album coming out on Infamous, Littles, he’s a new artist coming out of Queensbridge, and we got Alchemist album coming out too,” said Prodigy. “Me and Havoc are going to start dropping our solo albums together from now on. When the next solo album comes it’s going to be a double album. It’s going to be H.N.I.C. and H.A.V.O.C. album together.”

The Five Rules of Dating

2005-01-21T14:00:00.000-05:00

According to ShaHayes

There are various publication list the things that men and women should heed to when dating so I thought I would list the five top do’s and don’t of dating that would offer as a good pocket guide for the singles. Check it out.

1.Stop trying to date out of your league. If you are on welfare and your favorite store is Rainbow….Hello stop thinking you are going to end up with the top wide receiver for the Redskins, ain’t going to happen. He might hit you off, but will you not be his out in the public, take to the awards dinner girl, ain’t going to happen. Go ahead and find you a man named Shaquan, who wears a wife beater every day, gets up every morning and smoke and J and still thinks the white man is holding him back kind of guy, cause that will happen for you.

2.Why pass up a one night stand just because you think he won’t respect you. Hello, Ladies, let me clarify this because I know I will get a lot of flack because people will think I am promoting sexual promiscuity. All I am saying is this, if you are into a guy and yall been kissing and rubbing and touching all night and you stop in the midst because you don’t want to take it too far…hello that does not matter. If a man is into you then his maturity will determine whether not he will respect you. Not only that, can you just get yours and stop concerning yourself with how you are going to look to Shaquan.

3. Aren’t you grown, can you stop playing I aint to call first game. Okay, you had a wonderful date; you two could not stop talking. Weeks later as those other hands books of dating suggest you waited 3 months before having intercourse. The next day you find yourself pulling back because you don’t want to be “pressed” or you want to see where that person head is because someone has told you that if they are not calling you every day that equals that are not into you. Now, I do believe that after intimacy with a person, if they are not reciprocating the calls, then he or she may not be that into you, however, you will never know if you don’t pick up the phone. If he or she puts you off, let it go the first time but thereafter if he or she does it again, don’t assume just ask, Wassup! If they give a casual “oh nothing I just got a lot of things on my mind and if he or she does not include you in that, then you need to get off the phone and roll through your rolodex and call on Tyrone or Tenika and ask if they trying to hook up.

4. Have Fun. Stop trying to turn every date into a potential mate. If every date you gone on you may have this itemized list of the qualities you want in a mate and if they don’t fit them you are one foot out the door and with that you may never meet that person who is right for you. First off most people when you meet them, you are not really meeting them, you are meeting their representative. You are meeting the person who puts on all the airs and tries to make their self like the good candidate. Let yourself enjoy the person before you start asking what his platform is about and where he stands on health care. Some people once you get passed that shield, may or may not make for a long time potential mate but rather end up being a good person who you may find that you enjoy their company. However, if you are ready to get married and you have your colors and children’s names picked out, then yes weed out those people who posses qualities that you could not deal with. But try not to be so strict with what you want because you may miss out on that person who could be a potential mate.

5. The excuse there ain’t enough good black men or women is OVER. Guess who’s coming to dinner. Jesus, Valentino, Paulie or Maria, Becky, and Magada. There was a point in my life that I said I would never date out of my race and I was disgusted with any man or women but especially with men who did. Now that I am older, I realize that view is nothing but a narrow minded aspect of living. If it is Jesus or Becky who is going to make me you happy, then go for it. Life is too short to stay in a box that society…yes I am blaming society, but the reality is we believe that it is just our race who we are suppose to be with because we feel that a similar race is the one group who identifies with who we are as individuals. I remember I was talking with a friend joking with her about dating white men and she said to me, she thought about it, but it is hard for her to date someone who acts differently and likes different things then her. And I told her she would be constantly in search of happiness because she has such a narrow minded view on relationships. I am not saying that everyone should want to date outside their race and the only way to be happy is to date outside, all I want to convey is to stay open to the possibility because you never know who can make you happy.

For more information on dating email:
ShaHayesfe@aol.com

Streetz Magazine......Anniversary Issue

2005-01-17T17:07:00.000-05:00

The Butterfly Effect.....Ma$e

2005-01-17T17:06:00.000-05:00

By Carlito Thomas

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become anew. (II Corinthians 5:17)
Ladies & Gentleman I give you Mason Betha. The rapper turned Pastor, now has turned back to rapper. Ma$e has made all the rumors of his return official as he called into New York’s radio station Hot 97 to confirm his spot. Ma$e stated that it was time for him to come back to the game, surprisingly to his old Bad Boy empire. As some of you may remember he called Puffy the CEO of Bad Boy a devil. Let me take you on a journey threw the trials and tribulations of Mason Derelle Betha. Ma$e was born August 27, 1975 along with twin sister Stason in Jacksonville, Florida. Mrs. Betha moved her six children to Harlem, New York when the twins were about 3 years old. The slow flow rapper was your typical teen, not listening to moms, cutting school and chasing girls on 139th & Lenox. In high school Ma$e was a star basketball player for Manhattan Center High School along with his main man Cam’ron Giles the now man in pink (Killa Cam.) These two started rapping and formed a group called Children of the Corn, (Corn meaning corner). Another student at Manhattan High “Damon Dash” managed the two for a while before leaving them to pursue another rapper by the name of Lamont “Big L” Coleman R.I.P. As Ma$e went on to receive a full scholarship to a college in Westchester, New York, he returned to Harlem after only two semesters intent on pursuing a rap career. His twin sister Stase hooked him up with Cudda Love, who was then the road manager of the late great Notorious B.I.G. In 1996 Cudda took Ma$e down to Atlanta, where all the Hip Hop heavyweights were gathering for a rap convention. After a day or two down in Atlanta, Ma$e bumped into Sean Combs at the Hard Rock Café. After a brief introduction, Ma$e begin to spit his verbal bars for the Bad Boy CEO later that night he signed a $250,000 deal. Joining B.I.G to start a rap dynasty.
Biggie’s “Ready to Die” had been released two years earlier and is now a certified classic, Ma$e now has to step up and make his mark. The chance came when Puff decided to put him on a remix of the r & b group 112’s hit “Only You.” Then Ma$e did features and ghostwrote a lot of the hits for Puffy’s own “Cant Nobody Hold Me Down” which held fast at the number 1 spot of the Billboard charts for 25 weeks. Now the new Prince of Bad Boy, Ma$e began to live a life filled with champagne, marijuana and wild loose women. Along with all the glitz and glamour came the inevitable “haters.” The inventor of the phrase “PHD, Player Hater Degree” Ma$e became entangled in a nasty beef with legendary rapper Sean Carter a.k.a. Jay - Z. Back on his Harlem block Ma$e was almost killed as he was shot at in a botched robbery attempt. In 1997 Notorious B.I.G was gunned down while attending a party in California, this made Ma$e fear for his own safety. Even with the success of his quadruple platinum album “Harlem World” the young star was still unhappy and uneasy about the situation he was in and the current state of hip hop. On April 4th of 1999 he announce his retirement for the rap game. Five days later, he stood before an alter at the Salvation Deliverance Church in Harlem, broken down, crying as he accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior and pronounced “Ma$e is dead!” Two months after announcing his retirement Ma$e’s second solo effort “Double Up” hit stores. It was received with mixed reviews, you can hear the songs of betrayal and regret foreshadowed his decision. “From Scratch” he says “And for all the nights and all the fights/that I have, for all this money, over all these dice/ all my cars at home and al my ice/If I could do it all again, I’d do it all for Christ.” The rumors ran rampant “Ma$e is starting a cult in ATL” “ Ma$e is running scared of Jay-Z” “ It’s a publicity stunt” he’ll be back they said. Few believed the religious stuff was real and some still don’t. The playboy who was said “he’ll hit everything from Cancun to Grants tomb” was now embarking on a spiritual journey in hopes of undoing the damage he felt he had caused as a rapper. He went back to college pursuing a degree in Math. He held Bible session on campus and made several friends who he would later start S.A.N. E. with. A few months later Pastor Betha would hold his first service in an Atlanta-area Day’s Inn ballroom. Once he built up his congregation, they moved the ministry to a school auditorium coincidentally two blocks from his former boss’s restaurant Justin’s. Still needing $50,000 dollars to open the doors on their own building, Ma$e would willingly tell you it was his disobedience to God that put the church in a school instead of its own building. He says while he was on a 6 month 17 city crusade “Hell is Not Full,” God told him to ask people for large sums of money for his ministry, but he didn’t obey. He says he didn’t want folks to think he got in it (the ministry) for him. Ma$e met Twyla McInnis at Siloam Baptist Church during a prayer service. Not long after she forsook her high paying consultant job and began working in the offices of the S.A.N.E. Church. On May 20, 2001 Pastor Betha received an honorary doctorate of theology from St. Paul Bible Institute. That same day he announced his engagement to Twyla much to the chagrin apparently of many female churchgoers. The following Sunday the S.A.N.E auditorium was nearly empty. Ma$e says “that was the work of the devil.” Still battling his demons Ma$e’s mission is to show young people that living for Christ is not wack. Through his own admission he says he after getting saved he let himself go. Not getting haircuts, not exercising. Nowadays he clothes himself in tailored suits and rocks a Rolex, openly flouting the long held tenet that Christians must uphold an image of modesty. “I don’t wear stuff to be a show off,” he explains “I wear things so people will know my God keeps me up.” Mason believes the unsaved should see that God will reward faith with material pleasures. He rides a Range Rover and lives comfortable off of record royalties and donations from his flock and makes no apologies for it. Being broke doesn’t bring him any glory because he says that he (God) is a provider. Is this a rationale for materialism and greed? Maybe it is. Possibly it’s a contradiction in his thinking of being humble and all-inclusive. Certainly it’s not a new sermon, some theologians call it “positive thought materialism.”
Now lets fast-forward to the present with the announcement of Jay-Z’s retirement and the popularity of such acts as Kanye West, Dialated Peoples. The timing for a Mason Betha return would be good. Several months following reports of Ma$e’s return to Hip-Hop, his new single has hit radio and is creating a tremendous buzz. On “Welcome Back” the Harlem cat sounds like he has been here and never took a hiatus. Effortlessly spitting his signature lazy flow over a sample of the theme song from the 1970’s television show, Welcome Back Kotter. Noticeably missing is references of polygamy and flossing synonymous with the old Ma$e. Instead he rhymes on his changed life and his comeback without uttering a curse word. “Self controlled and I ain’t telling no lie/trying to find a soul mate you end up being soul tied/I make money man/without the coca/livin la vida without the loca,” Ma$e proclaims. Though a far cry from his previous material, the hook highlighted with children chanting, “Welcome Back” makes the track fit right into his radio friendly catalogue. Later on the track, the former pastor of Atlanta’s S.A.N.E Ministries comments on his lengthy absence. The chorus sings “The names have all changed since I’ve been around/but the game ain’t the same since I left out.” Early reports said that Ma$e was seeking a deal with Neely’s Fo’ Reel Entertainment, he made a surprise call to a radio station in New York in which P. Diddy was present. During the 5 minute interview, Ma$e confirmed his rumored return, declaring to Puff that he needs some new jewels because he has to be clean when he walks back into the game! Puff not one to shy away from the spotlight hinted that he has a Madison Square Garden reunion party in the works for the multi-platinum artist who has been gone from the game for 5 years. What does this mean for rappers who blatantly copied his slow flow? Don’t worry UPS is hiring! Now back in the limelight with his trademark smile, dripping in canary jewels and a new understanding of the game Ma$e feels that he cant lose.

Jim Jones Interview

2005-01-05T16:15:00.000-05:00

By: Pharoh Talib

“They say patience is a virtue and the best things come to those who wait!” Jim starts.

August 24, 2004 marks the day that Jim Jones a.k.a. “Capo.” co-CEO releases his long-awaited, solo, debut album, On my way to Church. Streetz was able to catch up with Jim Jones as he briefly came to DC on a promotional tour. Although Capo, along with the rest of the Harlem Diplomats have been on the mixtape scene for years, it took a long time for him to officially release his debut, solo album. So what were the reasons why it took so long for Jim Jones to step further into the limelight and release an album? Business and a lot of red tape! If fans were waiting for Jim Jones to sign with Rocafella and release an album, we would still be waiting. Jim Jones recently signed with Koch Records; the venture between Capo and Koch Records consist of services, which include marketing support and distribution.

Streetz: The name of your drink is Purple Sizzurp, what was the driving force behind you starting a drink?

Jim Jones: I just happened to be at the right place at the right time. I didn’t have any plans of seeking no business in liquor, I was just presented with the opportunity and I was witty enough to have the drink and to have the proper idea for the drink.

Streetz: There were some people opposing the release of your drink, like Minister Paul Scott. Did you have any other opposition?

Jim Jones: No. That’s the minister’s job. I hope he would boycott Seagram’s, Hennessey and Remy Martin like he wants to boycott my drink. I’m just a black man trying to make a dollar, smell me. I’m trying to be and entrepreneur. I don’t force no liquor down nobody’s throat but that’s just business.

Streetz: You have a club in Houston, how is that working out?

Jim Jones: The club in Houston, I had to shut down for a little while. I don’t know if I’ll open it back up but it worked out pretty good and I had a ball while I was doing it.

Streetz: on entrepreneurship, DC was named second best city for a black person to live in or start a business. Do you have any plans to bring any business to D.C. (being that this is Chocolate City)?

Jim Jones: I didn’t have any plans; D.C. is not one of the cities that I frequent as much as other city so I really don’t know what the demographics of what’s going on here. But I’m a money maker so, if there is money involved and there is a good opportunity for me to make some profit then shit I’m setting up in D.C. too, you know what I mean!

Streetz: With so many artists releasing clothing lines, shoe lines Cam is releasing a hat with New Era; do you have any plans to start your own clothing line?

Jim Jones: Um, yea we got a clothing line, me and Cam. Me and Cam got a clothing line; Cam’s my partner in everything that you see from him, me or Juelz. So the hat was designed by me. So everything that goes on, we go hard! We got the clothing line; we got the Sizzurp we got a couple of other things that I don’t want people to know that I own. We do a lot of things.

Streetz: Let’s talk about you album; the name is on my way to church and its due drop the 24th, so how does it feel to finally drop your album?

Jim Jones: They say patience is a virtue and the best things come to those who wait, you understand. With the waiting there is a lesson also; it’s a blessing now. It feels good to say I finally have my album out. I did what a lot of people said that I couldn’t do, you know what I mean, so I’m content.

Streetz: You played to business role for so long; what made you step further into the limelight and begin to rap?

Jim Jones: Um, I always was doing music but, I was never that real hard up about it because I wanted Cam for him to pop off properly and he went to Rocafella and had platinum success. Then we got our label, and Juelz got hot, and we did Juelz album, and then it was time for me to start to dig and work on my rap career now. I had stepped to a couple of majors with the price I felt I deserved, they wasn’t feelin’ me so I gave them my ass to kiss! And I went and got myself hot and, with that, in turn me and Cam said that we would do something different for the game as far as New York. And we did like Lil Jon and them do down South and we stepped to Koch and we got our numbers and it’s a beautiful thing! We took our knowledge from the majors and bring it over there to Koch and all they knowledge and business of what they do and how they operate it just worked out.

Streetz: So what is the feel of the album, is there any particular feel, is it all over the place?

Jim Jones: If you know my music, I like to categorize as Ryder Music, you know what I mean. I’m from the big city where it never sleeps, and everybody is always moving, you dig.

Streetz: Who’s on the album, any collabos?

Jim Jones: TI, Lil’ Flip, Bun B, Bizzy Bone, Chico Debarge, the whole Diplomat family Cam, Juelz, J R Writer, Bezel.

Streetz: Is there anyone you didn’t get a chance to with?

Jim Jones: Tupac, Biggie and Easy E.

Streetz: With that being said, I heard what happened on the radio (Hot 97)?

Jim Jones: What happened over the radio?

Streetz: Well, through the grapevine, I heard that you called in. You called in first while Mase was on the Morning Show, then Cam called in but I wanted to get it from the horse’s mouth because I wasn’t able to hear it. So what happened what went down?

Jim Jones: Um, nothing, just the Reverend was talking a little reckless on the radio. I can’t have my name slandered so I had to call up and tell the people some of the truths about the lies that he was saying and the media took it out of proportion for me to use it as a publicity stunt but it was just me being me, you know what I mean. I don’t like to feel like my back is against the wall cause I know how to do is fight. But that was also a nigga I once knew so I just approached the minister, just to let him know, smell me, its not that sweet. You aren’t going to just disappear for five years and come back and try to discredit us for what we have been doing.

Streetz: And with that being said, how do you feel about your album and his album being released on the same day, the 24th?

Jim Jones: Um, the slogan is truth from the thug, the lies from a preacher. August 24, on my way to church. The decision is yours. So, I am not really tripping, smell me!

Streetz: So how are things on the home front? How’s Freaky? How’s Hell Rell?

Jim Jones: Hell Rell just came home this past week, Friday the 13th. Freaky Zeeky is on a bit of a vacation. He’ll be home in a minute though. And the whole family the whole Dip Set is doing good.

Streetz: And my last question, what does the future hold for Jim Jones?

Jim Jones: Um, I don’t know, whatever it is Jim is willing to do. Right now I am stuck in this rap game. Trying to make my music trying to make the people feel me. It’s been a lot of people misleading my niggas in the hood and my youth coming up. They are glamorizing the wrong things. I know we all came up hard but you know!

1-900-HUSTLER

2005-01-05T15:04:00.000-05:00

By Ms. Tibbs

During an interview on New York’s Hot 97 Mase, Jim Jones and Cam got in a heated debate, questioning Mase’s authenticity. On air, Mase recalled the cause of his split with Cam. The incident began when Mase claimed he offered to split a $50,000 fee for appearing in Cam’s 1998 hit “Horse-n-Carriage,” instead of him doing the song for free. Jones called the show enraged. "I will do it to you duke," Jones said. " I don't like you. You shouldn't have came out your mouth. I'll put some dentures in your mouth. Go back down south with your congregation. Tell the truth. For you to sit there and lie...you are a reverend.” Jones also charged that Mase left the game due to pressures from individuals in Harlem who extorted him. Mase eventually gathered himself and denied the charges that he was forced out of Harlem. Mase explained that he had already purchased land in Atlanta and was planning to move. Continuing, he stated, that after a close friend was stabbed, he headed down south and that it had nothing to do with cats forcing him to leave. “People grow up, I don’t have time for that,” Mase said. “[During commercial break] I was praying for Jimmy, I love them dudes. It’s just sad when people don’t understand.” Cam called in shortly afterwards, questioning Mase’s motives for returning to the rap game. “I’m just not into the lies I'm into the truth and that’s it. The only thing you did was took me to counseling, you broke out on everybody and left. That’s what you do, you did it before and you’re gonna do it again,” Cam stated on air. “I’m not a chump like that. [Mase], tell them how you called me and asked me to do an album last week,” Cam told Mase. Cam even called Mase a fraud and said that he had a tape of one of Mase’s sermons, where he said rap music “is the devil.” “You’re a reverend lying. I was there," Cam said. "You said rap is the devil at your speeches in church. I got it on tape…and [now] you’re rapping [again],” he said. “The reverend is up there lying. I wish you the best of luck, stop lying.” Mase rebutted, calling them thin-skinned. Mase did admit to Cam's accusations surrounding his statements about rap but said, “When I think about how the people need what I have to say [I changed my view]. It’s just like money.

Clone Wars......Pharrell From The Neptunes

2005-01-05T14:27:00.000-05:00

Words by Carlito
Interview by Neicy Overton

Traveling south on interstate 264 will bring you to a place known for lovers…but if you take another look you will see music lovers and your eyes will be focused on a small framed skateboarder at heart by the name of Pharrell Williams. Virginia Beach is the breeding ground of some of urban music’s most influential notables: Missy, Timberland, and Teddy Riley. The latter is the one that spotted Pharrell at a local talent show he, Teddy, was holding at a nearby high school in which he let Pharrell’s group perform. The group consisted of Pharrell and his high school band mate Chad Hugo and two singers. Though Riley liked what he saw and signed the group “Neptunes” to his Lil’ Man Records. Riley did not have the immediate backing of a major label to put out acts but Pharrell looked at this as an opportunity to craft his skills. Williams and Hugo began hanging around the studio, learning the ropes, and contributing to Riley’s various projects. Remember Teddy Riley’s verse on the old school classic “New Jack Swing?” Guess who ghostwrote that? You guessed it – Pharrell. However, the Neptune’s were getting restless. Therefore, Chad and Pharrell left to be independent producer for hire, briefly getting a deal with EMI, which quickly ended just as fast as it got started. Pharrell was stuck with a lot of ideas and concepts but no one could see his vision. “Your sound is psychedelic”, record companies said, “too spacey.” After producing a couple of tracks for SWV, “Use Your Heart” and “When This Feeling”, along came a guy called Puffy. Puff hired the duo for the classic album “Harlem World”.
Pharrell could feel the fire burning and believed this could be the break they needed to get them to musical dominance. Hip-Hop has always been known for trend setting so the Neptune’s original polyrhythmic sound sent the game into a whirlwind. N.O.R.E set things off with “Super Thug” followed by the ODB hit “Got Your Money” with their soon to be protégé Kelis singing the hook. As they began to get more notoriety, Pharrell wanted more. “I used to beg record companies for some exposure in the videos”, he exclaimed.
The millennium launched Pharrell into orbit where he shows no signs of returning to earth, with hits like Jay-Z’s “I Just Wanna Love Ya’” and Mystikal’s “Shake Ya’ Ass”, Snoop’s “Beautiful”, Busta’s “Pass the Courvoisier, Part 2”, and Nelly’s “Hot In Herre”. Not one to be confined to one style, we cannot forget hits such as N’Sync’s “Girlfriend” and Usher’s “U Don’t Have to Call”, these two singles capped off a good year for the duo gaining them two Grammy awards.
With all the accolades and success a person could want, Pharrell, never one to stand out in a crowd never changed his low-key image of a t-shirt and shorts with skateboard sneakers and trucker’s hat. Pharrell has the music world adapting to his style, which is why he adopted the moniker N.E.R.D (No One Ever Really Dies) for the trio’s (himself, Chad and the seldom seen Shay Haley) first group project “ In Search of…” The album was a far cry from what the average hip-hop fan was use to: an eclectic mixture of rock, hip-hop and funk. “It’s a different style and only real heads will be able to ride to it.” Last year the Neptunes blessed us with “The Neptunes Present: Clones” and the lead Pharrell single “Frontin”. With the help of his buddy Jay-Z lending a flawless eight bars Pharrell sang his well renowned falsetto tone to an impressive 700 radio spins per week, and also garnered platinum status for the album. So after a platinum debut and charting everyone from Britney to Justin to Janet to Jay-Z, you must know by now that Pharrell AKA “Fa real” is the truth and any artist wanting to sell records may want a Neptunes credit somewhere on their album.
Even with the successful navigation, recent situations caused turbulence on the Star Trak Enterprise. One starting with the shufflings going on within the music industry, the Captain Kirk (Pharrell) has gathered the troops on his ship (The Clipse, Roscoe P. [Coldchain], & Fam-Lay) and moved the Star Trak imprint from Arista records to conquer a new mission at Interscope. With the move comes a few pitfalls, former label mate Kelis has left Star Trak to pursue her career elsewhere. Also, the newest album from N.E.R.D, “Fly or Die”, is getting a decent reception from fans - selling
340, 000 copies in its first 10 weeks. The group’s first single “She Wants To Move” is what Pharrell calls “punk soul”. This is a bold move creatively but commercially it has been lukewarm while being hailed a masterpiece by their dedicated fan base.

“The Neptunes are who we are and N.E.R.D is what we do.”

Streetz: What is the message that you are trying to push?

Pharrell: Ain’t really no real message behind it ya know? I think messages will come to each of you after a while…you just have to make some good music. Once you get started in explaining what it is…I don’t know it just changes all the time.

Streetz: Where did it come from?

Pharrell: The name…N.E.R.D. We wanted to celebritize the term and then we made it an acronym to add some substance behind it.

Streetz: Your source of inspiration, where does it come from?

Pharrell: Life, everyday experiences.

Streetz: Earlier in the year a lot of major labels merged. You were apart of Arista and you are now with Interscope, what’s going on with your acts like the Clipse and Kelis? Are you guys still gonna be working with them? Or…?

Pharrell: Kelis is doing her own thing, know what I’m sayin. We endorse that 100% and the Clipse is coming over there with us at [Interscope].

Streetz: What are some of the new projects we should be looking out for?

Pharrell: Clipse “Hell Hath No Fury”, Fam-Lay and his album is called “Train of Gold” and Roscoe P. [Coldchain] “Don’t Mess With My Cash” - look out for that. I got new beats coming out this summer, look out for Jadakiss, new Nelly…

Streetz: That leads me to my next question; I know for Nelly’s “Hot in Herre” you sampled DC legend Chuck Brown. What is your whole view on Maryland, DC and VA comin’ up in the game?

Pharrell: Lovely but it’s not really where you’re from just do what you do and chase the stars. It really doesn’t matter man, people can’t really hold you down when you got people behind you. You just have to make a name for yourself and another thing is, we be going to these crazy remote areas where there is like three mailboxes in the whole fuckin’ town and they be like, “We’re having a hard time getting in[to] the music industry.” Yeah! You probably would have just as hard of [a] time playing for the Chicago Bulls if you lived on the moon. You have to put yourself in the market and you have to market yourself as hard as you can. You have to study your craft cuz a lot of people get bent on one demo like, “Yo! I got a super tight demo”, but before you know it the cat was working on the shit for five years and the shit is super dated. Like niggas don’t even wear they jeans the same as you did when you put the demo together.

Sex and the Streetz.....“You Don’t Know My Name”

2005-01-05T13:29:00.000-05:00

By ShaHayes

“You Don’t Know My Name”

Summer is coming to a close and it feels good to get in my ride and roll the windows down just enough to feel the warm breeze. A cruise around the block is nothing without some hot tunes, I turned the radio on and the sounds of my jam came bellowing out of my speakers… “Baby, Baby, Babeee”. Riding down the road blasting the hot Alicia Keys song, I thought about the lyrics in her song. In an old school feel, Alicia sings about a man she has an attraction to and she contemplates saying something to him, not knowing if he will reciprocate her feelings. This song made me wonder if the expectation of a man approaching a woman has become a thing of the past. Should women start approaching men and asking for their phone numbers and taking them out on dates? Has the millennium created a new wave of courting or has this been something that has been going on long before Alicia Keys made it so sound so good her in hit “You Don’t Know my name?” Should women start riding down the road yelling out to men, “hey baby, wassup I like the way you move? Will men now start expecting women to pick up the tab or buy them drinks at the club?

Asia, a twenty-nine year old Administrative Assistant said, “What happened to the romance? It’s like you have to approach a man or send a drink over to get their attention. I don’t like it. I believe that men are intimated by independent women and they are afraid to approach us, so we have to make that extra effort.” Women are also taking on a new approach at dating and proposing marriage to men. Have women given men this indication of dating that they can lower their efforts because they think women no longer want to be courted? The other night I was out at restaurant with a few friends and a man walked over to talk to me and after exchanging a few words, he gave me his card and told me to call him. I returned the exchange with my card and said, “Give me a call.” He replied that he would not call me, and that I needed to call him. I explained to him that I would like to be courted and he said that I am not going to chase you. After laughing inside for a minute, I told him that unless he called me, then we would never speak. He then replied well, give me my card back. I extended my hand to give him his card and he looked down at it and said, “No keep it you might change your mind.” George a thirty-year-old Music Producer said, “It makes you appreciate a woman more, when she pays the bill or at least makes the effort. I believe that the women who are asking men out or proposing are those types of women who are not waiting for a man to make the first move. I believe that women want to show men that times has changed and that they are not Cinderella. But with all that said, I do believe it is man’s job to treat a woman like a queen.”

email: ShaHayesFE@aol.com

Streetz Magazine......"Crush Of The Month"...Anniversary Issue

2005-01-05T11:10:00.000-05:00

CRUSH OF THE MONTH!!