Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Dr Boyce Lays Down Economic Advice for Rappers

boycewpict

Hip-Hop Wired’s Michael “Ice-Blue” Harris recently sat down with scholar Dr. Boyce Watkins. The Syracuse University Financial Professor and advocate for African-Americans obtaining education and economic empowerment and warrior against racial injustice goes in on a few topics affecting Black America in the first of many insightful interviews.

HipHopWired: As far as Hip-Hop is concerned, you’ve been one of the people who….you’re part of the Hip-Hop generation, you speak to the Hip-Hop generation without criticizing but you do point out some of the things that are wrong. What are some of the changes you think we as men need to step up and do with the music?

Boyce Watkins: We need to stop being high paid hoes and learn how to be pimps. The truth is that…I actually wrote an article about this literally three days ago. Basically I created a hypothetical conversation between a rapper, a hypothetical rapper named Cash Money and the record label. Basically, Cash Money’s going to the executive and he’s saying, “Oh I know that my last album, Booties, Hoes and Bitches did real well on the charts but I’ve been thinking that this stuff’s not positive and I want to do something more positive next time, so I’m gonna do an album called Studying, Homework and Better Grades…” or something like that. I was just being silly so the executive is basically saying, “You know that’s a great idea Cash Money, I really feel ya dawg but the thing is that Booties, Hoes and Bitches sold two million copies last time and our projections show that the people who follow you, they want more booties, extra hoes and many more bitches so we’re thinking that that would be a great album title for your next release.

Click to read more.

Sunday, June 14, 2009

TI and Tupac: What do they have in common?

by Dr Boyce Watkins

We all know that the rapper TI recently began his 366 day prison sentence in an Arkansas prison. Merged with the brilliance of TI is the darker side of his existence, the part that makes him willing to risk losing his family and freedom in the midst of all of the chaos in the hip hop industry.

In this conversation for The Bottom Line with Dr. Boyce, we discuss the broader meaning behind TI's arrest, as well as how TI's experience reflects the state of rap music in America. There is also the question of whether or not "keeping it real" is actually good business, and whether TI is actually remorseful for his personal choices.

We can broaden the discussion to other issues in hip hop as well: Is it right that Rick Ross has been penalized for not being a criminal? Does TI have a lot in common with Tupac (beyond the fact that they are both talented artists)? If so, how can he be sure to avoid Tupac's fate? We explore all this and more.

Click to read more.

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Queen Latifah is doing the damn thing for BET

The party won't stop after the BET Awards are over, and Queen Latifah (Lah-TEE'-fah) will be around to make sure of it.

The entertainer is hosting the network's post-awards televised bash, which will air after the live show June 28.

Beyonce (bee-AHN'-say) and T.I. are the top nominees for the BET Awards with five each. The show will be hosted by another nominee — Jamie Foxx.

Beyonce and Foxx are also set to perform along with acts like Maxwell and Ne-Yo (NEE-yo).

Lady Drama: Why is Beyonce still with Jay Z?

In the latest episode of “YourBlackGossip with Lady Drama”, Lady Drama breaks down Bobby Brown’s latest stunt, why in the world Beyonce would want to be Jay Z and why Kelis has just lost her damn mind.

Click here to watch!

Monday, June 8, 2009

Want to see some amazing dance moves?

Click the image to watch!

 

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Dr Boyce and Charlamagne: Was it right for the Mob to Beat the Alleged Rapist?

Today, "Charlamagne Tha God" (morning host for 100.3 The Beat, Philadelphia) and I discussed the case in which Jose Carrasquillo, a man wanted for raping an 11-year old girl, was caught and beaten into critical condition by a mob of people from a Philadelphia neighborhood. The mob held the alleged perpetrator until police arrived and the Philadelphia police department is now compiling evidence to show that Carrasquillo was indeed the man they were looking for.

When is vigilante justice acceptable and when has it gone over the line? Did the mob do the right thing or should they be prosecuted for their behavior?

"While mob violence is never inherently preferable to formal justice, black women have never been the beneficiaries of government protection," says Dr. Marc Lamont Hill of Columbia University, who was born and raised in Philadelphia. "Although the police were clearly on the case, the community nonethless had a reasonable fear that justice would not prevail without a slight push and kick."

Cooperating with police is critical if we are to get crimes solved in our neighborhoods, and standing up for our children is the best way to ensure that our kids remain safe. As much as we don't want to support the idea of mob justice, the truth is that there is a difference between legality and morality, especially when faced with daunting levels of crime in many black and brown neighborhoods across America. My father always said that he would gladly go to prison to save his children and I don't think that made him a bad father.

"It's a shame that it had to come to the community taking justice in their own hands, but what do you do when you are ignored and made second class?" said hip hop artist and community activist Vigalantee, who has seen his own Kansas City, KS community devastated by gun violence.

Click to read on AOL Black Voices

Monday, June 1, 2009

Lady Drama Updates on TI and more

Lady Drama breaks down the situation between TI and Tiny, and wonders if Pretty Ricky is just a little bit gay.  Click the image to watch!