Browsing: Young Dawns
Def Poetry Jam brought a lot of great young and older poets to the mainstream. One of those poets is Rives. Here he performs a piece about the poetry of his hearing impairing students called Def Jam.
Playing for Change is a multimedia movement that uses music to break down barriers and connect people. They conduct benefit concerts and perform around the world. Here’s a great video of great song for a great cause.
For more info, check out their website playingforchange.com
or
Twitter page: @playing4change
Here’s a little international flavor. YG Entertainment is a record label in South Korea that specialized in K-Pop (Korean pop music) and hip hop alternative. Seven, or Se7en, is a popular artist on the label who has made a name for himself in Korea and throughout Asia. He was featured on Amerie’s song Take Control in 2007 and he’s worked with rapper Fabolous and producers Rich Harrison and Darkchild among others. Below checkout his performances of Digital Bounce (featuring T.O.P. of the Korean boy band Big Bang) and Better Together. Also, check him out singing with Amerie below.
Se7en performing Digital Bounce ft. Big Bang and Better Together
Se7en featured on Amerie’s Take control
Check him out on Twitter: @officialse7en
ETA: Se7en’s new song and video: I’m Going Crazy
Greeks have a great tradition in stepping. Check out some great shows below.
Alpha Phi Alpha
Phi Beta Sigma at Georgia State University
Alpha Kappa Alpha
Some of our most popular Black shows and movies have had Greek life involved in some way, however small; think Gina from Martin.
Check the videos for below for more direct references:
School Daze
Fresh Prince of Bel Air
A Different World
As a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. I understand the interest in all Black Greek Letter Organizations and more specifically, the interest in stepping. If you don’t look closely, you’d think all we do is step and stroll. I wanted to showcase some of the great work we do out in communities such as reading to children, mentoring, clothes drives, street cleanup and so on and so on. It proved a little more difficult than finding step show videos.
Coming soon, Blackgreek.tv seeks to show all sides of Greek life.
Until then, check out the videos below for another side of Greek life:
Alpha’s from Mu Chi, Gamma Xi and orgs. from Dominguez Hills spoke about college, education and the future to H.S. students
Rory Mckinney of The Theta Alpha Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc. @ Henderson State University, Competing in the Oratorical competition @ the 2009 Southwestern Regional Conferenece in Little Rock, Ar
Bobbye Mathews gives a dynamic speech a Southern University’s Meet The Greeks.
Each Friday, I’ll be bringing you a set of themed posts. I can’t think of a catchy name right now, so if you can, let me know in the comments, on Twitter @llcjones or email ljones@emqnetworks.com. Also, feel free to give me any feedback or let me know any cool things you’ve seen around the net that we could feature here.
Today’s Friday theme is Greek Life. Greeks, you’ll recognize the poem below, even if you’re not Greek, this poem has a great message. Then check out Kanye West’s School Spirit. His roll call in the song can be heard at step and yard shows all around the country.
If
by Rudyard Kipling
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise;
If you can dream – and not make dreams your master;
If you can think – and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build ‘em up with wornout tools;
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: “Hold on”;
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings – nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run -
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And – which is more – you’ll be a Man my son!
Kanye West-School Spirit
Love this:
“I don’t really think i just walk” -paris hilton
“The unexamined life is not worth living” -socrates
“If I could, I would tie your arms to a daydream and then auction you off to my fondest memories”
This summer, I had the chance to see Rudy Francisco perform these two poems. He had the audience in the palm of his hands. Ladies hung on every word, and guys took notes.
Rudy has many accomplishments, one of which is placing 3rd in the 2009 Individual World Poetry Slam Competition.
Check his work below:
Rudy Francisco-Scars
Rudy Francisco-Love Poet
Check him out on FaceBook: Rudy Francisco
Drake adds his twist to TLC’s “Fanmail” with his “I Get Lonely Too” for his upcoming R&B mixtape. He redoes it pretty much word for word. The main difference lies in the delivery and feel.
TLC’s original, produced by Dallas Austin, is more spastic and busy, indicative of that era in ‘99 where Timbaland and Missy were in their prime.
Drake’s, produced by 40, is more calm and indicative of the current style that Kanye West introduced and of which Drake has made a name for himself.
The other obvious difference is the harmonies, TLC has them of course and Drake doesn’t.
Take a listen to both below:
Drake -I Get Lonely Too
TLC-Fanmail