How to Eat Like a Dominican

Boil codfish (that's my mother)


sautee herring in pan. don't forget the onions!


Knead the dough and make circular pieces (my Auntie)



(l) Fry the dough in oil. (r)Boil cocoa


homemade cocoa tea...yum

and de kitchen not just for cooking, nuh. you gotsta get dooooown to some soca and calypso(my brother and mother)




clockwise, starting from the right: bakes, smoked herring, ham, sal'fish, ginger beer, sorrel

Artists of the Year

Artist of the Year: an artist who I was feeling. this does not mean they broke through or dropped an album this year. it just means i was rockin harder to their music than anyone else's. an artist of the year can be a contemporary pop star or a blues singer from the 20s.

disclaimer > So I know I named B.o.B. as my artist of the year earlier on, but I jumped the gun. I had concert afterglow: when you go to a realllllly really good show, and you think the artist is more amazing than they actually are, but then you calm down and put it in perspective. However, B.o.B. is great, and made the cut this year. here are the top 5 artists who kept me jamming throughout 2008...

#1 - NNEKA


Born in Nigeria and based in Germany, Nneka is a stylistically diverse, politically inclined English-language neo-soul singer reminiscent of Erykah Badu. Born Nneka Egbuna in Warri, Nigeria, in 1981, she immigrated at age 19 to Hamburg, Germany, with plans to study anthropology. Influenced by the towering legacies of Fela Kuti and Bob Marley as well as by contemporary urban American artists such as Mos Def and Lauryn Hill, she also pursued a career in music upon arriving in Germany. In time she met and began working closely with DJ Farhot and made her recording debut in 2005 with The Uncomfortable Truth, an introductory five-song EP followed later in the year by the full-length album Victim of Truth. The album spawned a series of singles ("The Uncomfortable Truth," "Beautiful," "God of Mercy," "Africans") and set the stage for her follow-up album, No Longer at Ease (2008), and its lead single, "Heartbeat," which became her first single to break into the German Top 50. ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide




this is the first song i heard by her that had me hooked, "Heartbeat"


click >>> Nneka's Myspace page!

#2 - Digable Planets


#3 - B.o.B.

#4 - Stevie Wonder

#5 - Beyoncé
......................................................


Honorable Mentions: Van Hunt, Solange

Keith Powell

i'm gonna start spotlighting Black people making strides in the professional world. In the media, Black people are overrepresented in negative and stereotypical images, and underrepresented in positive ones (not an opinion, a fact backed by statistical data), resulting in a distorted view of reality. i don't know what to call this feature yet, so for now it's "Black people doing their thing" lol, i promise i'll come up with a better name. i will try to include people from a wide array of professions, but i have a feeling most will be involved in the media to some extent, since that is my passion. breaking into the industry is hard for anyone, but Black people face even more obstacles, and i admire the ones who are jumping those hurdles and trying to change things.
So here's the first spotlight!


Keith Powell, also known as, "the OTHER Black guy on 30 Rock" (30 Rock airs Thursday nights on NBC, really funny show). My favorite comedic actor right now.

Here's one of his shorts, called "Terrific", a satirical look at what Black actors face at auditions.



and here's a silly spoof he did on Tyler Perry's "Why Did I Get Married?" called "Why Did I Bang That Ho?"


Check out more of his stuff at his website, and his YouTube Channel, PowellToThePeople.

2nd time around

I'm not crazy about University City, and the freezing rain put a little damper on it, but date number 2 was great! i was reminded how much i suck at pool, and how much fun it can be to really connect with someone. i won't go into details, it's not that serious yet.

stay tuned for date #3! lol
_______________________________________________________

jammers of the week: Thievery Corporation. they're just too darn talented

Free Mumia!

sorry the clip is so short. my camera battery was low.

The annual Free Mumia rally was yesterday. I marched from City Hall to Independence Hall alongside justice fighters. It was painfully cold outside, but it was worth it. pics coming soon!
_______________________________________________________

oh and I went on a really cute date last night. We saw Four Christmases which isn't my type of movie, but it turned out to be kinda funny. but back to reality: 11 days until finals are over. I will be spending the next 4 days confined to the Tech Center :(

Palabra Girl?

Before I had to do my assignment on Black superheroes, I was convinced that WordGirl was of color. When I first started watching it, I thought she was White, because... well, 99.9% of people and characters on televison are. She looks like a grown up version of Dora the Explorer, so I say she's Latina/Hispanic (pick whichever term you prefer). Yes, her name is BECKY BOTSFORD, lol, which really screams American White girl, but after looking at her family more closely I saw that they were of a noticeably darker shade than everyone else on the show (except for the Black people of course).
I wonder why the creator made this conscious decision to color them this way? Is it supposed to be progressive? Usually in cartoons, it is clearly laid out, when a character is not White. For example, the guy Wordgirl has a crush on is Asian, and they gave him a stereotypical Asian last name. On Clifford The Big Red Dog, they make sure we know that the Black kid is West Indian: they give his father the accent, make references to Trinidad. Whatever the reason I think it's good for children's shows to have colorful casts that better reflect society.

cold

Misty Knight - i'm writing a paper on her for my Black Media class. influenced by Blaxploitation, so she's a stereotypical badass

..............................................

being quiet doesn't shield you from confrontation. I don't think i could be more peaceful, yet people always manage to piss me off. i've had many reasons for jumping from job to job, but most of all it's been about the people i have to work with. after awhile i get annoyed by the sight of their faces and the sound of their voices. i was hoping this wouldn't happen at my new job, but tonight it did. i'm gonna stick to my word and stay though.

i think my landlord is withholding heat until i pay my rent. so for now i keep my blowdryer nearby to stay warm. i went to pick up my checks on wednesday, and the office was closed (when it was supposed to be open), and they had some bullshit excuse about it being the holidays. Hmm I never knew Thanksgiving EVE was a fucking holiday. I still had to work a full shift that day, and so did most people.

him

i want you by Erykah

I I I I I I I
Want you you you you you you you
Oh, I I I I I I I
Want you you you you you you you

so, what we gon' do
what we gon' do
what we gon' do
What we gon' do

I I I I I I I
Want you you you you you you you
Oh, I I I I I I I
Want you you you you you you you

In the worst kinda way way way way way way way
I want you you you you, baby
so what we gon' do do do, baby
what we gon' do do do, baby


Love is on the way, all I got to say is
It wont let go
You can pray to early May, fast for 30 days
Still it wont let go, oh
Got a good book and got all in it, tried a little yoga for a minute
But it wont let go, oh
Tried to turn the sauna up to hotter, drunk a whole jar of holy water
But it wont let go, oh


I I I I I I I
Want you you you you you you you
Said I I I I I I
I said what we gon' do

In the worst kinda way way way way way way way
I want you you you you, baby
so what we gon' do, baby
so what we gon' do, baby


Love is on the way, all I got to say is
It wont let go
You can pray to early May, fast for 30 days
Still it wont let go, oh
Got good book and got all in it, tried a little yoga for a minute
But it wont let go, oh
Tried to turn the sauna up to hotter, drank a whole jar of holy water
But it wont let go, oh


I I I, baby
Want you you you, baby
so what we gon' (uh) do do do do do do do do do do do do do

I I I I I I I
Want you you you you you you you
I I I I I I
So what we gon' do

In the worse kinda way way way way way way way
I want you you you you, baby
so what we gon' do
now what we gon' do


(Now what we gone do)
I know you're a little nervous
(what we gone do)
I know you really want this
(what we gone do)
I can't believe the feeling
(what we gone do)
I feel it all over, feel it all over
(said what we gone do)
babe, yeah baby
(so what we gone do)
You don't believe in love, you missing a good thing
(so what we gone do)
Because I'm---say
Because I'm genuine, I'm genuine, yeah
(so what we gone do)
yeah baby

I don't want no trouble
Just a little loving (yeah)
I want to get to know ya (yeah)
I don't want your money (yeah)
You oughta get to know me (yeah)
My love'll make you wonder (yeah)
And lightning a thunder (yeah)
I get it from my mama (yeah)


Oh, I I I I I I I
I Want you you you you you you you
do do do do do do do
Now what we gon' do



I I I I I I I
I want you you you you you you you
Oh I I I I I I I
Want you you you you you you you

..............

Me: i got it, i got it bad

post-election post

nevermind the ignorant commentary in the background. on to the important stuff...

I support Barack Obama. I believe that he is passionate about rebuilding a country in desperate need.

there's nothing wrong with having hope, but some fanatics are wide-eyed, naive and wayyyy too optimistic. I'm not a pessimist, i'm a realist.

In one week, Philadelphia saw two huge celebrations. One for the Phillies and one for Obama. The city watched with excitement as the Phillies won the World Series. Fans cheered in the streets, we had a parade, and everyone was rockin Phillies gear. Then the hype subsided, and we all went back to life as usual. My fear is that Barack's victory is being treated the same way; as an event with a definitive ending and without any significant bearing on our everyday lives thereafter.


People are hanging up their Obama shirts and throwing away their Obama signs. The visibilty of support is fading. i'm not saying we have to walk around showcasing it, but i fear that our energy and dedication to his mission is fading as well. I hate to sound cliche but nothing is over. this really is the beginning. You cant just say okay, he's in office, now we're gonna sit on our asses and let him fix everything by himself. That's absurd. One of the points he drives home is community service. if you truly want to see real change, you need to think about what YOU can do to make that a reality.
It is a common and dangerous idea that Obama will step into office and wave a magic wand and all will be well. The quality of life for many American citizens has been on a steady decline for years, and it will take years to turn that around.



to my brothers and sisters:
this system was founded in racism, and after hundreds of years and minimal progress, it continues to function under racism. everyone who was racist before November 4, 2008 is still a racist today. they did not change overnight. hopefully Obama will address racial hierarchy and inequality in an unprecendented way. but the pressing issues right now are the economy and the wars on terror. a half-Black man in the office is a small step towards a better future. however, he has an entire country to serve, and if you think he is our Black savior, you're in for a disappointment. don't get me wrong. i'm happy to see a person of color in office, and it is a sign of a new time in our country, and the world. but... the system of racial hierarchy remains firmly in place... and, plenty of those people who voted for Obama, did so because they agree with his policies, or because they just disliked McCain more. but that doesn't mean they see us as their equals. many of them still would not want us living next door to them, clutch their bags when we are near, tell Black jokes, and I could go on and on. I read a disturbing article in the City Paper about racist whites who voted for Obama and still called him a nigger. We cant walk around with an overestimated sense of progress.

Obama victory celebration

this isn't anything special. just a bunch of honking and screaming. it's not the best, but hey, i never said i was a filmmaker.

Philadelphia Phillies World Series Champions

My parade coverage for class:


videos of the post-game rally as soon as my computer stops acting up

Troc

Chillin at the Troc

current jamming


Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth


Looptroop

?uestlove and vice presidential street battle

real talk

Hip Hop Live Tour!!!!!

Talib Kweli + David Banner + B.O.B. + Rhythmn Roots All-Stars = WOW


Quiad





Talib Kweli bangin' on ya EARDRUM!

B.O.B. - JAMMER OF THE YEAR!

this kid takes the cake. i don't care if there's 2 months left in the year, it's a wrap. no one is topping the magic i witnessed at this show. i'll be honest, i was very skeptical, like...some 19-year-old from Atlanta? he's probably on some soulja boy type shit. nah, not even close.


David Banner :D


more pics from the show coming really, really, really, really soon

Buccaneer Joe's Unburied Treasure!

Monday's usually suck, but this semester i like Mondays. I only have one class, and it's my favorite class, and it's really early in the morning, so I have the whole day to do whatever. today i went to Center City to get some photo assignments done. i got a Barack pin from this really cool old lady named Pearl, selling them on a corner


"I just want this man to be president, I really do. Most people my age say 'to hell with it', but not me. I think young. I'm for Civil Rights, Human Rights. I marched with Martin Luther King." -Pearl Carpel, 83


"Barack Steady"

then i ran into Bryant...

that was my first time going to Trader Joe's. those cheese puffs hit the spot


Jammers of the week: Supreme NTM

Blackalicious and graPHiti

Jammers of the Week




I started a new blog called graPHiti that will spotlight the street art of Philadelphia (and maybe some surrounding areas).

www.graphiti-art.blogspot.com

Obama Rally in North Philly

When I heard Barack would be speaking, 6 blocks from my house i was so excited! I didn't get any good pictures, which is painful as a photographer, but just getting the chance to see him in person was good enough.


Knowledge Allah sellin tees



this lady was crying and got me choked up, wish i'd gotten her name


the line went all the way to Girard and wrapped around, and the sun was barely up yet






only decent pic of him i got

return of the butterflies (revised)

i'm on a mission with my destination in my mind.
fuck the sidelines,
i don't have time to sit around tryna find
someone to call mine,
only to one day be left behind

been there, done that, not going back.
no interest in falling flat
for the attention that i lack.


but the feelings that took so long to erase,
return every time i see your face,
stopping time and transcending space

you are clueless
of the power you possess
my heart falls to its knees when you come around
and i can barely make a sound

Sanaa

I have a smile on my face because i have a plate of macaroni and cheese, sweet potato, and string beans. i helped out at an NAACP banquet tonight for KeVen Parker's catering company. a bit boring, but i'm getting paid for it, so i cant complain too much. someone told me i look like Sanaa Lathan and someone else backed him up. and my eyes rolled to the back of my head.



Ever since Love and Basketball came out, i havent been able to escape the Sanaa comments. i mean, she is my favorite actress and all, and she's beautiful, but i just don't see the resmeblance.

exhale

jam of the week: Closer by Floetry

i haven't gotten adequate sleep for the past 2 weeks. My photojournalism class had to put together a magazine in a week. a week! well he gave us 2 weeks, but we didn't get our act together til the second week, but still thats just not enough time to put a quality magazine together, hence the no sleep. i'm proud of how it turned out though given the time we had. (it's currently being displayed on the 3rd floor of Annenberg. maybe i'll post a pic of it). things have been going well in that class otherwise. my teacher told me he was proud of me and gave me a pat on the back.

Campus Philly Kick-Off 2008

Campus Philly staff members throwin up the 2-1-5


some skaters


I think I once said I’ll take anything that’s free. I take that back


Tatyana Ali (Ashley from Fresh Prince of Bel-Air). Too bad I blinked


DJ AfroDJiak

Performances:


up and coming Philly band, ROBES


The Cool Kids


Patty Crash!



me with Patty Crash and Who Cares



full album of the event can be viewed at www.215mag.com in the media center

Bryant Nnadi Photoshoot