Do the Right Thing: Celebration Continued Part II ---> The Music Part I

It's a twitter music monday yall. Catch my tunes.

Today's extra hot. I was in the emergency room and saw too many heatstroked seniors. Guess that means its time for another installment about Do the Right Thing, set on the hottest day of the year.

Now any die hard Spike Lee fan will tell you about Joe's Bedstuy Barbershop: We Cut Heads, Spike Lee's 1983 thesis and how that launched Spike's career and yada yada yada. That's your Spike Lee fact for the day. Instead I'm going to focus on Spike and music.

The same year Lee was filming his thesis, hiphop was still in its infant stage and rap was forming a personality of sorts. In 1983, Grandmaster Melle Mel (and possibly Grandmaster Flash..there's some sketchiness with the credits) came out with White Lines. The unofficial music video starred Laurence Fishburne and was directed by none other than Spike Lee.

Grandmaster Flash White Lines
Uploaded by papafonk - Watch more music videos, in HD!

Immersed in the politics of the day and all the characteristics of hip hop culture: innovation, rebellion, political dissatisfaction and the excited emergence of a new voice for an underclass, Lee merged his art with hip hop music and Do the Right Thing earned its place in hip hop history.

From directing the Public Enemy video which served as the movie's theme:


to the opening sequence:


to the costuming, language, and of course Radio Raheem and that big ol music box blasting hip hop


Lee incorporated hip hop into his work in a manner that had not been done before, epitomizing it as a form of black expression and often contrasting and comparing it to jazz sensibilities with its own culture of innovation, signifying and protesting.

Do the Right Thing isn't the only movie in which Spike has used the dynamics of music to emphasize his point, but the movie and its writer-director have left a clear mark in the hip hop community inspiring pieces such as
UNI-K.R.E.A.M.


and whatever Jermaine Dupri, Ciara and Nelly cooked up for this.

Nelly ft Jermaine Dupri & Ciara - Stepped On My J's (New)
by foxysoul

Following my Do the Right Thing Tribute?
Part One: Scary Do the Right Thing Muppets

Old School Friday: Dance for Me!

HEYYYY I'm Back to Old School Friday! I've been missing out on all the fun, but today is one big ol dance party. Now in my senior year of college it turned out that the big dance songs for the majority of the college were Journey "Don't Stop Believin", Neil Diamond "Sweet Caroline" and Lynyrd Skynyrd "Sweet Home Alabama" If you ever want to see preppy New Englanders get all happy jumping up and down, play these songs. Really...this was in 2007, you wouldn't believe it. And I can't front, I love those songs as well. For a modern taste we got down to Madonna "Like a Prayer"

BUT,growing up I was in the very different world of Flatbush, West Indies USA. Since Obama declared this Caribbean Heritage month, here are some of the jams that will get any Caribbean party moving.



This next song, no lie I went to my friends birthday party when I was 9 and the whole family had a choreographed dance to it. My first experience with the Trini party style.



ANDD for good measure, this was on our elementary school Dancing with Richard Simmons to the 80s video we had to watch for class. Everytime I hear this song, I have to do the dance



Join in on the Old School Friday Fun!
Anyone can join in on the OSF fun. Check out the rules here and peep other participants below. HAPPY Old School Friday!

AJ - BklynQueen’86 - Bria - CC Groovy - Chocl8t - Cooper - Shawn - Danielle Vyas - Dee - DP - Fresh and Fab - Hagar’s Daughters - Invisible Woman - John - Keith - Kevin - Kim - LaKeisha - LaShonda - Lil Creole Pimp - Lisa C - Mahogany - Malcolm - Marcus - Martin - MarvalusOne - Mike - Mrs. Grapevine - MsLadyDeborah - Pjazzypar - Pop Art Diva - Quick - Regina - Revvy Rev - Shae-Shae - Sharon - SJP - Staci - Tami - Tha Connoisseur - Thembi - Vérité Parlant - Villager - Vivrant Thang - Wheneva Whateva - Zenobia -

A Helping Hand

I've been honored with the Emblem of the Helping Hand Award by RevvyRev of The Certain Sound blog (thecertainsound.blogspot.com).



The Emblem of the Helping Hand Award was started by SJP of Sojourner's Place and serves to acknowledge those who have helped us with our blogging efforts along the way as well as give a helping hand to fellow bloggers. This post is going to be very interesting because of my history blogging, and so many may not even know that they've helped me. Here's a typically wordy post.

Thank You! Thank You Very Much!

1. That Certain Sound by Revvy Rev
I found this blog through a music meme that I inserted myself into and can count on reading it for inspiration. His picture also kind of looks like my the head minister at my alma mater which throw me for a loop each time.

2. Make Fetch Happen by Brigitte
A fashion with context and history blog. Every post is a gem. If you're a Vanity Dark fan you'll truly love this: http://makefetchhappen.blogspot.com/2008/05.
/hey-look-black-girl-on-tv-90s.html

3. Honorable Media by The Honorable, Reecie, (and formerly my fellow Brooklynite, Thesis)
I started reading this during undergrad and continue until this day. No lie, this blog kept me alive through a year in London when I was attending school out there. I was more up to date than I had ever been. If you want music news, fresh and fast check out this blog. Reecie will also put you in your place if you step out of place. I really appreciate this blog and they even linked to my site early on.

4. That Black Girls Site by Corynne
It's more than a blog. This remarkable lady once worked at a magazine I interned at and has began a blogging social media masterpiece. Check out That Black Girls Site for all things black girl under Chic Jones Media LLC.

5. Combo (Because I give respect where it is due): Mrs. Grapevine, Marvalus and Regina
Did I know what I was doing when I randomly inserted myself into a Old School music meme? No. Making someone born in 1986 constantly choose from songs in the first 13 years of her life has provided me with a very welcome Friday morning challenge. Luckily I spent my formative years listening to too much music and watching wayyyy too much tv and so I've been able to keep up. These ladies have welcomed me into the meme and provided welcome support each week.

PASSING IT ON
Most of these blogs could have been listed under the Thank You section, but since I couldn't list everyone above, I'll pass some love on to these sites.

1.AGM New York by Mike
It's that fresh to death photography site. Every time I think of people who have a point to their blogging, I think of Mike. If you're ever in the NY area and want some shots done, I personally recommend him. For my favorite photo, check here.

2. The Happy Go Lucky Bachelor by ClnMike
The heading of the blog says it all, but sometimes it takes serious will power for me to make it past the awesome play list and actually read the blog. It's Esquire for the city cats with a Caribbean twist.

3. Jessica's Agenda on Her Agenda by Jessica
Jessica blogs on awesome social site Her Agenda.Com and is doing her young thing as she juggles school and life. Check out this site to see what piques the mind of young America.

4. Lite Freedom Mariposas by Lite}{
Great blog exploring fashion and design by a Brooklynite living in Atlanta. There's also tons of ideas to help foster your own creativity and design.

5. Volunteer Boston
Last but not least, Volunteer Boston is an organization that one of my college friends is involved with back in Massachusetts. I can't emphasize how important giving back is and I am happy that I'm going to attend an induction meeting soon for a NY Volunteer organization.


Share a Helping Hand with someone today!

The RULES

1. Select 10 bloggers: 5 you consider your blogging Helping Hand then "Pay it Forward" by extending your "Helping Hand" to 5 additional bloggers in support and encouragement for their efforts.

2, In passing on the Emblem, each recipient must provide the name of blog or blog author with a link for others to visit.Each recipient must show the Emblem and put the name and link to the blog that has given it to her or him.

3. Link the Emblem to this post: Helping Hand: Much Obliged and Paying it Forward so that others will know it origin and impetus.

4. If you have not already done so, show your recipients some love by adding them to your blog roll, Technorati Favorite list, or in any other way to further let them know that their blog voice is important to you and being heard.

5. Add your name to The Helping Hand meme and don't forget to leave a comment as a permanent record of all Helping Hand recipients.

6. Display the rules.

Saturday line ups suck so much!

Ever stay in on a Saturday night and try to settle into a good television routine. You can't. Thankfully there are House and Law and Order re-runs before the wonder that is Suze Orman telling me all the stuff I can't afford and SNL. (Does Mad TV even exist still?)

Once upon a time....

My Favorite Scenes: Talent Show Redirect

Doing my usual internet procrastination, I came across this blog entry which basically did all of my homework for me. idd it so well I've gone from a C student to an A+. Click here for a link to "What Would Thembi Do?" and her article on The Black Sitcom and The Talent Showcase. It fits right in with my references to Eddie Winslow, Aunt Rachel, Tia, Tamera, Roger, and Marcus singing at every chance they got in the last My Favorite Scenes.

That's Okay With Me ....

That's where they made me at.

GET IT.

in this shirt:


Rocking it with Gold Doorknockers is optional. Take it Janet Jackson style and loop your housekey around a hoop. At least you won't get locked out.
found at:http://www.karmaloop.com/products.asp?ProductID=27608&VendorCode=BEP&utm_source=mybuysweb&utm_medium=homepage&utm_campaign=27608&mybuyscid=849380216&