Boy-Cott Magazine #15

BOYCOTT
THE PEOPLE
A ZINE ABOUT
EVIDENCE of
& LITTLE
BROTHER
Dilated peoples
S
BIG J OF THE CLEVER MONKEYe..
.
and mor
Issue
15
free
MASTHEAD
THE CREW
Publisher Jason
Vaughn a.k.a. Black Mamba
Art Director Robert Bjorn Taylor
Promotions Manager Qenetic Storm Contributors
Valerie Alberto
Nicole Mccray
Jason Woods a.k.a. Flash
Black Mamba
Dez of Ism Apparel ADVERTISING & CONTRIBUTING INFO boycottmag@gmail.com
WEBSITE
myspace.com/blacksamba
[BOY-COTT IS QUARTERLY PUBLICATION]
Boy-Cott Magazine is copyright protected. No articles or pictures may be reproduced in whole or part without consent
of Boy-Cott magazine. If attempted we will send a flock of killer bald eagles to your house to attack you when you least expect
it, so watch yo back suckas.
Nutritional Facts
Serving Size 5 cup (226g)
Serving Per Container 40
Amount Per Serving
Calories 260
% Daily Vaule
From Digable to Dooinit’ pg3
BOYCOTT
Dablok is Hot!
pg5
Sunnyside
pg8
Jivin’ in the Limelight
pg9
Urbanwarfare Bmx
pg12
Phantazm
pg13
Sadia
pg14
Beyond the Jena 6
pg15
Soul in the Wall
pg16
Sneaker Summit ‘08
pg22
turn off the radio
pg25
The Proletariat
pg26
Spike Lee
pg30
A ZINE ABOUT THE PEOPLE
THANKS: To each and everyone of you that has supported us.
You’re responses to our e-mails, and your presence at our
events means a lot! — [Boy-Cott Staff]
02
from
Digable to
Ever wonder who played in the trio instrumental to
“Cool Like Dat” by the Digable Planets? His name
is David Lee Jones and he’s my uncle believe or
not. Mr. Jones has made his mark in Jazz music
and still continues to through his teachings and
side projects. After a few back and forth e-mails, we
made it happen for you fam. Enjoy the ink::::::
1) What’s new in your world Mr. Jones?
Well I am in the process of preparing for my
next CD project. I plan to start recording by late
February. This Cd will include a mixture of all of the
styles of jazz that I love.
2) For those out there who don’t know, explain to
them your history with the Digable Planets.
I joined the group Digable Planets `after the release
of their first record “Reachin, A Refutation of Time
and Space” in 1992. The track “Cool Like Dat”
became a huge underground hit to the surprise of
the rappers of the group. The CD was created using
all samples. The brain and leader of the group
was Ishmael Butler aka “Butterfly” Because of
his heavy influence of traditional bebop jazz music
and the way he incorporated it with hip-hop he
visioned having a live band for the tour (including a
double bass, drummer and two horns; a trumpet and
saxophone). I played saxophone. Subsequently,
I became the horn arranger for the band and If you
have the second CD entitled “Blowout Comb”, the
very first thing you’ll hear on it is a fanfare that
kicks off the CD. I wrote all of the interludes on
the CD as well. “Creamy Spies” was the second
single release and there is a video to it. I wrote the
prelude and closer to it.
03
Dooinit’
3) In the past you’ve made guest appearances on
numerous late night shows, which ones were you on?
Jay Leno, Arsenio Hall, The 1994 Grammy’s and
MTV “Summer Jam” ( Which was the first season
that they incorporated rap and hip-hop into the
programming) We shared the stage with groups
like “Naughty By Nature”, Nina Cherry, Fat Joe (The
Gangster) and Onyx (bacdafukup).
4) Currently you’re in New York but, let the fans
know about your History in Houston.
I went to Forest Brook High school and was in the
first four-year graduating class. John Roberts was
the first band Director and was the biggest influence
in my music career. He was a great arranger and
composer as well as director.
5) What tours have you been on in your Jazz career?
Lollapalooza, Sade (Love Deluxe Tour), “The
Buddy Holly Story” National USA Tour, The Mingus
Big Band European Tour.
6) On Sunday afternoon’s you perform at this event
called “Parlor Jazz”. What’s that event all about?
It’s a live jazz event every Sunday from the living
room of pianist, educator and Harlem native
Marjorie Elliott. She lives in a historical building
in Harlem that once housed people such as Duke
Ellington Count Basie and Thelonious Monk, just to
name a few. Adjacent to this building is the Jumel
Mansion which George Washington used to live in
whenever he came to New York. It overlooks the
Hudson River. Marjorie hosts a jazz concert on the
lawn of the Jumel Mansion every summer.
Interview by: Mamba
7) Any upcoming events or shows?
Yes I am currently doing shows with Jennifer
Holliday and the Mingus Big Band in the New York
City area. Plus I am leading my own band and we
have upcoming dates booked for 2008 in Europe.
8) What advice would you give to up and coming
Jazz musicians?
Study the history of jazz. It is America’s Classical
music and has a rich intense history. Learn the
language, Practice hard and develop your own voice.
9) Who would you like to thank?
My high school director John Roberts is responsible
for giving me my foundation. He was my biggest
role model to date. My early influences; Hank
Crawford, Grover Washington Jr., Ronnie Laws,
Cannonball Adderly and of course Charlie
“Bird” Parker. I was very lucky to be in all the
right places at the right time and go to school with
many great musicians such as Kirk Whalum,
Branford Marsalis, Rachelle Farrelle, Jeff Tain
Watts, Greg Osby, Najee and Cyrus Chestnut
just to name a few. I am grateful to have had the
opportunity to have worked with and met a lot of
the great pioneers such as Miles Davis, Art Blakey,
Grover Washington, Harlod Land, Tony Williams,
Joe Williams, Stanley Turrentine, Jack McDuff,
Charles Earland, Eddie Harrris, Benny Carter, Betty
Carter and Phyllis Hyman (whom I worked with for
the last three years of her life) before they passed
away. I thank them for the music and legacy that
they left behind.
For more info on David Lee Jones check him out here:
e-mail: jonestones@optonline.net
Myspace: myspace.com/DavidLeeJonesMusic
04
INTERVIEW BY: MAMBA
1) How long have you been an artist?
I think you’re born an artist and are shaped by your
environment. I have a love for color, and as a child,
the ability to paint your imagination frees your mind
from any boundaries. DAblok is HOT!
s you all know I’m a b-boy, and as a
b-boy you stumble across some great artists.
Well, as I was on my way to a photo shoot with the
Kaos B-Boys, I had no clue I was going to meet a
very talented artist by the name of Robert Linares
a.k.a. RobSeven. His work varies from graffiti to
photography, to comics, to children art. One thing
I noticed about Rob is his love for females. I saw
so many body art pieces accompanied with a tons
of seductive shots. The images are so clear; you
would think that you can touch the person in the
photo. It’s something you most definitely have to
check out in person....
2) What side of H-Town do you claim?
North side is where I grew up, but Houston is what
I represent. I’ve always liked the phrase “United
we stand divided we fall” I personally see Houston
much more than an area code. 3) What other forms of art do you do besides
photography? I’ve tried just about everything but my favorites
are definitely aerosol, airbrush and photography.
I have only been doing photography for about
three years now. I love being able to incorporate
different mediums into my photography.
4) Have you taken photos or done any artwork for
any big musicians or actors? I’ve been fortunate to meet a lot of local artists with
great talent. Big or small when you mix creativity
into one room you get fire!
5) What does Dablok mean and represent?
Dablok is a collaboration of 3 close friends
Phatboy, BK5 & Javier. We all bring something
special to the table and feed off of our love to
represent Houston. We have friends on all sides
of Houston and all of our lives were molded by our
own Streets. The diversity of our own experiences
brought the four sides together forming Dablok.
6) Do you have any other upcoming events or
shows you’re going to be at? Next event is our Kaos 13 Year Anniversary Jam.
05
For more info check him out:
www.myspace.com/kaosanniversary
www.robseven.com and www.dablok.com
The “Sunnyside” of Houston
Information and Tour by: Flash Words
It was a Sunday afternoon and my boy Qenetic
and I were on our way to a part of Southeast
Houston called “Sunnyside”. Sunnyside wasn’t
always predominantly an African American
community. Before the 50’s it was predominately
Caucasians. It wasn’t until 1955 when African
Americans from 3rd, 4th, and 5th ward started
migrating in because of the gentrification going
on in the city. Flash took us around some of
the older parts/ landmarks of Sunnyside which
consisted of: Sunnyside Park (r.i.p. Trellis Sykes),
Marcus Garvey Records and Tape Shop Sign, The
Screwshop, and a night club called La Shauns.
Sunnyside Park is home of the Chocolate Bayou
Festival, Juneteenth and other soulful events. At
one time Sunnyside Park was the only park that
African Americans could utilize for sports and
other events. A lot of great athletes came out of
Sunnyside Park including the great Trellis Sykes
(R.I.P.) who played for Worthing High School
back in ‘93. While at Sunnyside Park we ended
sharing some words with a man named Rodney
Calvary who gave us some insight on the history of
Sunnyside Park. Rodney stated: “Back in ‘95 when
the Rockets won the championship, Clyde Drexler
put up all new goals and rims on the pavilion and
the community had a groundbreaking ceremony”.
The pavilion was named after Trellis Sykes in 2002
who was abducted while walking on her way home
from Worthing and then killed.
by: Mamba
The next stop was the world famous Screwshop.
For those of you who don’t know who Dj Screw
is, here’s a little history about this H-town legend.
Dj Screw used to sell tapes out of his house and
lived near Southpark, which is a neighbor of
Sunnyside. His tapes were in more demand so,
he moved his shop to Cullen Blvd. Some of his
hottest tapes were: The Infamous Graytapes, The
Mactail, and 100 minutes. People used to line up
at his crib just to buy tapes. They were 10 bucks
when tapes were going for 6 bucks! He also made
mixtapes that consisted of old soul music that
was slowed down to represent his style. Around
94’ Screw had Fat Pat, and Lil’ Keke rhymed on
his tapes. This was the time when rappers just
started freestyling over instrumentals. Tapes went
up to $15 after this started. The last stop on the
trip was at La Shauns night club. According to
Flash, this is a very popular spot in Sunnyside. La
Shauns’s is a B.Y.O.B. speakeasy spot that has
excellent music and positive vibes. A lot of people
from the neighborhood came there to cut loose.
Currently, Sunnyside is building new homes and
not gentrifying things to keep the vitality of the
neighborhood. At the end of our journey Qenetic
and I gained a new respect for Sunnyside and
Flash. The things we saw and the people who we
came across were nothing but genuine.
08
Jivin’ in the Limelight
w/ Big J of the
Clever Monkeys
09
Interview by: Black Mamba
After celebrating my boy’s b-day at El
Pueblito, I made my way over to the
Flat for the Big J interview. It was a cool
dark night; Witnes was killin’ it on the
“Wheels of Steel” as usual, and Big J
all the way from Dallas (D-Town) was
about to represent! For those of you
who don’t know, Big J is…He’s a well
known MC & DJ that loves to rock the
party along side his boy DJ Frantic. Big
J always has a smile on his face, a very
down to earth person, and he’s down to
DJ at “your” next party:)
Jivin’ in the Limelight w/ Big J of the Clever Monkeys
hat’s good?
Boy-Cott: W
10
Big J: Everythang’ is good man, What’s good with
you is the ultimate question. I doing great just,
enjoying the beautiful scene of Houston, TX. The
scene is so thick from the Hip-Hop, to the Funk to
the Soul. It’s just a beautiful experience to be here.
Boy-Cott: I noticed you’re doing a lot of DJ’ing
these days and backing away from the mic. Is
the group eventually going to be called DJ Big J
& DJ Frantic? Or all you guys going to be a duo
DJ crew?
Big J: Haaa naw, I might be dj’ing right now
but, I’m a true MC. I’m just expanding into other
avenues of the culture.
Boy-Cott: What do you do in Dallas besides
DJ’ing and MC’ing?
Big J: I throw parties, weekly events, and I do
Rock and Roll shows! I just like to do anything
related to good music.
Boy-Cott: Speaking of Rock and Roll shows,
do you see yourself down the line touring with a
rock band?
Big J: HAAAAAAA! I can honestly see that
happening, I would love to see an audience headbanging to hip-hop.
Boy-Cott: Do you see yourself ever getting
any Fly Girls on the stage gettin’ down in the
background like they did back in the days of “In
Living Color”?
Big J: Oh man, Ha! Not no, but “HELL NO”. I love
ladies, I love the Fly Girls, I love girls dancing but
I wouldn’t have any at my show. To me that’s not
hip-hop, that’s selling sex.
Boy-Cott: This could be a rumor but, I heard that
people in the Dallas scene are stuck up and suck
at life. Is this true?
p-hop.”
-banging to hi
dience head
ve to see an au
“I would lo
Big J: Well, it’s real clickish in Dallas and if you’re
not part of that click people won’t support you.
It’s a dog eat dog world and people feel if they
support someone else, it’ll take away from their
light and shine.
Boy-Cott: Real Talk:::
Boy-Cott: So, Big J when you decide to lock it
down and get married, what’s your ideal wedding?
Big J: My ideal wedding would be my boy DJ
Frantic, Africa Bambataa, DJ Red Alert, Kool Herc,
b-Boys and b-Girls representing on the dance
floor, and skaters, bikers. Maybe even someone
like Rob Bass or Bel Biv Devoe perform, then
have my wife doing some steps talkin’ about she’s
poison. Then just for laugh’s I’d throw in Bobby
and Whitney!
Boy-Cott: Haaaaa!!! Oh man, that’s too funny!
Speaking of Bobby and Whitney, do you think
Whitney’ still on crack?
Big J: No answer.
Boy-Cott: Do you think Bobby was feeding her
the crack?
Big J: No comment.
Boy-Cott: I just had to ask...Tee hee::::
Boy-Cott: Do you have any upcoming mixtapes
or albums?
Big J: We do have some mixtapes coming out
and I’m working on an album right now produced
by my man Mahmud straight out of Dallas. It’s
very soulful and self-conscious. I don’t want to
drop a date just yet, you’ll have to check the site
for updates.
Boy-Cott: That’s what’s up, any last words?
Big J: I would just like to say thank you Boy-Cott,
the whole State of Texas, GOD first and foremost
because without GOD I am no one, my mother, my
brother Billy Jerome Avid, my other brother Fred
Ellison and everyone that keeps me motivated.
For more info on Big J and the Clever Monkeys:
myspace.com/clevermonkeys 11
Urbanwarfare Bmx
Interview by: Mamba
Responses by: Kenny Garth
12
For those of you who don’t know what bmx is or
means, it means bicycle motocross. Basically, it’s
the grown men on 20” bikes riding dirt jumps, half
pipes and anything else that crosses their path.
Urbanwarfare is group of young adults who love
to ride their bmx bikes, party, and get wild on the
ladies. This interview is a questionnaire coming
from their new video that took a year to make
called mixtape. I hope you enjoy the antics, lingo,
and they way they think.
1) Who contributed to the making of the
U-dubb vid?
Pretty much anyone that could hold the camera
still. Jared put a lot of work into it and when he
first moved to San Antonio he said he was going
to make an Urbanwarfare video and well, here it
is. T-town put in some nice camera work also, he
hooked a lot of the tech side up. Andrew Danner
came through with a lot of good clips, and of
course all the kids who let us film them doing their
little stunts that makes their mommy’s proud.
2) What’s going through your mind when you
think about making a good bmx video, and
how long did it take to make?
Well since I didn’t really make the video, I cant give
you a good answer. The only thing I asked Jared
and T-town to do is: try not to put 500 tail whips,
kids jumping over cars, 30 minute intro’s with
every thing in slow motion, close-ups on peoples
face while they’re just sitting on their bikes, people
talking about how “sick” or “siked” they are about
riding little kids bikes, burning sh*t in their car and
calling it some stupid red neck name, and I think
that’s about it. I think we have been filming since
this summer?
3) What does U-Dubb represent?
Trails, good times in the woods, hours of hard
work, fires in the woods with all the locals chilling,
and friends.
4) I noticed you guys used a lot of
commercial hip-hop in the video as opposed
to a lot of emo/ screamo rock that you hear in
a lot of bmx vids. Why so?
This video isn’t a Christmas classic! We don’t care
about having the most underground music ever,
actually we don’t care if people like the music at
all. Turn the volume down and put your own music
to it. Commercial songs, people already know
the beat. If you really think about it, in other bmx
videos the songs they use are just as commercial
as ours...their just oldies. What do you mostly
hear, music your mother used to listen to. I sure
didn’t listen to no “rolling stones” growing up.
5) I also noticed that there’s no sections in
the video, why so?
Good question? I think Jared is going to put some
in on the official version.
6) Is there going to be a vol. 2 mixtape?
Yeah Negro.
7) If you could change anything in the bmx
world, what would it be?
That question is too deep. I just know this, they
sell bmx bikes at wal-mart so we are no different
than anyone! But I would have more chicks at the
trails bringing us some water and some red bull,
more bmx videos showing strip pers going off, and
making bike videos like rap video’s. I know all of
those kids out there love to sit in their room and
watch b.e.t late night. I can’t forget Kenny Hale, he
needs to come back to the bmx world, and Mark
Bros with his big ass breaking frames in foam pits!
8) Who would you like to give a shout-out to?
Too all the kids who check the site and watch the
video more than once. Thanks. And I cant forget
yo black ass for letting us get this interview.
YOU’VE NEVER SEEN
TOYZ LIKE THIS...
interview by: Mamba
responses by: Solomon Perry
Graffiti, Toys, T-Shirts and more is Phantazm.
Solomon Perry and Erick Hicks of Austin, TX have
been holding down the Urban Playscape scene
since ’98. They recently hooked up with Headz
Toyz and are dropping their new line very soon!
1) Where did the name Phantazm
come from? Phantazmagoria was a word that I was fascinated
with so much that when I graffed my grandma’s
basement, I wrote, “enter the state of PHANTAZM”
really big on the wall. Erick Hicks, co partner was
like “Thats it! Our company should be Phantazm.”
2) You recently hooked up with Heads
Toyz, how’s that going? Headz Toyz is the line that I and Holiday Toys
created. Its going into a major run as we speak.
Once they come back, we are going to have a
huge release party, with all of the top graf artists
here in a custom dunny like “Headz” showcase.
3) Besides rough toy characters,
what else do you guys make? Phantazm can design anything. cartoons, clothing,
merchandise, horror FX, etc. The idea though, is to
stick to the mind blowing concepts. Because it has
to coincide with the name...if it blows the mind its
PHANTAZM. We are usually seen doing what we
love which is urban related. But the fine art side of
things is a whole other ball game and can be quite
boring but since we started doing street illusions it
has opened up to a whole other exciting market on
that side I expect 2008 to be great for us.
4) What tours has Phantazm been on?
Drunken Trucker Tour Midwest/ LA concerts/
Designs Spike Lee/ Nick Cannon (cartoons and
PNB clothing) Interscope (animation) Regal
Cinemas/ various clients and growing. We are
spreading in all creative areas.
5) What animated films have you guys
made? Do you plan to make anymore?
“Drastic”, it was full length and took 2 years. No
more of that sh@t!!!!!! It was pure HELL. After
that, I made shorts like “Hey Butthead” and others.
These characters are based off of comics I made
when I was a child. There is actually one those
concepts being laid out as a live action film called
“Bloody Mary” scheduled to shoot for Spring.
6) What’s Phantazm’s ultimate goal?
To revolutionize the urban playscape.
For more info on Phantazm check them out here:
myspace.com/phantazmgear or wildchildentertainment.com/phantazm 13
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Beyond
The
Jena 6
(The Noose
Resurre
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By: Valerie Alberto
In the aftermath of the Jena 6, the noose, a horrifying symbol of our American past has resurfaced.
Since September 2007, there has been a rash of
noose incidences across the nation. Nooses have
been found on a patrol car of a black Connecticut
police officer, a Coast Guard office, a Tupac Shakur
statue in Georgia, on the Columbia University and
University of Maryland campuses, a New Jersey
Home Depot, and a work truck in Denver.
Since December in Houston, a noose was found
hanging around a piping system at a Chevron
Phillips chemical plant. A noose was also found
at a Baytown ExxonMobil refinery. After nooses
were found on their Harris County properties, four
FMC Technologies employees were fired, and two
Pearland High School students were disciplined for
displaying a noose in their school parking lot.
Mark Potok of the Southern Poverty Law Center,
an organization that tracks hate crimes, attempted
to explain the rise in noose incidences: “Tens of
thousands of white people, if not more, feel that
the events in Jena were grossly misportrayed by
a politically correct media that twisted what was
[to them], really, a six-on-one, black-on-white hate
crime into an instance of the oppression of black
people. That accounts, in part, for a backlash.”
And curiously, a CBS study found no trace of noose
coverage on major news stations including MSNBC
and Fox, the only exception being CNN. It speaks
volumes that only one major network is willing to
cover an alarming passive aggressive trend intended to resurrect what we would today hope to be
relicts of a dark national past – racial intolerance,
hatred, fear and intimidation. Even more alarming
is the fact that the past may be more alive and well
with us than we’d hope.
15
Soul in the Wall
[ The Little Brother Show/ Evidence of Dilated Peoples Interview by:
Mamba & The Little Brother Interview by: Vonnie Woods of HoneySoul.com ]
16
Once again Little Brother made their 3rd visit
to Houston, TX, but this time, they brought DJ
Flash, Evidence of Dilated Peoples and The
Alchemist. Evidence is promoting is new album
“The Weatherman” and ladies and gents, it’s hot!
He opened up for Little Brother and boy did he
represent. I mean, Evidence is already with a
legendary crew [Dilated Peoples]. Now he’s on
tour w/ Little Brother rockin’ stages all over the
world and gaining mad respect for going solo.
Evidence stated: “I’m not quitting Dilated; I’m trying
to get the fans to know Evidence as a person.
His set was pure heart and soul. If anyone in that
crowd didn’t know what a true lyrical MC was, they
were schooled on Sunday, November 18th 2007.
The rest of his set consisted of tracks off his new
album, and dropping the famous Dilated Joint ” I
can’t live my life this way” track featuring Kanye
West who right now needs a lot of prayer from
you fam. His mother passed away in surgery and
Kanye was very close to her. Keep Kanye in your
prayers....Between time consisted of DJ Flash on
the ones and two’s keeping it so, so soulful, and so
so, hip-hop! Thank you Flash for keeping everyone
movin’ and grovin’.
Oh and I can’t forget the man who put the whole
show together, Mr. Bobby Phats who is quite the
hype man might I add. The only downside of the
show was the long wait for Little Brother to come
on stage. DJ flash and Cozmos were ripping it
but, the people we’re ready for Little Brother right
after Evidence got off. The wait was about an hour
and the crowd was getting antsy but, that’s how it
goes sometimes. I guess......Midnight hit and Little
Brother blessed the stage and made it well worth
everyone’s wait! Phonte opened up with his usual
antics and the show was on and poppin’. They
played a mix of tracks from albums such as:
The Foreign Exchange, The Minstrel Show, The
Chitlin’ Circuit, and their new album The GetBack.
Man...no matter how many times you see Little
Brother it always feels like the first time. They’re
constantly staying creative and unique at their
shows! At the end of the night: New fans were
gained, autographs were signed, t-shirts were sold
and Boy-Cott mags were in the hands of many. It
was a wonderful way to spend a Sunday night.....
Props to Bobby Phats for letting us be a part of this
event. And now the moment you’ve been waiting
for...The Evidence and Little Brother Interviews!
vidence of Dilated People
l
[Boy-Cott] How’s life on the road?
[Evidence] As you can hear in the background,
it’s very frantic.
[Boy-Cott] Haaa.
[Evidence] It never stops man, I’ve been doing
this for a long time I’m conditioned for it and it’s
genuinely fun.
[Boy-Cott] What was the thought process behind
“The Weatherman LP”?
[Evidence] It was just my first time doing a
solo record and it was my first time to be able
to give someone all of me. It’s really difficult
to give someone all of you when you’re in a
group because you have to find similar topics
to talk about or certain things you agree upon.
This comes into play more when you’re rocking
crowds of different ages from town to town. I think
that’s what makes Dilated dope because we’re
all different and we do speak on different topics.
When I got the opportunity to speak on my solo
record I knew I could really speak on topics that
are personal to me, not the metaphor and punch
line type stuff. I looked at a lot of the greats that
put out solo albums whether they made it for the
best or for the worst and figured if I want to get on
any kind of level like that, this is what I got to do.
The concept of the album is based on my mother
that passed away. I couldn’t find a way to speak on
it on the Dilated Peoples record so I choose this
album. A lot of the songs are loosely speaking on
her and that was my main motivation. that was my
main motivation.
[Boy-Cott] Word, that’s what’s up man. That’s
real talk.
[Boy-Cott] When you’re performing you spit with a
lot of confidence. What’s the main message you’re
trying to get to the fans?
[Evidence] I’m just getting comfortable with who I
am. When I first started battling I used to be really
nervous and afraid people weren’t going to feel
me. When I first got into Dilated I used to wonder
if the fans were there to see Babu scratch, or hear
Iriscience drop political messages, or watch me
jump into the crowd? I didn’t really know what role
I played in the group it took me along time to figure
that out. Lately, it’s just me up there and the people
are really feeling what I’m doing and I tried to
do the same thing on my record. I basically wanted
a live version of me on my record. In 2004 when
we made “this way” featuring Kanye West we
had the opportunity to do the College Dropout
Tour. The one thing I admired about Kanye West
is that he would speak to the people between
songs, the same way me and you are speaking
right now. I just admire artist that keep it intimate
with their fans.
[Boy-Cott] That’s what’s up! [Boy-Cott] What do
miss you most about being away from home when
you’re on tour?
[Evidence] Just the regular sh*t, I’m finally a
homeowner and I miss watering my lawn and
waving at my neighbor. I got the little fence going
and everything
[Boy-Cott] Haaaa.
[ Evidence] I’m just a regular dude and I’m really
blessed that I have a regular life. When I’m
home and not touring I’m not living that superstar
lifestyle. I’m just big enough that when I’m on tour
everyone knows me. I’ve never had paparazzi or
had crazy flashing camera’s going off so much
that I wanted to hide under my covers and just go
home. I’m right in that middle ground of fame, so
being on tour might not be as stressful for me as
someone else. But honestly, this is my job and I
love doing it and what a lot of people don’t know
is that I produce music. So when I’m off tour at
home, I get to wake up and make my own beats.
[Boy-Cott] In the Mr. Slow Flow video you tagged
Mr. Slow Flow in front of the building of Capitol
Records. Do they beef with you now that you’re all
successful without them?
[Evidence] That’s my wall! Naw, Capitol Records
never had their ear to the streets. By the time they
find someone they’re already big and they’ll try to
get with them and scoop up the energy and it’s
usually for the worst. I don’t want to sound bitter
because there are a lot a good people at Capitol
Records. But like my partner Rakaa said “There’s
a lot of good people with no power and a lot of
powerful people that are no good”.
[Boy-Cott] Word Up!
[Evidence] That’s pretty much the story of any
record company whether they know what I’m doing
right now or not. I don’t think they even knew I
tagged on their wall!
[Boy-Cott] HAAAAA!
17
Evidence cont.
18
[Evidence] I was waiting to get arrested and all
kinds of shit. I think the janitor just cleaned it up
the next morning and that was that.
[Boy-Cott] Yeah man, because I was really trippin’
when I watched you bomb that wall. I was just
waiting for a cop to roll up on you.
[Evidence] Yeah, I’m an independent artist and
wanted to do something to make a statement
and that definitely did it. on tour might not be as
stressful for me as someone else. But honestly,
this is my job and I love doing it and what a lot
of people don’t know is that I produce music. So
when I’m off tour at home, I get to wake up and
make my own beats.
[Boy-Cott] In the Mr. Slow Flow video you tagged
Mr. Slow Flow in front of the building of Capitol
Records. Do they beef with you now that you’re all
successful without them?
[Evidence] That’s my wall! Naw, Capitol Records
never had their ear to the streets. By the time they
find someone they’re already big and they’ll try to
get with them and scoop up the energy and it’s
usually for the worst. I don’t want to sound bitter
because there are a lot a good people at Capitol
Records. But like my partner Rakaa said “There’s
a lot of good people with no power and a lot of
powerful people that are no good”.
[Boy-Cott] Word Up!
[Evidence] That’s pretty much the story of any
record company whether they know what I’m doing
right now or not. I don’t think they even knew I
tagged on their wall!
[Boy-Cott] HAAAAA!
[Evidence] I was waiting to get arrested and all
kinds of shit. I think the janitor just cleaned it up
the next morning and that was that.
[Boy-Cott] Yeah man, because I was really trippin’
when I watched you bomb that wall. I was just
waiting for a cop to roll up on you.
[Evidence] Yeah, I’m an independent artist and
wanted to do something to make a statement and
that definitely did it.
[Boy-Cott] Any last words?
[Evidence] Yeah, I want everyone to understand
what I’m doing right now. I could have gone
to Capitol Records to shop another deal but, I
really have a plan and when you have a plan,
not everyone see’s your vision. A lot of people
think you’re crazy. I’ve always said: “With a major
record, they frontload your contract for three
months real heavy before it comes out and you
do your numbers and then it goes away”. With an
independent record, “It takes one year minimum
of grinding before it reaches peoples radar”. My
album dropped March 20th 2007 and I’m going to
work the hell out of it to March 20th 2008 at bear
minimum until I consider something else. It’s a
“real grind” and it’s not easy but, I’m making new
fans every day, I’m making new press everyday
and I’m about to shoot my video, “Chase the
Clouds Away” when I get back to L.A. with a dude
named Nick Gussum who made “Grandmas Boy”.
[Boy-Cott] Whaaaaat! That’s what’s up man!
[Evidence] I’m just doing things outside the box,
having a lot of fun and making some damn good
money on this tour too.
[Boy-Cott] Awwwww Yeah, it’s always good when
your passion is paying you.
[Evidence] Yeah, you can do it this way if you have
the determination. A lot of people ask me dang
man you’re opening up for Little Brother but you’re
Dilated Peoples? Naw...I tell them Little Brother
has it going on in this independent game and
I’m building up a new brand. So I’m just out here
getting it where I can get it. If there’s another artist
that wants to let me open up next year I’m going to
do it again until it gets big enough where Evidence
is the headliner, just like Dilated was the headliner.
You have to break yourself down and strip yourself
with something to prepare to get it back to the teps
where you had it. I’m just really on my grind and
if nothing else, ya’ll can’t knock that. At the end of
the day my work ethic is going to show when a lot
of these people stop.
[Boy-Cott] Yo, that was mad inspirational EV. I
appreciate your time.
[Evidence] No doubt.
[Boy-Cott] Peace.
“There’s a lot of good people with no power
and a lot of powerful people that are no good”
Little
[HoneySoul] We’re here in Houston, TX with
Phonte of Little Brother who just put on a slammin’
show, and I want to know what you thought of the
Houston crowd?
[Little Brother] Oh man, Houston always shows us
love. Every time we come out here they’re always
energetic, they know the songs, they buy the
records, and it’s a beautiful thing so we’re always
going to come back. You go where they love is.
[HoneySoul] The album out of course is GetBack.
[Little Brother] Correct.
[HoneySoul] What was it like working without 9th
wonder and working with other producers?
[Little Brother] It really wasn’t that different. One
thing people didn’t know about Little Brother is
that we’ve always had two producers, me and 9th.
Ninth would make the beat and I would produce
the song, write the chorus, and mix the track. What
happened was, 9th left the group but we hadn’t
recorded together since 2003-2004.
[HoneySoul] Oh wow.
[Little Brother] Yeah, so since 03’ the crew has
been me, Pooh, and Khrysis. Not much has
changed, not to diminish his role or anything.
[HoneySoul] I know ya’ll did the 80’s thing and
re-did the “ah-ha” song. What else did ya’ll do?
[Little Brother] Yes ma’am. We did “Africa”,
“Steppin’ Up” by Joe Jackson, and we got some
others but I can’t leak them out.
[HoneySoul] Come on, not even one?
[Little Brother] Well, I’ll tell you this: It’s a song that
someone else has covered, but we didn’t know
they covered it until we did a cover of it. Does that
makes any sense?
[Honey Soul] Good enough. Haaaa..
[Little Brother] The whole project will be out in
January and we’ll have some limited edition cd’s.
We’re trying to make them like Jordan’s, once we
make them and they’re gone, they’re gone!
[HoneySoul] Haaaa.. I noticed you’re really
busy these days working with so many people.
I heard there might be a new Foreign Exchange
album soon?
Brother
[Little Brother] Yeah, we have like 10 songs
already done and it should drop around spring or
summer of 08’.
[Honey Soul] So you don’t plan on sleeping
anytime soon?
[Little Brother] I don’t sleep no way, I might as
well get paid for it because I spend all my time in
the studio.
[HoneySoul] Haaaaaa. Now I want to get back to
talking about Darien Brockington. What does he
bring to the show?
[Little Brother] He brings nothing but a new
element of Soul. Me and Pooh have done show’s
by ourselves and when Darien is there it’s like the
icing on the cake.
[HoneySoul] Alright-Alright.
[HoneySoul] Now I know you’ve been asked
this a thousand times but, here it goes. A lot has
happened between the label during the time of
“The Minstrel Show” and “GetBack”. Is there
anything you want to say about this?
[Little Brother] I’M GLAD THAT SH*T IS OVER!!!
[HoneySoul] Ha-Ha-Ha!
[Little Brother] I’m glad I got to experience it but,
the major label thing is not for me. I’m the type of
the dude that likes to record and put out music
and they’re the opposite. They like to record and
sit on music. I don’t have that much time. I’m glad
I got on Atlantic but, I’m even happier that I got off
to do my thang.
[HoneySoul] That’s what’s up, The Houston crowd
proved that you have a large and loyal following.
I even know fans that bought your record “sound
unheard”, and just strictly off of hype, and a lot of
people want to be where you are. I want to ask you
if you think you need to improve anywhere?
[Little Brother] Well I think we need to improve our
visual because a lot of people have heard of Little
Brother but don’t know what we look like. Our grind
for 2008 is to get our “you tube” video clips, clips of
us on tour, silly clips, and our skit clips moving.
19
LITTLE BROTHER CONT.
20
[Honey Soul] What about deep thoughts with
Phonte? Haaa.
[Little Brother] Oh yeah, you can’t forget that one. I
was acting crazy in those clips but it was fun.
[Honey Soul] Do you think your considered a
veteran in hip-hop or you’re still learning?
[Little Brother] That’s a good question. Honestly,
I feel like I’m still learning then I’ll read interview’s
from new rappers and I feel like I’m a veteran.
[Honey Soul] Lupe? (Laughter)
[Little Brother] Well the thing with Lupe is I looked
at him and I saw his career trajectory going in the
same way I was when I first came out. Then
you see the other side of the business and
really makes you sad, kind of bitter, and a bit
disillusioned. It’s like finding out Santa Claus
aint real.
[Honey Soul] What?? Naw..jk.
[Little Brother] Yeah, exactly.
[Honey Soul] No Easter bunny either?
[Little Brother] Yeah it’s hard. I read his interview
and heard his idealism and I think he’s still
learning. Another kat I go through it with who’s my
brother and we fight like cats and dogs is my man
Rhymefest.
[Honey Soul] Would you tell a new artist to focus
on the artistic side of the game or the business side?
[Little Brother] Well, it’s more of knowing where
your strength’s lie. I’m a firm believer that there
are very few people who can do art and business
well. It’s just two different ways of thinking and two
sides of the brain. my old music teacher used to
say: “If you get a cd and the cover art is fantastic,
the cd is going to suck.”
[Honey Soul] Haaaa! Right.
[Little Brother] As opposed to getting a cd from
someone that says something like” Beats from
John and an e-mail address”, it’s probably going to
be fire. It’s just two ways of thinking. I’m an artist
and I don’t like to deal with business but, I have a
family to support. On the other end if you’re good
with business, chances are your music is not that
hot. This is just from experience and from what
I’ve seen. With artist today, I don’t think you have
to choose. Just make sure your craft is as strong
as it can be. A lot of artist ask me if they should
get a manager or agent. I tell them: “don’t put on
a prom dress to sit in your own living room”. Feel
me? You’ll know when you need a manager, you’ll
know when you need an agent or a business
accountant. I tell them to take care of their music
first and make sure your sh*t is air tight, and
keeping homing your craft and everything will take
care of itself. Before you say “I’m on my grind, I’m
on my grind like crazy”, take care of your damn
music first. Get your hooks right. That would be
my advise. There’s room for the grind and getting
your money from three or four different areas is
beautiful but, focus on your craft. What I think is
happening now is, the major labels are collapsing
and everything is online. This is going to weed out
a bunch of people that are in it for the money. If
you’re rapping to get rich don’t even waste your
time. Rapping in 2007 to be rich is like selling
fu*king Amway.
[Honey Soul] Haaaaaa!
“If you’re rapping t
don’t even wa
[Little Brother] For real, if I hear one more mixtape
I’m going to snap. Do this because you love it, not
because you’re trying to get money.
[Honey Soul] Why did you leak the album?
[Little Brother] It was to a point where I know all
albums leak and they might as well get it from
me and I might as well use it to my advantage.
It leaked early and it was missing a track and I
was like damn, I don’t want people to hear an
incomplete record. So I put up a Little zip file
with a note saying: “thanks to all my fans who
downloaded the album”. The response were
crazy, some dude said “that was the craziest
thing I’ve seen someone do. I’m going to buy
three albums off the STRENGTH”! To me it was
turning a negative into a positive and using it to
my advantage. My thing now is: “it’s more than
just music, its customer service”. We’re at a point
now that we have to convince someone to pay
for something they can get for free. It’s not about
selling our music anymore, it’s about selling
ourselves. You know what I’m saying? I’m, not
convincing you to buy GetBack; I’m convincing you
to buy into Little Brother. That’s why I gave it away
for free. I believe in my product so much and my
fans so much.
[Honey Soul] Oh and they indeed did like it here in
Houston and I want to thank you for talking with us
at HoneySoul.com
[Little Brother] Oh you’re very welcome. We’ve
seen a lot of the same people and I’m glad we
finally got a chance to hook up.
Phonte’s last words
What’s going on ya’ll, this is your man Phonte
from Little Brother holding it down and I would like
to give a shout out to all the ladies out there and
everyone else who is listening to HoneySoul.com.
Shout out to my girl Vonnie at Honey Soul. She
has the most radiant smile of any woman I’ve ever
seen in my life.
[Honey Soul] Haaa...
[Little Brother] For real fam, it lights up the room
even though she has lipstick on. Thank you all
for supporting the music, listening to the music,
stealing the music, downloading the music.
It’s whatever.
to get rich
aste your time”
21
H-TOWN
WINTER
SNEAKER
SUMMIT ‘
By: Black Mamba
All I can say is... Kadoma did it again! He has single-handedly brought the sneaker culture to life in
Houston and throughout Texas. The fans consisted
of people from San Antonio, Dallas, Tyler, Austin,
Cali, New York and even Colorado. The event was
held at the Engine Room and man it was packed.
The thing I really dig about the summit is how truly
diverse and positive it is. I swear, the summit could
be used as a college credited course. The kids that
have tables set up range from 16-25 years of age
and already have an established business! I was
just blown away by that in itself. Oh and no H-Town
sneaker summit is complete without the “KRUNKNESS” of my man OakCliff holdin’ it down on the
hosting tip. Him and DJ Cipher we “re-dam-dic-ulous” as a duo; it was the Black version of Batman
and Robin in the making. The rest of the summit
consisted of Kadoma tossing out a whole damn
factory of free sh*t, and good sh*t may I add, the HTown shorties shakin’ their groove thang, OakCliff
getting louder, and me enjoying the damn good job
Kadoma did this year. I also had time to interview
Kadoma for your reading pleasure.
08
Peep it:
1) Hey Kadoma, you just finished up another successful sneaker summit! How does it feel?
Honestly, the past couple of Summits have just
been a blur to me. On the actual day of the event,
from the time we set up, to the time the show is
over, its work for me. My main goal is to make each
Summit better than the last and make sure everyone has a great time, so I rarely stop and get the
chance to pause and take it all in once it starts. But
judging from the size of this season’s audience, the
energy of the crowd, and the response that we’ve
been getting online and locally I’d say we did a
pretty good job.
10
22
2) How long have you been doing the H-Town
sneaker summit?
Growing up in the Jordan Renaissance Era,
I was always into sneakers pretty much since childhood. In 2001 I was looking for a particular pair of
sneakers and one of my homies hipped me to a
couple of little online sneaker head communities on
the internet. The H-Town Sneaker Summit started
in late 2003 when a local online group of sneaker
heads including myself decided to meet up and
show off their goods. From there we would get together every Summer and Winter, whenever there
was a break from school and everyone could attend. With each gathering it has been growing more
and more, almost doubling in size with every event.
I have always played a major role in organizing the
Summits, but throughout the years it has given me
the opportunity to meet many good friends including; Brawnz, DJ Oakcliff, Ron Juco, and our DJs;
Dayta, Bobby Trill OG, and Cipher, who have all
helped me to shape the Summit into the type of
event that it is today.
3) What was the biggest challenge of this year’s
summit compared to the past ones?
Probably finding a spot big enough for everyone to
fit in one place. To me it is important for everyone to
feel like a respected part of the sneaker community
regardless if they just bought their first pair of meaningful sneakers, or if they are a hard core veteran
collector. We all had to start somewhere! In order to
do that I wanted to find a place big enough to where
everyone could be kickin’ it in the same room with
the same vibe. The only problem was that such a
venue dramatically increased the budget to put on
such a big show. Therefore this was the very first
Summit where we decided to charge our attendees
admission in order to help out with the expenses. I
told myself if we were going to do that I would have
to make the event worth even more than the price
of the admission.
11
23
NICEKICKS.com, Premium Goods in the Rice Village, Kickz in the Galleria, Reconstore.com, AkompliceClothing,
JB Classics, The Sneak Tip, Frank151, Houston Grills, Shmack, Puma, The DeCreaser, Brawnz, Ub4rsh,
New Anthem Serious Heat, Stones Throw Records, Cultura Fina and Adikt up in Dallas, Motive 807 and Complete
Clothing out in Austin, Politics in Louisiana, Jordan Brand
Thanks to our sponsors
So I hustled for months and worked creatively with a
wide variety of sponsors to make the event worth it
by gathering more giveaways and raffle items than
ever before. I’m pretty sure almost everyone left out
of there with more than they came with, whether it
be just a great time, knowledge, some new friends,
goodies, gift cards, or free products. To me this
was a brave step in a new direction, but thankfully
people felt that the show was worth it.
4) At this years summit you kept repeating “THIS IS
TEXAS” adamantly. What brought that on?
To me the H-Town Sneaker Summit’s #1 goal
has always been about building the local sneaker
community and giving back to it. Whether you are
just looking to buy, sell, or trade rare and exclusive
sneakers and clothing, or promote your brand, music, magazine, or store, etc., the Summit provides
an excellent opportunity for local sneaker heads
from all walks of life to get together, network, and
just kick it. Also, when people think of ‘Sneaker
Communities’ I know the first thing that comes to
mind is probably New York or Cali, but I want people
to be proud of our own ‘Sneaker Community’ here in
the Southwest. We might not necessarily have the
same sneaker history those other spots do, but we
have a unique love for sneakers and their culture
here in the Southwest and I think that deserves to
be celebrated. I have mad respect and support for
all the other sneaker shows, and I myself have even
traveled just to attend some of their events. But I feel
we as a community don’t need to sit here and wait
around on someone from another respected sneaker community such as NYC, Cali, or elsewhere to
come here and throw the next dope sneaker related
event in order for us to come together and celebrate
our love for sneakers and their culture. I want every
one to know that the H-Town Sneaker Summit is an
event for Sneaker Heads in the Southwest, put on
by Sneaker Heads in the Southwest.
5) What does your alias name “Kadoma” represent?
24
Ha! Remember that little online community
I mentioned? Back in the day when I first signed
onto that I was watching some Japanese Animation
flick, and they had these elusive little characters
in there that bugged me out. They were called
Kodamas, and I believe that is Japanese for ‘Tree
Spirit’. I chose to use that as my screen name and
it just stuck with me through the years since a lot of
people grew to know me by that name.
6) What are the plans for the next summit?
In 2008 we are entering the year that holds the
fifth anniversary of the H-Town Sneaker Summit.
Needless to say, we have come a long way from
the first summit and I think the five year bench mark
is reason to stop, take a second to reminisce, and
celebrate how far we have came as a community.
We have already started to plan for the Summer
Summit, and hopefully if everything goes right,
we will have a couple of big surprises this year to
celebrate this monumental event.
7) Who would you like to thank?
First and foremost I want to thank all the sponsors.
This seasons Summit would not have been the
same with out them. If you enjoy our events, please
support the sponsors who make it all possible. The
next time you need a fitted, tee, or pair of kicks, keep
them in mind and look for their products locally or
online. Let them know how much you enjoyed the
event and thank them for participating. I also want
to thank the entire H-Town Summit Fam; Brawnz,
DJ Oakcliff, The H-Town Summit Shorties, Dayta
of NaNa Chill, Bobby Trill OG w License 2 Trill,
DJ Cipher w The Krackernuttz, Ron@62design.
com, Bun B, Jenn at Premium Goods, Ray Odom
and The ‘Kickz’ Fam, Matt w Nicekicks.com, Gica,
Tou, of course Boy-cott Mag, Indmix, and Fly Guy
Productions, and a special thanks to all the OGs
that have been down since the very beginning, y’all
know who you are, as well as all the rest of the
sneaker and street wear enthusiast who support
the community and promote the culture!
For more info on future events including the 2008 Summer Summit
Stay tuned to myspace.com/HtownSneakerSummit
Turn
Off
The
Radio
Solo Art Exhibition by: Robert Hodge
September 29th 2007
Words by: Black Mamba
Deep...Is the first thing that came to my mind when I
walked in the H Gallery. My take on Robert Hodge’s
work was: culture, roots, passion, the struggle, and
him. I got a chance to ask him a few questions
about his work and he stated: “I’m into authentic
art, not cookie cutter art. I’m into giving the people a
one of kind piece that I put my heart and soul into,
and it’s affordable. My work reflects music tied in
with political figures, and stuff you don’t normally
hear or see like Marcus Garvey. He should be a
Saint for the black community but he’s not. I want to
let the people know that he should not be forgotten,
along with The Black Panthers, Nina Simone, and
so on.. It’s the Evolution of the Revolution”. In the
later hours of the night Lisa E. Harris performed
with someone on acoustic guitar which was quite
interesting....Her style seemed to be a mix of real
world issues and a P.B.S. channel kid’s television
show. Go figure...At about 10:30 the “H Gallery”
turned into a party! DJ FLASH GORDON PARKS
got it poppin’. He was droppin’ all the classic hiphop, soul music and r & b jams. The ladies were
movin’, the fellas jumped in and the wine was taking
its course... This is why I love art galleries, it always
feels like a house party! When midnight hit Hodge
got on the mic and said: “You don’t have to leave
but, you can’t stay here”. Everyone was sad...
including the lady serving the wine. But hey, what
can you do? The party can’t last forever. So, we
were granted one more song [Dead Prez- It’s bigger
than hip-hop]. A great ender and more motivation to
come back to the next gallery!
For more info on Mr. Hodge:
roberthodge.net
threemusegallery@gmail.com
25
FAREWELL
Proletariat
P h o t o g r a p h y
a n d
w o r d s
THE
B y :
END
R o b e r t
OF
B j o r n
AN
T a y l o r
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I AT
HAS
C L OSED
I TS
DOORS
CASHLESSCLAY
H
ey sup Hue-stonians,
I’m Bjorn this is my article its gonna
suck not because I can’t write, but the
subject matter...especially for the
as*holes who missed out on the era
of the “pro”...Like any other twenty
something I hunger for the finer
things in life good music, beer, good
conversation to enlighten me, oh yeah
and the as* these things and more
is what I’m going to miss. I have been
many places in my twenty odd years of
life on this planet, but the one thing
that could always satisfy me in my
hometown of Houston was thursdays
at the pro. It would be a shame to just
mention the thursdays at this place.
There is much more to the pro, a staple
for live local bands the diversity
of people in the hustle and bustle
inner city area of montrose slash
museum district. But since I spent my
last day there at the “rockbox” I will
Just let you look at the pictures so
we can cherish this moment in time
of awesome Hip Hop, Alternative Rock,
Electronic music and good times.
28
THACROWD
FREDSTER
DAYTA
GRACIECHAVEZ
SHINAREA
DJWITNESS
By: Nicole McCray
I’m a huge fan of Shelton Jackson Lee, otherwise
known as Spike Lee. Born in Atlanta, raised in
Brooklyn, the “Academy Award” Academy Awardnominated “Film director” film director, “Film producer”
producer, “Actor” actor has made me not only think
deeply about our world but has made the world think
more deeply about the state of the world we live in. If
you want to know what’s going on in the society at a
particular moment, check out a Spike Lee joint. Most
of his films candidly tackles controversial social and
political issues with a bit of comedy sprinkled about.
Two of my most favorites are 2002’s drama/comedy
She Hate Me and the 1990 drama Mo’ Betta Blues.
In She Hate Me, starring Anthony Mackie, Kerry
Washington and Ellen Barkin the tagline is “A film
about one heterosexual male and 18 lesbians.” The
synopsis goes, a financially successful and upwardly
mobile exec at a “Biotechnology” biotechnology firm
is falsely accused of securities fraud, his assets are
frozen, so in order to maintain his buppie lifestyle he
becomes a sperm donor to a group of lesbians that
pays him $10,000 a pop to have sex with him in
order to become pregnant. Has it really gotten that
serious? In a world according to Spike Lee, it has.
During the time when many states explicitly prohibited
homosexual and/or same-sex couples from adopting
children, it’s no wonder why some women took the law
into their own hands.
A SPIKE LEE FAN
30
On the other hand, my first entrée into Spike’s world
was in 1990 through Mo’ Betta Blues, which stars
Denzel Washington, Wesley Snipes and Spike Lee
himself. The film gives a slice of life to a fictional jazz
trumpeter Bleek Gilliam “Denzel Washington”, his
friends, and his dealings with two very different women,
which results in him jeopardizing both his relationships
and his playing career. The film features the music
of the Branford Marsalis quartet plus “Terence
Blanchard” Terence Blanchard on trumpet. At the time
I was a fifteen-year old high schooler who barely knew
anything about jazz, and even being a woman for that
matter however I fell in love immediately with the music
and the film’s message of friendship and loyalty. Since
the days of his first feature film, 1986’s She’s Gotta
Have It, Spike Lee and his production company, 40
Acres & A Mule Filmworks has produced over 35 films.
Currently teaching film at Columbia University, Lee is
rumored to be working on a sequel to last year’s megahit Inside Man.
BOYCOTT
© 2008
I pity tha’ fool who doesn’t advertise in Boy-Cott