november 2008 - Chocolate Siztas

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The Full Story
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Bringing The Full Figured Into Focus
A Chocolate Siztas Publication
Sacramento, California
NOVEMBER 2008
HEALTH M-TTERS
Up Next: Be sure to check out our
December issue as we mark World AIDS
Day with a focus on HIV/AIDS in communities of color. In this issue readers will
learn more about folks who are on the front
lines of the education fight and what Magic
Johnson, perhaps the disease’s most
famous survivor, is up to these days.
~ Special All Male Issue ~
It’s Raining Men... Hallelujah !
W
hether its sports, business, entertainment, education, law enforcement, or in the home, big
men are making an impact.
In this special issue of “The Full Story,” Chocolate
Siztas pays tribute to the full-figured men of the world.
We know that living large ain’t easy, we understand
about fighting to be accepted and not limited by age-old
stereotypes and misconceptions, but fellas, we want you
to know that we recognize your contributions and we’re
in it with you.
So continue to educate, defy expectations, make folks
laugh, make folks think and just continue “doing you”
and know that your “siztas” have got your back. Know
that we’ll continue to raise your kids, buy your albums,
go to your movies on opening weekend, support your
radio shows, read your books,and visit your restaurants.
We got you. And before you start pointing out
other brothas you don’t see listed here, there’s
just so much talent on
our proverbial plates,
we had to save
some for later!
Inside: Rap Goes ‘Crazy’ (3) Role Call (6-7) What Ever Happened to “Buffalo Butt?” (7) Return Of The Mac (8)
2
Full Story
Where Chocolate Siztas Is Coming From...
Welcome to the latest issue of our
newsletter! We wanted to take a
moment to introduce ourselves again,
and explain where we’re coming
from...
There are so many adjectives for a
full-figured woman. Rubenesque.
Plus-sized. Big Beautiful Woman
(BBW). Big. Curvaceous. Thick.
Chubby. Chunky. The list goes on and
on. The stigma for these women is the
same, however, no matter how they’re
described: a big woman isn’t typically
considered attractive.
T he Chocolate Siztas was started
by two full-figured women: Genoa
Barrow and Tandrea Madison. Their
relationship began as a professional
one, both of them writers for The
Sacramento Observer, a Black-owned
newspaper. Soon, the common
ground between them became obvious. Both women were intelligent, creative, ambitious, full-figured, divalicious, beautiful and chocolate.
Discussion about size acceptance
became a common one and both
women realized there was a public
unmet need—that a portion of the
Sacramento community was being
disserviced—and who better to tackle
that than them? As members of the
full-figured community and as journalists, they had unique perspectives into
the problem and the resources and
knowledge to make changes. Hence,
“The Full Story”
is the monthly
newsletter of the Chocolate
Siztas, Sacramento’s premier hosts of full figured
events and programs.
Are you a full figured
person with something to say?
Know of a plus friendly business
that should be highlighted?
We want to hear from you!
Email us at info@ChocolateSiztas.com
or visit us at www.ChocolateSiztas.com
Chocolate Siztas was
born.
The aim of the organization is to provide the
full-figured community
with activities and venues designed for them
and their admirers. The
idea began with a simple desire to unite fullfigured Sacramentans
and provide them with a
quarterly venue to meet
one another, removing
the usual societal pressures and judgments—
size acceptance would
not be an issue at the
events.
What began as a simple idea has
since grown considerably. CS has
plans for much more for the full-figured including skate nights, bowling
nights, full-figured cruises,
gospel brunches, movie
nights—for singles and families, self-esteem workshops
for teens, poetry slams, exercise classes, dance competitions and more. We’re also
launching a youth component
called Chocolate CHIPS
(Changing How I’m Perceived
by Society) and a web site
www.ChocolateSiztas.com.
Through all that we do, and
just being our wonderful selves,
Chocolate Siztas intends to show
society that size has nothing to do
with beauty, style, grace or depth of
heart.
R.I.P
We’d be remiss as journalists if we didn’t pay
respects to “one of our
own.” Tim Russert the
highly respected host o
NBC’s “Meet the Press”
died of a heart attack on
June 13, 2008, he was 58.
Contributing To This Issue
µ
Producing “The Full Story” is a labor of love and CS wants to
acknowledge those that help bring it all together...
Editor: Genoa Barrow
Staff Writer: Tandrea Madision
Columnist: Shellie Dunn (returning in December issue)
Photographers: Ray Johnson
Antonio Harvey
3
Full Story
Bay Area Brothas
DJs Spin For All To Hear
hu-Dog” “Chu Deezy”—no matter
how you say it, Chuy Gomez is a
well-loved personality in the Bay
Area. For 15 years now, the KMEL radio DJ
has been keeping hip-hop alive in the Bay and
breaking new artists. Gomez got his start as a
sidekick for host Mancow on KMEL, but quickly
showed that he was
meant for his own spotlight. Since then, there’s
been no stopping the
Latin wave as he’s added
TV to his resume—hosting his own music spot on
the California Music
Channel. Gomez also
runs a DJ business with
his brother, Hugo.
“C
Mike Dailey, left, is shown with Dr. Cornel West and Ron West.
Producer Sees Bigger Picture
W
hen Mike Dailey was
growing up, his heroes
weren’t
Superman,
Batman or Robin, but his mother,
Bell and maternal grandmother,
Big Mama.
Today the Sacramento-based
music producer is a single father,
raising two teenage daughters as
they would have.
Having been thrust into the reality of parenting alone, Dailey has
adopted the cause of the nation’s
single mom. The scope: 12 million
single mothers are raising 22 million children.
Dailey, one-third of the collaborative Black Men Who Mean
Business (which includes renown
educator Dr. Cornel West), is creating the CD, “Truth Be Told: The
Essence of a Woman’s Journey.”
The CD will feature Dr. West, poet
Sonia Sanchez, MC Lyte, Angie
Stone, Goapele, Lyfe Jennings,
Malcolm Jamal Warner, and
Raheem DeVaughn.
The goal of the project, he says,
is to change the lives of women
and children, to combat societal ills
and restore lost dreams.
“I had no idea how difficult it was
for my mother to raise four children alone until I became a single
father,” Dailey said.
“It is one of the hardest jobs that I
have ever encountered. I tip my hat
to all the single women in the
world and give them the utmost
respect,” he continues.
BMWMB will celebrate the project at its Second Annual
Community Listening Party in
May 2009. Listeners will also get
to preview the group’s album “The
Best of Black Men Who Mean
Business.” Their other work
includes “Never Forget: A Journey
of Revelations” which includes
performances by Prince, Talib
Kweli, Andre 3000, Michael Eric
Dyson, and the late Gerald Levert.
•••
ccording to Dee-Lite and Bootsy Collins,
groove is in the heart— DJ Biggie C is the
physical proof. Despite the seriousness of
his “day” job as a Staff
Developer/ Program Manager
for a Bay Area drug rehabilitation center, or perhaps
because of it, Craig Williams
loves to see people having
fun. For more than 15 years,
Dj’ing has been a part of
Williams’ life and a way for
him to release stress. With
clients throughout Northern California, DJ Biggie C
definitely keeps the party going.
A
Sacramento Rapper Stays True
H
e’s got styles upon styles, upon styles G. Go to Crazy
Ballhead’s show and you’ll realize that the line is more
than a hook he recites. Often in hip-hop, saying an
artists’ songs have messages behind them can be the kiss of
death. But the Sacramento rapper breathes life into a genre
largely cluttered with unintelligible lyrics, glorified violence
and misogyny. As some would state, “He’s saying something.”
He performs with a live band and has earned fans coast to coast.
Crazy Ballhead performs at festivals, concerts and clubs like
The Distillery. His albums include “On the Horizon of Another
Massive Takeover,” “Living The Plot of My Life’s Novel” and
Crazy Ballhead’s fans appreciate his love for hip-hop.
his latest, “The Children of Hope” released earlier this year.
4
Full Story
S
Local Author Shares His Passion For Writing
acramento-based author Curtis Alcutt
is known for his urban novel, “The
Dyme Hit List.” Alcutt was also featured in Zane’s widely popular erotica
anthology “Caramel Flava” in 2006. His
short story “Not Tonight” helped the Black
and Latino flavored anthology make it to
the New York Times Best Seller list.
Alcutt’s latest book, released just last
month, is “Bullets & Ballads,” an “erotic
and psychological drama centering around
musical genius Apollo Knight as he navigates a world laced with love, deceit and
lust.”
In addition to his writing, Alcutt is the
co-founder of WriteWay2Freedom, which
he for med with fellow writer Paula
Edwards in 2005. The literary foundation,
in part, helps expose inner-city youth to literacy. Alcutt and Edwards also collaborated on “Your Roadmap To A Book: A
Pocket Guide For The Aspiring Writer” Alcutt is a familiar face at Sacramento’s Carol’s Books, hosting
and conduct writer’s workshops throughout workshops for aspiring writers and supporting signings given by
fellow authors.
California.
New Books To
Hit Shelves
American Idol judge Randy Jackson
has a new book due out this month
titled, “Body With Soul: Steady
Your Sugar, Cut Your Cholesterol,
and Get a Jump on Your Best
Health.” Jackson’s struggles
with his health and weight
have been well-documented;
he's tried every diet,spent
countless hours in gyms,
and even had gastric
bypass surgery in 2003.
He’s taken all that he’s
learned and turned it into an easy-to-follow maintenance
regimen, filled with meal plans (drawn from the accompanying recipes for healthy versions of down-home Southern
favorites), exercise routines, and inspiring stories from his
unique life in the music business.With his New You Plan,
Randy Jackson aims to focus on the epidemic of obesityrelated disorders like hypertension, heart
disease, and diabetes.
•••
“Too Fat To Fish,”due out Nov. 11, offers
up outrageous, raw, and painfully funny
true stories straight from the life of Artie
Lange, the actor, comedian, and muchloved cast member of “The Howard Stern
Show.” Lange, who also appeared on
“MadTV,” discusses everything from drug
addiction to his battle with weight.
Making College A Reality
F
or 20 years Dr. Alan Rowe
and wife Donna L. Rowe
have made college, and more
specifically historically Black colleges and universities, a reality for
students of color, some of whom
had never seen it as an option.
The Sacramento couple, founders
of the United College Action
Network, better known as U-CAN,
recently celebrated 20 years of dedicated service. They marked the
milestone with U-CAN’s 20th
Anniversary Scholarship Gala, held
in Sacramento in September.
Dr. Rowe says U-CAN has reached
29,000 students.
“It started out as a dream of helping my own son and we discovered a
serious void in African Americans as
a whole obtaining a four-year
degree," he said.
U-CAN is widely known for its
Black college recruitment fairs that
put students in face-to-face contact
with college recruiters and offer
Dr. Alan Rowe says “U-CAN.”
some on-the-spot admissions. The
organization also provides campus
tours, help with financial aid, housing assistance, and leadership development training.
U-CAN is described as one of
Sacramento’s “best kept secrets.” It
presented more than $30,000 in
scholarships to area
students at its recent gala.
5
Full Story
‘Role’ Call: On Screen Big Men
Full-figured actors continually chip away at the traditional image of “the
leading man.” They often have to work harder than other, thinner, performers, just to prove they’re worthy of “the good roles.” And roles, no pun
intended, have expanded in recent years to cast full figured actors in more
positive way. Today, they’re award winners, top dollar earners and bonafide
box office draws. Here we salute those who are representing in a major way.
Forrest Whitaker, at left, is Hollywood’s “it man.” He won the coveted Academy Award
for his role as dictator Idi Amin in the 2006 film “The Last King of Scotland” and hasn’t rested on his win. Whitaker, whose credits include “Fast Times At Ridgemont High,” “Street
Kings,” “Ghost Dog: The Way of the Warrior,” “The Crying Game” and “Poetic Justice,” has
kept busy since his historic win. We’ll see him next in “Hur ricane Season,”
“Repossession Mambo,” “Winged Creatures” with Jennifer Hudson and “My Own Love Story”
with Renee Zellwigger. He’s also signed on to
direct and star in the Louis Armstrong biopic
“What A Wonderful World.”
•••
Jorge Garcia, right, He made countless
appearances on TV shows but found fame on a
series called “Lost.” Garcia stars as Hugo
“Hurley” Reyes on the ABC hit. His portrayal
won him the 2006 Alma Award for Outstanding
Supporting Actor in a TV Series. The Almas recognize the work of Latino entertainers. Before
crashing on to the island and into fans’ consciousness, Garcia had minor parts on shows like “Spin
City,” “Becker,” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm.”
Fans can catch Garcia in the 2009 film “When
We Were Pirates.”
•••
Omar Benson Miller, below: Like Chocolate
Siztas co-founders Genoa Barrow and Tandrea Madison,
Miller is an alum of San Jose State U. The 30-year-old
is having a great 2008, with two films in theaters. The
6’6” actor stars in “The Express” and Spike Lee’s latest,
“Miracle at St. Anna.” Miller says he’s attracted by roles
that aren’t written specifically for big guys and has been
lucky to avoid “stereotypical big man fare.” So far, he’s held
his own with Eminem in “8 Mile,” Richard Gere in
“Shall We Dance,” and Halle Berry in “Things We Lost
In The Fire.” In 2009 he’ll star in “Blood Done Signed
My Name” and the animated film “The Lion of Judah.”
Jack Black (above): You won’t find a more colorful
actor than Jack Black. Black isn’t afraid to go wild and
throw his whole body into his work. In 2008, he was the
voice of warrior wannabe “Ku Fu Panda,” starred with
Mos Def in “Be Kind Rewind” and was Jeff “Fats”
Portney in “Tropic Thunder.” His resumé includes
“Enemy of the State,” “Shallow Hall,” “King Kong,”
School of Rock,” “Nacho Libre” and the romantic film
“The Holiday.” The 39-year-old will next star in the
animated film of Biblical proportions, “The Year One,”
in 2009 and the “School of Rock” sequel in 2010. He
also tours with his rock band Tenacious D.
Anthony Anderson (above): Nobody can say
Anderson doesn’t put in work. He had his own series “All
About The Andersons” in 2003. He appeared in
“Barbershop,” “Hustle & Flow,” “King’s Ransom,” and
“Scary Movie 3.” He returned to TV in 2007 for Fox’s“KVille” where he played a cop in post-Katrina New Orleans.
Continuing in cop mode, Anderson can now be seen as
Detective Kevin Bernard on NBC’s “Law & Order.” He
also starred in the 2007 film “Transformers.” Anderson, 38,
will next hit theaters in “Mama Black Widow” a film based
on an Iceberg slim novel about a man trying to keep his family together in a “world of alcoholism, pimping, sexual deviation and racial degradation.”
6
Full Story
‘Role’ Call: On Screen Big Men
Danny DeVito (left): There’s no way that he
could ever be mistaken for Arnold Schwarzenegger’s
brother, but somehow he pulled it off. The film
“Twins” is but one in a career that spans four
decades. DeVito may be small, standing only at
5’, but he leaves a big impression.
Lately he’s been seen as Frank
Reynolds on the quirky USA network show “It’s Always Sunny In
Philadelphia.” In the coming
months, he’ll star in several films
including “House Broken,” “When
In Rome,” “Little Spirit: Christmas
in New York,” and “Solitary Man.”
DeVito, who turns 64 on November 17, has
a resumé that includes the classic TV show
“Taxi” and the films “The Good Knight,”
“Batman Returns,” “What’s The Worst
T hat Could Happen,” “Be Cool,”
“Drowning Mona,” “Throw Momma From
T he Train,” “Romancing T he Stone,”
“War of the Roses,” “Matilda,” “One
Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” and as true
fans will remember, “Car Wash.”
•••
Robbie Coltrane (left:) He
was already one of Britain’s brightest comedians, but it wasn’t until
author J.K. Rowling came knocking
that Robbie Coltrane achieved international stardom. Coltrane stars in
the “Harry Potter” films as the gentle half giant Rubeus Hagrid.
Coltrane, 58, also appeared in two
James Bond films, “Golden Eye”
and “The World Is Not Enough.”
•••
Bill Nunn (above): Who can forget Radio
Raheem or Duh Duh Duh Man? These characters
are as memorable as the films they were a part of. It
was Radio’s death at the hands of racist cops that
spurred the riot in “Do The Right Thing.” No matter how big or small the role, actor Bill Nunn brings
his characters to life. Nunn has a long standing relationship with director Spike Lee. Both are alums of
the Historically Black Morehouse College. Nunn has
appeared in number of “Spike Lee joints” including
“School Daze,” “Mo Better Blues” and“He Got
Game.” He’s also starred in “New Jack City,” “Kiss
the Girls,”“Sister Act,” “Regarding Henry”
“Runaway Jury,” “Idlewild” and the recent
Spiderman trilogy.
John Goodman( right): Best known for
his role as Roseanne’s husband Dan Connor,
but seemed born to play Fred in the film version of “The Flintstones.” Goodman’s worked
steadily, starring in “King Ralph,” “The Big
Lebowski,” “The Babe,” “Barton Fink,”
“Arachnophobia,” “Evan Almighty” and most
recently “Speed Racer.” He’s lent his voice to
numerous animated projects such as “Cars,”
“Bee Movie,” “The Emperor’s New Groove,”
Monster’s Inc.,” and the upcoming film “The
Princess & The Frog,” featuring Disney’s
first African American princess.
7
‘Role’ Call: On Screen Big Men
Full Story
R.I.P
Celebrities are human and experience some of the same issues
related to being full-figured as everyday folk. Here, we pay our
respects to two actors who battled with their weight in the public
eye before going on to their glory. Rest In Peace...
William Conrad...
William Conrad (1920-1994) (left)
Before there was such a thing as political
correctness, there was a television show
called “Jake and the Fatman.” Veteran
actor William Conrad played the title
character in the law and order series that
ran on CBS from 1987-1992. He also
starred in the cop show “Cannon.”
Conrad, with his signature deep voice,
got his start in radio. He starred in the
radio version of the popular western
“Gunsmoke” before losing the role
because of his weight when it went to television. He also narrated several TV
shows such as “Rocky & Bullwinkle” and
“Buck Rogers in the 25th Century.” He
died of congestive heart failure.
Fred Berry...
Fred “Rerun” Berry (1951-2003)
(right): Before landing the role of Fred
“Rerun” Stubbs on the show “What’s
Happening,” Fred Berry was a member
of the Los Angeles dance group The
Lockers. The character often displayed
the pop-locking style on the show,
where many wondered how a big guy
could move like that. After the show
ended, he was type cast and didn’t work
much. Berry later embraced his lasting
fame and was rarely seen without his
signature red beret, that the character
had made famous. After years of battling drug and alcohol addiction and
diabetes, Berry turned his life around
and became an ordained minister. He also performed around the
country with the UniverSoul circus. Before his death, he made
appearances on the show “Scrubs,” poking fun at the Rerun character, in the Snoop Dogg video “It’s A Doggy Dogg World,” and in the
2003 film Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star. He died after having a
stroke.
D
I Ain’t Dead Yet
espite Internet rumors, Johnny Brown
is still very much alive. Back in the
1970s, Brown played the often-inattentive building supervisor Nathan Bookman
on the classic
television show
“Good Times.”
On the show he
bore the brunt
of way too many
fat jokes, often
from the characters James and
F lorida Evans,
despite the fact
that they too
were played by
plus size actors , Esther Rolle and John Amos.
The Bookman character was most often
referred to crudely as Booger or Buffalo Butt.
Before Good Times, Brown starred on
Broadway with the legendary Sammy Davis,
Jr. In recent years, he’s been spotted on television shows such as “Martin,” “The Parkers”
a n d “Everybody Hates Chris.”
T
•••
he Web has also been unkind to comic
Louie Anderson and he is often featured on
celebrity “Dead
or Alive?” sites. He is
very much alive, with his
own nightly show at the
Excalibur in Las Vegas
called “Larger Than
Life.” He’s written several
books
including
“ G o o d - b y e
Cruel
Jumbo...Hello
World,” for those with
self-esteem issues. He’s
the former host of “Family Feud” and his credits
include “Life with Louie,” “Coming To America”
and “The Louie Anderson Show.”
8
Full Story
Return of
The Mac
F
ans will get to see Bernie
Mac again as one of the the
late comedian’s last films
hits theaters this month.
Mac, who died on August 9,
appears in “Soul Men” with
Samuel L. Jackson. The Blues
Brother-ish film follows the
“comeback” of two former singers
and the hijinks they face on the
road back to the stage.
We’ll also hear his voice in the
film “Madagascar: Return 2
Africa.” Mac lends his voice to the
character of Zuba, the father of the
lion character, Alex.
Mac is known for his comedy
act, which solidified his place as
one of the “Original Kings of
Comedy.” After joking that he was
F
the only King without his own castle—a TV show— he landed “The
Bernie Mac Show” on FOX. The
sitcom was based on his comedy
act in which he often joked about
taking in his drug-addicted sister’s
kids.
Mac’s last film was “Old Dogs,”
which stars John Travolta and
Robin Wiliams. The film is due out
in November 2009. Fans who want
to reminisce can also check the
Mac man out on DVD in films
such as “Friday,” “Ocean’s
Eleven,” “Mr. 3000,” “Bad Santa,”
“Pride,” “Guess Who’s Coming To
Dinner,” “Charlie’s Angels: Full
Throttle,” and “Transformers.”
Tyler Perry Seems To Have Midas Touch
rom homeless to household name, Tyler Perry is
huge and he’s done it all
with such a genuinely humble
personality, one can’t help
feeling proud of his accomplishments.
Perry has made his fortune
with gospel-type stage plays
which were vastly popular as
they crisscrossed the country. Perry then made more
money filming his plays and
releasing them on DVD. A
number of the plays, featuring his signature character
Madea, have also been
remade into feature length
films. Titles include “Diary of
A Mad Black Woman,” with
Kimberly Elise, Shemar
Moore and Steve Harris;
“Madea’s Family Reunion,”
with Cecily Tyson, Maya
Angelou; “Why Did I Get Married?” with Janet Jackson
and Jill Scott; and “Meet The
Browns” with Angela Bassett.
Perry’s also got the Midas
touch with television, as his
“Tyler Perry’s House of Pain”
on TBS, is the most popular
comedy on cable. Reruns are
already showing in syndication on other channels.
Perry recently opened a
multi-million dollar studio,
naming each sound stage
after African American icons
Ruby Dee, Cicely Tyson and
Sidney Poitier. Slated to hit
theaters soon— “Madea
Goes To Jail.” Lock up will
never be the same.
9
Full Story
M
EN
~ of ~
MUSIC
Be it rap, jazz, hip-hop, R&B, or gospel, big men
have paved the way for some of the artists out there
today and they're continuing to raise the bar and
set the trends. From Heavy D to Rev. Run, no one
does it bigger or better than our men.
Cee-Lo, right, may be a bit different, but he’s definitely not “Crazy.”
The former Goodie Mob member
struck out on his own and stuck gold
with the outside- the-box duo
Gnarls Barkely. The rappers hits
include “I’ll Be Around” and
“Crazy.” The latest Gnarls album,
aptly named “The Odd Couple,”
was released in March.
Fat Joe, left, is a rapper of
Puerto Rican and Cuban descent
who represents NY to the fullest.
Born Joseph Antonio Cartagena,
he rolls with a crew called the
Terror Squad and has turned it
into a money making enterprise,
his own record label— Terror
Squad Entertainment. His albums
include “Represent,” “Jealous
Ones Envy,” “All or Nothing,”
Me, Myself & I,” and “The
Elephant In The Room” which
was released in March. His song
“Lean Back” topped the charts in
2004 and created a dance craze.
E-40, above, is known as the ghetto
linguist.The Bay Area rapper,aka Earl
Stevens, actually published a book
called “E-40s Book of Slang.” His
albums include “My Ghetto Report
Card,” “In A Major Way,” The Hall
of Game,” and “The Ball Street
Journal.” E-40 is also a successful
entrepreneur, owning clubs and restaurants in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Ruben Studdard (above): Undeniably
one of the biggest talents to be featured on
Fox’s “American Idol.” He had Black folks
singing “Sweet Home Alabama” like they’d
forgotten the not so distant past. Before going
on to win season two of the singing competition, Studdard was dubbed “The Velvet Teddy
Bear” by music legend Gladys Knight. Today
Studdard gets props in gospel and R&B circles but hasn’t had the breakout success he’s
definitely capable of. His albums include
“Soulful,” “I Need An Angel,” and “The
Retur n.” Studdard recently mar ried his
sweetheart, Surata Zuri McCants. He’s also
taken to the road, touring with Robin Givens
in the stage play “Heaven I Need A Hug.”
O’Shea Jackson, right, use to be a N*****
With An Attitude, but now he’s a millionaire,
better known as Ice Cube. Cube successfully
balances both rap and acting careers. He
and his friends from South Central Los
Angeles put gangsta rap on the map
and he’s had solo success with songs like
“Today Was A Good Day,” “Check Yo Self,”
and “AmeriKKKa’s Most
Wanted.” His burgeoning
film credits include
“Boyz N The Hood,
Higher Learning,
“Anaconda,”
“Friday,” Next
Friday,” Friday
After Next” “First
Sunday,” The
Players Club,”
“Three Kings,” “Are
We Done Yet” and “Are
We There Yet.”
10
Full Story
More Men of Music ...
Bone Crusher, above, is an ATL
original who got everybody’s
“Attenchun” with the 2003 single
“Neva Scared.” The track became so
popular, even the Atlanta Braves used
it as their theme song that year. Born
Wayne Hardnett, Bone Crusher
jumped on the scene with the group
Lyrical Giants and was later featured
on work by the Young Bloodz, David
Banner, Young Jeezy, and Trillville.
He’s featured as a character on the
video game Def Jam: Fight For New
York and has a small scene in the TI
film “ATL.” Bone Crusher also won
season four of VH1’s reality show
“Celebrity Fit Club,” with a record
setting weight loss of 51 pounds. He’s
since put his belly to good use as a
judge on the TV show “Iron Chef
America” on the Food Network. These
days he can be found on the DVD
“Battle of the Bulge: Featuring Bone
Crusher.” The DVD, released in
February 2008, teams the rapper up
with Fit Club nutritionist Dr. Ian
Smith, for a workout designed for people with limited movement.
Above: One third of the pioneering rap trio Run-DMC,
Rev. Run, aka Joseph
Simmons, is now an ordained
preacher with Zoe Ministries.
Years after singing about “My
Adidas,” now has his own line
of kicks, Run Athletic Shoes.
He’s also inspired his kids, as
his daughters Angela and
Vanessa also have their own
shoe line, Pastry. Their family
is featured on the MTV reality
series “Run’s House,” also
named after a Run DMC hit.
Rev. Run published the book
Dwight “Heavy D” Myers, left,
put “Money Earning Mount Vernon” on
the map. He entered the hip-hop world as
the leader of Heavy D and the Boyz.
Heavy D could move well for a big guy and
won fans over with his talents. His hit
songs included “Mr. Big Stuff,” “Now
That We Found Love” and “Gyrlz They
Love Me,” in which he declared himself
“the Overweight Lover.” Heavy D also lent
his voice to the theme songs of the comedy
shows “In Living Color” and “MadTV.”
The acting bug struck and he put in impressive performances on TV shows like
“Roc,”“Living Single” and “Boston
Public” and has appeared in movies such
as “Life,” “Big Trouble” and “Cider
House Rules.” Heavy D hasn’t given up on
music though, this year releasing the project
“Vibes” on iTunes.
“Words of Wisdom: Daily
Affir mations of Faith from
Run's House to Yours” in
August. The day before it was
released, his book written with
wife Justine, “Take Back Your
Family: A Challenge to
America's
Parents,”
hit
shelves. T he couple also
teamed up this year with KoolAid and a non-profit organization called KaBOOM! to help
build 24 playgrounds in
underser ved communities to
help raise awareness for the
need for safe playspaces.
He’d been in the biz for
ages, “Just A Friend”
launched Biz Markee,
above, into the rap stratosphere. The Harlem-born
DJ helped put Cold Chillin
Records on the map. Known
for his beat-boxing skills,
Biz Markee appeared on
songs by Roxanne Shante
and MC Shan. His solo
work includes “Make The
Music with Your Mouth
Biz,” “Picking Boogers”
and “Just A Friend,”
which won cross-over success, despite Markee’s less
than stellar singing. He
appears in the film “Men
In Black II,” as an alien
speaking a beatbox-like
language. He also appeared
on the show “Celebrity Fit
Club,” became a regular on
Nick Cannon’s “Wild n
Out,” and beatboxes for
kids on the Nickelodeon
show “Yo Gabba Gaba.”
11
Full Story
YOU GO T JOKES:
The full figured are often the butt of jokes, but a
number of comics are flipping the script and
are literally laughing all the way to the bank.
Cussing and comedy go together like Kool-Aid
and sugar, but there are still some folks who know
how to keep it clean—Bruce Bruce is one. Bruce
strives to avoid vulgarity, while still “bringing the
funny.” In his recent book, “Mayor of Comedy”
his mind runs free on a variety of subjects, including family, church, girlfriends, fat people and
more. Bruce is well known for his two-year stint as
host of BET’s “Comic View,” as well as hosting
“Coming to the Stage,” which was also on BET.
Y
ou couldn’t help but
notice him on
“Comic View” and
think he’d win NBC’s “Last
Comic Standing” in 2007,
but viewers thought a Jeff
Foxworthy wannabe “was
funnier than” Lavell
Crawford. Despite losing,
BRUCE BRUCE
Y
ou have to be one hell of a comedian to be featured on a show called
“Da Big Black Comedy Show”
when you’re not Black. Ralphie May was
robbed on “Last Comic Standing” but isn’t
any worse for the wear. His album “Just
Correct” went platinum and he’s had two
specials on Comedy Central, “Girth of A
Nation” and “Prime Cut.”
His Web site boasts stand-up engagements through 2009. This month he’ll do
C
RALPHIE MAY
Crawford can be
LAVELL CRAWFORD
found filling comedy clubs across the
The St. Louis native, has
country. He often pokes fun
appeared in the straight to
at his weight, in a way fans
DVD movies “Beverly Hood”
can relate to. In one joke he
and “Friends and Lovers.”
says people always ask him
He also appeared in the stage
why he breaths so hard, his
version, of Eric Jerome
response— “so I can live.”
Dickey’s novel.
Caesar’s Palace, performing with fellow
“Last Comic Standing” alum Josh Blue.
May reportedly weighed more than 700
pounds at one point and had gastric bypass
surgery. He took his battle to Season One
of “Celebrity Fit Club,” losing 27 pounds.
Much was made of his “only shedding 5.6
percent of his total body fat, but as any
plus-size person knows, every inch is a victory, so we ain’t mad at that. He recently
said he’s got 300 pounds in sight.
A
CEDRIC THE ENTERTAINER
ries Spears, left, is best known for his hilarious sketches on
Fox’s MadTV and has become a comedic force to be reckoned with. Expanding into the world of film, Spears has
been featured in “Home of Angels,” “Out-of-Sync,” “Why Do
Fools Fall in Love?” “Jerry Maguire,” “Love Chronicles” and
“Hood of Horror.” Spears,33, represents the “big men” in a big
way, and has also appeared on Showtime at the Apollo and Russell
Simmons’ Def Comedy Jam.
ARIES SPEARS
edric "The Entertainer" has certainly lived up to his moniker. Born Cedric Antonio Kyles,
Ced is known for his role on “The Steve Harvey Show” and
as one of the “Original Kings of Comedy.” He got his start
on “Showtime at the Apollo” in 1992, started acting in 1996 and
hasn't looked back. Cedric has been in films such as “Dr. Doolittle
2,” “Barbershop 1 and 2,” “The Honeymooners,” and “Welcome
Home Roscoe Jenkins.” The Black man's even been to the White
House— as the lead comedian at the White House
Correspondence Dinner in 2005.
12
Full Story
Preacher Goes From Digging Ditches To Filling Voids
ove him or hate him,
preacher TD Jakes has
made his presence felt.
He’s the founder of the
megachurch,
The Potter’s
House is Dallas, Texas. His sermons air internationally as The
Potter’s Touch on the Trinity
Broadcasting Network, BET, and
The Word Network. Not bad for a
man that once dug ditches to
support his ministry. Today he’s
the host of a Megafest revival
that draws tens of thousands of
people and garners hundreds of
thousands of dollars.
Many don’t approve of his
“prosperity gospel,” the belief
that God rewards his faithful with
material wealth and feel that
Jakes’ amassing of cars, jewels
L
It’s All Or ‘Nunn’
D
orsey Nunn’s name
has been uttered a
lot lately—on TV, in
the newspapers, and even
on “The Tavis Smiley
Show.” The big man is making big waves.
As a community activist,
Nunn isn’t someone to
mess with; as the Co-director of the San Franciscobased non-profit organization, Legal Services for
Prisoners with Children,
he’s a hurricane
unmatched; but as the
Director of All of Us or
None—Mr. Nunn is a Shock
and Awe.
Fighting for the restoration of human and civil
rights for the formerly and
currently incarcerated,
Dorsey is a passionate
advocate and defender,
fearlessly taking the issues
to the top—“the
Governator!”
and property isn’t keeping with
what God was about at all. He
isn’t without his supporters
though.
His books stay on the New
York Times Best Seller List and
include “Can You Stand To Be
Blessed?” “Loose That Man and
Let Him Go,” “Positioning
Yourself To Prosper,” “HeMotions: Every Strong Man
Struggles,” “Women Thou Art
Loosed: Healing The Wounds of
the Past,” “Promises From God
to Single Women” and “Before
You Do: Making Great Decisions
That You Won’t Regret,” which
hit shelves in October. Jakes, 51,
also has his own record label
and theatre and movie companies.
Bloggin’ In Little Rock
W
e are the keepers of our
own image and no one
knows that better than Glen
Johnson.
Johnson is a full time blogger
who lives in Little Rock,
Arkansas. He owns and operates the Web site www.fullfigureplus.com.
Johnson, describes himself as
a full figured man married to a
full figured woman, coming
from a full figured family. His
site is dedicated to writing
about all things related to plus
size fashion. In addition,
Johnson has run and contributed to other sites including
www.CurvySilhouettes.com.
Full Figure Plus, he says, was
born in 2004 from an idea con-
cerning the difficulties many
plus size individuals face when
trying to find different places
online to purchase everyday
items.
The site features news and
shopping links dedicated to
plus size men and women.